C215: Order Synod (2)
Rather than branding me as suspicious, Nikolai steered the situation. His words were both natural and sly, proving that he was not acting as an agitator for no reason.
'He says he had valid doubts, but at the base of that lies his feelings toward John Doe.'
That's why he's been secretly conscious of Rudger since he first came here.
'But his point is not far-fetched.'
I'm an executive of the Black Dawn Society on the surface, but I wasn't the real John Doe. The steps I have shown as a teacher so far are things I should've never done.
Building a reputation for myself when I was a spy was an unacceptable act and it was natural in a way for Nikolai to point that out.
He was probably quite dissatisfied with John Doe, but he must have found an excuse this time.
All Nikolai wants is to prove his superiority by making a dent in John Doe credibility and since his reason is personal I also hit back without mercy.
'Zero Order adopted a wait and see attitude.'
The same goes for other First Orders. Someone said they enjoyed my fight with Nikolai, and someone else said it had nothing to do with them.
They didn't feel the need or the thought of stopping it. As a result, the situation led to a match between me and Nikolai.
Nikolai laughed.
"John Doe, your words and actions are very fierce. Or do you feel guilty about something?"
"I just don't want to listen to words that aren't worth listening to."
"Ha. Are you confident? So what's the point of making that incredible move? Are you saying that you have an objective?"
"Yes."
When I answered shamelessly, Nikolai sighed.
"I think you've become more brazen than before John Doe."
"Brazen? If you feel that way, it means that your information is lacking."
Nikolai had considerable pride in knowing a lot. From the time he came here, he was impatient to tell other executives what he knew.
I was convinced by his strange pretentious words and actions. The same was true when he opened his mouth to attack me.
From the information he received, he said that I moved too suspiciously.
'He knows so much. And everything he knows is true. It's probably because he's convinced that his premise can't be wrong.'
He is confident that he will not be inferior to anyone in his field, but on the contrary, his sources were a weakness that was too obvious.
That's why I openly stabbed Nikolai's pride.
"So what if you know a lot? Your hair is too short to think based on that." (Rudger tells him he's stupid)
"……Do you want to fight?"
"Did it sound like that? I didn't mean to say it directly, but judging from your reaction, it seems that you have a sense of entitlement deep down inside."
Nikolai's point to me was valid, however I snorted and showed a snobbish attitude telling him not to point out such trivial things.
It was an illogical response to a reasonable opinion and he was hit by a backlash but if I insist ignorantly, I'll be right.
The more people pretend there is something, the more confusing it is so it's better to act confidently and brazenly.
Other executives who had doubts about me due to my forced attitude were looking at Nikolai.
Nikolai said impatiently.
"Don't change the subject. You haven't answered my question yet."
As the situation went badly, Nikolai refuted his argument. It was the most correct judgment Nikolai could make but he doesn't know that the right action is sometimes wrong.
I replied with a snort.
"Didn't I tell you? I don't feel it's worth answering."
"You're not avoiding the answer on purpose, right? Come to think of it, it's weird. What you're saying now is deliberately distracting the conversation."
He's a quick-witted fellow so I guess he noticed I was doing this on purpose.
'Well, there's no way a First Order of the Black Dawn Society would let this go without getting an answer.'
I didn't act thoughtlessly either, I had a goal.
"Nicolai, the reason why I don't feel worth contradicting your words is because your premise is wrong."
"What? What are you talking about?"
"You think you know everything and stand on other people's heads. That's not the case at all."
"……Are you ignoring my intelligence?"
It's commendable that he obviously knows a lot of things, but he doesn't know everything.
"Then do you know who blew up the Leathervelk branch?"
"How am I supposed to know a person who is hiding?"
"You didn't even know that, but you pretended to know everything until now?"
"Ha. So, John Doe, do you know who the culprit is?"
"Yes."
Nikolai gasped at my confident answer and the other executives responded similarly.
"……You're bluffing. There's nothing more ridiculous than pretending to know without knowing."
"Why do you think I don't know?"
"Of course……."
"Since you don't know, it's natural that I don't know either. Do you really think so?"
"……."
"Nicolai, that's why you can't."
"……What?"
The initiative returned to me and I was able to end my fight with Nikolai since Zero Order never intervened.
"It would be better to break the habit of acting as if you know a lot of things with only superficial truths."
"Ha. Then tell me the truth that you know if you're that good."
"What? There's nothing I can't say."
I slowly told the truth.
"I'm the one who got rid of the Leathervelk laboratory."
"……!"
At my words, silent astonishment spread over the round table but only Zero Order moved his shoulders with interest.
Although Nikolai's face couldn't be seen he couldn't hide his dumbfounded voice.
"Now, what……."
"The laboratory in Leathervelk. I said I got rid of it."
"Mr. John Doe! What do you mean by that?!"
Victor, who was watching still, shouted in amazement. He must have been surprised.
"Mr. John Doe! I used to believe in you!"
"Shut up, Victor. Why are you blaming me?"
