Liberation League.Even Mother’s most solid-looking organization has a fatal weakness.They have no shared cause.They’re a group that gathered to overturn the city.That cause has long since been crushed — now the Liberation League clings together merely to survive, without aiming for anything greater.A cause.Why is it so important?There was a time I questioned that too.But now I can say it with certainty.It matters — because it’s the compass of a collective.If a group is a mighty ship, its cause is the helm that steers it.When there’s no captain, the crew can still move in the captain’s intended direction thanks to a clear goal — the cause.Without that cause, the destination is unclear.In other words—it’s a fine fracture, barely visible but dangerous.One that could widen at any time and tear the group apart.And the triggers for that crack could very well be the “children” before me—Mother’s personal guard.I turn my gaze across the captains’ faces.And among them, one man especially catches my eye.Black hair tied back, thick beard,a massive frame over two meters tall.Khan.Title: [King].Mother’s implicit successor.Instead of being enraged by my words, his eyes gleamed — fixed on me.A dangerous man, in a way different from Mother.Before the fractures within the Liberation League deepen, they too need a cause — like Ark.Only then could they continue to exist, even if Mother were to die.Putting those thoughts aside, I meet Mother’s gaze again — there’s a tangle of interest there.“Everyone, leave us.”“…Ma’am?”It’s the first time anyone’s questioned her words.Mother smiles faintly and speaks softly.“This is a conversation between leaders. You have no place here.”“Understood, Mother.”“We’ll wait outside.”The captains obeyed without hesitation —a sign of their faith in her.Faith that Mother would never be in danger, no matter who she faced —even if that opponent was a monster who’d once fought Behemoth alone.As the oppressive tension began to fade, the captains — Xenon included — left the room.Mother seemed a little more relaxed now.The blood-red aura that had surrounded her vanished in an instant.Silence settled, calm and heavy.Tok… tok…Her fingernails tapped the desk.Then she pulled out a half-smoked cigarette.Chiik—“To exist for something… to fight for something…”Tok, tok, tok…Her fingers stopped.“It’s a hard question — perhaps the most fundamental one.”That question had been lodged in me like a wedge.Mother smiled faintly and asked in return:“But tell me — must you have a reason to fight?If there’s an enemy, a threat — you fight.And besides…”Her smile deepened.“Don’t be so quick to judge those without a goal.Just because one doesn’t know the path doesn’t mean they’re walking the wrong one.Even without a destination, sometimes the road itself leads you to your goal.”“……”Walk first, and the goal will follow…She’s not wrong.The Liberation League’s fatal flaw—as long as [Mother] remains, it stays hidden beneath the surface.But to speak to her of a time after her death—our relationship isn’t nearly that casual.So my warning stayed just that, a piece of advice.And I let it pass as a half-veiled, half-misunderstood exchange.After exchanging our thoughts, she spoke again.“You’re wondering how I knew you were Ark’s leader.”“Very much so.”“When you fought that monster, I saw the city’s master key in your hand.”That alone had been enough for her to piece it together.“If not for that, the stories on the radio about Ark’s exploits would’ve been impossible.Naturally, I became curious — who are you really?For Gale to hand you the master key… are you his bastard son?Or his clone?”“I’m neither. I’m simply myself.”“Yes… that sounds about right. Good. I’m relieved.”“Because that means you don’t have to kill me?”Erhi Mergeng didn’t reply—she only looked at me.But that silence said everything.“That old man must have been desperate — to give you the master key.”She’s curious about how I obtained it.Clearly, she knows what the master key truly is.And yet, she hasn’t tried to take it from me — that’s her goodwill.So this time, I’ll return the favor.“Why do you think he gave it to me?”I answered honestly about how I got it.“He didn’t. I stole it — from his archive. The sword and the reactor, too.”At that, Mother’s face—“Pffft—!!”—broke into the first genuine, unguarded smile I’d ever seen.“Ku-huhuhuhuh—! Kahh!”Mother burst into laughter, gasping for air.“Gahaha—hah! Cough—hah!”She started coughing mid-laugh, then continued with a twitching grin:“You mean to tell me… you stole Gale’s master key?”“My biggest secret.”“Haaah… it’s been so long since I laughed this hard.Very well — I’ll keep that secret for you. Ku-huhuhk!”It took her a while to calm down, but not too long.She wiped the tears from her eyes and leaned back comfortably.