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The message that appeared on the terminal was exceedingly concise.
— See you at the White Line.
A message so brief it bordered on cryptic.
Its content was simple, but what it implied was far from ordinary.
'They want to see me at the White Line… How interesting.'
Unlike other lines, where movement was relatively unrestricted, the White Line was a different story—outsiders couldn't enter freely.
Only those with formal authorization were permitted entry, and even then, access to the deeper levels of White Road was limited to a select few elites who effectively ruled the Ark.
Of course, the Shadow Order had once breached as far as White Road—the path leading to the White Line's depths—but that had only been possible because the invaders were the Shadow Order.
Even they had ultimately failed to go beyond White Road.
In short, being invited to meet within the White Line likely meant I was dealing with a heavyweight far beyond anyone I'd previously encountered in the Ark.
'Whoever it is, I should at least meet them.'
I didn't yet know why they wanted to meet me at the White Line, but there was no harm in hearing them out.
And if they made an unreasonable offer, I could always walk away.
"Understood. I'll respond to the message soon."
"Very well, then…"
The gate officer didn't show the slightest hint of nervousness, which suggested he genuinely didn't know where the message came from.
In fact, he might not even have known the contents.
'Well, that doesn't matter…'
Now that I'd returned to the Ark, I headed straight to where I needed to go.
Before making my way to the White Line, I had other business to take care of.
The reason I returned via the Red Line instead of the Rose Line—
There was someone I needed to meet here.
* * *
Special-Purpose Weapons Research Laboratory.
A place that held special significance to me, though today I wasn't here for equipment upgrades or to see Maybell Pilgrim.
I was here to meet someone who was likely already waiting for me.
"Yo, long time no see, you rude bastard Carl Marcus. That outing of yours took forever. Hiding treasure outside the Ark, were you?"
Yeah—just like that.
I didn't need to think hard to know who it was who always greeted me like this.
Commander of the Blue Line Defense Headquarters, and one of Möbius's three stars.
Brigadier General Victor.
It was him.
"Were you waiting?"
"Well… I'd like to say no, but yeah, pretty much. Thought we should talk."
"Must be pretty free these days if you're just loitering around here."
"Haha, that's a joke, right? No way."
Of course, there was no way the commander of the Blue Line's defense would be here the whole time. He must've rushed over as soon as he heard I was visiting the Red Line.
I hate to say it, but in the Ark, my movements weren't exactly unpredictable.
"Never mind that—what's going on?"
"I heard your outing dragged on a bit, so I wanted to see if you had any results. Things are getting pretty urgent over here."
It was a continuation of what he'd told me earlier regarding the reconnaissance unit.
Seeing Victor so worked up meant all their efforts had probably failed, and I was their last hope.
"You won't get a satisfying answer."
"…Is that so."
"But I do have something to say."
"What do you mean?"
"I came across a trace—something that might be related."
Victor's eyes lit up.
Truthfully, I hadn't found anything related to the Blue Line's recon team in the Bone Lord's territory, but I had my reasons for saying this.
If the team he sent had chased the trail of the Sail and ended up in the Bone Lord's domain, they would've been annihilated without leaving a trace.
Being devoured by the Bone Lord meant complete obliteration—no remains left behind.
'Still, I'm fairly certain of what Victor's team was looking for. I might as well dig for all it's worth.'
Finding a shard of the Sail deep within the Bone Lord's lair had given me a significant informational advantage.
There was no reason not to use it.
"…What exactly did you find?"
"Not actual bodies. But I did find traces suggesting that at least five people had stayed in the area. Most of it was too damaged to confirm anything, but from what I saw, they likely belonged to the Blue Line's recon team."
"Where exactly? Can you give me the location? I need to verify if it aligns with our operational zone."
"I'd rather not share that. The bodies have already been swept away by the wave, and I don't want my movements broadcast all over the place."
"…Fair enough. I understand."
Victor nodded.
"Was there anything else in the vicinity?"
This was where things got important.
Up to this point, you could get by without knowing about the Sail. But from here, you'd need to know about it to ask these questions.
"What are you getting at?"
"Any signs that something had been hidden there—or anything related to it?"
"Something hidden, huh… Still trying to keep secrets from me, are you? Isn't it time to just come clean?"
"…I hope you understand. Just as I haven't pried into your actions, I'd like the same courtesy extended to me."
"Alright. If it's something that could endanger the Ark, I won't ask. Probably better not to know anyway."
"Appreciate your understanding."
By turning the tables and expressing suspicion, I'd erased any doubts Victor might've had.
From this point on, this entire conversation was in the palm of my hand.
"If nothing else, I can tell you this—I found those traces in a beast's territory. There, I discovered a cave."
