Chapter 81: The Infilitration Battlefield of the Older Generation of Just Men
There are three modes for a professional call: notification, negotiation, and solicitation.
While silently reciting these three words, the Chief stared at the dust on the floor-to-ceiling glass window. Everyone else had already departed from the hall, leaving him alone in the Chief's office.
The Chief had always thought he detested speaking with Caster, but now it seemed that, compared to performing a hypocritical play with his current contact, he would rather chat aimlessly with Caster all day. At least Caster's love for heroic epics wasn't fake. It was just annoying.
'A hero, huh...' The Chief allowed a slight, bitter smile to form. At the very least, what he was doing now couldn't be called heroic.
Finally, the special communication line at his ear was connected.
There was only one chance. If he said the wrong thing, his objective would remain unfulfilled no matter how many more attempts he made later.
"Orlando? What do you want with me? I believe I've already given you an answer regarding the shooting incident," Faldeus's cool voice rang out. Judging by the sound of machinery operating in the background, he was still in the monitoring room.
The Chief opened his dry lips and said, "It seems in your eyes, I never visit unless I have a specific reason."
"Indeed. Or are you saying that this time, rather than having a grievance against me, you're simply calling to catch up?"
The Chief narrowed his eyes and said, "I'm not even here to vent a grievance this time. Just to talk."
Faldeus said nothing. It was as if he had a premonition. The Chief felt that this must seem very sudden to him. Steeling his resolve, the Chief uttered a flippant, false declaration to obtain intelligence for the man who wasn't present:
"We have found a wish we want to entrust to the Holy Grail."
"? Orlando, you..."
For a moment, Faldeus's voice was visibly tinged with astonishment. If it were him, he would absolutely understand the significance of this seemingly simple and harmless declaration.
The Police Department originally did not seek the Grail. Therefore, Faldeus's interests did not conflict with theirs. But now, the Police Department would no longer clean up after him at his whim. On the contrary, pursuing the Grail meant the Department could become his enemy at any moment during the Holy Grail War—it was a highly destabilizing factor.
"Are you joking, Orlando? For you to suddenly say such a thing now. We allowed you to summon a Heroic Spirit in the first place because you promised you would fight enemies who hindered the maintenance of mystery for the sake of 'peace,' not to pursue the Grail."
"What we promised was to 'fight enemies who affect the residents of Snowfield.' And that is a fact; at the very least, our course of action hasn't changed. Not even now," the Chief said flatly.
'Right now, who exactly is it that is affecting the residents of Snowfield?'
The Chief had intentionally kept his tone flat and fearless at first. But as emotions boiled like hot oil, a chill was released that required no acting at all. Perhaps there were words the Chief had wanted to say all at once for a long time.
"Caster is currently hidden here with me. I have made the necessary preparations and intended to speak with you during this contact."
Faldeus clicked his tongue. Like a chess player testing a move, he countered this nonsensical idea:
"You can't be that insane, Orlando Reeve. True Assassin and True Caster are both standing against you. You are different from the other factions; while we won't move against you while we're together, once the situation reverses, you'll effectively face two enemies immediately. The structural data of your Clan Calatin is transparent to us. While you certainly have the strength to rival a first-rate Heroic Spirit, as individuals, you are far too weak when picked off one by one."
"Do you think you can command Francesca, Faldeus? That woman might not help anyone; she might even turn around and help us just for the fun of it. You can't deny that possibility yourself."
The Chief evaluated Francesca mercilessly and pushed further: "We have made our peace with the consequences. It doesn't matter how many people are sacrificed."
Having said this, the Chief judged the turning point had arrived and shifted his tone:
"In reality, I didn't call you because I'm ready to be your enemy right now. we are long-term partners, which is why I'm being open and preparing to establish communication with you as the Caster faction, Faldeus."
The Chief's tone became more moderate.
"Until we are the only planners of this Holy Grail War left, it would be best for us, you, and Francesca to avoid conflict. I can sign a contract with you using the power of a Self-Geas Scroll, but on two conditions.
First, I want to cooperate with you, using the power of three Heroic Spirits to handle enemies that one or two cannot deal with—such as the Heroic Spirits led by Alcides. I want us to sign a
formal contract, rather than our previous loose arrangement. Once the obstacles are cleared, we can decide who gets the Grail based on strength."
This was a feint.
The Chief knew very well that Faldeus wouldn't agree. But this rhetoric explained why the Chief was proactively showing his hand regarding their shifted identity—a supposed urgency to resolve other troublesome enemies.
Then, like a criminal hiding gun parts in a warehouse's pile of grain, the Chief proposed the only truly important point of this conversation:
"Second, you've hidden the Holy Grail away. As a partner who collaborated with you from very early on, I've always been dissatisfied with this, though I said nothing. However, now, I believe I have at least the right to confirm the location of the Grail."
The Chief didn't know where the Lesser Grail was. They, who had been hiding it, wouldn't tell him—not even when the Chief was a mere collaborator. That being the case, he could never beg for it as a "partner"; shifting his identity was the only way. He had to apply enough pressure to make them choose the "lesser of two evils" before they would proactively cough up information.
Once Faldeus began to reject the conditions, the Chief would use long negotiations to make the situation look marginally acceptable by dropping condition one and keeping only condition two. Faldeus needed to worry about the Department's hostility. He would likely reject the major condition and agree to the minor one to stabilize the Chief, while looking for a chance to backstab him later.
It was a gamble, but it was also the best the Chief could do.
The other side fell into silence.
Only after a long interval did Faldeus's voice come through again. Lacking emotional inflection and sounding clear yet distorted, he spoke with heavy disappointment:
"I see. So you've betrayed us, Orlando."
He didn't specify what had been betrayed. But in the context where the Chief had already declared he was fighting for the Grail, the phrasing felt very eerie.
'Was I found out?'
Despite the thought, the Chief didn't immediately follow his lead and admit it. This might merely be a probe from Faldeus.
Until Faldeus said in a tone of absolute certainty: "This isn't a probe, Orlando Reeve. I am now one hundred percent certain that you have betrayed us."
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Hikigaya's Path to Become a Jujutsu Sorcerer is Wrong as Expected
Following an unusual request from Yotsuya Miko, the world of Jujutsu is unveiled to the Service Club. However, Cursed Spirits are merely the beginning, as this world harbors far deeper secrets.
Magic and swords, curses and abilities, and the beautiful girls gradually gathering around... This kind of youth romantic comedy is definitely a huge problem.
Multi X-Over (Jujitsu Kaisen, SAO, Amagi Brilliant Park and others)
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