PATH OF THE STAR HUNTER

Unsurprisingly, the increased military presence and war development also changed the atmosphere within the city quite a bit, making it a bit more solemn and less homey.

That effect spread throughout most of the city. Still, in an effort not to turn it all into just one giant military base, there was no lack of recreational spaces and other businesses that developed in the city.

Among the many recreational spaces, a beautiful park was created, full of natural beauty and small attractions so that people in the city would have a small area of peace where they could take their children.

It was still quite early in the morning, but a few people could still be seen in the place, just enjoying the fresh air and sunlight. Among the people enjoying the park, one stood out quite a bit.

Sitting in a wheelchair was a young lady with an elegant but fragile appearance who smiled with pure joy and natural grace. A person accompanied the young girl in the wheelchair, a beautiful lady with brown hair and emerald green eyes.

The always energetic and vivacious Claire pushed the wheelchair around the park with a smile as the young woman sitting in the chair enjoyed the combination of the beautiful scenery with the lively conversation she was having with Claire.

Sitting on a bench a couple of dozen meters away, Silvia looked with infinite tenderness and love at the girl in the wheelchair while her best friend played with her.

It took almost three weeks and nearly two dozen potions, but her sister Samantha had finally woken up from her coma, filling Silvia with a great sense of relief and satisfaction.

.....

According to the last medical checkup done by Melissa Collins, who promised to keep this miraculous recovery a secret, Samantha had recovered from all the damage to her spine and brain. As for why she was still in a wheelchair? That’s because her body was too weak after being on bed rest for years due to a coma.

Whatever the case, the only thing that mattered to Silvia was seeing her sister safe and sound. That feeling of satisfaction still swirled within Silvia’s cold heart as a highly intense heat signature approached her from behind her.

Silvia didn’t need to turn around to know who it was; there was only one person she knew who had such an intense thermal signature. “I should have known you would come.”

Desmond didn’t say anything for a moment and sat on the bench next to Silvia, watching as Claire continued playing with Silvia’s sister. “I heard from Claire that your sister had finally woken up; I just wanted to see how she was doing.”

After their last conversation, Silvia learned to at least show some respect toward Desmond, although she still didn’t completely hide her slight grudge towards him. “Is that so? I thought one of your little spies told you everything.”

Desmond smiled bitterly as he shook his head and replied. “I didn’t come here to fight. Silvia, I am not a monster despite what you may believe.”

Silvia responded, not aggressively but still stubborn. “then what are you?”

Surprisingly, Desmond was quite honest with his response. “I’m just a selfish man. Someone who wouldn’t hesitate to get my hands dirty as long as it kept my family safe. I believed someone like you, who made a deal with the devil, could understand me a little.”

Silvia didn’t reply, not because she refused to, but because she agreed with Desmond. She could understand, seeing her sister finally awake; after so many years of desperately fighting to keep her safe, Silvia could understand.

The silence did not last long. “I know you think my methods are dishonest, cruel, and needlessly treacherous, and I don’t think you’re wrong.”

Eyes wide, Silvia looked in genuine surprise in Desmond’s direction, who was smiling quite peacefully. “But I didn’t think you were right, either.”

Silvia frowned but didn’t interrupt Desmond; she knew him well enough to know that he wasn’t trying to make fun of her, and she wanted to hear what Desmond had to say.

“The world has changed, Silvia. I’m not just talking about mutated beasts and the birth of Espers; it’s much more complicated than that. I’m talking about power; this thing that now abounds in our atmosphere has changed humanity. The rules of survival have changed, morale has fallen, and only strength matters now. I know you can’t see it now, maybe because, after these few years, the human race is still trying to hold on to what it once was, but that won’t last long.”

Desmond was silent for a moment, his gaze full of affection and tenderness fixed on Claire, that beacon of light that guided him in the middle of the darkness; then, his voice deepened.

“However, you are an intelligent woman; you are not so naive as not to have noticed. Even within the military, where discipline and regulations abound, those in power are slowly becoming more insatiable and reckless; Rundert is just one of many.”

