"So what if he's the brightest candidate for the throne? Clearly, he had proven his incompetence when he lost to King Aldon." Commander Arata of the Cadia's Force seventh legion questioned Malrick's decision to antagonize the Bohrson family, specifically Neil Bohrson, by kidnapping his heir.
To the commander, it was clear that Neil posed no threat in the ongoing conflicts. Neil was not a key figure. He wasn't involved in any organizations or forces aside from his association with the Royal Clan.
As for the title of the strongest and brightest throne candidate across the El Malais history, that was, to the Commander, nothing more than an exaggeration. A thing of the past, even if it was true.
A little over two decades ago, Neil was one of the operatives involved in the Rabak Anarchy Incident. The Rabak Rebels are a group of terrorists that have terrorized Eastern Eurysterr for years.
It begins as a civil conflict between the government of the Habuar nation against the public due to corruption, but it quickly escalates into regional chaos when the resistance side begins burning down buildings, and people who side with the Habuar government.
The Rabak Rebels turn the region into an area of conflict where anyone could die for speaking the wrong thing.
When the Contest for the Throne of El Malais begins, the region becomes the trial ground for the candidates. The decision to use such a volatile area was controversial but intentional, aiming to reveal who among the contenders could restore peace and order—a skill deemed essential for a future king. By doing so, the kingdom sought not only to test their strength and strategic thinking but also their political acumen and ability to handle crises.
Some speculated that the El Malais Kingdom might have had a hand in instigating the conflict, intending to create a backdrop that would press each candidate into decisive action. Although there is no concrete evidence to support this theory, it remains a talking point. What remained indisputable, however, was how peace was eventually restored due to the kingdom's interference, giving rise to intricate plays of diplomacy and warfare.
Neil emerged as the MVP in ending the conflict, not by sheer might alone but through his clever negotiations and tactical brilliance, drawing neighboring nations into action to completely eradicate the rebel forces. His ability to harness influence and unite disparate powers under a common cause highlighted his potential as a ruler, making a significant impact that would be remembered long after the contest concluded.
The leader and most key individuals of the terrorist group were killed in direct combat against Neil, and that happened in the heart of the terrorist territory.
It was unknown what leverage Neil had used to force the surrounding sharks, the nations that originally wished to wait and see, to end up sending their forces into the region to quell the chaos.
This is one of the points brought up in the strategic meeting several times across the years to justify that, despite his absence in the Kingdom's ruling affairs, that doesn't mean he's now harmless.
Yes, the feat he had done during the incident was impactful, but it is actually not that important or grave. Who among the ones present doesn't have strategic thinking? The ability to see two or more steps ahead?
No, that alone wasn't enough to put Neil on a pedestal in Malrick's eyes. What Malrick valued was Neil's ability to execute the strategy in the midst of chaos. On the battlefield, changes sometimes happen so fast that barely anyone can even react.
Neil Bohrson had showcased his ability to go above and beyond that. It was as if he were born for the sole reason of bending society according to his whims.
That's why, as long as Neil wasn't confirmed dead, he might just be the very person who could destroy his years of effort to fell the titan called El Malais Kingdom.
The fact that Neil didn't end up as the King very much surprised Malrick back then, so he decided to investigate considerably deeply into the Bohrson's family lineage. An act that almost uncovered Cadia's true face decades too early.
Luckily, Malrick acted fast back then, and ruthlessly enough, which allowed the organization to remain under the radar until now.
"How much do you know about the Bohrson Lineage, Commander Arata?" Malrick asked calmly.
"Enough to know that the current Neil Bohrson poses no threat to our operation. We had even managed to slip a sleeper agent that had gone unnoticed for years. Adding to that, his son Zachary is in our hands."
"Enter, Peony number two," Malrick called out, and a person entered the hall. Dismissing the Commander's arrogant statement by not giving it any attention.
It was Ria, who had already changed into a proper standard gear of Cadia's soldiers. She walked unhurriedly to the front as pairs of eyes immediately fell on her.
She saluted Malrick formally when she reached his side and then twisted her body to face the others seated at the long table.
"Greetings," she saluted toward them. Her expression was calm and composed without a hint of nerves despite standing in a room full of enhanced individuals.
Ria herself had yet to undergo enhancement, but Doctor Lima had told her that she would be called when her turn came, and it was expected to be in the next few days. For now, though, her biological parameters were no different from those of a female athlete at best.
Malrick saw the confusion of Commander Arata and every other person in the room except for the woman standing beside him. Understandable because this is not a place for an espionage agent, or a sleeper agent like her could enter willy-nilly.
"Peony #2, elaborate on the situation after this footage was played," Malrick said with a flat tone as he took a seat.
