Broker-Chapter 259

There were at least a thousand other things Leiandra Firth could think of doing right now that were more productive than what she was currently doing. She’d come here only briefly to observe Chernovna and warn her about harassing Sowards before returning to The Hague. The CEO’s antics had been reserved, especially after Leiandra had arranged for the leak that would pressure her into avoiding direct reprisals against the Representatives that had harmed Cassiopeia. Getting permission to do that had taken more capital than I care to admit.

Things seemed to be getting worse. The attacks on dungeons around the world were intensifying, with villains coming out of the woodwork. Ishtar’s little stunt at The Hague had put the Pandora Committee on red alert. The Chairwoman was already on the warpath, purging corrupt elements in the Committee. Now it was like the chaotic early days. To make matters worse, representatives on the investigation list were starting to die.

Officially, Chernovna wasn’t on the list since there wasn’t any hard evidence of her business practices being illegal. Leiandra had no doubt they were, however, and Ishtar’s threat had made it clear that she was a target. The American Representative was apoplectic over Sowards’ refusal to meet with Chernovna about getting new security. He’d apparently spoken with the head of security and refused before going dark. At least we know he’s just at home with his phone off. Spineless bastard.

Leiandra, for her part, had been on a plane getting ready to take off for the Netherlands. The Portal Network was tied up sending heroes this way and that to deal with the growing mess with the dungeons, so she had to travel like a normal person. This left her in a prime position to receive a phone call asking her to take a helicopter out to Sonya Chernovna’s fancy new boat and ask her directly about the Committee’s security concerns.

Part of her resented the abrupt change in plans. She had cases to work on, not just Chernovna’s. However, there was another part of her that was eager. According to observers, Chernovna’s boat was surrounded by drones that were creating some kind of strange privacy screen around the entire ship. It made it impossible to see what was happening on deck, which made it rather suspicious. The privacy screens weren’t perfect, though, and the observers did add that there were more people on the ship than expected.

When did she have time to bring a crew in? Did she get help from Euclidia? I’ll have to press her when I get back to Headquarters, Leiandra thought as the helicopter came in for a landing.

She uncrossed her legs and checked her power-suppressing cuffs, making sure they were set so that she could access the toggle if need be. She hated using her powers, not out of a dislike for abilities, but out of a professional sense of standard. Any information gathered through the use of her ability was ultimately inadmissible. Only lie-detecting powers were an agreed-upon legal function as far as the Committee was concerned, and thus her powers were useless to her except in cases of self-defense.

The pilot opened the door, and she stepped out onto the helicopter pad set onto the bow of the ship. Two other helicopters were present, both of them executive-class. The ones Sonya fleeced from Sowards.

“Leiandra! Welcome to the Idol of Venus!”

Leiandra turned to see Sonya in a bikini and sarong approaching with Handmaiden in tow as always. The generally unassuming woman was in her maid dress sans her usual gauntlets. With the two of them were two more women in similar maid outfits, who stood with Handmaiden in what appeared to be a subordinate position. That’s new, Leiandra thought before turning to Sonya, who had extended her hand in greeting. Leiandra frowned at her. “Let’s make this brief, Sonya. I have no intention of-”

“Oh pish-posh!” Sonya laughed, waving a dismissive hand. “You came all the way out here and just want to pack up and go after a quick word? Come on, don’t be a stranger!”

She’s saying that she has nothing to hide, Leiandra thought. We’ll see about that.

“Fine,” Leiandra said, trying to sound put upon. “I wouldn’t mind seeing the sights.”

“I’m sure you wouldn’t,” Sonya tittered. “Did you bring any bags?”

“Of course not.”

“That’s fine! We’ll get you an outfit from my collection,” Sonya elated, and squinted at her. “Hm… or maybe from Carla’s.”

Leiandra raised an eyebrow before realizing where the woman was looking and crossed her arms. “Sonya.”

“Leiandra.”

“Are you twelve?” freewebnøvel.com

“Closer to three hundred, actually,” Sonya said, and Leiandra rolled her eyes at the impossible woman. “How about a drink?”

“Fine. Then we actually have to talk,” Leiandra said.

“Alright, alright,” Sonya sing-songed and turned away. “Marta, would you and the others kindly get something set up for our guest and myself? Go for a red theme; she seems to like that color.”

