Almeris, Alcyon
Inside the wooden halls of the Leclerc Division's administrative fortress.
In the middle of a room far too vast for just one man, slouched with zero grace in a red leather armchair—oversized and overly padded—sat Harlan Porco de Hault-Frichet, heir to one of the oldest pig-blooded noble families of the New World.
Recycled into military politics by the sheer weight of his family's pull.
His uniform strained at the belly, buttons left undone, medals glinting across his chest—decorations he hadn't earned, not truly.
Commander of the Leclerc Division of Almeris.
A nobleman dripping arrogance, his mustache so finely trimmed it looked painted on.
Stocky, pink-skinned, his jade eyes dull beneath permanent bags. He carried himself like a king long bored of his court.
He wore the red-and-white uniform of the Inquisition commanders, gold trimming catching the dim light.
Standing before him was JudithCrow, hood draped low over her flowing white hair.
Her eyes were closed—not in respect, but perhaps to shield herself from the idiocy before her.
A former royal guard, her perfect posture still bore the discipline of her old life, but in her blind eyes simmered exhaustion. Or perhaps... a fury she no longer bothered to hide.
— "…So." Judith's voice was cold."The artifact we retrieved is, without a doubt, the same one listed in the O.Kovalian Division's confidential reports. Code name : BlackExcalibur."
She swiped across a tablet. A cluster of floating images appeared mid-air.
The holograms showed a curved, obsidian-black blade, a void in the shape of a sword. Its aura was far too concentrated to be fully captured in a mere projection.
— "The resemblance to Kang Soo Jin's weapon is… alarming. But more than that, it's only shown signs of compliance with a single person : DanteGodwin."
Harlan snorted through his nose, then waved his hand lazily, as if brushing away a bothersome fly.
— "Kang Soo Jin ? That old bedtime story hobos mumble over cheap beer ? Come now, Judith... It's just another cursed relic. All it takes is a brooding teenager and suddenly a trinket becomes a myth. Don't tell me you buy into that garbage..."
Judith's jaw tensed.
— "I'm merely reporting what I've witnessed, sir." She replied in the most neutral tone she could muster.
Harlan leaned forward, a crooked smile stretching his greasy lips.
"You're blind Judith, remember ?
What are you implying, Crow? That Dante's the reincarnation of Soo Jin? Ha! Why not Nez Ha while we're at it?
And even if by some cosmic joke he is, what—do you want us to take the kid out ? He probably stumbled on it by accident. Don't be ridiculous."
— "Maybe it's a replica, maybe it's something else," Judith answered, voice still flat. "But it behaves exactly like the original. It only responds to him. Resists all other contact. We've tried every known method—nothing works. It defies analysis."
Harlan burst out laughing. Judith didn't flinch.
— "What do you want us to do, huh? Arrest him for 'suspiciouschemistrywithametallicobject' ? At that rate we may as well torch every blacksmith shop."
Judith swallowed back the urge to scream. She'd seen Dante fight Ming Tang.
There was something in the way he moved—something far too dangerous.
But she held her tongue. Arguing with pigs only wastes good wine.
Yet something simmered inside her.
Her fists trembled ever so slightly—just enough for the trained to sense the spike in her aura.
To the untrained, she looked still.
To the awakened, she was a absolute threat.
She didn't even notice.
Harlan did. He suddenly jumped in his seat, face pale and eyes wild.
— "Are you wanna to kill me?!" he shrieked, eyes small and piggish, glittering with panic.
The room fell deadly silent.
Judith's gray eyes flew open, startled at herself. She dipped her head instantly.
— "N-no, sir. Apologies. I… I'm just exhausted. The convoy incident... took more out of me than I expected."
Harlan grunted, still glaring at her with suspicion.
But before he could speak again, the doors slammed open.
A woman entered without knocking, glasses askew, arms full of folders.
On her chest glinted the brooch of the Heresy Inquisition.
— "Oops! Sorry! I'm really sorry!" she stammered, nearly dropping everything. "Got the reports—almost left them in the autopsy tray, haha…"
It was Doctor Morgane Deere, high-ranking scientist of the Heresy Inquisition.
— "Doctor Morgane Deere." She repeated awkwardly.
— "Brilliant. Lay it on me." Harlan growled watching her chest.
She dumped the stack of folders onto the table, scattering a few loose sheets into the air.
Despite her fumbling, Judith knew better. She was no fool—Morgane was a genius.
— "Scientific report," Morgane mumbled, adjusting her glasses. "So… the red centipede found among the boy's belongings is classified as MyriopodusParavermisAlchemicus. Which is... basically a modified insect. It's become a semi-symbiotic parasite. Fuses with human tissue, enhances performance, and can even induce stable mutation. It's a kind of evolutionary catalyst. There's evidence of shared consciousness. A full symbiotic link… possibly more."
Judith's eyes narrowed. She stood straighter.
— "That proves it. He's not normal. What kind of provincial student packs that in his luggage ?!"
— "Yes, but... there's no evidence he's used it. No signs of fusion, no long-term exposure on him or his companions."
And once again, Harlan just shrugged, letting out a loud yawn.
— "Well, not our problem. So long as it doesn't blow up in some minister's face, we're not losing sleep over it. Judith—have all of Dante's belongings transferred to Genesis. Except for the centipede. That goes to the Imperial Army. They'll know what to do."
He paused.
"Oh—and assign a few of your men to keep tabs on the kid. Nothing official. Just quiet surveillance. You know how it is with today kids. Even when they're innocent now… they never stay that way."
Judith froze.
— "You're… really going to let a potentially dangerous boy walk around with a cursed weapon ?"
— "Judith, Judith, Judith…" Harlan repeated mockingly, lips curled. "If we arrested everyone who seemed shady, you wouldn't be standing here. And frankly, you look like crap. Take a break. You've earned a week off."
She finally nodded. Slowly. Begrudgingly.
— "Understood, my Commander."
But inside her mind, the words roared :
Useless pig. Incompetent parasite.
And these are the men who run the world...? If I were still in the royal guard I would have had him executed in the public square.