Chapter 198 : That’s Enough
The train explosion was reported on the news. The story was that even the transportation used by the upper class was no longer safe. It was a hardline tone, stating that the precarious security of Gellerg City had finally collapsed, and the city's very survival was on the line. Pundits pontificated on how much danger the city was in, especially pointing out that the attack had targeted Centream, which had introduced a vigilante system in place of the city government.
“They’re certainly earning their pay.”
Naturally, the data and the personnel had been provided by Centream. The performance, designed to solidify the current system, had been a success. The upper class, knowing Joe McQueen’s identity, suspected Centream’s true intentions, but it remained mere conspiracy theory. It was impossible to put the brakes on the current sweeping through the city.
Truthfully, it would have been fine even if the propaganda hadn’t worked.
“Are you certain Joe McQueen is dead?”
“We couldn’t find the body. However, we poured enough explosives to make the train collapse, so there’s no way he could have survived inside.”
“That’s true, of course.”
“Even if he had tried to escape, the veterans would have stopped him. That was their order.”
The utility of blowing up the train was fulfilled simply by dealing with Joe McQueen and the veterans. It meant that all the obstacles within Centream had been taken care of.
“Now that we’ve dealt with all the internal enemies, it’s time to look outside.”
“Yes, as we feared, Sylvester has made a move.”
The secretary handed Demian a report.
“A clash in District 8, seven Quadruple teams wiped out, two branches collapsed…”
“Their forces are stronger than we thought. They mobilized a large number of external personnel, including contractors and mercenaries, and the private soldiers of their executives were also of a respectable skill level, contrary to our predictions.”
“Analyzing the cause of defeat is important. But to my ears, it sounds less like an analysis and more like an excuse.”
“…”
The secretary’s body froze like a frog before a snake. The Crown Prince of Centream—the power he originally held was already immense. Now, he was an absolute ruler on the verge of bringing the city to its knees.
Charisma can be innate, or it can be acquired through power and wealth. The Demian before him was a man who possessed it all. As his cold gaze poured down, it became difficult to even breathe.
“Have you found out who was behind the recent attacks on our affiliates and subsidiaries?”
Only then could the secretary calm his pounding heart.
“…We believe that is also related to Sylvester.”
“I heard most of the perpetrators were from the Brotherhood.”
“It seems there was some kind of deal. The fact that only the Blood Alliance is moving, out of the two remaining dominant factions of the Brotherhood, supports this.”
“The Blood Alliance… then there’s a possibility that the Public Security Bureau’s investigation data flowed to them.”
“In any case, the Blood Alliance won’t be able to exert much influence since they haven’t recovered from the damage sustained in the decisive battle with Shadowfang. The same goes for Sylvester drawing their sword. It’s just that their skills are better than we thought; when objectively comparing our forces, they don’t measure up to the level we’ve prepared.”
“Now that’s a more acceptable answer.”
At the voice, tinged with a hint of a smile, the secretary sighed in relief internally.
“Therefore, the most dangerous thing is not a battle between factions, but targeted raids and assassinations on the top leadership. Especially considering the actions of the contractor, Allen, it’s a strategy he’s very likely to use.”
“You don’t need to worry about that.”
Demian stated flatly. The collapse of a carefully built tower is always the result of carelessness just before success. It was the job of a close aide to raise alarm at times like these, but the secretary swallowed the words that rose to his throat. It was because he had an inkling as to why.
“Could it be…?”
“We’ve received word from Madhouse that they will be dispatching personnel.”
He had taken every precaution to ensure that the long-prepared plan would not be overturned in vain.
“They should have arrived at the airfield by now.”
“I will send someone to make contact.”
“Receive them well. They are our final bastion.”
As long as Madhouse wasn’t breached, there would be no variables. Amidst the smooth sailing that felt like a tailwind, Demian smiled with satisfaction.
***
“We’ve finished verifying Joe McQueen’s testimony. Jack did a great job.”
“Get your words straight. It’s upsetting when you talk like he was the only one who worked hard.”
“Of course. We also cross-verified with the Public Security Bureau, Sylvester, and the Brotherhood.”
Cromwell and Reina, the two brokers who were currently swaying the industry amidst the chaos in the city. …To be precise, Cromwell was the one mobilizing contractors for the industry, while Reina was in charge of coordinating with the Public Security Bureau.
In any case, these two were the only ones who had put their names on the line and taken a position. And now, the two of them were sitting together in front of me.
“Everything Joe McQueen said is true.”
Information guilds, the Public Security Bureau, Sylvester, the Brotherhood. The information power of both the underworld and the public sphere had been fully mobilized. The fact that not a single one of them had found anything suspicious meant it was safe to believe it was 100% true.
“Honestly, given his circumstances, there was no reason for him to deliberately lie to us and set a trap.”
Still, we had to be cautious. That was how much weight each and every one of Joe McQueen’s testimonies carried.
“I wondered if it made sense for half the city councilors to be cooperating with Centream, but it turns out they dangled the right bait.”
“Immortality. They offered a bribe that the greedy pigs of the city government couldn’t help but bite.”
Joe McQueen first revealed how Centream had won over the councilors. Immortality.
It is the aspiration of all who hold power. For the city councilors who enjoyed absolute authority, it was a dream-like ability they would be even more obsessed with. It was not strange at all that they, who openly sponsored even black mages, would accept Centream’s bribe.
“They probably thought it was worth paying any price for that.”
