Kamael's attitude was more cooperative than the professors had guessed. It must have been a somewhat unexpected visit for him, who had revealed that he was ignorant of the situation on the continent, but he showed no sign of hesitation.
"I see. I was informed by the elders of what was discussed at the meeting, but I thought it had little to do with Ishrad… I was naive."
On the contrary, he showed an aspect of seriously facing the possibility that dark clouds might be gathering over Ishrad. To the point where his wrinkles deepened and he became lost in thought.
"I just have a question. Contrary to your concerns, the Ivory Tower is so peaceful. Is it because the home country is completely unaware of the Legion's movements, or…?"
Kamael stopped talking and stared at Leila.
The omitted question is how great is the information power of the Cellbrox Lab that it is able to see through the movements of the Legion that even the leadership of Ishrad cannot read.
There was room for dual interpretation in terms of intent.
If you don't know the true identity of Kamael, it would be a natural question. To Kim I-Hyun and Edwin, who knew that he was a spy for the Legion, it felt like they were trying to get information about the lab.
This is something that cannot be pointed out openly.
The conversation was led by the professor and Leila.
"No, to be honest, we don't have any definitive information either."
The professor smiled broadly.
"Please take this as a warning that there is a wealth of gold and knowledge here that the Legion can covet, and that you should be prepared. This is a wonderful city where terrorism and such cannot occur."
It was a pleasant remark. It aroused patriotism and responsibility in the country's powerful people. At the same time, there was something about the bright smile that was not businesslike and resembled Leila's that caught people's attention.
'hmm.'
Kim Yi-hyeon watched the professor silently from the side. As expected, the atmosphere had changed considerably. In the game, it was like the first snow of winter, a fleeting impression that would melt and disappear as soon as you touched it.
On the other hand, now it seemed as if he had his feet firmly planted on the ground. The anxiety, sense of alienation, and peculiar sense of being out of place that he had felt because he had completely forgotten the past had all disappeared as if washed away.
I was also excited when I planned the Legion's grisly atrocities.
'It would be a good change.'
As a human being, it would be like that.
It's ambiguous as to what he would do as a commander.
"Whew. I'm glad it's sorted out smoothly."
After her encounter with Kamael, Leila breathed a sigh of relief.
"It seems to be going much smoother than I thought. I'm just having a little trouble adjusting."
"I think I know what you mean. I've never felt so welcomed before."
The faces of the two who were chatting back and forth between giving and receiving were filled with a sense of relief and satisfaction. They had been through many ups and downs, but it was the favor they had received that had piled up through their actions.
Most people thought so. In fact, it wasn't a completely wrong idea. If the summit had ended without a hitch, it wouldn't have been strange for Ishrad to have treated the agents coldly.
However, there are some circumstances that they are not aware of. Kim I-hyeon did not strike the candle for no reason. Instead, he arranged a separate meeting with Edwin to discuss the future.
Inside the hotel room. After checking again, the wiretapping device was still not there.
"I'll get straight to the point. Kamael Lospur…."
"You're in collusion with the Legion?"
"Did you know that too?"
He shrugged his shoulders as if he was tired of looking at me.
"You noticed. I think they noticed you too."
"Probably so. I haven't seen it before."
"Are you two famous people within the organization?"
Edwin did not deny it.
One side is the godmother's hunting dog. The other side is a person who has gone beyond the level of integration into a country and has reached the top. No matter how you look at it, he is not at the level of a common soldier.
"What are we going to do from now on?"
"Well, I guess I'll have to think about it carefully from now on."
It's probably difficult to plan out every little detail in advance. The only useful game knowledge for carrying out an episode is who in the Legion is targeting, where, and why.
The rest is slowly becoming unhelpful. Since all the regular scenarios are wrong, it has been a long time since we can guess the exact timing. It is also unknown what method we will take.
In a word, it is a question of intelligence.
I can't figure out all the variables.
'Assuming that the Legion is currently active…'
The missing puzzles can only be filled in with information obtained from the field. And now. With the dispatch of CellbroLogics Lab and Dustbone, Kim I-Hyeon has already made his first move.
'There are two options for you to choose from.'