“Leader of Ark — what is your name?”“Kyle. Kyle Han.”“Very well, Kyle. Let’s talk business.”“That’s what I came for.”Mother looked up at the ceiling for a moment.Then, still staring upward, she spoke.“What brings you here?”Now we were getting to the real reason.“I came seeking the [N O V E L I G H T] Liberation League’s cooperation.”“The League’s cooperation… and what specifically do you need?”“When winter comes, most of the entities will likely enter hibernation.”“……”That seemed to catch her off guard.She lowered her gaze from the ceiling.“Do you… know the future?”“Let’s just say I’ve been preparing for this alone for a long time.”“And if they hibernate?”“Every survivor group in the city must hunt them all.”“You’re asking us to join that effort?”I nodded silently.Mergeng shook her head.“If that were all, you wouldn’t have come in person.If your prediction’s true, we’d move on our own anyway.”“There’s another reason.”Her sharp gaze pressed me to continue.So I spoke quietly.“The Transhumans are plotting something.”“……”The air changed instantly — a violent aura brushed against my cheek.“Transhumans? Those mongrels?”“If you wish, I’ll share their location.”“Kyle, you said you didn’t come to talk about the past.”“The Transhumans are both a matter of the present… and the future.”“Why?”“The entities react to high-frequency sound waves.The Transhumans have discovered that — and now they’re scheming.”“I can already guess what kind of scheme.”Even with that fragment of information, she grasped their intent.Hatred flickered in her eyes.Erhi Mergeng and the Transhumans could never coexist.Without hesitation, she nodded.“But then, tell me — what do we gain from this cooperation?”Of course — if I ask for help, I must offer payment.I take a moment to think.The Liberation League can’t move yet.Their top priority is still the Behemoth.It’s built its nest nearby, drawing in variant and evolved types —with a demon’s den practically on their doorstep, no offer I make will mean much.“I’ll help personally in slaying the Behemoth — and in restoring the eastern district.”“Hm.”Mother’s expression was… difficult to read.“You abandoned the isolation zone because that thing targeted the League, didn’t you?If you fail to kill it now, you’ll suffer catastrophic losses.”“Not quite. We abandoned it because someone sealed the entrance.”Damn. So she already knows.“The reason was simple — we foresaw a mutation outbreak and wanted to preserve our engineers.”“You admit that easily.”“I apologize.”Mother’s expression remained ambiguous.What was missing? I couldn’t tell.She fell silent in thought, and the waiting felt endlessly long.Finally, her calm voice broke the silence.“The creature you call Behemoth is no longer in a normal state.Even without you, we could bring it down.”“……”“The same goes for the eastern reconstruction.Once that thing is slain, the rest we can handle with our own power.Your help would make it easier, of course…”Her eyes narrowed faintly.A strange unease brushed my mind.“So neither of your offers are particularly appealing.”“Then what is it you want?”“Something more practical. More tangible.”What could she mean?A hover-bike, Black Wing?An atomic reactor?Zero, or Gamma?Maybe even the Mother Computer… or the master key itself.It wouldn’t be Xenon —and if it were at the squad level, maybe food.But the cultured-meat plant is far too distant.I ran through countless possibilities, trying to guess what she truly needed —but none of them were things I could easily give.Maybe it’d be better to face the Transhumans alone.As those thoughts tangled endlessly,Mergeng’s voice cut through.“Kyle, I am a woman of many desires.”Her tone snapped me back to focus.“Then tell me — what is it you desire?”“I want the most precious thing.”“The master key, then?”She shook her head.Not the master key? Then what—?“The atomic reactor? Gale’s relics?”“They might be useful, but not essential.”Essential…?“Then what is it?”My curiosity leaked into my tone.Her expression grew faintly bright — almost amused.“I have only one condition.”What would come from her lips next?A chill traced my spine — this wasn’t just about the Transhumans.This was the start of an alliance — Ark and the Liberation League finding common ground.It meant sincerity was required on both sides.Mother knew that — yet she wasn’t yielding an inch.Which meant she truly wanted something.Her eyes shone with a warm, almost luminous light.Her smile bloomed, radiant and effortless.And then, after a pause, she spoke:“Become my son.”“…What?”Her words sent a dizzy confusion through my mind.“I like you, Kyle.”

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