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===BREAK===
A fleeting silence.
For a brief moment, the members of the Belov Family stood dumbfounded, staring at the scene, before shouting out.
"Damn it, it's an Ether Adept!"
"Open fire!"
No matter how compatible one is with Ether, it's extremely rare to find someone who can block bullets outright.
Even though Ether can exert a certain level of physical force, by its nature, it's fundamentally close to being non-material.
And yet, they didn't seem to understand what it truly meant that something with overwhelming mass and velocity, like a bullet, had been so effortlessly blocked.
["How cute. Adorably cute. I just want to sink my teeth into you."]
Of course, the Belov Family's men being known as big players in the underworld of Ark wasn't an empty boast—their competence was far from low.
Most of them were either retired or active-duty soldiers, each one an elite trained within the Navy Line.
But...
'That also depends on the opponent.'
There was no need for me to step in personally.
Every time Esther moved her fingers, Ether surged, immediately subduing the Belov Family's men.
[Hehe—]
[Got. You.]
[Now, let's go to sleep…]
Maybe the order not to kill had been more effective than expected. With each wriggle of the Ether, the men of the Belov Family fainted, were restrained, and fell asleep.
"Hey, you bastards, are you not taking this seriously?!"
"I can't take this anymo—"
"What the hell… Kuhak!"
The dozen or so Belov Family members were taken down in the blink of an eye.
["Pathetic."]
'Good work.'
["Eh, it was nothing."]
Esther shrugged her shoulders.
"You really aren't killing them."
At Carmen's words, I gave a slight nod.
"This might be the situation now, but these people are still assets of Ark."
"Assets… Calling fellow humans that is quite an intriguing perspective."
"I don't think you're the one to be saying that."
Never thought I'd hear something like that from an android.
"What will you do with them?"
"Letting them go wouldn't really be a problem… but given the circumstances, there's no need for that. Keeping them locked up should help in negotiations with the Belov Family."
"You mean to use them as hostages. Understood. I will treat them fairly as hostages."
"More importantly… you stayed awfully calm even when a gun was pointed at you."
"I'm not human. I can react emotionally if I choose to, but there's no need to show weakness in front of the enemy, is there?"
A logically sound argument.
But that's precisely where the gaps become apparent.
"Is that so? To me, it looked more like you didn't feel threatened in the first place."
"When someone as reliable as you is beside me, is there really a need for concern?"
"I can't block stray bullets, you know."
"I believe you could if you tried."
Carmen smiled faintly.
"I understand what you're trying to say. Of course, being an android, I'm equipped with basic combat algorithms. I can take care of myself. Does that answer your question?"
"Yeah. Got it."
"Thank you for understanding."
Of course, I knew better.
She said 'basic level,' but there's no way the combat capabilities of an android, crafted with the Machine Cult's full devotion, would be just basic.
You could tell just by the lack of any bodyguards around someone as valuable as Carmen.
'She's probably equipped with quite a few built-in weapons too.'
More importantly, even if a bullet had hit her, it likely wouldn't have pierced her skin.
Even the current Ark-issued protective suits could deflect bullets to some extent at higher levels—so what about the Machine Cult's tech, which is over a hundred years ahead of Ark?
'Carmen, huh… There are a lot more variables I need to account for now.'
This is the first time I've encountered the android Carmen in the Mechanical Revolution episode.
Naturally, I couldn't possibly predict the butterfly effects this might bring.
That's why even the smallest bit of information about Carmen was worth knowing.
"What's your goal?"
"It's probably not much different from yours. I want humanity to survive… and for the Machine Cult to be safe as well."
"That's all?"
"Yes."
Carmen answered without a hint of hesitation.
But trying to read her true intentions from that answer was likely meaningless.
Like her unrealistically perfect appearance, Carmen was not human.
"Then I guess it's time to face the Belov Family. Will you head out now?"
"I should."
"If you wish, I could accompany you."
She wants to accompany me to meet the Belov Family…?
A hard-to-read proposition.
Besides, if she came along, there was a risk of unnecessarily sharing information with her, so I shook my head.
"No, I'll go alone."
"Understood. Then, please contact me through this ID next time. I'll take the cult members here and lay low for a bit. Our location's likely been exposed."
"Got it."
I received the contact ID Carmen handed over and nodded.
Even though I declined her offer to come along, there wasn't the slightest hint of disappointment or regret from her.
Not knowing what she was thinking was truly troublesome, but I let it go for now.
Whatever she's hiding, if she's the Carmen I know, she won't interfere with my plans too much.
"Then, see you next time."
"Yes. I'll be waiting for your message."
Carmen bowed lightly and turned away.
