Chapter 179

“…….”

“Ah~ It seems that spring has already passed and summer is approaching? Just moving my body a bit and I’m already sweating like this. I believe Enema should consider reducing that plant furniture a bit and turn up the air conditioning hard.”

If Edamatsu Amagi was cool and pale, then the man who had taken his place on the opposite side without being invited sparkled like sunshine from head to toe.

Of course, the sun was not so frivolous, so it was a description close to being purely about colors, but nonetheless.

Show had heard a lot about the eccentric Aron Drayfuscus, but the investigative reports suggested he was a shady and dubious man with many questionable aspects.

Since the Mega Cop, which was the nearest base to the Delta Laboratory, was in Paradise, the partial redirection of suspicion toward them was due to the belief that they might have direct connections or hold related information if it was an external action.

What a rare breed that likes to meet people and even orders custom-made body parts.

An oddball who enjoys meddling in things that should rightfully involve subordinates or secretaries, suitable for his status.

And… lately, a predator busy bringing to their knees the various factions inside Paradise.

“Ah, if you’re going to bring me a drink, I’d like a café latte, please. Once I start drinking this, it’s hard to quit. I used to only drink the subsidiary’s products… but I accidentally learned a good hobby.”

“Damn you….”

Show barely swallowed the growl trying to slip out of his lips.

The way he fanned himself pompously and brazenly ordered a drink while laying down made it hard to believe he was a senior member of Mega Cop.

Yet, even amidst all this, Aron’s occasionally scrutinizing gaze and his intention not to relinquish control of the conversation felt unpleasant, making it difficult to speak.

Moreover, contrary to rumors, rather than being an Android, it was Aron himself, brimming with energy, which made ominous thoughts endlessly flit through Show’s mind, creating tight pressure.

What if Anastasia’s new body was already in the hands of this author?

Could this meeting be the first step in negotiations to gain concessions?

If he wants that, he could give it in abundance… but is there a way to guarantee safe returns?

The thoughts twisted and tangled in his mind, wrapping his reason in a web of uncertainty.

What kept him grounded, as always, was his deep yearning for her. It was a dizzying emotion that could transform in unforeseen ways if it went off-track.

However, unexpectedly, Aron lightened Show’s worries with a simple solution… in a rather shocking way.

“So, where is Miss Anastasia? I thought that while teasing an executive with a face like an abandoned puppy, she would stop by. Should I have delivered a separate message that I’ve arrived? This hospitality is quite lacking.”

“You damn bastard, don’t joke with me…!! To be so arrogant as to think you’ve got me by the heart… If you have something you want, it’d be best to just say it without beating around the bush. Regardless, I’ll confirm her safety before making a move!”

At that thoughtless and uninspired question, Show, who had been holding back all kinds of doubts and discomfort, finally exploded.

His manner, having lost all decorum, sounded almost like a child’s sulking.

If only he was the one being toyed with by this crafty man, but realizing that there was an irreplaceable value at stake made yesterday’s patience disappear like a lie.

In contrast, Aron received a completely unexpected question that turned the conversation back on him, swiftly changing his smiling expression into a frown.

“……You’ll confirm her safety before moving? It sounds as if Miss Anastasia isn’t here. That can’t be the case… I rushed here as soon as I received her contact (Sign), so there’s no way I could be late.”

“Enough of this nonsensical talk! Judging by your appearance, I’d say that resignation letter is also your doing… Damn, I should have paid more attention before this threat came my way…!!”

“Hmm…?”

As Show, who had been firmly believing that there had been some coercion regarding her safety, heightened his hostility, Aron was reflecting on whether he had made a mistake in his interpretation and actions.

In this world, there is no such thing as a choice made purely from innocent intention.

The most objective answers and witty breakthroughs are merely natural outcomes that arise when the situation is set; unless the agent possesses the strength to break free from the limitations imposed by the environment, it is merely a force of nature.

Just by casting a shadow at an official gathering, an entity like Enema Chairman could shake the world.

Truly possessing the power to overturn the world, patiently biding his time and being cautious like his strategic partner.

In that sense, Marina, the clever freelance spy, knocking discreetly on the windows of Paradise to ask about interesting information, was judged by Aron to be acting cunningly guided by Anastasia.

If that’s the case, what reason is there for him to leak that he’s currently with Enema?

Apart from the invitation, there’s simply no clear explanation.

When arriving here, the dignified individual who sent the invitation had vanished, and there’s a record of Enema’s director submitting a resignation letter?

The very person who scoffed at his repeated offers to join but then made a reverse proposal claiming he should work for her??

“…Ha.”

There are still unread words. When thinking logically, the elite Aaron, acknowledged by the girl, should’ve reached.

