"Nar!" Cyneah stood up in surprise.
Azikh and Gidan also stood up with a frown. They looked at him as if he had done something unforgivable.
Kyran raised his hands with a shrug, "Spare me the glare. I know you're wondering how I got in."
He showed them a disc and said, "Hilam lent me this disc after learning I was looking for Neah. He said he had to return it anyway, might as well let me use it."
Gidan scowled at Kyran's overly familiar and almost endearing mention of Cyneah's name. "Call her Lady Saint. You tainted one."
"Gidan!"
Azikh and Cyneah called out to him at once, wearing a horrified expression.
A tainted one was different from an Imon-spawn. It was the foulest name a complete being could have. Being tainted meant one had impure mana, which deformed their appearance. Apart from that, they could only use 'black magic,' which was feared by many. But then, because of the Tainted ones' impure mana, most did not live long. Thus, they were few in number, if none.
Kyran did not know what it meant but did not want to reconnect with the projector in his Void world and ask the old man. He cut off the connection after he entered the HQ. This was to prevent anyone from sensing the Abbot, in case Eidums with high-level magic attainment had a way of 'sensing' the Abbot's aura.
It was only a precaution. Kyran was confident in the Shaiha's ability to mask any aura connected to him. His Void world was also undetectable. At least, he had not met anyone who could sense it.
Kyran only raised his brows at them. He did not care what Gidan called him. From what he heard after appearing, he more or less understood the latter was only a grumpy guy with a Saint complex.
"Humph," Gidan snorted, not wanting to apologize for what he said.
Seeing Kyran's indifference, Azikh was inwardly confused. He somehow reminded him of the Saint when she first came to them.
Like a child who was ignorant of a lot of things in Somuli.
'The Saint's ignorance was attributed to her growing up in the forest. Could it be that Nar is also...' Azikh paused and scoffed at his train of thought.
Kyran's appearance was different. Of course, he would have avoided going to towns or cities. If not, they might have accused him of being an Imon-spawn or a Tainted one.
"The disc Hilam had is a one-time use only," Azikh pointed out after remembering this fact. He looked at Gidan, "Did you perhaps give Hilam a disc with level one clearance?"
The receiving room was considered an off-limits place. Only a few members had access to it, depending on their clearance.
So far, the only ones with a disc that allowed them to enter and leave the receiving room freely were Azikh, Cyneah, Gidan, the messenger, and the Abbot, if he was there. However, when they left the HQ, they had to surrender the disc to prevent it from getting lost outside.
Though no one could replicate things created by lost technology, they could still use or destroy it. If the disc fell into the hands of their enemies, then they could infiltrate the HQ and attack from the inside.
A member could have a temporary disc if he or she requested to meet the Saint or the Abbot if he was there.
Gidan frowned. He was too angry after hearing the Abbot's abduction that he was not sure if he accidentally gave Hilam a disc with a level one clearance.
"I... maybe I did. Sorry."
"That is too careless, Gidan. Hilam is one of the new recruits and probably did not know the disc you should have give him could only be used once. Good thing he was sensible enough to return it. If not, what do you think will happen if it falls into the hands of another?"
"I... Yeah. Sorry, I'll be careful next time."
Because the two were busy with their exchange, they did not notice the strange look on Cyneah's face as she looked at Kyran.
'He tweaked it...' She thought, with black lines appearing on her head.
Cyneah could sense all the discs with level one clearance. She had left a small mark with her magic energy into them to ensure something like this would not happen. At that moment, she confirmed the disc in Kyran's hand was not one of those.
Gidan looked at Kyran and glowered, "Give it back then—."
"Let him have it," Cyneah interrupted him at once.
"WHAT?"
"Lady Saint, that is..."
Gidan and Azikh exclaimed at the same time.
Cyneah smiled sweetly while trying her best to stop her brows from twitching.
"Since he will be working with us closely, it is only appropriate for him to have one."
Kyran looked at Cyneah and smiled inwardly. He could fool Azikh and Gidan, but apparently not her.
He had guessed only a handful of discs with level one clearance were available. Since he wanted to have access to every part of the HQ, he needed one. But he could not ask for it himself. If he did, Gidan would oppose to it right away. As for Azikh, he would likely be neutral and leave the decision to Cyneah. But if that was the case, Gidan would complain that her relationship with him would affect her decision.
To avoid such drama, Kyran resorted to this.
Contrary to what Cyneah believed, though, he did not tweak the disc. Instead, he teleported directly into the receiving room. What he tweaked was the array inside the room. Else, the defensive array inside the room would have activated once he appeared.
"I disagree."
"I'd like to keep it, too," Kyran quipped, ignoring Gidan's refusal.
To stop Gidan from pursuing the matter, Kyran approached them and changed the subject, "More importantly, I'd like to discuss how we can improve the HQ's defensive line and supply shortage."
"Oi—."
"You're supposed to be resting," Cyneah replied before Gidan could say anything.
"Don't worry. Because of my special constitution, your potion worked wonders," Kyran lied. "Besides, you don't think the enemies had stopped their attack after that failed attempt using those beast horde and magical beast, right?"
Azikh, who was still contemplating the Saint's request to hand over the disc to Kyran, stopped short and looked at him.
"What do you mean?"
Gidan's expression also turned grim. He said, "Are you jinxing us?"
"Why would I do that?" Kyran inwardly rolled his eyes at him. He wondered how this guy became the commander of this HQ.
The HQ was the first line of defense of the Eidums' border. If someone like him were commanding, the border would fall quickly.
"Neah is here, I won't let anything happen to this place."
"You sound like the Saint is the only reason you're helping us."
"That's what I said," Kyran replied with a shrug. "I don't really care what happened to you guys, but since this place is important to Neah, I will do everything I can to protect it. However, we need to improve how you do things here. If not, this fort will fall the next time those people on the other side attack."
Azikh and Gidan looked at each other.
What Kyran said was true. To be honest, if not for him, they would have lost the remaining abled fighters in that beast horde. When that happened, the only thing that would protect them was the steel walls. But that would not last long either because only a handful could maintain its barrier.
"What do you propose then?" Azikh was the first one to express his willingness to hear Kyran out.
"First and foremost, we need to secure the supplies," Kyran responded. "I heard you only rely on the supplies transported from the main city. But that is too far. If lucky, the supplies will arrive here in a month, but right now, the supplies you have will not be able to sustain you for another week, much less a month."
"We know that," Gidan growled. "But what else can we do? If you want to suggest asking the neighboring cities to provide supplies, then stop. We already tried, and until now, we have not heard from them."
"Why do you persist in getting your supplies in cities? You are out in the wild. There are plenty of resources right here."
"Yes, and plenty of beasts as well," Gidan replied.
"Can you stop interrupting?" Kyran asked him in exasperation. "Why do you fear those beasts? Try changing your perspective for a moment.
"Let me ask you, what did you do to the corpses of the beasts outside?"
Azikh looked at him in shock, "You... you plan to hunt those beasts and use them?"
"If they are properly cleaned and cooked, they are edible. Their parts can also be used for potions. Apart from that, the forest is filled with hidden resources."
"We know that," Gidan repeated in annoyance. "Do you think we did not think of that before? The problem is, we don't have enough manpower to do those things!"
"Aren't you planning to work me to my bone?" Kyran replied with a smile. "Why are you getting worked up?"
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