SCC Chapter 19 Party of Plots(9)
FCY 437, 2nd Month, Day 16, 9:42PM
Down the hill, throngs of people had gathered, overlooking the top of said hill, where a mansion rested, like giant white beast looking down upon the world. Why were they so interested in the mansion? Because many big names were there, chatting, or even making deals that could shape the world.
"The sects are as ostentious as ever." commented one of the onlookers as another minor sect master arrived. He was merely in the early stage of the Core Formation, yet gazed at the crowd with the same disdain as a Nascent Soul cultivator.
Within this gathered crowd, was Ansel. He was supposed to have been up there, on the hill, watching out for dangerous things with the others, but he had chosen to be here down below, searching for traces of unsavory elements. His reason for being down here was simple, to see whether among this gathered crowd, there those with ill intentions, or those who could develop an impulse to act upon their desires.
After all, there were already those waving around solid constructs of spiritual energy, denouncing the fact that one of the sects was about to formally enter the Federation. And they were vehemently in denial, even though said sect had never harmed their interests at all!
Like a phantom, he swarm through the crowd, probing with his subtle energy fluctuations, to see whether he could catch some bad fellows. The reason he didn't use divine sense was the simple fact that it could be countered, not to mention the fact that those within the same stage as you could sense where the origins of the scan came from.
Then abruptly, he stopped in place. Though many people wouldn't be able to tell as they had never come into contact with it, he was one of those few that could tell. So, the moment a faint fluctuation brushed against his skin, with a peculiar frequency, he knew right away that someone from that institute, was here.
He cursed at his fatal mistake the moment he had felt the signal. Good thing the other hadn't been releasing their divine sense in tandem as that would have been a fatal mistake.
The signal couldn't have come from the crowd, so he turned his head towards the road, where a bunch of luxurious vehicles hovered just a few inches above the ground, courtesy of their wind attribute propulsion systems.
'The businessmen!' His eyes widened for a moment at that realization before narrowing. There were many people, making it hard to pinpoint the epicenter of the signal.
'It looks like I need to enter the venue.' He thought.
-----
A few moments later, when the last of the businessmen were entering, he too trailed behind them, with the AI having already memorized his spiritual energy signature as one of the guards. His eyes scanned all the backs he could see, yet failed to pick out any abnormal signs. Though, if he could pick such out, then that would be even more concerning.
Upon making it into the venue, he noticed the cliches that had formed. The sects were keeping to themselves, just as the businessmen were doing the same. There were even glares exchanged, though mostly from those of the sects. Ansel didn't dwell on such minor matters, instead opting to discreetly scan the guests, searching for such a person.
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But, the person eluded him. These people were as highly skilled as him. That, he was certain of, because of the simple fact that he had once been a part of them.
Through the crowd, he waltzed, making sure to give a cursory glance towards all the new arrivals, even asking for information about their data from the AI, but still, he failed to find any discrepancies, down to the most minute of details.
"Miss Livia, we would like to have a word." as if on cue, Livia appeared from somewhere and made her way towards the most prominent of the arrivals, the representative of the Golden Merchant.
'If they have requested for Livia, then they will most definitely want to speak with the boss. I need to warn him.' thought Ansel before taking off towards the location only he and a few others were privy about.
-----
Reed had been in the middle of mentally preparing himself for the unavoidable chat with the new arrivals when the door was pushed open and a man with dark eyes and hair, thin and tall, entered the room. He was clad in a dark tuxedo with a pair of dark gloves covering his hands.
"Ansel... I heard you refused to take up a post within the mansion... Did you discover something during your lingering outside?" asked Reed. He knew the man as one who liked to do their own thing. Latniss was constantly frustrated by him, even though he produced results.
"A person... Or, a group of people with origins related to mine, have infiltrated the mansion." The man revealed with a seriousness Reed had never seen before. Even his brows were furrowed, a rare occurrence.
"I had thought Zeus would enlist Hades' spies, but it seems he doesn't trust him that much." commented Reed.
"Boss... Whatever you do. Make sure that when Ms. Lily is revealed, she's always beside you, no matter the commotion!"
"That's why I won't be taking her with me to this meeting. I will go alone and try to see whether I can detect something odd."
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10:12PM
Within the mansion, there were many rooms, from conference halls, all the way to kitchens and toilets. Every single room that could exist within a house had been added into its construction, and the number hadn't been limited to just one.
Reed pushed open the doors, only to almost pause for a moment due to the many people, coupled with the tense atmosphere within the room. Even casual conversation was dead, with only silence reigning supreme.
But that didn't deter him. Reed instantly released his divine sense, only keeping it out for a fraction of a second, scanning every single person in the room, though only the outer shielding that innately used their own spiritual particles. But ultimately, he failed to pick up anything, yet also attracting the attention of everyone within the room.
He walked through the left side, where the businessmen were, and sat down upon the only empty seat, which was just beside Livia's, at the head of the table.
"Why are the sects here? I had thought that only the businessmen wanted to meet us." He asked, fully knowing the answer to that.
"They may attempt to scheme in the shadows." answered the sect master of the Absolute Zero sect. Her opposite counterpart had apparently refrained from the meeting.
"Mr. Mumaso... Is this partnership a wise course of action? At this very moment, some among the generate public aren't happy with this devopment." spoke the one sent by the Golden Merchant. It was a man in a white suit, with dark short hair, and a smile, one clearly fake.
"I thought the Golden Merchant himself would have been interested in our gathering, as he stands to gain a lot. Why didn't he come himself?" Reed asked a question of his own, gathering the attention of everyone within the room to the man.
The man's reputation was that resounding. He was at the very peak of the Nascent Soul after all. And those at that level didn't surpass 5 in the world. Even the so-called Great God, Zeus, was simply at the late Nascent Soul stage. What made him feared was the fact that the special artifact in his hands had the capability of allowing him to match the prowess of those at the peak.
"An important matter came up, one he couldn't avoid. But that's beside the point, Mr. Mumaso. Are you avoiding my inquiry?"
"The President himself supports this. Can we leave it at that." Reed's words brought a murmur within the room, with even Livia side eyeing him for a moment.
"Now... Let's get on with what you really want from this meeting. There is no way you could let me have this entire pie all to myself, and even Ms. Livia wouldn't allow that. That's what really brought you here." continued Reed.
-----
Reed released a breath he had been holding upon coming back to his room, finding Ansel still within, lounging upon the sofa.
"I bet they didn't reveal anything, right?" he asked.
"Yes... It looks like we won't be getting anywhere without them revealing themselves. I want the man himself to be dragged into the fray." sighed Reed.
"But in order for the man himself to be dragged into the fray, we need to impede them." spoke Ansel.
"Do you have any ideas?"
"Ms. Lily, let's leave her hidden for the time being, and proceed as if she's not here. That might elicit something out of them. A drastic incident perhaps?"