Mina was the first to speak, though there was a slight delay before she did, just long enough for the weight of Jao's question to settle uncomfortably over the room. She straightened in her seat, smoothing out the front of her attire as if that alone could steady the moment, and when she finally opened her mouth, her voice came out controlled and composed, betraying only the faintest hint of tension beneath it.
"With respect," she began, choosing her words carefully, "there is little we can do immediately without first separating truth from rumor. The reports coming in are inconsistent at best and, in many cases, wildly exaggerated. Until we sift through what's credible and what's not, acting prematurely could—"
She didn't get to finish. Jao moved.
There was no warning, no visible shift beforehand, just a sudden, violent motion as his hand gripped the back of his chair and, in one fluid action, hurled it across the room.
The wooden frame tore through the air and smashed against the far wall with a deafening crack, splintering on impact and scattering debris across the floor just a few feet from the servant girls, who immediately recoiled, shrinking in on themselves as they tried to make themselves smaller, quieter, and invisible.
The room fell into a stunned silence. Jao didn't look at the broken chair. His finger snapped up, pointing directly at Mina.
"I didn't ask," he said, his voice sharp and cutting now, every word laced with restrained fury, "what you're trying to figure out."
Mina froze, her composure cracking just slightly as her lips parted, though no words came out this time.
"I asked," Jao continued, taking a step forward, his presence pressing down harder with each movement, "what the fuck you are doing to fix this."
His gaze burned into her, unblinking.
"You're captains," he went on, his tone rising again, not uncontrolled but intense and deliberate, "which means you're supposed to be the first ones on this shit, not sitting around waiting for it to make sense."
Mina swallowed once, her posture still upright but noticeably tighter now, her usual confidence tempered under the force of his glare.
Jao exhaled sharply through his nose before turning away from her, pacing a step toward the doorway as if he were already done entertaining that line of thinking.
"Fortunately," he said, his voice lowering slightly as he shifted his focus, "I don't rely on guesswork."
He raised a hand, gesturing toward the entrance. Standing there, just beyond the threshold, was a man none of them had noticed enter.
He was tall, slim, and composed in a way that felt almost unnaturally calm compared to the tension in the room. His hair was a soft shade of blue, neatly kept, and a pair of thin spectacles rested on the bridge of his nose. His clothing was modest but clean, practical rather than showy, and his expression remained neutral as he stepped forward at Jao's silent cue.
"Venzo," Jao said, his tone easing just slightly as the man approached.
Venzo inclined his head respectfully, hands folded neatly behind his back as he came to stand beside Jao. Jao reached out, patting him once on the shoulder.
"My best source of information," he said, glancing briefly at the others as if daring them to question it.
Venzo said nothing, his presence quiet but firm, like someone who didn't need to prove his value. Jao turned back toward the table, what remained of it at least, his expression settling again into something more controlled, though the edge hadn't left him.
"From what he's gathered," Jao continued, "there are two primary figures behind this little disaster."
He held up two fingers.
"The first," he said, lowering one, "is the wanderer."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"The name he found circulating is Kenta Brooks."
The name lingered. Baron's lips twitched faintly, interest sparking behind his eyes, while Zeffer shifted in his seat, more alert now than he had been all evening. Mina said nothing, but her gaze sharpened.
"The second," Jao went on, lowering the other finger, "is a familiar one."
His gaze flicked briefly between them.
"Hemlock Uldritch."
There it was. Zeffer let out a quiet grunt, Mina's brows pulled together ever so slightly, and Baron leaned forward just a fraction, his attention fully captured now.
Jao continued pacing slowly as he spoke, his hands now resting behind his back.
"It's unclear how exactly the two came together," he admitted, his tone carrying a note of irritation at that uncertainty, "but what matters is that they did."
He stopped, turning back toward them.
"And they're working together."
His eyes hardened.
"According to Venzo," he said, gesturing lightly toward the man at his side, "Hemlock has already begun recruiting from within our own ranks the past day, right under all our noses."
