Chapter 199

The Violets cautiously circled around the boat.

A human figure was visible above the rippling surface.

Guards armed with swords, spears, guns, and crossbows patrolled the deck of the cruise ship.

“What on earth are they gathered for?”

The Violets tried to find an opportunity to board the vessel, but the armed guards were keeping a sharp eye on their surroundings, making it difficult to reveal themselves.

“We can’t just sit here! How waterproof are our cameras and listening devices? Let’s stick them out above the surface for now!”

“Surveillance team! It doesn’t matter if it’s a boat or a motorboat. Move to a nearby bridge or building and start filming!”

While the Violets desperately attempted to eavesdrop, the gathering prepared on the cruise ship began.

The interior of the small cruise ship was filled with extravagant decorations.

Champagne and meticulously prepared appetizers were on display, and it was bustling with many people.

However, despite the lavish atmosphere, a tension lingered in this small banquet hall.

Outwardly, this was a party for celebration, but in reality, it was a meeting for the Rigel faction.

As people whispered nervously, Rigel Solstice rose from his seat, scanning the gathered crowd before speaking.

“Thank you for joining us to celebrate our recent exploration achievements at Helios. However, I’m sorry to spoil the celebratory mood, but we have more serious matters to discuss.”

He slowly and weightily announced.

“Not long ago, Magnavis has fallen.”

At those words, some relatives showed signs of agitation.

It was because a major clan that had been their backing had collapsed.

Seeing their grim expressions, Rigel quickly continued.

“We are in uncertain times. With the major clan that could have been our sponsor gone, I understand if you feel uneasy.”

As a terrified relative tried to say something, Rigel raised his fist and shouted to interrupt.

“But a crisis is an opportunity! With the major clan responsible for the western district gone, there is a power vacancy. We should see this as a chance to expand our influence.”

Rigel passionately explained the benefits that the Helios Clan could gain.

The services they could provide in the face of unstable security and a lack of military presence.

The chance to explore dungeons previously monopolized by Magnavis and seize new relics.

Businessmen standing behind the relatives were deep in thought, as if tapping on calculators.

Rigel’s gaze turned towards them.

‘Neutralists, huh.’

“But first, we must resolve our internal issues.”

Rigel declared firmly.

“As you all know, Helios Frontier Services currently has no leader. The chief supervisor and manager, Orion, remains in a coma. We have been in turmoil for years. What is the reason? The absence of a leader!”

Some Hunters nodded gloomily.

The clan’s businesses had been in a continuous string of failures for years. Every venture ended in loss.

The void left by a charismatic and capable leader was immense.

“We can’t go on like this. Change is necessary…”

A purple-haired woman spoke up.

“Brother-in-law, let’s get to the point. Why are we having a party like this? If you have a plan, please tell me.”

The men standing behind the relatives also expressed curiosity.

“Mr. Rigel, I heard a new ally is being introduced. Who is it?”

Rigel took a breath and said in a low voice.

“Before introducing the ally, there’s one more issue I need to mention. It’s about the ‘Ariel Group.'”

“The Ariel Group? You mean those terrorists?”

A naive-looking young man suddenly asked, causing Rigel to grimace slightly before managing a smile.

“That would be the secret escort squad my reckless nephew has. It could be a case of mistaken identity, or it could indeed be those individuals, but you know, their combat power is beyond imagination.”

The banquet hall buzzed once again as they recalled the vivid memory of the 13th Street shooting.

Rigel raised his hand to calm the crowd and continued speaking.

“However, we have a plan to overcome this crisis. A new friend has come forward, willing to help us. Let me introduce Caleb Listen from the Rumyx Research Foundation!”

Rigel nodded and gestured.

A man with neatly styled dark green hair stood up.

“Hello, Helios family. I am Caleb Listen, the Policy Cooperation Director of the Rumyx Research Foundation. Thank you, Mr. Rigel, for inviting me to this valuable occasion.”

One relative shot up from his seat.

“Ru…Rumyx? The one from the eastern district?”

Caleb replied.

“After the fall of Magnavis, the western district has been seized by the Federal Army. This disrupts the clan’s self-governing order. Someone must fill the power vacuum. We believe that Helios will become the center of that order.”

“Our foundation’s goal is simple. We want to invest in Helios. If you meet our conditions, we are willing to fully support you with our advanced technology and financial resources.”

The hall buzzed with excitement at Caleb’s proposal, and some relatives began to whisper among themselves.

A middle-aged man raised his hand. He bore the Solstice surname.

“I don’t think it’s for free. What does Rumyx want in return for assisting us?”

“We request a 30% share in the Helios Clan, along with priority rights to specific relics and ruins. I’m confident we can generate greater profits through mutual cooperation.”

