Chapter 281

"Police Department."

After setting down the thirty-kilogram water bottle filled with silver liquid, Leon took out his credentials, dressed in a new uniform, and handed them to the approaching guard.

As the tower guard, clad in a heavy tactical vest studded with gears and rivets and wielding a large-caliber nail gun, began carefully inspecting his credentials, Leon kept a stern, expressionless face and said:

"We just received a tip that recent internal divisions within the rebels have led their radical faction to consider desperate action—directly assaulting the boarding tower to provoke conflict between our kingdom and the Kingdom of Krok."

"Though there are currently no signs of trouble, it's likely rebels have already infiltrated. To prevent a diplomatic incident, we must ascend immediately and interrogate any suspicious individuals suspected of being radical rebels!"

Could rebels actually assault the boarding tower?!

Hearing Leon's words, the guard checking his credentials tensed involuntarily, his finger instinctively pressing the safety of the nail gun, while a faint hiss of steam rushed through the ventilation tube beside his helmet's respirator as the valve was manually opened.

"I haven't received any orders yet."

The guard, clearly nervous, stepped back and called for the squad leader, who, after verifying the credentials in the same manner, responded through his helmet's respirator in a muffled tone:

"We report to the Military Department, not the Police Department. Unless we receive a joint request from the Ambassador of Krok and the Police Department…"

"Look at the credentials properly!"

Interrupting the squad leader, Leon snapped impatiently:

"Look at my surname. After you've read it, then decide whether to wait for the order!"

Surname?

The squad leader paused slightly, then followed Leon's instruction, flipping back to the first page of the credentials to examine the name beneath the anti-counterfeit seal.

Baggins·Lyne… Lyne? Lionheart Lyne?

Seeing the golden strands of hair peeking beneath Leon's police cap, and the several other "police" behind him with identical golden hair, the squad leader hesitated.

Though the Lyne family had lost many key members after the Lyne Blood Night and no longer held their former power, as the noble house that had controlled the Military Department for over two centuries, the Lyne name still carried immense weight within the department—far more than a lowly squad leader could afford to defy.

So… should he really let these Police Department people in without an official order?

"Have you decided yet?"

After waiting too long for a reply, Leon—Baggins Lyne, whose hair had been deliberately dyed yellow—glared with impatience:

"Emergencies don't wait for procedures. The order is already en route. You can let us in now, and if you still refuse, we'll hand over our weapons and enter unarmed."

"But the Military Department said that after our transfer, we're to prioritize orders from Krok…"

"Think clearly before you speak!"

Sounding slightly angered, Leon's brow furrowed as he issued a warning:

"Don't think that because you're temporarily under Krok's command, you're no longer a subject of our kingdom. I've already been patient enough to waste this much time—and even offered to surrender our weapons. Don't push your luck!"

"This… fine… but the water bottles you're carrying…"

"We need to bring them up, but you can open and inspect them freely!"

"…"

Seeing the young man with such deep connections growing visibly angry, the squad leader, unwilling to provoke the Lyne family, hesitated again—then finally decided to let them pass.

Yet before allowing Leon and his group through, he meticulously rechecked every credential, even opening each water bottle to verify they contained no liquid explosives, before reluctantly letting them enter.

…

Holy hell, we actually got in?

After retrieving their returned credentials and surrendering the pistols issued that morning, the rebels followed "Little Baggins" into the boarding tower, feeling as if they were dreaming.

Compared to the old leader, who had planned elaborate diversions and forced assaults, the new leader, "Little Baggins," had somehow acquired a full set of authentic credentials and uniforms, leading them through without a single obstacle.

Aside from these guards temporarily transferred to Krok's command, every one of the seven or eight checkpoints along the way had merely glanced at their credentials and waved them through—even without requiring them to surrender their weapons. This… this was too smooth.

"L-Little… cough… Leader Baggins."

Unable to fathom how the new leader had pulled this off, the young man who had once used his spatial manipulation to trap Leon and the female officer in the Secret Investigation Bureau's dungeon edged closer to Leon, eyes full of curiosity:

"How did you get these fake credentials and uniforms? None of them noticed they were fakes—how realistic are these?"

"…"

What if I told you that, apart from the issuance date, these credentials and uniforms are genuine? Even the pistol you just handed in has a registered serial number in the Police Department's records?

Had I not wanted to alert Krok's people and trigger heightened defenses, I could've even arranged for a joint investigation order signed personally by the Krok Ambassador himself.

"I got them from a friend in the Police Department. They had surplus stock, so while the content is fake, the materials are nearly identical to the real thing."

After giving a half-truth, Leon—who directly leveraged the Clearance Bureau for "official business, personal matters"—quietly adjusted his badge, switching to the 【Rebel】 emblem, which greatly enhanced stealth and efficiency during illegal operations, then addressed everyone:

"Everyone, listen. Before we act, let's confirm the plan one final time."

"First, Luke, go to the restroom near the control room and prepare. Once the operator is knocked out by the slingshot, take control of his body and open the path to Migang for us."

"Then, everyone boards Migang, climbs aboard the private vessels used by the sniffers, and Paul uses his spatial ability to get everyone inside. After subduing the sniffers, Lucy and Phoebe will alter their memories… understood?"

"Understood!"

"No problem!"

"Nothing can go wrong!"

"Good."

Slapping the water bottle in his hand and receiving Pion's confirmation of "all clear," Leon—who had successfully infiltrated the boarding tower—led the rebels up the ladder bound by twenty steel cables, heading toward the control room located at the middle section of the "7"-shaped boarding tower.

Meanwhile, a middle-aged man, his eyes heavy with days of fatigue and freckles scattered across his cheeks, had just arrived beneath the boarding tower and presented his credentials to the squad leader.

"I'm a sniffer from the Kingdom of Krok."

Looking up at the airship moored at Migang, the man's bloodshot eyes revealed a complex expression, then he ordered coldly:

"Send someone to take me to Migang. I need to board my private vessel back to the Kingdom of Krok."