[134]
Hatred precisely aimed at the right target brought astonishing results.
“The leader of Thorns Order has multiple abilities?” Yuri muttered at Anong’s contact.
“They found ashes, moisture, and furniture damaged by great force in the mayor’s office where he visited. Apparently, Abigail Chung was the one who cleaned it up.”
Bringing new furniture into the office was also entirely Abigail’s responsibility.
“That’s troublesome,” Yuri clicked his tongue.
It had been revealed that what Rosenhauser had been carefully hiding wasn’t a nobody, but a secret weapon.
Despite the gravity of the situation, his face remained relatively calm.
Someone who didn’t know him might think he wasn’t particularly moved.
“Still, it’s an unexpected gain,” Chris quietly remarked.
“If Yuri hadn’t seen Mayor Chafnil’s name on the list obtained through the broker, we wouldn’t have been able to secure this much cooperation.”
“We got lucky.”
After all, they hadn’t set out to catch the mayor.
At the time, Yuri only intended to secure a list of bastards who threw around money and power.
To exert influence over the Colosseum.
Strictly speaking, the mayor’s name wasn’t on “Yuri’s” list.
But Edgar, a broker who had been at the Colosseum for a longer time, knew that Mayor Chafnil also frequented the illegal arena quite often.
He had completed a fair number of deals there too.
“Is it alright to let her go?” Chris asked. If they were to “handle” her, there was a possibility he would be called upon, hence the question.
Yuri thought for a moment before answering.
“She has family on our side, so she won’t go to the mayor and confess her contact with us.”
“Ah, you mean Obl.”
Chris recalled Obl, who was shocked to realize he had been a means rather than an end.
Then he had gone wild, saying he couldn’t become a burden to his sister.
‘…Still, he calmed down when Yuri persuaded him.’
Yuri, who had been watching until Obl collapsed from exhaustion, said that if he hadn’t held Obl as collateral, he wouldn’t have let Abigail go free.
After that, Obl became quite docile. The siblings seemed to care for each other deeply.
Perhaps because they were separated at such a young age.
‘I don’t have family though.’
Honestly, Chris was a little envious of them.
Just a little.
His gaze slowly traced Yuri’s face.
Yuri was clearly his master and lover. But if asked whether he was family, there was a slight discrepancy that prevented an immediate “yes.”
Because the temperature when they touched each other was different.
“But if we want to use her as a spy, we need to wait and see.”
“Given our limited manpower, utilizing her doesn’t seem like a bad idea,” Peter suggested using Abigail.
Chris shook his head. “That’s precisely why we shouldn’t take the risk. The enemy isn’t stupid and would know which connection we’re trying to exploit.”
Yuri tended not to make immediate judgments about specific people.
He had to be cautious.
Even people you’ve known for years can betray you for truly ridiculous reasons.
Pride, drugs, seduction, family…
Considering all that, sending Abigail back without dealing with her wasn’t a choice the usual Yuri would make.
Chris shifted his position as he tried to understand Yuri’s thoughts.
What concerned him now wasn’t Abigail’s treatment.
“Do you plan to confront the leader directly?”
He was concerned about how calm Yuri remained despite this unexpected variable.
Rather than not being surprised, he might have been silent because he was formulating a different strategy.
“If he really is a multi-ability user.”
As expected, Yuri answered in a composed tone.
He boasted superior compatibility against most Espers.
Thanks to his independently developed guiding technique.
By combining radiative guiding and reverse-guiding, Yuri could neutralize Espers within a certain range of himself.
Using the same method, he had once captured Chris when he was fleeing without memories and made him kneel.
If Yuri wanted, he could turn Espers into dry kindling or make them into overflowing lakes.
It might indeed be an efficient choice.
“I’m against it,” Chris said.
“Why?”
Chris didn’t answer. Yuri already knew the reason for his opposition.
“For safety?”
“Yes.”
“…Really.”
Yuri gave a bitter smile.
“If I didn’t think you considered not just me but even decent Espers to be weak, I would have been angry long ago.”
“Safety is indeed the first reason.”
Chris carefully began.
“The second is for strategic reasons.”
“Go on.”
Yuri, looking at Chris as if surprised, nodded slightly.
“While reverse-guiding can neutralize Espers, it can’t block snipers at a distance. And it can’t block abilities that were activated before the reverse-guiding.”
Yuri didn’t stop Chris. Encouraged by this, Chris continued sharing his thoughts.
“If this were chess, Yuri, you’d be the king. If you’re captured, it’s essentially a defeat for us. If you were to die—”
Even while speaking hypothetically, Chris momentarily couldn’t continue.
