Chapter 115: Terrorists Attack

While waiting for the triathlon, Ernesto was acting weird. And as a narc, Ch'en immediately noticed it and she observed him stealthily.

She then saw Ernesto stare at a Liberi girl and they nodded at each other. And being a top cop of the LGD. Ch'en knew that something was going on.

"Suspicious, right?" Lin whispered to Ch'en and her friend nodded.

"And I saw that girl plant something earlier. I don't know if they were bombs, but I managed to destroy them with my arts while we fought." Lin expounded.

"I see, then it is true. I've had a lingering suspicion for some time now that Candela might be planning something. Or that Ernesto is an agent of theirs. But I didn't expect him to be a rebel." Ch'en got her answers.

"Still as suspicious as ever." Lin shrugged and Ch'en snorted. "It was true, don't underestimate me Lin. I have been LGD's best officer for years." Ch'en then contacted Beatrix and Hoshiguma to investigate the city for IEDs.

Lin and Ch'en decided that the best course of action was to keep Ernesto with them. Keep friends close, and enemies closer.

Meanwhile, Vina who was looking around the venue saw Ch'en and Lin Yuhsia. She also noticed that La Pluma nodded at Ernesto who were in Ch'en's team.

"Hannah, I want you to get a whiff of that blonde and see if La Pluma has been in contact with him." Vina squinted her eyes.

"I'm not a bloody dog." Hannah grumbled, but they still went to Ch'en's team to make some small talk.

"Hello, Ch'en, Lin Yuhsia. I believe that we haven't met before. I am Alexandrina Victoria." Vina introduced herself and the two looked at her while blinking.

They analyzed her extremely carefully and saw that she was an Aslan. Meaning that she wasn't lying at all.

"Damn, another big shot that will be tons of trouble is here." Ch'en whispered to Lin and the Zalak nodded.

Vina then nodded at Ch'en and she looked at La Pluma who started to fidget around a bit. Scared that Lin will reveal her identity.

Which confirmed Ch'en, Lin, and Vina's suspicions all at once. Hannah also tapped Vina's shoulder. Confirming that the two have been in recent contact with each other.

But they were practically ignoring each other. So the two are hiding something by not acknowledging each other's presence. Even though they knew one another.

"Hello, your royal highness. The next stage is about to begin. It is an honor to be your acquaintance." Ch'en bowed and Lin also followed.

Vina nodded and they returned to their spot, completing their objective.

"Cantabile, do you know anything about La Pluma? She's a double agent as expected. That blonde Perro in Ch'en's team is also an agent." Vina tried asking the Liberi.

"La Pluma is her code name. Her real name is Rafaela Silva. Besides that, I do not know anything substantial." Cantabile revealed.

Vina and Hannah then looked at each other. "Why the bloody hell didn't you tell us that sooner?" Hannah was annoyed as hell.

"This means that she's the daughter of Pugh Silva. Pancho Salas' comrade in arms that went missing." Vina looked at Cantabile, a bit miffed.

"Well, you didn't ask." Cantabile tilted her head and they face palmed. "Okay, great. We have a pretty weak assassin, and a double agent in our team. Great going, mate." Hannah rolled her eyes.

"Hey! You takin' the piss? Come on then, let's av it ya prick!" Vina was ready to throw hands.

"Everyone, it's time for the triathlon! You can of course still slow enemy teams down. This is a race, so those who are faster will have better points!" The announcer started explaining the race.

Everybody prepared for the marathon and Ash of course stood out more than the rest. He was not only huge, he just had this pressure.

He skipped in place lightly as he posed for a runner's starting position. He dug his fingers on the ground and his foot dented the concrete.

"Three, two, start!" The announcer fired a blank and Ash's muscles were like industrial springs that were loaded to the maximum.

Like a bullet, he disappeared from the starting place. Releasing a shockwave that sent the others reeling.