He continued with a smile.

“That’s our official proposal. However, personally, I would like to have a deeper conversation with Mr. Rigel. As you know, I believe there are areas where our technology and capabilities are needed. If our mutual interests align, we can discuss even more special cooperation measures.”

A strange atmosphere enveloped the banquet hall at Caleb’s words.

The anxiety that had been swirling between the relatives and his faction melted away, replaced by confidence.

“If the clan in the west supports us, we can curb the thinking of the conservatives and those neutralists.”

“Will we receive support from the Laplacian Corporation as well? Their pharmaceutical performance is pretty good.”

“We’ve won this round.”

The relatives chuckled lightly.

The staff and executives affiliated with Rigel’s faction looked at him with eager eyes.

Opportunists from the neutral faction clapped.

Rigel Solstice smirked inwardly as he gazed at his laughing and chatting supporters.

The target was his brother.

“I’m sorry, but once the will issue is settled, it’ll be time for him to disappear. After all, he has taken everything I’ve wanted. This is only just.”

Amidst the changed atmosphere, he couldn’t hide his satisfied expression as he continued.

“Alright, we need to resolve the last issue. It’s about my reckless niece, Irene Solstice. She seems to have hidden away in fear. Let’s find our poor, fatherless niece as soon as possible. As an adult, she should manage her clan shares responsibly, right?”

One Hunter drew a sword and shouted.

“I will do my utmost to serve the young lady!”

“Oh my, thank you very much!”

Rigel’s wife laughed heartily. Trust welled up in the eyes of the people.

Witnessing this, a cunning smile hung on Rigel’s lips.

“Then let us all raise our glasses. To the prosperous tomorrow of Helios!”

Cheers erupted.

“Now that’s quite a show!”

We grumbled as we watched people raising their champagne glasses.

Irene’s uncle’s rambling was being vividly broadcasted to Violet Barracks in the Central District.

And it wasn’t just the Violets who were watching from the headquarters.

“…It’s become certain. My uncle is the one who blocked my account and ordered the raid that day.”

Her golden eyes calmly surveyed the screen. Irene’s agitation was minimal. After all, she had suspected it for a while.

“But… I didn’t expect my aunt to be involved.”

Her gaze turned to the purple-haired woman on the hazy screen.

I asked my friend, who was watching the cruise ship with a sad look.

“Irene, what are you going to do now?”

“What will I do? You’re not seriously implying…?”

“Yeah, I’ll kill them all!”

Irene stared at me blankly, then sighed.

“…We haven’t started yet, right?”

“Of course, your opinion is the most important!”

“At least you’re starting to ask now. Should I say this is a good thing…?”

Currently, the Violet Squad was stationed near the river.

Regardless of their slyness, Rigel Solstice was an A-ranked superb Hunter.

The guards stationed there were definitely members of the Helios Clan.

Among those relatives, the proportion of Awakened Ones wasn’t low, so handling them easily would be quite a challenge.

Though, this assessment was based on average resolvers.

“The bomb is ready! We can turn them into fish food any time now. If they fall into the water, I’ll tear them apart!”

“I’m aiming with an anti-tank missile. Should I shoot or not?”

The Violets at the headquarters spoke with excited voices.

The genius Violets described various methods of killing like merchants hawking their wares.

Yet, Irene coldly rejected all our eager proposals.

“No. Stop everything.”

Sadly, our closest friend rejected all our attack offers.

“Could it be because they’re family that you hesitate?”

“Maybe she has a reluctance towards terror!”

As we expressed our doubts, Irene explained her reasoning.

Thankfully, it wasn’t due to ethical concerns.

“I checked with Mr. Kress and others. The name ‘Ariel Group’ hasn’t leaked, but rumors about my uncle having an unidentified escort squad have spread within.”

Mr. Kress was the secretary to Irene’s father.

“Really? But why?”

“Here’s a question: What happens if my uncle and those people are all wiped out?”

“What happens?”

“Well, if I just cleanly wipe out Uncle Rigel and his band, I’ll end up being the first to be suspected. Considering your abilities, you could hide it, but you’d be suspect. Then, it would be hard to gain support from my father’s loyalists, let alone the neutralists or conservatives. My standing within the clan would become difficult.”

“Loyalists? Neutralists, and now conservatives?”

Suddenly, new proper nouns popped up, things we had never heard of before.

We Violets scratched our heads, waiting for Irene’s answer.

“Umm, first let’s talk about the shareholding situation within our company.”

Irene continued explaining in a calm tone.

“Helios Frontier Services can be largely divided into four factions based on shareholding and their supporting groups.”

