“You wished for a private meeting. I am listening.”
A towering man with long crimson hair and a grizzly-looking face was facing Edward Orland.
The man was one of the strongest people in the Nezulian Republic and the one with the highest authority in the Department of Defense.
As a democratic nation, the Nezulian Republic wasn’t solely ruled by one entity like the Serey Zhan Empire or the Witch Nation, nevertheless, the man was one of the pillars holding the country together, and seldom were his decisions erroneous.
“General Zhang, before I say anything, I want you to grant my brother full immunity.”
“Immunity? It has already been decided that he wouldn’t be locked up. What else do you want?”
Edward, although feeling pressured to be alone with General Zhang, still kept his calm and clarified,
“A vocal minority might try things behind the curtains. If that were to happen, any retaliation from Zeke or I wouldn’t be viewed as treason, even if the mastermind were to be a high executive of the Department of Defense.”
The man crossed his muscular and scarred arms and scrutinized his subordinate. Eventually, he responded,
“Any evildoers will receive proper punishment for going against our nation’s best interests. Be at ease and tell me the reason behind this meeting.”
Edward breathed a sigh of relief as he slid the piece of paper toward Zhang Li.
“This contains the names of spies scattered across the several divisions and teams of the Department of Defense. Zeke gave me this and I do not doubt his veracity.”
“Spies?”
“Yes, General. From the Ascetic Blasphemers. My brother doesn’t want to oppose the Department of Defense nor cause any trouble… unlike what many want to believe. This is an expression of his goodwill.”
“Hah!” Zhang Li scoffed at Edward and skimmed through the names before ripping the paper,
“As a civilian of our Republic, it should be natural that he helps us catch the rotten apples that snuck into our nest. Still… this is good for me.”
The General lowered his voice and continued, “I trust that you will not share this with anyone else. By tomorrow night, after confirming the identity of the spies, they will all be wiped out, thus consolidating my position and quelling the objections of your colleagues. You acted fast and came to me directly, so I’m willing to vouch for your brother. However, you must know that my protection will not hold on forever.”
“I understand. Thank you, General.”
“You don’t need to thank me, I’m doing what’s right. To begin with, your brother has no use for us in his current state. In times of need, we will call for his aid… that’s when we shall see if he’s an enemy or an ally.”
“I assure you he will not disappoint, General. Thank you again.”
Edward performed a military salute then left Zhang Li’s office, feeling that the conversation, albeit brief, had proceeded relatively smoothly.
Zhang Li was a tough nut to crack, but he was very patriotic and put the safety of his nation above else. Even if some people wanted to lock up Zeke, they wouldn’t be able to go against the General.
When he was back in his office, Edward called for Katrina.
The young woman fixed her loose spectacles then saluted.
“It has been dealt with. Zeke can return home.”
“Yes, sir.”
Before she could leave, he signaled for her to wait as he pulled a few documents from his drawer and handed them to them.
“The Department of Finance and the Department of Health and Human Services will probably make a move. While their agents aren’t particularly strong, they could seek outside help. Be careful, please.”
The Nezulian Republic had many Departments, each in charge of a specific thing. However, only three Departments stood above all the rest; The Department of Defense, The Department of Finance, and the Department of Health and Human Services.
The head of each of those three was considered the ‘rulers’ of the nation.
While the Department of Defense had a strong influence in all three main cities of the country, the other two Departments were relatively weaker and didn’t have a strong military force. Moreover, they couldn’t interfere with many things, especially those related to public safety.
“Yes, sir. I will do my utmost to ensure Zeke’s safety.”
“Thank you, Katrina.”
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
Edward approached her and gave her a light hug before they sat next to each other on the sofa.
“It isn’t part of your duty, but can you tell me your opinion about what happened? Did you notice any strange things?”
Katrina, with her face as solemn as ever, pondered for a bit before answering,
“I’m sure that Zeke has made contact with the Ascetic Blasphemers. We encountered Red Mask Signora running away, but I don’t know how Zeke had managed to escape unscathed. I’m sure we missed something.”
“That is indeed odd. Considering his hatred towards their order, I’d expect he would have chased them.”
“I suspect he struck a deal with them, sir.”
“Zeke… making a deal with them? That’s a bit far-fetched. The Paths of Extinction System is capable of many things. Maybe he’s got an efficient ability that ensures his safety or else he wouldn’t have recklessly charged at them. Either way, I doubt he’ll give me honest answers if I asked.”
Katrina wanted to argue back and say that Edward’s impression of his brother was affected by his bias. In the end, she kept her counsel and after exchanging a few words with Edward, she left.
….
“....”
“...”
“...”
Zeke, Sulong, and Jack, were escorted by the agents to the busy street in front of the loan sharks’ previous workplace.
Mentally and physically exhausted, the three travelers returned to the empty and dusty office, a long about of silence flowing between them.
