Extra's Revenge: Reincarnated As A Slave-Chapter 118: Oversight

Hours passed as they explored, Lady Z pointing out details and explaining dynamics that would take Rey months to discover on his own.

She introduced him to key players beyond the Red House—independent operators worth knowing, representatives from other Houses who might be useful contacts, even a few Category C Guards who’d accepted bribes and served as unofficial security for certain establishments.

By the time they finally surfaced back into Elkrim’s legitimate districts, night had fully fallen and Rey’s mind was overflowing with information.

"That’s the foundation," Lady Z said as they prepared to part ways. "The rest you’ll learn through experience. Start tomorrow—visit the stores, review their operations in detail, begin identifying what needs improvement."

"Understood," Rey replied. "And thank you for the comprehensive introduction. It would have taken me weeks to learn what you showed me tonight."

Lady Z smiled slightly. "I need you functional as quickly as possible. We don’t have weeks to waste on your learning curve."

They separated, each returning to their respective secure locations through different routes.

***

Back in Elara’s safehouse, Rey sat in the darkness reviewing everything he’d learned. The Deep Market, the House territories, the independent operators, the mystical-technological integration, the Seed of Origin sitting in Store #3’s restricted vault.

He smiled, mentally reviewing his plans for corruption, manipulation, and eventual acquisition of the resources he wanted.

’Is there anything I’ve failed to account for?’ he wondered, running through contingencies and complications.

After careful consideration, he doubted it. Every angle seemed covered, every risk managed, every opportunity identified.

His schemes were in motion, his position secured, his targets clear.

Rey allowed himself a moment of satisfaction before beginning the detailed planning for tomorrow’s operations.

Everything was proceeding perfectly.

*****

Meanwhile...

On the outskirts of Elkrim, three figures met in an abandoned warehouse that provided privacy and security.

Category S Guards—Special Investigators.

Selene stood before a mystical projection displaying various data points and analysis results.

Marcus and Thane flanked her, both studying the information with professional intensity.

"The explosion signature matches," Selene stated, her voice clinical. "Same mystical composition as the Desgarron Manor incident. Multiple Technique types activated simultaneously, Null Art disruption patterns, even similar Ether Stone usage."

Marcus grunted. "Could be coincidence. Lots of ways to blow up buildings."

"Not with this specific combination of characteristics," Thane countered, his perception-based abilities having analyzed the magical residue in detail. "The probability of independent actors using identical methods is negligible."

Selene manipulated the projection, highlighting specific elements. "We also recovered traces of Artifacts from the explosion site. High-grade materials, sophisticated enchantments. When I cross-referenced them with the tangled mess of signatures we collected from the Desgarron estate and Duke Kahn’s Coliseum..."

She pulled up a comparison analysis.

The mystical signatures overlapped in ways that were statistically impossible to explain through coincidence.

"Whoever destroyed the Desgarron Household, whoever blew up the Coliseum—they used the same resources here," Selene concluded. "Or at least, items from the same source."

"The Desgarron treasuries," Marcus said, understanding dawning. "The survivor or survivors who raided them would have access to those specific Artifacts."

"Exactly. Which means we’ve found them." Selene zoomed the projection to focus on Elkrim’s layout. "They’re here, in this city. And they’ve already made at least one move that caught our attention."

Thane pulled up his own analysis. "I’ve been reconstructing movement patterns based on Ether traces. There are unusual concentrations in the merchant district and what appears to be the Dark Commerce District. Multiple signatures that don’t match local residents."

"So we have a survivor or survivors from the Desgarron incident, in possession of stolen Noble treasures, operating in both legitimate and criminal sectors of Elkrim," Selene summarized. "Someone capable enough to have destroyed an entire Noble House and escaped detection until now."

Marcus checked his weapons, a habitual gesture when contemplating dangerous operations.

"What’s our approach?"

"Methodical investigation," Selene decided. "We can’t simply sweep the Dark Commerce District—that would cause political complications and alert our target. Instead, we work the legitimate side, trace the explosion backwards, identify who was affected and who benefited."

She pointed to specific locations on the projection.

"Start with the merchant district. Find anyone who’s recently shown up with unusual resources or established businesses with suspicious timing. Cross-reference with the Dark Commerce District’s known operators."

"And if we find them?" Thane asked.

Selene’s expression hardened. "Then we determine if they’re simply opportunistic thieves or if they’re connected to the larger conspiracy. The Aether involvement, the coordinated assault, the systematic destruction of evidence—this goes beyond simple robbery."

She looked at her colleagues seriously.

"Someone destroyed a Noble House and killed thousands in the Coliseum explosion. If they’re here, we need to know why. And we need to stop whatever they’re planning next."

"Did you get any clues from the Heir, Lady Amara?" Upon hearing the question from Marcus, Selene frowned.

"No. She had very little information. Even if she did, I had a feeling she would be unwilling to share anything."

"Oh?" This time, Thane’s expression changed, twisting from a displeased kind of reaction. "But why? Isn’t she interested in bringing the perpetrators to justice?"

"That’s precisely it. I believe she wishes to hunt them down herself."

"I see..."

There was silence within the group for a moment. Then, Marcus spoke once more.

"Could we not coerce her to speak? If she doesn’t cooperate, we could charge her for obstruction. She may be a Noble, but we have the authority to gather information from—"

Selene shook her head immediately.

"I already told you, it’s doubtful she knows a lot. If we coerce her, we risk making her an enemy. Someone like that, who has experienced such great tragedy at a young age, and has such terrifying talent..."

The female Special Investigator still remembered her meeting with the girl.

Her eyes were especially worrisome.

Those were not the eyes of a child... No, they belonged to a powerful predator.

A wild flower waiting to bloom!

’She has a high potential to become a Devil upon graduation. Once that happens, she’ll be our superior.’

Once Selene had that thought, it was clear where she stood on the Amara issue.

"It’s best not to cross her." She sighed, facing the other two.

"Alright."

"I understand."

"It’s good you understand..." Her voice trailed, eventually disappearing.

The three Special Investigators stood in the warehouse, mystical projections illuminating their determined faces.

Clearly, they had bit onto something.

A great clue!

’Now, we just have to find the target!’

[A/N: Is Rey cooked? One way to find out...]