Chapter 61

Termination 6

-:-

3 Days Later

Jabir’s Cargo Ship

The Democratic Republic of Wadiya

“No.” Theo said firmly, much to the surprise of the people on the other side of the video chat.

“Theodore Lorne! How dare you say no to a request for help?!” exclaimed the Vice Principal as he slammed his hand onto the table.

“Calm yourself Vice Principal.” said the aging principal before turning to Theo. “Theodore. I understand your apprehension but consider this as an official request from the HAA. Please take some time from Lord Nosferatu’s work schedule and proceed to the World Union Camp and repair a water pipe.”

Theo silently stared at the Principal for a few seconds.

“And like I said earlier. I refuse. Though I can't stand Wadiya, nothing happened to me while staying here. The moment I left its borders, I was shot at a few times before meeting my supposed ‘allies’.... Only to have a sword shoved into my face. You can't exactly blame me for not wanting to be near those lunatics, right?” said Theo

Naturally, Theo was lying about not getting shot within Wadiyan borders.

“Prince Sa’hel sent his deepest apologies for that misunderstanding. He swear that it will never happen again.”

“Of course it wont since I’ll make a conscious effort not to meet him ever again.”

“Now now. Let’s not be rash Theodore. I’m sure we can get passed this misunderstanding if we talk about it.” said the Principal

Theo simply shrugged in response.

Now you’re probably wondering ‘What the hell is happening?’

A few days ago, the HAA sent a request that Theo was to head to the World Union Camp and do some fixes there. The main item that needed fixing was a water pipe.

A few minutes after the whole event with Prince Sa’hel, Theo realized that the entire request was a skillfully executed deception.

While Theo has never heard of the Kingdom of Valalya, there was no way a Prince would pick up a glorified repairman.

It didn't take him long to connect the dots.

Why did they call him to a place outside Wadiya?

To get him away from Nosferatu

Why would they want to separate him and Nosferatu?

To have a secret meeting.

In all likelihood, they were probably going to get Theo to become their mole within Nosferatu’s ranks

This particular theory became much more certain when the HAA higher ups themselves arranged the video call and was doing their very best to get Theo to the World Union Camp.

He couldn't help but sigh in relief as he dodged a particularly annoying bullet.

If Theo did go to the camp a few days ago, he’d probably be outfitted with some sort of surveillance apparatus. And if it was from the HAA, it was going to be extremely hard to detect. Even Nosferatu wouldn't be able to spot it.

Following that train of thought., all of Theo’s machinations would be revealed to the HAA if he had gone to the World Union Camp.

He really dodged a bullet on gut instincts alone.

All he needed to do was to act like a traumatized brat to dissuade the HAA higher ups and he’ll be home free.

“Mr. Principal. There is nothing you can say that can convince me to go to the World Union Camp. I will finish the job Nosferatu gave me in Wadiya, then leave this god forsaken hell hole forever” said Theo

“Lorne! How dare you say such a thing?!” roared the Vice Principal.

“Dodging bullets from murderous nutjobs and being threatened with dismemberment by supposed ‘allies’ are events that can really make boy value his life above anything else.” replied Theo.

“You think that is an excuse to abandon people in need?!”

“The World Union Camp is filled with talented individuals from all over the world. Do you seriously think that they cant fix a measly water pipe without the help of a midas alchemist? I highly doubt it.”

“THATS NOT THE POINT! People ask for help! We help! That’s what it means to be a hero! Do you even want to become a superhero?!” roared the Vice Principal

Theo internally rejoiced at the Vice Principal’s words.

Throughout the entire video call, Theo has been trying to get someone to utter that sentence.

That simple phrase was the trigger for a script that would free Theo from the HAA’s excessive nagging and plant the blame on the one that said the phrase AKA the Vice Principal.

“Do I want…..?” said Theo in false shock.

He then pretended to think out loud.

“Good question… do I want to be a hero? I’m earning a mint right now. I have more than enough to pay for my school fees and give my parents a comfortable retirement fund for the rest of their lives….. If I quit school now, more money for them…. I could even give them that small supermarket they dreamed off...” said Theo as he stared blankly at the ceiling.

Upon hearing Theo’s words, the HAA higher ups were visibly rattled

“H-hold on Theo! That’s not what the Vice Principal meant!” said the Principal, but Theo pretended to ignore him while continuing with his mumbling.

“.... and even if I do give them their retirement fund, the bonuses I got from Nosferatu could set me up for life… but I could go into business too… yeah… that's good..”

