C229: Tangled Truth (1)
I'm curious how many of you saw that coming. I for one didn't expect that to be the reason.
Setadel had a headache.
"John Doe, I didn't know you were such a good joker until you died. That's too bad. I wish we were close."
[What are you talking about?]
"You just talked to a person who's hiding his identity because you're a fan? Even during the mission, too?"
[Can't I do that? And he's not a person who hid his identity!]
John Doe said in a fit of rage and Setadel was dumbfounded by the emotional response he wouldn't usually see.
'No. Come to think of it, you're right that he's not an ordinary person.'
He impersonated John Doe after his death and was never caught. Of course, Zero Order quickly noticed, but to Setadel's surprise, he accepted the fake John Dough as if he were real.
'If Zero Order evaluated him like that, he's definitely not an ordinary person.'
What was his behavior during the Order's Synod?
He was obviously a fake.
That would have been the first time that he met another First Order but at the meeting, he naturally grabbed the mood against an unknown opponent.
"……Yes, John Doe I admit I made a slip of the tongue. As you say, he must be extraordinary."
[I respect Zero the most, but that doesn't mean there's no one who thinks highly of him. All other humans are burrs that hold me back, but he was different.]
"Who the hell is he?"
[I don't know who he is. Very little is known about him and even I, who had known him for a long time, knew only three of his identities.]
"Don't you know a lot if it's three? What have you found out?"
[Phantom thief Arsene Lupine, detective Vidocq and the last one is one of the main players who led the civil war in the kingdom of Utah to victory a while ago.]
"A main character who led war to victory, no way."
[A mercenary who achieved something that even the famous Monarch mercenary group couldn't achieve. The one who turned the cornered royal faction into the winner. Mercenary Machiavelli]
"……."
The name Machiavelli has also been heard of by Setadel.
A mercenary suddenly appeared in the Utah kingdom where a civil war broke out one day. A fighter armed with all kinds of weapons, who ravaged the battlefield more roughly than any wizard or knight.
"That man, Machiavelli?"
[Yes, and for some reason, he abandoned his status as Machiavelli, disguised himself as a wealthy merchant, and boarded the train.]
"……What's the possibility that he aimed at you?"
[I can't be sure because I don't know what he's thinking, but I can't say it's impossible.]
"……."
Setadel pondered.
First of all, the man who is now John Doe decided to call his current status, Rudger.
'Rudger Chelici. Did he board the same train when he found out that John Doe was on it?'
No matter how much he thought about it, there was no way that the two of them happened to get together. It would be true that at least one person approached the other intentionally.
'In addition, he changed his status after the train attack.'
John Doe was caught up in the explosion and thrown out of the train, while the Cold Steel Knights dealt with the Liberation Army.
In the midst of the chaotic event it was unknown to anyone that a man named Rudger Chelici robbed John Doe of his identity.
'Thinking about it like that, it made sense. Rudger Chelici robbed John Doe of his identity after the train attack. The process would have been so stealthy and natural that the Cold Steel Knights wouldn't have noticed. He knew it would happen and was prepared for it.'
What was his purpose?
An unknown person hid in the position of an executive of the Black Dawn Society. In a way, it is like a time bomb that could explode anytime.
'Why does Zero Order want to keep such a dangerous man by his side?'
Setadel is a deputy to Zero Order, but he doesn't know what Zero Order usually thinks since Zero Order never revealed his thoughts even to his closest confidants.
No matter how many of his men die, he doesn't get angry about it and because he was that type of person he was convinced by Rudger and accepted him.
'Maybe this is an opportunity.'
When Setadel thought so, John Doe's soul opened its mouth.
[Are all your questions answered now?]
"Ah, yes. I think I know what happened."
[Anyways, I'm glad you're here now. Although my body is dead and I have nothing but my soul left, if you tell the truth to Zero Order, that's enough.]
Setadel, who was covered in a hood, smiled deeply.
"I'm sorry, but I can't do that."
[What?]
Setadel moved first before John Doe felt anything strange about the words.
At the same time as the sound of a bell out, a silver chain bound John Doe's soul.
[What are you doing Setadel?]
"What do you mean? You're asking the obvious. I do what I have to do."
[What?]
"Zero Order's order to me was to come here and find you who died. After that, he didn't tell me what to do."
[What are you talking about?]
"I don't want to explain the reason for everything. Simply put, you are not needed anymore."
John Doe opened his eyes wide. However, no matter how hard he tried, his soul could not escape from the chain.
"It's no use resisting. The chain that binds the soul, it's not that easy to escape."
[Setadel!]
"You've done a great job so far, John Doe. Take a good rest now."
Setadel waved the bell and the silver chain disappeared along with John Doe's soul.
After watching the scene to the end, Setadel soon came out of the cave. The blizzard stopped and a stream of light poured through the cracks of the splitting clouds.
'Whatever the identity of Rudger Chelici is, his existence is not bad for me.'
Esmeralda, who hid in Theon, was also likely to have been handled by him.
'The enemy of my enemy is my ally.'
"Please, mysterious man."