"…A cave? Did you find anything inside?"
"Hard to say. By the time I got there, it was mostly empty. But there were signs that something had been there. Judging by the situation, I think it was the object you were worried might threaten the Ark."
It was a deliberately vague statement, but for Victor, it was enough.
What mattered was that I'd found a trace of something related to the Sail—and that now it was gone.
"I see… So, it's fallen into someone's hands."
Victor muttered bitterly.
In truth, it was safely stored in my rift space, but I had no intention of telling him that.
"Either way, now we know what we have to do. Thank you for the valuable intel."
"Didn't think it was all that useful, but glad it helped."
"…No, that was more than enough. Let's say your debt to us is now repaid."
"If you're willing to call it even, I won't argue."
"Well then… I've got something to take care of. Let's meet again sometime, Carl Marcus."
With that, Victor briskly left the Special-Purpose Weapons Research Laboratory.
With this, the debt I owed to Möbius and Victor was settled.
["…You're the definition of a con artist. How'd you spin it like that with just a few words?"]
As Esther said, in a way, I had conned Victor. But I did give him the most crucial piece of information, so it wasn't a total loss for him.
What mattered was that the shard of the Sail was about to make its appearance in the world.
'Someday, I might clash with Victor and Möbius over the Sail…'
Möbius was a secret organization that pursued equality within the Ark, and the Sail's shards—whether for good or ill—would shake the Ark to its core.
Friction with Möbius during that process wouldn't be surprising.
But that wasn't the issue I needed to focus on now, so I set it aside.
'Plenty of things to do… but I'll handle them one at a time.'
There were three major tasks I had to prioritize.
First, respond to the unexpected summons from the White Line.
Second, make contact with the Machine Cult in the Purple Line.
Third, through Ganesha Tripathi, connect with Lowell Garcia's second son, Lloyd Garcia—an Upper House senator of the White Line—and investigate Project Noah.
None of these were matters I could take lightly, but for now, I chose to answer the White Line's call first.
Not just because of the risks involved in ignoring it, but also because, if things went well, I might be able to skip the third task entirely.
'If the one who summoned me is a senator who knows about Project Noah, things could go a lot smoother.'
I didn't ponder for long.
I started walking.
The entrance to the White Line was located in the deepest part of the Red Line.
Though civilians weren't permitted past this point, the fact that I was summoned by the White Line was proven by the guards greeting me instead of stopping me.
"You must be Carl Marcus. The person you're meeting is waiting inside."
"'The person,' huh… Who exactly is waiting?"
"Apologies, I don't have the clearance to say. But once you're inside, you'll find out soon enough."
"Fair enough."
There was no point hassling someone of lower rank, so I didn't press further.
There was no need to, anyway.
'Hmm.'
As I naturally stepped into the White Line, I glanced toward the distant White Road.
The Shadow Order had once tried to breach it but failed.
Still, my business wasn't there today, so I turned my gaze away.
"This way, please."
The outer area of the White Line looked surprisingly ordinary.
At a glance, it seemed even less flashy than the skyscrapers of the Red Line.
But everyone in the Ark knew—
No matter how modest it looked, the White Line's authority was unquestionable.
That authority couldn't be diminished by something as trivial as a building's appearance or height.
"This is the place."
The building I arrived at didn't look much different from others in the White Line.
As I stood at the entrance, guided by security, he spoke.
"From here, you'll proceed alone. My role ends here."
"Very well."
After a brief exchange, I entered the building.
The first-floor lobby was eerily quiet. As I walked past, the elevator opened on its own.
["…This feels super shady. How about we turn back now?"]
'Funny joke.'
["I'm serious."]
'No need.'
As Esther muttered, I stepped into the elevator.
It closed quickly and began to ascend rapidly.
["…Don't say I didn't warn you."]
'If you're that worried, why not go scout it yourself?'
["From here? No way. What if I get dragged in by those things near the White Line?"]
'Fair.'
Even in the outskirts of the White Line, Esther would need someone like Isabel to help anchor her ether signature.
Without that, she might get swept up in the etheric waves of Mount Noah, just like she feared.
[50]
While chatting with Esther, the elevator stopped.
50th floor—the top of the building.
'Arranging a meeting in a place like this… Looks like someone with considerable status.'
Maybe I'd stumbled into a bigger fish than I imagined.
Just as I thought that—
"Carl Marcus, I've been expecting you."
As soon as the elevator doors opened, a strangely familiar face greeted me.
Though it was my first time seeing her, something about her felt recognizable.
Which meant there was only one explanation.
"Ah, pardon my late introduction. I'm Barbara Claudia. I serve, albeit humbly, as a member of the White Line's Lower House."
Just as expected.
A major player beyond imagination had appeared.
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