Chapter 231

After the Omega Investment incident, the center of gravity within the Transmigrator Alliance naturally shifted to Aaron Stingray.

By showing them how he reduced the so-called ‘Motherboard’, who had originally acted as their leader, into nothing more than a lump of scrap metal, Aaron Stingray was able to firmly imprint upon the transmigrators that he was on an entirely different level.

Above all, Serena Beresford and Kara the Red Fixer—who had served as executive-level figures within the Alliance—had supported Aaron from the very beginning.

Zyle Stormwalker and Grigori Silvereyes followed suit one after another, and before long, the Transmigrator Alliance had effectively become Aaron’s.

Therefore, to say that Aaron’s word was law within the Alliance… would actually be a considerable exaggeration. After taking control, Aaron had never really forced anything upon them or issued commands.

If anything, ever since Aaron Stingray took over, the Alliance had functioned more like a casual social club. Like, “Hey, you came from there too?” “Yeah, me too~,” that kind of vibe.

Which was precisely why, when Aaron summoned them, the transmigrators couldn’t help but feel tense.

-Just what is going on…….

-I’d been living my life having completely forgotten about any so-called scenario…….

Those who had transmigrated into extra characters that had not even appeared in the original work were especially on edge as they waited for Aaron to show himself.

How long had they waited like that?

Stepping softly across the carpet lining the corridor, Aaron Stingray finally appeared.

Even though the Alliance members knew he had absolutely no intention of harming them, they still swallowed hard without realizing it.

There was a certain pressure about him, as if he compelled people into submission. The dignity and composure in each of his movements had the power to make onlookers unconsciously straighten their posture.

It felt as though, if they didn’t, they might somehow fall out of his favor.

“…….”

Without a word, Aaron slowly swept his gaze across the members.

His golden eyes seemed capable of piercing even steel. Every time his gaze fell upon them, the members felt as though a sharp spear had been driven into their hearts.

Ah, by the way, Serena was the exception.

From the moment she sensed Aaron’s presence, she had been so excited she didn’t know what to do with herself. If she’d had a tail attached to her backside, she would’ve been wagging it ferociously at least ten times per second.

And so the members waited for Aaron to open his mouth. True to his nature of not caring much for flowery language, he got straight to the point.

“Two main characters have disappeared.”

“……!?”

“It’s Evangeline de Armedia and Guardian.”

“W-What happened? Shouldn’t the Academy have just started its semester around now?”

Zyle Stormwalker asked.

Not long ago, in relation to the Special Law for Adaptees, he had dramatically reached an agreement with the ruling party and appeared in the media, further increasing his public influence.

Even in the midst of that busy schedule, he had made time because it was Aaron’s summons—so what in the world was this about?

“S-Surely they weren’t kidnapped?”

As far as Zyle knew, Aaron maintained a very close relationship with Evangeline. For her to suddenly disappear suggested that something serious must have occurred.

Previously, Evangeline had suffered something horrific at the hands of ‘Araya,’ a transmigrator with malicious intent. Which meant that this time as well—

“She apparently ran away from home because she didn’t want to go to school.”

“……?”

“Ran away.”

“N-No, I understood.”

Right. Ran away.

That was serious.

A tiny child like her wandering alone through such a dangerous city was no small matter.

……But still.

……Was that really something worth calling all of us here for?

That unspoken question surfaced in everyone’s mind, but no one dared to voice it. For now, they were simply too afraid of Aaron.

After that, Aaron carefully explained what had happened. Only then did the Alliance members understand why he had summoned them.

Evangeline running away could at least be resolved if they found her somehow. But the fact that Guardian had not enrolled was another issue entirely.

“Then that means the Part Three scenario is blocked.”

“Correct.”

“Are you considering the possibility that Guardian might be a transmigrator?”

“For now, yes.”

Thanks to Motherboard’s power, a considerable number of transmigrators had joined the Alliance. However, just like in the Araya case, there could still be outsiders. In other words, Guardian might also be a transmigrator.

“Then what do you plan to do?”

“We’ll have to adjust the order slightly.”

“The order?”

“For those who might not remember, I’ll explain.”

With that, Aaron began to explain Part Three, Act One—the Guardian main scenario.

Guardian was a Sect-Breaking Monk.

Having devoted himself to a sect called [Gijeongjong(機停宗)], or in Sanskrit compound form, [Technosthāntika], he had originally been a diligent young monk.

Then one day, monks of the same sect were kidnapped by mad machine-worshippers and forcibly modified, more than half of their bodies replaced with machinery.

Gijeongjong, Technosthāntika, was a name formed by combining ‘Techno,’ meaning technology, and ‘sthāntika,’ meaning cessation. As the name suggested, the sect’s doctrine rejected a present world that had been overtaken by machines.

At first glance, it was similar in context to Ashita-kyo, but the difference was that that place was a pseudo-religion, whereas Gijeongjong was an officially recognized sect approved by the government.

Naturally, they believed that attaching cyberware and machinery to the human body—which ought to remain natural—interfered with ‘enlightenment,’ and they strictly forbade monks from using machines.

Thus, the monks who had been kidnapped and modified by the Mad Machine-Worshippers had their path toward enlightenment forcibly blocked.

Enraged by that fact, the Guardian burned with fury and sought revenge against the Mad Machine-Worshippers. In the process, in order to gain the power he needed, he illegally received nanomachines and became an Adaptee.