During the trip back to the Nezulian Republic, they were isolated from each other and weren’t allowed to converse, but now that they were together, no one had anything to say.
Sulong slumped down on his favorite old couch and dazedly stared to the front. Jack lit up a cigarette and stood next to the window, sighing continuously.
As for Zeke, he stood near the entrance door, his head lowered and his fists clenched.
“I…I’m sorry, Sulong. I know how much he meant to you.”
The bald and muscular man turned his head and looked at the lonely figure of the youth. He wryly smiled and shook his head, “It’s fine. Such is life.”
Sulong took out a withered red-colored flower, which was the last memento Arbert had left for him.
“We’ve had enough time for grief and mourning. You got us together, Zeke… it’s ‘bout time you look to the future and continue what we started.”
Zeke meekly nodded and softly smiled as he motioned for them to sit around one of the small tables scattered across the office.
Once they were sitting around the table, he cleared his throat and declared,
“First and foremost, we need to rebrand. As you might have seen, to those secret organizations and the authorities, we are no one. Therefore, we need to build a reputation, we need power, literally and figuratively.”
“What are we rebranding into, though? It’s not like we are experts in anything other than threatening people for money or conning them.”
“That’s in the past, Jack.” Corrected Zeke with a firm and determined expression,
“We can and we will improve. This office is as good as any…” He paused for a couple of seconds, taking a deep breath, “Mercenaries. That’s what we will be. We will accept commissions and help people, thus building a reputation and influence. We need to be able to take care of ourselves and not be subjected to anyone’s whims.”
“Mercenaries, huh…. I don’t see why not. Any thoughts, Sulong?”
“I’m aboard. There are no shortage of mysteries and crimes in our glorious city. However, we lack capital, Zeke. We’re practically, penniless.”
“I’ll try to secure some funds. Meanwhile, you two will handle the paperwork and use your connections to spread the word.”
The two men looked at Zeke, their eyes displaying a mix of uncertainty and trust.
Zeke, on the other hand, hesitated for a good while before resolutely saying,
“When I was young, around 6 or so, I was kidnapped by the Ascetic Blasphemers. Although I was saved within a day, those cultists managed to operate on me and rip my heart out.”
“Zeke, we don’t need to-” Jack wanted to stop him but Sulong raised his hand and motioned for him to keep his mouth shut and listen.
“My adoptive parents kept me alive for months before performing a successful heart implant surgery on me. My goal is to find the man who stole my heart, Red Mask Fanti Fan, retrieve my heart and uncover why I was targeted. Many, if not all, will think of me as crazy or suicidal, but now that I have the strength to fight, there is nothing to stop me. It’s just like you, Sulong… once I was given an opportunity, I jumped at it. In the beginning… when I ‘recruited’ both of you, I thought it unnecessary to disclose my past, but I was wrong. Time and time again, I dragged you two into perilous and dangerous situations, and I think it’s right to know what you were fighting for.”
Once he was done spilling the beans, Jack grabbed another cigarette while leaning back whereas his friend chuckled, “Frankly, I didn’t think you’d tell us. Still, it feels better to know our main objective. Also, don’t presume we’re backing out, isn’t that right, Jackie boy?”
“Ye damn right! It’s a pretty dangerous endeavor, but it’s exciting too, ya? I mean, we’re going after a super secret organization!”
“At the border, I managed to subjugate one of the Red Masks, a woman by the name of Signora. Ah, Red Masks are like secondary leaders working for the presumably mighty Golden Mask. That’s how their hierarchy works. Anyroad, Signora is like you, Sulong.”
“Like me? How-...oh! You mean she’s linked to the you-know-what?”
“Yes. You are the Seat of Criminality and she’s the Seat of Death. There are minor differences, however, such as my complete control over her life. She will be sending regular reports to this place, which will facilitate future operations.”
“Wow, that’s cool! Sometimes I wonder if you’re truly just a kid.”
Zeke frowned at the remark and immediately retorted, “I’m going to be 18 this summer. Furthermore, adults have their wisdom, and teenagers have their unpredictability.”
After conversing with the two for a bit, Zeke excused himself and, at last, headed back to the dormitory.
He had planned the trip to take no more than two weeks, but there had been a lot of complications. Classes have already resumed in Erys, in after a little more than a week, once revising was over, the Final Exams will begin.
Zeke had no doubt in his mind that the Special Investigation Squad would have a word with him, same for the Principal. His return to school will not be unnoticed, but that didn’t matter.
He took his time returning to Erys, not because he was wary, but because he wanted to enjoy the cool breeze as he strolled through the luminous and bustling streets of the city.
That momentary sensation of clarity and serenity had calmed his heart and eased his tumultuous mind.
He knew that, most likely, Katrina was following him from the shadows, but he didn’t particularly care. He hadn’t been alone for a while and wanted a bit of solitude to think things over.