seattlejaycees Chapter 133 : Chapter 133
Chapter 133 : Chapter 133
Chapter 133 : Confession
Neuro closed the door as he entered and gave Erica a meaningful look.
Erica stood aside in one corner of the room without saying a word, her hands clasped behind her back.
Divinity and Sal, still seated in the chairs in front of Quest, exchanged confused glances with each other.
Neuro took out a tablet and approached the Headmaster with decisive steps.
"There were no signs of any separate resistance training. However, there are other results. Should I report privately, or say it here?"
Neuro didn't look towards Sal and Divinity even as he spoke.
Sal felt unfamiliar with his cold tone.
It was a different demeanor from the dungeon raid, so he wondered what was different about the situation.
'Is it because he himself is an Influence type, or because the opponent this time isn't a monster but Bastion?'
Neuro turned his head towards Sal and forced a smile.
"Did Quest tell you about Bastion's despicable deeds while I was gone? If you have anger and resentment, turn that into resolve."
Quest gestured as if it was fine for the students to remain in the room, then reached out to take the tablet from Neuro.
A look of near resignation lingered on his face.
"Whatever story it is, Miss Divinity must receive the report. That way she can foresee our future. If we need to look further ahead, Mr. Salvatore will have to step up too. In that case, it's better to hear it right here and now."
Sal couldn't tell if he was gaining Quest’s trust, or if the Headmaster was just so exhausted by the situation that he no longer cared whether the students listened or not.
While he was thinking that, Neuro smirked at him and said,
"It's the first option, Sal. I can guarantee you that for sure."
Sal’s eyes widened, and before he could even open his mouth, Neuro apologized first.
"As long as there is a traitor among us, I have no choice but to keep using my ability. But rest assured, I won't pry into you. I will only listen for things that could be a threat to the students or the Academy. Please understand."
Sal nodded.
Even though he understood his words, knowing someone was eavesdropping on all his thoughts was by no means a pleasant experience.
Divinity also wore a complicated expression but didn't say a word about it.
Quest scanned the contents of the tablet and spoke quietly.
"So it's rumor manipulation? Is that what those bastards did? Actually, I was expecting something more heinous."
Neuro shook his head and walked around the table to stand beside Quest’s shoulder.
"His name is Wester Templeton. Comes from a family loyal to Bastion. Since there wasn't room for all loyalists on the ship, there must still be plenty left on the ground. Coercion wouldn't have been necessary. He was brainwashed by his family from birth and grew up regarding Bastion as humanity's true savior."
Neuro spoke while barely suppressing the disgust evident on his face.
"The nature of that ability is to make small lies sound plausible. Using that anxiety as a foothold to grow them into bigger and bigger lies. He has absolutely no guilt about what he did. That was a bit unexpected."
Neuro pointed at the tablet screen.
"Look, he's laughing at us."
Quest turned his eyes away from the screen, and at that reaction, Neuro smiled bitterly.
"Erica could have restrained herself a bit more, but I can't blame her. She chose the stick instead of the carrot. That Templeton son of a bitch has been working for Bastion from the moment he entered the Academy. There were quite a few incidents plotted by him and his group. Wester Templeton only confessed meekly after going through several rounds of mental training."
Sal turned his head while still seated in his chair.
Erica was staring straight ahead, not even looking at them.
Only a small smile at the corner of her mouth revealed that she was listening to the story.
Sal suddenly felt sorry that she was standing while he was sitting.
Just as he was about to get up to offer his seat, Erica shook her head faintly.
Sal froze, staring straight at her.
'Huh? Wasn't it Mind Control ability? Can she perhaps read minds too?'
As if answering him, a subtle smile flitted across Erica's expressionless face.
But even that smile disappeared in the blink of an eye, leaving Sal confused whether he had been mistaken.
If Erica could read minds like her father, she would be a much more terrifying figure than Sal had expected.
Divinity raised an eyebrow at Sal, but Sal shook his head to signal it was nothing.
But inside, he was anxious.
It was scary enough that Erica could manipulate people like puppets with her ability, but if she could even read thoughts, she would be a far more fearsome existence as a strategist.
Neuro glared at Erica with a disapproving look.
"Stop that."
Erica looked at Neuro with defiant eyes, then soon fixed her gaze on Divinity.
Sal felt a chill as he couldn't read any emotion on Erica's face.
He wished he had a monocle to figure out what was happening behind that mask.
Neuro shook his head and turned his gaze back to the tablet.
Quest was still peering at that screen.
"Wester didn't target the entire student body, but focused on two groups. Healers and Controllers."
Quest closed his eyes and cursed in a low voice.
Neuro glanced at Sal and Divinity and added a short explanation.
"On the battlefield, they are leaders and ones who can save lives. If they hold those two core roles, there's no telling how far their influence will extend in the future."
Quest put the tablet down on the desk, stared into the air, and then spoke.
"What lies did he spread? According to you, the beginning would be something trivial and plausible."
Neuro straightened his posture and swept back his pale blond hair.
"That the registration device at Quest Academy suppresses students' power. The claim is that the United Guild Association deliberately suppresses students' growth to raise only specific heroes. Since it's a procedure every student must go through, and it targets the inferiority complex students feel, it worked quite well. According to Wester, Healers and Controllers usually feel the most insecurity about their power compared to Offense and Defense classes."
Sal frowned.
