Chapter 177

There’s a saying that revenge is hollow. Why is that?

The reason is simple.

“Well, it’s because you don’t have family or friends!”

Revenge seekers in novels, movies, and games are always lonely. That’s because the vile villains have harmed their family, lovers, friends, and mentors. Even if the protagonists kill the villains, they can’t fill the void left behind.

“How pitiful…”

“You can’t fill what you’ve lost!”

At that, Violet 789 shook her head and said.

“No! You can fill it! There are people who have already overcome their wounds and triumphed.”

“Who is that?”

Curious, the other Violets asked, and 789 confidently answered.

“The Count of Monte Cristo!”

Upon hearing the answer, the Violets nodded in understanding.

As the great senior of all vengeance seekers, the Count had achieved a happy ending after a long quest for revenge.

The reason he could do that was one.

“Beautiful girls!”

Yes, the answer was beautiful girls!

Next to Edmond Dantès was a young and pretty slave girl who could fill the space left by his ex-girlfriend who had married his enemy!

Thanks to her, he could overcome the emptiness of revenge and move towards happiness.

“Now that I think about it, all our friends are beautiful girls, right? How exciting!”

“Yay!”

Looking back, all my friends were indeed beautiful girls!

Just seeing them made me feel good!

Anyway, from the example of this great avenger, we Violets learned one thing.

After finishing the meal, we need to prepare dessert and coffee!

Our great undertaking was not revenge like the Count’s story.

However, we needed to think about future plans.

“If we fail, it’s terrorism; if we succeed, it’s a revolution! We have to succeed no matter what.”

As the ominous image of ‘failure’ loomed over the Violet Network, Unit 1, feeling uneasy, shook her head and muttered.

Hearing that, Unit 2 replied.

“Of course. Didn’t we already talk about this? If we fail, it’s just an unlimited destruction operation.”

When the term “unlimited destruction operation” slipped from Unit 2’s mouth, the Violets unconsciously shuddered.

This plan was based on the premise of everything going horribly wrong.

The key to the plan, centered on burying barrels of Violet all over the academy city, was as follows.

It was merely a hypothetical plan for the worst-case scenario, but even conjuring that thought was unpleasant.

What if my friends got hurt or even died…

The network trembled ominously. I recalled Daphne, who got hurt because of Martina’s gang.

As our uneasy thoughts turned sour, the Violet Network quaked as if an earthquake had struck.

Indeed, the mere idea of my friends getting hurt and dying was terrifying.

Unit 3, feeling ill at ease, ground her teeth.

“Ugh! No way! If that happens, I’ll pay them back in kind. I’ll blow up the families of those who did it!”

It was a reckless thought, yet if pushed, it wasn’t entirely impossible.

There were many weapons out there stronger than homemade bombs.

“I could even steal the federal army’s weapons of mass destruction…!”

According to my meager knowledge of settings, the federal army uses all sorts of fascinating weapons of mass destruction.

Small nuclear weapons that can be loaded into cannons and missiles were among them.

They say they often use such weapons against hordes of monsters beyond the ramparts.

No matter how powerful an Awakened One might be, I don’t think they could survive being hit by nuclear weapons in succession.

If they exploded wildly enough to scorch the entire city black, who could last through that?

No, that’s too depressing and wicked a thought. I needed to chase away these bad ideas.

We all hit each other’s heads with hammers.

“Ugh!”

A clear and sharp pain washed over us like a wave, shaking away our ominous thoughts. We touched our bruised heads with refreshed faces.

“Right! Let’s stop with the bad thoughts. We’re definitely going to win!”

After we win, I’ll transfer to Aegis Academy at all costs.

I had already devised a plan. Although Adela would be sad if I did something naughty, even if it meant sneaking answers from exam papers or manipulating grades, we would definitely go to a good academy with our friends.

Then we’d have a cool and fun school life.

“Club activities! Field trips! Delicious school lunches!”

