Chapter 169: 169

Kael took moments to study the papers. There were some sketches and designs on it.

Not sure of what it was. After going through it, he had a faint realization that Northen depths didn’t mean north from here, rather it signified something else.

Kael put it down and looked around," If I remember correctly, rifles needed bullets and gunpowder but till now I haven’t seen any of them."

This made him question why. It drew his curiosity but he can’t waste his time on this thought.

Kael crouched low, eyes scanning the hallway ahead.

He transverses across the halls and moves around the large glass walls that display the factory below filled with machinery. He acted nonchalantly touring around.

On the way, he encountered a few but he didn’t arouse anyone’s suspicion.

....

Half an hour later....

He had almost covered the place entirely except for the topmost room.

There was a large, reinforced door just up ahead. Bright lights bled from the cracks, and he could hear faint murmurs.

There seemed to be many of them.

This had to be the main room as the guards were posted all around. Four at the entrance, two more walking the perimeter. He couldn’t risk barging in.

It was too risky and almost impossible to barge in.

Instead, he circled around quietly, moving behind crates and sliding into narrow gaps while avoiding their gaze.

He searched for a way. If he couldn’t he would leave the place but...

His eyes caught a thick iron pipe running along the side of the building outside. Next to it, smaller ventilation tubes snaked along the wall which entered the room.

Kael’s eyes lit up.

He moved fast and quiet, jumping out through a narrow window slit. He looked around to see if anyone was watching but there was none.

Gripping the pipe, he hoisted himself up. The metal was freezing cold, then slowly turned warmer as he moved closer to the exhaust area. Soon, he reached a small window—dirty, half-fogged, but cracked open slightly. He took out his knife.

He poured his mana and formed an aura blade, slashed the pipe open like butter without making any heavy noise.

Climbing through, he entered a dusty crawlspace.

"Ugh... smells like burnt leather and coal," he muttered.

He looked around and found a metal vent above him. Kael slashed the edges clean, making as little noise as possible, then kicked softly to loosen it. The cover fell with a soft clink. He climbed up.

Inside, it was tight, dark, and burning hot.

Kael bit his lip and shut off his mana flow, pressing fingers into specific points on his body. With a small grunt, he sealed his own energy from leaking.

"Now no one will feel me," he whispered, eyes sharp.

He crawled forward inch by inch, sweat rolling down his face, skin burning with heat from the active vent system. The metal scorched his fingers, but he didn’t flinch. He kept moving.

Finally, he reached the overhead grill. Through the slits, he saw a wide room below. Dozens of people sat around a long table. Some wore military uniforms. Others had robes. All had masks.

A huge map lay in front of them, marked with red circles and pinned notes. Crates stood stacked along the walls. One man spoke loudly, pointing at different locations on the map. Kael narrowed his eyes, focusing.

"...Phase Two will begin within the week. The weapons have been distributed. The Empire will fall quietly..."

Kael said nothing. He just watched quietly, smiling in the dark.

Inside the dimly lit meeting room, a low hum of heat buzzed from the venting systems. The walls were thick, reinforced metal, and the flicker of orange light cast long shadows over the faces of the people seated around the heavy steel table. Smoke curled slowly from a few open pipes and ash trays at the corners. It smelled of iron, gunpowder, and old blood.

There were eight people gathered—seven men and one woman. All of them wore dark military cloaks, the insignias stitched subtly on the chest. Their boots were clean, their gloves thick, and faces hidden under fitted masks. Except the woman—she wore a sharp army cap tilted low, black hair tied into a tight knot at the back. Her cold eyes glared over the table.

A man with a silver clasp on his collar leaned forward, tapping the crate list. "This shipment alone will fetch enough to run five strongholds for a year. Do you want help? This is it."

Another man chuckled, voice dry and sharp. "Help? We’re talking about infamy. Once this spreads in Nevan, even their generals will kneel. They’ll want these weapons. They’ll need them."

"So, we send it to Nevan through the back route?"

"Yes. Cargo leaves tomorrow. Serpent Fang will handle the sea pass," someone said.

At the mention of that name, the room tensed slightly.

A younger man with a scar across his cheek muttered, "Serpent Fang... they’re not exactly stable. Do you trust them?"

The woman in the cap narrowed her eyes. "Trust is a luxury. We need results. They have routes we don’t."

"Still... they’ve betrayed clients before."

"We’ll keep the leash tight," she said. "Give them just enough to pull the load. If they fail, we burn them down."

"Understood, Commander."

Another voice, rough and gravelly, cut in. "What about the operation in the North?I heard Serpent Gang we’re doing something?"

The room went quiet for a second. Papers stopped shuffling.

The man beside him replied with a deep frown. "We’ve yet to get full reports. Last we heard, the initial stage went smooth, but contact was lost after the last drop."

"Could be the snowstorms. Or worse..." another added, clearly nervous.

Everyone gave an understanding look.

"Finishing job while staying under the radar of Veydrin..That guy isn’t someone to be trifled with."

The woman stood up slowly, gloved hand resting on the table’s edge. "If the Veydrin catch wind of it, we deny it. It wasn’t us. We act only if we confirm a leak."

She looked around the room.

"Until then, we keep moving. Nevan wants strength, we give it. The North can rot for now. If it falls, it falls."

The others nodded.

None of them spoke of conscience.

And high above them, hidden in the vents, Kael watched silently.

So that’s what this is about, he thought, eyes narrowing..

He kept still, burning every word into memory.