Chapter 95 (1/2)
-… Was that why you requested those weapons?
The Mazelan that appeared on the monitor was notably shocked, his eyes quivering as he stared at Isaac. Isaac took his time answering Mazelan, sipping on his wine as he made himself comfortable on his sofa. He took a breath of his cigarette before answering.
“It’s been a while since I got to play with my toys.”
– … Is that all you have to say? Three have died. 5 are critically injured, two of which are disabled for life.
“So?”
-Don’t you have even the slightest sense of guilt as a human being?!
Isaac snickered in response.
“I don’t.”
-Isaac!
Isaac acted as if Mazelan’s shout was but a nuisance, digging into his ear as he replied.
“Whatever. I’m withdrawing, so just wrap up all of this as if it’d never happened.”
-I’m saying this because you can really end up neither dead nor alive!
Mazelan warned Isaac, and Isaac returned it with a stare of ridicule.
“Can you do that – ignoring Yoo-rah, I mean, the Queen?”
-…
“Well, I’ll have no choice but to follow if the Queen requested that I continue, but I believe an apology is in order, since it was you guys who broke the agreement first.”
-An apology?
Mazelan was left stupefied that the culprit was demanding an apology for what had happened.
“I think this one is deserved, considering you guys broke the clause stipulating that you could only watch and stand by.”
Mazelan rubbed at his aching temples, moaning as he asked.
-Let’s say we do apologize. Are you still going to continue with these atrocities?
“Until their numbers drop down to a suitable level.”
-And if everyone were to quit?
Mazelan asked, and Isaac smiled ruthlessly.
“I’ll only be left with those who have to remain because of their missions, no matter how much they want to quit.”
-…
Mazelan’s eyes rattled. It was indirectly referring to those who had volunteered with a different goal in mind other than the rewards. While Mazelan remained silent, Isaac noticed someone enter the screen and approach Mazelan to pa.s.s him a memo. Mazelan read the memo then immediately looked up to the messenger with disbelief. A smile appeared on Isaac’s face seeing Mazelan’s expression.
“What. Are they telling me to continue?”
Crunch!
Mazelan scrunched the memo and threw it on the ground, all the while looking at Isaac with an irritated expression.
-… It’s a memo from the Queen. She is requesting that you refrain from directly harming the volunteers if possible.
Isaac pondered for a moment, then shrugged as he gave his answer.
“Well, it’s a shame but since this is a request from the Queen, I’ll follow it.”
-… What are you plotting?
“I wonder?”
Isaac’s att.i.tude triggered a flurry of worry in Mazelan; he was so quick to accept a request when it was from the Queen.
“But I need something to continue the training.”
-Please make it something more ordinary.
Mazelan asked worriedly when Isaac made his request. Isaac couldn’t help but smirk as Mazelan looked back helplessly, desperately steadying himself for what bombsh.e.l.l Isaac was going to throw next.
“Bring me some people you don’t care that they die. Like prisoners on death row.”
Mazelan pondered for a moment before asking his question with much skepticism.
-Are you planning to have live target practice using them as the targets?
“Well, pretty much.”
-… Then there is no need.
“I thought you were going to give me everything I requested?”
-That’s not it. There is no need for them if you are aiming to reduce the shock of murdering someone for the agents.
“Why’s that?”
-… It’s already in their official curriculum.
“…”
Ha!
After a brief silence, Isaac exploded into laughter. Apparently, one of the main teachings for Central’s agents trained in College is to get used to killing someone else.
“What? And you guys made such a scene at me? You and I aren’t so different after all?”
Thanks to strict but fair laws enforced across the Empire, it was enjoying a life of peace. The Empire had deemed that students who had learned their lessons through books alone in the College and the Campus would have little to no experience with extreme circ.u.mstances such as murder.
Training alone wasn’t enough for those being deployed into the scene. There were plenty of examples where the shock of murder completely dismantled a plan. Isaac himself had many experiences of almost losing his entire squad because of such people.
Knowing what he was thinking, Mazelan replied disdainfully.
-This may be a peaceful world to the oblivious civilians, but you must fight fiercely in order to rise through the ranks. All of the upper cla.s.ses know that fact. That is why they have been educating their children since their youth.
“Wow! Now that’s harsh. How could you ask a child to kill someone?”
Mazelan frowned as if having a headache listening to Isaac’s speculation.
-Who said we make them kill someone! They are simply taught to be used to death! The concept that they must step over someone else’s life in order to rise above is drilled into every n.o.ble since childhood.
“How is that any different? I doubt that’s a good moral influence for children.”
Mazelan sighed at Isaac’s criticism.
-Anyway, if they were recruited into the College, they would have already received plenty of education in such a field and would be mentally prepared for it.
