In a closed room with shut windows, Del was concentrating on looking through clippings of articles in front of him. Although there was no airflow in the room, it still felt cool due to the full operation of the air conditioner.
In the EUN region, the average temperature ranges from 24 to 32 degrees Celsius throughout the year, with relatively high humidity. During the rainy season, rainfall can be high and intense in some areas, while in the dry season, drought and forest fires can pose a serious threat.
However, there are some areas in EUN that have slightly different climates depending on altitude, topography, and other factors. For example, in higher mountainous areas like Mount Sari, air temperature can drop to 10 degrees Celsius or even lower at night.
Unfortunately, despite the fact that Teduh City is located over 700 meters above sea level, the air in the dry season is still hot. The increasing population of the city and the number of vehicles on the road have caused a depletion of oxygen in the air, forcing Del to turn on the air conditioner in his room.
Fortunately, as an orphan without a last name, Del has his own room and does not have to share it with other orphans. The luxurious facilities make his room look more like a five-star hotel room than a dormitory.
However, Del is not alone in this room. Kylia sits beside him on the bed, looking at her lover who is concentrating on the clippings of articles.
Kylia actually has her own room with the same facilities as this room. But it is impossible for these two lovebirds to sleep in separate rooms. They even feel disturbed by being forbidden to take a shower together.
In the end, Kylia's room was given to their pet dog (Willie). Del feels that Kylia spoils their pet too much, but he dropped his objections after seeing that Willie no longer smelled bad from sweating.
"Del, what are you doing?" Kylia finally couldn't resist her curiosity.
After their workout at the gym, they had lunch and Del watched a news report about a fire that broke out in a building in Teric City. At first, it was just like any other news, but Del watched it very seriously.
Afterward, Del immediately took Kylia to his room, unlike usual where they would take a walk in the flower garden after lunch. They then started to print out various articles about the recent events that had occurred.
Some of the news clippings reported about fires, accidents, and murders. Kylia couldn't find any connection between these articles even though she tried to remain silent and listen carefully.
"I am collecting all the incidents that have happened in the city of Teric over the past few weeks, specifically the incidents that happened after November 20th," Del answered with his eyes still focused.
"November 20th? What happened on that date?" Kylia found her point.
Del didn't answer immediately and took one news article from the stack.
"On November 20th, there was a fire at Rain Bay port that killed 20 people."
"What's so strange about this news?"
"What's strange? Rain Bay Port is the largest port in the entire West Sumatra province and can even be said to be the second-largest port after Belawan Port. Not only that, Rain Bay port has the most advanced anti-fire security system owned by EUN at the moment. Besides, with the use of A.I for labor-intensive work, 20 fatalities due to a fire are too many."
Kylia fell silent and thought for a moment. Taking the news article from Del's hand, Kylia read it carefully. As Del had said, there were many strange points in the news article. The number of casualties was too high, considering that the fire did not spread and only occurred in the dock area.
"Then what is the connection with other incidents after the fire at Rain Bay port?"
Del took some news articles that he had been looking at and gave them to Kylia. "I managed to sort out the incidents that have the highest likelihood of being related to the fire at Rain Bay port."
Kylia read the news articles one by one. The news articles described the incidents that happened after the fire at Rain Bay port, but the content of the news was different. Some were about car accidents, while others were about a robbery of a luxurious house.
The more Kylia read, the more wrinkles appeared on her forehead. Kylia felt like she was touching something covered in a thin layer of cotton. She could feel it, but she was unsure of its actual shape.
But slowly, her eyes widened, and Kylia found a similarity in all the incidents that seemed completely unconnected.
"All of these incidents happened to those who have the Schalange last name!" Kylia said.
"You're right. Although there doesn't seem to be a clear motive for all these incidents, most of the victims seem to have the Schalange last name. Do you remember what I taught you about influential families in Teric?"
"hmm... like in Teduh City, Teric City also has five influential families that hold power.
"Katze, they are the family that has been ruling Rain Bay port since the beginning of World War III. Pferd, this family controls the economy in Teric City and holds the pace of trading electronic devices.
