Chapter 170

They already know whats going to happen.

They do?

Isaac looked back with astonishment. Colins shrugged.

They are neutral, to be precise. They wont involve themselves in the matter since its just humans wholl die as a consequence. Their stance is to remain as observers while the humans bicker with one another.

Are they insane?

I also dont understand them, but it is silly to approach the thoughts of non-humans from a human perspective.

Thats true. Then were you put into that body long ago in advance?

No. I was hurriedly put into this body when the Inspectors were formed. I was in another body before.

What are you, a gra.s.shopper? Jumping from one place to another?

Thats all because Im tasked with a very important mission.

Isaac smirked at Colins answer.

Yeah, yeah, good for you. So what will you do with the Empire? The Emperor is sure to go on a rampage.

The Empire is just an empty t.i.tle. All its limbs have already been cut off. Every one of Strategys agents that had been deployed to Milros Countdom should be our men by now.

All of them?

Yes. Theres nothing left to stop us, with the Director of Surveillance losing their influence and the Inspectors set on simply monitoring the situation. All the Emperor has left is the Dark Royale, but they will be too busy preserving their own lives without the help from Arc Royale. We will clean up the mess in Milros Countdom, return to New Port City, and fly Koreas flag. It will be our first step towards independence.

Are you sure? You know the entire warehouse district went up in flames right? Werent your military supplies being stored there?

Colins made a troubled expression as he answered with an awkward smile.

As sharp as always. Thats the reason why we pushed the plans date forward. The Dark Royale found out we can turn combat agents into Type 3 Invaders. Although the loss of the combat supplies was a painful blow, we cant let them discover our plans for the Gate in New Port City.

Even though you say that, havent you guys prioritised New Port City too much?

A little bit of suspicion will help prevent them from acting too rashly. Im sure you werent aware, but the Queen has been setting off false alarms all across the Empire in places other than New Port City and creating confusion.

Even though I found evidence of firearms in my warehouses?

That was a small setback, but it didnt have any real impact. We placed decoys in other locations to be found too.

How many supplies were stored in the warehouses?

Enough to fully arm an entire division. But we have similar amounts stored in other locations.

In other locations?

Yes. Thats why New Port City is so important. There wasnt any other place where we could ama.s.s our supplies as quickly as New Port City.

Where did you get so much supplies? What the Expeditionary Forces provided shouldnt have been anywhere near enough.

Automated factories, ma.s.s production. We had too much time on our hands.

Im amazed you guys havent been found out.

Havent I told you? We have cooperatives within the Grand Council.

It made sense. The eyes of Surveillance only had power within the human world. If the factories were made in a remote area of non-human preservation, they could pump out supplies to their hearts content.

Then what about Ratt, who managed the warehouses?

Colins face crumbled hearing that name.

Now that was the biggest twist in our plan. We were sabotaged from the most unexpected place. We never thought the man we bribed to secretly stash our supplies would find interest in it.

He knew how to use the gun.

We had maintenance tools and manuals stored with the combat supplies. It should have been easy to learn even if he couldnt read the text, since they included ill.u.s.trations.

Well, you guys seem awfully experienced and well-prepared for whats to come. Is there a reason for you to need my help? I think youll do fine without me.

No. You are most important, Isaac-nim.

Me?

Yes. You possess the key that will open the Gate.

I dont remember having a key on me.

Yes you do. You always have it with you.

Colins looked suspiciously at Isaacs finger, and Isaac pulled out the pen from his finger for the first time in a while.

Kuku. A monami pen. I swear, the Queens sense of humour is extraordinary.

You can see this?

Of course. Only those who know of the objects purpose can see it. That is why n.o.body from this world can see the pen, no matter what means you take to show them.

So thats why the damsel couldnt see this. Im amazed it can evade a Sword Masters eye. I did think the pen was quite useful, but didnt know it was enough to open a Gate.

Youll be amazed when you hear what its made of.

Are you confident that itll all work out? The Inspectors might be one thing since theyll remain as bystanders, but Kunette, Reisha, and Rizzly also coming with us.

They are How to say, hostages.

Hostages?

Yes. Those three are the representatives of the races most friendly to humans.

True. North Bears only knew how to eat honey, not make it. And a world without humans would be incredibly dull to the elves.

How are they hostages when you cant even touch them?

Those three would most definitely be against the plan when they find out. A clash would be inevitable. The Inspectors wouldnt watch idly when non-humans became involved in the fight.

Thats why we told the Inspectors. They are the representatives of races who despise humans. And with the Three-eyed in the mix, itll be more than enough to keep the elves and North Bears back. Surveillance couldnt move even if they wanted to.

Colins left to check in on the plans progress thus far, mentioning that there would be many nostalgic faces. Isaac got off his seat and silently watched the view, smoking.

