Chapter 129: Preparations
Owen was sitting in his office drinking coffee when a bird approached him carrying several messages.
’The fact that you sent this to me from that address tells me you’ve decided to stop hiding, little Edward.’ Owen smiled as he traced a line with his spiritual energy that ran from the newly arrived bird, followed its entire path, and reached its point of origin.
Something only a man of his caliber could do with such precision.
He grabbed the various letters the bird was carrying in its claws and began reading them.
"Oh." He was immediately intrigued. "It seems they beat you to it, Gideon. You have competition."
’But to have discovered the actual location of the Red Moon Cave so quickly... Even I was outdone by this little guy. It seems he has great insight.’ Owen read all the letters.
Some left him speechless with surprise; with others, he simply thought: He’s a guy worth investing in.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
As he was lost in his thoughts and reading, there was a repeated knock at the door, bringing him back to his senses.
"Come in," he said without looking up.
Gideon opened the door and greeted him. "Master."
As soon as he entered, Owen gestured for him to take a seat. "Sit down."
Gideon nodded slightly and did as he was told. "I bring good news, Master. But from what I can see, you also seem to have good news."
"Let’s hear your good news first, Gideon." Owen motioned for him to come forward and speak.
"There are several things. The first of them..." Gideon pulled out a worn, rather old parchment and placed it on the table alongside several additional inks and writings. "It is a fact that the Red Moon Cave was behind the events of 20 years ago. But they weren’t just behind them; it also seems there are significant plans involving the organization and its leaders regarding the events involving those two figures."
Owen grabbed the scroll and read it. He looked over the other documents and then nodded. "Your investigation is more sophisticated and precise. You even managed to get the original scrolls."
"It was a sophisticated investigation carried out by the entire 101st Regiment." Gideon smiled with pride.
"But you weren’t the first." Owen smiled and looked at the other scrolls Gideon was holding. "I suppose the other good news is that you discovered the Red Moon Cave’s main headquarters and are prepared for an attack."
Gideon was taken aback and stared at him in shock. "You..."
"Actually, the boy we were interested in turned out to be much more impressive than we had imagined, Gideon."
"What do you mean, Master?"
"Look at this. It arrived before you did." Owen handed him the letters he had received earlier.
Although he wasn’t part of the Information group, Gideon was already used to investigating things alongside his team of experts. From experience, he could tell at a glance that this had been written within the last four hours.
’The boy we were interested in?’ Gideon tried to think of who it could be...
He read the information provided and slowly furrowed his brow.
"This is..."
"It was sent by Edward Lux. He decided to reveal his location."
"Edward Lux?" Gideon recalled the night they raided that basement. "I see, so it was him..."
"It was thanks to him that I was able to uncover everything about Alric Dorne and also about Mervan, though the information on Mervan was an unexpected bonus."
"Is he using his magic from the Information Group? Is he that good?"
"No, I don’t think he’s using magic himself. Rather, he’s behind the scenes, directing everything and drawing conclusions from the information he receives. I think he’s the mastermind behind a large group. Do you remember the assassins and spies who got in your way?"
"I see..." Gideon nodded in understanding. "It’s the Smith Family and the Ashfords. It seems the Smiths finally decided to show themselves. But why are they working for that kid? Is he that good?"
"It is." Owen laid all the cards and whatever he was holding in his hand on the table and stared intently at Gideon. "Ensure the destruction of the Red Moon Cave, and I’ll make sure that within six months, the 101st Regiment will have its own path to becoming an Elite Regiment of the Armed Forces. A young man as talented as he deserves a great future, but his surname can only lead to a different path. So I’ll have to pursue it that way."
Gideon returned his gaze and nodded without the slightest hesitation. "I’ll do it. The Red Moon Cave will have no place left in this region starting this week. I’ll destroy its foundations and try to capture all its leaders."
"I trust you." Owen laughed and relaxed in his seat, having nothing more to say.
–
In Aurora’s room.
"Ed is pushing himself too hard..." Hearing her subordinate’s report, Aurora couldn’t help but worry.
