If anyone was most affected by Saburo Arasaka's death, it was undoubtedly Arasaka Corporation itself. Following closely behind was its long-time nemesis—Militech.
Whether it was the internal upheaval triggered within Arasaka or the external accusations that Militech had sent assassins to kill Saburo, there was no way Militech could remain uninvolved.
In this context, even though she hadn't yet dealt with the sudden wave of urgent affairs flooding her company, Blanca had already arranged a meeting with Karl to assign him a job. Naturally, it wasn't just some routine gig.
Her reason for coming was important—but when boiled down, it was just a single sentence.
Blanca wanted Karl to go to Dogtown alone, make contact with a certain individual, and assist them in future operations.
"A solo mission."
Karl wasn't surprised.
Most of the jobs he received from Blanca were solo ops.
Or rather, to put it more precisely—Blanca's team was capable enough to handle most operations themselves.
Only for those truly critical missions—ones that required someone trustworthy and supremely capable—would she turn to Karl.
Karl didn't mind taking a solo job. With Watson still locked down and Night City in chaos following Saburo Arasaka's death, now was as good a time as any to swing by Dogtown. But he still wanted to hear more about the job itself.
"Make contact with someone? Can you give me the details, Blanca?"
At this point, Karl and Blanca were close enough that he didn't have to care about the usual boundaries of employer confidentiality. If he had a question, he asked.
And Blanca didn't hide anything in her response. What she said, however, did surprise Karl a little.
"The FIA."
"The FIA? You mean those people…"
Karl was no stranger to them.
He'd taken several jobs related to high-level figures in the New United States—some even directly tied to President Rosalind Myers. During those missions, he'd encountered FIA agents loyal to her.
However, all those missions had previously been handed down by someone named Smith, who had already served through two administrations.
Karl didn't expect to be receiving an FIA-related mission from Blanca this time.
"How did you end up getting involved with them?"
"Rather than say I got involved with them, it's more like I picked a side to stand on."
Blanca sat at their usual meeting spot—a Spanish restaurant—resting her chin on her hand as she looked out through the bulletproof glass.
"If you want to climb the ladder, you've got to swear loyalty to someone at the top. Just like New United States soldiers take an oath to express their allegiance—even if it's all just for show, not doing it makes you seem untrustworthy."
She turned to look Karl in the eye. "Given my position—and the fact that I wasn't originally from the NUSA—I've already risen pretty high. If I want to go any higher, I have to pick a faction. No one's going to welcome in an outsider just to split the pie."
"So you chose the New United States—no, more precisely, you chose Rosalind Myers? Swore loyalty to her?"
"My options were limited. And Rosalind Myers… she was the best among them."
Blanca explained further: "Every promotion I've had came with a 'reassignment' or 'resignation' of the boss above me. This approach has now marked me as part of the hawks inside Militech. That wasn't my intention, but the faction's methods just happen to align with mine. And if I can climb higher because of that, why not?"
"So the hawks are loyal to Rosalind Myers?"
"'Loyal' might be a stretch. It's more about ideological alignment."
Blanca elaborated: "Rosalind Myers launched the Unification War, and because of it, she's been labeled an FXS sympathizer. But the truth is, her decisiveness nearly unified all of old America. Though the conservatives criticize her harshly, her strong-arm tactics naturally appealed to those hawkish types who prefer solving problems through conflict. Given time, it was only natural for her to become their figurehead."
Karl nodded. "So because your methods matched those of the hawks, you were alienated by others internally and decided to just embrace it—throw in with the hawks and start working for Rosalind Myers."
It reminded Karl of something he'd once heard:
A person is defined not by what they say, but by what they do.
That was how Blanca operated. Even if she never openly stated her stance, her actions inevitably put her in a particular camp.
"Humans are social creatures. And social creatures gravitate toward groups similar to themselves."
She gave Karl a knowing look. "Just like you people."
"So, Miss Blanca, who swore loyalty—no, offered loyalty unprompted—to the President of the New United States… is this task part of your show of allegiance?"
"Cut it out, Karl."
Blanca slid a datachip across the table toward him.
"If Rosalind Myers hadn't been quietly backing this, do you really think the hawks would have gathered around her? Why her and not someone else? Because she's President—and she plays the game well. She keeps the hawks close, but never truly accepts them. She's just using them."
Karl blocked the chip with his hand.
Couldn't help but admire the craftsmanship—Blanca had shoved it across the table with some force, and it didn't have a single scratch.
"Last question."
He looked at her. "Do you have any intel on the FIA agent?"
"As it happens, I do. I'm high enough clearance to access part of the file."
Blanca gave him a name.
"His name is Reed. He was one of the agents planted in Night City during the Unification War. Later, after a staged 'accident,' he was presumed dead. No one knows where he is now—probably hiding in some dark corner of Night City, waiting for his handler to blow the dog whistle."
"Dog whistle?"
Karl raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"
"You know, the kind you use to call a dog. One whistle, and it comes running."
"I see."
Karl nodded, then added, "In that case…"
"Wasn't that the last question?"
Blanca shot him a look. "That's not like you."
"Because this isn't about the mission. It's about you."
"Me?"
Karl nodded. "Would you like to grab dinner sometime? I've been thinking of trying my hand at Spanish cuisine… figured a proper Spaniard could judge how close I got."
Blanca's face showed the most shocked expression Karl had seen on her that day.
She stared at him, thought for a moment, then said, "How many people?"
"Just you and me."
Karl said it like it was the most natural thing in the world.
'Why would I need more people for a taste test?'
"You and me…"
Blanca repeated the words, her gaze shifting.
"I will… no—I will definitely make time."
Her voice was firm.
She needed to speed up everything at work.
Anyone or anything wasting her time from now on—was going to be in big trouble.
Even though Blanca knew this wasn't technically a date…
…who could say it wasn't?
A person is defined not by what they say, but by what they do.
And Karl had just asked her out.
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🔥🦾 CYBERPUNK: THE RELENTLESS 🦾🔥
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