Chapter 173: Bernadette Foster
They reached the office doors, and the man knocked twice before opening it without waiting for a response.
The office inside was styled like a private study, with bookshelves lining the walls, and a large desk at the center.
Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the city below. And sanding by one of those windows, holding a glass of amber liquid, was Bernadette Foster.
She had her back turned, staring out towards the city’s skyline.
"Someone here to see you, Miss Bernadette," the man said.
Bernadette sighed softly, then turned around. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she took in the figure standing in her doorway.
"Ethan Stark?" she said, her tone carrying both surprise and curiosity.
The man beside Ethan who had a grin on his face said, "Okay, good. No need for introductions, then."
Then gave Ethan a casual pat on the shoulder, before turning to walk out.
Bernadette studied Ethan for a moment, then gestured toward one of the chairs in front of her desk. "Please, have a seat."
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Bernadette Foster had this long silver hair that was elegantly styled, with round glasses that gave her aged look a sophisticated appearance.
She wore blouse that clung to her huge chests, with a pretty lace detailing at the collar and cuffs, paired with high-waisted dark trousers.
After a while, Ethan had finished recounting everything. From the diversions to the illusion and Bernadette listened without interruption.
When Ethan finished, she let out a long, measured sigh.
"I apologize, Ethan," she said in a sincere tone. "This will be dealt with right now."
Ethan was slightly taken aback, not just by how quickly she was moving to address it, but also by how simply and casually she sounded when referring to him.
As though, they knew each other.
Bernadette reached for the Arcphone on her desk and made a call.
"Harold, Come see me in my office. Now."
She ended the call without waiting for a response and set the phone down.
Ethan nodded and leaned back into his seat, waiting.
A few minutes passed in silence, with Bernadette returning to her drink while staring out the window again.
Then, the door opened.
Harold stepped inside with a confident stride. But the moment his eyes landed on Ethan, his expression darkened. "You..."
Bernadette cut him off before he could say anything further. "I’ve been told everything you did against Mr. Stark and his guild... Do you deny any of it?"
Harold glanced at Ethan, then back at Bernadette.
"I don’t deny it," he said. "Someone had to teach him a lesson."
Bernadette’s expression didn’t change. "I see. You don’t even show remorse."
"Why would I?" Harold’s voice rose slightly in frustration. "Me and my squad have been assigned nothing for weeks because of him"
Harold was the leader of Squad Five, the least ranked squad within Black Hearts. His position gave him authority, but not nearly as much as he seemed to think it did.
Bernadette nodded slowly. "I see." She paused, then said, "In light of this, you’ve been suspended indefinitely."
Harold’s eyes widened in shock, then his expression twisted into a sneer. "Who do you think you are, suspending me?"
His voice had contempt now. "You can’t do that. And let me remind you, Miss Foster, that you’re not Guild Master Ivan."
Bernadette raised one eyebrow. "Oh?"
With a casual flick of her wrist, a glowing magic circle materialized in the air before her palm.
Suddenly, an invisible force seized Harold and launched him off his feet, shooting his body upward and slamming it violently into the ceiling.
Ethan’s eyes widened in amazement. This was going far better than he had expected.
Bernadette flicked her wrist again, and the same magic circle pulsed as Harold’s body was yanked downward and slammed into the floor with brutal force.
Before he could even gasp for breath, another flick sent him flying upward again, crashing into the ceiling a second time.
Then down again.
Then up.
Then down once more.
By the time Bernadette stopped, Harold’s face was battered and bleeding. His nose was broken, and blood streamed down his chin. One of his eyes was swelling shut, and his lip had split open.
He lay crumpled on the floor, groaning in pain.
Bernadette then walked over slowly with the heels of her shoe making those clicking sounds.
She stopped just in front of him and looked down with a calm, almost pleasant expression.
"You know, Harold," she began, "you might be S-tier, but come on. I sit in this chair for a reason."
Harold tried to push himself up onto his hands and knees, his body trembling from the punishment he had just endured.
Bernadette continued in a light tone. "You are suspended indefinitely. Until you tender a formal apology to Mr. Stark and his guild, you will not be reinstated. And don’t think for a second that Ivan will overturn this decision when he returns."
She raised her hand, and with a flick of her finger, the office door swung open wide.
"Now," she said sweetly, "get out of my office."
One final flick of her wrist, and the invisible force grabbed Harold’s body and hurled him out of the room like a ragdoll. He tumbled through the doorway and crashed into the lounge area outside.
Then door shut.
Bernadette turned back toward Ethan with a warm smile, as though nothing unusual had just happened, then returned to her seat behind the desk.
Ethan stared at her, genuinely surprised. "I... didn’t expect that," he said slowly.
Then he tilted his head. "Wasn’t that a bit much? Embarrassing him like that in front of an outsider?"
Bernadette waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, please. I’ve been looking for the perfect excuse to do that to him for months."
She leaned back in her chair, looking satisfied. "Of all the people in this guild, Harold is the most disrespectful. Especially to women."
Ethan let out a short laugh. "Hm. Well, that went better than I expected."
Bernadette’s eyes glinted with curiosity. "How exactly did you think this was going to go?"
Ethan scratched the back of his head with a sheepish smile. "Nah, don’t worry. I think we’re good."
In truth, he had come prepared to pull his privilege card.
He knew that Black Hearts, like practically every major organization in the country, purchased airships from Stark Industries.
But it wasn’t just the airships themselves. The extent of the monopoly reached even the specific combustible fuel used to run them.
And every fuel refill port in the country for airships was owned by Stark Industries.
If Bernadette had refused to take action, Ethan had been ready to threaten a ban. He would have barred Black Hearts from accessing their refueling ports and sanctioned them from purchasing new airships entirely.
And if that hadn’t been enough, he was prepared to pull his connection all the way to Arcphones.
The stark after all, were part-owners of the technology. He would have spoken to Marvin and explored whether there was a way to cut off this entire building from the servers, rendering their Arcphones useless within guild headquarters.
Thankfully, all that was necessary anymore.
Ethan leaned forward, his expression looked thoughtful. "But hold on. You took action really quickly. And we’ve only just met for the first time today."
Bernadette looked almost taken aback. "Wait... wasn’t it Eduardo who sent you to me?"
Ethan shook his head. "No. I came on my own." Then his expression grew puzzled. "But how do you know Eduardo?"
Bernadette’s eyes widened. "What do you mean, how do I know him?" She rubbed her forehead, looking genuinely baffled.
"Wait... has no one told you about any of us?" She let out a short laugh. "I could pass off as an aunt, you know."
Ethan’s eyes narrowed as her words settled in.
Then, suddenly, his eyes widened in realization.
A memory from over a month ago surfaced where Eduardo had mentioned something about the original members of his father’s guild.
It was the only explanation that made sense, given the way she was speaking.
"The Midnight Vanguard..." Ethan began slowly.
"Please do not say that awful name all the way to the end," Bernadette interrupted, shaking her head and chuckling.
"But yes. I was part of that guild." She smiled fondly. "Now, please tell me, how is Francesca doing? Is she still the cook?"
She laughed, as though recalling a fond memory. "Oh, Francesca..."
Ethan stared at her, almost stunned.
Bernadette noticed the stunned look on his face and her expression softened as she leaned forward, studying his face more closely. "You look so much like Nathan. A little Irene touch on the nose, but mostly Nathan."
Irene was his mother’s name.
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A/N: Make Reference Back To Chapter 73 for the initial back story