An Extra’s POV

'Adrien Chase… it all makes sense now.'

As Rey's thoughts trailed, he wondered why he never pieced together all of the information beforehand.

'Back then, when I first saw him standing behind Scylla… I instantly knew he was involved. I just didn't know why…'

However, now that they were standing opposite each other, Rey had a good idea of what was going on.

"Did you manipulate the events thus far? Pretending to be a part of the Criminal Underworld… acting like someone you're not… just to gain all the benefits?"

Rey thought along these lines because they were the kind of things he had done and would do in order to get what he wanted.

What were the chances that Adrien had a similar thought pattern as him?

'He has been controlling Scylla without her knowledge. He probably wants all the resources of the Underworld for himself.'

This was an elaborate way to set things up, but he was able to orchestrate the events thus far.

'Or am I the one overthinking it?' Rey thought to himself.

"No, you're not overthinking things."

The moment Rey heard Adrien's voice and saw the boy move, Rey instantly took an offensive stance.

"Relax…" Adrien reached for his mask and began to pull it away.

"… I don't want to fight."

As Adrien revealed his face to Rey, it precisely matched the smiling boy who turned back back then.

His black hair swayed as his blue eyes gleamed with some sort of hidden motives.

He instantly got shivers when he remembered that event, but [Dead Calm] suppressed everything in an instant.

"I know what you're thinking, and you're not completely wrong… but you're not completely right either."

his offensive stance

wasn't wholly for personal gain. I mean, look at the results? The Black Market, the Mercenary Gang, and the Slave Union… they're all in

"And?"

Rey narrowed his gaze as he

a single word the boy

because I was here to ensure whatever plan you cooked up

Rey's words,

you think I didn't account for your presence at

"What?"

the main player today,

what to believe any longer. Adrien was

only set the stage for

you wouldn't have involved me." Rey narrowed his eyes as

I already said, I did all

was obvious in

and this entire Criminal Empire that the Triumvirate founded is stupid. It'll only get in the way of the Alliance's progress in the long run." Adrien drew even closer, until he got to

this Nation's resources and potential. They're a detrimental force… an overall liability to the

on Scylla's head and

why I had to cut

the Alliance?' Rey had already had the exact same thought about the Criminal Underworld some time back, so he knew Adrien wasn't lying about

wealth of the Underworld would be best distributed to the Alliance in order to improve its economic

special items would be more helpful in the mainstream market—especially in times of

Underworld kept hoarding things from the mainstream, it would lead to the overall

incredibly vile, and the Mercenary Gang

would

just as

Rey agreed on

However…

expect me to believe that you did all of this for

a blade from seemingly nowhere, Rey pointed it

be an idiot and just accept

to be a heartless killer as Ralyks, then it was possible for Adrien to act as

you really have such a low opinion of

Yes, I do.' Rey gritted