Chapter 172: A Victory Without Joy [ 1 ]

Inside a private treatment room at an O.R.D.O. medical facility in Zenith City, Jet sat on the edge of a reinforced examination bed while a physician carefully removed the bloodstained bandages covering his chest.

The room was brightly illuminated, with several medical instruments positioned beside the bed and a transparent monitor displaying the results of his preliminary examination.

His white hair was disheveled, his clothing had been replaced with a loose medical shirt, and fresh bruises covered his shoulders and abdomen.

Although the most dangerous bleeding had already been stopped, the pain radiating through his right arm remained particularly troublesome.

The physician, a middle-aged woman wearing a white medical coat, examined the deep wound across his chest before turning toward the monitor.

"Your external injuries are healing reasonably well, Mr. Saint-Clair, but I’m considerably more concerned about the condition of your muscles and Mana circulation. According to the examination, you subjected your body to an extraordinary amount of strain in a very short period. Whatever abilities you used during that battle, I strongly recommend avoiding them until you’ve recovered."

Jet glanced toward his right hand, slowly opening and closing his fingers.

The movement sent a sharp pain through his forearm, reminding him of the tremendous pressure he’d experienced while concentrating Pashupatastra.

Even after the battle had ended, his muscles continued trembling whenever he attempted to exert too much strength, while the lingering backlash from Asura Mask had left him with a persistent headache.

"How long will recovery take?" Jet asked, looking toward the physician as she prepared another bandage. "I don’t have any serious internal injuries, do I?"

The physician shook her head while examining the results on her monitor. "Nothing that currently requires surgery, thankfully. Your physical constitution is unusually resilient, even for an Awakener, which probably explains why you survived the strain without suffering permanent damage but you have to rest for a couple days to recover."

Jet nodded without arguing. Under normal circumstances, he might have been relieved to hear that his injuries weren’t permanent, but his attention had repeatedly drifted elsewhere since arriving at the facility.

He could still remember Alessandro standing at the edge of the crater, the unmistakable fear in his expression when he saw Damian lying beneath the Vorpal Blade.

More troubling was the question the Guildmaster had asked before they separated, and Jet’s own answer continued echoing through his thoughts.

He had intended to kill Damian.

There was no point pretending otherwise.

Damian Visconti had orchestrated the assassination campaign against the Palladium expedition survivors, ordered attacks against people who had done nothing to deserve them, and endangered Inez simply because Jet possessed information about the Palladium Tree.

If Alessandro hadn’t appeared at that exact moment, Jet would have delivered the final blow without hesitation.

Yet knowing that didn’t make the memory of Alessandro’s expression any easier to forget.

The physician finished securing the fresh bandages and stepped backward, examining her work before removing her gloves. "That should be sufficient for now, Mr. Saint-Clair. I’ll have someone bring you medication for the pain, although I’d prefer that you remain here for observation until we’re satisfied your condition is stable."

Jet looked toward the door before answering, "Thank you, Doctor. I’ll follow your instructions."

After the physician departed, Jet remained seated for several minutes, staring at the faint bruises covering his hands.

He had spent the past several days preparing to confront the mastermind, investigating financial transactions, tracking suspicious communications, and fighting against the people sent to eliminate the expedition survivors.

Throughout that time, he’d imagined the relief he would feel when the threat was finally removed. Instead, he found himself wondering whether Alessandro would ever look at him the same way again.

A quiet knock interrupted his thoughts.

Adesewa entered the room moments later, having exchanged her damaged combat armor for a dark jacket and ordinary trousers.

She carried a communication device in one hand, and although her expression remained serious, she appeared considerably less tense than she had during the confrontation at the industrial district.

"How are you feeling?" Adesewa asked, approaching the examination bed and examining Jet’s bandaged arm. "The medical team told me you were fortunate to escape without permanent injuries. Judging by what I saw at the battlefield, you pushed yourself far beyond what your body should have been able to endure."

Jet managed a faint smile as he adjusted his position. "I’ve felt better, Captain. Apparently, my body isn’t particularly happy about what I put it through, but the doctor says I’ll recover."

Adesewa pulled a chair closer and sat opposite him. "That’s good to hear. You did well stopping the convoy, Jet, although I would’ve preferred arriving before you had to fight Damian yourself. By the time we reached the industrial district, there wasn’t much left of the surrounding buildings."

Jet glanced toward her communication device. "What happened to Damian? Is he still alive?"

Adesewa nodded, her expression becoming more businesslike. "He’s alive, although his condition remains serious. O.R.D.O. transferred him to a secured medical wing under continuous supervision. His Mana has been suppressed, and armed personnel are stationed outside his room. Once the physicians determine that he can safely be moved, he’ll be transferred to a high-security detention facility designed for dangerous Awakeners."

Jet remained silent for a moment before asking, "And the investigation? Does O.R.D.O. have enough evidence to keep him detained?"

Adesewa leaned forward slightly, resting her elbows on her knees. "More than enough to justify holding him while the investigation continues.

The raids on his properties uncovered financial records, communication devices, and documents connecting several of his businesses to the assassination network.

Marcus has been helping investigators trace the transactions, while Cassian’s team recovered additional evidence from the freight warehouse. We also have the surveillance footage showing Damian issuing orders concerning the expedition survivors."

Jet listened carefully as Adesewa continued explaining the developments.

According to her, O.R.D.O. had already begun securing Damian’s corporate offices, private residences, and several properties registered through intermediaries.

Investigators were examining the communications recovered from those locations, attempting to identify everyone involved in financing, coordinating, or carrying out the attacks.

Roland Mercer and Tobias Kessler remained important subjects of the investigation, while Lucien Veyr’s involvement in Odhran’s death had become another major priority.

"His arrest changes everything," Adesewa explained, looking directly at Jet.

"Before today, we were trying to uncover a network whose leadership remained hidden behind intermediaries. Now we have the person who gave the orders, and the evidence recovered from his operations may lead us to people we didn’t even know were involved. That doesn’t mean every threat has disappeared, but the organization that was hunting us has suffered a devastating blow."

Jet lowered his gaze toward his bandaged hands. "So Inez should be safe now?"

Adesewa’s expression softened slightly. "The immediate danger has been greatly reduced, Jet. We’re maintaining protection around the surviving expedition members and their families until the investigation is complete, but Damian won’t be issuing any more orders from his hospital bed. You’ve given us the opportunity to dismantle the rest of his network."

Jet released a slow breath. Hearing that Inez was finally safer brought him genuine relief, although it didn’t completely erase the uneasiness weighing upon him.

For nearly a month, protecting his sister had influenced almost every decision he’d made, and the possibility of losing her had been enough to drive him into a battle against an opponent who possessed a significant advantage in strength.

Adesewa studied him for several moments before speaking again. "You’re thinking about Guildmaster Orsini, aren’t you?"

Jet looked up, surprised by how easily she’d recognized what was troubling him. "I didn’t know Damian was his nephew, Captain. Alessandro told me about someone he wanted me to meet, but he never mentioned Damian’s name. If I’d known they were related, I would’ve approached the investigation differently."

Adesewa shook her head. "You couldn’t have known, Jet. And even if you had, Damian’s relationship with Alessandro wouldn’t have changed what he was doing. You were defending yourself against someone who had repeatedly attempted to murder you and your companions. Don’t confuse the Guildmaster’s pain with proof that you acted wrongly."