"What's the business? Out with it, Diana."

  As he linked his mobile terminal to his HHPC, a sharp glint entered Edes’s eyes. He took a drag from his cigarette outside the eatery, his gaze fixed on Diana’s image on the holo-monitor.

  "It's an urgent call, Chief."

  "And who is it that's so urgent?"

  "...Should I patch them through?"

  "Diana, are you telling me you're about to patch through a call from God knows who? I thought you'd received your training on communications security."

  "...It's from the Silentium General Administration Department. Director-General Dick."

  A flicker—Edes's fingertips trembled almost imperceptibly, his mind racing at Diana's words.

  The Silentium General Administration Department... It was the division that stood at the apex of the mega-conglomerate that ran the Peacekeeping Force, a name that literally meant it managed all subordinate organizations. The name Director-General Dick was one that Edes—and indeed, anyone living in the Mid-level city—had heard at least once. He was one of the true powers that be.

  There is nothing more frightening than a man you know by name but have never seen. Edes took a deep drag from his cigarette and exhaled the violet smoke, then crushed the still-smoldering butt in his fist and threw it to the ground. As if to extinguish the wavering and fear that had sprouted within him, he stamped it out with all his might.

  "...Patch him through."

  "Understood. In that case—"

  "And I want it on an audio recorder with biometric identification running."

  "...Sir?"

  "It's insurance for later. There's no need to speak with the top brass completely exposed, is there? Am I wrong, Diana?"

  "But Chief, that could be—"

  —interpreted as an act of insubordination against Silentium's top brass. Diana whispered the words so low that only the comms unit could hear, judging Edes a fool for making such a call. If it was discovered that she had aided in this act, she and Edes alone would be held responsible. A communication routed through other departments could be falsified in countless ways, but a direct line from the General Administration was vanilla unless they tampered with it on their end. For anyone with a normal capacity for risk management, following Edes's order was far too dangerous.

  And yet... for him to issue a directive that bordered on treason, there had to be a reason. As a manager, Edes could be dismissed in a single word: incompetent. But his abilities as a soldier—his judgment on the battlefield—were exceptional. This directive, surely, was not born of Edes the man, but from the soldier's gut.

  "...Understood. I will connect you with all functions active. Chief, may I say one more thing?"

  "Go ahead."

  "I have no intention of dying with you. This is all your own doing. Are we clear on that?"

  "I don't mind. I'll take full responsibility."

  This is hardly the time to be playing the hero in a situation that could get you killed, a disaster brought on by your own orders... With Diana's sigh as the final sound, the call switched over. The holo-monitor now showed the silhouette of a man, his features hidden in shadow.

  "My apologies for the late hour. I am speaking with Section Chief Edes, correct?"

  "Yes."

  "I have an emergency mission for you. The duration is three days. Check your HHPC."

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  The voice was a deep baritone that chilled to the bone, heavy like grinding metal. Edes confirmed that the audio recording and identification functions were running properly, then opened the encrypted file that had been sent to his HHPC.

  "Are you familiar with a cult known as 'The Trembling, Maddened God'?"

  "I am."

  "And the entity behind it?"

  "I am not privy to that information."

  "Then read the file. The detailed records are in there."

  The Trembling, Maddened God... A demented cult that spread apocalyptic ideology throughout the Mid- and Low-level districts. He had seen countless followers with their gear-and-brain insignia in the Low-level city, and had personally "processed" rioting zealots through what was called suppression by force but was, in fact, slaughter by the Peacekeepers. Why was Silentium sticking its neck into that cult's business? Swallowing the questions that bubbled up one after another, Edes activated his decryption software and read the mosaic-like text that only an HHPC holder could comprehend.

  "...Director-General Dick."

  "Address me as Director. I will call you Chief."

  "...Very well, Director. Is everything written in this file fact?"

  "Are you suggesting that the department I manage—or by extension, the Secret Ninjas employed by the Supreme Leader—would file a false report?"

