Chapter 12: Second Meeting
The tension in the diner dropped to an all-time low as everyone present noticed the Remarta, Ophilia—personal assistant and retainer of Sentinel Bastian.
None of the stage three Renegades were confident enough to speak up anymore, valuing their position in the organization too much.
Her reputation as the 'insidious poison' was still widely known, despite her being a Renegade now.
It was clear they weren't sure if what Yome had said was the truth.
Yome let out a breath of relief as she turned to Ophilia and bowed deeply.
Bridge nervously followed suit while Arbus just watched her.
"Greetings, Commander Ophilia. I am Yome Kyun, the Vanguard assigned to bring over this Renegade to you by my captain," she said loudly with a salute while gesturing to Arbus.
"So cute. You don't have to be so formal with me." Ophilia chuckled as she turned toward her, causing Yome's expression to turn awkward as her cheeks flushed almost imperceptibly.
Ophilia glanced at Arbus for a moment, her honey-colored eyes scanning him from top to bottom. Arbus's shoulders tensed slightly in response. He felt intimidated by her cold gaze, just like he was the last time he came here.
She didn't say anything to him, simply nodding in response to Yome. Her focus shifted from them to the Renegades around her, her gaze sweeping over them one by one. "Now, what exactly were all of you trying to do? And in a place like this."
Her eyes darkened as the corner of her lips curved upward slightly. "Do you want to die?"
The Renegades that had been moments away from attacking Arbus tensed, beads of sweat forming on the foreheads of those who could perspire.
The white Mornan from before who was leading the charge slowly backed away as he kept his eyes on the floor. The others around them, including the three friends who were chatting amongst themselves earlier, returned to their positions fearfully.
Ophilia stood in place as she watched them, a smile still playing on her lips. "That's what I thought," she said with a chipper tone that didn't fit the situation.
Then, she turned back to the trio. "Now follow along. The Sentinel is waiting for you."
Arbus finally stood up, stepping out of the booth slowly as he moved to follow behind her. His expression remained tense as he did.
Ophilia's brow raised slightly as she noticed Yome and Bridge remain in place. "What are you waiting for exactly?"
Yome's brows raised in surprise. "This is an escort mission, Commander. I didn't think we would be required to come as well."
Ophilia gave a brief laugh. "Of course you would. Why else would the Sentinel make sure you personally escorted Arbus here? He wanted to have a conversation with you as well upon hearing you were the team dispatched there," she said, her words vague enough for the people around them not in the know to dismiss.
She glanced at Bridge who was listening silently. "Your knight can come too, of course, since he's already here."
Yome's expression shifted, her usual cold demeanor vanishing as a nervous look colored her face. "U-understood, Commander," she stammered for the first time since Arbus had seen her, causing him to glance toward her in slight surprise.
Ophilia nodded with a smile as she began moving again—Arbus, Yome, and Bridge falling into step behind her as they walked out of the Hold's diner.
The Renegades around them quickly averted their gazes as they passed, finding other things to occupy their attention.
Bridge suddenly looked towards Arbus, a worried expression momentarily drowning out his excitement. "Hey, are you okay? After everything that happened back there."
Arbus glanced at him with the same vacant expression he'd had on since they got to the hold. "It's fine. Something like that doesn't bother me" he muttered, looking forward again.
Bridge didn't seem too convinced by his words, but he didn't press the matter further either.
They got to the lift a few moments later, entering after Ophilia as she pressed the S button leading to the very highest floor in the building.
The lift shot up immediately, its intense motion and vibrations barely noticeable to those within despite the speed it was moving at.
The atmosphere in the elevator felt charged, as if the slightest thing could set it off.
Arbus watched Yome take deep breaths as she tried her best to appear calm. It was easy for him to guess how highly she thought of the Sentinel, based on her reaction to meeting him. She was most likely terrified of leaving a bad impression on him.
'...I wasn't imagining it, she really looks like her,' Arbus thought as he stared at Yome. Now that her detached and cold expression was gone, her resemblance to his childhood friend became even more uncanny. Their nervous looks were almost identical to each other.
Arbus knew this was nothing more than a coincidence, and yet, it didn't stop the sadness rising in his heart.
His gaze shifted to Bridge in an attempt to distract himself—noticing the Red Mornan pressed against the transparent doors of the lift in excitement. He took in the brief sights of various departments in the Hold as they sped past them at a steady pace.
"Impressive, isn't it?" Ophilia said suddenly, her tone amused as she glanced toward Bridge. "Unlike the lower floors that mostly handle the most simplistic matters, these floors are where decisions for over a trillion lives across the star system are made."
"Even the High Commanders who oppose the Sentinel had to throw away their pride and admit his design was superior and far more efficient than the old Sentinel base," she said with a smug expression.
"That's so... amazing!" Bridge replied in astonishment as he kept his eyes on the glass. Then, a confused look crossed his features as his vision suddenly went dark. He leaned back, noticing the cause was the blacked-out floors beyond the doors after the lift passed a certain point.
"Don't be too alarmed," Ophilia said as she clasped her hands behind her. "The higher floors of the Hold deal with thousands of sensitive matters that don't concern the average Renegades—hence the secrecy."
"...Um, right," Bridge said in a slightly dejected manner as he finally stepped away from the doors completely.
After a few minutes of silence, the lift came to a halt as the doors slid open slowly to reveal the brightly lit corridor of the highest floor in the Hold.
They stepped out with Ophilia in the lead, Bridge's eyes immediately sweeping over the rather simple hallway in surprise.
It was a hallway with colorful carpets and a design so average that even most white mornan civilians would find it distasteful. The only thing that stood out were the portraits of the past Sentinels of the star system lining the walls.
Arbus's eyes briefly scanned them—landing on the portrait of Aries Taurus, the current king of their entire galaxy—for several moments.
Bridge suddenly spoke up, unable to stop himself from blurting out what he was thinking. "This is the floor the Sentinel stays on? That's unbelievable, it's so..."
"Modest? Yes, that is the intention. It's what the Sentinel—Bastian—prefers more often than not," Ophilia answered as she looked over her shoulder.
"Let's keep going," she said, ushering them forward with her long tail.
Ophilia led them down the hall for a few more minutes, until they finally arrived at their destination.
She paused before a set of unassuming wooden doors, then pushed them open as she walked in.
Arbus, Yome, and Bridge followed behind her, their gazes widening slightly as they did.
"That's—"
Books. Thousands upon thousands of physical books lined the walls from floor to ceiling. Most of them were clearly ancient and out of shape, their covers worn and crumpled. Still, it was an impressive collection that surprised even Arbus, given how much his father always complained about how rare physical books were.
The universe was currently in an age where most forms of knowledge existed digitally, making books like these a valuable commodity.
"I'm glad I could show you all something new so quickly."
Arbus, Bridge, and Yome immediately turned to the origin of the voice the instant they heard it.
In front of them was a white Mornan dressed casually in a plain t-shirt and baggy jeans—clothes that felt out of place for a man of his status.
He sat behind an ornate desk of dark wood littered with books, his silver hair glinting in the room's light as he watched them with a smile.
"Glad you're finally here. I was starting to get bored."