“Right away,” Handmaiden said with a short bow and nodded to her two companions before they hurried off towards the stairs leading down towards the deck of the ship.

Leiandra watched them go before glancing around. She spotted several of the mysterious privacy drones floating around the ship in what looked like a steady orbit. Occasionally, one would dip down and be replaced by another from somewhere she couldn’t see. They need to recharge on occasion. So there are periodic openings. Good to know.

“Twelve-hour intervals. They went up in a wave, so they go down one after another,” Sonya said lazily as they started walking. “It takes about thirty seconds for the replacement to get into position.”

Leiandra shot her a sidelong look. She really wants me to believe that she has nothing to hide.

“I hear you spawned a crew out of nowhere,” Leiandra commented when they reached the stairs, walking down alongside the perpetually amused-looking Chernovna. “Where exactly did they all come from?”

“Most of them are Japanese, sourced from a friend and brought over at night,” Sonya said dismissively. “You must have some very good observers.”

Leiandra considered her for a moment. It wasn’t an unreasonable statement. To be honest, it was very realistic that she could have shipped some people in under the cover of darkness. Paid off someone at the Japanese port authority to let a boat come out off the record and drop them off. Not an insurmountable distance either. Everything you say is reasonable. You’ve made a point of emphasizing that you don’t lie outwardly. Even Black Lotus says so. All that means is that you are very good at obfuscating facts with wordplay. She paused. Does that mean Black Lotus is in on whatever you’re up to?

Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

“This is the main deck!” Sonya announced, cutting into her thoughts and gesturing to the simulated beach and wave pool. There were about six or seven people milling about in crisp white uniforms. Here and there a spherical drone would float by and hover over one of the workers. The voice of Colin Matthews would come out and provide input on what they were doing before floating off again. “Most of the crew is actually relatively new to working on a ship this large, so Amos was kind enough to set his drones up with tutorials.”

“Why not crew it with his dolls in that case?” Leiandra asked.

“A good question!” Sonya laughed. “I like people.”

“You like people, that’s it?”

Sonya shrugged. “What’s wrong with a personal touch?”

Avoiding a direct answer with a question again, another topic to take note of. There’s something about her crew she’s not telling me, Leiandra observed as they passed the wave pool. Nearby there were several tables and lounge chairs set out. Most of them were empty, but she did spot Colin Matthews and Doctor Carter sitting on one, speaking in low tones and laughing. I’d heard rumors, but…

“Oh yeah, it’s exactly what you’re thinking,” Sonya snickered. “Hi, boys! Having fun?”

Colin raised a hand and waved back at them, while Amos shot them a thumbs-up. Leiandra gave her professional rival an awkward wave before looking back at Sonya, who paid her no mind as they drew closer to what looked like a dining pavilion. “Sonya, why don’t we get the main reason for my visit out of the way if you’re going to insist on playing host?”

Sonya didn’t look up at her. “Sure, shoot.”

“The American Representative is asking that we send an international hero to help protect you during these events you’re hosting. That challenge you issued has put an even bigger target on your head, and then you…” She trailed off with a sigh. “...Awakening tokens. Really?”

Sonya chuckled. “Good times.”

“Is this a game to you?”

“Kind of,” Sonya admitted. “I have my reasons for the way I do things, Leiandra.”

“The Committee is suggesting Black Lotus come and be your backup security,” Leiandra drew the conversation back on topic. “You two are obviously familiar with one another, so it shouldn’t be a burden for you-”

“Nah,” Sonya said with a shrug. “Chunhua’s talents are better used elsewhere, clearing high-tier dungeons and dealing with villains. She can watch my ass on her vacation days.”

“Then who?” Leiandra demanded, ignoring the sordid comment.

“I’m not worried about my security,” Sonya said. “Have you not seen the ASTA Security forces at the Sydney Arena?”

“Oh, I’ve seen your private army,” Leiandra said.

“See? I’m covered.”

“Even if Ishtar tries attacking you again?” Leiandra asked and got a shrug for her effort. She shook her head; she’d figured it would end like this. “Fine, I’ll tell them you said no. If something happens, though, they might just force the issue.”

“If they want to send me someone that bad, they can, but I get to choose who they send,” Sonya said flatly as they reached the door of the dining pavilion. Inside, Leiandra could see a single table set in the center of the large room with a red tablecloth and mood lighting. There was even a bloody candle in the middle.

