Chapter 460

“Unn…”

Seemingly sensing some unusual movement, the young man in a water-blue robe sitting by the table lowered his head to look at his left hand.

At the base of his left index finger, a gold ring engraved with a red tongue pattern was quietly cracking all over the tip of the tongue design. Then with a snap, it split cleanly into two halves.

Nicole…

Looking at the broken fragments of the ring now lying on the table, the Aquarius Director couldn’t help but fall silent. Her gaze fell upon the name etched inside the ring, and a flicker of nostalgia passed through her eyes.

She remembered finding Nicole unconscious aboard a privateer ship in Sai Ao Kingdom when she was just a little girl who barely reached the railing. Because she somewhat resembled the director’s own daughter from her youth, she had taken her back to the bureau on a whim. It had been about twenty years since then.

Hm… Though I’ve lived over a hundred years, I was sold to traffickers as a child, so I barely knew my other relatives, most of whom have long passed away. Come to think of it, the person who has stayed by my side the longest is actually Nicole, whom I adopted on impulse. Our bond runs deeper than most.

Unfortunately, this rare connection will likely come to an end today.

With a heartfelt sigh, the Aquarius Director carefully gathered the shattered pieces of the ring from the table, then raised her head to look at the other illusory shadows around the table and smiled apologetically: “Sorry, there was a small issue earlier… where were we?”

“We were still discussing the previous topic.”

Across the elongated table made of unknown skeletal remains, exuding a classic “villainous antagonist” vibe, a woman wearing a black cat mask with a pointed hat atop her head spoke up:

“You said that Blood-Haired Princess would be heading to the Dream Realm recently, and both ‘Executioner’ and ‘Dice Emperor’ were detained elsewhere, unable to return for a while. This is why the Virgo Subdivision was almost completely undefended, leading us to agree to ‘Number Three’s’ early activation.

But as you can see, our heavily invested ‘Number Three’ didn’t even last an hour before being dealt with by the Virgo Subdivision personnel… What do you have to say about this?”

“I don’t really have anything to say.”

After exchanging a meaningful smile with the masked woman across from her, the Aquarius Director wearing a fox mask glanced around the room before kindly reminded everyone: “I understand that everyone is disappointed that this operation failed, but please remember, my intelligence was spot-on; all the elites of the Virgo Subdivision were indeed lured away.

Though I created this opportunity and provided information about the Virgo Subdivision’s weakened state, when someone suggested moving ahead prematurely and we voted on activating Number Three, I was the first to cast an opposing vote.”

“One dissenting vote doesn’t prove anything.”

Just as the Aquarius Director finished speaking, another shadowy figure wearing a Dawkya mask, whose form seemed somewhat ethereal, interjected:

“Just your intelligence alone was enough to convince most of us that action was feasible. Whether your single vote was for or against wouldn’t have changed the outcome of the vote.”

“So… you’re still suspicious of me?”

After giving a glance towards the Dawkya-masked shadow, the Aquarius Director sighed helplessly: “Even though my objectives may differ slightly from yours, and I have no particular interest in slaughtering the Royal Family of Thirteen Kings, since joining our ‘Execution King Assembly,’ I’ve always worked diligently.

Including the opportunities created within the Crocodile Kingdom, over these years, I’ve generated four prime chances, helping you control two factions of the Thirteen Royal Families. If we talk about ‘performance,’ I might very well be ranked first?”

“You’ve certainly accomplished much, and we acknowledge that.”

Upon hearing the Aquarius Director’s words, the woman wearing the black cat mask responded:

“But to avoid prematurely alarming the Clearing Bureau, we did not completely eliminate the corresponding royal families, leaving room for maneuver. Moreover, this operation’s failure makes absolutely no sense. Therefore, it’s possible that you betrayed us.”

“My actions are something that the vast majority of people in this world do not wish to happen, so it’s equivalent to going against the will of the world. Those who oppose the will of the world will naturally be rejected by it. Encountering misfortune without cause is utterly normal.

If you ask me, the reason this operation failed is simply due to bad luck. If you can’t accept such circumstances and insist on finding a traitor within our ranks, then let me be that traitor!”

“We’re not forcing the issue of finding a traitor, but this incident is indeed suspicious.”

After the Aquarius Director finished speaking, the Dawkya-masked shadow chimed in again, its tone somewhat hostile:

“You should know that although ‘Number Three’ may appear unremarkable, it was crafted after hunting down a Demon God. Countless lives were lost in capturing it, and my wounds haven’t healed yet.

According to Number Three’s final rank, anyone below the divine tier, as long as their status is lower than it, would be incapable of defying its orders. Yet, under the weakened state of the Virgo Subdivision, it was defeated by a mere Level 3 Cleaner.

I ask you, if you were faced with such an absurd result, could you accept it?”

“Why shouldn’t I accept it?”

The Aquarius Director chuckled after hearing this, then pointed at herself with a calm expression: “The plan I prepared for nearly ninety years wasn’t also exposed by that Level 3 Cleaner you mentioned? As for how many of you died… Heh heh, after he exposed my scheme, I was targeted by the Clearing Bureau, and I myself nearly perished!

To repair the damage to my soul, I took the risk of eternal servitude by opening my soul to the Nightmare King, and I’m still recovering! All of this is thanks to the ‘mere’ individual you speak of, so I’ve already accepted results far more absurd than this one multiple times.”

“…”

“You must understand, losing means accepting defeat!”

Imitating the tone of the Dawkya mask, she emphasized her point, raising an eyebrow and tapping her knuckles on the table:

“I already explained my reasons when I cast my opposing vote earlier. The Virgo Subdivision may be weakened, but that Level 3 Cleaner is peculiar. If he hasn’t left the Capital City, your plans might not succeed. I advised you to deal with him first before proceeding.

At that time, I was trying my best to warn you, but what did you say? Hmm?”

At this point, the Aquarius Director paused briefly, then raised her voice, exaggeratingly repeating their earlier statements:

“Just a Level 3 Cleaner, ignore him!”

“Our resources are precious, and we have no obligation to assist you with such trivial personal vendettas.”

“You’re being overly cautious; compared to a True God-level ‘Number Three,’ a Level 3 Cleaner is no different from an insignificant worm!”

“…”

Looking at the mask-clad shadows around the long table now enveloped in silence, the Aquarius Director asked with a satisfied grin: “So, how does it feel now? Hmm? Is there anyone who still thinks I was being overly cautious?”