That landed heavier than the rest.
"Members with grievances," Jao added, his tone sharpening just slightly at the word.
Baron's jaw tightened. Zeffer's fingers tapped once against his leg. Mina's expression remained composed, though her eyes flickered faintly.
"As combatants," Jao continued. "As allies."
He let that sit for a moment before stepping forward again, his voice lowering.
"This doesn't end with Hanko. If he's bold enough to take down one captain, then he's aiming for all of you. Maybe even me."
Silence followed that. Not disbelief. Not denial. Just a quiet, shared understanding of what that meant. Jao exhaled slowly, rolling his shoulders back as if shaking off the thought.
"Now," he said, his tone shifting again, more grounded, more focused, "we could sit here and wait."
He gestured vaguely.
"Let him come to us. Let him make his move."
A faint, humorless smile tugged at his lips.
"And then we kill him. Crush him like the pesky bug he is."
The smile faded.
"But that's not how this works."
His voice sharpened again.
"We don't sit around while some bastard runs through our territory tearing down everything we've built."
He turned sharply, his gaze locking onto Mina.
"You."
Mina straightened immediately.
"You're smart," Jao said. "Resourceful. It's time to prove it."
He stepped closer, his voice firm.
"Gather what's left of the Intelligence Division."
Mina nodded once, already thinking ahead.
"Use every eye we have," Jao continued. "Every informant, every contact, every rat hiding in a hole."
His gaze hardened.
"I want to know where they are. No excuses."
"Understood," Mina replied, her voice steady despite the pressure.
Jao didn't linger on her. He turned next toward Baron and Zeffer, his expression shifting again.
"You two," he said, gesturing between them, "pull your men together."
Baron cracked his neck slightly, a grin creeping back onto his face. Zeffer sat up straighter, the last of his earlier lethargy gone.
"Prepare for a fight," Jao continued. "Because that's what this is turning into."
He stepped forward once more, his tone lowering just slightly.
"I'm confident we'll kill him," he said. "But don't underestimate this man."
His eyes narrowed.
"Hanko wasn't weak."
The implication was clear.
"This Kenta Brooks has skill," Jao went on. "And I don't like unknown variables. He could have backing we're not aware of."
Then Jao waved a hand dismissively.
"That's all."
No ceremony. No further instruction. Just done. The captains didn't hesitate.
Chairs scraped lightly against the floor as they stood, each of them moving quickly, almost too quickly, toward the exit. There was no mistaking the relief in their movements, subtle but present, as they filed out of the room one by one, eager to put distance between themselves and Jao's temper.
The door closed behind them. Silence returned. Jao remained standing for a moment, his hand rising to his beard as he stroked it slowly, his eyes distant as he thought. Venzo shifted slightly beside him.
"Is all of this truly necessary?" he asked, his voice calm, measured.
Jao didn't look at him right away. Instead, he exhaled slowly.
"Reputation," he said after a moment, his tone quieter now, but no less firm, "is everything."
He finally turned his head slightly.
"If we let something like this go if we don't respond..."
His eyes darkened.
"...then we're weaker than we already look."
He lets out a small sigh.
"One captain gone," he added. "That alone is enough to shake things."
Venzo nodded once, understanding. Jao's gaze shifted forward again.
"We don't get to be seen as fragile," he said.
Venzo inclined his head.
"Of course."
He turned, gesturing subtly toward the servant girls, who quickly rose to their feet and began to follow him out, their movements quiet and hurried, eager to leave the suffocating tension of the room behind.
The door closed once more, and Jao was alone. For a moment, he stood still. Then, his fist slammed into the wall beside him.
The impact cracked the surface, sending a spiderweb of fractures through the stone as dust fell in small clouds around his hand. His breathing remained steady. But his eyes burned with anger.
"Kenta Brooks," he muttered under his breath, the name coming out like something bitter on his tongue.
His fingers curled slowly into a fist again.
"I'll kill you with my bare hands."