Chapter 137: The Alliance’s Silence

The Alliance offered no explanation regarding the rumors that shook the world.

Even as countless conspiracy theories and testimonies poured forth, they remained stubbornly silent.

They chose to keep their mouths shut, adopting the stance that they would not respond to baseless speculation.

The public, however, only grew more inflamed.

Their eyes blazing, they delved into past records, determined to unearth the Alliance’s hidden corruption.

In the process, further evidence came to light.

Coups erupted in several nations that had allied with the Alliance.

Daily protests became a common sight.

Even as those who had defended the Alliance until the very end were silenced, the organization remained quiet.

Kang Ah-jun, who had been nervously twisting his fingers, suddenly sprang to his feet and began pacing the room.

“This silence only makes me more anxious.”

“There’s a proverb that no news is good news, but…”

“I don’t think that saying applies here, Tae-han hyung.”

Kang Tae-han, Kang Ah-jun, and Sa-yoon had been huddled together, deep in discussion.

They were racking their brains over an utterly unforeseen situation.

Truthfully, gaining the public’s favor was a positive development.

There had been no additional attacks from the Alliance, which they had anticipated immediately after seizing the battlefield, so that, too, was a good sign.

Even the prisoners who initially resisted Airain now quietly followed orders, as the Alliance offered them no help or support.

Yet, the more comfortable their bodies became, the more uneasy their minds grew.

Anxiety over the unpredictable future gradually swelled within them.

Half-slumped in his chair, Kang Ah-jun pouted his lips and grumbled.

“I’d rather we just confront them directly. Waiting idly like this is driving me insane. What exactly are they preparing over there?”

“We don’t know that either. Don’t you have any friends left in the Alliance?”

“Team Leader. You know I don’t have any friends. This is intentional, isn’t it?”

“Ah, my apologies.”

Contact with Kim Chae-jun had also been lost.

Sa-yoon frowned, recalling the last time he had spoken with Kim Chae-jun.

Despite his composed facade, Sa-yoon’s heart always throbbed with a discomfort akin to being pricked by needles.

The thought of Kim Chae-jun’s safety, and that of his mother, who had been protected by the brainwashed Han Do-hoon, tormented Sa-yoon to the point of madness.

A desperate urge to rush off alone to ascertain their situation welled up within him.

However, it was a concern he couldn’t voice to those risking their lives in battle, so he swallowed his anxiety in silence each time.

“What’s Producer Park Han-woo saying? He boasted about being in charge now, but has he yielded nothing?”

“It seems he’s also facing difficulties.”

Airain’s every avenue for Alliance intelligence was blocked.

Park Han-woo had reached out to his contacts on the off chance, but they reported that not even embargoed news was available.

Since this information came from people eager to curry favor with Park Han-woo, it was likely accurate.

Kang Ah-jun let out a groan, then clapped his hands and exclaimed, “What if it’s something like this? What if an internal conflict has erupted?

Then, a whistleblower will soon emerge, and someone will stage a rebellion, armed with evidence exposing the Alliance’s wrongdoing.”

“That sounds too much like a pipe dream.”

Kang Tae-han shook his head.

“If there had been any evidence to use, we wouldn’t have lived under false accusations for so long.

Those bastards don’t even trust their immediate subordinates.”

They were the kind of people who would brainwash and expend even someone they cherished like Han Do-hoon, once he resisted.

They would never easily leave any openings for others.

Even Kim Sang-hoo, who had been a department head, and Kim Chae-jun, the Vice Commander’s secretary, were unaware of the Alliance’s true nature—that’s how thoroughly they maintained their facade.

Sa-yoon’s biological father, whom he hated even to recall, had also been kept completely in the dark.

The Alliance would never have placed any physical evidence that could incriminate them into someone else’s hands.

“So, in the end, it means we have no choice but to fight, win, and force a confession.”

“That’s the most difficult path.”

Just in case, Sa-yoon contacted Go Ok-kyung in Korea to ask if there was any way to expose the Alliance’s true identity.

However, the only reply he received was to not worry, as everything was unfolding as planned.

“For now, let’s wait. Public opinion is also shifting in our favor, so the longer time passes, the more advantageous our situation becomes.”

As he refreshed the screen, yet another testimony appeared.

Now, not only celebrities but also ordinary citizens were revealing their faces, writing posts, and recording videos, pleading for the truth to be uncovered.

They wouldn’t receive the same protection as always-under-the-spotlight entertainers, yet they bravely stood before the world, risking everything.

“……”

Sa-yoon watched their videos, one by one.

To Sa-yoon, the public had always been either a group to be protected, or a group to whom they had to reveal the truth.

But now, it was different.

Without any power, simply standing on the front lines for justice, they wore faces akin to soldiers.

“Ugh. I really can’t stand this! Everyone else is quiet, so why is one person such a problem?”

