Stolen Privacy

Hywel confronted Timothy's companions stating he had come to eradicate them and earn their bounty. They weren't acquainted with him, but he didn't seem much of a menace.

"You came here for our bounty, and bounty only? I believe you didn't come here for one purpose; to kill us. You disguised yourselves behind the rocky terrain and attacked from the shadows like a hired assassin. I think you had another justification for confronting us. After all, you knew our numbers very well." Chiaki announced.

She stood before her friends, acting as their shield if the adversaries before them were to bombard them. She held a sturdy guard and a strong glare.

"Perhaps I did, or perhaps I didn't. Your assumptions are just that; assumptions. You believe I came here, were I to kill you, but you denied other possibilities. How could someone 'read' or 'predict' strangers' actions?" Hywel replied, brave and grave, "Having over $100 million bolts of bounty is good money. I could spend the rest of my time in joy and harmony. You'd even deny *that* possibility? How mesmerizing. I'm almost satisfied to earn some of your honor."

Chiaki, collected, stood cautiously and virtually fearless. "Then, explain this." She ordered, "If you *did* come here to take us out, then why did you command the rest of your squad to purposely miss their shots? I only defended them from the front, but from the flanks, those bombs missed their targets. I don't think you'd miss a frozen-in-place target without them understanding they were to get attacked."

Hywel's mouth shook in distress. "Aren't you clever, pretty girl? I guess there's no more point in hiding it. We didn't come here for your bounties. We came here for the data that the black-haired girl found online." He pointed his finger at Kyora's bewildered face. "She earned some valuable information in terms of uncovering the Sanctum Islands. Those were private details only available to the locals of the Sanctum Empire."

His brief description startled everyone. "It's private, but your friend 'somehow' hacked into the system and disclosed the Sanctum Islands' secret. Such actions are illegal to earn without permission of the god of wind Ivione."

Kyora blinked, uncertain, and shook her head in denial, "I haven't hacked anything. I don't know how to breach private websites anyway. The info regarding the Sanctum Islands seemed unlocked, and anyone could access it. But I promise you. I haven't accessed it illegally. If I knew it was private, I wouldn't even dare to breach its defenses. Please, you must trust me." Kyora responded, setting her palm on her chest. "If the data really is confidential, I wouldn't mind returning it. I haven't reviewed the chip yet. I didn't have the suitable equipment."

Hywel looked her in the eyes, baffled and speechless. "Unlocked? That's impossible. The god of wind, Ivione, clearly forbade the data from being leaked publicly. If one were to reject his request and share it with the world, heaven's judgment would fall upon them. Where did you download the data from, lady?" he asked, demanding an answer.

"Actually, I didn't download it anywhere. I found the chip stuck inside one of the computers as if someone was trying to download it before I arrived."

A sudden chill ran down their spines.

"Are you saying there was a cracker who somehow contrived to breach the data and upload it to the chip? No, no, I don't believe you. The only people who have admission to that data are the inhabitants of the Sanctum Empire. A mere human such as you could not have the capability to do such a heavy and risky deed. The information is visible to the god of wind. They couldn't have gotten away with it so easily."

Hywel crossed his arms and grabbed his chin to think. "Then again... The heaven's judgment did not fall upon you. You survived, and you don't look bruised." Hywel pondered. "Perhaps you're telling the truth, but even if you are, how could *anyone* escape the god of wind's perception."

Ayuka crossed her arms. "If the breached data really has such significant lord to watch over it and the person got away, it's either someone with outlandish dexterity or someone from their own country." Timothy listened and then looked next to him, "Psst, Phalris. Do you know anything about this? You're one of the divine entities, indicating you might have some kind of wisdom regarding the criminal."

Phalris materialized beside him and looked at him, shaking her head, "I'm sorry, but even I can't answer that inquiry. I don't have much knowledge about other gods." She claimed. "We, 'gods,' don't communicate as much as one would assume. Our job is to look upon our own regions to provide rules and punishments for our people." She continued, knowing Timothy heard everything she told him. "The god of wind, Ivione, is one of the most enigmatic deities. He's quirky. In other words, he has two 'separate' identities, one of which we don't know anything about. Like a fly in the mist. He's a hard skull to crack."

Timothy folded his arms, looking right into Phalris' eyes. He didn't notice, but Chiaki observed him. "Phalris? Isn't that the god of water? She's here with us?" she thought to herself. "Do others not see her? Is it because my soul's linked with his? I knew I'd have the perception he does, but I didn't consider I could see a remote deity that only he's supposed to see."

"Hywel, right?" Ralphie inquired and dragged everyone's attention. "You say this god of wind calls upon the heaven's judgment. So, I assume he does that to anyone who disturbs his privacy. However, if that's the case, and nobody happened to get judged by him, does that mean he could be the one who downloaded the data into that chip?"

Hywel shook his head, "No, that's impossible. He always deserts himself in the Sanctum Islands' domain. And he's extremely strict with that rule he developed. If he were to violate his own rule, he'd get penalized by the Holy Light Zero. She's the god among any other. She's the creator of the Vast Expanse and has unimaginable power. She could erase any soul. Whether they're divine or mortal, it doesn't matter. She could do it with only a snap of her finger."

Ayuka lowered her gaze, crossing her arms. "I know my mother's strict with the rules, but she's no killer. Would she really dare to destroy one of the subordinate gods if they broke a divine regulation?" she thought, biting her finger, "And if she did, what would happen to the Vast Expanse? Wouldn't it destroy one of the natural elements and individuals with that type of ability?" Ayuka felt like her head would explode, "Should I confront her and question her about the circumstances? No, she most likely wouldn't answer such a sacred question to anyone... even if it's her own daughter."

Chiaki exchanged eyes with Timothy and set her hand on her hip. "Tim, if the information inside that chip really is confidential and only available to the residents of the Sanctum Empire, it would be wrong for us to ignore it." Timothy nodded, "Yeah, we should check into it. Hywel, you know a lot about the Sanctum Islands and their god Ivione. That makes me think you're one of those townies and the troops you arrived with and confronted us. If you don't mind, we'd like you to bring us there and let us help."

Hywel nodded and sighed, "I am, indeed. But if you come along and set foot into the Sanctum Islands, Ivione will see you as an outsider — an adversary. Were you to break a rule, he'll plow heaven's judgment onto you."

Timothy smiled and knew the consequences, but he didn't back away. "Got it. We'll try to avoid trouble and only focus on finding the culprit." Timothy stated and noticed Hywel inhale and exhale. "Very well... I'll provide the coordinates and meet you in the Sanctum Islands. I warn you, however, if you deceive us and cause harm to our people and the land, we'll eliminate you."

To be continued...