Chapter 25: Reactions and Aftermath

Static crackled through the communication equipment. The blonde, blue-eyed operator at the desk stammered, "S-sir, the other party has destroyed the communication earpiece."

This was a vast, brightly lit communications room filled with various instruments and display screens. Dozens of government officials in uniform stood or sat in various postures, all of them looking in silence at the old man standing before the main screen. For a moment, the only sound in the cavernous room was the low hum of the machinery.

Just a moment ago, the Saherta United Republic—one of the world's five most powerful nations, known within the V5 for its hardline stance—had been threatened by a single Nen user.

A threat was one thing, but for the formidable V5 to simply swallow their pride and concede was beyond imagination.

The upper echelons had compromised far too quickly, leaving these patriotic government officials feeling indignant. To borrow a phrase from the Three Kingdoms era: "We subjects were ready to fight to the death, why did Your Majesty choose to surrender first?"

The bald old man stood with his hands behind his back, deep in thought. When his assistant nudged his elbow, he turned to face the hall and sighed. Though he was loath to explain, he felt it necessary for the sake of morale and because these young people were his capable subordinates. He finally spoke:

"You are all too young, and your experience is too limited. Naturally, you cannot understand why I had to compromise with him."

"But, sir, you are the Director of the Saherta State Security Agency (S.S.A.). No matter how powerful he is, he is just one man!" a young, hot-blooded official stood up and argued.

The old man lit a cigarette, exhaled a cloud of smoke, and said slowly, "That is why I say you are too young... Which of you can recite the official assessment of the 'Giant Hyenas'? The one classified as internal security intelligence last month."

The blonde operator sitting nearby cleared her throat and recited:

"B990517C-B76: A highly comprehensive combat team. Even the ordinary special forces members possess extremely high combat caliber. Regarding the Nen-using members: the 'Hound Squad' is an excellent tactical support team for Nen users, with a comprehensive rating of B. As for the captains: 'Search Dog' Dutch is rated B+; 'Swaddling Dog' Gestor is rated B; 'Sheepdog' Kadora is rated B+; and 'Bulldog' Barbator is rated A+."

"Excellent," the old man said, his face expressionless. "Now, who can tell me how many Nen users of A-rank or higher are under the command of the Saherta State Security Agency?"

"...Nineteen," came a reply from the corner after a moment of silence.

The old man tapped the ash from his cigarette and sneered:

"Correct, nineteen. And that includes Barbator, who is now dead. You must realize that Barbator was among the upper-middle tier of those nineteen powerful Nen users. Now, ladies and gentlemen, tell me: if a powerful Nen user can face three hundred and thirty fully armed, elite special forces soldiers head-on and kill eight powerhouses, including Barbator, within five minutes, do you think he would have any trouble infiltrating this room and killing us all?"

"..." The room fell into an eerie silence. Being mere mortals, none of them dared to believe they could fare any better than Barbator and his team.

"Even if we were willing to die for our country, once he killed us, would he not simply turn his sights toward the higher-ups?"

The old man exhaled another puff of smoke and shook his head. "Most powerful Nen users have quirks, but they are, without exception, incredibly stubborn. Rodalkindom has been placed under his protection. To anger such a top-tier powerhouse over a few items that could be acquired through money and negotiation... Hah, gentlemen, that is what I call truly unwise."

Seeing the young officials' expressions shift, the corners of the old man's mouth curled up. "Furthermore, we cannot take the moral high ground in this matter. Of course, the other party did leave us a little dignity; he at least agreed not to reveal that the Giant Hyenas were affiliated with the S.S.A. Some things are known privately, but it would be too unsightly if brought into the light. Ending this peacefully is for the best. Now, as the Director of the Saherta State Security Agency, I order that the Rodalkindom affair ends here. Do you all understand?"

Sparse murmurs of agreement echoed through the room. The old man hadn't expected these desk-bound officials to possess the discipline of soldiers, so he shook his head and prepared to leave.

There was one critical point he didn't have the heart to voice: the upper levels likely intended to recruit this Nen user rather than make an enemy of him. Judging by the strength he displayed, if he didn't meet an early end, he was likely to become the next Isaac Netero and would very probably join the ranks of the world's five greatest Nen users.

If they fought head-on, few Nen users could withstand the might of a V5-level military—as long as he lacked space-time abilities, a single nuclear strike could wipe him out regardless of his power. But for a Nen user of the caliber of the world's top five, if they were determined to hide and assassinate high-ranking officials, even the V5 would struggle to cope. One couldn't exactly launch a missile at one's own head just because they suspected an assassin was lurking nearby.

In that light, the lives of a few dirty-work Nen users and the trinkets in Rodalkindom’s possession were nothing compared to this man. If they could truly recruit him for the Saherta United Republic, the higher-ups would likely consider handing over his own head as the S.S.A. Director if the man demanded it, all while putting on a show of polite deliberation.

"Sir, what... what should our response plan be regarding that guy?" the tall official from earlier asked, hesitating.

The old man crushed his cigarette in the ashtray and said dismissively:

"That is no longer our concern; that is for those higher up to consider. However, I want a thorough investigation! By tomorrow afternoon, I want the dossier on this Nen user on my desk!"

...

"...You are too kind. It was all just a misunderstanding, and it is good that we have cleared it up."

Rodalkindom stood by the window, speaking into his phone with a high-ranking official from the Saherta United Republic.

Hesser sat on the sofa nearby, legs crossed, idly teasing Rodalkindom’s beloved cat. The snow-white, odd-eyed feline was usually notorious for its vicious temper, but now it lay stiff and motionless on Hesser’s lap, not even daring to let out a 'meow,' behaving with perfect docility as he stroked its fur.

The Rodalkindom estate had returned to calm. There were more survivors among the guards and Nen users than expected, thanks to Hesser’s timely intervention. Except for the small portion of the Hyena team that had retreated early, most of the mercenaries had been wiped out on the spot. The butler, Gall, was currently directing servants to assist the guards in clearing the corpses and debris from the battlefield, and negotiating with the belated arrival of the Romin City police force.

"Very well, I shall host a banquet at the estate in two days. I hope you can grace us with your presence... Hah, you are too polite... Good, see you then."

Rodalkindom hung up the phone, his gaze toward Hesser complex.

"Hesser, how on earth did you negotiate with the Saherta side? Their attitude has done a complete one-eighty. They aren't pressing for the items anymore, and they’re even using diplomatic jargon to repair our relationship."