[ 08/07/499 21 h 00 ]
So I arrived in front of hotel room n°007, at the agreed time and without anyone having followed me.
And as expected, when I went inside, Sonia was waiting for me, also alone.
Sonia - "You arrived just on time, sir.
Me - "I already told you Sonia, stop being so formal."
Sonia - "Ahah, yes I know, I just wanted to see your reaction."
Me - "You bet, now I think it's weird that you're on first-name terms with me.
Anyway, you must have a lot of questions, I guess.
Sonia - "I think I have a vague idea why, but I do have a lot of questions to ask you.
Me - "Don't worry, I'll answer all your questions, as far as I can."
Sonia - "What does that mean?"
Me - "Which means that I won't be able to tell you everything. But first tell me what your vague idea is. "
Sonia - "The way you told me, I think it's some kind of secret plan. Or something related to that."
Me - "Yeah, you're on the right track."
Sonia - "Well, tell me more."
Me - "You're good, in the field of deception, lies and infiltration?"
Sonia - "Is this an interrogation?"
Me - "Nah, I just want to check if you are qualified enough to achieve my request."
Sonia - "Well, if that's the case, I do think I'm competent enough in all three areas. Why, do you want me to infiltrate someone's home?"
Me - "Sort of, yes."
Sonia - "What do you mean, sort of?"
Me - "It's not actually in someone's house."
Sonia - "An organisation."
Me - "Yeah, more or less."
Sonia - "Come on then, stop beating about the bush."
Me - "I'd like you to infiltrate Terco Castle."
Sonia - "You're joking, right?"
Me - "Absolutely not."
Sonia - "But you know that the King's castle is the most secure place in all of Karroé, even the military prison in Ember is less secure. Infiltrating that castle is suicide."
Me - "Going in without any plan or preparation is indeed suicide. However, the benefits we could get, if the plan works, are insane. "
Sonia - "Very well, explain them.
Me - "First, to know if only the 8 Great Patriarchs are aware of this war, or if the Kings are also aware, and thus allow us to obtain new information that could be useful to us. And secondly, to know the military strength of Karroé, so that we can destabilise the country from within and take the King's place on the throne."
Sonia - "I must admit that the rewards, if we succeed, are incredible and could change the course of the war. But I am still convinced that it cannot be done.
Me - "Don't be too quick to judge. Let me explain what your work will consist of.
Sonia - "All right, explain it to me.
...
Sonia - "Yeah, it's not stupid. It might be hard to set up, but if everything goes according to plan, we should be able to infiltrate."
Me - "Right, but by that time we'll have just done the simplest part of our plan. At that point, you'll just have managed to infiltrate, then you'll have to gain the trust of the King and his relatives so that he'll reveal important information to you."
Sonia - "And how should I go about it?"
Me - "There's no hurry, it's better to concentrate only on the first phase so that you don't have to retain too much information at once and end up mixing up and screwing everything up."
Sonia - "But if a third party event disrupts the plan, how do we deal with it?"
Me - "Normally, that shouldn't happen, no one should try to infiltrate the castle."
Sonia - "How can you be so sure?"
Me - "The risks of failure are too great for anyone to try."
Sonia - "Yes, but we do it well."
Me - "Exactly, because we have a foolproof plan."
Sonia - "And imagine, someone else has exactly the same plan as you, and they too will try it. "
Me - "I've already thought about this possibility, and even if it were the case, I don't think it will hinder us in the progress of the plan, on the contrary, you can use him to achieve it.
Sonia - "And how would I do that?"
Me - "We'll see about that too, because I'll have to go back home, otherwise they'll find out that I'm not at the hotel anymore.
Sonia - "And how will you give me the next instructions?"
Me - "We need to decide on a meeting point, close enough to Terco castle, but also close enough to the base we're going to have with Alia."
Sonia - "And this base will be where?"
Me - "In Guinti."
Sonia - "I see. I know the area quite well and the nearest place is around the Sutra Peak. "
Me - "Very well, so every first of the month at 8 a.m. we meet at the foot of the Sutra Peak, so you can tell me the progress of your infiltration and I can tell you all the new indications.
Sonia - "Okay, let's do it that way. Well, see you in a month then.
Me - "Yeah, good luck. And if you ever get discovered, don't hesitate to reveal my name and location and guide them to me. But only in the worst case scenario."
Sonia - "Don't worry, that won't happen."
It's done, this interminable day will finally end. After leaving to join my mother, going to the bar to warn Shanlen, making that interminable speech, warning my parents about the potential threat Alia posed and the meeting with Sonia, I was finally done.
Well, not completely, I still had to approve each group's choice of locations for their bases. Even if nothing should take too long, I still expect some remarks and disagreements from several people.
Even if in one hour everything should be done.
But I don't know if I should really be happy about that. Because after I've finished all these staffing problems, my training will really start and considering what I've prepared, I'm not sure I'll be totally happy to participate.
Anyway, we'll see about that in due course, because right now I should be hurrying home before anyone wonders.
[ 08/07/499 21 h 30 ]
[ Back in the luxury hotel ]
Angelo - "Yùichi, is that you?"
Me - "Yes, why do you need me?"
Angelo - "I don't, but Alia does, she's waiting for you in her room".
Me - "Okay, thanks."
I don't know if I should be happy to see her in my room or not. Because it means that she knows that I'm gone and already during the night, I had done that and she might start again with all her questions.
But against all odds, when I went back to my room, she was lying in my bed, sleeping.
So I decided not to disturb her and to do the same.