Though Leonel was expressionless, his mind was spinning. Should he acquiesce? He was obviously unwilling to give up things he spent his blood and sweat on, but how could his current self match up against a monstrous existence like the Ascension Empire?
Leonel was a kind hearted person, but a pushover was something he wasn't. In a world controlled by nobles like those who frequented his Royal Blue Academy, those without spines were eaten up and spat out with impunity. The fact Leonel was so well-liked and admired, even despite his entertainment profession, made it obvious he wasn't such a person.
In addition to this, Leonel wasn't a fool. He knew that those who could clear an S-grade Zone were not many, so the treasures he had on hand now were most definitely rarities amidst rarities. Just hand them over? Was that some sort of joke?
Of course, these thoughts were just his immaturity seeping through. He knew it wasn't smart to have such thoughts without proper backing. The true reason he felt that he shouldn't do this was because it just might be possible that he did have such backing. He didn't know what his father was involved in, but regardless, he was certain he wasn't easily dealt with. At least not by these common, everyday government officials.
"You're here." Aina made her way to Leonel's side somewhat subconsciously. It almost seemed like she hadn't heard the words of the three officials.
Leonel smiled lightly, before turning his attention back toward the three men.
"According to the laws of the Ascension Empire, I have the right to ask for your proof of identity as well as your rank and station."
With Leonel's ability, coming to a quick and logical decision to no more than the blink of an eye.
"Are you resisting arrest?"
Leonel inwardly sneered. He knew that those in positions of power never liked to be questioned. Even if it was the law, they'd find an excuse to not answer his question not because they couldn't, but because they found it humiliating to do so. There was no shortage of those like this in enforcement positions.
You would think that with their Gene Analysis tests, the Empire would be able to weed these people out from such professions. But it seemed not.
"Resisting arrest? Sir, to be frank, you three aren't a match for the two of us. You said yourself that this is an S-grade Zone region. You should also have information that this Zone was constructed for the entry of eight, yet do you see anyone else other than the two of us?"
Leonel sent a glance toward Aina, but she seemed to have not heard his words, looking off into space blankly. This reaction made him feel a bit stifled. It was like that time she killed Conrad all over again. He couldn't read her.
However, as expected, the three men stiffened as though just realizing this. It seemed that many still hadn't adjusted to the new world order quite yet. They were too used to normal citizens having no means to protect themselves.
Leonel could obviously see their stats. Even the strongest among them only had their highest stat barely reach 0.70. Of course, Leonel didn't foolishly think that this was enough to defeat them. It was unknown what abilities they had. In addition, if the Empire really kept tight control on technology now, then it was likely their guard dogs held some of this power as well.
If these guards had guns on them, even Leonel would be at a loss. Firearms from the 1400's already gave him a huge headache, he definitely didn't dare take them head-on. Firearms from this day and age were a completely different animal. He wouldn't even know how he died if he dared to go up against them.
The more Leonel thought about it, the more certain he became. If he was as sinister as the Emperor, using the Metamorphosis to eradicate all instances of technology while keeping the only functioning machines with himself would be the perfect plan to hold onto power…
Leonel grew even more serious.
"As you can see, Sirs, if we wanted to resist, we could have already. So, will you answer my questions, or not?"
Despite his apprehensions, Leonel could only continue forward.
"… I am Tier 3 Officer Farlier, assigned to Perimeter 3 of the Royal Blue Fort task unit."
Leonel remained expressionless, but he inwardly sighed a breath of relief. As long as he had this initiative, it wasn't a problem.
A Tier 3 Officer had the same standing as a Tier 3 Government Official. Leonel's father had been a Tier 5 Government Official. Though, that wasn't very helpful now considering he was already 18 years old.
Such an Officer could be considered a step away from an elite. At the same time, he was at the very top of officials who dealt with normal civilian matters. Meaning, he had high standing, but when facing potential noble scions like Leonel and Aina, he had no choice but to be cautious.
Of course, it helped that Leonel and Aina were so calm.
"A Tier 3 Officer can make decisions about an S-grade Zone?"
Leonel raised an eyebrow, immediately catching onto a problem. There should be very few who would even dare to enter such a Zone, let alone succeed in clearing it. This was by definition something that could only be handled by elites. In that case, how could a Tier 3 Official make decisions about it?
The Officer's face reddened slightly, but he hid it well beneath his deadpan expression. It was just unfortunate for him that Leonel's senses were too sharp.
"I don't mind if you escort us to someone who can make such a decision." Leonel's voice became like the officer's saving grace. "However, giving you my treasures is impossible. We didn't enter this Zone to disobey the orders of the Empire, we did so because if no one cleared it, we would have been mobbed to exhaustion by Invalids who were swarming toward it.
"I'm sure you, as a Tier 3 Officer, know of the Ascension Steele's First Amendment, right?"
The three officers looked at one another, bitterness clear in their gazes.
The Ascension Steele was not much unlike the fallen American Empire's Constitution. No matter the state of the Empire, even if it was under martial law, the Ascension Steele's words held the highest precedence.
The First Amendment was known as the Right to Autonomy. It was an all encompassing law that allowed the disregard of other Amendments as long as there was sufficient cause.
As one might imagine, such a vague law made it so that those with power got away with far more than they should while those without were out of luck.
However, in this case, Leonel and Aina really did have such power. It didn't matter if they falsely regarded his ability as a D-grade one, the facts showed that he had the ability to clear an S-grade Zone. At least for now, it was impossible to disregard this.
"… Come with us." Officer Ferlier finally said.
With that, they led Leonel and Aina to a large black jeep with three rows of seats.
'A natural gas vehicle? With wheels at that…? So they're relying on such old technology to keep their hold on power, huh…?'
Leonel's eyes narrowed, but he didn't struggle and got into the car. His next move would all depend on how the rest of the day went…
He looked out of the tinted windows, watching the sun slowly set in the distance.