That night, after receiving Juan's telegram, some people gathered at the main manor. It was the first time Arsh had seen different people in the manor since he had arrived. He watched them go into one of the halls from the sidelines with Mes. Among them were faces he recognized, like Matthew Tiffany and Mrs. Burton, along with others he did not know.
Once everyone had gone into the hall, Herman closed the doors from the inside. After that, Arsh and Mes stepped out into the garden. There was nothing for them to do there.
"Who are the people inside?" Arsh asked after a while.
"All the people in that room have political and social influence among the Symran elites. All of them are connected to the founding of the FFSD in one way or another. You've met Mr. Tiffany; he is Senator Hill's chief advisor. I also heard that he personally assisted Professor Reiner in founding the FFSD. Mrs. Burton is a highly respected researcher within academia and among the elite, with a very broad network of connections. There are also people from the Ministry of the Interior and the police department. I can't say I know them all very well. I'm just familiar with their faces because they meet occasionally."
"So, what is the business of these people with the FFSD? What is their interest?"
"They all have their own personal reasons. But I don't know them either. These aren't the kind of things we discuss," Mes said.
Sensing that he shouldn't ask any more questions, Arsh fell silent. While the meeting continued at the manor, they returned to their house in the woods.
...
"I received a telegram from my team in Thage, from Juan. He found what we were looking for. Our target is the Minister of Colonies, Hulston," Professor Reiner said to the ten people seated around the table.
No one at the table seemed surprised by the name Hulston. Professor Reiner continued to talk.
"We have a lead on evidence regarding a deal between Hulston and General Debraz involving human trafficking. The proof we have been searching for all these years will soon be in our hands. We have been preparing for this for years. With enough evidence, it will be possible to put an end to the Progressive Party's pro-war policies. However, there is still a significant problem for which we have no answer."
"That has been the real question we've been trying to answer for years," a woman with blonde, curly hair spoke up. "In the past, the motives of the small underground organizations experimenting on siunis were clear: individual greed. But now, we have no idea what is happening to these people who are being subjected to experiments at the hands of the government. We don't know how to stop them."
"You're right. Even though we haven't been able to start our research yet, I believe we've found a lead on this matter as well," Professor Reiner replied. "An incident occurred recently in Kurshan—one I haven't informed you about yet... Mrs. Burton, you've met Arsh. And Matthew, you met him in Thage as well."
"Sorry, I don't remember meeting anyone by that name. Though I do remember the letter you sent regarding someone of that name joining the FFSD," Matthew said after thinking for a few seconds.
"I'm sure you remember that incident at the Royal Hotel that was in the newspapers for days. You made good use of that news. Do you remember the person who was trying to get those children out of the hotel?"
"That man... Yes, I remember. Is that person the one you call Arsh?" Matthew asked, his surprise evident this time. "Really? How did this happen? Was he your man from the very beginning?"
Even though he knew Juan had a role in the investigation, he hadn't expected there to be a connection between himself and that young man from Kurshan whose face he had never seen.
"He wasn't a part of the FFSD at the time. Anyway... Arsh had been working at an excavation in Kurshan under an archaeologist named Professor Millway. At the time unfortunate events took place. Long story short, he came here seeking revenge. But thanks to him, we discovered something crucial: Minister Hulston personally and consistently approves the sponsorship and provides the funding for the excavations led by this man. We believe they made a significant discovery during the last excavation that Arsh also worked on. They found something there—something they had been looking for for years. But we aren't sure what it is. It could be dangerous. For now, Bera and our informants are continuing the investigation. I can't say we've made much progress yet, but a gut feeling tells me we need to be extremely careful with whatever they found there."
"We have currently located a research center. We suspect that many individuals within this facility have siunies. Informants trailing the employees have reported they saw a couple of people using their siunis. We believe the missing persons might be these very individuals. Furthermore, there are certain people we have identified within the military as well. However, I will forward the reports regarding those findings to you later."
"So, why did you call us here? What exactly do you want from us right now?" asked a very old man sitting at the end of the table. Even while seated, he never let go of the cane in his hand. This man was the former Minister of the Interior of Symran. He had lost his position before the Colonial Wars, but despite thirty years passing, the man—now in his nineties—remained sharp and was still a highly respected figure with powerful connections. When the first cases related to the siunies began to emerge, he was the first person to work with Professor Reiner's father to investigate them. Furthermore, he was the one who knew Professor Reiner's father's sins better than anyone else.
"If you enter the General's house, it will break every string... Up until now, you have moved from the shadows. But now your target is clear. An open war will begin," the old man continued.
"As you said, from this point forward, we will no longer be a government-linked underground organization in Symran; we will oppose them openly. Taking an open stand is now a necessity."
"So, you don't actually plan on revealing the siunies, the research... all of that, do you? Wouldn't that just make everything more chaotic? We know that several other figures from the Progressive Party, including the Minister of Colonies, are involved. But if this becomes public knowledge, believe me, the people will side with those who bring power and might rather than us—and they will romanticize it. Mark my words, even what they did to those children would be seen as the losses and sacrifices of a 'justified war.' You know this as well," said old man.
The others, who had been listening in silence, nodded in agreement. The room fell silent for a moment. Professor Reiner took a deep breath and continued.
"Alright, I'm aware of that too... This is exactly where I need your help. Lately, through Matthew, you've been pushing the issues of colonization and human rights against the Progressive Party. There is public support as well. In other words, you can introduce us according to our apparent founding purpose—as a group that supports war victims, finds missing persons, and cares for orphans..."
"It won't be easy, Edwin. But as far as I'm concerned, it seems possible; it doesn't feel like we have much to risk... besides, they are already aware of your existence to a certain extent. Choose the faces you reveal carefully; do not expose everyone," the old man said.
They spoke about the details for a while longer. They needed to plan who to inform and identify those who would oppose or support them. From its beginning, the FFSD was not a powerful organization but one that moved through small connections. Until now, they had been able to do little more than provide a haven and a purpose to those who had been hurt by underground organizations. But now, they were about to embark on a path that would allow them to do much more.
From that point forward, they were moving from the shadows and into the sunlight.