Chapter 154: Hydra Corporation Assembly (4)
Taros’ confession dragged on for quite some time. Part of this was due to his naturally slow and stilted manner of speaking, but mostly it stemmed from his hesitation over the content of his revelation.
As Orthes endured a pounding headache—caused both by his Eye and the unexpected turn of events—he probed deeply into Taros’ thoughts. There was no trace of falsehood in his confession.
“I was tempted by their offer… but I have yet to pass on any information.”
The sudden disclosure left the conference room in silence.
The directors instinctively understood this wasn’t their place to intervene, and Orthes was preoccupied analyzing a cryptic thought from Taros: “As expected, the Director of Divine Investigations must know everything…!”
The silence was broken by Carisia.
“As President of Hydra Corporation, let me ask. Why did you hesitate to accept their proposal?”
Taros, gathering his halting voice, began to explain.
The proposal promised the ability to freely manipulate extra-dimensional mutations. If true, it could potentially cure the mutations afflicting Taros’ kin. While Hydra Corporation’s Artificial Commandments project could draw upon immense magical power, it didn’t extend to offering curative techniques of that nature.
Thus—
“Oh, that’s not quite what I mean. If their proposal was so convincing, wouldn’t you, as a director, have handed over information—like about the Divine Investigation operations—already? Yet you haven’t. What stopped you?”
Carisia’s tone conveyed curiosity rather than accusation. Taros, surprised by her unexpected demeanor, answered plainly.
“Fear.”
“Fear?”
“Fear that the Director of Divine Investigations… already knows. Or that this is a loyalty test orchestrated by him…”
“Ah, I see. Anything else?”
At this point, Orthes seemed more like an omnipotent dictator from a cautionary tale, capable of monitoring every conversation and movement. Carisia couldn’t help but reflect that Orthes’ reputation had long since crossed the point of no return.
“Distrust. …Toward Argyrion.”
Carisia nodded in agreement. Indeed, Argyrion wasn’t exactly known for its reliability. At the same time, she signaled to Orthes.
Orthes nodded back, affirming that Taros’ testimony contained no lies.
“Orthes.”
While Carisia had crafted the grand framework of their plans, it was Orthes’ role to fill in the details. Whether to dispose of Taros or assign him another task was Orthes’ decision to make.
“Director Taros.”
Orthes fixed his gaze on Taros. The director felt unnerved by Orthes’ perpetually narrowed eyes, which betrayed no emotion.
“In that case, let’s sell them some information.”
“…?”
***
When Orthes first heard of the proposal, he’d been momentarily taken aback. Argyrion’s movements were faster and more precise than expected, targeting a vulnerable spot with unsettling accuracy.
Not even a week had passed since Nastion vanished after hearing his name. Yet Argyrion had already singled out the most peripheral member of Hydra’s board for their scheme. If not for Taros’ exaggerated fear of Orthes, the plan might have been quite effective.
“This must have been Halto’s doing.”
Nastion, despite being part of Argyrion, was somewhat of an outlier. Argyrion had its roots as a Blasphemia strike team hunting Carisia, yet neither Orthes nor Carisia had ever encountered someone like Nastion among them.
Their first confrontation had been in Algoth City. It was likely Nastion’s first direct encounter with Orthes as well.
Halto, on the other hand, retained faint memories of their repeated clashes.
For Argyrion, who referred to Orthes and Carisia as their “adversaries,” mimicking the social stratagems Orthes had used against them seemed inevitable. They had already succeeded in sowing discord between the Magic Towers and the Ten Towers.
The chance to counterattack a long-standing thorn in their side with the very tactics they despised must have been tempting.
Yet something about it felt… off.
***
“Argyrion probably didn’t expect Director Taros to truly defect.”
“What do you mean…?”
“Our relationship with Argyrion is one of enmity, to say the least.”
As Orthes began, he noticed skeptical glances. Meconion, who had been fidgeting with his pipe like a smoker in withdrawal, shot him a look that seemed to say, “Isn’t this grudge between you and the President personally?”
Orthes dismissed it. We’re all on Hydra Corporation’s payroll now. What’s the difference?
“They’ve overestimated my abilities somewhat. Their swiftness in contacting you is commendable, but the scheme itself is too simplistic to be their genuine strategy.”
Argyrion viewed Orthes as a dangerous “adversary,” but toppling him through a single director’s betrayal seemed naive.
“And how does this relate to selling them information?”
“What do you think they’ll do if an unexpected defector emerges? They’ll either assume we’ve seen through their plot or attempt to solidify the defector’s loyalty. Either way, they’ll respond, and that response will give us valuable insight.”
Whether Argyrion’s demands or information were truthful or deceptive, any reaction would provide clues for future decisions.
The more sources of intelligence, the better.
“Director Taros, thank you for your candid report. Now, let’s move on to the main topic of this assembly.”
Orthes pressed a button, and a hologram appeared on the table. It was a polished presentation tool designed by Arabella.
“Let me introduce the Plan of World Division.”
***
Meanwhile, Nastion confronted Halto.
“Do you truly believe their director will betray them?”
Halto could guess the unspoken meaning behind Nastion’s question. Even if a director defected, would it deal any meaningful blow to Orthes? Would it even catch him off guard?
Having pondered these questions countless times, Halto answered succinctly.
“No.”
Nastion’s shadowy form rippled, likely a sign of his dismay. Halto, noting Nastion’s heightened emotional state since his clash with Orthes, elaborated.
“Orthes would have foreseen this. The moment our names and actions were exposed to Hydra Corporation, he would’ve known we’d strike.”
Halto stared at the writhing extra-dimensional barriers and the adversary beyond them—a foe who seemed to treat the world as nothing more than a theatrical play. To Halto, breaking Orthes’ carefully prepared script was now a personal mission.
“By now, the director we approached has either been discovered by Orthes or delivered our proposal to him.”
“But how…?”
“To Orthes, people’s minds are no different from books. Any ruse or deception is meaningless to him. A director serving under him would know this better than anyone.”
“Then why make the proposal at all?”
If failure was inevitable, why waste the effort and resources?
“Sometimes, to capture the grandest prize, you must sacrifice a few pawns. A decoy move.”
Nastion struggled to grasp this, but his experiences in Algoth City had taught him one thing: of all Argyrion’s members, Halto had the sharpest insight into dealing with their “adversary.”
As he recalled the horrifying encounter with Orthes, a signal interrupted Nastion’s thoughts. It was a message from Argyrion’s agents embedded in the outside world.
“…Hydra Corporation Director Taros has agreed to the deal. He’ll provide samples of the mutations in exchange for an antidote, and he’s willing to share parts of Hydra Corporation’s operational data.”
“It’s a trap.”
“You’re certain?”
“A pretext to gather intelligence on us. Depending on what we demand, they’ll gauge our position.”
Nastion’s shadow form rippled again. Halto easily discerned his unspoken question this time.
“Oh, wondering how I know this so well? Let me share my secret—just this once.”
The shadow drew closer as Halto smirked bitterly, leaning in to whisper.
“Our adversary always manages to bring my worst imaginings to life. Sometimes, they’re even worse.”