Rising Against Fate

In the Machina District branch of the Grace Corporation, Villous was seated at his desk on the top floor of what could be called one of the tallest buildings in the district.

He was here on an important business, but that business had already been taken care of. As usual, he came at the top of the negotiation and was able to convince the other party. The discussion ended with a "perfect" from him, which meant it went exactly how he wanted it to.

He turned his chair around and looked through the transparent glass behind him. From there, he could see the entire Fectum city, the most advanced city in the nation.

Everything, including its design and development, was done after thorough analysis. It was one of the best examples of planned development in the nation. Even though it was one of the oldest cities in the nation, it was developed while keeping sustainable resources, economic and population growth, and technological advancement in mind. It was a city that was modern from historical times.

That was the sight he had seen hundreds of times, and at this point, there was barely anything that intriguing there. Even though his eyes were looking at the magnificent sight in front of him, his mind was thinking something else.

Everything until now was going as he planned. Razak was winning one match after another, and now, he was close to winning the whole tournament. He had no doubt in his mind that he would be able to reach the top of the National under-20 rankings.

But that would be him fulfilling his end of the deal; Villous still had to do his part.

He wanted power, but for that, he had to be ahead of everyone in the game. He wanted to be a part of the national assembly as a people representative, but not just any representatives out there. He wanted to be the president of the national government.

The seven people's representatives were made up of 6 provincial heads elected after the provincial election and a president elected after the nation-wide election.

For that, he would need influential people at his side, but there was an easy way to get that.

He was one once a junior member of a secret organization called The Cabal. The public knew very little about the organization, but as a member, Villous knew what kind of people were involved in the organization.

If he could get those people together again, he could kill two birds with one stone. Firstly, he would be able to get the support he needed, and secondly, he would be able to strengthen the government with their influence.

Now that Razak displayed the abilities of two clans, it was obvious that MRS would come under a lot of pressure. There will be many who would try seeking the answers without even knowing all the questions to ask. But he had already thought about that part and destroyed all the information, except how a kind man Villous, adapted a child that no one wanted.

He had already covered all the holes that could affect him, and now the base was ready. The next part here was to get support from both the public and the influential people, which he was planning to do next.

His campaign would begin from June-July, and before that, he was planning to lay all the groundwork.

"Sir, can I come in?"

He turned around, towards his desk, and nodded. The Building Interaction Program that operated the building understood that gesture as permission to allow the person in and opened the door.

Mark came in from the door with a trans-pad in his hand.

"Mark, have you finished sending the invitation to all the guests?"

"Yes... although I am not sure if it's a good idea to do this the same night as the dinner party."

"Time hardly matters here. I am sure my former colleagues will enjoy the reunion just the same."

"Alright, if you say so."

Mak sat on the chair in front of Villous. Normally, it would have been rude to sit without the permission of the one in the higher status, but after working together for years, one would start ignoring those small formalities.

"Anyways, I thought you would like to see the list of people I invited. The ones in the green would be present in person, and the ones in the blue will be attending the meeting virtually."

Markus showed the pad to Villous; after looking at which, Villous smiled. The reason for this smile was apparent. There were more names in green than in blue.

That wasn't surprising because most of them, at this point, were keenly observing the matches. And what's happening there must have caught the attention of many.

"Looks good. Have any of them asked anything about our intentions?"

"Yes, apparently there were many, including Mister Ongaku, who were curious about Razak, but I asked them to wait until the meeting. Razak is the bait to lure them in, so it was a wise move to conceal that information, especially the ones about his skills."

Villous turned around and looked through the glass again.

"This will be an important step in our goal. It's your job to see that it goes perfectly Mark, I am trusting you with it… Also, have you assured that the information about this meeting wouldn't be leaked?"

"Yes, most of the members were once a member of The Cabal. Even though they were disbanded, most of them still believe in the same goal. The others are the members that you asked me to include. I think we can trust them with this information."

That was the most challenging part of this whole thing. While establishing a secret organization, one needed to be absolutely certain that the parties present could be trusted with the secrets.

"Then I think we can proceed to the next step… Also, how's Alice doing? Is she still upset?"

"Yes, but things have improved a little after she heard about the dinner party. She has yet to get along with Nia, though."

Villous lowered his head. His face that was emitting confidence a while ago, now looked a little grieved.

"Things have always been like that. She had been like a caged bird wanting to see the wide sky from childhood. But I couldn't fulfill her wish out of concern for her safety. I can understand how she feels… but even as a father, I can do nothing to help her."

Mark lowered his head as well. As a father himself, he could relate to Villous.

"I understand how you feel. Her inability to walk limited her world even more, and now since she isn't even able to go out, it's natural that she would be upset. But she is a good kid, so I think she understands deep down. She is probably acting upset to get the attention of you two. The two of you are always busy, so try giving her some time. I think that will make her feel better."

"You are right. Thank you for your work, Mark."

"There is no need. I am just doing my job… Anyway, I have a flight to the Oto district tonight. I will take my leave now."