Setadel murmured as he walked slowly through the snow.
"Please, kill Zero Order."
* * *
"It bothers me. It really bothers me."
Nikolai, a young man sitting inside a fancy office, tapped his forearm with his fingers and his arms crossed.
He recalled the Order Synod not long ago.
The shame of that day was so deep in his mind that he couldn't forget it even if he tried to and he clenched his fist when he thought of the insult he suffered from John Doe that day.
"Why the hell didn't he die? Was that not enough?"
When John Doe boarded the train from the Utah Kingdom to the Exilion Empire, Nikolai secretly leaked the information to the Liberation Army.
At the same time, spies were planted to help the Liberation Army enter the train easily and to help it invade from the inside.
Through a sudden attack, I was planning to remove John Doe, who had been annoying for a long time but his plan failed.
John Doe was not killed, and the train raid did not produce any significant results.
'The Knights of Cold Steel should have reached the train a while after the attack. Nevertheless, it failed. Was the Liberation Army more useless than I thought?'
It couldn't be since there were a few wizards who attacked the train. There was even a guy who threw his life and took stimulants to commit suicide bombing. And yet, he failed to kill John Doe.
'John Doe was much stronger than I thought.'
He thought he was a First Order just because he was good at disguising.
John Doe has frequently avoided combat while on duty, but he showed his ability during the train attack.
He wanted to hide it, but Nikolai's eyes couldn't be fooled.
'I was going to prepare as much as possible and make getting rid of him an accident.'
But John Doe was not dead. Instead he was hiding his skills.
He thought he had been thoroughly prepared, but there was a mistake in his calculation.
'You loach. Were all the moves you've shown so far to deceive others?'
Nikolai didn't think he'd intentionally hide his power and reveal it only at an inevitable moment.
'And what was that intelligence?'
He knew what Nikolai didn't know yet.
In addition, his behavior couldn't be read after John Doe entered Theon. Although he was doing his job properly as a teacher, that was all Nikolai could know.
'In addition, he knew that Casey Selmore was aiming for our Dawn Society. You mean his intelligence is superior over mine?'
Nikolai couldn't admit it.
He didn't know anything else, but he didn't want to admit that he was behind in intelligence.
'I want to kill him right now, but…….'
Nikolai shook his head.
'I can't do that now. John Doe is hiding his power. I can't say for sure that everything he's shown now is all he's got.'
Rather, considering the appearance shown during the Order's Synod, he must have a few more hidden cards. Rather, if he moves now he'll fall in John Doe's trap.
'Maybe he's waiting for it.'
Since Nikolai pursues his own safety, he decided not to think about what to do with John Doe immediately but that only meant that he would be patient not that he would give up because that day's grudge still lingered deep in his heart.
'I'd rather be happy. I'm no longer satisfied with just dealing with him indirectly.'
Considering what John Doe's done to him, it's too benevolent to borrow someone's hand to remove him.
'John Doe, I'll kill you myself.'
Opportunities will come so for now Nikolai decided to do his job as an executive of the Black Dawn Society.
"It's me."
When Nikolai called, the answer came back through the crystal ball.
[Did you call me Mr. Nikolai?]
"There's one person I need to deal with."
[Who is it?] I'll take care of it right away.]
"That's a good answer. However, this opponent will not be that easy."
[Who are you talking about?]
"My goal this time is Casey Selmore, a single element user of water and a wizard who received the title [Colour] from the Tower."
[You must be in a lot of trouble if you want me to deal with her. Okay, I'll move after I'm fully prepared.]
"Yes, I can trust your skills."
At the end of the sentence, Nikolai was about to end the communication, but his subordinate called him urgently beyond the crystal ball.
[Nikolai, there is one more thing I need to tell you.]
"What is it?"
[That's…]
The subordinate, who had been reporting everything, hesitated unexpectedly and Nikolai squinted his eyes.
"Don't hesitate to speak. I'll judge after I hear it."
[That, please don't be surprised. Just a few days ago, one of the secret branches you were preparing disappeared entirely.]
"……What did you just say?"
[That, that……An entire branch has disappeared.]
"The branch suddenly disappeared? How is that possible?"
[I don't know the details. Seeing that contact with them was cut off, I wondered if they were all affected.]
"… … Okay. What has already happened cannot be undone. Take care of what you are told to do first."
[Yes.]
"Well, good luck."
After finishing the communication, Nikolai exhaled, "Whoa!"
'What the hell happened?'
A branch of the Black Dawn Society under his command disappeared?
Who the hell got rid of it?
'No way, John Doe?'
That was the only possibility.
Knowing this card that others don't know and being able to remove it without anyone knowing it.
'John Doe! You damn punk!'
* * *
'What is it?'
Rudger, who was organizing papers in his room after returning from the Arcane Chamber, looked up.
'Who called me?'
Feeling the strange itch in his ears, he felt like someone else was calling out his name but thinking that there could be many people that could do it he resumed organizing his papers.
'Oh, right.'
Rudger recalled what he had forgotten just in time.
'I'll have to warn you.'
He took out an empty paper.