With the power he obtained that way, the Guardian succeeded in carrying out his revenge. However, what awaited him was nothing but the outcome called ‘expulsion.’

And that was not the end.

The nanomachines the Guardian had received were illegal products provided by a criminal organization called the Black Dragon Gang, and because of that, the Guardian ended up owing the Black Dragon Gang a massive debt.

To make matters worse, the Black Dragon Gang Leader noticed the Guardian’s outstanding potential and began exploiting him even further.

By enrolling him in the Academy and using him as a spy.

“Thus, the Guardian, who had been forced to live as a subordinate of the Black Dragon Gang Leader, ends up joining the protagonist’s group with their help.”

When Aaron finished his explanation, the Transmigrators nodded calmly as if their memories had returned, and at the same time, they could not help but admire Aaron’s exceptional memory.

‘His memory is incredible…….’

It had already been one year.

It had been a full year since we came to this world, and many things had happened in the meantime. Inevitably, the contents of the novel we had read before grew hazy.

Yet Aaron remembered everything vividly, as if he had read it just yesterday, so there was no choice but to be amazed.

But separate from that, I couldn’t quite understand what Aaron meant by ‘changing the order.’

“What do you mean by changing the order?”

“Originally, the proper sequence would be to meet the Guardian, persuade him, and then defeat the ‘villain’ called the Black Dragon Gang. But since the Guardian hasn’t come to the Academy, we have no choice but to go in reverse.”

“You’re planning to meet the Black Dragon Gang Leader?”

“Yes. And purchase the Guardian.”

Aaron’s plan was to pay off the Guardian’s debt in his place and transfer his ownership.

Originally, the story involved building friendship with the protagonists first and then rebelling against the Black Dragon Gang, but his intention was to target the Black Dragon Gang first and then make contact with the Guardian.

At that, Zyle Stormwalker nodded.

“Clean. As a businessman, I find it somewhat unpleasant to let a corporation buy and sell a person from a criminal organization…… but given the circumstances.”

“There’s no need to feel unpleasant.”

“Pardon?”

“When everything is over, the Black Dragon Gang will collapse. Serena?”

“Yes~♡.”

At Aaron’s call, Serena answered softly.

“I met Kallia Stingray recently. From what I saw, it seems she’s preparing for war with you, Mr. Aaron.”

War.

At that word, the members of the Alliance stirred once more.

If the internal conflict within the Stingray Group reached its peak, this massive city would undoubtedly fall into chaos.

Aaron calmly soothed the frightened members.

“Given Kallia’s personality, she’ll try to join hands not only with politicians, the press, and corporations, but also with figures from the underworld. The Black Dragon Gang is the largest organization in New Valhalla City, so she’ll naturally meet the Black Dragon Gang Leader as well. It would be best if they haven’t joined hands yet, but we must consider the possibility that the Black Dragon Gang Leader is already cooperating with Kallia.”

“So?”

“In this situation, if I attempt to ‘purchase’ the Guardian, that information will naturally reach Kallia’s ears. And in the worst-case scenario, the Guardian could become Kallia’s hostage. For the same reason, Evangeline could as well. And even so, I don’t particularly like the idea of that man—the Black Dragon Gang Leader—profiting in the midst of the fight between Kallia and me.”

“Then what’s the concrete plan?”

“I’ll need some people.”

As he said that, Aaron looked around at the members one by one.

“Zyle Stormwalker, Kara the Red Fixer. I’ll need your help. Ciel. I’ll need your help again this time.”

“Me again…….”

Ciel let out a sigh.

“The rest of you should continue your usual activities. If you obtain any information related to Kallia, the Black Dragon Gang, Evangeline, or the Guardian, report it immediately.”

“A-Aaron!? What about me!?”

Serena appealed fervently, but Aaron silently shook his head. Then, without warning, he called out to a man who had been quietly shrunk in the corner seat.

“Additionally…… you there.”

“Y-Yes!? M-Me!?”

He was clearly the man who had once introduced himself as a ‘Low-Ranking Member’ of the Black Dragon Gang. He was certainly a criminal, yet in front of Aaron he looked utterly terrified, reminiscent of a herbivore.

To him, Aaron declared:

“You will lead this operation.”

A luxuriously decorated room.

A woman in a china dress sat with her legs crossed on an elegant leather sofa. In front of her, several men knelt with their heads bowed.

The men kneeling before her were all in a wretched state. No—‘wretched’ wasn’t even sufficient; they were in a condition where it wouldn’t be strange if they died at any moment.

One had his eyeballs forcibly torn out, another had his ankle severed with blood pouring down. As the men gasped for breath and tried to cry, the woman gently pressed their heads down with the high heel of her shoe.

A movement exceedingly soft.

But in the next moment—

Puuung!

The head of the man beneath her heel exploded as if bursting apart. Blood splattered across the floor, fragments scattering everywhere.

Yet without the slightest change in expression, the woman merely looked quietly at the next victim. Sensing her gaze, the wounded man trembled in fear and begged for mercy.

“P-Please spare me! If you just give me one more chance……!”

“…….”

The woman did not even respond.

She simply covered her face calmly with her fan and once again tried to place her high heel upon his head.

Just then—

“Gang Leader. The VIP has arrived.”

At the subordinate’s report, the woman’s movement abruptly stopped. She slowly looked around the now-filthy room and smiled faintly.

“The Princess has arrived.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep