The voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear, possessing a peculiar quality—clear yet tinged with a hint of feminine softness, making it difficult to discern the speaker's gender for a moment.
Ariel's spine stiffened instantly.
Although this code name was widely known in the Hoenn region, only the high-ranking members of Team Rockets knew Ariel's true identity.
Much less someone who could identify him just by looking at his face.
Cliff, the captain of the victory and an external collaborator, only knew he was an Executive and treated him with utmost respect, but he didn't even have the right to ask for his code name.
So, who was it?
This thought exploded in his mind like a flash of lightning.
An enemy? An internal inspector from the organization?
Or... some unknown third party?
Ariel didn't turn around immediately.
His hands hung seemingly casually at his sides, but his fingertips were already slightly curled, and his muscles were coiled, ready to respond to any sudden situation.
Through the reflection on the metal nameplate on the railing, he caught a quick glimpse behind him.
A blurry white figure.
He turned around slowly, his movements steady, betraying not even a hint of panic.
Then, he saw the person.
The newcomer was a man, without a doubt, but his features were refined to an excessive degree.
His skin was so fair it was almost translucent, glowing with a faint aura under the sunlight reflecting off the sea.
His long, silver-white hair fluttered slightly in the sea breeze, looking like flowing moonlight.
Most striking were his eyes, which were always slightly narrowed as if he were perpetually smiling, but that smile never reached his eyes, making it impossible to read his true emotions.
Such looks, if found on a woman, would be of a caliber that could cause the downfall of nations.
On a man, it seemed somewhat... effeminate.
Ariel's gaze lingered on his prominent Adam's apple for half a second before he finally confirmed the man's gender.
This person stood there quietly, yet gave the illusion of having just stepped out of the shadows.
Ariel's alertness rose to its peak.
He noticed that not far away, Captain Cliff—the usually loud-voiced and informal middle-aged man—was currently bowing his head, pretending to wipe a compass that didn't have a speck of dirt on it. The fine beads of sweat on his forehead betrayed his internal tension.
Seeing this, Ariel's heart actually settled a bit.
It seemed this was the man who had made Cliff hesitate and hold back when reporting the route earlier.
"Who are you?"
Ariel's voice was steady, devoid of emotion.
The white-haired man's narrowed eyes curved into even more beautiful crescents. He took a step and walked unhurriedly to Ariel's side, leaning against the railing beside him, his gaze cast toward the distant horizon.
"Don't be so nervous; we're on the same side."
He gave a light chuckle and introduced himself.
"Lord Lambda's successor, code name Dar. Like you, I am an Intermediate Cadre."
Lambda's successor?
Ariel's pupils constricted imperceptibly.
"It seems I don't need to introduce myself, then."
Ariel's tone remained flat, as if he were stating an inconsequential fact.
"Of course not,"
Dar turned his head, a playful glint seemingly flashing within his narrowed eyes.
"Code name Ruth, Lady Ariana's successor. That's about all I know for now. Of course, if you're willing to share more of your story, I'm all ears."
His tone was flippant, as if he were inviting a friend for afternoon tea, but Ariel felt an invisible pressure emanating from him.
This person seemed harmless, but in reality, he was like a venomous snake hidden in the dark, ready to reveal his lethal fangs at any moment.
"The victory's route is fixed, traveling back and forth between the Hoenn and Kanto regions. Why are you here?"
Ariel didn't take the bait and instead threw out his own question.
"Who knows?"
Dar shrugged, his posture very casual.
"I'm not a very purposeful person; I just tend to show up in all sorts of places. Today I might be watching a blizzard on the snowy mountains of Sinnoh, and tomorrow I might be sunbathing on a beach in Alola. Even I can't predict my own movements."
His words seemed like an explanation, but in truth, they said nothing.
In Ariel's mind, however, the words Lady Ariana had spoken during a secret meeting surfaced uncontrollably.
That was the briefing Ariana had given him when he officially became her successor.
"The person Archer chose is a complete battle maniac who believes in the supremacy of power. The one Proton favors is a poisonous strategist who toys with people's hearts, most adept at killing invisibly. As for that fellow Lambda, the successor he picked is like a ghost; no one knows his background."
A ghost... Ariel finally understood why Ariana would use that word to describe Lambda's successor.
Didn't the man named Dar before him seem exactly like an elusive ghost?
"A ghost?"
Ariel subconsciously muttered his thought aloud, his voice so soft it was nearly scattered by the sea breeze.
"Hmm? What did you say?"
Dar seemed to have heard him. He turned his head, a hint of curiosity showing in his narrowed eyes.
"Nothing."
Ariel immediately composed himself and responded flatly.
This man was too dangerous.
This wasn't just based on Ariana's warning, but also on Ariel's own intuition.
People with narrowed eyes are always monsters.
These guys are either unfathomable masters or scheming masterminds with a hundred plans; when they open their eyes, it's usually time for them to unleash their ultimate move.
Dar didn't seem to mind Ariel's coldness. He stretched, his long white hair tracing an elegant arc in the wind.
"Speaking of which, Ruth, did Lady Ariana give you any specific mission for your trip to Kanto this time?"
He suddenly asked out of the blue.
Ariel's heart skipped a beat, but his face remained expressionless.
"There seems to be no need for me to report my mission to you."
"Oh, don't misunderstand."
Dar waved his hand, smiling like a cunning fox.
"I just feel that since we'll be receiving missions from Boss Giovanni together later, cooperation will definitely be necessary."
"So let's get to know each other better now."
Looking at Dar's smiling face, Ariel knew this guy was just trying to fish for information.
Ariel knew that Team Rockets wasn't as united as it appeared on the surface; the status differences between different Executives were very distinct.
For instance, among the Special-Grade Executives, the hierarchy from highest to lowest was Archer, Ariana, Proton, and Lambda.
Now that Ariana was permanently stationed in the Hoenn region, Ariel guessed that her status was likely being gradually overtaken by Proton and Lambda.
Otherwise, there would have been no need for Ariana to insist that Ariel become the most outstanding of the four successors.
Looking at Dar, Ariel knew that to some extent, what this guy said was true.
Ariel did indeed need some information now.
Because he had zero information regarding the successors of Archer and Proton.
And he had also known nothing about Lambda's successor, who was now standing right in front of him.