Silvia remained silent with a thoughtful look before nodding; as Desmond had pointed out, she knew this was the case. In fact, not long ago, Green Seed was basically plagued by abuse from those who wore the military uniform, something that has recently changed little by little.

As Desmond had said, Silvia was an intelligent woman; she knew that Desmond had offended many people in the army. And this was in just a few months because he did not hesitate when acting against those who used their authority to abuse innocent citizens. She also knew that, during the last few months, many people infamous for their abuse had mysteriously perished, something she instinctively linked to Desmond.

“Speaking of Rundert, I heard things didn’t go your way. Central is very upset with the commander; the number of crimes in his name is not inconsiderable, but by using his strength and military achievements, he still managed to keep his position.”

Desmond shrugged as if he didn’t care that Rundert managed to survive all of his plans precisely because he didn’t care. “From my understanding, he retained his position but not all of his authority. Someone will be assigned to him as acting captain and will make sure to keep a good eye on him.”

Silvia couldn’t help but find Desmond’s attitude suspicious, so she asked tactfully. “Aren’t you upset?”

“Why should I be? The current result is already quite good. If I’m honest, I completely underestimated the internal investigations department. Those people almost tore the entire military base to pieces, lifting every last rock to investigate Rundert. My tricks and wiles barely survived investigation; I believed that to ask for anything more is to be greedy. Although I must say that it was a pity that I couldn’t complete some of my objectives, I was forced to go back. Going any further would expose me completely.”

The nonchalant way Desmond talked about it left Silvia a little speechless. Although the plans were indeed made inconclusively, it was still quite surprising, but he didn’t seem to make much of the subject.

As Silvia thought about it, Desmond smiled a rather intriguing smile, like an old fox who saw his prey naively approach a well-executed trap.

“Besides, my plan was never to get rid of Rundert; that wasn’t realistic at all.”

Silvia was confused, she had always believed that this was Desmond’s ultimate goal, but now it seemed that was not the case. “So what are you looking for?”

Desmond answered instead with another question. “It’s funny, despite everything that has happened, there is something that has not changed. Do you know what that is?”

Silvia thought about it for a moment, but the question was so unspecific that it was difficult to give an answer. Desmond didn’t care; he wasn’t expecting an answer.

“People with power don’t pay for their sins; nevertheless, the weak are sent to the gallows for the smallest mistakes. Rundert didn’t lose his job, but the same can’t be said for the people under his command and those involved, listen that in addition to a couple of dozen arrests, there will be almost half a hundred dismissals altogether.”

Noting that Silvia didn’t seem to understand where she was going with all this, Desmond explained. “Imagine that at least a fraction of those positions were filled by people under my wing; wouldn’t that give me enormous access to information and authority?”

Silvia looked at Desmond as if he was looking at a monster. “That can’t be possible; how could you have so much power and influence to pull off something like that?”

Desmond’s smile turned a bit sinister at this point. “Two words: Wealth and resources. You’d be surprised how many people need potions like the ones I gave your sister. Some can be purchased. Ultimately, while fewer in number, some just need a chance to show what they’re made of and will be indebted to anyone who extends a helping hand.”

Silvia was speechless; even now, she seemed to have underestimated the man next to her too much. She knew Desmond had a lot of secrets, but she didn’t expect him to get to the point where she could do something like this.

Silvia understood how valuable potions could be in Desmond’s hands, and she could know that for those in despair, a helping hand would always be appreciated. Still, she couldn’t understand where Desmond had gotten so much wealth to accomplish something on this scale.

Then a thought came to Silvia’s mind, and she looked at Desmond, slightly dazed. “Wait, I heard that the Minora family was completely wiped out a week ago, their main base completely destroyed and looted. It is said that the stolen fortune is enough to build a small army, but no one knows who did it. Of course, everyone thinks it was Rundert’s last attempt to tie up loose ends, but no one can prove it. It was you?”