Min Da-hyun burst in, the door slamming open forcefully.

He was usually a well-mannered individual, and his uncharacteristic behavior made everyone turn to stare at him.

Min Da-hyun, panting and suppressing his anger, looked at Sa-yoon.

“Hyung, do you know an Esper named Levian Christine? That blond, greasy guy.”

Levian Christine. Sa-yoon’s face hardened at the name he hadn’t heard in a long time.

Levian’s name was among the Espers captured as hostages this time.

Having served on the battlefield continuously since Sa-yoon’s disappearance, he had held a rather high position here, making him one of the prisoners strictly managed in a special room.

“That guy keeps making a fuss, saying he wants to see you, hyung.

He unties his restraints, throws things, and shouts. If he tried to escape, I’d just subdue him, but he just sits there, subtly getting on people’s nerves, and it’s driving me crazy.

Plus, he complains the water temperature isn’t right, the bed is uncomfortable. He’s utterly ridiculous.”

“Just ignore him. Why pay so much attention to a prisoner?”

Kang Tae-han sighed as he replied.

They were a terrorist organization, after all; they wouldn’t be criticized further for hitting or abusing a prisoner.

Min Da-hyun, having received a simple answer, let out a sigh.

“That’s the problem, it’s not easy. He keeps threatening me, saying he has something really important to tell Sa-yoon hyung, a secret only he knows, and that I’ll regret it if I don’t deliver the message.

How can I ignore that?”

“Hmm…”

Even after a long time, it seemed his sly and obnoxious personality remained unchanged.

Sa-yoon pondered whether to respond to Levian’s provocation or not.

The deliberation was brief.

Regardless of Levian’s character, he had served in an important position for a long time.

The secrets Levian might possess would likely be of a nature difficult to hear elsewhere.

“I’ll go see him. Tell Levian to keep his mouth shut until then.”

“You’ll go see him?”

“Yes.”

From the moment he saw Levian’s name on the prisoner list, Sa-yoon had known he would have to meet him eventually.

Levian had consistently warned Sa-yoon from their first encounter: to be wary of Han Do-hoon.

That wasn’t purely an act for Sa-yoon’s benefit. His attitude towards Sa-yoon made that abundantly clear.

However, it was also certain that Levian was not on the Alliance’s side.

His offer to reveal secrets was likely not an empty promise.

“When will you go?”

As soon as Sa-yoon said he would meet Levian, relief was clearly visible on Min Da-hyun’s face, which had subtly relaxed.

Though he didn’t say it, it seemed Levian’s sharp tongue had given him considerable trouble.

Indeed, considering Levian’s sly and irritating personality, he must have relentlessly pestered people.

Min Da-hyun, assigned to guard the hostage, couldn’t leave the vicinity, so the situation must have been doubly difficult for him.

Watching Min Da-hyun’s watchful gaze, Sa-yoon sighed inwardly.

As expected, one must strike while the iron is hot.

“Let’s go right now.”

After bidding farewell to Kang Tae-han and Kang Ah-jun, who remained in their seats, Sa-yoon immediately headed down the corridor.

Arriving at the solitary room where Levian was kept, with Min Da-hyun trailing behind him, Sa-yoon gestured to Min Da-hyun.

“You can go. I’ll handle it.”

“Th-then, hyung, I’m counting on you. If anything happens, call me.”

Even though Min Da-hyun knew there was no chance of Sa-yoon being harmed by Levian, he hastily shouted and moved away from the door of the solitary room.

How much had that man pestered him to elicit such a reaction?

As Sa-yoon opened the door, Levian, who had been listening to the commotion outside, grinned and greeted him.

“Long time no see, beautiful.”

“What exactly have you been doing to the other kids?”

Ignoring Levian, who was sitting on the bed and waving, Sa-yoon pulled out an empty chair and sat down.

As he leaned casually against the backrest, Levian’s lips stretched into a long smirk.

“They’re definitely different from the Espers worn out by the battlefield. They blush at the slightest touch, and it’s simply adorable.

I almost spilled everything I knew without realizing it, but I held back.”

Levian had a peculiar tendency to provoke Espers.

Even without hearing the details, his smile clearly showed what kind of mischief he had been up to with Min Da-hyun.

What concerned Sa-yoon was his next statement: the things Levian knew.

There had to be secrets Levian knew, having been close to Han Do-hoon for a long time.

“So, what’s this secret?”

“Are you trying to get it for free like this? You’ve become quite brazen since I last saw you, beautiful.”

“Should I send in some special food?”

Sa-yoon scoffed, looking at the handcuffs restraining Levian’s arms.

To an S-class Esper like Levian, handcuffs were meaningless, merely a decoration to signify his status as a hostage.

Levian, looking down at his ludicrous appearance, shrugged his shoulders.

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