The Violets sat around, chuckling. Just then, Kalia, who entered the factory, looked at us with a puzzled expression.

“…Did something good happen?”

“Yes!”

We laughed as we sprawled on the ground.

“Oh right. Let’s contact the professor.”

Each of our circumstances was like a weather anomaly; while someone basked in warm sunlight, another got soaked in cold rain.

Maybe destiny is a limited resource. If one side takes something good, the other is left only with the bad or feels a lack.

Perhaps that’s why, while the Violets melted into happiness like pudding, far away, Captain Klein Diaz was experiencing what it felt like for the air to grow stiff.

He reported before superiors at a staggering height.

“…Thus, I conclude the explanation regarding the incidents that occurred at Vittorio Arcade Dungeon.”

The windowless room of the federal army base was quite suffocating.

Captain Klein finished his testimony neatly under pressure.

Having already been summoned for investigation several times, explaining wasn’t hard. The problem lay in what would happen next.

After finishing the explanation, he stood stock-still under the weight of pressure.

The officers belonged to the military intelligence department. There was a major among them; amongst the intelligence officers, only a commander held such rank.

The captain felt tense about what would happen next.

While he had already synchronized with his subordinates regarding the identity of the Violets, it was uncertain how the upper brass would perceive that.

Moreover, their mobile unit, which had been on a mission involving a hazardous artifact, had been annihilated.

How would the intelligence department and upper management interpret this situation?

Since it involved the four major clans, they might want to cover it up quietly. The Federation avoided entanglement with the four major clans like allergy sufferers avoid allergens.

Nevertheless, someone had to take responsibility. The military had a habit, like other authoritarian organizations, of shifting the blame for failures downward.

“Right, Magnavis? The prisoner is in our hands?”

“Yes, that’s correct. The prisoner is under strict surveillance.”

What would come next, he wondered, feeling tense when the general, who had been sitting in the center, stood up and approached him.

The captain’s heart raced. The commander raised his hand.

In the next moment, the major patted the captain on the shoulder and said.

“Good job, captain. You can go out now. You have done a great service.”

“Y-yes…?”

Feeling dazed, the captain looked at the major, who appeared furious and began speaking passionately.

“If what you say is true, those clan bastards have truly crossed the line. How dare they interfere with our sacred national defense duty! We can’t let this slide. Absolutely not! I will take full responsibility for this matter.”

Before he realized it, the captain was already outside the room.

After that, he couldn’t quite remember what the major had said.

The commander had laughed and said a few more things, but he couldn’t recall what they were.

“I’m sorry about your subordinates. I have a contact in the Ministry of Veterans Affairs, so I’ll have them get in touch.”

It must have been something good, yet for some unknown reason, Captain Klein felt a sense of inexplicable frustration as he stepped outside.

As he left, he bumped shoulders with someone at the entrance.

“Guh…!” He flinched at the weight he felt, far beyond his expectations, immediately after the collision. Was that an Awakened One?

When Captain Klein looked up, he saw a man, a head taller than him, with a gloomy aura.

Feeling uncomfortable with that atmosphere, the captain instinctively took a step back. The Awakened officer glanced at him and ignored him as he walked past.

As the captain turned his gaze, his eyes moved strangely. His focus was lost.

‘My vision is hazy. What is…?’

He thought. This sensation was familiar; he had felt it when he saw the armed girl in Vittorio Dungeon.

A phenomenon unique to Recognition Interference Equipment. There weren’t many people who wore it inside the command center.

“Is that guy also from the intelligence department?”

“…We’ve trapped them again and again, but it seems there are still clan parasites left within the military. Yes. I will ensure they are dealt with.”

When the man walked into the room, the commander of military intelligence was on the phone in conversation with someone.

After the call ended, the major spoke with a satisfied expression.

“I didn’t expect you to come in person. I see you’re still wearing that mask after such a long time. I take it you have no intention of taking it off?”

“Good. Could you relay to Colonel Rogers whether he intends to return?”