“Theodore! I understand your displeasure but please listen to me!” pleaded the Principal.

Theo continued to pretend that he didn't hear the man while he enjoyed watching him squirm

“.... If my business does fail, I have a lot of job offers from all over… I’ll just choose the one time jobs in order to avoid commitment...”

“Theodore Lorne! Please dont be rash!”

“But what if Juno decided to follow me?.... Not a problem… one of those contracts have enough cash to provide for me, 10 wives and any kids that get born for at least a year… yeah… no problem”

At this point, the HAA’s faces paled.

It was no secret that Juno Saiga had fierce and absolute loyalty towards Theo. The odds of her dropping out along with Theo was as certain as the coming morning.

If this happened under the Principal’s watch, not only would he and his staff would be demoted, they could essentially lose their jobs.

Juno Saiga had the 2nd highest Meta Gene level in HAA history.

Her future superpower, whatever it may be, was going to be monstrous to say the least.

Leaving HAA to be with Theo meant that the HAA had no control over such a beast.

And if they ended up in conflict with Theo in the future, they’ll be facing down Juno’s full might.

The very idea scared the crap out of them.

“Theodore! I need you to calm down!”

“... but what if I stayed in HAA and became a superhero? What are the benefits?..... None really… I’ll just be doing transmutation for free…. There’s no benefit on staying in HAA….yeah…. I should quit” said Theo.

With an enthusiastic nod, Theo turned his attention back to the screen where the HAA higher ups were none too pleased of his monologuing.

“Ladies and Gentlemen of the HAA board, I have decided to drop out of school. The moment I return to Vermilion City, I will begin settling any debts I have, both personal and otherwise. Then I will follow all HAA procedures for my-” said Theo

“MR. THEODORE LORNE. I understand that you’re feeling stressed after living in such an environment that constantly changes every few days. We shall call you on a later date. Stay safe.” said the Principal as the video call cut out before Theo could respond.

“And that’s a wrap.” said Theo as he stretched his arms.

“I must say young Lorne, that was an impressive display of vocabulary skill for someone your age.” said Nosferatu as he and Jabir appeared seemingly out of thin air.

“I agree. Have you ever considered going into the espionage business? I think you’ll be a good fit” added Jabir.

“While I suck at it, I did learn from the world's greatest liar. I probably took in some of her skills.” said Theo. “Anyways, let’s not waste time. What do you guys think of Prince Sa’hel and Valalya Kingdom. More importantly, what are your thoughts on Sa’hel’s armor?”

“My forte is on biological alchemy, so I cant say anything for certain with so little information. But I’m fairly confident that the metal is of magical origin.” said Jabir.

“Really? While it did radiate energy, it didn't have a high temperature as per standard for magic based items”

“Like I said, metals are not my forte”

“*sigh*... Any insights Nosferatu?” asked Theo

“It is embarrassing to admit, but for someone with centuries of wisdom, my specialization in the aspect of warfare has left me inept at the fine arts of item creation.” replied Nosferatu

“I see…. So we’re still in the dark then…” said Theo with a sigh.

“Not at all. If anything, we have ourselves a lead. While the metal they used remains a mystery, the Valalya Kingdom is another matter” said Jabir with confidence.

“Interesting. Let’s hear it.” said Theo.

Jabir inserted a USB into the PC Theo was using for the video call.

The monitor displayed a map with various details on it.

“The Valalya Kingdom is an extremely poor country located in the most mountainous region in Alkebulan. At least, that’s the official statement.” said Jabir. ”But there’s a powerful magical barrier that keeps a metropolis with decently high advancement in both science and magic.”

“And how in the hell did you know about that?” asked Theo.

“Naturally, I sent some of my Hassan-i Sabbah into the area 2 days ago. All of them were captured and is currently imprisoned in Valalya. Not only is he safe, he’s well fed as well. Dont you just love the good guys? Anyways, this is the power of the mental network I share with my clones. All of their knowledge and experience is shared throughout the network, so I know everything they know.”

“Jabir is the ‘Master of the Hassan-i Sabbah’ for a reason. Learn from him young Lorne, for this the path that you will be walking on.” said Nosferatu.

Jabir stood in front of the two and confidently declared.

“Keep your eyes on the prize gentlemen. We’re not here to go up against the Valalya Kingdom. We’re after Bella Sway and her harem of dogs and bats. With that said, let the hunt begin.”