1055 Operation 1 (1/2)
Five days later.
The Post-Jump Reception Hall
Garen automatically went to greet the arrivals at the entrance to the jumping airship, wearing a small smile on his face.
Surrounded by several guards, Eva hurriedly walked down the airship bridge.
”Senior Sister, you're finally back.”
”What have you been doing these past few days?” asked Eva calmly, looking at Garen.
”I was in seclusion. I just happened to come with some new ideas, so I wanted to perform some experiments to see whether they could work,” replied Garen with a smile.
Smack!
The hall instantly fell completely silent. The guards, as well as the other higher-ups from the Scarlet Snow Sect who were here as the welcoming party, all turned their eyes to the two of them. Their gazes ranged from dazed, shocked, and confused, to secretly entertained.
Garen stood in the center of it all, his face turned to a side, as he looked at Senior Sister Eve in front of him. His left cheek was slightly swollen from that slap, red and slightly puffy.
”You have disappointed me.” Eva's eyes glistened with tears, and she shook her head in agony.
Garen touched his face, the intense pain still burning and prickling his skin.
”What you're saying, Senior Sister, is that I should have disregarded the law, and provided help out of personal and selfish interest?” Garen actually started smiling again.
Eva had no words for him.
She fell silent for a moment, and then she suddenly pushed him away hard, leaving with her guards.
”From now on, you are no longer my Junior Brother. I, Eva Regar, am not worthy of that title.” Her final words came from a distance.
Garen just felt the pain in his cheek grew more and more intense, and he was beginning to feel slightly dizzy. Ever since Carthage grievously injured his brain, there was still a lingering wisp of energy from the energy field left in there, it was not completely removed. And now, Eva's slap had landed hard, although she did not use Willpower, the pure strength of a peak-level Resonance Level fighter was already extremely considerable. Faced with that slap, if it had been a lower-level Energy Machinist, their heads would have been immediately smashed open like a watermelon.
He touched his left cheek, and sighed inwardly.
He did not want to betray his principles, and he had always been clear about who treated him well and who did not, but he also could not reveal what his true plans were. In the tremendous changes that were going to occur, the only way for him to reap the most benefits was to actively stand on Carthage's side.
Especially considering the large division that was going to arrive at the Three Great Cities soon. That terrifying man…
That was the main key to their plans, if Garen could get a share of the pie... That was his best chance to not only avoid the trouble, but also to obtain the most benefits and growth opportunities! In preparation for the future.
”There's just... not enough time...” mumbled Garen, as he turned around and left the reception hall.
At first, he had come here prepared to explain some things and hint at others to his Senior Sister Eva, but now, seeing how rash her personality was…
*********************
After Rainy was successfully rescued, it seemed that the three punks who had infiltrated the place had also been automatically released by the people in the sect.
The dust had all settled, and under the Second Elder faction's unspoken approval, the book was quietly closed on this matter. Nobody knew how much the Second Elder had to sacrifice to suppress this matter.
But anyone could tell that he was in an extremely good mood right now.
Time passed slowly.
Everyone seemed to have purposely put this incident out of their minds. Nobody mentioned it again.
The Scarlet Snow Sect headquarters returned to its previous state of calm and peace. Those who were training returned to their training, those who were traveling returned to their travels, and those who liked to go to the Void Battlefields just decided to stay indoors and not come out anymore.
Garen's actions throughout this incident had also earned him the acknowledgment of the First Elder and the Third Elder, but more importantly, he earned the acknowledgment of First Senior Brother Carthage. He had successfully gotten a lot closer to him.
Although many other Senior and Junior Brothers were unhappy with this, the First Senior Brother's authority made them hold their tongues. Nobody dared to dissent.
At first Garen had planned to continue training, and only emerge again at the Major Sect Battle three years later. But Carthage gave him a task, forcing him to pause his training progress and prepare instead for departure.
****************
Black Wolf Lair
A young man with short white hair strode into the Black Wolf Lair's vast estate, and had just barely set foot in it.
Arooo...
Soft wolf howls gathered from all directions. Several Black Wolves, as large and strong as buffaloes, walked out of the darkness slowly, their green eyes shining like lanterns.
There were more than ten Black Wolves altogether, directly surrounding the white-haired man.
The man's expression was cold and distant, but he could not stop his pupils from dilating slightly. It was not that he was scared, he was just shocked at the terrifying force surrounding these Black Wolves.
”I am the Fourteenth, White Night. In accordance with Great Senior Brother's orders, I am here to invite Senior Brother Black Wolf to join me in departing from here and to provide assistance together.”
There was no sound from the dark estate.
It seemed that his voice had not reached the innermost parts. The huge wolves began to pace around him, and one of the Black Wolves even began to drool, the saliva falling thickly onto the ground. A foul smell also began to spread through the air.
”I am the Fourteenth, White Night! Here on Great Senior Brother's orders!”
”I heard you.” A voice interrupted his repetition. ”Come in.”
Only then did White Night heave a sigh of relief.