  "No, that wasn't my intention. It's just that, this is—"

  "Chief, you have been presented with two options."

  "..."

  "Carry out the mission and earn your seat, or abandon it and offer the necks of you and your subordinate in its place. One or the other. Choose wisely."

  The HHPC's holo-monitor flashed a notification: COUNTER-HACK DETECTED. Edes instantly shut down the functions, but it was too late.

  So, they knew from the very start, he thought. He placed a fresh cigarette between his lips, lit it, and let the smoke curl into the air. A bead of sweat trickled down his forehead. As if denying him any time for hesitation or calculation, the hacking meter's gauge filled with green, forcing his hand.

  "Chief."

  "..."

  "I believe you are not a foolish man. I also recognize you as a man of noble character who, even in his position, has not sullied his hands with corruption."

  "Is that so? I'm overjoyed to hear it."

  "But that rebellious spirit of yours is a thorn, a poison that eats away at you. A viper can withstand its own venom, but you are no viper. I expect you to make a rational decision, as a human being."

  The viper is Silentium itself, he thought, swallowing a sigh and clenching his jaw. The moment Edes nodded, Dick's satisfied voice echoed from the comms. "Congratulations. I will have the next chair prepared for you."

  "Regarding the mission parameters..."

  "I am entrusting you with a rescue operation and the annihilation of a mafia organization. The means are irrelevant. The Peacekeeping Force and the Cleanup Department in the Mid-level city have already identified the powers behind them. Do you have any questions?"

  "Why did you contact me yourself, Director?"

  "You concern yourself with trivial matters. You're a soldier with long years of service in the Low-level city who carries out his duties faithfully. We filtered for those who, while believing murder to be a sin, do not hesitate to pull the trigger. You simply fit the profile. Anything else?"

  "This girl, Satera, is the only one circled in red. Why is she in a separate category from the other rescue targets?"

  "She is the highest priority. Consider it to have no impact on the mission if the others die, in the worst-case scenario."

  "Understood. You mentioned the means are irrelevant. Would it be permissible to hire a ruin excavator?"

  "A ruin excavator, you say?"

  "Yes. A man by the name of Danan."

  For a brief moment, a strange silence hung in the air. A flicker of uncertainty seemed to cross Dick's silhouetted form.

  "Explain."

  "Ruin excavators are a general term for those who explore the ruins spreading underground and bring back relics. Danan is an exceptionally skilled one. I am proposing a plan to use him to approach the rescue targets from within the ruins. If you object, Director—"

  "Very well. Use this excavator. But on one condition."

  "Yes?"

  "Have that ruin excavator be the one to rescue the high-priority target."

  "...May I ask the reason why?"

  "Are you asking me that? You?"

  "...My apologies."

  "You have three days. Exceed that, and consider the heads of you and your subordinate forfeit. The use of military force by the Peacekeeping Force is also authorized. Oh, and one more thing."

  "Yes?"

  "If you discover a ledger detailing The Trembling, Maddened God's finances, secure it covertly. The location of the rescue targets, information on the organization—it is all in the file. You will manage it all and dispose of it immediately upon completion. Is that clear, Chief?"

  "Understood, Director."

  The communication cut out, the holo-monitor going dark. Edes flicked the long ash from his cigarette with a finger and tossed the butt to the ground, crushing the last embers under the sole of his boot.

  An emergency mission from the Director-General of Silentium... Back when he was a grunt, he could have just followed orders and pulled the trigger. But the responsibilities of a Section Chief were different from those of an ordinary soldier. The crushing weight of the absolute necessity of mission success. Failure wouldn't just mean his own neck; Diana's head would literally be on the chopping block.

  "...This is truly..."

  A pain in the ass. Glancing at Danan and the others as they stepped out of the eatery, Edes plastered a thin smile on his face and began preparations to set the plan in motion.