"So you're saying that there are more than 2500 newly awakened Originals who have been approached by the foreign ambassador, and all of them signed the Soul Contract? All of them, really?"
Nial had a file with a long list of names, and bits of information written down in the same row of graphics written down in files in his hand and he visualized everything in his mind.
There was not a single Original in the list, whose awakening had occurred earlier than nine months ago, yet, all of them were pretty talented in terms of their natural mana core limitation, or their mana vein's rank.
At the same time, not one of them had an Innate ability, which Nial found quite interesting as well. Every single Original with an Innate ability was sought after, no matter what their natural talent was.
Thus, avoiding the Originals whose Innate ability would attract too much attention made sense.
"That's right, Boss, and all of the Ambassadors belong to the same race as well. They didn't even try to remove the pieces of evidence we found. I have way too much footage of them talking to the victims on the list. A few surveillance cameras even got a glimpse of the Soul Contract process," Melheim Zorn reported angrily, his fist smashing on the reinforced wooden table, for the third or fourth time since he started narrating his report.
He was breathing heavily and was visibly enraged, but Nial could only sigh deeply.
"There is no need for you to be that angry. In the end, I wouldn't even label the Originals on this list as victims…well, maybe they are, but whatever. They signed a contract despite being fully aware of the 'extraordinary opportunity' that appeared in front of them, just like that, without putting even the slightest bit of effort…Don't you think that they could have figured that something was off, no matter how little knowledge they possess about Mana Breathing techniques?
The Originals have been tricked into a Soul Contract, that is correct, but I think that they were just too greedy, impatient, and naive to question whether someone belonging to a foreign race might con them resulting in their demise, or if the opportunity was just given to them because their talent was highly exceptional."
Nial stopped at this moment. He took a deep breath and ignored Melheim's complicated expression as he continued:
"Let's be honest, the Originals on this list are all great talents, but they're not exceptional enough to get scouted by every single organization the moment their Awakening Test was registered in the Shelter's database. The foreign Ambassadors picked them very well, and it's about time for us to visit one of them…let's see how far we can go!"
Nial didn't want to lose 2500 potentially strong Originals. No matter how determined they were, or how many fruitful encounters they would have in the future, it would be quite difficult for them to advance to the Deux rank in the next two years.
The Soul Contract everyone had received was exactly the same. They gave Party B a total of 1000 days to advance to the Deux rank and finish a small mission for Party A, otherwise, they would be enslaved according to the rules of the Soul Contract.
Nial was pretty sure that everyone should have noticed that something was wrong, the moment slavery was involved in the Soul Contract. However, 2500 somewhat talented newly awakened Originals seemed to be the biggest fools in human history…well maybe not the biggest but certainly the greediest…and they signed the Contract with a stamp of their Soul.
Nial felt that he should help them, for mankind's sake, and to make sure that the disgusting ambassadors wouldn't be given the opportunity to create a breeding station consisting of humans. The thought alone made a vivid image flash through Nial's head every now and then, and it felt disgusting…truly disgusting!
He inwardly shuddered and turned away from Melheim after throwing the list of names back to him.
Nial noticed a stare that almost burned holes in his back and he sighed once again.
"If you want to come with me, come over, but stay quiet when we arrive," He said and it was just a moment later that Melheim Zorn appeared next to him, his left hand tightly grasping the handle of his sheathed longsword.
"Staying quiet doesn't mean that you are allowed to swing around your sword like a madman, either!!" Nial informed sternly while pointing at Melheim's left hand.
Melheim flinched and he removed his hand from the handle after a moment of hesitation.
"That's better…"
Afterward, they went their way to one of the few neutral territories in the Halheim shelter, the Residence of the Ambassadors from other planets.
There were also two other human ambassadors in the Residency, their origin from outside Jundra. Nial had already forgotten where they came from, but he was pretty sure that they didn't belong to the same human race as the Old Saint Runicier, whom he had encountered in the Golden City.
If that were to be the case, Nial would face a few annoying situations in the near future…and that was something he wanted to avoid at all costs; trouble.
'But I'm actually getting into trouble right now…I'm really a hypocrite…well, who cares?'
Ryu ran around the two humans and the Oracle-Goddess. Melheim, the Guards, and everyone else were rather nonchalant around the Oracle as if she was nothing special in their eyes.
That was a spell, that the Oracle had weaved around her. Nobody noticed her because everyone felt she was just an average-looking woman, someone one could easily forget.
Nobody was able to recall the Oracle the moment she passed by them. There were only a few exceptions who were excluded from the effects of the spell, including Nial.
"We would like to see Baron Iglanon," Nial informed calmly to one of the maids working in the Residency when he passed by the Guards with the use of Dominion. They closed their eyes for a few seconds and forgot having seen Nial and the batch that followed him closely.
The maid bowed to him before she excused herself. She made a call to the Head Secretary of the Otherworldly Residency and returned after a moment.
"Sir…I apologize but I don't know Sir's name. Baron Iglanon doesn't seem to have a scheduled appointment with anyone right now…the Head Secretary will forward Sir's name to the Baron to see whether he has time or not…" The maid replied, lowering her head even further.
From the way Nial and Melheim were clothed, she could tell that they were strong Originals. She had not awoken her Origin, so the maid would never be able to block an Original from entering the property, either way.
Furthermore, the guards didn't even block them, which usually meant that the Originals were of high status.
That made it even more difficult for the maid to say anything to obstruct the humans…and the monster in front of her.
She swallowed her saliva and her eyes began to tremble as she recalled what happened to two other maids, who had tried to obstruct the path of a few intruding Originals.
"Can you take us to the Head Secretary? She will know who I am when she sees me," Nial just said and the maid quickly nodded her head.
There was nothing she could do, other than lead the small group of Originals to the Head Secretary either way.
The woman in charge of all secretaries looked at Nial, who smiled gently at her as he used Dominion.
"Long time no see. Baron Iglanon has no time for me…or did you forget to add my meeting with him in his schedule?"
It was easy to trick weak Originals, let alone humans who hadn't awoken their Origin, especially with an ability such as Dominion.
The Head Secretary gasped for air and she looked at a few schedules before she bowed deeply to Nial.
"Oh my God…I'm so sorry, Sir…I am terribly sorry…how could I forget the appointment…" The Head Secretary apologized profusely and spoke with Nial in the most formal way afterward, and she pointed at the maid after a while,
"Teresia, take them to Baron Iglanon and leave them alone afterward. Tell Secretary Kim to activate the Dome of Silence!"
The maid was confused at the sudden change of the scenario, especially the change in the Head Secretary's behavior. She had never seen the Head Secretary being that formal to anyone.
'There is always a first time, I guess?'