Resignation

Once the doors closed, the minister sighed. He took in heaves of breath, slowly observing the messy folder left on his desk by Hugo. All of a sudden, a knock was heard at his door.

"Come in."

The double doors slowly opened, and in walked a confidently suited man. He wore a jet black blazer over a sleek white dress shirt, while a fire orange tie hung down from his neck.

"Yo, Harrison."

The minister squinted his eyes with disgust. "Don't 'yo' me, Uriel."

The two stared each other down. But before seriousness could kick in, Uriel let out a laugh. "Squad Zero… what kind of name is that?"

"Did you eavesdrop on my conversation with Hugo Hethens?"

"I wouldn't be that brash. I think 'just so happened to listen in' would be a better term," Uriel smiled.

"Tsk… And what about it." The minister now crossed his arms.

"You're seriously providing a little fry like him a team of elites from your military factions?"

"I've provided him a sole minimum. Six units are nothing. Something would be providing an entire faction."

Uriel smirked, "So you didn't really take him seriously, did you? About that whole Seven Sins thing… I mean don't get me wrong, I know the Seven Sins are a real thing. But to the extent that he drove their name… 'The downfall of our current society,' really?"

"As a minister it's important we consider the words of our subordinates. A minister like you should already know that. I've done nothing but consider his work and our society's benefit."

"And what benefit would so-called 'Squad Zero' have on our society, huh?"

It was Harrison's turn to smirk. "Public reassurance."

"Ah…" Uriel nodded in agreement.

"You talk to me like I'm a fool for going along with Hugo's controversies and ideas. Whether they're true or not, publicizing Squad Zero is a perfect opportunity to reassure the masses, because they themselves are scared of nothing but the same exact controversies."

"It's about time the public scare be put to a stop."

"Exactly. It's unfortunate that our dedicated authorities aren't able to establish a good connection with the rest of the civilians, because if they had, the Seven Sins scare would have been dealt with by now."

"I understand now. Squad Zero is just a flashy way of saying 'You'll be safe,' right?"

"You could say that," Harrison agreed. "But I wouldn't mind funding the squad a little bit. Although the presence of the Seven Sins is extremely vague, catching some leads could be extremely beneficial. If enough undeniable information is gathered, we can then take the matters into our own hands."

"Mhm… You've got some good ideas Harry. I wouldn't mind having a kick in on some of our perpetrators. They've given the Cardinal Nexus one hell of a ride this past year alone."

"So I assume you're done judging me now."

"Not yet," Uriel laughed. "I'll be judging you for staying in the Cardinal Nexus from now on."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm resigning."

Harrison's eyes grew wide. "Resigning!? Why!? You're a minister; one of the most influential powers in the entire government. Why would you resign?"

"I'm tired of all this lawful shit. I wanna do something where I can be a bit more of myself. The guys here at the Cardinal Nexus can barely even tolerate my attitude. That alone says a lot."

"Then where will you be going?"

"Initiate Co. They've been lacking a CEO haven't they?"

Harrison couldn't believe what he was hearing. "But that corporation is bankrupt. They're practically dead without the support of the Cardinal Nexus."

Uriel grinned. "That's why I'm going there to reestablish a connection with the Cardinal Nexus. I'll come to reflourish Initiate Co. and bring about even more prosper than it had already ever had."

Harrison was speechless.

"You wait and see," Uriel told him. "Try not to miss me too much. If you ever do, I'll only be an hour away right in Pactolus District... Visit me some time."

"I still can't believe you're doing this… So abruptly…"

"I am abrupt with all my actions, Harrison. I will never go unnoticed. Not with how bright and flashy every single one of my moves are…" Uriel then snickered. "What a hypocrite I am." The man turned around and walked out of the office, leaving Harrison in disbelief.

"That man has been strange ever since I first met him. I wonder what he'll do at Initiate Co…"