Chapter 91 (2/2)
Isaac giggled at Soland’s clear cut answer.
“My little Smarta.s.s, how did you hold it in for so long until now? Your mouth must have been itching to reveal your ident.i.ty.”
“… Are you not asking about Trentor?”
“Oh yeah. Where is that b.a.s.t.a.r.d?”
“He’s dead.”
“Dead?”
“Yes. He was terminated when he attempted to report the suspicious activity halfway through the mission.”
“Tsk. r.e.t.a.r.d.”
“…”
“What? You mad?”
“Even if it wasn’t his original intention, he died trying to protect you, Sir Isaac. You should show some respect to the decea…”
“Respect? Don’t make me laugh.”
“…”
After having a good chuckle at Soland’s words, Isaac sent a cold glare back at Soland and replied.
“Sometimes, when you’re really unlucky, you wind up dead after being thrown around as p.a.w.ns by the higher-ups. At that point, the only r.e.t.a.r.ds are those who died.”
“…”
“Well. I guess I should avenge him at the very least. Who knows when I’ll be in his shoes.”
The eerie sight of Isaac chuckling with a cigarette in his mouth sent a chill up Soland’s spine. Was this really the correct move? The rumours of the chaos within the Grand Council spread like wildfire, and all of the Central’s agents were aware. How the Director of Surveillance declared him a monster.
When Soland first heard of the rumour, he dismissed it, believing in his heart that Isaac wasn’t that bad. But seeing him again now, he could feel it. As the Director of Surveillance said, they had awoken a monster… He was far too dangerous. On top of that, they gave him the position of Director. Soland didn’t know what the higher ups were going for but… could he really be controlled?
“What are you standing around for? Let’s get moving. It’s always tiresome when you leave home. Home’s the best, isn’t it?”
Isaac and Soland boarded the s.h.i.+p and traveled for 30 minutes before arriving at the port in the Meta District, using the glamourous lights and boisterous noise of the Ceta District as a guiding beacon.
“I don’t like it. Why do I have to sneak back in like some rat…”
“What, did you expect some grand welcoming performance?”
Soland immediately retorted to Isaac’s grumbling. Isaac narrowed his eyes and spoke back at Soland.
“Seems like you’re crossing the line quite often these days.”
“Because I’m not just some syndicate mutt who can’t utter a single word.”
“I miss Smarta.s.s.”
“… My name is Soland.”
“Is that even your real name?”
“…”
“At least it seems like there’s someone here to welcome me. Although it’s someone I never would have guessed.”
As Isaac got off the s.h.i.+p, Rivelia, who had been waiting, approached him with a complicated look in her eyes.
“Let me introduce myself again. I am Rivelia of the Directorate of a.n.a.lysis, overseer of all activities in New Port City.”
Isaac snickered, fascinated by Rivelia’s polite att.i.tude.
“Now isn’t this a fresh response?”
Isaac mumbled through his chuckle. Rivelia, gritted her teeth and growled as she glared at Isaac.
“Central has a.s.signed me to be your vice director and your secretary, Director Isaac.”
“Well the higher the rank and lower the responsibility, the better. But how many of Central’s agents are there around me? Smarta.s.s, damsel and Reisha. At this rate, even Kunette’s going to confess she’s an agent.”
“That isn’t something I can answer.”
“And it isn’t something I should care about either. But I never thought you’d be tagging along here to welcome me.”
“It’s good to see that you’re doing fine. I heard you had a bad time there. Hm? What is it?”
“… Ha! It’s nothing. Just seeing you like this is so new to me.”
Rivelia frowned, seeing Isaac sending a strange look at her when she asked how he was. Isaac smirked and shook his head. To think there was someone who’d ask how he was doing, even if they were just empty words with no feeling in it. Is it because she hadn’t been tainted enough? Or is she simply defending her own belief? What’s the point? The ending’s already decided.
“Let’s go then.”
Isaac marched toward City Hall, but Rivelia, who was at his side, hesitated before speaking out.
“There’s something you need to know.”
“I’m sure you can take care of it. There’s no need for me to know right?”
Rivelia bit her lips seeing Isaac’s disconcerted response. She had to report it, no matter how much she didn’t want to. She was stressed enough when they were of the same rank before, but now he was her superior. It ate away at her mind because she couldn’t even quit everything out of spite. All she could do was just hold it all in.
“… It’s a problem concerning your stand-in, Director Isaac.”
“Don’t tell me he got found out?”
“That’s not it…”
Rivelia pondered how she was going to explain it, until she summarised it briefly.
“The problem is that he’s working too well.”
Isaac immediately stopped hearing Rivelia. he turned and faced her directly.
“Working you say?”
“Yes.”
“Me?”
“… Yes.”
Rivelia responded as her eyes avoided Isaac’s overbearing glance. Isaac stared at Rivelia for a moment before smirking and heading to City Hall once more.
“That’s obvious. That standin or a puppet couldn’t possibly be of a high rank in Central, most likely a rookie. You said you were the Overseer of New Port City, so the rookie can’t say a word and only do as you tell him to. And the damsel here abused this situation to proceed with all of the plans she had. Am I wrong?”
“… You’re correct.”
Rivelia hung her head. He managed to deduce so much after hearing that he was ‘working.’ Perhaps it was right for the Director of Surveillance to make such a scene. But a monster… was that true? All he has is exceptional talent in a.n.a.lysis. But she also heard that Isaac managed to kill tens of combat knights and even injure agents of Central.
“Hey, Damsel, what gave you the bright idea to make a mess like this? Isn’t it obvious there’s bound to be suspicion if a stand-in acted like that?”
“… My name is Rivelia.”
Irritated by the name Isaac insistently called her, she firmly spoke back at Isaac with a glare, emphasizing her name. Isaac, however, laughed in Rivelia’s face as if she was no compet.i.tion.
“What, does it p.i.s.s you off? Consider it your punishment, because I need to sort out the mess you made. I couldn’t really do it back when I was just Isaac, but not anymore. I don’t remember people’s names. No matter who that is. You want to be called by your name? Give it up. We were never that close to begin with, right?”
“…”
“But how am I going to clean up the mess our damsel made? I’m sure everyone’s suspicious at this point. I would too, if the man who’d been lethargy incarnate suddenly became so diligent. So thoughtless of you, maybe because you’re still too young. Tsk! Oi, damsel. Make sure you take notes when you’re following me around. It’ll be of great help in the future.”
“…”
Soland, who was quietly tagging behind the two, noticed Rivelia’s firmly clenched fists quivering. Soland quickly slowed his pace, distancing himself from the two. If Rivelia’s temper were to erupt, which it likely would at this pace, it’d be mere moments before a new body would be placed into a coffin.
It may be thanks to Rivelia’s stubbornness that she was holding herself, but that’s what scared him even more. It’s much scarier when a quiet person goes mad.
<script>