Independence, restoring the nationthe strongest nation, no less. It all sounded nice. Itd been in preparation for a long time, reacting flexibly to emergencies and planning multiple scenarios for different situations.

But it was haphazard. Isaac could point out flaw after flaw the moment he started listening. Yet Colins, noMin Won-hoobelieved wholeheartedly in the plan.

An immortal army that could fight with no end, no matter the injury or death toll, was invincible. But Isaac wanted to ask.

Did you have the consent of those tens of thousands of soldiers?

They came back when they thought they were dead. But now, they were to fight on the battlefield once more. Gaining their acceptance and loyalty aside, maintaining a proper chain of command would be impossible.

Lets say it was possible. Since they were trained as soldiers, following orders was like their second nature. But would they continue to listen after realising the situation? If soldiers were truly obedient, there wouldnt be a single word about a coup detat.

And founding a new Korea? Wasnt there a saying that you might forget grat.i.tude, but youd never forget vengeance? There were people who joined the army to help the effort, but there were also those who used their age and position to disobey commandsand that didnt even include those who saw the soldier casualties as inevitable, even mandatory. Remembering these selfish people still infuriated Isaac.

And youre going to bring them all back? Even if it somehow worked out, how would you expect these peoplewho lived in a free democratic nationto obediently transition into a feudal society?

Cries for democracy, personal rights, and freedom would become rallying points for the power-hungry; and we were to go through all that again?

Most importantly, the Queens plan was based on sacrificing this worlds citizens. What about the people whose bodies were s.n.a.t.c.hed and perished on the battlefield? Sure the s.n.a.t.c.her could come back, but what about the original?

So youve become a monster too.

Isaac muttered bitterly. That was why he couldnt be happy about this reunion with his longtime friend. And the Queens plan had one ma.s.sive hole.

It was that she needed Isaacs help. How many people had died in the war that was decided by the few in power? At least those people died knowing it was for a war.

But what about the citizens whod be deployed into battle as Type 3 Invaders? Isaac didnt have much of any attachment to the citizens of New Port City, but he had no intentions to send them into a war they werent involved in for no reason. The one thing Isaac despised the most was the empty, questionable deaths caused by a single person in power.

Perhaps I should say thanks for removing the guilt in my heart?

Colins made one critical mistake during the conversation. Isaac wasnt sure if he slipped up out of excitement or didnt care if Isaac noticed, but Isaac could now abandon any intentions of joining the Queens plans.

They should have nothing to say, since they even tried to kill me.

Colins definitely stated that the supplies in the warehouses were theirs. And even if it was a loss, it could still be recuperated. And they blew up the warehouses to avoid Dark Royales investigation, making it the Queens doing. This was all the Queens doing, not the Expeditionary Forces that Central thought joined hands with a demon.

It made sense why Surveillance was suddenly so incompetent. Centrals reliance on the Media ultimately placed them right in the Queens palms.

It also explained Ratts suicide and the unexplainable circ.u.mstances around it. Ratt was a setback n.o.body expected. That man who turned a blind eye after taking a bribe.

Even if they cut the tail, Ratts testimonies would trigger an investigation that would only lead to further suspicion. But as the saying went, a dead man couldnt speak. And suicide would be much more natural than murder. It was simple enough for a Type 3 Invader to slip inside and kill himself.

They most like planned on making his suicide look like a result of a downward spiral, as a sudden suicide in the midst of the confusion would be suspicious. But the warehouse supplies were uncovered and Ratt was caught in the escape with a stolen pistol on him.

They needed to kill Ratt to erase any possible hint of suspicion, and thanks to that, Isaac now knew this was the Queens doing. Colins basically confessed to it being the Queens doing.

It was probably the Queen who took care of Anton too. With the warehouses revealed, Antons testimonies would come to a new light, and the Queen most likely didnt want any more variables so close to the plans beginning.

Then what were the Expeditionary Forces doing there? Was it just bad luck they were caught in the crossfire? I find it hard to believe that its all a coincidence But they probably arent completely innocent.

Even during the fiercest of wars, the line for diplomacy always stayed open. Perhaps they were baited into a trap like last time, or the Expeditionary Forces itself was a decoy set up by the Queen.

I doubt this pathetic excuse of a plan is what they spent such a long time preparing for

This plan only had the results in mind, excluding the complicated political and diplomatic circ.u.mstances. The risk of failure was too high. For a plan in the making for hundreds of years, it was too haphazard.

It was my mistake for believing in the Surveillance too much.

Isaac grumbled with a frown. Isaac thought the non-humans were different. He believed that the Director of Surveillance spoke for all non-humans as their representative. But in reality, there were conservatives and there were radicalsthose friendly to humans and those who rejected them. There were races whose rivalries ran long and deep. Just like Gabelins political world, they also had their factions.