And after the dust settled, the contestants saw foot prints on the ground and they sweated.

"H-how can we compete with that guy?" One contestant sounded depressed as they were all left in the dust, literally.

"Can't he hold back a bit?" Ch'en sighed and Vina's team also shook their heads at his display of extreme physical might.

"T-team emperor seemed to have finished first... We have reports that he is already in the finish line." The announcer gestured at the screens and Ash was shaking some champagne as he waved at the cameras.

Dossoles was flabbergasted and it was a world record that would surely be unbroken for centuries to come.

"Let's go! We should at least get 2nd place!" Vina started running with her team and they got a head start due to the confusion.

"Ahhh! We forgot about the race!" Lin also shouted and their team followed suit.

"W-what a monster, so that's the emperor of Leithanien? He isn't just a tycoon? What the hell?" Ernesto who followed Ch'en and Lin subconsciously was still in the process of rebooting his brain.

Everybody then also started the race, ignoring Ash's ridiculous feat.

The race after Ash's small interlude continued on smoothly. Too smooth even, as Ch'en and Lin thought that it was too quiet.

Ernesto used a pager to inform the awaiting sabotage teams to make a move and team LUNG wRATh who were the first in the race for now we're heading to a trap.

And right in the middle of the swimming section of the triathlon. They were pincered by the agents of the true Bolivarians that had diving equipment. As well as spear guns.

"I thought you were going to give up, you waited for a really good time for an ambush huh?" Ch'en glared at them.

"I'll take care of this, Ch'en." Lin took out her arts unit and they decided to have the high ground by making platforms of glass on top of the water.

The diversionists didn't mind though, still shooting them with their spear guns. But Ch'en shot them down using her water gun and Yuhsia encased them in glass so they won't be able to move.

"Miss Ch'en, miss Lin! There are still more of them coming. Let's escape the waters. At the other side, I have a store where we could rest for a bit!" Ernesto proposed.

Ch'en and Lin were getting pretty tired. Swimming for a few kilometers right after running isn't easy at all. There's a reason why triathlons are called iron man races.

"I agree, come on Ch'en." Lin nodded and Ch'en thought that was a good idea.

So Lin used her arts to make a runway for them to quickly escape their pursuers. Fighting on water was extremely disadvantageous.

Running quickly to the other side, they seemingly lost their pursuers and Ernesto led them to his store.

"Hah, hah, I think we lost them. The Dossoles championship is pretty intense." Ernesto acted surprised and the two nodded. Wiping some sweat due to the intense workout.

And after a few minutes of rest, Ch'en looked at Lin. They nodded at each other and the Lung stared at the Perro who was unnaturally nervous.

"Ernesto, do you know the Liberi in HRH Alexandrina's team?" Ch'en guised it as small talk.

"Huh? Who? Ahhh, that Liberi girl? Not really, why?" Ernesto smiled, but his face twitched and Lin was prepared to use her arts.

"Because you nodded at her. And you kept on staring at her." Ch'en squinted her eyes and her tone sounded like it was an interrogation.

"What? Why did this suddenly come up?" Ernesto was getting twitchy.

"I found her planting some bombs around, don't hide it Perro. Move and I will blind you." Lin glared at him and glass was starting to move according to her will.

He went silent for a few seconds and Ernesto chuckled. "I see, miss Ch'en and miss Yuhsia aren't just important people. You are also pretty smart and vigilant huh?"

"What are your plans? You are a part of the terrorists; the true Bolivarians." Ch'en pointed her water gun at him.

"True, but can you really call us terrorists? My father, Pancho Salas. Just wants to inform everybody of the corruption of Bolivar. The coalition government is made up of Columbia's officials. While the Singas are the puppets of Leithanien." Ernesto furrowed his brows.

"Dossoles might look pretty and prosperous, but what about the people outside of this place? They are the ones who are affected by their civil war. This place has been built by lies, war profiteering, and corruption." Ernesto gritted his teeth.

