Chapter 215 - 214: Mine
They didn’t choose to land at the airport, choosing instead to touch down in an open area near the designated meeting point.
Even so, they were still some distance from the meeting point and had to drive the rest of the way.
The vehicle traveled down a bumpy road. Displaced refugees and mangled corpses were a common sight along the way, while heart-wrenching cries and curses echoed across the land.
If even the outskirts were this grim, the city center was bound to be far worse. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it a living hell.
Yvonne Lowell sat in the car, watching with a cool gaze as the scenes outside rolled past.
’She felt a stir of pity, of course, but she was only here to find someone. She wouldn’t—and couldn’t—do anything to help.’
’These innocent people were pitiable, certainly, but the world was full of others who were more pitiable, more miserable. They weren’t the only ones.’
’There are no peaceful eras, only peaceful nations.’
’And the people here... their guns seemed to be pointed only inward, at their own countrymen.’
’That being the case, no one could save them but themselves. And no one had the responsibility or obligation to save them unconditionally.’
Finally, the vehicle pulled to a smooth stop in front of a building.
Before Yvonne Lowell even got out, she saw the building was surrounded, inside and out, by people standing guard or taking a break. The corner of her mouth twitched.
’Was this big of a display really necessary? They were just here to grab one person. Did he really need to bring over a hundred men? Did he think this was a trip to the country market?’
’Good thing I only called for Felix Knight and Regan Knight, and brought just ten of Moonshadow’s elites. Any more and there probably wouldn’t be room to set foot in this place.’
When they saw Yvonne Lowell, everyone reflexively rose to their feet, their eyes locked on her as she moved.
Leo Grant raised an eyebrow. ’That’s my girl. Her charisma is off the charts.’
’No wonder she’d told him to only bring one or two people, saying any more would just get in the way.’
Ian Lynch and Warren Lynch: ’So we’re supposed to thank you for leaving us behind?’
Yvonne Lowell: ’Thanks for asking. To be honest, I had no idea it would be this over-the-top either.’
Felix Knight stepped forward and opened the main door. Hearing the noise, the three slackers who had been sprawled lazily on the sofa immediately shot upright.
Seeing who walked in, Cole’s eyes lit up. "Oh, my dear sister, you’re finally here!"
"Tsk, it’s not like I’m late. And seriously, you’re the heir to a noble family. Can’t you be a little more dignified? Don’t you ever get tired of using the same opening line?"
Yvonne Lowell shot him an exasperated look, then pulled Leo Grant over to an empty sofa and sat down with an air of authority.
"I just get anxious when I don’t see you, even for a second," Cole muttered under his breath.
Leo Grant gave the others a quick glance. He recognized Zachary Jacobs and Leon, but not the one who was currently speaking.
But he kept quiet, simply sitting upright by her side and playing the role of a supportive partner.
Cole, Leon, and Zachary Jacobs: ’What kind of "supportive partner" has an aura this intense?! Seriously! We can get intimidated too, you know?!’
Leon gave her a sly wink from the side. "Lowell, now that you two have made it official, aren’t you going to introduce us properly? Jackie here was dead set against telling us anything earlier."
’He knew from the start they had something going on. And look, he was right!’
’His mouth must be blessed—every couple he called it on got together. That means he and his dear Regan are destined to be a match made in heaven, too!’
Zachary Jacobs shot them a sidelong glance. ’Of course, a grand identity reveal is much more fun when the person in question is actually here.’
’Prepare to tremble, you ignorant mortals!’
Yvonne Lowell raised an eyebrow. Not wanting to disappoint him, she gestured toward each of them in turn.
"Leon, from the International Mercenary Corps."
"Cole, from North on Continent N."
"And Jackie... you already know him. Nothing more to say."
Leo Grant’s gaze rested thoughtfully on Cole. ’North was the only organization that could still hold its own on Continent N, preventing Moonshadow from completely dominating the scene. And it turned out they answered to his girlfriend, too.’
’Right, right. So this was another organization that, just like the Mercenary Corps, was supposedly on ’bad terms’ with Moonshadow, huh?’
Finally, as Leon watched with eager anticipation, Yvonne Lowell gestured toward Leo Grant.
"Leo Grant. Pavilion Master of The Shadow Pavilion. And mine."
Leo Grant, having been named, froze for a second before forcing a calm nod toward the others.
But he couldn’t stop the corners of his mouth from curling up into a wide grin, and his expression softened.
If he had a tail, it would be wagging hard enough to become a propeller and drill right through the ceiling.
For a moment, Cole and Leon were speechless. This was the fucking Pavilion Master of The Shadow Pavilion, the organization second only to Moonshadow?!
’We knew her boyfriend would be impressive, but did he have to be *this* impressive?!’
’What were these two planning? A power couple joining forces to dominate the legal, criminal, and gray worlds?!’
’And are all powerful bosses this fickle when they’re in love?! A second ago his aura was terrifying, and now he’s radiating pink, fluffy hearts?!’
’Ooh la la, "Pavilion~Master~of~The~Shadow~Pavilion~and~mine~"’
’And another thing! Weren’t they the respectable leaders of major organizations? Was she just going to introduce them so casually? Couldn’t she at least pretend to make it a big deal?!’
Yvonne Lowell glanced at them, amused. ’Honestly. So easily impressed.’
She tapped her knuckles on the armrest. "Snap out of it. Let’s talk business."
At the mention of business, the group sobered up.
Zachary Jacobs placed a laptop in front of her, displaying a live surveillance feed.
"Brown is a minor leader in this organization. Besides their main base, they’ve also taken over this abandoned bar.
Brown and his right-hand man have been holed up in the bar for the past few days. On the surface, they’re selflessly taking in passing refugees, but they’re actually holding secret gatherings to screen for ’God’s Messengers’."
"It’s brainwashing, plain and simple. Why pretty it up? What, did Brown save your life or something?" Cole shot him an irritated glare.
"Tsk, I was just quoting them directly! What are you getting so worked up about?!" Zachary Jacobs retorted, glaring right back.
Before they could start their usual bickering, Yvonne Lowell cut in.
"How many of their own men are in that bar?"
"Counting the guards posted nearby, there are about seventy in total, tops. They probably aren’t worried because they don’t think any other powers are in the area.
Besides, none of them look like trained fighters. They’re likely all brainwashed ’Messengers’ who treat Brown and his right-hand man as their absolute authority."
Yvonne Lowell nodded. "We’ll move tonight. Jackie, you’ll be our eyes. The four of us, plus Felix and three others. We’ll take twenty-five elites. That should be enough.
Make sure the order goes out: when you find Brown, don’t kill him. I want to see him first."
The others looked at her, confused. ’Did she have some kind of history with this guy? That can’t be right... we’ve never heard anything about it.’
Leon couldn’t resist asking the question on everyone’s mind, "Lowell, why do you want to see him?"
"To test a theory," Yvonne Lowell replied, her gaze fixed thoughtfully on the figure on the screen.
A wry smile touched her lips. ’Suddenly, I’m rather looking forward to tonight’s meeting.’