Knowing that pressing the issue further would only make the Director more worried, she chose to drop it.

Although Director George feared her father like everyone else, he still treated people fairly. He looked after those under his care, which was why he was well-liked by everyone.

George also noticed the change in her attitude and ended the topic there as well.

"Samantha, you’re one of the last few people who made contact with Lex. Tell me your side of the story," he said, breaking the silence.

She nodded and began explaining.

First, she shared her belief that Lex was not a bad person, only someone who acted on impulse after losing his only brother. George nodded in agreement, fully aware of what losing loved ones could do, even to the most stable minds.

Next, she spoke about the sewers, where she first noticed signs that the monster they were chasing had intelligence, enough to set up traps and ambushes.

The moment she mentioned the Black Archive, he shifted in his seat, a rare sign of discomfort crossing his face.

"Director, what exactly is the Black Archive? I heard about it once while working with one of our third party contractors, and Lieutenant Lex mentioned it too."

George tapped his desk, contemplating whether it was the right time to tell her the truth.

"Please tell me, or I will find a way to dig it out myself," she warned.

George could only shake his head, knowing full well how stubborn she could be.

She might not admit it, but she hadn’t fully outgrown the habits of being raised in privilege, one of which was not being used to hearing "no."

It wasn’t because her personality was bad. It was simply because of how she had been raised at an early age.

"Alright, I’ll tell you, given your background. But I need you to promise me something—this stays between us. This is a matter of national security."

"I won’t, Director. You know me—I always keep my promises," she flashed him a bright smile.

"I know. But you also have a habit of being too stubborn."

She decided to ignore his previous statements. "Is the Black Archive related to the origin of the beasts?"

"It is, but what you know so far is just surface-level information," He lowered his voice slightly. "The Black Archive is related to Kajiin."

"Kajiin?" she repeated. "Are you referring to that island country that was completely destroyed by the beast attacks?"

"Yes," he nodded once. "Our country has only survived this long because it’s on a separate continent, with a vast ocean separating us. It gave us time to prepare..."

"...But the same couldn’t be said for the others. We did try to help our allies there, but after constantly losing our military resources, we ultimately chose to retreat."

Her expression remained calm throughout. What he discussed was public information taught in school, so to her, it was nothing more than part of history.

George began speaking in greater detail, revealing things that even textbooks did not contain.

"Wait. Don’t tell me the monsters on that island are different from the ones we fight here?"

George paused. The question hung in the air longer than it should have.

"Impressive. To think you were able to reach that conclusion so quickly," he remarked.

"The short answer is yes," he admitted. "They are not all the same."

He studied her for a second, reassessing her reaction.

"The enemies we face here are only one branch of what exists out there," he said. "What appeared in there... it wasn’t just stronger. It behaved differently."

He exhaled through his nose and sank deeper into his chair. Just talking about it made him feel like he had aged another five years.

Samantha noticed it too, but now that the Pandora’s box had been opened, she wanted to know more.

"It doesn’t make sense. If what you’re saying is true, then why haven’t I heard more attacks from these more intelligent beasts? Are you telling me they just stopped because they’re afraid to cross the ocean?"

"That’s a good question. Unfortunately, I don’t know the answer. I’m just glad they didn’t. It gave us time to build the Defense Force and other military infrastructure in preparation for when they eventually decide to attack."

"Attack," she muttered under her breath.

She could feel her heartbeat grow louder in her chest, each beat heavier than the last. To think there were other threats out there that she didn’t even know about.

"Is our country prepared?" she asked, knowing full well that what they were discussing was on a completely different scale from what the Defense Force had handled so far.

George noticed her expression and decided to reassure her.

"Don’t worry. The progress and breakthroughs we’ve made after decades of dealing with beasts didn’t go to waste. Even the number of our powerful Special Categories has increased significantly over the years."

"And that’s only accounting for the Defense Force. We still have the national government and other military sectors tasked with protecting this country from external threats."

His words gave her a bit of reassurance.

"Speaking of strong Special Categories, Lex becoming a fugitive is a great loss to the force." he added.

Her brows snapped together, and her hand hit the desk before she even realized it.

"Director, what’s the deal with the government? Even if he broke protocol, he should at least have immunity because of his strength and his countless contributions to the force."

He nodded. "You’re right, and that should have been the safest way to handle the incident. However, the Defense Force is currently under pressure from the government."

"Huh? Why?"

"It’s because of fear. Over the years, the Defense Force has grown so large that our military power could even rival the government, especially after the number of our Special Categories continued to rise."

"At first, they ignored it. But when people like Lex—who are as strong as strategic missiles—started appearing, the government began to feel threatened. They’re worried that if this continues, the balance of power will break."

"That’s outrageous!" she shot up from her seat. "Do they even know how many agents die every day just to protect the citizens? Why are they like this when we’re practically the pillar holding this country together?"

His shoulders sagged slightly. "That’s politics for you. That’s why I hate most politicians. They only serve their own interests instead of actually caring for the people."

She couldn’t argue with that, nor did she want to. After all, her father was the prime example—entering politics only to push laws that benefited his business empire at the expense of ordinary people.

"Are we just going to let this matter go? If the Covenant gets their hands on Lieutenant Lex, things will get a lot more complicated."

"I know that," another tired sigh escaped his lips.

"That’s why I’m assigning you a mission. I actually received an encrypted transmission from Lex, so I want you to make contact with him while I handle the negotiations to have all his charges dropped."

"Me?" she pointed at herself, taking a moment to process it.

"Yes, you. You’re the only person I trust enough in this place," he admitted. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

They stayed quiet. Even the silence seemed to settle deeper in the room.

Meanwhile, Francis cursed his luck. He just survived a life-and-death encounter with that monster, and now he was going to be dragged to him.

’I need to adjust my plans.’