“…I apologize. If you were to be incapacitated, we would be in serious trouble. Additionally, if you were taken hostage, the enemy’s strength would increase significantly.”
Chris expressed his opinion to the end, albeit in a strained voice.
“Is it because of you?”
“Yes.”
He quietly lowered his eyes.
Yuri carefully examined the face of the calamity whose leash he held.
“That’s much more persuasive than simply saying ‘no’ or telling me to take you wherever I go.”
He added in a more intimate tone than before.
“There’s value in our conversation. Isn’t there?”
Chris felt his mouth go dry as he slowly nodded.
‘First. I make the decisions.’
This was one of their agreements with Yuri.
That day, Yuri’s purple eyes were dark and deeply immersed as he looked at the kneeling Chris.
‘Therefore, you should thoroughly examine your thoughts and feelings and express them freely.’
It wasn’t simply about saying “no,” “I don’t like it,” or “I like it.”
It meant to think properly about why you had those thoughts and why you made those judgments.
Chris tended to skip the process and jump to conclusions. It was efficient, and also because he lacked experience in careful deliberation when alone.
‘I bear some responsibility for you becoming like this.’
Yuri whispered as he revealed this fact.
‘Because it was convenient and useful for you to just do as you were told.’
It was a brutally honest assessment that felt harsh. Especially considering that Yuri was criticizing himself with that sharp tongue.
It was a time when they were frantically racing toward revenge. A situation where Chris, who had just started crawling, might barely survive even if he ran like mad.
But despite this, Yuri didn’t claim it was an irresistible force.
‘I need to know you better, Chris.’
Through and through. To the deepest part.
What makes you think and move. Whether you act based on emotional or rational motivations.
If you serve Yuri as your master, what does “serve” mean to you? Why do you always choose sacrifice without hesitation?
Having been so focused on distant enemies without recognizing what was closest, he wouldn’t even notice if his dog went whimpering to find a place to die.
Chris willingly agreed. Hence, he became able to answer Yuri’s opinions without hesitation.
With more raw inner thoughts.
‘Because this too was an order.’
He thought, keeping his eyes lowered.
Knock knock.
“It’s Chase.”
At his appearance, Chris realized the person they had been waiting for had arrived.
Without moving a finger, the door opened, and Chase, standing on the other side, opened his yellow eyes wide before grinning.
Beside him stood Fortuna, the psychic Esper from Baekyah.
“I’ve completed the interrogation of Herbert Raine.”
They had captured the cautious caretaker of Neulbom Orphanage and thoroughly examined his memories.
“He also had a restriction placed on him.”
Thanks to their efforts interrogating prisoners in the Winter Continent, they could bypass this, but it took longer than expected.
“Seems like you’ve brought information about the leader.”
Otherwise, there would be no reason for Fortuna to come see Yuri directly. She was a valuable resource and always exposed to threats.
“Yes,” Fortuna nodded.
“He was an Esper. And one who awakened at a young age.”
“So he is an Esper after all.”
It was as Abigail had already said. It turned out to be an unexpected cross-verification.
Yuri mumbled to himself before asking again.
“How many abilities?”
“Abilities?”
Fortuna showed slight agitation.
“Do you mean he had more than two abilities?”
“It seems you haven’t acquired that information.”
“…Yes. I’m sorry.”
“No, don’t be sorry. That ignorance itself could be a clue.”
“What do you mean?”
Fortuna looked bewildered at Yuri’s words.
“If he truly possessed multiple abilities, the supervisor would have remembered it clearly.”
It’s not just rare; it’s unprecedented across all continents. Even ordinary people would be quite surprised.
“…That’s certainly true.”
“So he obtained multiple abilities after meeting Rosenhauser…”
Yuri muttered.
“Is that possible?” Chase, who had been listening quietly, asked.
He wasn’t particularly interested in common knowledge. Or rather, he wasn’t interested in anything except matters concerning his sister. But even with Chase’s limited knowledge, it was impossible for abilities to increase after birth.
“I know it’s not impossible.”
Yuri’s gaze fixed on Chris as he said this.
Despite suddenly becoming the center of attention, Chris remained still with his hands behind his back.
“Should we probe Anastasia?”
“It wouldn’t hurt to ask.”
Yuri pressed his temple firmly.
Variables were exploding everywhere. Like the pollen he’d seen since coming to the Spring Continent.
At that moment, Chris spoke up.
“Then what was the leader’s ability?”
The very first power, before manifesting multiple abilities.
Fortuna opened her mouth with a somewhat complicated expression.
“It was telekinesis.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
