Cold, black walls stared down at the three envoys, as they were escorted deeper into the suite. Upon glances and inspection, the suite block seemed more like a compound - one made to hold something within, or perhaps to hold something without.

Eliza followed behind Delia, as she led the way, her vibrant and gem-patterned dress reflecting light at various angles.

She peered back, behind Eliza. "You don't need to push yourself; you can just let me handle all of this," Delia said. She then glanced past Eliza, watching Lady Antiar behind the two. "Lady Antiar... if something goes down here, will you keep to your oath?"

"I will," she replied harshly.

Delia chuckled lightly beneath her breath, returning her gaze to Eliza.

"I can do this, Iana," Eliza said. "Experience can be my greatest teacher, sometimes."

"Correct, and smart, keep close," Delia commented. Guards lined the wall, wearing black suits and various light armour. The sight made Eliza feel uneasy, but Lady Antiar and Delia both seemed calm.

Eliza felt uneased by their presence, outnumbered by such a margin did nothing to help her mind, even with Lady Antiar's presence beside her. "I hope this was the right call…"

"Worry not. He won't lay a hand on either of you," Lady Antiar said. She was very adamant on that point.

Eliza slowly turned her head forward and back. "You're a Seven Criminal… that's what they called you, right?"

"Categorically," remarked Delia.

Lady Antiar explained, "I took the role to influence the other members of the Seven. The Board's Seven Criminals are more on a tighter leash than the BCA's Seven Mercenaries. Though that's probably because Emiya Taka-Calibana, Second of the Seven Mercs, is the Chairman of the BCA…"

"Still, It feels rather weird, I got used to Kazuki since I've known him for years but…"…"

"As Delia said, categorically," Lady Antiar continued. "I am no criminal. I merely have the role after killing the last one who encompassed the role."

"Ah yes!" Delia remarked. "It was the slaver, wasn't it? Or… I can't remember, all these criminals on Anagora seem to blend in one for me."

Eliza piqued up, "You fought criminals on Anagora?"

The image forming within Eliza's head made some sense. "Wait, but you fought criminals, the board supports criminals?"

Lady Antiar merely shrugged. "I care not for the inner workings. I only know the outlines… Delia can help you with that."

"Delia?!" Eliza turned her head to Senator Iana Nimitz-Delia. She turned back to look at her, smiling. "You know how the Board works?"

"Of course I do," she replied. "I've worked many solar rotations in many industries, knowing the Board can keep criminals off your back, for Board-supported gangs and such/ Make a few good friends whilst you're young, Eliza…"

"I… have a few good friends, I guess, but what does that have to do with the Board?"

Delia sighed. "Hmm… I wonder why? Power always attracts power. A good man within the Board can help wonders for people outside of it and keep the criminals away. The Board has quite a lot of influence in the Republic and the Federation, unsanctioned piracy is a much greater issue towards the outer arms and rims."

"I think I get what you mean…" Eliza said. Working with criminals? It rubbed Eliza the wrong way, that was all she could say. With everything that was going on, Eliza couldn't help but feel uneased by it all.

Eliza prided herself in many things. She likes to see herself as a moral person, at least she thinks she is. Her determination expands far more than just the field of academics. Eliza saw herself as a person others could come to for help… She guessed that's why she did so well as the Student President for both High School and University…

But was that for herself, or for them? Does that even matter? She helped people, lives were made better, people were happy! Does it matter if, deep down, the cold logical part of her heart dictated that it was all for herself?

No?

Digressing, she smiled to herself, remembering back to the laundry list of people Kazuki and her had to help. Those simple days were such a delight…

"My apologies, Eliza, it seems I've strayed from the original topic. All I'm saying is that friends can help, you don't need the same connections I do, but I highly recommend it… You intend to restart your mother's cybernetics company, do you not?" asked Delia.

Eliza nodded. "I do indeed. Quite a long time since it's been up… I wonder if I can exceed her. I don't think my mother would use connections, though, my father is the commissioner, after all."

"Aha," Delia interjected whilst smiling. She gently pointed at Eliza for a moment. "That's what I like about you. You don't think of meeting, you think of exceeding, if you don't take those connections, you'll be somewhat exceeding your mother."

"Hey?!" Eliza jived.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Delia continued, "No offence, it's just that there is a high chance of such."

Eliza grumbled at that.

With the weight of expectations on Eliza's back, she's known for a long time this will be a hard-fought battle. She nodded, then scratched her own head, fixing her hairpiece. "I'd be lying a little bit if I didn't say I was a bit nervous."

"Life throws things we don't expect, Eliza," Lady Antiar said. "It is the skill of the talented to snatch those opportunities."

Delia nodded in turn, agreeing with Lady Antiar. "For now, stay away from the Board, rather cut-throat as of late, but I fear your… mission will take you close to them."

"Them?"

"The Triarchs, they are the leaders of the industries of crime… As nasty as it may sound, they regulate it and ensure that collateral is at a minimum, if a crime is inevitable, best we have it regulated, ironic, I know."

Eliza chuckled at Delia's last remark, the joke overshadowing and overcoming any thought she had about the previous section. Still, Eliza felt somewhat uncomfortable knowing this… But she took it and strode.

The three turned into a long corridor, leading to an open office by the end of it. They walked in strides, approaching as Eliza peered in front of Delia.

A guard stopped them. "Hold it. No weapons," he said. "By order of Mr. Obadiah Cariana-Slynt."