Or show extreme action.
Or just remain silent without any response.
"The key is the godmother."
"Why is he here?"
"That author hates me so much."
Bastet. I remember the last look I saw under the disaster that suddenly started. At that time, the eyes of the godmother who was glaring at Kim I-hyeon were seething with hatred like maggots.
"There's no way my godmother would stay still when I've made such blatant moves."
The godmother is a serious mentally ill person, but her behavior is very simple. She cannot control the anger that is inside her. It can be interpreted as having an anger management disorder.
"...Can you handle it?"
"If there was no chance of winning, I wouldn't have come in the first place."
I plan to push through using Helixivir from the beginning. I'm nervous, but there's nothing I can do. Right now, I'm not in a position to use the standard strategy. I need the special items I get as I progress through the episodes.
"Rather, the problem is what happens when the godmother isn't here."
Actually, this one was more likely.
In the game, the Godmother is a character who dies in Episode 17. She has achieved perfect attendance three times in an unbeatable stage, but that stage is not assigned to the Ishrad episode.
If we were to judge the risk of the operation, the former would definitely be more difficult. The latter would be a case where the head would suffer more than the body. It was obvious how the Legion would react if there was no Godmother.
"We'll probably just wait and see. Until we're satisfied that we've established contact with the Ishrad side and leave quietly. We can't guard this place forever."
"Wouldn't it have been better to enter the country illegally?"
"That's also a hassle in its own right. It's annoying to clean up after the incident, and there's no guarantee that you won't get caught in the first place. The Ishrad checkpoints are pretty tight. Even if you somehow succeed, you'll have to hide quietly until the incident happens, so it'll be a huge waste of time."
Considering the future relationship, it would be better to interfere properly. If we can expel Legion as planned and pay Ishrad back his debt, the Congo will fall.
"Let's just wait and see how they'll react. But I can't just sit back and do nothing...."
I raised my head, which had been lowering its angle while thinking, and met eyes with the traitor of the Legion.
"You try Kamael Losfer."
"I think you'll be on your guard."
"At best, it's a warning, not a certainty. If it causes confusion, that's enough."
"…Okay, first of all, I understand. What are you going to do?"
"What a cliché."
Kim Lee-hyun answered, getting up from his chair.
"This side needs to prepare this side."
* * *
'A double spy. He does all sorts of strange things.'
Edwin was somewhat troubled by his situation, which was both strange and difficult. It was because being a spy was more difficult than he had thought. The problem was how to approach Kamael.
To look natural, he would have to avoid both Rap and Ishrad's gaze. It was an impossible demand for Edwin. He didn't brag, but he was a total idiot when it came to espionage.
'It seems like they're watching me in the rap too.'
One of the elite agents, I think his code name was Ghost. His gaze was so secretive that I was hesitant at first, but after repeating it, I couldn't help but notice it. The cold wariness in his eyes.
Of course, even if I was caught, I could just explain the situation and that would be the end of it. At the very least, I had to be careful enough for Kamael to feel that 'Edwin had come to see me to avoid Lab's surveillance.'
A day of struggling under harsh conditions.
The problem was surprisingly easily solved.
"음."
When he ordered room service, he found a small communicator lying in a bowl covered with a lid. Edwin grabbed the communicator and looked down at the empty bowl.
"Aren't you going to give us food?"
A look of uneasiness crossed Edwin's dry face, but it quickly disappeared. He said he was eating regularly even when he was on the move, but in the past, he would often go hungry.
… … However, the hunger was not relieved by digging up the wounds of the past. A weak dissatisfaction, less than 5 percent if quantified, was heard in the voice.
"Edwin Berenice. Speak."
-So it was Lord Edwin.
It was the tone of Kamael Losfer that I heard just yesterday.
-I need to hear an explanation. I heard that you disappeared from Banjar.
"Your tone is aggressive. Do you think I betrayed the organization?"
-It's a situation that can't help but be misunderstood. Isn't that right?
"It's not even worth discussing. I was saved by you, sir. As long as you are part of the organization, I will never be hostile to the organization."
He blurted out nonsense decisively.
