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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
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Chapter 329
The bio-dome covering the Fortress of Water turns a dark red color.
Isabel still hasn't shown up.
"…It seems like something has happened."
In the dim alleyway, amber eyes glowed nervously.
'Why all of a sudden?'
When we met yesterday, there wasn't anything particularly unusual. She returned earlier than usual, but she is a slave. She has restrictions on her freedom, so it’s understandable.
Not showing up today might be due to some unforeseen circumstances, but for some reason, I have a bad feeling about it.
It’s not just me feeling this way. The Mother of the Sky and the MPS-05 in the backpack share the same concern.
'This isn't good.'
Waiting here any longer is meaningless.
[ZZZ ZZZ (Let’s go check the warehouse.)]
Perhaps the Coldblood slaves are hiding in an old warehouse. I moved toward that warehouse with the Mother of the Sky.
Upon arriving at the warehouse, the entrance was blocked, as usual, by a curtain. I put my head to the ground to search for Isabel's trace using the Auxiliary Organs beneath my chin.
While scanning the tiny footprints left on the floor and the fingerprints near the terminal with my Auxiliary Organs, something unusual was detected. A few traces stood out far more clearly than the others. This meant those traces had been made recently.
[ZZ ZZZZ (I should open it.)]
"Did you find something?"
[ZZZ ZZZZZ ZZ (Maybe. Taking out the MPS-05.)]
The Mother of the Sky glanced around and then pulled the MPS-05 from her backpack.
"Confirmed. Confirmed."
It climbed up the wall using its sharp metal legs, and then detached the cables from its head and body, plugging them into the small terminals of the device.
"Password, input. Required."
｢Password?｣｢
"Password. Needed!"
At the mention of the word "password", the Mother of the Sky and I exchanged a glance. She was thinking the same thing as I was.
｢‘Penelope.’｣
"Confirmed."
This warehouse is where Isabel’s twin sister left her legacy to be protected. If a password is required in such a place, there's only one possibility.
Once the MPS-05 entered the password, as expected, the shielding curtain was released.
As we entered the warehouse, the first thing we noticed was a pad-like terminal placed on the floor.
｢This is Isabel’s.｣
The terminal was neatly placed above the stairs leading down to the basement, almost as if it was asking us to look at it.
I picked up the thin pad with my small arm near my chest. As soon as my fingers touched it, it powered on and displayed various information on the screen.
'What's this?'
As I scrolled through the screen to check the information, I was able to guess why Isabel hadn’t come and what she was thinking.
Isabel will never show up before us again. The Coldbloods hiding in the basement won’t come to see us either.
｢What’s this about? What happened?｣
Instead of answering, I handed the pad to the Mother of the Sky. Every time her furry fingers brushed across the screen, her eyes grew wider.
The data on Isabel's terminal was divided into two main types.
One contained personal details about the top ten cult members residing in the Fortress of Water. It included information like when they entered and left, what positions they held, how powerful their influence was, and what points to be cautious of. It was all well-organized, important information.
The other list was of trade ships. These were ones that, due to being on the borderline of legality, would have a hard time being protected by the Empire. It seemed useful for evacuating Coldbloods. At the end of the list, there was a locked file. It would automatically unlock in seven days from now.
｢Could it be…?｣
[ZZ (Yes)]
The list of trade ships and the locked file for seven days.
Isabel is planning to leave the Coldbloods to us. She won’t be returning to the warehouse. If you ask what will happen to the contract with the Mother of the Sky, the locked file is the key.
It's not hard to guess what’s inside that file. She must have organized the visions she promised to tell me.
｢She’s not coming back!｣
It seems the Mother of the Sky came to the same conclusion as I did. Her disoriented thoughts were clearly reflected in her spiritual energy.
[Z ZZZ ZZZZ (I think I understand why.)]
Why would Isabel, a slave, create a list of cult elites? The answer is simple. Among the people listed, there are Rankers.
One thing is clear: Isabel did not specify who the Rankers were. She only carefully recorded the personal details of the ten individuals.
It’s unlikely she didn’t know who the Rankers were. After all, she possesses the power to read information.
The reason she didn’t pinpoint the Rankers is simple.
[ZZZ ZZZ (She made a contract.)]
Just like the Mother of the Sky made a contract, it’s clear that Isabel made a contract with someone from Vortex One.
｢Only Coldbloods can make a contract.｣
[ZZZZZZ ZZZ (Generally, yes.)]
For any race other than Coldbloods to form an alliance with Vortex One is nearly impossible. Especially since Outsiders and the Cult are, by nature, highly antagonistic toward Vortex One, making it impossible for them to enter into a contract.
So, in this case, there’s only one possible answer.
｢...She was threatened.｣
We don’t know what card the enemy used to pressure Isabel, but the important thing is that Isabel was forced into an unfair contract because of them.
Although we can’t be certain of the contract’s details, the data left by Isabel gives us a pretty good guess. Most likely, it’s a contract that prevents harm to the Rankers. It might also include the condition that she cannot leave Verzan-02.
‘So, she was trying to get the Coldbloods out through us.’