As she spoke, she raised her index finger.

First up was the loyalists.

“This isn’t the formal name, but it’s what I call it. This faction consists of those who follow my father, just as the name suggests. It includes the ones who assist my father directly, like Mr. Kress, as well as Hunters.”

The loyalists were the faction following Irene’s father and those supporting and encouraging her.

Sadly, Rigel had either driven them away or given them minor positions.

“If my father had been well, things wouldn’t have come to this, but since he’s in a coma, shareholdings are useless. There’s no one to exercise authority.”

“Irene doesn’t have shares!”

“So the faction currently holding the most power is the reformists. It’s made up of Uncle Rigel and his faction.”

Though it was called the reformists, in reality, it meant changing the existing system centered around Orion Solstice. That didn’t sound too positive.

“Uncle’s shares are the second largest in Helios.”

What a pity. All of this had come to pass because the leader who should command the clan was half-dead.

“The third faction is… the neutralists. This consists of various people inside and outside the clan. Some simply don’t want to belong to a specific faction, while others prioritize personal gains regardless of the clan’s direction or the leader’s tendencies. Their alliances switch constantly based on interests.”

Oh, I see. So what’s the remaining faction?

“Finally, there are people I’ve termed ‘conservatives.'”

“Conservatives? Are they people who hate communists?”

“Hey, are you even listening properly?”

Ugh, I got scolded for having my thoughts elsewhere.

“The name conservatives comes from their tendency to focus on maintaining the status quo. This faction consists of people who have been alongside my father since the founding of Helios and veteran Hunters. They’re people gathered around my father’s abilities and charisma. In the clan, they hold the most shares after my father and uncle.”

They had one more peculiarity. They didn’t like Rigel!

During meetings, the conservatives consistently opposed Rigel’s faction.

“So are they on Irene’s side?”

“It would be nice if that were the case…”

Sadly, the conservatives had different tendencies from the loyalists.

Their goal was the glory and prosperity of the clan that Orion Solstice had built.

“The most important thing to those people is the ability to lead the clan. Everything else is just a miscellaneous factor.”

From what I could gather, even though they strongly disliked Rigel, it seemed they wouldn’t simply follow Irene just because she was the ex-leader’s child.

When viewed in this light, it might be more appropriate to refer to them as the capable faction instead of conservatives.

“I’ve understood well about the factions. But what does all this talk have to do with assassination? Could it be…?”

The Violets put their heads together, pondering.

Why had Irene brought up such subjects?

“If we wipe out Rigel’s faction, the other factions won’t just sit by?”

“Correct.”

Her shining golden eyes traced a quick line.

“Objectively speaking, the methods of resolving problems in Awakened society often rely on force. However, the Hunters from the clan are also human. If we ruthlessly wipe out Uncle Rigel’s faction, there will be resentment within the clan. Whether justification exists or not makes a world of difference.”

“But didn’t your uncle attack you first? You can use that as a justification.”

“That’s merely presumptive suspicion. And if we stoop to using dirty methods just because they did, it becomes a mud-slinging contest.”

Sigh, it seems it all boils down to politics in the end.

“And the most significant issue. If I make a move, I’ll hardly have loyalists within the clan backing me. The neutralists would be scared. The conservatives would be on guard against me. If care isn’t taken, significant conflicts could erupt within the clan. In the worst-case scenario, the clan could fall apart. Who would work under someone who casually commits fratricide while scheming?”

“Ugh.”

“Realistically, I’m still a student. Just because I inherit shares according to my father’s will, doesn’t mean the others in the clan will support me.”

She took a moment to catch her breath before adding.

“First, I need to sift through who could be on our side. There are people who could cooperate, but we can’t turn them all into enemies. If we wipe them all out, there will be no one left in the clan.”

My friend seemed to have thought this all through.

“How do you know all of this?”

When I asked, Irene smiled bitterly.

“I organized it after asking Mr. Kress and others.”

The Violets were in awe.

Unbeknownst to us, she had indeed prepared quite a bit for this.

“Ugh… Then I’ll cease the attack.”

I figured Irene’s analysis was correct.

If we acted thoughtlessly, we could provoke even greater troubles.

“But we can’t just sit still. What are we going to do? I need to prepare for the transfer exam…”

Irene pondered for a moment before replying.

“It won’t be easy, but we need to find ways to secure a justification. After all, killing them all won’t solve anything.”

In the end, the issues lay within the realm of realpolitik.

Just killing those people and seizing shares wouldn’t ensure my friend had complete control over the clan.

“For now, I’m asking Mr. Kress to help rally the loyalists again. There are people among the other factions who could cooperate or be brought on board.”

That kind of political maneuvering seemed extremely complex.

