Chapter 97: Heart-to-Heart and Agreement

Chapter 97: Heart-to-Heart and Agreement

"Ah, sorry…"

Eli didn't quite understand why Revil was saying these things to him.

But since Revil mentioned that he had caused trouble, Eli immediately apologized.

"No, the fact that you were able to suppress your hatred and bring him back—I'm very pleased. Saying that you, Lieutenant, are a model soldier of the Federation is not an exaggeration at all."

Revil leaned back on the sofa and lit his pipe.

During his meeting with Dozle just now, he had been restraining himself to maintain the dignity of the Federation. Now, he could finally relax.

"I don't deserve such praise…"

Hearing Revil's commendation only made Eli more confused.

But since this was his superior officer, he decided it was best to just listen.

"Hah."

Seeing Eli's reaction, Revil let out a small chuckle.

He did not continue discussing his conflicts with the Federation Council but instead shifted the conversation to another topic.

"I heard you made a deal with the Yashima Corporation? That as long as you help them acquire Zeon's MS manufacturing company, they'll give you shares in their MS department. Is that right?"

With just this one sentence, Revil made Eli's spine go stiff.

That contract should have been hidden. It shouldn't have been exposed…

"Finding the contract of one department is no big deal. As long as the Federation wants to, it can be done."

Revil took a deep puff from his pipe as he observed Eli's expression, then continued speaking.

"You're just a Federation lieutenant—how could you possibly make Zeon sell its MS company to Yashima? Your father's former company did have some connections with Zeon in the past, but those ties were severed at the start of the war. Besides, your father's company wasn't significant enough to influence this matter."

I underestimated others.

Eli immediately realized his mistake.

It seemed like he had successfully exploited an information gap to strike a deal with the Yashima Corporation, but he had overlooked the fact that other people weren't just NPCs in a game.

"Let me guess—it must have been Ramba Ral. That guy secretly contacted me, trading a piece of Zeon's classified intelligence in exchange for the Federation's support for his next move. For someone who has always stayed out of power struggles to take such action, the only possible reason is that he saw something aboard the White Base…"

Eli could see the glimmer in Revil's eyes.

Without a doubt, that was the look of someone who could see straight into a person's heart.

It wasn't through Newtype abilities or anything supernatural—it was purely the result of human intelligence.

"Eli, what deal did you make with Ramba Ral? At the very least, what kind of agreement did you two reach?"

Seeing Eli meeting his gaze calmly, Revil finally let out a breath of relief.

It seemed that Eli had not engaged in any dealings that would harm the Federation's interests.

Although there was still a possibility, Revil had an inexplicable feeling deep down—a sense of trust.

He took his pipe out of his mouth and tapped it against the table, signaling Eli not to be too tense.

"Relax, I'm not here to hold you accountable. In fact, there's nothing wrong with what you did. It's just that I didn't expect a mere lieutenant to have the foresight to unite potential allies and divide the enemy camp."

Eli did not relax just because Revil suddenly changed his tone.

After all, the biggest question Revil had raised was one that Eli had not answered—

What exactly did Ramba Ral see aboard the ship that made him change his mind?

"What I can't quite figure out is why Ramba Ral—who has always been unwilling to get involved in power struggles—would choose to trust you?"

Revil's pipe hovered in the air as he locked his sharp gaze onto Eli.

But his eyes did not carry an aggressive edge.

Instead, Eli sensed a certain level of trust in them.

At this moment, Eli already knew how much truth Revil had uncovered.

"Maybe my actions convinced him. I moved him with reason and sincerity."

Eli spoke softly.

Revil had already figured everything out, but he didn't care.

The only thing he wanted to know was whether Ramba Ral could be used as a piece on his board.

Revil smiled.

Eli hadn't lied—he had indeed said a lot to Ramba Ral at that time.

This had already been indirectly confirmed through Amuro.

The two tacitly moved past this topic.

Why Ramba Ral trusted Eli no longer mattered.

What mattered was that Ramba Ral was now a card in Revil's hand.

"Heh… Quite the sentimental man."

Revil spoke to Eli in a tone that seemed to be teasing Ramba Ral.

Or was he teasing Eli for his clumsy excuse?

He placed the pipe back in his mouth and waved his hand dismissively.

"I'll take over the arrangements for this matter from here. Your idea was good, but your position isn't high enough yet… Remember this—from the very beginning, everything you've done has been under my secret orders."

Revil specifically instructed.

"It's an honor to follow your command."

With great understanding, Eli stood at attention and saluted General Revil.

This made Revil smile even more.

"In the future, if anything comes up, you can come to me for advice. You know what I mean."

In the end, Revil left Eli with a subtle reminder.

Eli gave a deep bow, then turned and walked out of the room.

Once Eli had left, Revil leaned back comfortably in his chair and took a puff of his pipe.

He reached behind him and pulled out a document.

Looking closely, it was a record of Sayla's life—

Or rather, Artesia's life.

"If he can truly seize control of the discourse in space… that wouldn't be a bad thing… cough cough cough!"

Revil suddenly started coughing.

He quickly removed the pipe from his mouth and set it aside on the table.

Then, he struck a match and set the document on fire.

As the flickering flames consumed the file, the Federation would only know Sayla—not her past.

"What a pity… If it weren't for those damn politicians suppressing me, I'd have given you a double promotion right now…"

Revil muttered like an old man complaining about life.

He pulled a medicine box from his pocket, swallowed a few pills, and pounded his chest lightly.

"Cough cough."

After a few more coughs, Revil blew out the last embers of the burnt document.

Then, he bit down on his pipe again and walked to the window, gazing out at Solomon Fortress.

There, the Federation was working to restore Solomon's fortifications and reorganizing its forces in preparation for Operation Star One.

"If only I had more time…"

Revil sighed.

He might not be able to arrange everything for the future.

But at least, Eli had performed well—so well that he was actively using his power to influence the larger picture.

"Heh, still a bit green, but he's got some real ideas."