Ch.154Hydra Company General Meeting (4)

Taros’s confession continued for quite a long time. His naturally slow and halting speech pattern played a part, but most of the delay stemmed from hesitation about the content of his confession.

According to what Ortes saw in Taros’s mind—enduring a severe headache caused by both his “Eye” and the unexpected situation—there was no falsehood in his confession.

“I was approached… Although I was hesitating, I haven’t yet. Passed on any information.”

A sudden silence fell over the meeting room after this revelation.

The directors, sensing it wasn’t their place to interject, remained quiet, while Ortes was preoccupied with analyzing the inexplicable thought that had surfaced in Taros’s mind: “So the Holy Investigation Director knew everything all along…!”

“Hmm.”

It was Carisia who broke the silence. The position of CEO was the perfect tool for breaking this uncomfortable quiet.

“As the CEO of Hydra Corporation, let me ask you. Why did you hesitate at their proposal?”

Taros gathered his faltering voice as best he could and explained.

If, as they claimed, they could freely control extra-dimensional mutations, perhaps they could also treat the mutation phenomena affecting Taros’s group of mutants.

While Hydra Corporation’s artificial Ten Commandments, once completed, might draw unlimited magical power, it wouldn’t necessarily provide healing techniques using that power.

Therefore—

“Ah. That’s not what I meant. If the proposal was that persuasive, you might have been justified in extracting information you gained as a director, such as Holy Investigation operations. My question is about why you haven’t provided any information yet. What prevented you from accepting their proposal?”

Carisia’s words seemed to stem from simple curiosity rather than an attempt to assign blame. Though taken aback by this unexpected attitude, Taros answered the question readily.

“Fear.”

“Fear?”

“Fear that the Holy Investigation Director would know. Or that this itself might be the Director’s loyalty test…”

“I see. And?”

The image of Ortes now seemed close to that of a transcendent dictator from some fable. Someone who monitored all communications and watched every move. Carisia was reminded anew that Ortes’s reputation had long passed the point of no return.

“Distrust. …Of Arguirion.”

Carisia nodded. Indeed, the credibility of the organization called Arguirion wasn’t particularly high. Simultaneously, she gave Ortes a meaningful look.

Ortes nodded in confirmation. It was verification that Taros’s testimony contained no falsehoods.

“Ortes.”

Carisia had prepared the broad framework of the grand plan, but it was Ortes’s role to plan the details and fill them in. Whether to dispose of Taros or assign him a different role—either way, it was Ortes who had to make the judgment.

“Director Taros.”

Ortes looked at Taros. Taros found those narrowed eyes, from which emotions were impossible to read, unsettling.

“Since things have come to this, let’s sell information to them.”

“…?”

***

I was taken aback when I first heard it. Arguirion’s actions were faster than expected, and they had managed to target a particularly vulnerable spot.

It hadn’t even been a week since Nastion disappeared after hearing my name. Yet they had targeted the most isolated director to sow discord. Had Taros not overestimated me in a strange way, it might have been quite an effective strategy.

‘This strategy was probably prepared by Haltos.’

Nastion was somewhat of an anomaly within Arguirion. Given that Arguirion’s predecessor was Blasphemia’s special unit that had been tracking Carisia, neither I nor Carisia had ever encountered someone like Nastion in that unit.

My first clash with him was in Algoth City. That was probably also the first time he faced me in person.

In contrast, Haltos would vaguely retain memories of consistently fighting against me.

In a sense, it was natural for those Arguirion members who referred to Carisia and me as “adversaries” to mimic the social strategies I had used against them several times. In fact, they had been quite successful in driving wedges between the Magic Tower and the Ten Towers.

The opportunity to counter-attack a persistently annoying enemy using their own methods must have been quite tempting.

However, something felt off…

“Arguirion probably wasn’t seriously trying to recruit Director Taros.”

“What…?”

“There’s a certain bad blood between Arguirion and our Hydra Corporation.”

