novelnext Chapter 263 : A Tearful Reunion
Chapter 263 : A Tearful Reunion
And with that, the Chairman's story came to an end.His words, "Prepare yourself for the battle," seemed to carry the implication that he acknowledged me as the legitimate eldest heir and intended to support me in his own way.
He probably believed that doing so was the path that would benefit both of us.
But...
I couldn't trust everything he had said.
That ancient monster, who seemed capable of hiding a hundred crafty serpents in his stomach both in the Original Story and here, was suddenly revealing all of his secrets to me?
Maybe it was just my own prejudice, but something about it felt suspicious beyond measure.
Of course, I couldn't claim that everything he'd told me was a lie.
But the best lies were always hidden among countless truths.
There was undoubtedly something the Chairman had either lied about...
Or deliberately left unsaid.
Well...
Looking at it from the opposite perspective, that also meant most of his explanation was probably true.
At the very least, nothing he had said contradicted any of the clues I'd uncovered myself until now.
Which meant everything now depended on what I chose to do.
To be honest...
Even if Kallia became the next Emperor, I wasn't particularly worried.
After all...
I'd never been especially interested in becoming Chairman in the first place.
Part of me even wanted to walk up to Kallia and say,
"You can just run the company. Seriously. I'm perfectly happy living the way I am."
As long as she didn't target me or my students first, I had no problem handing over a title like Crown Prince.
‘But there's no way it'd be that simple…….’
Historically speaking...
Whenever princes fought over the throne, even those who claimed they had no interest in ruling were usually wiped out alongside everyone else.
If they were lucky, they'd be stripped of authority, given a bit of money, and exiled somewhere far from the central government.
No matter how much I insisted that I had no desire for the Chairman's position, if I continued serving as Chairman of the Stingray Foundation...
Kallia would never believe me.
...I just wanted to keep living like this.
‘Should I at least try talking to her? No... the Chairman said the Sky Dragon was backing her. If I bring it up carelessly before I'm fully prepared, who knows what they'll do once they start paying attention to me.’
Even if Kallia and the Sky Dragon behind her remained passive...
The Chairman himself would still be a problem.
If I tried making peace with Kallia, then from the Chairman's perspective I'd essentially become a traitor.
Would that old man really leave me alone after that?
‘Tsk. This insane family.’
The advantages that came with carrying the Stingray name were enormous.
But the problems that accompanied it were beyond imagination.
For a brief moment, I regretted not choosing Vladimir Kharitonov instead of Aaron Stingray during the Quiz Event.
His family was every bit as influential as the Stingrays...
But they weren't this completely insane.
‘……Well, it's too late now.’
Thinking about it...
There had also been countless problems that only Aaron Stingray could have handled.
So perhaps it wasn't worth regretting after all.
Anyway...
There wasn't much point in speculating about what Chairman Stingray or Kallia, the contractor of the Sky Dragon, would do next.
For now...
The only option was to pretend I was cooperating with the Chairman while squeezing every possible advantage out of him and preparing for the future.
‘That leaves the remaining problems…….’
First...
The criminal organizations in Sector E.
I'd only gotten involved with them in the first place to oppose Kallia's movements.
Now that it was practically certain she would inherit the Chairman's position, there was no point worrying about that anymore.
Besides...
After the gang war ended with the Kim Cheolsu Faction's victory, the entire underworld had effectively fallen under my control.
Even if I wasn't thrilled about maintaining ties with criminals...
There would probably come a day when I'd need the power they possessed.
For the time being, I'd simply help Kim Cheolsu stabilize his rule over the underworld.
Once everything settled down...
I'd quietly step away.
Second...
Evangeline and the Guardian.
Evangeline had returned home.
The Dragon that had cursed the Guardian had also been captured.
That meant I could finally breathe a little easier on that front.
If that Dragon had any intention of refusing to lift the spell on the Guardian and using him as leverage...
I had no intention of letting it get away with it.
‘But what exactly is Chairman Stingray planning to do with the Dragon? Kill it and turn it into modules?’
Imagining the body of someone who had once been human being torn apart and crafted into weapons and equipment left a bitter taste in my mouth.
It wasn't because I pitied someone who had tried to destroy the entire world simply to return home.
Rather...
As a fellow Transmigrator...
I couldn't help feeling a faint sense of kinship.
‘Poor guy.’
Its goal had been to transcend dimensions and return to its original world.
Compared to the other Transmigrators, who had fully adapted to this world after completing Synchronization...
That was an incredibly unusual goal.
Perhaps...
The desire to return home had been the final fragment of humanity it still possessed.
Unlike the other Transmigrators, who had merely become different people through Synchronization...
It had become an entirely different race.
No one else could have experienced a greater upheaval.
Still...
There was nothing I could do for it.
Our battle hadn't been one-sided bullying.
It had been a clash of convictions.
The only difference was...
The cards I held were stronger.
‘Time to head back.’
After staring blankly at the tank imprisoning the Dragon, I gathered my thoughts and stood.
