Poor girl, completely unaware

As one of the pivotal territories under the control of the Morris Consortium, the economic and public security of the Mistka District can be considered paramount among the second-tier sectors. Naturally, it is not devoid of unsavory affairs, akin to other regions within District Twenty-Five... All the depravity remains obscured beneath the veneer of prosperity.

Within the Morris Consortium edifice, Lasquin Morris is engrossed in observing the tiger-striped fang fish nibbling on small crustaceans in the aquarium, while behind him, his assistant seems somewhat intimidated by this affable blond gentleman.

As the inheritor of the Morris Consortium, Mr. Lasquin enjoys significantly superior treatment compared to Jonas... Not only does he possess unfettered access to the consortium's resources, but the industries under his purview far surpass those of ordinary consortium heirs.

Of course, to achieve such stature, Lasquin's reliance extends beyond the resources bequeathed by his forebears; it is his own ingenuity and demeanor that elevate him above his peers. In the current milieu of District Twenty-Five, few consortia dare to engage clandestinely with the Destiny Organization. The audacity alone warrants admiration... Coupled with ample ruthlessness and guile, Mr. Lasquin has consolidated the Morris Consortium's resources within a mere two years... Despite being only the nominal heir, he may be on the cusp of assuming true control over the Morris Consortium.

Eccentric in temperament, mercurial in mood, and relentless in methodology. Such is the prevailing assessment of Mr. Lasquin by most individuals. His assistant, too, has witnessed firsthand instances where individuals were summarily dispatched to feed the fish by Mr. Lasquin for merely uttering an errant word. This accounts for his profound fear of him.

"Speak forth if there be aught, ere my patience wanes." Suddenly, Lasquin interjects, his tranquil demeanor sending a shiver down the spine of his assistant.

Without further ado, the assistant nervously reports, "It pertains to tidings from the Lisht District, wherein Miss Tenva inquires about the progress of your arrangements."

Upon hearing this, Lasquin's countenance momentarily falters. He turns about, fixing his gaze upon his assistant, and queries, "Is it an emissary from the Destiny Organization?"

"Indeed." Upon receiving the affirmative response, Lasquin furrows his brow before retorting, "Convey to her that all progresses smoothly, and bid her tend to her own affairs."

This collaboration, in essence, constitutes a gamble... For once these clandestine machinations are unveiled, he shall find himself ensnared in exceedingly precarious circumstances. None favor rule-breakers, hence all he can do is to depict himself as a victim. This, indeed, is a perilous maneuver, yet Mr. Lasquin embodies the disposition of a gambler. None who ascend to the zenith of District Twenty-Five do so through conventional means. To accrue greater benefits, one must venture greater risks. And Mr. Lasquin evidently possesses this resolve... This collaboration with District Twenty-Five epitomizes his ambition.

"Miss Tenva further inquires about the primary target of this affair..." The assistant cautiously probes, wary of Lasquin's gaze, instinctively falling silent, feeling uneasy.

"Whom?" Lasquin furrows his brow, then recollects a moment before uttering, "Ah, it pertains to the individual from the Veetin Consortium, does it not?"

Lasquin reminisces about the occasion when that white-haired woman from the Orient approached him seeking collaboration. It appears a schism had arisen between Jonas Veetin and the Destiny Organization... prompting her to solicit collaboration with him. Although disinterested in the feud between the two parties, what intrigued him was the scheme articulated by that white-haired woman. Following negotiations, she managed to sway him, thereby inducting the Morris Consortium as one of the principal executors of the scheme.

After a moment's contemplation, recalling Jonas Veetin's response, he continues, "Indeed, he is slated to attend this assembly."

The assistant exhales a sigh of relief upon hearing this, gazes at Lasquin, and noting the absence of emotional fluctuation, tentatively inquires, "Shall I relay these sentiments to Miss Tenva?"

"Indeed, proceed." Lasquin responds, prompting the assistant to depart as if unburdened.

Lasquin watches the retreating figure of his assistant contemplatively. Moments later, a glint of frostiness flickers in his eyes as he retrieves a firearm from a nearby drawer.

The pistol lacks a safety mechanism, yet without hesitation, Lasquin squeezes the trigger.

Everything unfolds too swiftly; the assistant, not yet departed, falls to the ground with the echo of a gunshot resounding through the room.

Lasquin strides leisurely to where his assistant lies, addressing the despair and bewilderment in his eyes, "Next time, desist from conspicuous acceptance of bribes. I abhor traitors most vehemently."

