Lucian suddenly appeared in the surveillance room, sounding perfectly pleasant.
With one hand on each side, he grabbed Exusiai and Croissant by the head.
He sighed dramatically as his grip tightened.
"If Swire hadn't taken on that debt for me back then, I would've had to run for it. And Yan would've slapped a bounty on me too. My whole future would've collapsed... Though honestly, if I'd had nowhere else to go, I probably would've headed for Siracusa. Texas, would you start a new family with me?"
...Squelch.
As Exusiai and Croissant made dying noises, Texas's sunglasses hit the floor.
For once she panicked, her face flushing red as she looked left and right, completely lost.
After floundering for a long moment, she gave the tiniest nod.
"I can't betray Exusiai... but if you really insist, Lucian, then... I could."
Lucian laughed brightly. "Great! Even if the company goes under one day, we can always be Mafia together!"
"And honestly, Rhodes Island is basically a multinational Mafia anyway, isn't it? We're just part-time muscle—operators. Same thing."
"Who are you calling Mafia!?"
Folinic suddenly revived, slapping Lucian hard on the back. It even sounded satisfying.
Not long after, inside the Rhodes Island elite operator conference room.
Amiya paused the footage, freezing the moment Lucian cleaved the alloy pillar in half.
She addressed the room:
"As you can see, big bro—cough!"
Her face reddened and she corrected herself.
"Lucian Sinclair of Penguin Logistics possesses combat power far above average. The other members of Penguin Logistics also meet excellent standards and could be fielded as ready-made additions to our elite squads."
She sent their test data to everyone present.
For privacy, only height was listed—no weights, no specifics beyond what each person agreed to share.
Once the details appeared, the elite operators all reacted differently.
A tall male operator grinned at Blaze, whose expression was extremely complicated.
"Blaze, could you do what he did? Could your chainsaw and Originium Arts blow open a pillar like that?"
"No no no no."
Blaze shook her head violently, looking horrified.
"Spare me! That's top-grade Originium alloy—alloy! Sure, I can slice through a building's concrete and rebar, but a two-meter-thick alloy pillar? I could burn all the blood in my body and it wouldn't scratch it!"
No one questioned her claim about slicing through a building.
Because they all knew Blaze really could.
But cutting through a building didn't mean cutting through solid alloy.
Blaze slapped the table repeatedly, pointing at the ruined pillar.
"Who here could cut this thing!? And he did it instantly! The cut is so smooth it might as well be laser-fused!"
I didn't know they could fight like that... she muttered, suddenly unsure of herself.
She snapped her head around. "Ace! Could you do it!?"
"Impossible."
Ace—the name itself meaning "the best"—was a daring codename. And he lived up to it, one of the true veterans among the elite operators.
But even the veteran laughed helplessly.
"I could lift it and throw it, maybe. But breaking it? No chance."
Ace then redirected the conversation toward the quiet Sarkaz man beside him.
"Scout, what about you? What's your gun say?"
"..."
Scout answered with silence.
His codename was plain, but he was anything but ordinary.
No one who made it into the elite squad was simple.
Just as Amiya said—every elite operator was a priceless asset, a hero who could match a hundred soldiers alone.
When Ace prodded him again, Scout finally blinked back to reality.
He said calmly, "If even you and Blaze can't do it, there's no way I can. I don't have your kind of freakish destructive power—I'm just a frail scout."
Ace and Blaze roared together: "Who are you calling freakish, you gun-toting Sarkaz!?"
As a Sarkaz who hated Sankta, Scout's weapon of choice being a gun—the signature weapon of Sankta—was a bit of dark irony.
Elite operators might be exceptional, but their daily interactions weren't any different from normal people. Teasing, banter, dumb jokes—none of it was lacking.
Amiya smiled at the lighthearted chaos and waited for quiet before continuing.
"Based on my discussions with Mr. Lucian, Penguin Logistics is willing to form a long-term cooperation with Rhodes Island. Our current combat resources are severely lacking, so their support is a lifesaver."
"Therefore, I propose we include them in this operation. Any objections?"
Blaze flicked her hand. "Nope. If I'd known Lucian was that strong, I would've dragged him in ages ago. He totally fooled me... ugh, I'm getting mad again! Next time I see him, I'm challenging him to a duel!"
"That's suicide."
Ace commented smoothly, then nodded.
"I agree. If you trust him, Amiya, then so do I."
Amiya smiled warmly. "Thank you."
"Then it's settled. For the upcoming Doctor Rescue Operation, Penguin Logistics will join us. I'll discuss their positions and deployment with Mr. Lucian in detail over the next few days."
"Given their current familiarity with Rhodes Island, I'll assign them to perimeter scouting and defense, minimizing direct contact with the Doctor."
None of the elite operators objected. The meeting ended quickly.
Afterward, as Amiya stayed behind to organize the documents, she sensed a presence by the door.
She lifted her head with confidence.
"Mr. Scout, please come in."
The low-profile Sarkaz scout stepped inside.
With both glasses and a mask, his expression was impossible for others to read.
But Amiya, attuned to emotion even without using her Arts, could feel the undercurrents.
She smiled softly. "I know what's troubling you, Mr. Scout. Please ask whatever you wish."
Scout nodded. "Then I'll be direct. Those two—are they high-ranking Sankta?"
He pointed toward Lucian and Exusiai.
The hatred between the Sankta and the Sarkaz was unquestionable.
As a Sarkaz who used guns—a Sankta specialty—Scout had killed. Sankta. Many of them.
He continued, voice steady:
"Their combat ability is invaluable. I have no objection to their joining us."
"But the Sankta are rigid to a fault. I can't imagine why war-class Sankta would run a logistics company in Lungmen."
He pushed up his glasses, emotions twisting beneath the mask.
"I trust your judgment, Amiya. But even if younger Sankta and Sarkaz—those untouched by war—can coexist peacefully, war-class Sankta would never forgive a war criminal like me."
"This is a line that cannot be crossed. For Rhodes Island's long-term stability, sacrifices must be made."
He raised his head. The reflection on his lenses turned them into blank white mirrors.
"Amiya, approve my resignation. After this mission, I'll return to my hometown in Kazdel and get married."
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Note: I love this fic