Leiandra’s eye would have twitched if it wasn’t for the sudden seriousness on Sonya’s face. Her eyes were hard as ice, and her tone was just as chilly. “Only if something comes up,” she added. “Believe it or not, I actually care about the Pandora Committee’s work and don’t like wasting their resources for no reason.”

It was hard to believe that she was some secretly corrupt element when she got like this, but performances wouldn’t sway Leiandra from her investigation. Sonya didn’t say anything more as they passed inside and approached the table. Sonya made an effort to pull the seat out for her, which was more an attempt at getting under her skin. Leiandra countered by accepting it without question and sitting down, which earned her a confused half-grin from Sonya.

You aren’t the only one who can play games, she thought as a young man stepped out of the back in a suit. He had bowl-cut brown hair, steady eyes, and was leaning on a cane. He looks familiar, but I can’t place it. Strange.

“For the ladies, might I recommend tonight’s special? The new chef is quite proud of his tataki,” the young man said.

“That sounds lovely, thank you,” Sonya said easily and handed the menu back without even looking. “The chef can pair it with whatever wine he thinks is best. Is that okay with you, Leiandra?”

Leiandra pulled her eyes away from the waiter’s face and let out a breath. I don’t think I’m getting any more information out of this visit. I should just be satisfied with what I’ve learned.

“Yes, that’s fine.”

—

KSSS!

“She looked right at him!” Sonya snickered as the news played in the background. “Blight was cracking up! Oh, that’s funny.”

“Another independent dungeon was hit today in the Congo as villain activity worldwide continues to escalate. Experts are warning of the possibility of a global crime wave. Pandora Committee officials have indicated that although the situation is becoming more serious, villains have focused their attention on clearing dungeons and pulled much of their activity away from populated areas. Civilians should still be on the lookout for suspicious activity wherever they are,” the reporter said.

Sonya sipped at the freshly opened can and leaned back in her chair as the stars glittered overhead.

“The First Day of the Australian ASTA Sponsorship Competition concluded just a few hours ago. Over two thousand light-touched registered to participate, with only two hundred remaining after the preliminary battle royale. Despite the fierce fighting, there were no permanent injuries among the participants and no fatalities. After the preliminaries, several rounds of simultaneous one-on-one matches were held between the participants throughout the day. Only sixteen participants remain, with Hero Sol the projected victor,” the reporter went on.

Sonya put down her drink and rested her chin on her knuckles as the shadows danced around her. She glanced up at them and smiled. “Hello, dear,” she murmured. “Reporting in?”

The shadows congealed into a single point before taking the shape of Beyol, who offered her a bow. “We have made significant progress, Mistress. The dungeon is made up of several layers, and it will take time to clear it out logistically. As far as the monsters are concerned, it is no trouble at all,” the dark-haired youth said before glancing up and meeting her eyes. “How are things on your end?”

She grinned at him and tilted her head. “Was that… informality?” she asked. His eyes widened, and she reached out to tap him on the nose. “Boop!” she laughed. “Relax, I’m teasing you,” she said and ruffled his hair before leaning back. “You’re allowed to be a little informal when it’s just us.”

He stood up straight and cleared his throat while brushing his hair back into place. “Kera suggested I try it out,” he murmured behind his hand, looking away.

She brightened and hopped out of her chair, picking him up and giving him a great big squeeze. She sometimes forgot how strong she was. “You are so cute!” she laughed and pulled back a bit, smiling warmly. “Beyol, I’m happy. I feel good. Better than I’ve been in a long frickin’ time,” she laughed before setting the frazzled supervillain down, returning to her seat, and letting out a sigh. “Are you being good to Kera?”

He was straightening his coat out when she said it, and he looked up at her in surprise. “Um… I don’t know-”

She gave him a flat look. “Yes, you do. You were dense for a while, but you’re not a child,” she said.

He cleared his throat again and nodded. “Yes, ma’am,” he said. “It’s… nice.”

She looked towards the window again. “Good. Now go on back. Thank you for your report, Blackrazor.”

He bowed and dissolved into the floor, vanishing into the shadows. His presence disappeared a moment later, and she was alone. She picked up her drink again and sipped at it, savoring the bubbles and sweetness. Other villains have wine and fancy liquors, but a bubbly cola is all I need, she chuckled and set it down before shutting off the stream. She stretched and checked the clock on her HUD. “Oh shit! Marta’s waiting for me.”