In truth, from the beginning, I had no plans to bring the Kronos Union into the Ark for this multi-wave.
Strictly speaking, this was closer to a spontaneous and impulsive action.
However, once I arrived at the Kronos Union and saw their situation, I thought it might not be such a bad idea to involve them in this multi-wave after all.
'Since the eastern region has been settled to this extent, nothing major should happen even if the Kronos Union vacates their position for a while.'
Above all, I didn't want to clumsily deplete the now overgrown strength of the Kronos Union after their alliance with the Ark during the multi-wave.
If they fought atop the Ark's walls with its support, both the Ark and the Kronos Union could minimize their damage significantly.
"…Is that really possible?"
Lania's reaction was only natural, considering she held absolute trust in my words.
Bringing a large external force into the Ark was akin to bringing a massive bomb inside that could explode at any moment.
No matter how much the Kronos Union claimed an alliance, it was still a one-sided support relationship from the Ark's side.
From a surface glance, this was an action that far exceeded the authority of someone like me, who was essentially an outsider to the Ark.
"There's no need to worry. Rose Line won't have a choice but to accept the Kronos Union."
Not the Ark, but the Rose Line.
At a glance, it might seem like the will of the Ark is the same as the will of the Line, but the two are distinctly different.
Especially if that Line is the Rose Line, which shoulders the Ark's frontlines while enduring every kind of damage and exercising massive autonomy.
The Ark was inevitably tied to the influence of the White Line and Red Line.
After all, the upper class of the Ark mostly resided within those two lines—an obvious fact in some ways.
But if there were exceptions, they would be the Rose Line and Purple Line.
The frontmost and the forward lines.
Due to their roles, the Rose and Purple Lines held far more military power than the other lines.
Power equaled authority.
Just as this fact suggested, the Rose and Purple Lines were relatively free from the influence of the White and Red Lines.
As much as they bore great responsibility, they also held equivalent authority.
"…If you say so, I'll believe it. But just that alone won't be enough to persuade the old men, you know that, right?"
"I do."
"Still, we can't make any moves before getting the Ark's official confirmation. Otherwise, the Ark might assume we're launching some kind of military action."
She was right.
If the massive force known as the Kronos Union moved before receiving official approval from the Rose Line, the Ark, alliance or not, would see it as a serious threat.
That's why an official authorization and the proper procedures from the Rose Line were absolutely necessary for this matter.
"It won't take long."
"…Well, if you say so, I'll trust you. How long do you think it'll take?"
"One day."
"…Huh?"
"That should be enough."
Lania blinked.
"Uh… Brother, just getting from here to the Ark would take over a day, wouldn't it?"
"Not for me."
"…Well, if you say so, you must have a way… But will it really be that easy?"
"Yes."
Lania started to say something, then simply shook her head.
"Alright. I'll wait, Brother."
"I'll be back soon."
With the conversation over, I began preparing to leave. There was much to be done.
"Then, while you're gone, I'll try talking to the old men myself."
"I'm counting on you."
"Well, like you said, it's something that benefits both sides."
Lania probably had more questions she wanted to ask—especially about the sail—but she didn't press further.
It seemed she sincerely believed I would tell her when the time was right.
'Maybe that time will come someday.'
But whether I should hope for that time to come, or not, I couldn't say.
I turned my steps away.
It was time to return to the Ark.
* * *
Horus had now acquired strength far surpassing even off-grade beasts.
As Horus began flapping at full speed, the velocity was enough to make even supersonic fighter jets seen at the Ark look like toys.
Bwooooooom───!
The surrounding scenery whipped by at breakneck speed.
Of course, the immense air pressure caused by that couldn't be easily endured, but the Janus bone armor that sprouted across my body protected me.
'Hmm.'
At this speed, I should be able to reach the Ark within a few hours.
Then, if I met with Ganesha Tripathi and returned to the Kronos Union, I might just barely keep my one-day promise.
'Even if there's a long gap between the waves… for a force as large as the Kronos Union to mobilize, it'll take significant time.'
In other words, there was no room for unnecessary leisure.
["Master, I've been wondering about something for a while now"]
"What is it."
["What exactly is this 'sail' thing?"]
It was a valid question.
As a former member of the Shadow Order and someone still close to Isabel, Esther naturally had her doubts.
"No idea."
["Seriously? What is it? Even if no one else knows, I should, don't you think?"]
"There's no benefit in knowing."
["…What's that supposed to mean?"]
"It's just how it is."
Though right now it was just a fragment, if I gathered the rest of the fragments, I would reach a critical juncture.