With these words, another gunshot reverberates through the chamber,

 the bullet piercing through the assistant's cranium.

Lasquin regards the pool of blood impassively, his countenance betraying no emotion, as though he has committed a trifling deed.

"Jonas Veetin..." Lasquin murmurs to himself, a trace of enigma clouding his eyes, "Intriguing."

Meanwhile, within a certain outpost of the Peacekeeping Forces...

Yukas Amili frowns as she peruses the various intelligence reports presented by her subordinates. Just recently, an anonymous email forwarded detailed information concerning a business assembly scheduled to transpire in the Mistka District in a few days' time.

The anonymous missive insinuated that operatives of the Destiny Organization might perpetrate an assault on the cruise liner during the assembly. While seemingly alarmist, recent movements by the Destiny Organization indeed corroborate the assertions of the email. Investigations revealed the recent withdrawal of their forces from other regions, indicative of preparatory measures for some undisclosed plan. This lends credence to the email's veracity.

Yet Yukas Amili harbors apprehensions that this might be a stratagem to divert attention, hence she finds herself unable to arrive at a decisive conclusion forthwith.

"Do you reckon Miss Yukas believes the contents of that email?" A girl with her hair fashioned in a bun inquires.

Yukas glances up at the girl, Dorthy Brankie, her name, and one of her trusted subordinates. As an elite member of the intelligence department, Dorthy compiled nearly all pertinent information upon the anonymous email's receipt, albeit to no conclusive end. This leaves the girl perplexed. While similar scenarios have unfolded previously, this one feels particularly inscrutable. Not only is the identity of the anonymous sender unknown, but even the contents of the missive elude anticipation. Though uncertain of the specifics, Dorthy intuitively senses the involvement of multiple vested interests in this affair. This quasi-truthful scenario compels vigilance from all, including Yukas.

"I cannot say... Yet if there exists a possibility of its veracity, I dare not disregard it," Yukas responds, then addresses Dorthy, inquiring, "Have you traced the origin of that anonymous email?"

"Alas, we have not," Dorthy laments, eliciting a weary gesture from Yukas, as if expecting as much.

Just as the two are engaged in discourse, an unread message materializes on Yukas's communication interface. Yukas pauses, realizing it originates from the anonymous account, her focus intensifying as she opens the message. However, this time, the sender refrains from divulging additional information, instead dispatching a falsified identification.

This document is none other than the work permit for the personnel aboard the cruise liner slated for the forthcoming assembly.

Moreover, this forged identification happens to be that of a female, seeming to imply something clandestine.

[Y: This is all I can provide. How you choose to employ this gift is at your discretion, Miss Yukas.]

The receipt of this new message from the anonymous account elicits a subtle shift in Yukas's countenance.

For some inexplicable reason, the sender's tone evokes a faint sense of familiarity, yet Yukas struggles to place its origin.

Undoubtedly, the 'gift' proffered by the sender possesses considerable utility, yet it also renders the intentions of the anonymous individual even more suspect.

[Yukas: What do you intend?]

This missive, once dispatched, remains unanswered, leaving the sender seemingly vanished.

"Miss Yukas... Does she believe that we can trust the sender?" 

"This constitutes our sole avenue of intervention."

Yukas pauses momentarily before asserting, "Therefore, regardless of the sender's motives, we have no alternative."

Upon hearing this, Dorthy hesitantly inquires, "So, Miss Yukas, who do you propose to undertake this mission?"

To eliminate potential hazards comprehensively, the individual dispatched must possess the capacity to navigate adversity unaided. After all, in a bid to forestall the possibility of this being a stratagem to divert attention, the reinforcements available to the Peacekeeping Forces are decidedly inadequate.

And only one individual seems to command the requisite ability, earning the unwavering respect of the other members of the Peacekeeping Forces' Special Operations Department...

"I shall undertake this personally."

"?"

Yukas's proclamation leaves Dorthy momentarily stunned.

"As fortune would have it, it has been too long since I engaged in such endeavors."

With that statement, Yukas rises from her seat, proceeding to declare, "Secure leave from the higher-ups on my behalf, citing the execution of a clandestine mission."

Having said so, she pauses briefly, adding, "Furthermore, divulge no information regarding this mission."

However...

—Poor girl, utterly unaware of being manipulated by some individual far away in the Alt District.

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