After lightly sitting at the desk, the commander continued speaking.

“As I always say, forgetting your roots would be a shame. You and Colonel Rogers were our greatest creations…”

The masked man, Calyx, did not hide his displeasure and responded to the major’s words.

“Mind your words, Commander. We are no longer soldiers. For now, remember that we are in an equal cooperative relationship with your faction.”

An invisible, rough energy poured out from the man.

Feeling dizzy from the pressure, the major smiled and waved his hand.

“Ah, my mistake. Let’s get to the point. So, are you going to take them? The prisoner.”

“Indeed. I was instructed that there might be use for it later.”

“Well then, I guess I need to thank Sycamore. Understood, I will expedite the handover.”

The major picked up the phone again and gave several instructions.

Hours later, Calyx was aboard a helicopter with an impressive matte black paint job.

The federal soldiers, bewildered, pushed a large cylindrical containment device into the cargo hold.

Once the work finished, the helicopter took to the sky.

After flying for some time, while the soldiers in the cargo hold held their guns at the ready, Calyx pressed a button.

With a hissing sound, the lid of the containment device opened. A girl with orange hair appeared.

Strangely, she had no limbs except for her left arm.

“I have confirmed. She is indeed the correct individual.”

One soldier scanned her face and stepped back.

Calyx asked the conscious girl.

“You’re Leraje Bellestant, right?”

“Uuggh!”

Instead of answering, the girl glared at him with a groan. She had a gag in her mouth.

Calyx removed the gag from Leraje’s mouth.

“You’re still spirited. I must commend your clan and that mage of yours. I recognize your prowess, considering they even had a senior of ours among them. However, it’s perplexing how you remain so confident despite being incapacitated.”

“…”

“You must have some form of belief. Surely you’re not waiting for a rescue team?”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Calyx’s sharp gaze caught the subtle change in Leraje’s expression.

Seeing that, the man let out a small chuckle. Leraje’s irritation at the man’s sneer twisted her eyes slightly.

“What’s so funny? If what you’re saying is true, it would be wise for you to escape now.”

Calyx thought. This girl was boasting out of psychological pressure.

He could feel the soldier glancing at him. Since identification had been completed, it was time to close the containment device and cool it.

However, the agent wanted to inform this prisoner of the reality.

“Of course it’s only natural to find it amusing. Do you have any idea how many attempts were made to rescue you?”

“…?”

“Three attempts in total, all eliminated. Normally, we wouldn’t intervene in the dealings of the federal, but orders from our captain compelled us to. You might have been unaware from your clan’s perspective, but what can you do? To stop us, you should have at least brought in the Vanguard.”

“W-What are you talking about?”

Just then, a voice came through the headset, indicating they would soon arrive at their destination.

The soldiers and Calyx pulled patches from the front pockets of their uniforms and stuck them onto their empty right shoulder sleeves.

As her eyes darted around in confusion, Leraje saw the emblem on the patch.

A combination of black and red squares.

Understanding the situation, Leraje’s face turned pale.

Only one mad terrorist organization sported that symbol, which roamed around near the academy city, wearing their own emblem.

“You’re not serious…! No way, I can’t believe you’re in league with the Federation!”

As she mumbled in disbelief, her vision dimmed. The lid of the containment device was being closed again.

“N-No!…”

With a hissing sound, the containment device closed. As the internal temperature cooled, a large amount of drugs was injected into her body. Leraje lost consciousness.

“We’ve confirmed the prisoner’s brain waves; she is entering hibernation state.”

“Keep monitoring her. It’s troublesome if the prisoner dies. For the time being, we’ll store her, but she could be useful for dealings with the clan or for research.”

Damn them, do they think we’re some kind of garbage collection point?

Calyx clicked his tongue inwardly as he sat down and checked the schedule.

His thoughts drifted to the other team members. They were currently engaged in various missions inside and outside the Rust Room.

I hope everything goes well.

The helicopter of the Obsidian Legion flew swiftly over the sea.