Livia looked at Marcellus's somewhat tired face and knew he had already said a lot. She understood in her heart that pressing further might only make him more guarded or put him in a difficult position. Compared to chasing after details, what mattered more to her was the direction of their next move.
So, in a softer tone, she said, "I won't ask for too many details. But you mentioned there was cooperation between you and my father—what exactly did that entail? At this stage, is there anything we can rely on him for?"
A flicker of guilt passed through Marcellus's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a rare lightness. He gave her a grateful glance, as if relieved, and answered in a low voice, "It was… mainly about pushing the expansion project forward together."
There was something complex in his voice as he said this. "When we first proposed the predecessor to this plan, we were genuinely committed to making the city better—especially the outer residential zones and the healthcare system. You know my mother was always devoted to that kind of cause. And your father… at least when your mother was alive, he was fully on board too."
He paused, his gaze drifting toward the hospital garden outside, bathed in the early summer sun, as though something in that patch of green could pull him back from the tangled web of memory.
"But later, the expansion plan became our most legitimate bargaining chip. It was also the perfect cover for our real intentions." Marcellus turned back to Livia and Elias. "The project gave us a proper reason to access sensitive areas, to interact with various district administrators and researchers, and to mobilize certain resources while secretly searching for clues about the Holy Grail."
Here, he hesitated, his eyes clouded with emotion.
"But…" he added quietly, "we agreed—when it comes to actually finding the Grail, it's every man for himself. He had his own intelligence network. And I… I had the document I asked you two to look at."
Livia's brow lifted slightly. "You mean the expansion document?"
Marcellus nodded.
"That file was from the first expansion project, left behind by your father and mother. They never told anyone else it existed." His tone grew steadier, quieter. "They gave it to me before they died, and said only one thing: never let Edgar see it—never let anyone see it. Not even the government's technical teams. Not even a glance."
Elias's expression sharpened instantly. "Why?"
"I don't know," Marcellus answered honestly. "Aside from marking possible locations for the Grail, I don't know what else that file holds. But my parents' attitude was… strange. And Edgar—he's never said a word about it, never asked. But I suspect he knows it exists. It's like he already understands I won't tell him, so he doesn't bother trying."
The room fell quiet. Elias and Livia exchanged a look.
Livia spoke slowly: "You both know what kind of relationship I have with my father. He never told me his real plans. Rarely even spoke of my mother after her death. I've never heard him mention the Holy Grail. But you know what he's capable of—how he operates. If he's staying silent, it means he's already made other plans."
Elias frowned. "So… we can't even be sure if he's friend or foe."
"Or if he's tied to Jim or Eryx in some hidden way." Livia's tone was calm, but carried an underlying chill. "If we reach out carelessly, hoping to work with him, we're exposing ourselves—placing our lives on the altar and waiting to see if he decides to save us or cut us down."
There was no emotion in her voice, yet the weight of it pressed down on the room.
"You're right," Elias said quietly, his expression grave. "So what do we do now? If we can't rely on Edgar, and the one person you trusted is gone… we're facing two enemies, each more dangerous than the last."
Livia fell silent for a moment, thinking deeply. Then her expression hardened with resolve.
"We need time—and more importantly, our own intelligence network." She looked at the two men. "Our next move is to gather people, consolidate resources—both for the expansion project and for finding the Grail. We can't just keep reacting. It's time to set our own game in motion."
Her gaze swept across the room. Her voice was cool and steady, but unmistakably forceful:
"This game—we can't let them keep the upper hand any longer."