“Even though it put a leash on them that they can never take off?”
“It’s their own doing, but when a person is blinded by one thing, they can’t see anything else.”
“More importantly, is something like immortality even possible in the first place? Centream’s technology is outstanding, but immortality…”
I was able to answer Reina’s question.
“Theoretically, it should be possible.”
Body modification through the spirit’s cocoons. That was likely the reality of the immortality that Centream offered.
However, for everything gained, something is lost. Those whose lifespans were extended by Centream’s procedure were bound to become Centream’s dogs. It was the same reason the veterans had boarded the train, knowing it was the place they would die.
How could those whose bodies were modified through the spirit’s cocoons defy Centream’s orders?
“In any case, we have to give up hope that the city government will come to its senses and handle the situation.”
On the contrary, we had to worry that the city government would completely kneel to Centream and provide both material and moral support. It was half now, but what if the other half also succumbed to the temptation?
There might be individuals who were personally reluctant, but it’s called a trend because you can’t go against it. It seemed only a matter of time before Centream took control of the city government.
“The state of the war is decent, but the future is uncertain with just a slight advantage.”
It wasn’t that the forces I had brought in and Sylvester had mobilized were weak. In fact, in terms of pure military power, the preliminary battles had confirmed that our side had the upper hand.
However, our side was a coalition of many, while their side had a single head. The war could not be dragged on for long.
The Public Security Bureau, in particular, would have to side with them after Centream took control of the city government.
“We need to make a decisive move as soon as possible.”
From the beginning, when planning with Claire, the key was not to drag it out but to settle it in a short period.
“Joe McQueen revealed that Demian Graham is at the center of Centream.”
Since our side had a larger number of superhumans available, the direction of the decisive move was already set.
“There’s no choice but to capture Demian Graham.”
Having a single head meant there was no fear of division, but it also had a clear disadvantage. The leadership could not be replaced.
If we could just deal with Demian, Centream was fated to collapse like a sandcastle.
“Everyone was already thinking the same thing,” Reina said.
“According to Joe McQueen’s information, an executive meeting is scheduled at Centream’s headquarters in a week.”
Capturing Joe McQueen had been a stroke of luck. Because he had actively defected, we were able to grasp the whereabouts of the veiled Centream executives and target them.
“At that time, we will launch an all-out offensive against Centream from all over the city.”
Reina’s words didn’t stop there.
“The goal is to disperse Centream’s forces.”
The more they paid attention to the outside, the more vulnerable the inside would become.
“In the meantime, we will select an elite team, infiltrate the headquarters, and annihilate the leadership.”
“That’s enough.”
The details would need continuous adjustment, but just having the rough outline of the plan was sufficient. As long as the conditions for success were clear, the plan had to be simple.
Demian, too, would be aware that we would be targeting him, even if he didn’t know the place and time.
“If you just set the stage, it’s up to my abilities to lead it to success.”
I did not consider failure. The end of a long journey was approaching. I was determined to succeed, no matter what.
***
“Are you sure that bastard is involved in this?”
“What’s the point of asking me? If Centream says so, we have to believe it.”
“Hehehe, this is thrilling.”
Bianca looked at the trembling Buggy Vile with surprise.
“Are you nervous? You always said you’d beat him to a pulp if you met him, but now that you hear he crushed our lady at Brahms, I guess even you are getting tense.”
“What are you talking about?”
Buggy spat on the floor, telling her to stop talking nonsense.
“That’s actually good news. He’s the one who killed me. What would I look like if he got beaten by someone else?”
“Then why are you trembling?”
“Imagine how awesome it would feel to crush a guy who’s become incomparably stronger than before and give him a taste of despair. The fight would be great too. Hehe, just imagining it makes my legs tremble.”
“…”
Bianca looked at Buggy as if he were an insect. A crazy battle maniac. A hedonist obsessed with life-or-death combat. It was a way of thinking Bianca could not understand.
“He’s my prey. So don’t you even think about interfering.”
Buggy, who had been grinning, suddenly turned serious and snapped at her.
“You promised, didn’t you? Besides, I’m not a good match for him, so I wouldn’t be of any help anyway.”
“Come to think of it, you said you were beaten by him too, right?”
“Yeah, I got my ass kicked.”
To Bianca, who primarily used her domain as her ability, Allen, who rejected the domains of others, was close to a natural enemy. …Most importantly, she had no desire to fight Allen.
“But then why did you volunteer for this job?”
“Did I volunteer? The boss ordered me to.”
“Since when did you care about that? Who among the original members has any great attachment to the organization? Maybe that puppeteer who died at Brahms. I heard you even threatened the boss to give you a reward when you went to Brahms. If it’s an order you don’t like, you can just go into hiding or quit.”
“Well, that’s true.”
In fact, if it hadn’t been for the talk about Allen, Bianca had been fully prepared to quit this time.
“But whatever my intentions are, it’s none of your business, is it?”
“…Hehe, that’s right.”
It was a suspicious answer to anyone who heard it, but Buggy just let it go. As she said, it was a waste of time for them to pry into each other’s intentions.
Whatever they were aiming for, whatever they were trying to do, it was simply of no interest. As long as it didn’t interfere, it wasn’t worth caring about.
“Anyway, I won’t lift a finger, so you keep your promise too.”
Bianca isolated their surroundings with a domain of shadow, as if to tell a secret.
“Our boss, he dumped the work on the members and went off somewhere alone, didn’t he?”
(End of Chapter)