Nihonkoku Shoukan: Beyond

Chapter 39: For What is Yet to Come

"Come in." – PSIA Chief Yusuke Haneda

"Good evening, chief. The final reports regarding Operation Gekko, Parpaldia, and Mu have already arrived." – General Karasuma

The person who opens the door is General Karasuma, the head operational officer of Section 42.

"Good, you can start with Gekko first. I trust that it has concluded successfully?" – PSIA Chief Yusuke Haneda

"Yes, though, I'd have to say it's overwhelmingly successful." – Karasuma

"Hm? Do sit down, Karasuma. So, has our analytical team's prediction been correct?" – Chief Haneda

Karasuma comes over to the chief's table, positioned just in front of a large window that looks over the Imperial Palace. He places the tablets down on the table and sits down in front of Chief Haneda's table. He then pulls out a box of Mevius cigarettes from his pocket, takes a piece from it, and lights it up with a match, which doesn't go unnoticed by the chief.

"Hm... well, I still can't believe they still produce those relic cigarettes. You do know that I gave up smoking years ago, don't you?" – Chief Haneda

"Ah, I'm sorry, chief. But it's an... occupational disease, you know. I also used to be a non-smoker in my early days in the Marines, but the stress of the job got to me and here we are. Besides, those smokeless cigarettes don't have enough kick to my taste while the new Qua Toynian cigars are just too strong even for me." – Karasuma

"Mhm, that's okay, I know that very well... so anyway, about the report..." – Chief Haneda

"Yes, chief. Our strike teams have recovered a large amount of intel from the Annonrial's archive in Viridence. Most of it is currently being analyzed, but we have some information right here that may interest you, chief." – Karasuma

"Do tell me. Ah, my bad manners. Would you like a cup of tea, Karasuma?" – Chief Haneda

"I'll pass on that, sir. This is enough for me, chief. So, it is just as our prisoner said, that base over there is not just a lab. It's more of a... administrative command. Together with that, the Ghosts have rescued two captives, including the Oni Princess, and retrieved one prisoner." – Karasuma

"Two captives and one prisoner?" – Chief Haneda

"Well, you were asking me about the analytical team's prediction, weren't you? Then I have both bad and good news. The good news is, they are right. And the bad news is, maybe they are too right. We just found out that the Annonrials have their hands deep in a lot of things in this world. It is so deep that it affects every layer of society and influences almost every aspect of the world order from the top to bottom. To put it simply, they were like this world's equivalent to the Illuminati and other conspiracy theory cabals if they were actually real." – Karasuma

"Illuminati? Could you elaborate on Karasuma?" – Chief Haneda

"Well, to start with, the slow and inconsistent development and constant state of conflict of this world all have the marks of Annonrial's involvement. If the archives that Qua Toynian and Presidian let us access are correct, and the Person of Interest rescued by us is telling the truth, then the Annorials had deliberately sabotaged the Lourian Kingdom from many years ago. Specifically, they transformed it from one of the most prosperous kingdoms in Rodenius into the hegemonic human supremacist failed state it was. If they already did that with Louria, what to say that they didn't do the same with other nations." – Karasuma

"Is that so?" – Chief Haneda

"Yes, chief. Even more concerning, they have magical technology that allows them to replace any person of interest that no longer serves their purpose with one of their operatives, and preserve that person in a stage consistent with cryogenic sleep. The second person of interest that the Orzeł is bringing back with them is the former king of the Kingdom of Louria, Hark Halvar Louria XXX, who was said to have disappeared a long time ago. The intel we retrieved from the operation revealed that they were also manipulating and monitoring the Lourian king we had captured during Operation Three of a Kind and intended to replace him the moment he stepped out of the line." – Karasuma