Clovis was sitting in front of the president. They had been staring at each other for two minutes without speaking.

The president couldn’t help but shake his head helplessly. "To think something like this is happening one year before my presidency is over. In such an unstable time, I don’t know what the new president will do..."

"Even I don’t know what the new president will do. In fact, I know you know more than me, Mr. President."

The president sighed. "So, what is going on in this world? Do you know something that I don’t know?"

"I’m not entirely sure about what is happening as well. However, I can tell you that it’s not me."

"Why do you say so?"

"Because the Tower of Beasts is not the first special tower I entered. The first tower was called the Tower of Darkness. In there, I got the source code of this world, and there was nothing that could be used to remove a country over there."

"!!!" The president froze. He awkwardly asked, wondering if he had heard it right. "You have the source code?"

"You heard it right, Mr. President. We were only there for a short time. There wasn’t enough time to write down the code. So, my operator took the liberty to get all the important ones and reconstructed the codes."

"I suppose... I couldn’t see it?"

"I can show you the source code, but I can’t give it to you. Even right now, the only ones knowing the full information about the source code are me and my operator. Only the two of us. Unlike the information in the Tower of Beasts, I’m sure you understand the importance of the code."

"..." The president fell silent. If that kind of information were stolen, it was indeed going to be troublesome. "Are you telling the truth?"

"I swear that right now, I’m only going to tell you the truth. At least, please believe me that every single word coming out of my mouth in this room is the truth and only the truth."

The president closed his eyes. "So... you don’t know anything?"

"Yes. Back then, I could only copy and reconstruct it. Maybe I was missing the mechanism that could erase a country just like that, but that was all I did... copying the code."

"About Lucente?"

"After what happened to Lucente, the idea of this world being a simulation must have been reinforced in the people’s minds. That is why I believe in another possibility."

"Such as..."

"The problem within the device that keeps this world running."

"!!!" The president was surprised, but he soon realized this was indeed a possibility. In fact, it sounded more plausible than Clovis nuking a country with the codes. "But those people are taking advantage of this to blame you for the destruction."

"That’s why I ask for a press conference. It’s time to call out their bullshit."

"In the end, this is your word against theirs..."

"Yes. It can’t be helped. However, I’m planning to continue diving to the remaining special towers." Clovis nodded.

The president thought for a moment and asked, "How much should I tell this to the next president? Well, there is still one more year before my term is over, but I think the new president needs to be informed, right?"

"Indeed. But please make sure about that person’s character. I believe that you’re a good judge of a person’s character."

"You’re putting pressure on me." The president scratched the back of his head. "However, I will do my best."

"Do you have anything else you want to ask?"

The president shook his head. "Not at the moment. Shall we go?"

"Yes."

Both of them immediately walked to the venue. This time, all the media had been invited to talk about this.

Clovis had already prepared himself for this. Even though he wasn’t as good as Angelia, he believed he was good enough to talk in front of the media. Besides, he knew he had to do this as the captain.

The president was the first one to walk to the podium. "Good morning. There is a very big accusation being thrown around by so many people. However, this is unacceptable.

"With me here is the leader of the Libation Fiesta, Clovis Hacfield. He will be the one addressing the issue.

"However, I would like everyone to know that Absalom will back Clovis Hacfield because he is innocent. That’s all from me. Now, please allow me to invite Mr. Clovis Hacfield."

The president nodded to him. They greeted each other with a smile before Clovis took the podium.

"Good morning, Absalom. There are a few things to address. First of all, I would like to say that their claim that I have anything to do with this is completely false. Where is the proof?

"What if I tell you that they’re the ones causing this? Will their side also say this is a baseless accusation? What’s even more ridiculous about all this is what they’re doing right now.

"Take a look at their actions right after the incident. Aside from throwing a baseless accusation at me, they’re moving to Lucente. They’re saying they’re giving aid, but they’re actually blocking us, blocking everyone from knowing what’s going on.

"This is unacceptable. They are binding our limbs, gagging our mouths, and even covering our eyes. They are forcing us to listen to their opinions without giving us the chance to do anything.

"We also want to know the truth. But we’ll see. Will they even open it to the public so that everyone can learn about it? Will they guarantee that they’re going to remain safe? Will they guarantee that the information people receive hasn’t been tampered with?

"They claim I was the cause of all this. It was because I sought the truth about this world that Lucecte disappeared.

"Maybe they were right. They chose to use their knowledge to destroy Lucente and pointed their fingers at me. It’s such a simple way to protect the power they have.

"They have been terrorizing this world without anyone knowing. But this time, I have come closer to that truth, and they’re trying to hide it. That’s why I won’t stop because everyone deserves the truth. Everyone deserves their freedom. I don’t want to let anyone feel threatened by the hidden power they possess."