Strangely enough, not even the slightest ripple of doubt arose in my heart. I finally realized that the determination I had made each time while being tested by Kim Yi-hyun had become as solid as a rock.
The loyalty that was like a leash was completely torn and burned.
Edwin Berenice will kill his godmother, whom he once looked up to as a benefactor and foster mother. By swinging the sword called Kim I-Hyeon, or by becoming the sword that is swinging by him.
-Haha. As expected, it's the godmother's hunting dog logo.
Fortunately, the lie seemed to have worked. I thought about it for a moment, then changed my mind.
It is something that should not be judged hastily. The positions that each of them held were heavy in terms of trusting each other, and the few words they spoke were too light.
-So, why are you with them?
From now on, it's important. If you have an excuse, I prepared it in advance.
"Could there be any other reason? Because I was instructed to do so."
-Have you contacted your godmother? Where is she?
"It's not something I can say on my own."
There was a "tsk" sound as someone clicked their tongue.
-Does that mean you're looking into the Cellbrox Lab on your godmother's orders?
"I guess you could say that."
-That's not like him.
This was a valid point.
The Godmother does not particularly favor cumbersome methods such as using spies to sow discord or engage in espionage. Most problems can be easily solved by using overwhelming force.
But everything depends on the situation. She is a person who can be as cunning as she needs to be, just like she did when she won over the nobles in Bastitera.
"That's how much he sees Cellbrox Lab as a thorn in his side."
-I guess it's not that hard. You suffered a great defeat.
Kamael also seemed to understand on the outside. I don't know what his true feelings were, but at least in Edwin's judgment, it wasn't a story that was completely unconvincing.
This time it was our turn to step in.
"I also have a question. I understand that the organization has been investing in Ishrad for a long time. It seems like a good time to replenish the troops that were lost, but do you have any plans?"
-What is my intention in asking that?
"I'm asking if there's anything I can do to help. Since I'm also a member of the organization, I can't just ignore it. If you want, I'll help you as long as it doesn't harm your current mission."
-… … .
After a long silence, a voice continued.
-I'm sorry, but I still doubt you. I acknowledge the loyalty you've shown to your godmother so far, but that's a separate issue. Don't you realize how ambiguous your situation is?
It was a foregone conclusion. The person who had lost contact suddenly appeared in front of me with the agents of the lab. Anyone in their right mind would have looked at me with suspicion.
"I see. I understand."
Edwin's speaking skills reached their limit here.
"Let's leak some information from time to time during your stay."
I won't give up.
Communication was soon lost.
'I guess there was some kind of harvest.'
I still have information that the Godmother is in hiding. Even that cannot be ruled out as a lie. If the Godmother does not show up in Ishrad, then it is safe to assume that it is true.
I don't feel safe. On the contrary, I feel anxious.
'Where on earth are you and what are you doing?'
No matter how hard he thought about it, there was no answer in the end. Edwin looked back and forth between the communicator and the bowl again. He frowned as the hunger he had forgotten about rose up.
"Should I order again…?"
* * *
Asterike was now a very free spirit.
It was because Arya, who had always been by his side like a piece of gum, was not there. Arya, who was still mentally young, was not included in the operation team.
'I don't hate it, but it's a bit.'
There were times, no, quite a few, when she felt it was annoying. Asterike, who was temporarily free from parenting, felt a great sense of liberation, while at the same time feeling anxious.
And one more happy thing has been added.
I got a separate call from Kim Yi-hyeon. Of course, it was probably work-related, but I couldn't help but feel excited.
The artificially managed cool temperature, moderate humidity, and clear blue skies beyond the transparent dome! It felt like the world was blessing our long-awaited date.
Chelsea had dressed up a bit, which was a bit disgusting. She didn't really have any accessories on her body, so there wasn't much of a change. Even her horns were meticulously cleaned.
Although he didn't necessarily show off his efforts, he had a conflicting desire to be noticed. He snuggled up next to Kim Yi-hyun, who was waiting in the hotel lobby.
"Hyeon! Where are you going?"
It's completely different from Asterike, who was very excited.
Kim Yi-hyeon's attitude was as calm as usual.
"Philstein Prison."
It's time to meet the criminal's children.