Vivi showing up inside the rebel army camp was massive news. The kind of news that could ignite a powder keg.
For people who had lost fathers, mothers, and children because of the drought and water shortages, it didn't matter whether she had personally done anything to them. Their rage toward the royal family had burned so hot for so long that rational thought was off the table.
The people gathered around Koza's tent were naturally his most trusted allies. They'd been handpicked for their loyalty and discretion.
This sudden development was clearly way beyond what Koza had expected when he'd agreed to meet with her.
Kebi's face had gone grim as he surveyed the growing crowd. As Koza's right-hand man, he understood exactly what this situation could lead to if it spiraled out of control.
Vivi's expression shifted slightly as she registered the hostile energy building around them. The atmosphere was turning dangerous fast.
Kira seemed to sense the sudden heaviness in the air too. Being naturally shy and anxious around crowds, she desperately wanted to get out of there immediately. She tugged at Vivi's clothes urgently.
Her wings were already spread behind her, if things went south, she was ready to take off at a moment's notice.
Vivi looked directly at Koza, bit her lip, and made her pitch. "Koza, believe me. I can change this situation, I just need a little time."
That's when the gunshot rang out.
The bullet caught Vivi directly in the head.
The shooter immediately started yelling at the top of his lungs. "Hahaha! Princess Vivi of Arabasta, I just blew her fucking brains out!"
His shout seemed to flip a switch in the crowd. Cheers erupted from every direction as word spread through the camp.
But the expressions of everyone around Koza instantly changed to horror.
He rushed forward, taking two quick steps to catch Vivi as she fell. Yet the bloody scene he'd expected did not appear.
Vivi was simply lying prone on the ground, apparently unharmed despite the direct headshot.
"There's a mole in the rebel army," she said quietly. "You really think it's just coincidence that you always manage to discover and intercept Dance Powder shipments? If my father truly used Dance Powder to control rainfall, he'd have countless ways to hide it. Why would it be discovered so easily by you every single time?"
"Vivi—!"
"Don't make a scene. This is power granted by my companions. Get me to your tent."
Koza's expression grew complicated as he processed what she'd said and what he'd just witnessed. He looked toward his right-hand man for guidance. Kebi immediately understood what needed to happen. He raised his voice and addressed the crowd.
"Princess Vivi of Arabasta! She snuck in here to assassinate Koza! Fortunately, she was stopped by our brave soldiers! Reward the man who protected our leader!"
The shooter immediately stepped forward eagerly to claim his prize, chest puffed out with pride.
"You did excellent work," Kebi said with a smile, patting the man's shoulder. "Koza is inside his tent right now. He'll want to give you additional rewards personally."
The man looked nervous but pleased. "It's just what any loyal soldier would do!"
"Your voice..." Kebi paused, studying him more carefully. "You were the one shouting earlier that you'd spotted Princess Vivi, weren't you?"
The man's eyes flickered slightly, but thinking about the current situation and his apparent success, his guard dropped a bit.
"Yeah, I just happened to see her. Like I said, it's only what I should have done."
"Well done. Go claim your reward then."
As he spoke, Kebi casually relieved the man of his weapon. "You know the rules before meeting the leader."
Seeing his gun taken away, the man panicked slightly and started to ask for it back.
But Kebi urged him forward. "Rules are rules. Hurry up now. You're a hero today."
"Ah... ah, hehe, right then. I'll go see him."
Kebi watched the man disappear into the tent, his expression of praise quietly fading once the guy was out of sight.
The surrounding patrols were all carefully chosen, trusted confidants who'd been with them for years. But this man clearly wasn't one of them. He'd infiltrated their ranks somehow.
His mind started connecting dots rapidly. He'd heard the exchange between Vivi and Koza, and honestly, he'd harbored suspicions for a while now.
The way those Dance Powder transporters had always confessed so readily had been far too convenient. No resistance whatsoever, like they'd been coached on what to say.
At the beginning, he had voiced these doubts to Koza. Naturally, Koza had shared the same suspicions.
But as the incidents kept piling up, along with bits of "coincidentally" acquired intelligence, everything seemed to point to one conclusion: these shipments were being sent under the king's direct orders.
Even if it started as doubt, repeated enough times it gradually turned into conviction.
It was like a lie, tell it once and it's just a lie. But repeat it ten times, a hundred times, and even if it doesn't become truth, it can make a lot of people believe.
Through these repeated "discoveries," both Kebi and Koza had been gradually shaken, led deeper into doubt and suspicion until they reached their current beliefs.
---
Inside the tent, Koza appeared calm and composed, though his mind was racing.
Looking at the man before him, he tossed over a piece of gold jewelry. "You did well today. By the way, which unit are you with?"
The man caught the ornament, looking flustered by the attention. "I'm with the 56th Squad."
"56th Squad? Weren't you supposed to be on procurement duty? You're back already?"
"Ah, yes, we just returned," the man said with a forced laugh.
Koza's expression instantly hardened. "Can't even make up a proper lie? The 56th Squad isn't a procurement unit."
The man's face went pale. Cold sweat started dripping down his back as the atmosphere in the tent grew tense.
But he quickly recovered, putting on a confused expression.
"What are you talking about?! The 56th has always handled procurement. Just today we returned from the rapeseed fields. I remember clearly, the mission was to collect a shipment at the harbor. Two hundred flintlock rifles in total."
Koza's stern face suddenly broke into laughter. "Haha, no need to be so tense. Just a small test. After all, you came back earlier than expected and showed up near my tent, hard not to be suspicious, you understand."
The man exhaled in relief, smiling nervously. "You are truly cautious."
Koza smiled back warmly. "Not only did you complete your mission well, you also showed real courage today. From now on, I want you to stay by my side."
The man frowned slightly, then his expression shifted to joy.
The frown was because Koza's voice sounded strange, oddly weighted, like there was an echo or something. But the joy came from being invited to remain at Koza's side, which was clearly a major promotion.
"Thank you! I'll work harder than ever."
"Tell me about yourself. Where's your hometown? How many family members did you have before the drought? Do you still have relatives alive? Do you need our support for anything?"
Koza's voice grew lower and more hypnotic as he spoke.
The man sensed nothing unusual about the change in tone.
Finally, Koza stopped moving his lips entirely, but somehow his voice still reached the man's ears.
"What mission did the organization give you yesterday?"
The man's excited expression gradually turned vacant and dull.
"The organization... assigned me to monitor Koza. If Princess Vivi was discovered, I was to report immediately. But the boss said... if there's an opportunity, eliminate her. Even if... my cover gets blown, it doesn't matter."
"Who is your boss?"
"I don't know."
"What's your code name?"
"Mr. 10."
"Your partner?"
"Miss Tuesday. She should be positioned near the water bar right now."
"Then why did you step forward to claim a reward?"
"Because... there was a reward offered."
After answering, the man just stood there blankly, staring into space.
From behind him, Kira muttered under her breath, "What an idiot."
Her scornful expression immediately shifted back to shy embarrassment.
From the shadows in the corner of the tent, Marcus stepped forward. It was clear he'd been the one controlling Kira.
Vivi let out a quiet sigh. The moment she'd entered the tent, she'd arranged for Marcus to teleport in and quickly briefed him on the situation.
Upon hearing her explanation, Marcus had immediately suggested hypnosis as their best option.
This had startled Vivi, in her original plan, they would use more conventional interrogation tactics, capture the infiltrator through careful questioning, and only then figure out how to prove his guilt.
But Koza, after hearing the proposal, had instantly agreed to cooperate.
And that's how the scene they'd just witnessed had unfolded.