Even though they sat facing each other, they both busied themselves thinking about someone else, absurdly absent.

Yet, if Show saw the figure of Anastasia Valentine as a naive miraculous product, a pure girl with confused memories and self, Aron viewed her as a powder keg already lit with immense potential.

A more flexible notion favored the latter. However, if one were to simply view it, Show’s hypothesis of “She disappeared due to feeling threatened” was amusingly closer to the truth.

“…I can’t believe you’re pushing this sticky kid off on me. Maybe I should tell you that you’re being way too harsh when we meet later.”

“!? A kid? You’re a mere lackey of the nouveau riche, and you’re acting arrogant! How dare…!!”

Show’s mouth, which was about to say ‘How dare’, suddenly closed.

Aron’s eyes opened wide, resembling a venomous snake unveiling its fangs.

“Well then… Do you see Aron Drayfuscus as someone so idle as to threaten a loser like you who had to renounce his inheritance rights and is barely an Amagi benchwarmer? Do you realize how many funding contracts I’ve personally secured with Enema and how many project agreements there are?”

“You piece of trash…!!”

“Threats can be… just by waving a hand from this seat, I could cut off funding payments. You, who’ve been idling under Mister Amagi’s shadow, would have to take the blame, ending up like that sister who got caught yesterday and sentenced to a Cold-Sleep Sentence.”

What would happen if he, who now tormented his siblings under the authority of the inspector, severed relations with Paradise, who had been smoothly securing research funding for various reasons, all on his own?

With no need for Chairman Ohtsuge to scold him, the board would convene immediately, and those who’d hated Show would turn on him.

Most importantly, he’d have little strength left to try to pull Anastasia’s hand.

“……In other words, only the words spoken by a truly powerful person carry weight. Instead of barking like a frightened dog afraid of losing a precious bone.”

“Cough…!”

“It seems to me you’re rather like a moth mesmerized by her brilliance… so forget it. Do not dare covet someone beyond your station. If she disappeared from your eyes, it likely means she found you unworthy.”

A slight sense of superiority stabbed at his eardrums.

A strike from nowhere. Not only being hit unexpectedly but listening to a stranger tell him to abandon a partner whose soul he should dedicate himself to born only due to their shared blood?

It was nothing less than a derision suggesting he should be grateful merely for occupying a director’s seat because of inherited lineage.

Just as the sense of security he’d felt just the night before became an illusion, Show’s feet shifted beneath him.

He had endured months from their first meeting until seeing her again. Out of fear of facing the truth and wondering if it might yield disappointing results.

Finally discovering the oasis he’d been searching for merely two weeks ago, taking his first step toward revenge just yesterday… now, to be bitten by a snake appearing at such a well-crafted moment and tearing his soul?

Tap, tap.

The menacing Aron stood up, shaking off his knees lightly.

He had finished the ‘waste disposal’ given to him and it was advantageous to chase after her traces swiftly as hidden hints and messages were guiding him toward meeting Anastasia.

“……Wait.”

However… Just as Aron seemed to derive a conclusion from Show’s slip of the tongue.

Show, too, felt something from Aron’s coercive attempt to tear away from him, distinctly different from his earlier demeanor of anxiousness upon entry.

Reality could be dismissed as Anastasia disappearing here. But what is the essence of that?

As it was said, did she vanish because Edamatsu Amagi did not meet her expectations, because she hated him? If she delayed her response to that confession, would she act to hurt him in this manner?

Perhaps someone, like a reflection of disbelief, had another motive or purpose, inevitably leading to similar behavior.

It was possible she had stumbled due to being caught by someone even more powerful than her own reflection, Kasane.

Then how must one overcome that failure and stumble?

“What do you mean by not meeting her expectations…? Is that your subjective opinion?? Is that what was conveyed accurately?”

“…….”

Sighing and turning his head, Aron contemplated how far he must admonish this frustrating kid…

Seeing slight yet somewhat usable flickers in his gaze, he decided to change his response.

He hadn’t fully shared the vision the girl who was observing this neon jungle possessed.

“…Are you someone who knows how to live up to the expectations you receive? I don’t know what Miss Anastasia saw in you.”

“My expectations…?”

With those words, Aron turned to leave entirely.

As the second-ranking power of Paradise and a director of Enema, not bothering with decorum or face-saving.

On the way out, casting a glance at another kid with a somewhat similar vibe… a junior exuding a slightly less ripe scent.

A brief silence passed and, before the room’s occupant could finish his self-reflection, Kajun, who had been lurking in the corner like a ghost, took a step forward, inwardly rejoicing at the unexpected results.

