Chapter 21

-[Wynne]-

For a man that was supposed to be cautious, Roman was quite foolish sometimes.

Wynne had long since hacked the CCT Towers in Vale and Atlas. A fault of having it so easily accessible was that once hacked, it could be used to access every device connected to it.

That was exactly what Wynne was currently doing. Technically, he was using the CCT tower in Atlas to interact with the one in Vale and shamelessly invade the privacy of the masses.

With that access, he had some level of access to Roman's scroll and the man had wired some money to an info broker who sent him information regarding Wynne himself.

He had counted on Roman changing gears with him ruining his dust raids and slowing down Cinder's plans.

Speaking of Cinder, it had taken him a while but he'd found her scroll as well as those of Mercury and Emerald.

Unsurprisingly, there was nothing particularly interesting or important in them.

He also attempted to find Arthur Watts but the man proved elusive, expertly hiding his digital footprints.

'It's only a matter of time.' Wynne thought, tucking his scroll into his pocket and focusing on where he was.

Beside him was Fiona as they stood at the entrance of what was once known as the Crater.

"I still can't believe it." The sheep faunus muttered as she watched the former inhabitants of the crater wander through the streets in shock and wonder.

"It's wonderful and all but it's not going to take care of itself." Wynne said, breaking her out of her thoughts.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

Wynne began walking into the rebuilt sector, Fiona following behind. "I've rebuilt and renovated this area but that doesn't change the fact that these people are poor." Wynne said, causing Fiona to frown at the blunt way in which he said it.

That was because he wasn't wrong.

"It's not their fault." Fiona said, not denying it.

"I never said it was but it can't stay that way. While rebuilding, I added various shops and business buildings into the plan." Wynne said, catching Fiona's attention. "If they're willing to work, now there are opportunities to make themselves productive members of society."

He'd hacked the CCT and the Mantle systems to research on the former inhabitants of the Crater and built business opportunities based on what he found.

"I knew there was something fishy about all of this." A voice accused, not far away.

He turned to see Robyn Hill making her way towards him, Fiona facepalming.

"I don't quite get what you mean." Wynne said in a questioning manner, brow arched.

Robyn frowned as she now stood in front of Wynne. "You only did this so you could use them as cheap labor! You're not actually concerned about the people of Mantle." Robyn accused.

"Robyn…" Fiona called out to get her to calm down but the woman was already riled up.

"Who said anything about cheap? For a society to function and flourish, everyone has to do their part. If you think I'm going to hold their hands and spoon feed them forever then you're dumber than I thought." Wynne threw back, challengingly.

"These people don't need someone coming in to exploit them!" Robyn argued.

"I think you're forgetting the fact that I funded this entire project from my own pocket and these people are better off than when they started. They now have the chance to get jobs and live rather than go scavenging for food and other basic necessities." Wynne countered.

He paid for it so he owned all the businesses he had built in the Crater. That meant that he got a percentage from every profit made, which would cover the cost incurred during its renovation.

"Robyn…!" Fiona called out, interrupting her before she went any further.

The council clearly didn't put Mantle at a high priority and Robyn was very close to biting the hand that offered to help.

He could be petty enough to cease his involvement in Mantle's development and blame it on the happy huntresses, drastically reducing their favorability in the city they wished to protect but money was money.

He was already invested in it, he'd find another way to deal with the happy huntresses should they become a problem.

"I didn't come here to argue with you. I fulfilled my end of the deal but with this, it seems that this will be my last time conducting business with your group." Wynne said simply, watching Fiona's eyes widen minutely.

That didn't mean he wasn't petty all the same.

Robyn took a bit longer to realize the implications, her own eyes narrowing in realization moments later as Wynne walked back to his Airship.

"Wait!" Fiona called out but the doors closed behind him.

Signaling to the pilot, the engines came to life as he began his trip back to Atlas.

The ringing from his scroll got his attention, causing him to pull it out, frowning at the unknown number before answering.

He hid his surprise well as a familiar person showed up on his screen.

"Mr Belladonna, this is a surprise. I didn't expect you to reach out to me so soon." He said, greeting the Chieftain of Menagerie, Ghira Belladonna.

"I apologize for the impromptu call. I hope I didn't catch you at a bad time." Ghira said, apologetically.

"Not at all. I take it your daughter has relayed my proposal to you." Wynne spoke in a questioning way.

Ghira nodded. "While I trust my daughter, I believe it necessary to hear it for myself. I can't simply make rash decisions based on a whim."

"I expected that. There are a few things I left out that I'd rather we discuss in person. I can assure you that it'll benefit you greatly." Wynne said confidently.

Despite his skill, he was still cautious against someone listening in on his conversations.

The bearded panther faunus was silent for a moment. "Give me some time to think over it." Ghira said.

"No problem. Take all the time you need." Wynne said, a smile on his face as he ended the call.

He was in no rush, it was actually the opposite. Ghira didn't know long the offer would last or if it was even genuine in the first place.

'Now we wait.' Wynne thought, relaxing for the rest of the trip.