The entire night, Brandon and Rachel took down three smuggling operations.


    Immediately, it made headlines.


    [Small timepany, Diou, engaged in illegal business?"


    [CEO of Vainglory Company, arrested for illegal smuggling.]


    [Crypth Pharmaceuticals, a drugpany in disguise?]


    While the ones responsible for the attacks were unknown, the public could very much say that they had good intentions.


    Vigntes.


    That''s what they started calling them.


    But because of those activities…


    "Brandon…?"


    Drowsy, Brandon responded to Raven who frowned.


    "Nevermind. At least it isn''t as obvious as her."


    Raven pointed towards a familiar figure with pitch-ck hair.


    She seemed like she was offering a prayer. But if one were to look closely, they could see that she was definitely drooling.


    Raven turned his head back to face Bran—


    "...."


    He fell asleep.


    "...."


    And Raven fixed his attention back towards the professor.


    Raven could more or less tell something was up.


    But out of respect for both of his friends, he decided not to snoop around.


    ***


    Entering a certain room, a man with purple hair and a well trimmed beard nced around before settling his gaze on a figure that sat in the middle of a round table.


    Meeting the figure''s gaze, he lowered his head.


    "You''ve called, Sir?"


    "Sit down, Dwight."


    At his instructions, Dwight found a seat from across the round table.


    He sat there for a few moments. Silence gripped the room, and the way the leader looked at him made him uneasy.


    Dwight was unsure why the leader called for him. But he wanted to leave as soon as he could.


    That was beca—


    "I heard three of our shipments failed."


    "...."


    Oh no.


    Dwight''s entire figure twitched as soon as those words left the leader''s mouth.


    The heads had kept that fact to themselves for a while.


    So how in the world did it reach the leader?


    Thump!


    The leader stood up from his seat and started walking around. A tentative silence urred as none had spoken. Eventually, the leader neared Dwight''s seat before he realized it.


    "....!"


    The leader clenched the back of his seat tightly. Dwight flinched abruptly as his eyes shot wide open.


    Shortly after, the leader''s chilling voice reached his ears.


    "Now why hadn''t any of the heads reported this to me?"


    "S-Sir, they werepanies that were recently signed to us. The heads have been investigating these cases. We didn''t think the matter was of grave importance just to bother you, Sir."


    The leader was known to be busy aspared to the heads.


    And for them, the smuggling operations were nothing but passive ie from drug dens they worked with.


    "Fool."


    He felt the leader''s hands gripping his shoulders tightly.


    "Every venture of this organization is of the same importance. Since you and the other heads are trying to track down these assants, then I''ll look the other way for now. But if you fail, we''ll be having a summit. Do you understand…?"


    "...."


    A summit entails a meeting between all of the heads along with the leader. And a summit meant that one of the heads will get evicted.


    What happens to those evicted?


    They''d get disposed of.


    in and simple.


    "I said, do you understand?"


    "Y-yes, Sir!"


    "Good, now go. I''ll be expecting results soon."


    Dwight abruptly stood up from his seat. Approaching the door, he shed the leader a light bow before eventually leaving.


    Staring at the spot where Dwight once stood, the leader breathed out a sigh.


    "Haaa… Useless bunch."


    Leaning on his seat, he nced at the ceiling.


    "So Zed''sing back, huh?"


    He was the only man he could trust.


    It delighted him that Zed gave him a heads up on the situation.


    But for some reason, Zed went inactive some years ago.


    But out of his respect for his best-friend he allowed it.


    Still, the two kept in close contact since then.


    He chuckled at the thought.


    "Ten yearster, his skills haven''t deteriorated. d he''s still got my back."


    Staring at the documents that were strewn before the round table, the man began to ponder.


    "Will it be a sess?"


    He shook his head.


    "Regardless, they''ve alreadye up with a countermeasure if ''that'' man survives."


    Pulling the drawer from beneath his part of the round table, he retrieved a small photograph.


    On it disyed a little boy with red hair and yellow eyes, and an older girl with the same features.


    "I''ll be seeing you soon, Sis."


    Shortly after, he ced it back inside the drawer and locked it with his key.


    His eyes fell on the name tag that was situated on the table.


    Lancelott


    That was it.


    Nost name, or any other fancy followup.


    An orphan.


    The leader of a syndicate.


    A soldier.


    And…


    An illegal immigrant.


    ***


    Having rested for a while, Brandon attended his lectures normally until they were finally dismissed.


    The moon was high up with not a single cloud.


    It was a beautiful night.


    And it was time for another smuggling bust.


    Only this time, Zed was present.


    ording to him, there was a high chance the difficulty would increase, regardless of thepany they were targeting.


    But on the brightside, it meant that most probably this would be thestpany they would target.


    While Zed stood on guard, he would only intervene if things got dicey.


    Tzz—!


    Swiftly maneuvering about, Brandon supported Rachel with his threads.


    Just like the operationst night, whenever Rachel was about to get attacked, supported with his [Wind] affinity, the threads would quickly reel her to the side. Giving off the illusion that Rachel was moving around swiftly.


    With this strategy, Rachel could solely focus on offense.


    Xiu! Xiu! Xiu!


    Bolts of ice pierced through the air and struck several men. While most arrows couldn''t actually kill them, Brandon would secretly finish them off with a thread.


    Rachel''s bolts were nothing but a diversion, a means to stagger the men and give them wounds. As soon as the final bolt that seems to finish them off strikes, a secret thread would assist and deal the finishing blow.


    It was the same strategy as always.


    The reason why they opted for this was so they would stay intimidated by Rachel.


    And with intimidation,es fear.


    Xiu! Xiu! Xiu!


    The strategy still seemed to work.


    But for some reason, something about the shipment was off.


    Gliding along with the threads, Rachel asked.


    "Is it just me, or are there less guards?"


    "Then…"


    In particr, there were only eight guards. A stark contrast to the previous shipments.


    ng—!


    The container behind the truck smashed open. Shortly after, several robed figures emerged.


    "Makes sense."


    Brandon shrugged.


    But…


    He could feel it.


    He couldn''t shake off the feeling that something ominous was within the container.


    Shortly after, Zed''s voice reached his ears from his earset.


    —Brandon, Rachel, get out of there.