Indeed, if the witch named Anastasia was a planner and a trickster far ahead of himself, it made sense that many influential figures had been caught in her web already.

Perhaps even the individual named ‘Kajun’ or the group under him had been gauging the potential for themselves to come under her influence before fading away.

In any case, it was time to create a ripple with their weakened hearts rather than being a passive onlooker.

A golden opportunity to present a mutually beneficial (Win-Win) direction, advantageous for both him and herself.

Kajun approached Show’s desk where he couldn’t hide his frustration — discreetly slipping the resignation letter that guy had been spouting nonsense about — and whispered in the most earnest tone.

“Edamatsu Director… I’ve mentioned several times, haven’t I? If you don’t actively expand your influence and grow, it’ll be hard to protect that… cough, Counselor Anastasia.”

“…You’re right. I’ve been too complacent.”

“It’s okay. It’s not too late at all. You’ve even gained some of the chairperson’s support along with having secured a robust financial source in addition to the budget allocation! You’ve made an ideal start.”

As he spoke, it felt like his fragmented reason was steadily restoring itself, either recalling the conversations shared with Anastasia or the residual traces left behind, causing Kajun to lick his lips.

It struck him that despite such a brief time, he’d developed an irrational level of dependency.

And even if he had almost fallen by poking at her, he felt fortunate to ultimately manage to situate himself apart from her.

A well-fed lion does not hunt.

A dulled rabid dog is useless. It must be starved. Just enough to feel a thirst and hunger to sharpen its claws.

Now, the remaining task could only be one. He must firmly grasp his closest position during this opportunity.

“By the way, unlike me who solely wishes for your glory and success, there are those who know the hiring process for Counselor Anastasia while being more attentive to the Chairman than to you… there was someone who fiercely opposed this operation, wasn’t there?”

“Since I’ve heard the Executive Director has served Edamatsu for a long time, I shouldn’t rashly speak out, but there’s been a matter of negligence detected at the Antarctic branch of Emera’s genetic sample storage, so they’ve requested a dispatch of a high-security level manager…”

‘If you disappoint me even once, any sugary words can only be your last.’ Even having warned him, Kajun left with a triumphant smile, and Show silently watched.

It wasn’t as if he was in such a desperate situation where he’d be comforted by such blatant flattery, but it was best to minimize the chances of the Chairman’s interference if Anastasia had been completely taken away.

However, once the disturbing individuals cleared out, the hell that gnawed at his mind returned.

How long would he have to endure days without her?

Though he had just received full support and permission from his father this time, it had been easier to ride the line, but what about next? Can one continue to be so fortunate?

…No. His luck ran out the moment he met Anastasia. It was now time to proceed without concern for means or methods.

He had received encouragement in this very spot. He was undoubtedly promised a better future, so he didn’t need to mourn.

“Fuh…”

As a burning headache and a wave of nausea passed, a fundamental question poked its head out in the corner of his mind.

How much does he truly know about the girl named Anastasia?

Even if she bore the memories of his mother and returned here, she was a new alien being.

He thought he’d understand this enough to build a relationship from the start, but… had he not been uncomfortable with her still being in Enema all along?

Perhaps… just like he had gotten acquainted with that annoying Aron during his brief exterior life, she had already found a different way of living.

If that’s the case… he needed to find out.

If the risks of official approaches had become too great, he’d unapologetically use alternative measures to surpass any other contingency.

“……Gamma.”

Even though it was certain he wasn’t present in the designated area since the restoration of the damaged muscle fibers hadn’t yet been completed, he casually called for the one designed to become the best of his underlings.

“Gamma, I have summoned you. Command me.”

Just as it seemed fitting for him to appear, within a few seconds the loyal subordinate entered.

“Who will you be loyal to? Me? Or… your father?”

“I shall be nothing but a blade for Enema….”

Left to run the risk of it droning on, feeling like this dreaded hunter manual would spill out,

And this subordinate he could even draw from this damned lineage… that sense of entitlement made veins bulge on Aron’s forehead and the back of his hand.

Everyone keeps forcing his own route as the only solution… very well.

“I will soon become Enema. So there should be no complaints…!”

“……”

Masanari nodded solemnly to the written phrase interred directly into his mind, willing to receive a second chance granted to the wretched body branded with failure.

“Here’s your chance to make up for your mistake. Find Anastasia Makarovitch and guard her this time, even if it costs you your life. If you can monitor what target she aims for or what she hopes for from a distance, report back each detail.”

……The behind-the-scenes tales thus concluded smoothly.

The bluebird, whose bait was excellent but whose cage was irritating, flew up once more, yet it would take a little while to discover just how many heavy tags it bore.