The Weight of a Faction’s Secrets

“The Little Prince of Obsidian, Augustus?” Iordera frowned, her brow furrowing slightly. “He’s merely a first-year student, having just enrolled in Saroyan. It seems highly improbable that he would be the true mastermind behind all of this.”

“It has nothing to do with the Little Prince,” Jellyfish Tentacle said, his face devoid of expression. “As I’ve already stated, we simply took on this mission ourselves.”

Iordera sneered. “Is that so? Then tell me, who is the client?”

“I don’t know who it is. I’m merely a hired hand; others took on this mission.” Jellyfish Tentacle unhesitatingly shifted the blame to his companions.

****

Iordera gnashed her teeth in frustration. Unable to devise a better plan, she decided to discuss the matter with Sophia on the surface.

They might as well grab some dinner while they were at it.

“I gave that scoundrel time to think, and all he came up with was a flimsy excuse to fool me,” Iordera fumed, biting savagely into a chicken leg. “And to even mention Augustus!”

Unbeknownst to her, Sophia’s expression had turned somewhat peculiar.

“Augustus, Augustus… tell me, is it possible that,” Iordera mused, “Augustus has a good relationship with a high-ranking Saroyan official, and that official borrowed people from him?”

“That official must be the mastermind behind the biological experiments, intending to silence us and bury the truth.”

Sophia hesitated, then finally could no longer hold back. “Um, I think I have a lead… but first, if you find out who it is, what do you plan to do?”

Iordera paused, slightly taken aback, before considering her approach from the previous city. “If they refuse to yield, then I’ll simply eliminate them directly. Deliver divine justice from the source?”

“That might be difficult… No, it would be impossible,” Sophia said, shaking her head. “Their strength is immense, truly formidable. Even if you manage to injure them, their subordinates could easily heal them.”

Iordera frowned. If that were the case, she would have to find a way to gather evidence and then approach their superior to deal with them.

“Still, it’s quite challenging,” Sophia admitted, her expression conflicted. “As I told you before, there are some in the academy who support me, forming what you called a faction.”

“Yes, I remember.”

“These individuals consider Little Prince Augustus and his faction as rivals. They constantly monitor his every move. One day, they discovered that Augustus had connections with a high-ranking official in Saroyan.”

Sophia paused, then lowered her voice. “That official even visited our academy, if you recall.”

Iordera blinked. “Visited? The only high-ranking official who’s been to our academy this semester is…”

Before she could finish her sentence, she gasped, her red eyes widening in shock.

Sophia, meanwhile, nodded gravely.

“Indeed,” she confirmed, “it’s precisely the person you’re thinking of.”

“Busius Sunhand, the Governor of the East District,” Iordera muttered, clenching her small fist. “The highest authority in this entire region?”

“Yes.”

“Then aren’t we completely screwed? His official rank is the highest. Is there anyone who can even control him?”

Iordera took a deep breath, then asked, “Is there anyone in Saroyan who outranks him, someone who can rein him in?”

“I’m not entirely sure,” Sophia replied, pondering deeply. “Each district in Saroyan is largely self-governing, but… The Sword Saint Sorold might be able to.”

“The Sword Saint Sorold?”

The name sounded vaguely familiar. Iordera recalled that when she had inquired for information at the consulate previously, the Sword Saint’s mansion was situated right next door.

A magnificent and imposing sword-shaped spire, a place of pilgrimage within Saroyan’s East District.

“Precisely. Although the Sword Saint isn’t part of Saroyan’s official hierarchy, he is currently the strongest individual in the East District. He was consecrated by the temple, granted the title of Sword Saint, and holds the authority to freely enter and exit any district within Saroyan. He is, in essence, the highest privileged class in Saroyan’s East District.”

Iordera nodded. “I’ve heard that name. It seems there’s an almost fanatical reverence for the Sword Saint throughout Saroyan. But… would he actually help us?”

Sophia shook her head. “I’m not certain. The Sword Saint generally doesn’t interfere with secular governance. However…”

Iordera waited for her to continue.

“It’s just that certain rumors circulate within Saroyan City. They say that when the old emperor passed away, it was precisely because the Sword Saint refused to intervene that the Saroyan royal family was plunged into such turmoil.”

“Why wouldn’t he help?”

“No one truly knows. Back then, the Sword Saint had just been consecrated; he was still a teenager, and his thoughts remained a mystery to all. Yet, ever since that time, he has consistently remained aloof from worldly affairs. Even when Saroyan City was in chaos, with war erupting everywhere, the Sword Saint never intervened, choosing only to reside quietly in his own mansion.”

“Then why are we going to him?”

“Because of this rumor, Iordera. The Saroyan royal family and high officials have always tried to win over the Sword Saint, but he remained unmoved. So, if you can convince him…”

“You want *me* to convince him?” Iordera asked, pointing to herself.

