Chapter 186: Two Days To Save Him

He understood their frustration because he had heard similar complaints more times than he could count, and under normal circumstances, he would have stopped his men from speaking so openly. But today, even he couldn’t find the energy to defend the Federation.

Because he, too, felt this way.

Aisha remained silent.

According to the memories she inherited from this body, Guides had always been a rare existence compared to Sentinels, and their ability to purify miasma had given them tremendous value, which had gradually created a strange hierarchy around them.

Many Guides became arrogant because of it.

They knew Sentinels needed them, and they knew their ability was rare.

Because their bodies weren’t naturally suited to the same level of physical combat as Sentinels, they had learned to place greater importance on preserving themselves.

Of course, not every Guide was like that.

There were Guides who genuinely cared about Sentinels and used their powers to protect people instead of chasing recognition, although many of those Guides were lower-ranking.

Others had weaker purification values and had little influence beyond smaller organizations, medical facilities, or private contracts, while the higher a Guide’s purification value became, the more valuable their life was considered.

And Zeke was not simply another Sentinel.

He was the only publicly known SS-ranked Sentinel on the planet.

To keep someone like him alive, the Association could not rely on an ordinary Guide because they needed a purifier powerful enough to withstand his miasma without becoming corrupted in the process.

That was why they needed the pod to suppress it until they could find a willing Guide to help them.

Aisha finally understood.

They weren’t relying on the machine because they believed it could cure Zeke; they needed it because they had no other choice.

They needed to suppress the corruption however they could while searching for a solution capable of actually purifying it, and if they eventually succeeded, the reward waiting for whoever accomplished such a feat would undoubtedly be massive.

Aisha didn’t doubt that.

But none of that changed the problem in front of her.

She couldn’t give them the pod.

Not when Zenick was inside it.

The thought of handing Zenick over made her stomach tighten, yet she forced herself to remain steady because panic would solve nothing and could easily make the situation more dangerous.

If she removed the pod and the miasma inside his body awakened, there was no guarantee anyone would be able to stop him.

Zenick was her brother.

He was currently unconscious, but the miasma inside him was still there, constantly pressing against the limits of whatever was containing it, and if that containment disappeared, he could wake in a state where he no longer recognized anyone.

And once that happened, the Association, the Federation, and the Imperial Family would all react.

Sentinels and Guides from every powerful force could be dispatched, and they wouldn’t ask who he was or wait for him to recover. They would execute him before he could become a threat to the Empire.

Aisha couldn’t allow that.

Her eyes lowered briefly.

There was no answer that would satisfy everyone because she couldn’t give the pod away, she couldn’t tell them why, and she couldn’t force the Association to understand something they had no reason to understand.

If they decided to take the pod by force, what could she do?

The machine belonged to Zeke, and more importantly, it ultimately belonged to the Association, so Aisha didn’t have the authority to keep them from taking it.

The thought made her fingers slowly curl.

There had to be another way.

She just hadn’t found it yet.

Aisha looked back at Ares.

"Give me three days."

Ares frowned immediately.

The two Sentinels behind him also reacted, with the first one immediately saying, "Three days is too long," while the second added, "The Admiral doesn’t have that much time."

"We should take the pod now before—"

"Enough."

Ares stopped them with a glance, and his gaze remained on Aisha as something complicated passed through his eyes.

He was still reluctant because he had come here expecting to return with the pod, and instead, he was leaving with nothing. But the situation had become more complicated than simply following the Chief Master’s order.

Ares finally exhaled through his nose.

"I’ll give you two days."

Aisha’s brows lifted slightly.

"Two days?"

"That’s all I can give you."

Ares’s voice hardened as he took a step backward. "After that, I’ll come back for the pod, whether you want to hand it over or not."

The two Sentinels looked at one another.

Ares ignored them.

"You should also understand something," he added, staring directly at Aisha. "The Chief Master won’t wait forever, and if the Admiral’s condition worsens, this matter won’t remain this simple."

Aisha nodded slowly.

"I understand."

Ares studied her for another long moment, yet he still couldn’t understand why she had refused, and perhaps that was the part bothering him the most.

He had thought that after hearing Zeke was in that condition, she would grasp the urgency immediately, but instead, she had stood there and protected her own interests.

Ares’s impression of her had changed.

He couldn’t decide whether he was angry or simply disappointed, but in the end, he turned around.

"Let’s go."

The two Sentinels followed reluctantly, although both still looked dissatisfied.

Aisha remained at the entrance until they were gone.

Only after the gate closed did she slowly lower her hand, and even then, she remained still for another moment.

The shuttle lifted into the air a few minutes later.

Inside the small cabin, the atmosphere remained heavy as the two Sentinels sat across from Ares, both visibly restless.

The first one finally broke the silence.

"Lieutenant, why did you agree to give her two days?"

Ares kept his gaze on the city below through the shuttle’s window, while the second Sentinel leaned forward and asked, "How are you going to explain this to the Chief Master? We were ordered to retrieve the pod immediately, and now we’re returning without it."

Ares remained silent for several seconds before finally answering.