The Extra of The Lunerra-Chapter 500 - 35: Last Preparations

Black Blood had actually invited Thomas to their headquarters to discuss what had happened even before we had a chance to chat.

Thomas was just stalling as much as he could. Because there was so much we had to deal with and prepare for.

First of all, independently of Thomas, I—that is, Franz Martin Inferesse—needed to receive an invitation to a meeting as well. This was absolutely essential for our plan. I had to be there. And this turned out to be even more problematic than we had anticipated.

Black Blood wasn't the kind of organization where just anyone could meet with them on a whim. First and foremost, the person had to have connections with them. Fortunately, the Inferesse Family had previously had a minor connection with one of Black Blood's leaders. So that wasn't such a big problem.

The real problem was that a direct invitation was necessary. And the person who received the invitation wasn't me... it was Thomas Morten. Unfortunately, using a representative wasn't an option either.

For this reason, our days were spent juggling other preparations while also doing everything we could to strengthen the Inferesse Family.

With the recent events, the fact that there was a positive relationship between the Inferesse and Morten Families—and that we had begun working together—had already spread to every corner of the city.

And spreading those rumors was just the beginning.

All the resources of the destroyed alliance, everything they possessed, were transferred to the Inferesse Family's name after the Morten Family announced they would refuse to take anything. This alone had instantly propelled the Inferesses, who could barely be considered a middle-class mafia family, higher in the hierarchy than they had ever been.

But it wasn't over.

In recent days, we spread additional rumors that we had signed several agreements with the Morten Family.

What would happen to the Inferesse Family, whose position in the hierarchy had suddenly skyrocketed, if they also began receiving support from the Morten Family?

We could easily join the ranks of the top ten most powerful and influential families in Old Gundam before long.

And that was enough to catch Black Blood's attention. With such a future easily foreseeable, they needed to learn about the Inferesse Family's new head and show him how things worked here. No matter how quickly I rose, they had to teach me that Black Blood would always be at the top.

So, it took three days for me to receive the invitation requesting a meeting with Black Blood.

This meeting was scheduled for about three hours after Thomas Morten's meeting. In short, we had achieved our goal.

Very soon, tomorrow… I would be stepping into the heart of the Old Gundam.

I was going to enter the territory of Black Blood, who had a hand in all the illegal operations spread across the planet and connections to all the underground organizations. I was going to jump right into the palm of their hands, so to speak.

And…

I was going to be the cause of their downfall.

Well... that just meant there was a lot more I needed to prepare. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"The mana batteries are ready, right?"

Thomas nodded in response to my question.

"Of course. We paid a fortune for them. If they're not ready, I'll be the one getting angriest.

After saying that, he pulled a rather small object from his pocket and handed it to me. It looked like a tiny lighter, but it was actually a dimensional inventory item.

Despite its small size, it was quite full inside. There were countless batteries inside, each packed with highly concentrated mana reserves.

"What about the rune?"

"Our men are already taking their positions. The only problem is the control points and connections near the center of the city for obvious reasons, but we'll handle those while you're in the meeting to avoid drawing attention."

"Good."

The two most important points of the plan were the mana and the rune we'd discussed. The other things were important too, of course, but as long as those were taken care of, there wouldn't be any major problems.

Thomas and I went over a few more things like that. But eventually it got way too late, and Thomas went to get some sleep.

I, meanwhile, stayed up, continuing to review and polish everything.

I spoke with Alex and made sure everything on his end was in order.

I told the Bluelet Family that something big was going to happen tomorrow and sent them a file containing the things I recommended they do.

I took a quick look at the issues Thomas said he'd handled, just in case.

Finally, with very little time left before sunrise…

~beep!

I made a call.

It was a secret line that was extremely difficult to trace. It had a single-use authorization, and it was about to fulfill its purpose.

"Ah, hello?"

And before long, a familiar voice echoed in my ears.

"I'm calling from Old Gundam. I told you I would call you around this time before setting off for Piarlin."

"…"

A deep silence suddenly fell over the room.

"Aiden…?"

"Yes, it's me."

He didn't say anything for a short while. But then I heard him sigh softly, breaking the silence that had settled for the second time.

"Is… it time?"

"Yes. I'll take action tomorrow. Since I won't be around for a short while, you'll handle all the meetings with Piarlin as we agreed beforehand."

"So everything has been going perfectly so far?"

"Yes. I can't say there weren't a few minor issues, but as I said, they were minor. Nothing in the plan has changed. Tomorrow will be the final day of Black Blood."

"I see…"

Our agreement was simple. If I failed, he would step back as if there were no connection between him and the situation, but if I succeeded, he would help me.

Well, there was still no absolute guarantee I would succeed, but he would find out what was going to happen soon enough.