“Yes.”

“Are you joking? If even Saroyan’s royal family and high officials couldn’t sway the Sword Saint, what makes you think I could possibly convince him?”

“Iordera, it’s not entirely impossible.”

“Why?”

“If I’m not mistaken, the Sword Saint’s indifference to the Saroyan royal family’s turmoil isn’t born of true coldness. Rather, it’s because he carries something profound within his heart.”

Iordera looked puzzled. “Carries what?”

“I don’t know, but my intuition tells me that this matter might be connected to you.”

Iordera’s mouth gaped into an ‘O’ shape, as if she suspected she had misheard.

“I know you find it unbelievable, but in a way, the turmoil of the Saroyan royal family is indeed connected to your mother.”

“What does that have to do with my mother?”

“The Saroyan royal family’s unrest began only after the Queen’s passing. And the Queen, she was your mother’s closest friend.”

Iordera fell silent.

Sophia continued, “I know it sounds absurd, but you are the only person I can think of who might be able to persuade the Sword Saint.”

“I will persuade him.”

Iordera’s voice was calm.

Sophia looked at her, a hint of surprise in her eyes.

“How do I get to the Sword Saint’s residence?”

Sophia pointed to the sword-shaped spire in the distance.

“Just keep heading in that direction.”

After all, he was the most prominent figure in the East District, a presence akin to a guardian deity.

Sophia analyzed calmly, “If the evidence is irrefutable, he might very well uphold justice.”

“Alright,” Iordera declared, tossing aside the chicken leg. “I’ll go find him.”

Seeing her excitement, Sophia quickly added, “I only said it was *possible*.”

“Even if there’s only a slim chance, we must try,” Iordera stated without hesitation. “Awang and the others won’t be able to hide for much longer.”

She had leads and a target: Spencer, the former diplomat at the consulate. He might be able to provide her with sufficient evidence. Armed with that evidence, she would approach the Sword Saint, urging him to dispense justice and excise the tumor that was Governor Busius.

Sophia’s mood was heavy. “Iordera, regarding this, I cannot accompany you further in your investigation.”

Busius Sunhand belonged to one of the Empire’s most esteemed Sun clans; he was a scion of genuine aristocracy. If Sophia were to become entangled, incurring the wrath of his powerful family, she would never be able to ascend to the highest echelons of the Empire’s society.

“It’s alright. I already have a plan. Thank you for helping me so much.”

Sophia remained silent for a moment, then pointed downwards. “What about him?”

Iordera gritted her teeth. “Even if someone could reattach his legs, it would take a considerable amount of time. At least until this matter is resolved, he won’t be able to cause any more trouble. Later, we’ll send him dinner with a little something extra, to make him sleep for a few days. Let his companions take their time finding him.”

“Alright.”

Jellyfish Tentacle offered no resistance. When the food arrived, he ate it, perhaps to avoid Iordera force-feeding him.

Once he had fallen into a deep slumber, they dragged him upstairs and casually left him in a corner. The two then locked the workshop door and departed swiftly.

All that needed to be done there was finished. However, there was still much more work ahead.

Sophia returned to the academy. The sky hadn’t completely darkened, so she still had time to go back to her dorm and sleep.

Iordera, however, headed straight for the night market.

Cat Head greeted her from afar. “Little beauty, you…”

“You certainly made quite a commotion on Doll Street.”

“Hmm, I suppose so.” She settled onto the counter, laying out eleven intelligence requests. “The residence of Spencer, the former diplomat of the Lu human race’s consulate.”

Cat Head frowned, not reaching for the papers.

“What’s wrong? This isn’t exactly a difficult task, is it?”

Iordera prompted.

Cat Head chuckled. “Not difficult at all. In fact, it’s practically free money. Many of the intelligence gatherers in the night market already know his address. Even if they don’t, it wouldn’t take much effort to find out.”

He slowly pulled the gold coins towards him. “It’s just that, little beauty, your continuous stream of requests is a bit surprising.”

Iordera merely offered a faint smile, offering no explanation.

“After all, that’s just the kind of place the night market is.”

“You’ll have your answer by tomorrow night,” Cat Head said. “Of course, if you’re willing to wait here, someone might even tell you tonight.”

“No thanks,” she replied. “I’ll come back tomorrow night.”

She had been up all day and hadn’t slept yet. Moreover, even knowing Spencer’s residence, she couldn’t simply barge in. First impressions were crucial, and her momentum absolutely couldn’t be broken.

Just like when interrogating Jellyfish Tentacle earlier, she had held the absolute advantage and was on the verge of breaking his psychological defenses, only to ruin the entire situation with a small mistake.

Therefore, Iordera needed to make thorough preparations before going. Perhaps she would return to the academy tomorrow to seek advice from someone.