"Blatt, they have a very close relationship with the Blume family in Teduh City, and some even say that they are separated from the Blume family itself. Taube, a family that is very influential in politics, and some of their descendants are governors of the West Sumatra province.
"And lastly, Schalange, although this family seems to hold no influence in Teric City, they have friendships and marriages with the other four influential families, and even some influential families in Shadow City also have very close relationships with the Schalange family." Kylia easily explained the power structure in Teric City.
One of the things that Del taught Kylia was the power structure in the cities of Teduh and Teric. Del hoped that Kylia could master political science and upper-class communication skills so that when she led the Blume family, she could expand their influence over other influential families in the two cities.
"Good. Although the Schalange family seems influential in the entertainment world, their influence actually comes from the relationships they build with other influential families. These relationships are formed in the most primitive form of human culture. Do you know what it is?"
"Sex?" Kylia answered hesitantly.
"Exactly! Sex is the fastest and most effective way to build relationships between families. The Schalange family has a good genetic heritage, so their children are always born handsome and beautiful. In addition, their talent in the arts can make it easier for them to sell to wealthy buyers.
"Even if a marriage relationship is not formed, the Schalange family will not hesitate to let their children have children with wealthy families. The amount of abortions that this family has done throughout history is very small compared to the number of sex scandals outside of marriage or affairs that have been revealed.
"These illegitimate children who are not recognized will still be taken care of by the Schalange family by placing them in a hidden orphanage. Although they may seem useless, they still have the blood of other influential families flowing within them. So even if they don't acknowledge it, the blood relationship will not be erased." Del enthusiastically explained the ins and outs of the Schalange family's life.
"Ah, like Frank Schalange, right?"
"Yeah, like our late friend Frank Schalange."
"So what's actually happening in the Schalange family now and what does it have to do with the fire at Rain Bay port? Isn't Rain Bay port controlled by the Katze family?" Kylia understood the point Del was making.
"The real question is who is targeting the Schalange family?"
"Who? Do you think these events are intentionally targeting the Schalange family?"
"Yup, and it seems like I know who the culprit is."
"Who?"
"The Schalange family is being destroyed by a lab rat." Del answered with a smile.
"What? Someone? Lab rat?" Kylia lost it.
"Yup, specifically a lab rat that was the result of experiments conducted at the Esyha I laboratory, and this lab rat also has the Schalange surname."
"Huh? How did you come to that conclusion?" Kylia was one of the people who believed in the existence of Esyha I, which most people thought was just a myth.
"Easy. As I mentioned before, the Schalange family has many illegitimate children scattered in various places, including the Flower Garden Orphanage. If these illegitimate children are accepted by their biological families, Schalange will have a great opportunity to strengthen their relationship with them.
"However, if these illegitimate children are not accepted by their biological families, the only way for Schalange to avoid losses is to sell these children to other places. One place that is in great need of them is the military.
"EUN is currently involved in a cold war with the other two superpowers. Of course, they are in great need of soldiers who are not only physically fit but also educated. Therefore, it is natural that many illegitimate children from the Schalange family are in the EUN military.
"So far, Mana has spread throughout the world for almost five years. With the technological advancements that humans have today, it is highly unlikely that EUN does not know about mana.
"Mana is an incredibly powerful energy, and nuclear energy is not comparable to it. Therefore, it is natural for EUN to conduct research on the use of Mana. However, Mana can only affect living beings, so they need experimental subjects.
"Using Mana requires a strong body and mind, so elite soldiers are the best choice to become experimental subjects. Then where will these experiments take place? Of course, in the safest and most hidden place, where else but in Esyha I?
"However, using Mana without proper cultivation art will only make the subject lose control. Madness is the best thing that can happen. But with a strong soul, it can be overcome temporarily.
"And it seems that the researchers at Esyha I have found someone with a strong soul. Maybe they want to showcase it to intimidate EUN's enemies. Unfortunately, the lab rat lost control during the shipment and managed to reach the Rain Bay port before destroying it.
"Next, with sanity eroded by Mana, he will target Schalange, the family that sold him like a vegetable in the market."
"Wow!"
Kylia felt like she was falling in love with Del all over again. But she held back from saying "I Love You" out loud because she was afraid of being reprimanded by Del again about the non-existence of such a thing as love.