Free Web NovelChapter 88: _Hiding Something
"Valentine?" Magnus frowned, exchanging a look with Irina.
"Vice President Hilary didn’t mention anything about him being among the US delegates." The Glacier Empress added. "What’s he doing here?"
Meanwhile, Ambrose grew increasingly nervous in his seat.
Last time he and Valentine crossed paths, the man just handed him a healing potion that healed all his wounds and then left him with a little warning:
"If you can, let the Federation know there’s a good chance the Leviathan is the least of their worries." Those words still echoed in the back of his mind.
Valentine knew something was up days before the new entity even appeared. And now he was here... not just before the United States Hunters Federation.
But the combined forces of the World’s Hunters.
"Valentine Lockwood," the council speaker mumbled, saying the name like it was a thorn on her shoulder. "This is a private Council meeting. You can’t just barge in here—"
"Oh, it’s fine." He waved dismissively. "I got my clearance from President Malakai. He said I can be here representing the US."
Magnus scoffed from his seat. "Since when do you represent anything but yourself?" His voice carried through the chamber, inciting whispers.
Valentine calmly turned his head to the Phoenix Flight Guild master. "You’re right. I still represent my own interests to some extent in all this," his lips curved. "But I believe there’s no use remaining on the sidelines. Not when a potential global threat is on the rise."
It was such simple words yet it managed to bring silence to the entire hall.
Unfazed, Valentine strode toward the United States seats. "Please, carry on, Hunter Gabriel."
Each step closer to the seats made Ambrose’s chest tighten with a larger knot. He swallowed hard, fingers curling on his legs.
"Oh, this guy is good," Viktor chuckled under his breath. He cut Ambrose a look. "You still never explained how you and he got to talking the other night."
Devon sat with an unreadable expression beside Ambrose. His eyes travelled from the Guide to the SS-Rank Esper casually approaching them.
Although subtle, his forehead creased. ’This same man who keeps hovering around Ambrose for some reason.’
He remembered how Ambrose mentioned seeing the guy in Norfolk. At that time all he could feel was jealousy and suspicion. Now he had a different line of thought.
What if this man actually had some answers that could help them all?
"Alright," council speaker Aileen sighed once Valentine finally settled on a seat directly behind Ambrose and the others. "Hunter Gabriel, please continue. You were talking about—"
"No," Gabriel shook his head, glancing back at Valentine. "You said something just now. About the Echo Rift evolving."
Valentine took off his sunglasses, revealing an amused glint in his eyes. "That’s right."
Suddenly, Ambrose felt like he was suffocating. Four of the world’s SS-Ranks were literally seated around him. Magnus, Irina—and now two men whom the system had marked as future possible links.
He shut his eyes out of instinct, hoping Valentine wasn’t looking at him.
"Then please," Gabriel gestured at the man, "could you shed more light on that before this Council? You seem to know something the rest of us might’ve glossed over."
Valentine squinted for a beat.
From this angle, Ambrose couldn’t see him. But he could feel the way he stared holes into the back of his head, actively scrutinising him like he noticed something new and intriguing.
Meanwhile, Valentine’s mind spun. ’There is something vastly different about his aura now. Why does it feel like this Guide got touched by death and not just lived but... evolved?’
He was so curious that he felt like confronting him right now.
But that would be stupid.
So instead, he nodded at Gabriel’s suggestion. "Very well then," he relaxed back onto his seat, eyes ripping away from Ambrose. "Let’s start with the bipedal beasts."
★★★★★
Phoenix Flight HQ
While some of the world’s strongest debated the future... something much smaller—and far more personal—was unfolding in the Phoenix Flight Guild.
The building was particularly quiet today.
Many Hunters had been deployed to an A-Rank Rift miles away from the city. Some teams were assigned lower-ranked Rifts to raid.
In other words—it was business as usual in the Phoenix Flight Guild. If you ignore the mischief brewing in the security surveillance room.
"So you’re telling me," Guide Han and a suited man waltzed into the room after the former showed the guards his clearance card, "you caught Viktor and Guide Ambrose about to kiss. At the lobby’s main restroom yesterday?"
The suited man nodded fervently. "Yes, Guide Han. They tried playing it cool and Guide Ambrose even ran off... but I know what I saw."
Han clicked his tongue.
Well, well, well.
As if jumping from him to Devon wasn’t enough. Now this shameless low rank trash was seducing Glacier Talon’s main S-Rank?
The two men arrived in front of a wall with multiple screens mounted on it. Each screen showed live CCTV camera footage from all around the building.
"G–Guide Han?" One of the men sitting before the screens gawked with surprise. "What are you—"
"I need to search surveillance footage from the lobby," Han dove straight to the point. "Yesterday. Around... six pm, right?" He turned to the suited man for confirmation and got a nod.
The security personnel hesitated. "Is it... for something important? Did something—"
Han slammed a palm on the control table, dark eyes locked on the man. "Just do as I say," he ordered, leaning closer and ignoring the glances he got.
That worked like a charm, the man making way for him to sit. As Han did, his fingers worked on the keyboards, scrolling through footage until he got to the lobby.
He zoomed specifically to the one showing a view of the restroom door.
"What’s your next move, Guide Han?" The suited man asked cautiously behind him.
Han stayed silent, shooting the man a glare.
He backed up and looked away in fear, giving Han space to rewind through the footage until he got to six PM yesterday. He placed a hand on his chin, watching patiently.
After a few minutes, the footage showed when Hunter Viktor walked into the restroom. No sign of Ambrose doing the same. As the video went on, he witnessed the moment when the suited man walked in—
—And then Ambrose rushed out moments later.
Han’s brows snapped. "Wait a minute..."
He rewinded the footage, going from six pm, to five... then four, then three...
Throughout his search on each time stamp, he didn’t see any part where Ambrose walked into the restroom. Absolutely nothing.
Almost as if he appeared in there then left after Viktor came in.
Guide Han placed some fingers on his chin as he straightened on the seat. "Well, I’ll be..." A cold smirk played on his lips. "Looks like I was right after all."
He stared at the frozen footage of Ambrose. The cautious look in his eyes. The tension in his movement. All of it.
"You really are hiding something. Aren’t you, Rory?"
