Setting aside the discomfort caused by the gazes of the female operators, Felix had noticed something else long ago. Ever since he met Kal'tsit and her group, her eyes had carried a subtle strangeness whenever they rested on him.
Kal'tsit had always been a woman of riddles, but that did not mean she chose silence. Felix temporarily entrusted Amiya to the Doctor, watching as the two happily walked hand in hand toward the beach. Only then did he move to Kal'tsit's side.
"Is there something on my face?"
"Some kings rule through authority, some through tyranny, and some through fear," Kal'tsit replied, her gaze shifting slightly. "Your Highness, what is your view on governance?"
"Call me Felix."
"…That does not accord with etiquette."
Her tone was calm and restrained. "A king should maintain distance from ordinary people."
"Even so, Doctor Kal'tsit, you are no ordinary person. Call me Felix."
Kal'tsit fell silent. Felix could not tell whether she had tacitly agreed or simply chosen not to argue. Only then did he realize that her question carried the weight of royalty. It reminded him of the question he had once asked Siege when they first met. Back then, Siege had been naïve and uncertain about leadership, asking from the perspective of a student.
At that time, Felix himself had been nothing more than the founder of a small to mid-sized enterprise. Few had even heard of Tomorrow's Development. He moved among nobles and factions, seeking profit wherever it could be found. Who could have imagined that the man who spoke those words then would one day stand as a king?
"A king leads his people forward," Felix said, his gaze resting on the backs of the Doctor and Amiya ahead. "A king gives his people hope, and a king also gives them choices."
"The people of Kazdel are moving steadily ahead. They have hope for the future and the right to choose their own paths. They are no longer forced into the dangerous profession of mercenaries. Their children can attend school and gain new knowledge. Who is to say that no scientists will emerge from the Sarkaz of the future?"
"You are shaping history," Kal'tsit said quietly.
"I don't care about history, or how future generations will judge me. I act only according to morality and conscience."
Felix smiled faintly and glanced at her. "If Theresa were standing here now, Doctor Kal'tsit, would you choose me, or Her Highness Theresa?"
"The dead cannot be brought back to life."
Kal'tsit's tone remained unchanged, cold and indifferent. "You are the king of Kazdel now, and its present transformation exists because of you."
It was not a perfect answer, but it was an answer nonetheless. Though her words seemed detached, Felix understood. It was her tacit acceptance of the Kazdel that now existed.
When the day came that Felix awakened Theresa, seeing Kazdel in its current state would surely move her deeply. She would never compete with him for the throne, because her ambition had never been the Sarkaz King's crown. She had only wished for the Sarkaz to live in peace and prosperity, and for sunlight to once again fall upon Kazdel.
Speaking of which, Theresa's awakening was not far off.
Felix thought of the sarcophagus resting in the deepest chamber of the Venus and wondered what Theresa would feel when she opened her eyes and saw everything that had changed.
In truth, he felt relieved that the sarcophagus had preserved her life. It was a tragedy for all Sarkaz that a woman who had fought for their people had fallen to internal strife.
Just as Felix was about to continue, he noticed Mostima waving at him from a short distance away. He nodded briefly to Kal'tsit and stepped forward.
"What's wrong?"
"The Originium slugs on the volcano have gone into upheaval," Mostima said plainly. "Excessive obsidian mining breached the mountain, releasing heat and driving the temperature up. With their habitat destroyed, the Originium slugs were forced to move downhill. They're still halfway down the mountain, but in a few days, they may enter Siesta City. Normally, they're harmless, but under these conditions, they've developed a degree of aggression and invasiveness."
Felix fell into thought. "This obsidian mining…"
"It was Cronin's idea."
Felix frowned slightly. "Herman... can't even control your own subordinates, yet you expect us to deal with them for you? I thought this 'killing with a borrowed knife' scheme was planned by some big shot. Turns out it's just your secretary, not even a trusted ally. You summoned Tomorrow's Developments and Rhodes Island over such a trivial matter just to clean up your mess?"
He could not understand the other party's line of thinking. Still, with the Tomorrow's Developments' operators already in the city, this was not an especially difficult problem to handle.
He gestured for Mostima to wait, then walked to the side of an alley and addressed a corner stacked high with cardboard boxes. "You've been following us this whole time. Who are you?"
"…I meant no harm."
A Black-haired woman stepped out from behind the boxes. What stood out most were her exposed, fair yet powerful long legs and her firm abdomen.
"Lord Pioneer, my codename is Schwarz. I work for Mayor Herman." A heavy crossbow rested on her back. She herself was surprised. Schwarz had absolute confidence in her survival instincts and stealth, skills she had relied on to survive in the past. She had not expected to be discovered so easily.
"Why follow us all this way?" Felix asked. "Instead of monitoring Cronin, you're more interested in us?"
Schwarz thought to herself, as expected. The Pioneer was indeed extremely sensitive to being observed. She replied softly, "Herman ordered me to collect evidence of Cronin's crimes. His departure was meant to give Cronin more freedom, to make him expose himself faster. As for following you, it was to confirm how much information and intelligence you possess."
"And now?" Felix asked.
"Yes. We already know." Schwarz straightened her posture and lifted her chin. "The Originium slugs in the volcano have begun to riot. Siesta is in danger. As head of the Siesta City Urban Public Security Bureau, I will do everything in my power to protect the citizens."
Felix smiled faintly. "You're smart. You understand the price of getting us involved, aren't you?"
"…Yes."
Schwarz felt deep remorse over Herman's blatant attempt to take advantage of them. She lowered her head in a deep bow. "If there is anything I can do to repay this—"
"You're not qualified yet."
