Masteria Online: Shattering the Dark God's Grand Scheme-Chapter 41 - Grand Tactician

Divan was quiet for a long moment, clearly weighing options. "Merath trusts you. That counts for much. He also confirmed you have restrictions on what you can say, which aligns with what you’ve told me." He paused. "Tell me this. Can Afton say things you cannot?"

"Yes." Lumi said immediately. "He has no such restrictions."

"Interesting. Very interesting." Divan moved back to his desk. "Let me pose a hypothetical. If I were to ask Afton about the nature and origin of your people, would he know? Could he answer?"

Lumi immediately shook his head. "There’s no way."

Divan was quiet for a long moment, weighing options. Finally, he nodded slowly. "Very well. You may interrogate him, but understand this, you’ll be under constant observation of six knights, and myself personally. Any suspicious behavior, any attempt to silence or manipulate the prisoner beyond acceptable interrogation techniques, and you’ll find yourself in the cell next to his. And given certain aspects of you, it will be a very special cell."

"Understood and accepted."

"Additionally, you’ll share your interrogation strategy with me first. I want to know what angles you plan to pursue and why."

Lumi had expected this too. It was reasonable, and it gave him a chance to plant seeds. "I’ll focus on three areas."

He put up a finger as he explained. "First, his obsession with Lady Twilight. It’s not romantic. It’s closer to religion. She represents divine beauty and power to him. He’s built his entire identity around eventually proving worthy of her notice. That fixation makes him vulnerable to specific pressures."

"Such as?"

"The possibility that his failures have been reported to her. That she knows his name, but only as an example of incompetence. He’d do anything to change that narrative."

Divan nodded slowly. "Continue."

"Second, his rivalry with other Wings operatives. Afton desperately wants to rise in the ranks but keeps being passed over for promotion. He tells himself it’s politics, but deep down he knows it’s because others are simply better. He keeps detailed mental notes on his rivals’ failures and schemes. With the right pressure, he’ll reveal them out of spite."

"And third?"

"His puppet research. He thinks it’s his unique contribution, his path to power and recognition. But he’s actually following predetermined paths laid out by his superiors. While many of the modifications and skill may be his own, neither the goal nor method behind the ultimate goal of it is his own idea. Will Stones."

"Will Stones." Divan spoke, turning contemplative. "That’s awfully high level for someone like him. Well, for anyone, but particularly someone like Afton."

After a moment of contemplation, he nodded to himself. "That’s remarkably specific information about classified Wings research."

"Indeed."

Divan stood, pacing to the window that overlooked Herene’s training grounds. "There’s another angle to consider. If you were created by the Wings, and you have restrictions on what you can say about them, then forcing you to extract information from one of their operatives is either a test of your loyalty or..."

"Or proof that I’ve chosen a side," Lumi finished. "That whatever my origins, my allegiance is to those who oppose the darkness."

"Precisely." Divan turned back. "Merath described you as having an unusually pure heart when he examined you. No corruption, no hidden darkness. That’s not something that can be faked, not against his level of scrutiny."

"Then trust that reading."

"I see." Divan moved to his desk, pulling out a scheduling crystal. "The interrogation will be in two hours. That gives you time to prepare. I’ll have the necessary authorization prepared." He paused. "Don’t make me regret this, Lumi. Merath’s trust only extends so far."

"You won’t regret it." Lumi promised, already thinking through his approach. "Afton is about to reveal things about the Wings’ operations that will reshape your understanding of their threat level. More importantly, he’ll reveal their interest in the Will Stones."

Divan’s eyes sharpened. "I assumed it was his own personal ambition. It is usually the case, especially with people like him. If collecting them were so easy, they would already be in someone’s hands by now."

After a moment, he waved his hand. "You can prepare for the interrogation. I must make preparations of my own. Meet me at 16:30."

As Lumi left Divan’s office, he allowed himself a moment of satisfaction. The interrogation would crack open storylines that shouldn’t emerge for years. The Wings would find their carefully laid plans unraveling as the Knights moved to counter operations they shouldn’t know about yet.

It was crucial to be unravelling these plans. While there were countless plans by the Wings of Darkness, the key point to remember was that the Dark One wasn’t free. He wasn’t at full power doing whatever he felt like.

He was still sealed, only able to leak a small portion of his influence and power. In fact, the entire purpose of the Wings of Darkness existing was to unseal the Dark One.

There were many personal desires mixed among the various members of the Wings of Darkness, but at the end of the day...

The plot against the Goddess of Time, Goddess of Life...

That flying ship Darkness, the puppeteer, the androids, pirates... the fall of so many kingdoms, that necromancer... there’s just so, so much.

Wow, they really messed around with every single inch of this world, didn’t they? They’ve done so much, so much to ruin this world!

An individual doing evil I can understand. But the Wings of Darkness is an entire organization. How can so many people join such a thing?

"Ugh." Lumi groaned, tired of thinking of such a thing.

...

But regardless, he had two hours. Then he appeared.

Even among the glittering spires and silver banners of Herene, he stood apart. It looked like royalty yet sharper and colder. His long, bright blue hair flowed down his back regally, unnaturally pristine with not a single strand out of place. His eyes, cold and piercing, landed directly on Lumi.

He felt his heart jump immediately, as if I had been dissected in a single glance, and a judgement already made.

But that wasn’t just a feeling. It was how he did things. Lumi had already been judged.

I hadn’t expected him of all people to suddenly appear around the corner and approach me.

Him.

The busiest man in the world.

The man Lumi respected more than anyone else.

That man stepped forward, and time seemed to still.

Grand Tactician Azir.

Azir’s uniform was a deep navy trimmed in silver thread, a high collar rigid around his neck, with gold accented buttons. The intricate crest of Herene blazed over his chest. His emblem was shown right on his chest, signifying his position as the Grand Tactician.

He walked like a man who had only ever known stress in his life. Each step predatory. Behind him, two elite guards followed silently. Even without them, he carried authority.

Azir stopped right in front of Lumi, unblinking, staring down.

"You." he said, his voice strangely soft yet firm. "You are the one behind capturing Afton S. Crow, correct? The leader behind that team?"

"Yes." Lumi nodded simply.

He studied Lumi for a heartbeat longer. His expression barely shifted, just the faintest narrowing of his eyes. And then, just like that, he turned and left.

Azir...

Lumi looked on as Azir left, thoughtful.

Why did Azir come? For me specifically? Divan hasn’t had time to talk to him, atleast not after my most recent talk with Divan.

Azir is a busy man. Very busy.

One could see it just by looking at the stress the man carried around. It didn’t help that not only was he managing the Aria Knights, but he was in charge of foreign diplomacy with a bunch of idiots!

Lumi’s thoughts shifted to a certain country. Entei. It was very large, and the Wings of Darkness had practically taken it as their stronghold. There, there was a ’resistance’, which was the most emotional, frustrating organization he had ever known.

Lumi made his judgement.

They are arrogant, self-righteous, and lack resolve.

It frustrated Lumi, because he knew he had to work with them. At the end of the day, they were on the same side. That being said, they were a bunch of pain in the ass, even refusing to work with the Aria Knights over a random grievance they didn’t even bother to properly investigate.

If I didn’t know any better, I’d say the Wings of Darkness themselves had infiltrated the resistance to make it worthless! But no! They did that themselves!

Lumi shook his head, clearing his mind of those frustrating thoughts. While that place would be relevant one day, that day wasn’t now.

While shuffling through different ideas of what to do, he began to plan for when he would make his way to the Noble District. There was someone he wanted to meet, it was important to do it now before that man starts his journey as a Knight.