Ch 10: The Origin

A man with short, silver-gray hair, neatly trimmed, sat in the chair, looking over a stack of files in his hands. This man was the commander of the Vanguard Base, Brigadier General Alexander Petrov."Report," General Alexander said."As you know, we took a job from the mayor of Vega City to investigate Blackwater Securities, who are responsible for guarding the potion plantation on Lemanor Base. We sent Brian and Kyle for the job. There after some investigation we discovered that instead of protecting the potions, they were stealing the original product and replacing it with defective ones, resulting in approximately 72 deaths and numerous injuries," Captain Cruz reported."Brian found a witness willing to talk, but Blackwater learned about it, murdered the witness's whole family, and pinned it on Brian.""So, he killed their soldiers in retaliation?" General Alexander asked."It was more a matter of self-defense, as they were trying to kill me directly, and bury the matter" Brian said from the side."Then how did you get caught if you killed them all?" the general asked."The city guards attacked me. I couldn't fight back against them, so I complied with the arrest," Brian explained."So the Mayor was involved with them?" the general asked."Yes, we believe the mayor wanted to use us to get rid of Blackwater Securities and take the entire profit for himself," Captain Cruz explained."But the plan got sidetracked when Brian found a witness willing to incriminate both the mayor and Blackwater instead of just Blackwater. When the mayor realized this, he chose to burn us instead.""So we went to Vega City and told Kyle to rescue Brian, but things got more complicated," Captain Cruz continued."As I tried to rescue Brian from the prison, I learned that he was going to be transferred. I thought this would make my job easier, as I could rescue him during the transfer. But when I attacked the convoy to rescue Brian, I noticed some abnormalities. The guards were unusually strong to be just normal guards for a prison transfer, and even the prisoners were unusual. So, I notified Brian and decided to follow the convoy," Kyle explained."That's when we discovered the illegal lab. They were experimenting with extracting the bloodline abilities of beasts without forming a contract," Kyle said."Bloodline abilities, huh? Then they must be Division 7. You guys really stirred up the hornet's nest," the general remarked, looking at them."Well, nothing can be done now. Wrap up the mayor and Blackwater Securities, and say they were connected to Division 7," the general said, closing the files and standing up."You guys are lucky the higher-ups don't support Division 7 much, or you would have been goners.""Thank you, sir," Captain Cruz said."Hmm. Cruz, stay. The rest of you are dismissed," the general ordered."Yes sir," the other saluted and exited the room.The general made himself a coffee at the nearby machine and asked Cruz, "Want one?""No thank you, sir," Cruz replied."So the kid you brought already has formed a core, you said," the general remarked."Yes sir, which means he may get an elemental body as early as in the gold stage. This will make it much easier for him to achieve rank 3, and his almost non-existent background makes it even easier to bring him under our control. He'll be a great asset to us," Cruz explained."Well, you're mistaken about one thing, Cruz. His background isn't non-existent," the general countered."We checked the DNA samples you sent us against our database, and we found a match," the general continued solemnly."With whom?" Cruz inquired."The Ashbornes," the general replied."That Ashborne?" Cruz asked."Yes, and it is confirmed that he is the son of Victor Ashborne himself," the general affirmed.Cruz's expression darkened at the mention of the name. Victor Ashborne was a very well known person in the federation, known for achieving the remarkable feat of becoming the youngest King-level powerhouse in the Federation and one of the strongest too."If Victor is the father, then the mother is..." Cruz trailed off."Luna Whitmore. We've already confirmed it," the general confirmed."But there was no news of a second child, and Luna even left the Ashborne family after the birth because of some problems without even taking her daughter with her," Cruz recalled."We don't know what happened between the Ashbornes and the Whitmores, but you should consider the consequences if they find out we have their heir. Think carefully before you act," the general warned.Cruz pondered the situation carefully. The Ashbornes and Whitmores held immense power as two of the seven founding families of the new federation, possessing influence akin to that of entire countries. Any misstep could lead to rapid escalation."I believe the situation is in our favor," Cruz began, weighing his words."It's been 12 years now, and we would have received word if they were actively searching for the boy. Yet, there's been nothing. It's almost as if they're trying to conceal his existence. After that incident, Luna never returned to Arkas and spends most of her time on that side and I doubt the Ashbornes are even aware of the boy's existence.""And if he is indeed the son of those two, he may possess even greater talent. I believe it's a risk worth taking," Cruz concluded, his resolve firm."Well we should observe him for some time and see if he remembers anything about his past and family. Then we can make a decision," the general suggested."What's your plan with the kid?" the general inquired."I'm thinking of settling him at the Hope Orphanage and starting his training right after we take care of the mayor," Cruz replied."Alright, you do what you've planned. Just remember, if the Ashbornes learn about this matter, I'll deny knowing anything," the general warned."Understood, sir".Cruz nodded and stood up, leaving the room quietly. He walked down the hall, his mind busy with plans.Meanwhile, the general walked to the window. He looked outside, watching the city below lost in thought."More talented than Victor, huh? This will be very interesting if the pieces are played correctly," he mused to himself.