Page 791 -- LXXXIX.

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‘Either way, it’s not really our concern,’ said Garovel. ‘We’re here to protect the Prince and gather information, not get involved in someone else’s war.’

Hector threw another glance around the hallway. ‘But I thought it was our job to stick our noses where they don’t belong.’

‘Ha. Well, in this case, we don’t even know which side to help. Just because we happened to meet the Sandlords or the Rainlords first doesn’t mean they’re more deserving of assistance than the Vanguard is.’

‘...I guess things were a lot simpler when everyone was fighting Abolish.’

‘Indeed.’

Beneath the fortress, the halls became narrower, perhaps because they didn’t need to hold so many people. Hector saw guards in front of every door. Only a few of them had reapers by their side, but he noticed cameras around every corner instead.

Lynnette stopped in front of the door marked Research & Development 4. “I think this is the place,” she said.

One of the men standing guard held up a hand to bar their path. He said something in Valgan, and even though Hector didn’t know the words, he was pretty sure the man was telling them that they weren’t allowed in.

“We’ve come to meet with Lord Haqq Najir,” said Lynn. “Could you please inform him that Lynnette Edith is here to see him? He should be expecting me.”

The guards waited so long to respond that Hector wasn’t sure they’d understood her, but at length, the one on the right nodded and entered on his own. After a minute, he returned with a man in a lab coat.

“Are you Lord Haqq?” Lynn queried.

“I am.”


Chapter Eighty-Nine: ‘Answers ye seek...’
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The Lord Haqq Najir had perhaps the strangest eyes Hector had ever seen. They were yellow. And the man’s round glasses only served to magnify them. “Show me this gauntlet of yours,” he said.

Lynn pulled her glove off to reveal the bone wrist guard. She held it out for him to examine.

“Excellent. Come with me.” He ushered them past the guard and into the laboratory. The walls were filled with machinery while the center of the room hosted six full tables with more men in white coats laboring over them.

A particular sight caught Hector’s attention as they passed it. A full suit of armor, it was, embedded into the eastern wall and looking like the most complicated piece of technology in the room.