Lately, he’s been ordering her subordinates to carry out a series of missions of absurd complexity.
From investigations into secret organizations to the murders of prominent figures in the underworld.
Not just in Lor, but also in other cities in the province and even within the academy. Even though she’s been helping him, she still can’t quite grasp everything he’s been doing.
"Miss, it seems Young Master Edward now plans to destroy that cave. I think he’s biting off more than he can chew."
"Do you think he wants to get himself into that kind of trouble? I think Ed understands the dangers..."
Just then, the fluttering of a bird’s wings reached the subordinate’s ears, and he immediately intercepted its flight and drew it toward him.
"It’s from Ed, let it come," Aurora said quickly and grabbed the messages.
"This..." Aurora frowned. "It seems that’s what you’re saying."
"He wants to attack the Red Moon Cave."
The subordinate nodded thoughtfully. "What should we do, Miss?" he asked.
Aurora stood up. "Keep working for him. But I can’t stay here."
"Are you planning to go out, Miss? It’s far too dangerous! The Young Lord clearly warned you...!"
"Do you want me to stay here while he does something so dangerous? Hehe, I’m not weak. Don’t look at me like I’m some weak little lady—because I’m not."
"But..."
"I’ve already said it." Aurora cut him off. "Let’s do this."
The subordinate couldn’t do or say anything else. He had to sigh and clench his teeth, steel his resolve even further.
–
As usual, Arnold spent his days in his room, reading books.
The book of the week was The Pirate of the Night Ocean II, the second volume.
’I have to say, this friend of Edward’s is a really good writer,’ he thought.
The first volume was a marvel of storytelling. The promise it held at the beginning was truly captivating. It hooked him from the moment he started reading it. But the plot development was so spectacular that it made him want to read for nights on end to finish it.
The climax and the final resolution were so good that he could compare that volume to many of the best-selling books in history.
"But this second volume is even better..." That was the most surprising thing.
Plus, it was a series that would have many more books, which was a definite plus.
He had always said that good novels didn’t need to end, but most authors wrapped up their stories in three books at most. They didn’t let readers explore the full world they’d created, which, in Arnold’s words, was a waste of resources.
As he was lost in thought, his senses picked up on the bird that landed on his window, so he raised his eyebrows.
"Tsk, what a bad time to show up. Right in the middle of a cliffhanger." Arnold grumbled, but he stood up and walked over to the bird.
As soon as he read the letters, his lips curved into a smile.
’Wow, you’re really good, Edward. That deduction of yours must be your greatest superpower, along with the fact that you can get stronger so fast,’ he thought.
’But destroying that place, huh... Not bad. You don’t just have great ambition; you’ve also got a lot of guts. I’ll help you.’
Arnold smiled and went into his room to look for a few things. He had helped him in different ways before, by providing information.
That phase was over now. Since he’d been on repeated missions with the group lately, he’d somehow gotten used to being on the move.
So now that he hadn’t moved for so many days—not even to eat—he felt his body urging him to get moving.
So, without thinking too much about it, he decided to help Edward in a different way.
Within seconds, he was out of his room.
–
"The fact that those guys have their base in the Commercial City, a few hours from Lor, makes me think they have a terrifying power in the government and the business world," Edward said, as he looked out at the Commercial City from a hotel room.
Behind him stood Harry.
"It’s just as you said, Young Master. They wield significant political and business influence in the region. Their leader must be a very powerful figure."
Edward sighed. "And considering they could be in politics or the business sector, it’s hard to track them down."
"That’s been a challenge," Harry acknowledged. "The power wielded by the Academy Elders in politics makes investigating politicians nearly impossible. While investigating businesspeople is easier, it’s still a challenge in this day and age, where businesspeople and politicians have strong alliances."
"Sigh. Well, let’s forget about the leader for now. If we manage to destroy their base and steal the information from the Information and Information Room, it will be a great victory for us."
Harry agreed with a smile. "It will be whenever you say so, Young Lord. We are all ready."