Looking at the amount of data, it’s clear that this plan had been in motion for a long time. She simply hadn’t been able to execute it because she lacked the right allies.
｢I can't just leave it like this.｣
The Mother of the Sky spoke firmly.
‘And I feel the same way.’
I’ve spent a lot of time and effort trying to get Isabel on our side. I can’t afford to let her slip away now. It’s rare to find such an excellent ally for gathering information. Even if I have to fight the Rankers, I need to take her with me.
‘Once the contract is made, we’ll have to fight anyway.’
If we’re going to leave Verzan-02 with her, we first have to deal with the contractor.
To cancel a contract with Vortex One, all the contractors involved must be in agreement. Therefore, we need to make the enemy cancel the contract in order to escape the planet together.
‘The problem is, who is the Ranker?’
I reviewed the list on the pad with the Mother of the Sky.
"Here, it says 'List of Guests at the Banquet of Kisos.'"
[ZZ ZZZ ZZZ ZZ ZZZ ZZZZ (She couldn’t mention them directly, so she chose another way.)]
｢...Who among these might be the Ranker?｣
It goes without saying that not all ten people are Rankers. If that were the case, I would have already been caught. There’s probably at least one enemy Ranker, maybe two or three at most.
｢The planetary governor, the head of surveillance… these are the highest authorities of this planet, or rather, of the entire star system.｣
[ZZZ ZZZZ ZZ ZZZZ (It will be hard to check them all individually.)]
If we start messing with even one of them, we’ll be fighting the entire Verzan-02 system.
[ZZZZZ ZZZZ ZZZ (Anyone suspicious or standing out?)]
｢….｣
With narrowed eyes, the Mother of the Sky continued to focus on the pad screen. She extended a fur-covered finger and pointed to a particular spot on the list.
｢‘Captain Alshas of the Defender of Verzan 02.’ This one is suspicious.｣
[Z ZZZ (Why? What's the basis?)]
｢Compared to the people on this list, their position is vague. The planetary governor, the head of surveillance those are the Empire's core powers, but the captain of an Imperial flagship doesn’t quite reach that level.｣
That’s a valid point.
An Imperial flagship captain is an important position within the Empire, but it’s slightly lower than the other members on this list.
｢I have another reason. Doesn’t the name Alshas seem familiar?｣
As soon as she said that, it clicked.
The most influential slave trader on the Street of Light Arcadi. I had planted a parasite in his head to track Coldblood slaves, which led me to discover that Isabel had gone to the Fortress of Water.
He was a useful informant before he and his sibling were killed at a gathering.
[ZZZZ ZZZZZ (Alcardi’s sibling, huh?)]
｢Yeah.｣
Alshas appeared on the list Isabel created, and was also present when Arcadi died. He seemed like a Ranker worth suspecting.
[ZZZZZ ZZ ZZZZ (It’s suspicious, so let’s check him.)]
｢Do you have anyone else you suspect?｣
In response to her question, I selected someone from the top of the list Kisos, the host of the banquet.
｢Indeed. Cult players benefit most when their factions are well-run.｣
If I were a Cult player, I would’ve made connections with talented people from various fields. For races like the Cult or intelligent species like humans, relationships and social networks are strong weapons. This is even more true in the real world, not just in games.
When we fought underground, the enemy mobilized various types of units and equipment in a short amount of time. This could only have been possible if they were connected to multiple power players.
The person who fits this description best is Kisos, who has ties to powerful figures in multiple fields.
After selecting these two, I continued reviewing the list, but no one else stood out as much as them.
｢Kisos and Alshas. These two are the most suspicious.｣
[ZZ ZZZZ ZZZ ZZZ ZZ ZZ (One of them, or maybe both, could be the one.)]
｢One is the captain of an Imperial flagship, and the other is a powerful figure in the Imperial Assembly. Which one should we target first?｣
Both are formidable foes.
After a moment of deliberation, I made a decision.
[ZZZZZ ZZ (Let’s go after Kisos first.)]
There’s a reason why I decided to target Kisos before Alshas. Kisos has established friendly relations with the power players of Verzan-02. If something happens to anyone on this list, it’s likely he’ll immediately notify the others.
‘Once we start the attack, there’s no stopping. So it’s better to go for the head first.’
He functions like a commander among the power players. Whether he’s a Ranker or not, it’s better to deal with him first.
[ZZZZ ZZZ ZZZZZ (This time, we’ll move together.)]
Since there’s a high possibility that the enemy has multiple Rankers, we need to act together to minimize the damage.
We took Isabel’s terminal and left the old warehouse.
‘I was hoping to leave quietly.’
Even after getting bombarded above and having my useful skills restricted, I endured to achieve my goals.
But just as I was about to get what I wanted, I failed due to some inconvenient actions made by the enemy.
‘I’m very displeased.’
I still don’t know who the Ranker who made the contract with Isabel is.
But if I capture them...
I’ll show them that there are beings more terrifying than Vortex One.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
Join our Discord for release updates!
https://discord.com/invite/dbdMDhzWa2
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