As I began this introduction, strange glances were directed at me. Meconion, who was already fidgeting with his pipe as if experiencing nicotine withdrawal, gave me a look that seemed to say, ‘Isn’t it more about your personal entanglement with the CEO rather than with Hydra Corporation?’

But I was unabashed. We’re all in the same boat now that we’re on Hydra Corporation’s personnel roster.

“They somewhat overestimate my abilities. While their swiftness in obtaining the director’s contact information is commendable, this scheme is too one-dimensional to be Arguirion’s sincere strategy.”

Arguirion is wary enough of me to attach the grand title of “adversary.” They wouldn’t try to bring down such an adversary with a simple ploy of recruiting just one director to orchestrate betrayal.

“How does that, connect to me selling information?”

“How would they react if an unexpected traitor actually emerged? They would either assume their plan had been discovered, or they would try to recruit the traitor. Either way, they would have to show some additional reaction.”

Whether the demands or information from Arguirion’s side are true or false is uncertain. However, their reaction itself will provide clues for future judgment.

The more channels available for gathering information, the better.

“I thank Director Taros for his sincere report, and now we will proceed to the main topic of our general meeting.”

I pressed a button to display a hologram on the table. It was a sophisticated presentation tool that I had asked Arabel to create.

“I will now explain the World-Dividing Realm.”

***

Nastion looked at Haltos.

“Do you think their director will truly betray them?”

Haltos could guess the unspoken part of Nastion’s question. Even if Hydra Corporation’s director did betray them, would it be a significant blow to Ortes?

Could it be considered an attack outside of Ortes’s expectations?

Having asked himself this question hundreds of times, Haltos could answer briefly and concisely.

“No.”

Nastion’s shadow body rippled. Probably from bewilderment. Haltos, believing that Nastion had become quite emotional since being exposed to Ortes, added an explanation.

“Ortes would have anticipated everything. From the moment our names and activities were exposed to him, he would have known that attacks targeting Hydra Corporation would come.”

Haltos gazed at the writhing barrier of the extra-dimensional realm, and beyond it, at the adversary who might be there. Their adversary who viewed the world as something akin to a play. Breaking the script prepared by Ortes had become nothing short of a mission entrusted to Haltos.

“By now, the director who received our persuasion attempt has either been discovered by Ortes, or has voluntarily reported the fact that he was approached.”

“How…?”

“To him, a person’s mind is no different from a book. You must have felt it too. All deceptions and schemes are meaningless to him. A director-level confidant who has accompanied Ortes would realize this even more acutely.”

“Then why did you send such a proposal?”

The question implied: if you knew everything would be futile, why spend time and resources on a proposal that was destined to fail?

“Sometimes, to catch a big fish, one must accept defeat in a local skirmish. A sacrificial move, you might say.”

This was incomprehensible to Nastion. However, at the same time, Nastion had deeply engraved one fact in his heart from his experience in Algoth City:

When it came to dealing with the ‘adversary,’ Haltos’s insight was unparalleled within Arguirion.

As he was reflecting on the memory of that terrifying entity, a signal rang in Nastion’s mind. It was a communication from spies deployed in the outside world.

“…Hydra Corporation’s Director Taros has agreed to the deal. He says he will send mutation samples, and if we provide an appropriate remedy, he will provide part of Hydra Corporation’s task list.”

“It’s a trap.”

“Is… it?”

“Clearly a ploy to extract information from our side under the pretext of a deal. They can gauge the current situation based on what we demand.”

Nastion’s shadow body rippled once more. This time too, Haltos could easily discern what Nastion was wondering about.

“Ah. You’re curious about how I know this in such detail. I’ll tell you my secret. I’ll only tell you once, so listen carefully.”

The shadow moved a bit closer. Haltos whispered with a bitter smile.

“The adversary always fulfills the worst I can imagine. Sometimes, it’s even worse than that.”