Isn’t there a better plan?

“First of all, thanks for the eavesdropping. Thanks to the recordings you provided, I have more options now. I need to meet people. I had no idea they were planning to sell the clan to Rumyx…”

Ah, that was something I should consider.

Speaking of which, that policy director introduced midway into the conversation certainly is curious. It’s astonishing to see how connections like that arise, especially following Magnavis.

“Could they be trying to involve the Laplacian Corporation as well? I have bad memories with them.”

Well, either way, it seems Irene plans to start gathering her people first. Even just consolidating a force to oust Rigel would be sufficient for the time being.

However, turning against Rigel and following Irene’s lead were two different matters. How would she later ensure their allegiance?

“What if we just kill everyone who won’t sway?”

“Then there would be no one left in the clan.”

We continued discussing with Irene.

“Wouldn’t it be better to just blow them all up like Magnavis?”

As I complained, a familiar voice came from behind.

“Blow it up? Violet, what kind of scheme are you brewing this time?”

“Scholarship Officer…?”

Irene stood up.

I was startled and turned around. The Scholarship Officer walked in alongside Older Sister Sophie.

“Eek! Why are you here!”

Wondering why the Scholarship Officer had come, I realized the reason.

It was due to Older Sister Sophie’s summons.

“How petty… eavesdropping…”

“But I couldn’t just stand by. This is my job. More than anything, it seemed you needed help.”

It seemed that monitoring us wasn’t just a matter of simply keeping an eye out.

Calling in the Scholarship Officer while eavesdropping on our conversation was something I hadn’t expected.

Since this was the case, I decided to explain everything.

“Irene, this is our chance! We could get help from the Scholarship Officer and the Inspection Bureau. Explain everything we’ve talked about and your situation!”

“What…? What are you suddenly saying?”

I momentarily stepped back and urged my friend to persuade.

Irene looked hesitant, but ultimately complied with my request.

“The protagonist can be trusted!”

Once the story concluded, Older Sister Sophie went wide-eyed in surprise.

“Oh my, I didn’t expect there to be such a situation.”

By the way, the Scholarship Officer’s reaction was rather out of the ordinary.

She muttered to herself, looking serious.

“…Did Irene have such circumstances that I was unaware of?”

“Anyway, Scholarship Officer! Can’t you help us? A student is in a difficult situation here.”

Sophie said with an awkward expression.

“Violet. It is indeed a pitiful situation, but that’s impossible. The role of the Inspection Bureau is to manage issues arising between the academy, students, and clans. Interfering with clan affairs is beyond my authority.”

“I’ve heard that the scope of your authority can be interpreted broadly!”

I gazed intently at Seijis, hoping for a way out.

The Scholarship Officer shook her head.

“Yes, that’s true. However, there are limits to the extent I can interfere. That’s the principle.”

“Ugh. So it’s not possible…”

“Violet. Why did you make such a request? I apologize, everyone, my friend is a bit short-sighted…”

This awkward situation left me at a loss for words. Perhaps sensing the embarrassment, Irene apologized on my behalf.

“Right. The Scholarship Officer is a principled person, isn’t she?”

Remembering the just and upright nature seen in the game, I realized our blunder seemed fated.

“It was an unreasonable request. I’m sorry…”

I hung my head.

To my surprise, the Scholarship Officer gave an unexpected response.

“Principally, yes, but… the world does not run solely on principles.”

“…Excuse me?”

The piercing gaze of Seijis shifted toward me, Irene, and those gathered.

“The Scholarship Officer cannot help, but Seijis Akright can step forward. Miss Irene, I will do my utmost to assist you in any way I can.”

“Wait, what did you just say?”

Seeing Sophie’s expression of shock at her brother’s unexpected words, I caught the resolution and determination in the Scholarship Officer’s tone.

“Scholarship Officer! What does that mean…?”

A mixture of surprise and anxiety filled Irene’s features, contrasting starkly with Seijis’s expression, which reflected compassion and resolve.

“Your situation is undoubtedly unfair. I will rectify this by any means necessary.”

The dark web of confusion that had obscured my perspectives now shone with the light of hope.

“By any means necessary? Could it be!”

Unit 1 detected a strong blood-red intent.

That was a metaphor hinting at violence.

“Wow! The Scholarship Officer is also on our side!”

I joyfully jumped to my feet.

“Scholarship Officer! Let us join in!”

“Let’s kill them all!”

“Hooray!”

The Scholarship Officer was on our side!

Great! Let’s throw away the serious inner-clan politics. We’ll just crush them with force!

Irene and Sophie stood in shock, trying to block us.

“Did I just hear wrong?”

“…Violet!”

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