Attitude Reversal
“My god, Lord William! We truly owe our lives to you!”
“Yeah, well... glad you're safe. Ms. Owen.”
We headed straight for the panic room right after taking down Exose. I was wondering why no one had come out yet. We needed medical personnel to treat me and my mentor, too. Truth be told, I was anxious that the fight's aftermath might have spilled over and caused damage there. But when we arrived, they were just cowering in fear, nothing more.
“I always knew the earl was this valiant!”
“With such a noble bearing, he looks every bit the hero!”
“Those Anastasis lunatics.”
“Way better than that so-called army of three they sent!”
Is this London or some backwater village? The same people who were itching to devour me at dinner had flipped their attitudes completely, showering me with praise. It left a bitter taste, but it beat being treated like a sack of rice left in the corner, so I let it slide. Still, I needed to root out the ones who wouldn't switch sides so easily.
Twitch.
As I scanned the room, surrounded by the VIPs, someone in the corner flinched. It was the Transco Security Chief, his khaki uniform soaked in sweat, head turned away. When I fixed my gaze on him, all the guests and guards followed suit.
Bell, who had been blocking the crowd approaching me like a celebrity bodyguard, asked, “Who is that you're staring at so intently, young master?”
“Ah, the head of Transco security here.”
“So while you were fighting for your life alone, everyone else just watched—and he's the culprit?”
“If we're assigning blame, yeah, that about sums it up.”
“I-I was just following protocol! With comms jammed, it was hard to assess the situation, so holding position until reinforcements arrived—what's wrong with that?!”
The security chief, who'd been listening quietly, suddenly shouted his defense. What kind of nonsense was that? Wasn't I a guest—and a protectee? It pissed me off to no end, but Bell was beyond that; she looked ready to snap. Biting her lower lip with a ferocious scowl, she made the VIPs scatter in panic, clearing a path. The figure with fire in her eyes charged forward and seized the security chief by the collar. His pudgy body was hoisted roughly into the air, dangling helplessly.
“Unacceptable words. You boasted so boldly, yet when the young master was in peril, you just stood by and watched?”
As Bell bared her hostility, nearby Transco troops raised their guns. But she didn't flinch, glaring daggers around the room until they twitched and took a step back.
Hmm. My loyal bodyguard indeed. Maybe the reason I rarely spew harsh words is that she handles the rage for me whenever something pisses me off.
In any case, no actual violence broke out. The security chief tried slapping at Bell's arm but couldn't budge it, so he kept sputtering excuses.
“M-Most of the VIPs had evacuated to the panic room! Risk the op for one guy?!”
“Nonsense. Neutralizing an internal intruder is the proper way to ensure your VIPs' safety.”
“What does some bodyguard know... Scattering forces could cause bigger problems—who'd take responsibility... Eek?!”
“Exactly. If anything had happened to the young master, how did you plan to shoulder that blame?”
Bell rolled her eyes wildly, slowly tilting her head to one side. The creaking motion every beat was honestly nightmare fuel. The security chief's face drained to blue as her grip shifted from collar to throat. The room fell into dead silence, broken only by pig-like gagging sounds.
Then Isabella Owen approached me cautiously. “Uh, Earl Straford? The security chief's already been relieved of duty on-site.”
“You mean I'm picking on an innocent man with no accountability?”
“No! Not at all! We're saying we'll handle the responsibility ourselves. We're already reviewing charges of dereliction of duty against him.”
“And what happens then?”
“He forfeits all privileges and status, bears part of the damages... Basically, ruin. No need for you to dirty your hands, Earl.”
She handed me her business card with her contact info. A polite way of saying they'd deal with it appropriately if I spared their face. Transco still had value to squeeze, so pushing too hard wouldn't be wise. I told Bell to let him go. She followed the order to the letter, dropping the floating man flat on the floor.
“Gah! Heok... heok...”
“Thank you again, Lord William. If there's ever anything I can do, please call anytime.”
I exchanged perfunctory farewells with Owen and the VIPs before leaving the panic room with Bell. Kate Coleman and Veril had guided me via another route, on the Shareholder's orders—so this gesture was enough to call it even. Still, I couldn't help resenting that man. Where the hell was he hiding now?
****
Out of the panic room, I headed to the venue's infirmary. Following the security agents' lead, I easily spotted my mentor on a bed, a bizarre putty-like mass smeared over her wound like sealant—probably for hemostasis and treatment.
She rose to greet me. “Ah, you're resting. How's the injury?”
“Just a graze, no need to worry. As a bodyguard, I don't want to make a fuss over a little scratch.”
Tch. Tough girl. Still, the lance had pierced clean through; that worried me. Reading my expression, she smiled lightly and elaborated.
“No amputation or spilled organs—just suture it up, and it'll heal fast. As you know, my body's not ordinary.”
“Good to hear. You checked out quicker than expected, too.”
“I'm more curious about you. Hacking without gear, smashing that freak knight's head—your doing, right?”
“Well, here's how it went—”
I explained smashing the Heart in Acton and blacking out; waking to find the monster dead and my body reconstituted; the near-death drive with Kana; and just before Exose struck, seeing some vision and awakening something like that. She listened intently, her face a mix of shock, awe, and faint guilt. It was Bell's first time hearing the full details, too.
“.....So, I figure my body shifted to something like yours. What do you think?”
My mentor was one of the superhumans emerging post-Fusion. A physique rivaling cyborgs pointed that way. Chin in hand, deep in thought, she replied.
“Hard to say definitively. Never heard of a case like this.”
“Eh, that different from other superhumans?”
“Superhumans get enhanced physicals, not tech manipulation without tools like you.”
“Can't explain that part myself.”
“Well, still—”
Trailing off, she approached. Grasping my forearms, she kneaded my shoulders, then cupped my cheeks gently. Warm skin and cold metal met my face from both sides. Her crude prosthetic left arm gleamed pale ivory. Rushed out for the attack alert? Feeling a pang, I met her gaze as she half-lidded her eyes, tilting her head to whisper.
“The energy I sense... it resonates like mine.”
Her warm breath tickled my ear, making me shiver faintly.
'Resonates like yours.' A solid lead, if vague. Better than stewing alone in anxiety.
“....”
But she didn't let go. Her compassionate purple eyes drew nearer—not the recent tense, anxious, burdened look, but a fresh, smiling face I hadn't seen in ages. Nice to see, though it itched awkwardly now. As I tried to pull away—
A voice like frozen steel sliced from behind. “What exactly is this ploy, Ms. Kurayami Gawa?”
Bell stormed over, radiating fury—tiles cracking under her steps with physical force. My mentor stroked my cheek a few final times before releasing, turning to Bell.
“Just thanking my savior and chatting intimately with my disciple. Isn't this a bit oversensitive, Bellatrix?”
“With lust dripping from your eyes, you spout that nonsense well.”
“Did I? Maybe it's time to replace those jealousy-clouded eyes of yours.”
“What did you say?!”
I slipped between the bickering pair. For their usual spats, they'd seemed chummy in the fight—maybe this was their way of bonding. Anyway, crucial matters needed addressing: who targeted Bell at the safehouse during my Exose fight. Too suspicious for mere Anastasis diversion. And with mentor here, time to discuss the Shareholder, too. Shame to ruin the rare cozy vibe; I clicked my tongue inwardly.
