"If we are to go through such a risky plan, then we will do it my way. Let's visit Jed first. We have a few things to talk about," Kairo said. He knew the odds were stacked against them, but he had a plan. It was a little daring—but what about this whole mission wasn't daring?
"Whatever you say. But I told you already, Jed wouldn't answer any questions about Harid, nor will he say anything compromising. You said it yourself—he's a spy. They are trained for that," Nyx complained, still following after Kairo.
"That's not the point, Nyx. You'll understand soon enough," Kairo said with a hint of mystery.
The Card Mage Police departments all had their unique buildings in which their major operations took place. That of the Espionage Department was located a little further away, in a massive dome-like building.
"We are allowed to freely move in the Card Mage Police, as long as we don't pry too much into other departments' work. We'll use this to our advantage," Kairo said as they went through security.
"Hey, kids. There's no one upstairs. They're all at the training field. You should come back later," said the officer in charge.
Kairo shook his head. This was perfect for him.
"Actually, we've heard a lot about the Espionage Department of the Card Mage Police. Many call you the least effective department of the entire Safe Vault. Today, I'm here to test if you guys are really as fit as you say. Why not with the Chancellor's son? I will defeat him with great ease," Kairo spoke confidently, trying his best to sound as haughty as he could. But unknowingly, he sounded even more polite than usual—probably his father's influence playing tricks on him again.
The officer stared blankly at him, clearly far from impressed by his speech. A bored expression on his face, his lips moved—about to reject them—when Nyx jumped into the conversation.
"Too scared to accept the challenge or what? Nah, let me guess—you can't afford to lose to newbies. Otherwise, you wouldn't look as glorious as you all dream you are. Right?" Nyx's voice reeled with a subtle hint of ridicule—yet nothing outrageous. The perfect mix of that youthful and sarcastic stare.
Despite the change in expression, the officer shook his head.
"Give up the try, kids. Get the hell out of here."
"Yeah, Espionage Department is the perfect name for you guys. All you do is hide and wait for your victims to turn their backs—too scared to face them off. It's fine if you're too scared to face us. Kairo, let's leave this place," Nyx said with full confidence, pulling Kairo's arm as she dragged him away.
Kairo's eyes were popping out of their sockets. She was spoiling his entire plan.
Just as the duo was about to leave, a very domineering voice rippled through the hall like the decree of a lord.
"So we can't fight, you say?" the voice echoed.
Kairo froze. His body trembled slightly as if the voice were alive and currently roaming around him. Nyx swallowed hard as they turned to the new arrival.
A sharp suit that reminded him of skilled experts. Fabian was not only extremely handsome, but he also had an aura of ease around him that made his presence neither suffocating nor aggressive—more of that discreet calm, like hidden knives in the shadows.
"That's not what we meant…" Kairo stumbled for words. Now that he knew what Fabian's position was, he had a hard time calling him uncle.
"Don't worry. I wouldn't blame you for that. I have a deal for you. I won't let you fight in here. We have nothing to prove to you rookies. But I will allow you to assist with the training—how about that? Afterward, it'll be up to you to change your thinking, if you wish," Fabian proposed with an amicable smile.
Kairo took a furtive glance at Nyx by his side. This wasn't what he expected, but Fabian was the leader of this department. He was clear—they had nothing to prove to them. There was no arguing to be done here.
"Okay. We agree," Kairo said.
"' I don't mind," Nyx shrugged her shoulders.
"Perfect. Officer, return to your work. I will handle our new guests and make sure they feel safe," Fabian continued, taking the lead.
Kairo and Nyx followed after Fabian to the training field. On their way, Nyx said in a low voice, "The next time you want to act like an arrogant kid, let me do the talking. You almost spoiled your plan yourself. Here… 'I will defeat him with ease'... hahaha, who even talks like that?"
"Shut up. And keep the pace. I already almost regret the silent you from yesterday," Kairo's face turned sour. This girl had the gift of getting on his nerves. But she wasn't totally wrong. Thinking of his words now, he didn't sound arrogant at all. I might have underestimated Father's influence on me, he laughed inwardly.
"What was your plan exactly, Kairo? Shouldn't we be waiting for Jed and thinking of strategies to tail him after he leaves this place?"
Kairo's face fell as he took in the luxurious office they had entered, letting Nyx's question fall into the background. Marble floors and pictures of honors lined the walls, spanning two immense rooms with glass windows letting in ample light.
He took us to his office? Kairo was speechless.
"You can both have a seat, kids. Make yourselves at home. From here, we will observe the training field," Fabian said. A 3D model of the vast training field hovered above the table. It was as if they could see from above what was happening in frightening detail.
"This is one of my cards. Called The General's Eye… without it, I'd have a hard time keeping my people in check. Take a seat. Don't be shy," Fabian urged them.
Kairo and Nyx finally sat, observing the globe with renewed curiosity.
"If it's just a monitoring tool, then it's nothing really special apart from returning very realistic actions of those you're monitoring. Furthermore, cards with this kind of power always come with a harsh condition," Nyx spoke frankly. Whenever Card Magic was involved, her passion seemed to shoot through the roof.
Kairo, on the side, agreed. Up until now, he had not met many cards, but he knew one thing: all cards had an activation condition. For the most basic cards, it was nothing more than a simple infusion of aura. But as far as special cards were concerned, very unique conditions needed to be met. Tactical Brilliance, for example, could not be activated in normal circumstances—meaning if Kairo saw a car about to hit a child, he wouldn't be able to use his speed to save them. Only when the abnormal was involved.
"The General's Eye" has indeed a tricky condition to be used. "First, I must remember the last exact location—within an hour frame—of all the people I want to monitor. Pretty challenging, you bet. But the good part is, the victim can see the little eye following them but cannot escape it no matter what they try. And the eye is independent of distance. As long as I arrive an hour before you left, you won't want to run—no matter where you try to hide," Fabian smirked.
Kairo felt his body shake inwardly. How frightening… no wonder he's the head of the Espionage Department. Fabian could literally find anyone he wanted without exception—even if the person was hidden on the other side of the planet. But Kairo was no fool. He quickly grasped the limitations of such a huge power.
There probably exist cards that can alter space, time, or even matter. Otherwise, Fabian would have found the mastermind long ago, Kairo analyzed. The mastermind had stayed hidden from them for more than a year already—meaning he was either very good at hiding or had a card designed specifically to counter Fabian's magic.
"I love your curiosity, kids. Actually, that was the reason I brought you here. We will play a little game. If you all are able to determine who will win the training battle based on the observation of the cards from the candidates, I will offer you a green pass to our special House where you will be able to select an auxiliary card for free. But if I win, Kairo will have to join the Espionage Department. How about that?" Fabian asked.
Kairo's face twitched slightly. An auxiliary card, he said? This was a special card that had no particular ties to any owner. Most cards could only be activated by infusing the owner's aura into them. Kairo could not infuse his aura into Nyx's Sifa card and succeed in activating it—it didn't work that way. However, auxiliary cards were a little special, as anyone could use them.
Having an additional card was tempting, but Kairo hesitated. Why was Fabian so adamant about him joining? His father, on the other hand, didn't like the idea and had been categorical the last time. No matter the feud between them, he didn't want to get involved, and Fabian was probably trying to drag him into that. Still, the greed of getting one more card was consuming. Kairo's eyes were already seeing it in his possession.
"Kairo, don't forget why we came here initially. We still have a case to solve," Nyx subtly reminded him.
"Might be next time, Fabian. First, let's observe the training battle," Kairo dismissed his greedy thoughts for now. The real reason he was here was Jed.