"So why shouldn't we try and liberate our home country?" Ernesto looked at them and the two sighed.

"That may be the right thing to do, but you'll sink the country in anarchy. Do you even know what happens after a successful revolution? Most countries do not survive." Lin snorted.

"There is a fragile balance in countries. Do you really think that after your plans succeed, your father will be able to run Bolivar with your group?" Ch'en raised a brow.

"We won't know if we don't try!" Ernesto shouted and he was determined to do so.

"I see, but what of Leithanien? If you do succeed... Have you not thought of what they will do? Are you idiots? Do you live under a rock? Leithanien is the world superpower. They won't take this lightly." Ch'en reminded him.

Ernesto faltered at that, but they were already in this too deep.

"We will still free Bolivar! We have come a long way! We can't let the Singas and Columbia wreak havoc here!" Ernesto was stubborn.

"Then imagine this, Leithanien's army of casters that are backed up with the campaigning knights of Kazimierz will definitely come here. Do you think your ragtag group has a chance against them?" Lin gave him a reality check.

He paled immediately, thinking of Leithanien's caster corp. Not to mention the silverlance pegasi that are legendary knights that could fight against impossible odds and win.

"Thirty silverlance pegasi fought three thousand soldiers of Ursus, behind enemy lines. A squad of those guys will annihilate the true Bolivarians, easily." Even Ch'en admired those knights. They were just built different.

And they are much, much stronger now due to Paradiso's augments, equipment, and training with a sword grandmaster.

Paradiso's elite forces were scary as hell, they were commandos that can take down entire countries if they manage to infiltrate a place.

"We are at odds, miss Ch'en, miss Lin. We cannot understand each other. All we want is Bolivar to be free from civil war. And we will do it even if it means our annihilation." Ernesto jumped at the window.

"Wait!" Ch'en clicked her tongue. "What's that beeping?" Lin's ears twitched and they went wide eyed.

"Get down!" Ch'en tackled Lin immediately and the store exploded, being booby trapped with bombs.

"That will trap them under the rubble... We have to do this, for Bolivar's freedom." Ernesto left them behind and went to a rendezvous point to meet up with Rafaela.

Meanwhile, La Pluma took Cantabile hostage and she was in a standoff against Vina and Hannah.

"I have to meet up with my brother. This plan has been in motion for a long time." She pointed a dagger at Cantabile's throat.

"Attack her, my life is not that important." Cantabile closed her eyes and the two felines sighed, expecting the betrayal of Rafaela.

"Shut up you cunt, like hell we'll let you die after taking care of you." Hannah quipped at Cantabile.

"Do you really want to do this? You'll fail, that is certain. I am a hundred percent sure." Vina thought that as long as Ash was there, they would be dumpstered for sure.

"It is my duty as a citizen of Bolivar... I have seen too much bloodshed. Outside of Dossoles, the masses are suffering. We have to put an end to this." La Pluma was determined.

"Strike her, it's the only way to stop her." Cantabile kept on egging them on.

"Hah, just stop devaluing your life Cantabile. You already know we won't do that." Vina sighed and she rubbed her temples.

"Suit yourself, I'm warning you. This plan would absolutely fail." Vina shrugged and she wasn't worried at all.

"Okay?" La Pluma slowly backed away and when she was a good distance away, she let go of Cantabile and ran away.

"Ahhh, Vina... Aren't you forgetting something. Ash tasked us to finish this mission without his help. So wouldn't they succeed because he'll just observe?" Hannah reminded her.

"Bloody hell, fuck me. I forgot about that." Vina cursed.

"Another deduction for your lack of foresight, amateurs." Platinum appeared like a ghost and she scribbled on her clipboard.

"Fucking ell! Come on, we have to investigate the city." Vina sighed, now understanding why Ash likes to mess with them. Because his job was stressful.

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Thanks for reading everyone, ciao.