“Then why’s there a need to put it in your curriculum?”
-… Training and practice is different as night and day. Especially since our work has the tendency to end up in catastrophe if even one of us falters.
Isaac nodded, agreeing whole heartedly at Mazelan.
“Yes. Exactly as you say. No matter how harsh of a training they received, it’s a disaster if they screw up on practice. Especially if that happens to the commander.”
“Why is that?”
Rivelia received a reply on the same night she sent a report on Isaac’s atrocity. It was an unbelievable order to apologise to Isaac and continue with the training. The Emperor himself contacted Rivelia through a Communicator with sadness in his voice.
-This was the decision of the Grand Council.
“I cannot accept this!”
-Do you really wish for this to stop?
“That’s the obvious course of action!”
-If we stop now, then the deaths of those agents are truly for naught. Is that okay with you?
“… But!”
-If the founding of Directorate of Security itself were to be nulled, then everyone who volunteered for a position will be purged from Central’s records.
“That action would be too extreme. We can leave the training to someone else or manage adequately by filling the positions with veteran agents alone.”
-Do you think that man will do as he’s told if we proceeded with your suggestion?
“…”
-It was we who, no, Rivelia, you who broke the agreement. Have we not warned you time and time again not to interfere?
“Then was I supposed to watch him kill those agents?!”
-… That may be so, but it was the mistake of the Directorate of a.n.a.lysis for failing to predict that he would do such a thing for ‘training.’
“Now you are s.h.i.+fting the blame to the Directorate of a.n.a.lysis?!”
-That’s what it seems on the outside. Central and Grand Council has negotiated, and the Directorate of a.n.a.lysis failed to predict his action. So long as the Queen stands behind him, Isaac will have his way.
“How can he possibly have the justification when he killed the trainee not by accident from training but by a direct attack!”
-Duke Lopez, who made the same argument, was relieved of his t.i.tle.
Rivelia’s face went pale listening to the Emperor. To think they’d cut off Duke Lopez, who had significant influence over the agents, at a moment’s notice?
“How are you going to deal with the aftermath…”
-That is not your concern.
“And if I still refuse?”
Faced against Rivelia’s adamant att.i.tude, the Emperor hesitated before speaking with an expression that he didn’t want to go this far.
-… Duke Pendleton asked me to send you this message, saying that he couldn’t bear to tell you face to face.
“…”
-I’m sorry. Follow your order.
Those words from the Emperor sent a shock through Rivelia’s mind. If her father, her greatest advocate, were to say that, then there was someone unfathomable happening in the upper echelon. Something so serious that even Duke Lopez was kicked away for trying to interrupt Isaac with his influence.
Rivelia walked in circles in front of Isaac’s tent. It felt as if there was an invisible barrier stopping her feet from entering. She may have had the strength to close her eyes and make an apology, but she didn’t have the confidence to bear the irritating scolding and sarcasm that would surely follow afterwards. What truly weighed heavily on her heart was that not only could she only watch as her agents and hubaes were injured and killed in front of her but that she was forced to apologise and watch helplessly as they were tormented further. As she cycled between sighing and walking in circles, the tent door opened and Reisha peaked her head out.
“Um, Sunbaenim says if you aren’t going to come in, then stop wandering around and fu… I mean, go somewhere else.”
Although Reisha softened the words in a rush, Rivelia knew exactly what she was supposed to say. Rivelia barged into the tent using her rage as its momentum.
Inside the tent was a grand feast arranged in front of Isaac, despite this being breakfast time. Isaac leisurely worked his knife on the steak in front of him. Kunette didn’t even turn her face toward Rivelia, too focused on eating her honey while Rizzly drooled and watched Kunette with envy.
“What are you doing here? You acted like you’d never see me again.”
Rivelia was infuriated to see Isaac glance at her merely once before returning to his meal, but she could only hold her rage inside.
“I want to…”
“Stop, wait until I’m done with my meal.”
Everyone could see Rivelia’s body tremble. Rizzly was on his guard while looking at Rivelia’s reaction with worry, but Isaac and Kunette were unfazed while Reisha decided to join in on the breakfast. The tent was silent other than the clacking of cutlery. Rivelia patiently suppressed the urge to flip the table and waited silently. She would have obliterated that man in moments if it weren’t for her father’s message, but in order to abide by her father’s request, she could only stand and suffer this shame.
While she suffered in the tent, Isaac glimpsed at Rivelia once more during his meal and asked.
“Are you sure you’re here to apologise?”
“… Yes. I want to…”
“Drop it. In my world, you are on your knees when you really want to apologise. I guess in this world, just dropping a sorry while standing counts as an apology.”