How would I use the sail?
And if I showed Isabel that I possessed the sail, I could probably use her however I wished.
To Isabel, this long-cherished wish was something irreplaceable.
'…Well, I can think about that later—after I've gathered all the sail fragments.'
I didn't know where the remaining fragments were, but I had a strange feeling that I'd find them soon.
["Master!"]
Esther pointed past the horizon.
["It's the Ark."]
Truly in the blink of an eye.
The walls of the Ark came into view.
* * *
As always, stepping into the Rose Line wasn't a pleasant experience.
The sharp gazes of the soldiers around me subtly pressured me, and the stares from the Ether Soldiers and Skull Knights also got on my nerves.
'They probably can't detect Janus hidden at that level… but I can't afford to let my guard down.'
If the existence of Janus was discovered, it would be nearly the same as revealing that I was the Turncoat Pawn.
If that truth came out, based on everything that had happened in and out of the Ark, the name "Carl Marcus" would become one of the prime suspects for being the Turncoat Pawn.
I headed straight for the Tripathi family estate.
"You must be Carl Marcus. Please come in. I'll guide you."
Bearing the Tripathi family's crest, entering the estate wasn't a difficult matter.
In fact, my identity was officially registered as a guest of the Tripathi family, making it even easier.
Unfortunately, not everything went smoothly.
"Representative Ganesha Tripathi is currently unavailable."
It was only natural.
With the Silk Road stirring up the entire Ark, someone like Ganesha Tripathi—a young representative of the Rose Line and the Tripathi family—would be busy without a moment's rest.
"When will he return?"
"We do not know his schedule."
It was impossible that no one in the Tripathi family knew his itinerary—this simply meant they couldn't disclose his whereabouts.
"Shall you wait?"
"I will."
"Yes, understood."
With no other options, I chose to wait at the Tripathi estate for a while.
Even if this meant I might be slightly late for my promise to Lania, she herself probably didn't expect things to wrap up quickly anyway, so it should be fine.
As I quietly sipped tea in the guest parlor, waiting—
Knock knock.
"Come in."
The Tripathi family's butler entered through the door.
"Carl Marcus."
"What is it?"
"Representative Gulshan Tripathi would like to meet with you."
"…Gulshan Tripathi?"
Gulshan Tripathi.
Ganesha Tripathi's father, and the head of the Tripathi family.
In other words, the de facto ruler of the Rose Line and a man with immense influence over the entire frontline was asking to meet me.
'Hmm....'
I had never met Gulshan Tripathi before, and he certainly wouldn't ask to see me without any purpose.
More importantly, meeting such a powerful figure from the Rose Line could only benefit me.
"Very well."
"This way, please."
I followed the butler's lead.
The Tripathi estate grounds were indeed vast.
Of course, I had no time to leisurely admire the scenery, so I left the guest annex and entered the main building.
"This is the place."
And so, I arrived at the lord's study, where I finally came face to face with Gulshan Tripathi.
An old man with snow-white hair, but his solid build and sharp eyes revealed exactly what kind of man he was.
"Welcome, Carl Marcus. I'm Gulshan, the master of this estate. I've heard you've visited often, but it's the first time we've met in person."
"I am Carl Marcus."
"First, let me thank you for saving my son. I should've thanked you sooner, but I thought it might make things uncomfortable."
"I only did what needed to be done."
"Haha, I figured you'd say that."
Gulshan Tripathi looked at me.
"Since neither of us has much time, I'll get straight to the point. Something quite interesting is being developed in the Ark lately. The trade route."
"That's right."
"Thanks to that, Ganesha has been very busy. He's worked so hard to find his place—it's going well."
It seemed Gulshan was quite pleased with how Ganesha's position was solidifying during the creation of the Silk Road.
And honestly, that was something I'd planned for as well.
"What are you getting at?"
"Carl Marcus, I don't know your ultimate goal. But I do know for certain that you're acting for the good of the Ark."
Gulshan added:
"The Tripathi family would like to support you. Officially or unofficially."
It was an unexpected offer.
But I couldn't accept it outright.
Support from a great house like the Tripathi family was certainly beneficial, but it also came with potential side effects.
"For what purpose?"
Understanding Gulshan Tripathi's true intentions was the top priority.
Why did he want to support me?
What was his aim?
"Ah, let me rephrase. Just as you've used Ganesha until now, you can use me—and the Tripathi family."
Use us, he said.
From that choice of words, it was clear Gulshan Tripathi wasn't hiding anything.
"We'll let you use us."
Gulshan Tripathi smiled at me.