Transcendent Gene-Chapter 278: Deception [2]

’Everything is proceeding a little too smoothly. It makes me wary.’

Even Gio was surprised by how easily his whims were being entertained. He had enough of a plan to be considered worth something, but how could they give him so much trust for nothing?

’I don’t think Aren helped much. If anything, he could only influence one person.’

The person who challenged him the most was Jeriah, the Divine Strategist. That man asked several questions that were difficult for Gio to answer. At one point, he even thought he’d have no choice but to fall into a trap made of words.

’If he kept pushing, they would have all seen the holes in my words. I think he’s on the verge of figuring out what I’m trying to do, too.’

He saw it in the man’s smile. Perhaps he didn’t know everything, but he’d put together at least some of the puzzle pieces.

’What matters is that he gave us permission.’

Gio understood why it was easy for the other three.

They were teenagers and students of the First Institute. That identity alone took away any reason they’d have to doubt or question the party’s motives. Nobody saw the greed in those students’ eyes, and to people of such high status, they were merely more pawns on the chessboard.

They had come to offer themselves up. They chose to do their dirty work in order to secure their own benefits. They weren’t hiding anything and were allowing the allied forces to take part in their operation, albeit in the shadows and only in the escape.

To them, there was nothing to be afraid of.

’Well, it’s fine even if he’s onto us.’

Gio was also willing to accept some challenge. The other three weren’t important names, but he knew about the Divine Strategist.

’He disappeared around fifteen years from now. He was a huge help in a lot of important battles before then, but it only took two or three years after he vanished for people to start theorizing otherwise.’

He was involved in some suspicious activities and connected to some dangerous people that the world didn’t learn about for a long time. It was never confirmed whether he was an ally or an enemy, but one thing was guaranteed.

’His abilities as a strategist are no exaggeration.’

He had a mind that couldn’t be found anywhere else.

’Forming a connection here is a good thing. He has a lot of influence in every branch of the military as well. I just need to look into his past allegations.’

Overall, Gio was satisfied with the results of the meeting. He was given what he requested almost immediately, as well.

His team was taken to a small room in the same building where Aren worked. It was underground and past several layers of security that were mostly operated by humans.

’According to Aren, none of this was here a few days ago.’

They had been hidden behind such protections because of Gio’s plan. They couldn’t allow it to be used against them once the enemy made the same realizations, after all.

When they were past the security measures, they found themselves in a space made up of only the color white. It was completely empty aside from two museum cases in its center that held two different name plaque-like objects.

’They think it’s fine to let us see these.’

Gio’s eyes were filled with veiled anticipation.

These plaques didn’t originally belong to any of the four leaders of the council. They were provided to those who originally found the clues in question.

These plaques were created to be gathered by anyone who could gather them. New ones would be created anytime a new individual discovered a clue.

On that note, all four of the leaders had their own versions of the two plaques stored away, but they still chose to let Gio’s team see the ones originally manifested by the clue’s discoverers.

Why was that?

’These are bait.’

They were being displayed so grandly to act as lures.

Perhaps Gio’s team wasn’t the primary target, but they still felt like they were being trapped in a cage.

Gio put aside his misgivings and approached the cases.

’It should only take a single look...’

[The world’s history has been fabricated.]

The first clue was an ordinary one. It was the most basic fact that one could learn through the scenario.

However, when Gio looked at the clue, he saw what it was referring to.

An image appeared in his head. It was a mosaic of sorts that showed multiple scenes next to each other, allowing him to view countless perspectives at once.

In one, there were men writing books and tablets that would define the ancient eras in modern eyes. In another, there was a much more recent image of documents being hidden or erased from digital mediums.

Alongside the images of humanity changing history, though, were scenes Gio couldn’t decipher so easily.

The Earth was spinning on a large platform like a globe. Various terraforming events took place in all different forms. In some parts of the mosaic, there were mere still images of portals and warp gates that meant nothing on a surface level.

[The world’s history has been fabricated.]

The clue only said that much, but the statement meant much more in Gio’s mind. If it didn’t, the newly formed plaque in his pocket wouldn’t exist.

’It isn’t just by human hands, huh...’

That was why he never reached this clue on his own. Someone who worked with the allied forces found that there were other reasons behind history’s twisting.

Some of those factors were ecological, some were astronomical, and some were more ethereal.

’Then, this scenario’s main secret isn’t something related to humanity alone. We can only be a piece of the puzzle.’

Gio wasn’t alone in assuming that humans were the quest’s main subject. As the world’s only sentient inhabitants, how could its secrets not be related to them?

’But now, we don’t even know if we really were Earth’s only sentient inhabitants.’

Now, Gio had a clue in his pocket that could suggest otherwise, though he was absolutely careful about not revealing its existence to anyone.

His party members had been just as cautious. He was only able to explain his plan in full to them when they were resting the night before, but they’d been supporting it since long before that moment came.

’So, Earth’s secrets are bigger than humanity yet related to humanity’s relationship with monsters...’

With such thoughts in mind, Gio moved to the second plaque.

Coincidentally or not, it went hand-in-hand with the first.

[Not all fabrications are created with intention. They are sometimes created through fate and happenstance.]

A new set of images appeared in Gio’s head to explain the clue.

It almost directly contradicted the previous mosaic. The images were similar, but the history being shown was completely different.

’How does that make sense?’

He understood why it was so easy to gain access to these clues.

’They mean nothing. They found the first, found the second, and then realized they really got nowhere.’

The clues would surely make more sense when paired with the rest of the six, but alone, they were the worst two to have together.

Gio had another clue that didn’t quite relate to the two that were now accompanying it, but he could, at the very least, make some assumptions. He doubted it n the council was able to do even that much.

’I can’t say it’s not annoying to get nothing out of these, but it’s fine.’

It only felt like nothing. The "3/6" marker on the holographic window near his head was enough to console Gio’s broken heart.

’The other side is also supposed to have two. I promised to get in somehow, but we don’t have any connections to that side.’

There was a lot of truth involved in what he said to Aren and the council.

The entire story and premise that those truths were based on, however, was a lie.

Gio had no connections to the Old Duke’s side and no reliable way to find the tangible clue plates they held without causing mayhem.

’Well...’

When dealing with djinn, finding a way in was the easy part.

’We should set off first. There will be more than enough chances to get into their camp before, but it’ll still be best if we show up during the day.’

Once he’d gathered himself, he faded the other three members of his party and spoke.

"Lyverne is a long way from here. We should prepare to leave tomorrow morning at the earliest."

There was a lot in Astarune that they hadn’t seen. There were people for them to meet, things for them to experience, and more, but it’d have to wait.

The task at hand was simply more important.

When they had five clues in their hands and stood above both the djinns and allied forces, they could slow down and think about mingling with the people around them.

It was better not to get distracted beforehand.