Fred was alone with the woman. He sat still and looked her up and down. Although she tried to look dignified, her clothes were messy.
“How did you—” Fred said.
The woman raised her head. “I’m Rhea. I was the ‘boss’s’ most capable assistant. I helped the organization—”
Fred waved and interrupted, “I have no interest in knowing who you are. Why are you here? How do you know I’m the one you should be looking for?”
“Well…” Rhea smiled and said steadily, “I didn’t know who’s in charge of the organization until…I found the identifier on the ‘boss.’”
“What identifier? That round metal piece? Isn’t that just a game token or something?” Fred said casually. Instead of admitting she was right, he tried to probe her.
Rhea had expected this. She smiled and said thoughtfully, “That’s not an ordinary game token. The boss used it when communicating with you. I didn’t think anything was special about it. I only thought the pattern looked familiar.
“I later realized the design resembled the emblem on the royal logo I saw in Yudonia. It was only a glance then, so it took me a long time to remember. Still, it’s obvious you recognized it, didn’t you, Your Grace?”
Rhea smiled as if she had won a prize.
However, Fred took the metal object indifferently. “You’re talking about this? Yes, the pattern looks like our emblem, but it could be a fake, right? Besides, you might have found it somewhere, even if it isn't.
“I’m sure the organization hadn’t conducted so many experiments just to develop R10. I know R10 is essential, but it doesn’t mean the others aren’t. Otherwise, the organization wouldn’t have spent much effort and resources on many other things.
“The pandemic in Burnkwen was a perfect example,” Rhea continued, “Possessing conventional weapons could be intimidating, but no one dares to use them lightly. However, chemicals differ.
“We can control their usage, employ them for our purposes, and do so subtly.” Her eyes gleamed as she spoke. She looked like she could envision a bright future.
Fred did not retort and stared at her thoughtfully.
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