The creature that had been desperately smashing the tank with its tail and fangs earlier had finally given up.
Now it merely glared at me and growled.
【One day... I'll kill you, Aaron Stingray.】
Its threat echoed directly inside my mind.
Honestly...
Of every threat I'd ever received...
That one chilled me the most.
All I could do was hope this facility was secure enough to prevent it from escaping.
Chairman Stingray had left immediately after finishing our conversation, wheeled away without another word.
I probably wouldn't meet him again until the next major incident.
“Are you ready to return, Aaron?”
While almost every member of the ninja unit had vanished without me even noticing...
Only the fox-masked ninja remained.
Sensing my intentions, he quickly approached and knelt before me.
“Yes.”
“Show me the way out.”
“My apologies, Aaron. If you were to leave through the normal exit, the facility's location could be exposed. For security reasons, I will personally transport you outside.”
“You're using that teleportation technique again?”
“Yes.”
Well...
If those were the rules, I wasn't about to argue.
I was already exhausted after fighting the Dragon.
The last thing I wanted was more trouble.
Besides...
If someone else was willing to do the work for me, that only made things easier.
“Then I'll leave it to you.”
“Yes, sir.”
The fox mask once again raised one hand in a prayer-like gesture, forming a hand seal.
The world around him gradually turned black and white.
Several seconds later...
The scenery began tearing apart from the distance like paper peeling away.
Soon...
The monochrome world returned to normal.
And so did the colors.
Our location had changed as well.
Judging by the height and style of the surrounding buildings...
This appeared to be Sector B.
Far away, between the skyscrapers, I could see the pointed roof of Trinity Academy rising into view.
“……That's a remarkably convenient ability.”
“Thank you.”
“What kind of module does it use exactly?”
“My apologies.”
“I cannot disclose that.”
“I see.”
In the end...
The person these ninjas served was Chairman Stingray.
Not me.
Then a question suddenly came to mind.
“If someone else became Chairman of the Stingray Group... who would you serve?”
“We serve only Lord Drake.”
“……That's reassuring.”
If Kallia had gained control of the ninja unit as well...
Things would've become troublesome.
Of course...
Judging from what I'd seen, their modules were heavily specialized toward stealth and concealment.
If we fought head-on...
I was confident I'd win every time.
But ninjas weren't meant for direct confrontations.
They specialized in ambushes and assassinations.
If they ever became my enemies...
I'd probably never sleep peacefully again.
“I'm leaving.”
“Yes.”
After giving that brief reply...
The fox mask disappeared as though dissolving into the air itself.
Even now...
His presence was almost impossible to detect.
It wasn't even comparable to Silence's Optical Camouflage Module.
‘That's probably Game Changer-class too.’
Wondering whether there might be some way to counter it, I carefully examined the place where the fox mask had stood.
A tiny trace of residual module energy remained...
But it was quickly erased by the lingering effects of the Anti-Rain.
Clicking my tongue, I turned away.
Then...
An umbrella caught my eye.
The fox mask had probably left it there for me.
But after getting completely soaked during my fight with the Dragon...
I didn't really feel the need to use it.
It was time to go home.
Opening the umbrella, I slowly made my way toward the Academy.
I could've called Maria...
But despite my exhaustion, I strangely felt like walking.
After a long walk like any ordinary person, I arrived at the Academy's main gate.
The Academy Security Team immediately stiffened when they recognized me and hurriedly opened the entrance.
-It's Chairman Aaron……!
-I haven't seen him around for a while.
-Why is he completely soaked?
-Did something happen?
I'd hoped to slip through quietly...
But the students wandering through the lobby after class spotted me anyway.
Radiating an unmistakable "Don't bother me" aura, I headed toward a quieter area.
Taking the staff-only elevator, which students couldn't use, I rode up to the 249th floor, where the Stingray Foundation Office was located.
At that moment...
The only thing filling my mind was using the shower in the duty room.
[Ding. Arriving at Floor 249.]
As the doors opened...
A familiar hallway came into view.
After walking these corridors for over a year, the scenery had become strangely comforting.
However...
As I passed the offices of the other corporations and drew closer to the Stingray Foundation Office...
A familiar voice reached my ears.
-Please! Let me see the Chairman! It's really urgent! If not, at least call Maria!
‘……Iri?’
It was Iri's voice.
She was arguing with someone.
And the person standing in her way...
Was one of our office employees.
-I'm telling you, the Chairman hasn't come to work in weeks! Making a scene like this won't change anything! Maria went to the Foundation Headquarters on official business as the Chairman's representative, so come back tomorrow—
-I'm telling you it has to be today! Please! Please... please...!
Iri...
Was crying.
The moment I heard her voice, it felt as though a stone had dropped into my chest.
I hurried toward the office.
There, I found Iri being blocked by one of the staff members.
“……What's the meaning of this commotion?”
“A-Ah... Chairman!”
The employee immediately bowed in panic upon seeing me.
A moment later...
Iri turned toward me.
Her violet eyes met mine.
She...
Iri...
Was crying.