As her figure faded away with light footsteps, I found myself watching absentmindedly before shaking my head.
["What are you staring at?"]
"What."
["Your eyes were getting creepy."]
"Shut up."
Esther chimed in.
["So, what now? Don't tell me you're planning to barge into the Navy Line alone?"]
"That's the plan."
["…I know you're always reckless, but how about being slightly more cautious?"]
"I am being cautious."
["Yeah, right."]
Esther stuck out her tongue.
Regardless, I started walking.
'Let's get moving.'
It's time to head for the Navy Line.
* * *
Tap, tap, tap.
Thin, pale fingers tapped on a desk.
Once, twice, three times, four…
The sound filled the quiet office—until it was broken by a visitor.
"The result?"
"We failed."
"I see. Well, if the so-called 'Messiah' were caught that easily, it wouldn't be fun."
The master of the office, Tatiana Belov, chuckled.
Since the failed vendetta against the Turncoat Pawn, she had slowly begun to change.
Or rather, she had to.
To keep from losing herself as her world crumbled, she had to accept a new version of herself.
"Are they all dead?"
"No. Judging by their vital signs, it seems there are no fatalities."
"So, they were all captured. Tsk tsk. What a disgrace to the Family name."
Tatiana Belov let out a deep laugh.
"What should I do with those useless kids? Honestly, I'd love to just toss them away. Keeping them around will only let the enemy use them."
"…I understand what you're saying, but abandoning our brothers is not a good choice in many ways."
"True, true. They were caught disgracefully, but they're still Family. Ah, then let's do this. Rescue them first. And when they return, eliminate them all. Clean and simple."
"…Excuse me?"
Even Connie Belov—who had long dirtied her hands as the Family's hitman under the Capo's orders—couldn't hide her surprise at such an extreme order.
"But that's…"
"Connie, dear sweet Connie. You really don't understand what kind of people the Machine Cult are, do you?"
"…What do you mean?"
"Do you really think they'll return our kids in one piece? They'll have played all sorts of nasty little games with them. I don't want to see them suffer like that."
"Wouldn't a proper inspection be enough to handle that?"
"Connie, don't you get it? They've already broken Omertà."
The moment Connie Belov met Tatiana's eyes, she felt like her breath was stolen away.
They were different.
Those icy eyes were unlike anything she had seen in Tatiana before—enough to make her feel sorrowful.
"…Understood."
Connie Belov couldn't grasp what possible benefit abandoning members at this point would bring the Family.
But questioning orders wasn't permitted.
Say the wrong thing, and she, too, would share their fate.
So, she did what she had to do.
She gave a detailed report of everything that had happened there.
"On another note… an unexpected individual appeared at the Machine Cult branch. He's largely to blame for the mission's failure."
"Interesting. Who is it?"
"Carl Marcus."
Tatiana's tapping fingers froze.
Carl Marcus.
Of course they did—that name had haunted her for a very long time.
"…Who did you say?"
Tatiana Belov's voice trembled ever so slightly, despite her usual sarcasm.
That's how much that name shook her.
"Carl Marcus was at the Machine Cult. Our brothers were taken down in an instant by him."
"I see… If Carl Marcus intervened, that's plausible. But what's he doing with the Machine Cult?"
"We haven't figured that out yet."
Tatiana Belov's face hardened.
"…Carl Marcus."
That name—she had chewed over it for so long.
Carl Marcus.
Once, that name had meant savior to Tatiana.
She owed him her life, and so much more after that.
She even once looked at him with the shy heart of a young girl.
All of that—now, just memories.
The truth was, Carl Marcus had always seemed suspicious.
A stranger from beyond Ark.
Brother to Lania Marcus, one of the core figures in the Kronos Union.
Yet somehow, he had gained enormous influence in Ark.
And shortly after his appearance, the Turncoat Pawn had emerged.
Coincidence?
Or reality?
Gradually, suspicions about Carl Marcus began to resurface.
Did he save me just to get close?
Then why?
Could it be… that he dethroned Ivan just to make me heir?
Why, why, why.
The doubts had always been there.
She had just desperately denied them.
"..."
Now, Tatiana thought she understood.
Why Carl Marcus told her to become heir.
Why the Turncoat Pawn doesn't kill.
Why she was saved.
And…
"Tatiana."
The one who called her out of her thoughts was Connie Belov.
"…Give me a moment. I need to think."
"That's not it… A guest has arrived. They wish to see you."
"Send them away."
"Well… It's Carl Marcus."
"…What?"
Tatiana shot up from her chair.
"Who… did you say?"
"Carl Marcus. He's here."
===BREAK===
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