"Yes?"
"It was obviously your management mistake that led us to escape the werewolves from the lab in the first place. Then you even asked me for help to catch the werewolves who ran away."
Victor shut his mouth when I growled.
"I tried to help you with your issue, but what was the result? Your poor management led to the escape of the experimental subjects and almost made me expose my identity. How do you think I felt when a werewolf broke into Theon and the traces were placed right in front of the president's nose?"
"Oh, well, that's……."
"So I got rid of it with my own hands. Is there anything you want to refute?"
"Well, but the management there is not entirely under my jurisdiction……."
"Yeah. It's the fault of the black wizards and Shamsus school guys who worked there. But wasn't it purely your will to join hands with those guys Victor?"
I glared at Victor.
"I would've liked to get rid of you as well but since we're both First Orders I decided to be generous but not to the lower ones."
"Don't tell me you got rid of the Leathervelk laboratory."
"Yes, I finished with my own hands. No matter how many useless guys there are, they'll hold on to our ankles. In that case, it would have been easier to completely destroy even the evidence."
The other executives were silent at my words and were wondering why I did that since it was betrayal.
No one would do that except John Doe who kills his men if he doesn't like them. A guy who only follows orders from Zero Order and doesn't get along with other executives.
Since his mission was disturbed and he felt his life threatened it seemed natural for John Doe to kill all the people involved.
His dirty personality was helping Rudger now.
"I don't need useless people, no matter how many of them there are. I'd rather kill him than allow mistakes. Am I wrong?"
"……John Doe, are you kidding me? Your behavior was too much."
Nikolai stepped up in protest but I responded to his remark with a snort.
"Why? Shouldn't you be grateful? Thanks to me, the werewolf lab disappeared and no secret was leaked."
"Are you saying that now? Even if they are low level they're our Black Dawn strength!"
"If I hadn't gotten rid of it then, the Nightcrawler Knights would have discovered everything. It's not like you don't know that Nikolai."
"……."
When the name of the Nightcrawler Knights came out, Nikolai, who was trying to argue, shut up.
That response suggests that he knew how dangerous Nightcrawler Knights of the Intelligence Service are.
"Or did you not know?"
"……No way. I also knew that the Nightcrawler Knights and even Trina Ryanhowl, their leader, went to Leathervelk."
"Then I'll ask. If I had left the laboratory unturned, would the lion you spoke of not find the existence of the laboratory?"
"……."
Nikolai could answer that he didn't know but he couldn't say that because he was Nikolai, who knew a lot.
There was no way that a person like Trina Ryanhowl wouldn't know about the escaped experiment and the existence of the laboratory.
Then she would rather have a chance to attack with the fool who did not even know the enemy's strength. In fact, she is a person who has extended her pursuit to me, who has almost erased his traces.
If you know her, you'll never look down on her.
Nikolai knows that, so he cannot refute it.
"I had to remove the Leathervelk branch for the cause of the Black Dawn Society and to complete my mission."
I said to Nikolai who was glaring at me.
"Without knowing that, you said that an unidentified person attacked the branch. Why are you talking so much?"
"……."
"You don't even know what I did, but you're talking about what I did in my disguise as a teacher. You're making too much noise. It's suspicious."
Every time I spoke, Nikolai's black flame trembled with shame and anger.
"Nicolai, there is only one reason why I did not contradict you. It's because it's funny to see you believe your supposition was true when you have so little information."
"……!"
"Oh, come to think of it, that's what you said a while ago. There's nothing more ridiculous than pretending to know without knowing. I also deeply agree. Nikolai, that's a very nice saying."
Nikolai's opinion was at first sight justified and reasonable. In fact, his suspicions were even sharp but his act was one of hostility against John Doe, rather than actual doubt but he lost in the end because he wasn't sure of the truth behind the scenes.
Nikolai's intelligence power has not reached that far.
Of course, in the process, it was revealed that I had eliminated the Leathervelk branch, and in a way, from the perspective of the Black Dawn Society, I did something close to betrayal so Nikolai decided to continue brazenly.
"No, not yet."
Nikolai, who had remained silent, clenched his teeth and said.
"John Doe. If what you're saying is true, you can at least take responsibility for getting rid of the Leathervelk branch……."
"That's enough."
It was Leslie who stepped into the conversation.
"…… Leslie what are you doing?"
"Nikolai, isn't that enough?"
"Who are you to judge it on your own?"
"It's your fault that you got into a fight first and didn't even get your money back. The issue is already over. Or are you going to do more?"
Leslie pretended to intervene and berated Nikolai. They hadn't been on good terms before, so she must have seized the opportunity now that Nikolai had made a mistake.
It was all Nikolai's fault. He shouldn't have lost if he was upset.
"I agree with that. I hate to lose time by arguing."
When even Bentmin stepped forward and said that, Nikolai backed down but he glared at me with a strong gaze so I said with a smirk.
"Nikolai, try harder next time."
"……!"
Nikolai roared inside.