The projector lit up and projected a screen on the wall behind Ria, who had already stepped aside.
The footage was recorded from Ria's point of view, as it was taken from a hidden camera.
In that footage, Neil is conversing with Ria. The content of their talk was normal, just like how you expect the conversation between an employer and employee would go.
It was toward the end that shows the key of this footage as Neil's eyes suddenly shift lower, looking straight into the camera lenses. Judging from the slight smirk on his face, everyone in the room understood that Neil knew something about Ria. Or the fact that the interaction was recorded.
The conversation in the footage doesn't end there as Neil and Ria's conversation continues, but the direction of the conversation has changed.
Before the footage truly ends, it shows Neil saying one line, "Look out for the others." Then the projector shut down.
Malrick allows those present to digest the information from the footage for a few moments before he said, "That footage was taken shortly before Zachary Bohrson turns thirteen years old."
Commander Arata's frown deepened as he processed the set of information.
"Why did he still allow Ria to walk under his nose, then?" said another person. It was Captain Zayn, seated a few chairs away from Commander Arata on the other side of the table.
"As the only person at the scene, Peony #2 has the answers. Or assumptions." Malrick gestured for Ria to step forward again and answer the inquiries of everyone.
The purpose of this session wasn't just to justify that they should consider Neil as a genuine threat, but also remove overconfidence from his subordinates.
Despite his words, nobody raised any questions toward Ria at all as they merely observed her in silence. Seeing his subordinates' behaviour, Malrick decides to ask the first question to the sleeper agent.
"Peony #2. Elaborate on the last statement by Neil Bohrson to us." He said. He used inclusivity by adding himself to the mix even though he already knew the answer.
"Sir," Ria nodded as she began narrating the conversation, picking apart the underlying meaning of each sentence, the tonality, and the common innuendo in her conversation with Neil Bohrson.
The Bohrson mansion, where Neil, his spouse, and children live, had many spies and sleeper agents living a double life, and Ria wasn't the only one. However, despite her effort to uncover who was undercover and met little success, she also failed to find out the organizations behind them.
Neil was playing a dangerous game, and it involved the lives of not only himself, but also his beloved wife and heir.
More than 24 hours had passed since the successful kidnapping of Zachary, and with the failsafe Dopper now taking Zachary's place, it was not yet supposed to trigger any response from anyone.
However, the unexpected has happened. The doppelganger was already dead less than half a day ago. Botchwick Headquarters keeps track of all personnel through heartbeat monitoring, and the flatlining of a doppelganger caused the alarm to go out in the command room.
The news had reached Malrick and his key lineups in this room. The subject had been brought up, but Commander Arata was the firmest believer that it was a fluke. After all, with the conflicts currently raging in the El Malais Kingdom, anything can happen.
With Malrick's initiative, the leaders of Cadia began asking question after question. Some were answered, some could only be speculated upon, and some were met with only uncertainty.
Some of the men present in the room frowned as they couldn't make sense of how Neil Bohrson thinks and what kind of logic he follows. As people who had been well educated and experienced in the arts of war, psychology, and human behavior traits, Neil seems more like an unhinged person hiding underneath a noble identity.
However, such a person would rarely pass up the opportunity to hold power when given the chance. Especially when the chance came from their own competency and superiority compared to every other person.
"How do you think a guy like Neil Bohrson loses to King Aldon, Commander Arata?" Malrick asked when he noticed that the hall had been quiet for moments too long.
"It was…" Commander Arata was about to speak his mind when he discovered something.
How did Neil lose?
Nothing came to mind at all. It was a statement with hollow ink, and many seem to only realize this now, and even then, only because Malrick had pointed that out.
"Your answer, Commander Arata?" Malrick raised an eyebrow. At this point, Commander Arata and the others seem to see their leader in an entirely different light.
They had questioned their leader's adamancy when it came to Neil Bohrson's time and again, but not once had he forced anything down their throat.
They could see that Malrick views them highly as his subordinates, but they also understood that this is his way of sharing his ability to see the bigger picture.
"I was wrong to ever doubt you, leader." Commander hung his head low in defeat and resignation, but not a bit of negative emotion was in his heart. If anything, his respect toward Malrick had skyrocketed, and all seeds of doubt about his seemingly out-of-place decisions had vanished.
The same goes for the Commander's peers.
"The high time is approaching, and this is the hard limit of questioning over my authority allowed. Going forward, every decision I make must be executed. However, I will leave the execution methods to your brilliance. As per the reason, all of you were present in this very hall." Malrick gave his ultimatum.
Ria was already allowed to leave right after all the questions were answered, as her presence was no longer needed. She was not there to see the usually prideful figures acting like obedient dogs to Malrick.
Well, even if she was there, her adoration toward Malrick would only increase.