Chapter 282: The Chessboard
Calling it light concealment was no longer accurate.
It was closer to true invisibility.
Axel led the group toward the gates of Mary Geoise without slowing down. No one reacted to their presence. The guards continued watching the darkness ahead, behaving as though nothing unusual was happening.
The night was silent.
So were the Marines.
The entire scene felt unnatural and unsettling.
That was the Revolutionary Army's first impression.
Faced with the tight security surrounding them, most of the revolutionaries remained completely silent. Some even held their breath.
They did not understand exactly how Axel's ability worked, but they knew what would happen if it failed.
They would be surrounded by Marine elites and buried beneath a storm of bullets.
Just as their nerves tightened to the breaking point, a loud voice shattered the silence.
"Boy, this ability of yours isn't limited to concealing light, is it?"
The speaker was Ivankov.
Cold sweat immediately appeared on the faces of the other revolutionaries.
Even if Ivankov was an officer, there was no need to test their luck like this.
They stared at him resentfully, then quickly turned toward the surrounding Marines, preparing for an attack.
Nothing happened.
The guards remained at their posts like statues, completely indifferent to the noise.
Everyone looked back at Axel.
Clearly, this was his doing.
Axel nodded, silently confirming Ivankov's guess.
"As I thought," Ivankov said.
"When we were climbing earlier, several of us failed to notice the Marines stationed around the outer perimeter. We accidentally made some noise."
"These guards are Marine elites. There's no chance they failed to hear us."
"Yet they never reacted."
Ivankov studied Axel with growing interest.
"So I wondered whether you could conceal sound as well, or perhaps even erase our presence entirely."
There was one thing Ivankov did not mention.
He had briefly suspected that Axel might be leading them into a trap while cooperating with the Marines.
That was why he had spoken so loudly.
No matter how well someone controlled their expression, their eyes would still react to an unexpected sound.
It was similar to the effect of Ivankov's hormones. No matter how much a man resisted, his body would still change once transformed into a woman.
The other revolutionaries continued sweating.
Even after confirming that Axel could hide them, speaking so casually while surrounded by Marines was far too reckless.
If Axel's control slipped for even a moment, they might all die here.
One of them quietly tugged at Ivankov's sleeve.
Ivankov understood the warning.
"Fine, fine. Let's keep moving."
Axel led them deeper into Mary Geoise.
Before beginning the operation, he had already used long distance light refraction from the sky to observe the Holy Land and record a safe route.
Safe for him, at least.
Although his ability could conceal their presence from ordinary people, it could not hide them from experts using Observation Haki.
To ensure that the Admirals could respond immediately to any threat, the World Government and the Marines had stationed them near the Celestial Dragons' palaces and the conference grounds.
That was why Axel had chosen this route.
The path ahead held no immediate danger.
They walked between rows of Marines almost like officials inspecting the defenses.
The members of the Revolutionary Army followed in stunned silence.
Every one of them was an elite operative who had survived countless battles and infiltrated many enemy strongholds.
But none of them had ever entered hostile territory like this.
So openly.
So effortlessly.
It was both the most difficult and the strangest infiltration they had ever attempted.
Mary Geoise was the most heavily guarded location any of them had entered, yet somehow, breaking into it had been easier than infiltrating an ordinary military camp.
They walked through the Holy Land like invited guests receiving a ceremonial salute from rows of motionless guards.
Once they had entered Mary Geoise, Axel led them into a blind spot.
"We're here," he said. "From this point onward, you're on your own."
"That's it?"
One of the revolutionaries blurted out the question before he could stop himself.
"You don't want anything from us?"
From the beginning, Axel had never explained what favor he needed.
He had gone through all this trouble to bring them into Mary Geoise, only to release them without making a single demand.
No one could believe it was that simple.
"It is that simple," Axel replied.
The revolutionaries exchanged puzzled looks.
During their negotiations, Axel had said he would reveal his request once they reached Mary Geoise.
"It really is impossible to understand you," Ivankov said.
"What exactly are you trying to accomplish, boy?"
"My goal was achieved the moment you arrived here."
Axel looked at them calmly.
"I do not care what you choose to do next."
"However, I hope you survive."
His voice remained flat.
"I do not understand emotions, but I can sense that you should not die."
He paused briefly.
"Still, from the moment you entered this place, you became pieces on my chessboard."
The atmosphere changed.
"You may turn back and attempt to escape through the layers of Marine defenses."
"Or you may remain here and search for the intelligence you came to obtain."
"But if you stay, you will inevitably become trapped in the stalemate I have created."
"Leave?"
The possibility was absurd.
As long as the World Conference continued, leaving Mary Geoise was almost impossible.
Even Ivankov was not certain he could survive jumping from the summit they had just climbed.
Breaking out by force was even less realistic.
Several Admirals were stationed nearby.
That left them with the plan they had already prepared.
They would gather intelligence, transmit it through the Revolutionary Army's special methods, then escape among the departing national delegations once the conference ended.
The choice was obvious.
Even so, being called chess pieces left a bitter taste in their mouths.
Ivankov chuckled.
"I thought you were planning something worse."
"We knew the risks before coming here."
He spread his arms.
"This is already the best possible situation for us."
"Whatever your true objective may be, we only need to complete our own mission."
Ivankov's expression became serious.
"Don't worry. We'll survive."
"Yes. We'll survive," the other revolutionaries echoed.
"Then I wish you luck," Axel said softly.
His figure began to fade.
Like dust carried away by the wind, both his body and voice slowly disappeared.
The revolutionaries remained where they were, staring silently at the empty ground.
For a moment, they looked no different from the Marines outside who had failed to notice them.
"So this is what those guards experienced," one of them murmured.
"It really is troublesome to be targeted by someone like him."
"Enough. We need to begin preparing."
At those words, several people turned toward Ivankov.
The meaning of their stares was obvious.
Even in a world filled with strange people and unusual clothing, Ivankov's appearance was far too distinctive.
He would be recognized immediately.
Ivankov looked around at them.
"What are you all staring at?"
He placed his hands on his hips.
"Is there something strange about my outfit?"
....
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