Lady Antiar shifted forward slightly. "I am here under orders of his Marquis Gilbera Fer-Charelota, First Consul and the ninety-ninth First Lord of the Ball Palace." She placed a hand on the hilt of her blade, already making a motion for violence.

Lady Antiar glared at the guard, with the guard releasing an awkward whimper. He stepped to the side, allowing them to continue further.

"That was rather cool," commented Eliza.

Hearing that, Lady Antiar merely nodded.

Entering the office, Obadiah was sitting at the desk, with someone else standing behind them, yawning audibly as they entered. Standing in front of the desk, Eliza could hear the door behind them close.

The walls were pitch black, the air dark and dingy. She hated it... At least the living room had some sense of comfortability, but this place had none. It screamed at Eliza's senses to get out of there as soon as possible. A drop of sweat fell down her face, with Lady Antiar patting her on the back.

Lady Antiar leaned in, saying, "Calm yourself. You need not to worry."

Her words weren't the most encouraging, but they pleased her sensible mind. She kept her breathing on a leash, keeping her heartbeat at a constant rate through determination alone.

Obadiah glanced up from the work at the desk, as Delia paced herself slowly to meet him. Eliza walked to her side, as Lady Antiar flanked them. The person standing behind Obadiah seemed familiar to Eliza...

"Obadiah Cariana-Slynt," Delia started. Obadiah seemed to tense up in the moment, his muscles and eyes firmly planted on Delia, before shifting to Eliza, then planting itself on Lady Antiar. "I would say it's a pleasure to meet you again, but it isn't."

Blunt, Eliza thought. The man behind Obadiah clicked his fingers, pointing at Eliza. "You... you were that girl with the Contract-Breaker, weren't you?"

Eliza shook awake, eyes bluntly stabbing the man. "I... Yes?"

Both Lady Antiar and Delia tensed up.

"That's enough, Mortinax," Obadiah stated, ordering the man to stop. "What do you want, Senator?"

Delia faced Obadiah down, slamming a hologram onto the table. It prodded upwards, shooting information for Obadiah to read. It was the lawsuit, and though Eliza initially was sceptical, she's fully on board now. This was much better than what Kazuki would do, after all, and she knew she'd prove him wrong… "Top of the Ball Palace, just like Mum," Eliza muttered to herself.

"I'm not sugarcoating this... it's over," Delia said. "All our signatories are there. It's class action... Who do you think can hire the better lawyers?"

"This is... you're threatening me, what do you want!?" Obadiah snapped. "This piece of holographic toiletry is… you have no bark! He bellowed at the top of his lungs, frightening Eliza for a moment. Any and all restraint was gone from his blazingly furious face.

He slammed the desk, standing up. Mortinax leaned against the wall, as he glanced out into the abyss of space behind the large glass wall window. "Senator," Mortinax started, "Obadiah and I have many friends, you really think this is a smart move, bitch?"

Delia smiled, as she glanced at Eliza. "Elizabeth, you're good at maths... and memorisation. Tell them what you told me," she asked politely. "Don't mind any manners, they have gone beyond the threshold of that."

Eliza cleared her throat, stepping forward. She tugged tightly on her long, thick coat, steadying her voice slowly. "Obadiah... Mortinax... Looking at this objectively, the financial assets of Senator Delia and the Marquis Fer-Charelota are alone to match five times your assets... along with everyone else, the legal fees will be quite high."

"This will never see the light of day in a courtroom. There's more to this than money, my influence alone can have this holographic suit terminated, gone, the whole lot of you!" Obadiah snorted.

The interjection sliced Eliza's mind into two as she lost her focus, and train of thought. She stumbled for a moment, merely nodding in turn, before opening her mouth again.

"If we must talk of influence, then the Jara-Jins will see to that. Wealthy businessmen, that climbed up from the bottom, you have a history with them do you not?" She started to speak a little like Archius and Kazuki, a hint of malice and cunning seeping into her voice. Her rose-tinted glasses faded, revealing the cold and calculating girl she once was. "Let alone the influence that Kazuki has—"

"—Oh! So that's what the bird footprint was for!" Obadiah cut in.

Eliza stopped. She mimicked what Kazuki would do sometimes when he was cut off mid-sentence, simply staring - though she lacked his very intimidatingly cool eyes… and scarred face.

Silence permeated the room as Eliza felt something she wasn't quite ready to confront within her. Anger... Frustration. She twirled her gentle, pale fingers into a fist.

Obadiah is suspect number one in the attack. Her fleeting innocence cut in, sealing the thoughts for another day. Her hands were uncurled.

"Kazuki, as we all know, is a Geminorum-Ryzaku, the family who is heir to the Ceremonial Leadership of the Trasian Satrap Clans. His family has bled for generations with tragedy after tragedy..." Eliza paused, thinking for a moment. "Even the Imperial Royal Augustis feared them, and their black fleet… I strongly recommend you rethink."

It was little more than an open secret about how the Ryzakus are 'cursed', all achieving greatness, yet falling short. Kazuki's aunt was murdered, whilst the war took so many of their lives, like others.

Delia smiled back at Eliza, approving her tactful and harsh approach. Eliza nodded.

Elizabeth has never seen a member of Kazuki's family feel happy. Even in the pictures and photos of the family before the war. None smiled, maybe the family was genetically allergic to smiling? But that wouldn't explain Kazuki's smile…

His smile, that one singular smile, was burned into Eliza's memory. And she knew that she'll cherish her memories, with her one true ally, the key to it all.

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