Felix shook his head and waved his hand dismissively. "You should think carefully about whether you and Herman can afford this price. Let's talk after Herman returns to Siesta. Or perhaps he never left at all, choosing instead to hide somewhere and wait for the show to begin."
Cold sweat slid down Schwarz's back. She sensed no direct malice, only an oppressive presence she had never felt before, one that made it impossible to lie.
Even so, her impression of Felix was not negative. On the contrary, the fact that he, as a faction leader, showed such consideration for his people earned him points in her eyes. It was just unfortunate that she truly did not know what Herman was planning. Her orders were limited to keeping a close watch on Cronin and secretly gathering evidence.
In truth, she had already obtained quite a lot.
The net was almost ready to close, but before that, the rampaging Originium slugs posed a serious problem.
Schwarz felt a headache coming on. She was only one of Herman's subordinates and had no authority to negotiate with Felix, nor could she offer any compensation in exchange for their assistance. That helplessness left her with nothing to say.
Felix returned to Mostima's side and gave her a slight nod. "Have the operators begin observing the Originium slugs' movements. Until Cronin is arrested, don't alert anyone. This is an internal conflict within Siesta and has nothing to do with us. If they want us to act, Herman will have to negotiate personally."
"So, they don't have enough bargaining chips?" Mostima asked.
She understood his meaning immediately. Even without words, she knew what Felix was thinking. If Tomorrow's Developments offered unpaid assistance and other forces learned of it, it would become a burden. Though we're kind and friendly toward the Infected, it would never become someone's free problem-solver or subordinate force.
This line had to be drawn clearly. If Herman truly thought otherwise, Felix would make it clear that he was mistaken.
Mostima discreetly relayed the instructions to Yelena and the other members of the Yeti Squad. After receiving the order, they did not abandon their relaxed pace, but gradually moved toward the foot of the volcano. With Cronin still at large, his spies remained scattered across the mountain. Advancing too early would only alert him, so the reconnaissance team remained patient.
Mostima took the two still-shaken girls away to rest. From her, Felix also heard about their earlier exploits. Angelina was undeniably talented, and Eyjafjalla showed every sign of growing into a capable operator as well.
Felix returned to Kal'tsit's side. She did not ask anything, and he offered no explanation. He stepped onto the soft sand, leaned against a parasol, and gazed into the distance, where Amiya and the Rhodes Island operators had gathered and were splashing about in the water.
He found the noisy atmosphere surprisingly pleasant. Private beaches had their merits, but public ones were livelier, with everyone mingling together, just like Amiya now. Her smile in the sunlight seemed capable of melting away any lingering chill.
Perhaps this was why Amiya could unite Rhodes Island. Though young, her personal charisma was second to none.
If it were Amiya, she would undoubtedly choose to repel the Originium slugs and protect Siesta. Felix believed that without question.
After lunch of fried noodles, Amiya dragged Felix into the sea. She laughed as she enjoyed the cool water. On the shore, the Doctor looked somewhat stunned. She and Kal'tsit sat together, neither of them looking the least bit like vacationers. The Doctor wore her usual sealed outfit, while Kal'tsit still had on her doctor's coat, as if the two of them had wandered onto the wrong stage entirely.
By afternoon, Amiya was worn out and returned to shore with Felix. She settled comfortably into a deck chair to rest. When she noticed the Doctor was gone, she hurriedly asked Kal'tsit in alarm. Kal'tsit explained that the Doctor could not tolerate the intense sunlight, so two operators had escorted her back to rest.
Hearing this, Amiya immediately stood up and insisted on going back to stay with the Doctor. What a sensible, considerate child, Felix thought.
Watching Amiya skip off with several operators, Felix glanced at Kal'tsit and asked, "Aren't you leaving?"
"See you tonight," Kal'tsit replied.
Felix scratched his head, vaguely puzzled by the change in Kal'tsit's attitude toward him, but he did not dwell on it. The Obsidian Festival in the evening would be the highlight of the day.
Accepting the Emperor's invitation, Felix went backstage at the Obsidian Festival concert as a "fan." Emperor was lounging on a sofa, wine in hand, a cigar between his fingers. When Felix arrived, he very casually offered him one.
Felix shook his head. "So when you're not working in Lungmen, you're traveling all over Terra organizing concerts like this?"
"Work is just a break," Emperor replied. "Rapping is life."
He exhaled a cloud of smoke and narrowed his eyes. "I can smell Lupo on you. Did you go to Siracusa recently?"
"Do you think I'd have the time or interest for that?"
"Don't you know?" Emperor shot back. "You've been noticed by a Signori dei Lupi. Texas's existence might attract some interest, but not much. The only real possibility is Lappland's Signori dei Lupi."
"But I'm not Lupo," Felix said with a shrug. "What would I gain from joining their game? Besides, letting me take part would be no different from cheating. What's the point of winning like that?"
"Do you think the Signori dei Lupi' games are only about bloodshed?" Emperor sneered. "Madame Sicily invited you to help plan the new mobile city. That alone means you've already stepped into Siracusa's game, and it foreshadows an inevitable conflict with the families. In their eyes, you're a newcomer, so of course you're being watched."
"And if I win after being targeted, what's the reward?" Felix asked, scratching his head.
"None."
"?"
Emperor laughed. "What kind of reward were you expecting? The fighting is just something the Signori dei Lupi do out of boredom. The Beast Lords are all incredibly dull creatures, especially the Signori dei Lupi. They've been playing the same games since the last era, for thousands of years. Next time you meet one, remember to give him a good kick."