Free Web NovelChapter 847: Chapter 847. Investigation
"Now that I’m here, there’s another problem," Kailen thought.
"This is a military outpost. I need to be careful. If I activate my space principle and a powerful space principle Transcendent notices me, and thinks I’m a threat, that won’t be good for me."
He sighed. "It looks like I need to tone down on using my space principle to monitor the area. Perhaps, I could try and gather information by listening to conversations across the restaurants in the trade hub. I could use emotional resonance to get some cues too."
Kailen left the apartment and headed towards one of the restaurants in the trade hub.
He ordered a meal, sat down, enjoyed the meal, and monitored faces. He also listened to conversations, trying to piece things together.
However, nothing was helpful.
But he did not give up. He was patient. He did this for two solid weeks. But he didn’t get any results.
He also made use of intelligence channels.
However, the intelligence channels blocked him the moment they heard of his request.
"The traitor must be a higher up in this outpost. Someone pretty influential in the empire, I suppose. Maybe an admiral or something. That could explain why all the intelligence channels in the empire have been bought over by them. Fortunately, I used an anonymous account to contact the intelligence channels. Else they would have been able to trace my identity. That would not have been good for me. At least, I have a lead. I should focus on digging up information on the higher ups of this outpost. Any little thing I can find on them could hint at something," Kailen thought.
He left the restaurant and returned to his apartment.
He had just two weeks on his side before his time in the apartment expired. Time was not on his side. He had to complete the mission before the time ended.
"According to the intel I gathered from the academy before I came here, the spy has been leaking information to the Platinum Empire. Why would someone be in a higher position in an empire, and be a spy, leaking information to another empire?
There could be several possibilities.
It’s either the spy is actually a citizen of the Platinum empire, which they are leaking the information to, and they are doing it because they are on a secret mission to infiltrate the Hohenheim Ensoria empire’s military ranks and report their operations to their home empire, the Platinum Empire.
It could also be that they are not from the Platinum Empire, but something is being used to blackmail them into doing the other empire’s bidding. Perhaps, someone dear to them is being held hostage. There’s also the possibility that they have a secret that could ruin their military career when leaked, with the Platinum Empire.
Another factor to consider is the fact that they are a citizen of this empire, and harbor deep-seated hatred for this empire because of something the empire did to them in the past, and that hatred is driving them to stab this empire in the back.
One factor to consider also is that they could have been offered some sort of reward by the Platinum Empire, even if all the factors above are not the reason why they are playing spy. But I lean more towards the first three factors. I should use the first three factors to map my search on the higher ups stationed at this outpost."
Kailen began his search. He went through the list of available information on the higher ups of the military stationed here, using the factors he had bulleted to steer his search.
For a while, he was not finding anything that could connect the dots.
However, he found a clue soon.
"Admiral Luciara Botra. Fire principle user. Rank 3 intermediate stage Transcendent. Left the edge region of the universe to the chaotic region one million years ago. Became a citizen of the Hohenheim Ensoria Empire alongside her husband. Both joined the Hohenheim Ensoria Empire’s military and started climbing the ranks.
During a war between the Hohenheim Ensoria Empire and the Platinum Empire, her husband was killed in action. No compensation was given to her for the death of her husband, and nothing was done to honor him. She was demoted to a lower rank, for the death of not just her husband, but the deaths of several operatives that were under her command on that serious operations during the war. She had to climb the ranks all over again to the position of an admiral. She was stationed here 500 years ago. And she has been the admiral in charge of this outpost since."
A glint of certainty flashed through Kailen’s eyes.
He had found his target. She fell in the third criteria on the factors he had bulleted for why a higher up could become a spy.
"There’s no way anyone in their right mind would still be loyal to an empire after the empire treats them like that. The only thing that will keep them sane to climb from rock bottom again to the top is a desire for revenge. She’s definitely the one leaking the secrets of Hohenheim Ensoria Empire to the Platinum Empire," Kailen thought.
"The academy told me to just identify them and report them to the higher ups of the Hohenheim Ensoria Empire Military. The academy never said I should add proof. But I am sure it’s implied in the mission. Because this is a military related mission.
I need to find a way to study her."
Kailen started hitting his thigh gently.
"I could watch some videos of her and see if I can use emotional resonance to find out some of her secret relations to the Platinum Empire.
I will just include that in my submission to the Hohenheim Ensoria Empire Military higher ups.
I’m sure they have their ways of getting someone to tell the truth. When they question her on those factors, they will definitely be able to confirm the truth."
Kailen found out her videos, including interviews online, and watched them.
He used Emotional resonance to study the woman’s facial expressions closely, gleaning her thoughts from her facial expressions.
For a while, he did not pick up anything.
However, very soon, he smiled.