"Was there no mention of the Support class? I feel like they would be the most anxious ones."
Neuro shook his head and looked at Sal with pity.
"Bastion are bastards soaked in a sense of chosen people elitism. It's highly likely they wouldn't even give a second glance to the Support class in the first place. What they want is to create a network of influential figures sympathetic to Bastion. Joining hands with Supporters doesn't bring them closer to their goal. On the battlefield, the Healer class and Controller class are much more important, and they have a higher chance of being recruited by top guilds."
Then Erica’s clear voice filled the Headmaster’s office.
"He was bragging to his colleagues. From Wester Templeton's perspective, it was like receiving a performance evaluation from a Bastion handler. He was very diligent and reported without omitting a single detail. My father can vouch for that point."
There was absolutely no emotion in her voice; she was merely conveying facts dryly.
Sal chuckled at Erica’s cunning.
Divinity clearly wanted to ask more questions, but Neuro didn't give her an opening to speak and continued explaining the process, which had been closer to an interview than an interrogation.
"Then, let's go through it one by one. First of all, Wester wasn't acting alone. He said he didn't touch targets assigned to other agents. Initially, he started with five people, but he made three of them submit. That number gradually increased over the school year, and he received more missions from above. Now he is responsible for brainwashing nearly a hundred students. It seems he was spending most of his time inside the Academy reinforcing the lies he planted. According to Wester, just the core group of Controllers loyal to Bastion amounts to nearly twenty within the Academy. The rest are undergoing brainwashing at different stages, and he expected there would be close to fifty students under their influence by the time they graduate. If his words are true and the numbers are accurate, we have to assume other agents Wester didn't touch are carrying out similar missions. If they are achieving the same results, it means the entire Controller class and Healer class could be completely encroached upon by the end of next year."
Sal’s jaw dropped, and Divinity just stared blankly at Neuro.
Quest shook his head and laughed bitterly.
"It all happened right under my nose. We must protect those classes. Now the first years are clearly becoming targets, and those bastards are picking and choosing their subjects. They haven't contacted Erica and Divinity yet, but they did contact Barry."
Quest paused for a moment as if chewing over the information.
Then Neuro gripped the armrest of the chair and smiled.
"That right there is our opportunity. Wester was enthusiastic about Barry Francis, calling him a great talent. Bastion desperately wants to bring him to their side because of his ability. If he has illusion abilities, it would be a tremendous advantage for their operations, and those bastards plan to mobilize all resources to elevate him in a short period."
Neuro smirked.
"To be precise, the Academy’s resources. Q-Credits have already been encroached upon over the past year. Wester called you out frequently to contribute to Bastion funds. He interviewed you to gain information on troublesome students with outstanding abilities while meticulously hiding his tracks. That was reflected in their recruitment process, and as a result, you, Sal, ended up on their target list."
Sal pointed at himself as if he couldn't believe it.
Neuro nodded with a frown.
"Yes, it was confirmed to have been reported to Bastion a month ago. Not long after you finished skill registration. Since Wester stuck by Quest’s side, he held considerable responsibility and information. Sorry, Sal. It was Erica who extracted that information from Wester. So she ended up hearing about the Mythos Crafter and Skill Master abilities. But I guarantee Erica is discreet and won't divulge that fact within the Academy."
Sal waved his hand as if it was no big deal.
"It seems everyone knows now, so it's no problem. I trust your judgment, Mr. Neuro."
Sal turned his head to look at Erica’s dignified posture and continued.
"I trust you too, Erica."
Erica’s slightly raised eyebrow was the only reaction, but that was enough for Sal.
Sal gestured to Neuro to continue the explanation.
When Divinity showed signs of conflict, Neuro glanced at her and smiled before continuing.
"Good, our opportunity is Barry Francis. If we can send him into the viper’s den, we might be able to find the root of the rot. Although Wester confessed a lot, there are still more things we don't know. Most of the reports were delivered to Bastion through his family. If we try to touch the Templeton family directly, it will literally become a mess. They are people with immense influence in this city, and definitely not opponents to be taken lightly."
Divinity asked cynically.
"You're not going to just let it slide because they are an influential family, right?"
Quest shook his head and rested his elbows on the desk.
"No, we can't do that. This is an insult to everything the Academy has tried to achieve. For those bastards to try to use me as a puppet for their plans..."
Quest paused as if gathering his thoughts.
Neuro nodded and stepped back, waiting for him to continue.
Quest rested his chin on his clasped hands and looked heavily at the students.
"There are two paths we can take right now. First, report this fact to the United Guild Association. We would have to accept a warning or so due to the method used to extract information from Wester Templeton. But if we do that, the Academy will fall into chaos, and parents will try to take their children away. Our authority as an institution will drop, and consequently, we'll end up highlighting Bastion's existence even more. This is the first possible plan."
Sal waited silently for Quest to continue.
His fingers were tightly gripping the armrests of the chair.
Quest looked down at the tablet on the desk.
"The second method is a counteroffensive. Jumping directly into their game and uprooting that influence. Planting Controller students among those bastards to destroy them from the inside. We erase the past day from Wester's memory and monitor future movements without letting them know we know their scheme. Protecting the students is the most important thing. If this method fails, we can always go back to the first method and report to the United Guild Association and the Hunter Bureau. But I want to resolve this matter internally. What do you think?"