"Can't you really tell me why you won't be around?"

"No."

Otherwise, you wouldn't have approved my plan.

"…"

There was a brief silence between us. Neither of us spoke a single word. He was thinking, and I was waiting to let him. But, then…

"Haaah… okay, fine."

I finally got the answer I wanted.

"I'll start making preparations right away. As soon as I hear that you've succeeded, I'll let Piarlin know everything."

"Thank you."

The call ended, and I found myself alone again within the walls of my office. And, just like the prince, I took a deep breath.

I think… we're ready.

What else is there for me to do but wait?

*******

"I hope you're still alive when we meet next."

These were the words Thomas Morten spoke before setting off for his meeting with Black Blood. And my words weren't much different.

"And I hope you do everything you need to do successfully."

Because our next meeting would be after everything was over.

Thomas smiled and reached out his hand toward me before getting into his car.

"Good luck. You'll need it."

And I shook that hand one last time.

"Thanks, same to you."

And so, he finally got into his car.

I watched him from where I stood as the car drove off toward the heart of the city and disappeared from view. Then, I went inside to wait for my turn.

The minutes ticked by.

Minutes when nothing happened, when the city was quite quiet and peaceful. It was a time when I didn't check anything, just waiting for my turn, in order to rest a little.

And as I watched the city go about its business independently of us, I couldn't help but think.

Old Gundam… would have been a beautiful city if it weren't the beating heart of illegal activities. Of course, this wasn't unexpected from Piarlin's old capital, but it was still surprising.

And a bit… sad, I guess.

The fact that this entire city will soon be reduced to ruins. That the peace and quiet it possesses will be completely engulfed in chaos.

"Hmm…"

If I could, I'd prefer to take a more measured approach... but I'm not a god. I have my limits, and I must operate within them.

So, there's nothing to be done.

I can't really say I feel much of anything anyway…

Everything is for the sake of Saligia's downfall.

*******

The three hours passed relatively quickly.

I had no idea how Thomas's meeting had gone, but it was my turn. This time, I was the one hopping in my car to head into the heart of the city.

Of course, unlike Thomas, there was no one to see me off. The only person who knew about the plan was Alex, and he had an endless list of things he needed to take care of on his own. He didn't have the spare time to come here and wish me luck.

So, I got into the car in silence. And with the same silence, headed toward the center of Black Blood.

Old Gundam was truly a meticulously designed city. As I approached the center, not only did the number of people decrease, but direct surveillance also intensified. Beyond a certain point, it felt as though I were heading toward a secret place where no one was supposed to set foot.

This was different from approaching the regions of influential families.

Well, the city center had been where the Piarlin royal family lived decades ago. That's why the city's design was shaped accordingly. But now the heart of Black Blood was situated there. So it was normal… but it still was a strange feeling.

Shortly afterward, the number of cars on the roads dropped noticeably. There were only a few cargo trucks, two or three sports cars, and some other trucks around us. Even though traffic wasn't being specifically monitored or stopped, identity checks and verifications were being processed in the background every second.

The fact that we were moving forward without encountering any obstacles didn't mean we weren't being monitored.

I quickly realized this when we reached a checkpoint-like location. Because, once again, we hadn't been stopped. We'd simply been allowed to pass. Who the car belonged to, why it was here, and who was inside had already been checked.

Up until then, I'd been watching the outside from the back seat. But when I realized we were passing through this checkpoint-like area, I shifted my gaze from the window to the front of the car.

What I saw was… a massive structure visible toward the end of the road we were driving on.

No, it wasn't particularly tall. At most, it was a four or five-story building. But… it was huge. Enormously huge. The area it covered was so vast that it could have been a small city on its own. It had a generally simple appearance, yet despite that simplicity, it was clear that every wall and every detail had been meticulously crafted.

This was Piarlin's old palace… but now it served as the headquarters of the Black Blood.

'Oh.'

The sound that echoed in my mind suddenly shifted my focus away from the massive structure.

"Hm? Did something happen, Sith?"

'Yes, something did happen. I feel like I'm being watched. It's as if something is aware of my presence and keeping me in its sights."

It seems they've developed the system they use to detect spirits far beyond what I'd imagined…?

"What level of 'surveillance' are you talking about?"

'They're aware of my presence and how powerful a spirit I am, and they probably know I'm contracted with you. But that's about it… I think.'

"Hmm…"

It's not much of a problem. In fact, I suppose it's fair to say it won't change my plan at all. But it's definitely an unexpected development.

It seems everyone has gotten used to the existence of spirits and taken precautions.

"I see. It's not a big deal, you don't need to worry about it."

'Well, if you say so…'

So, I turned my gaze back to what was in front of me.

As time passed and we drew closer to our destination, I carefully examined the palace that would soon be reduced to rubble.