BATTLE FOR STARS

Although these actions were undoubtedly illegal and could never be made public, Lev had long turned a blind eye. These people were his most trusted subordinates, and other departments had almost no authority over Security Bureau operations. Even if such incidents had occurred repeatedly in the past, Lev had regarded them as a sort of “departmental perk,” letting things slide without interference.

This time, Lev had ordered his subordinates to interrogate Arthur and Caroline, hoping to use the truth serum to uncover any hidden secrets. If any were found, his plan would be simpler; if not, he could proceed with the frame-up as intended. What he hadn’t anticipated was that his team had created a major problem instead.

“Don’t they know Caroline is a member of the Kramic royal family? She’s untouchable!” Lev scolded. He had never imagined his men would act without regard to rank or status.

“I tried to warn them, but… because Caroline is both royal and beautiful, and because she’s about to be expelled, they saw a… last opportunity,” Newman explained.

Lev finally understood. These lecherous subordinates, dazzled by Caroline’s beauty and royal status, had acted recklessly. But if GHB-2 had been used, how could there be any issue?

“Then if the drug was administered, what went wrong?” Lev asked again.

“Because… because Caroline is a virgin,” Newman said awkwardly.

“What?!” Lev shouted in shock. Within the Empire, Confederation citizens were generally considered indulgent, sexually active from a young age. How could a woman around twenty still be a virgin?

“We… didn’t expect it either,” Newman stammered.

“Has this ever happened before?” Lev asked, urgently recalling prior incidents.

“Yes, occasionally,” Newman replied. His team had seen all kinds of situations.

“And how was it handled?” Lev pressed.

“Complicated, but usually with hymen repair procedures, along with other medications. The person would rest for a few days until fully recovered,” Newman explained.

“Then do it immediately!” Lev barked. Fortunately, the situation wasn’t catastrophic—it just meant delaying the recovery by a few days.

“This time… it might not work,” Newman’s voice lowered.

“Why?!” Lev was genuinely alarmed.

“Because… during the procedure, Caroline… regained consciousness.”

“What!?” Lev was stunned. How could this happen?

He quickly realized the problem. GHB-2 typically caused memory loss for only about an hour. For individuals with strong physiology, the effect might even be shorter. Another possibility was that the procedure had simply lasted longer than an hour.

“You idiots!” Lev roared at Newman, kicking over a nearby chair.

He finally understood the situation. In the past, with a single attractive girl, only a few people were involved; an hour was ample. This time, too many had gotten involved, and in the heat of lust, they ignored the timing, leaving Caroline fully conscious before it was over.

Newman lowered his head, too ashamed to speak.

“Were you involved too?” Lev asked sharply.

“Me? N-no… I was interrogating Arthur. By the time I realized something was wrong and ran over, it was… too late,” Newman admitted.

At first, Newman had wanted to stop the others, but by the time he arrived, the act had already occurred. Reluctantly, he had participated. He had long coveted Caroline’s beauty, yet he now dared not admit it openly.

Lev quickly calmed himself. Whether Newman participated or not was no longer important. The crucial question was how to manage the aftermath. He searched his mind for any possible remedies.

“Is there any drug that can erase memories after consciousness returns?” Lev asked after some thought.

“The FL series can, but…”

“Speak!”

“It can erase the memories of recent events, but it severely damages the brain’s nerves—might leave the person… mentally impaired.”

Lev knew the FL series was a potent truth serum, capable of extracting even deeply hidden secrets. However, its effects were permanently damaging to the nervous system. Using it would effectively ruin the person. Applying it to Caroline to render her “foolish” would create problems he couldn’t explain.

“I’ve heard the Confederation has drugs that can erase memories, but… they’re unobtainable,” Newman added.

“I know,” Lev snapped. Such drugs were top secret within the Confederation, developed jointly by the Duir People’s Republic and the Kramic Kingdom. They could selectively erase specific memories, but both their formula and mechanism were highly classified. The Empire had tried to acquire some but failed.

“There’s also a nanoscale minimally invasive procedure that can remove specific memories, but… we can’t perform it here,” Newman added.

“&……%……￥!” Lev swore in frustration.

This nanosurgery, performed by nanobots, could selectively erase memories. However, it required extensive preoperative scanning to locate target areas. More importantly, it was impossible to perform on the military planet Elwin. Even if it were possible, too many people would be involved, and secrecy would be impossible.

“What do we do now?” Newman asked, looking to Lev for a decision.

Lev stared out the window, deep in thought. This problem was thorny. His subordinates had done something shameful to Caroline; an apology and letting her go was not enough.

Originally, he had intended to frame them as spies and expel them. But now, if she were returned in a traumatized state, being a royal member, could the Confederation let it pass?

The war was ongoing, but one day it might end. This trading company had complex connections with many high-ranking officials in the Empire. And with Landon already Deputy Commander of a fleet, any leak could have disastrous consequences for Lev.

How could a simple task have spiraled into such a mess? Lev could find no solution to salvage the situation.