The transport hub of Administrative District 105, adjacent to the capital city and the foremost outpost of Gardinaal Prime, was abruptly decommissioned three days prior in the Transport Consul's report, deemed inefficient and useless.
Yet upon scrutinising all transport records, Arsena Dunn discovered no irregularities whatsoever at this substation .
On the contrary, after the Shadow of Order's appearance, increased workload and sleepless nights had generated massive demand for office supplies, caffeine, and other provisions, causing transport volume to surge.
This bizarre situation caught his attention.
Clearly, some external force was at play. Arsena's conjecture pointed towards a connection with the High Lords.
The Administrative Caste, being one of the High Castes, possessed few entities capable of inducing such anomaly.
Considering three days had passed and others might have overlooked it, Arsena decided to investigate personally.
Accompanied by his retinue "Student of Ratiocination" Fularin, using psychic powers along the way to avoid enforcers, they reached the transport substation.
A kilometer from their destination, Arsena saw the entire substation enclosed by fencing, yet no guards were around.
Arsena paused for a moment, entering detective mode. A flash of understanding crossed his sharp narrow blue eyes.
'Whoever handled this incident seems confident, having erased all traces, not even leaving guards.'
'More likely, the uprising stirred by Maria has strained manpower, at least not allocated to concealing this secret.'
'Moreover, most Gardinaal would not disobey orders.'
Arsena didn't give up. As a detective, he knew firsthand investigation was key.
After becoming a "Polymath," his drive for action was stronger. A subconscious urge always pushed him out of the office, to be more active on the front lines.
This time, the Black Emperor entrusted him with overseeing the hunt for the High Lords. He would not betray that trust.
Arsena advanced with Fularin to the locked fence.
His telekinesis extended, like a giant hand grasping the fence.
With a faint scraping sound, a three-meter-wide section of fencing was torn from its posts, landing silently on the ground.
Arsena stepped inside, scanning his surroundings.
The ten-meter-wide road was smooth and clean.
The "Polymath" walked slowly. After several dozen paces, his intuition stirred. He halted abruptly, crouching to run his hand over the ground. The surface felt uneven beneath his touch.
"There are signs of combat here. Energy weapons were used."
The "Polymath" rose, continuing to search.
Twelve metres further on, he halted once more.
Arsena's telekinesis extended. The ground cracked. A golden insignia buried beneath flew into his hand.
Fularin approached, looking at the insignia bearing a white stag pattern.
Having recently become a true "Reader," he immediately recalled all data he'd reviewed.
"It's the Mattis insignia."
"This caste is part of Gardinaal's Administrative Caste. They split from the Brennan caste twenty-five hundred years ago, over a hundred generations."
"Most Mattis in each generation serve as Gardinaal administrators."
Recently elevated to "Student of Ratiocination," he reasoned based on current clues.
"This area is near the administrative district, unaffected by the uprising. It was likely conflict between Mattis and another high caste."
The "Polymath" nodded. "Then, why did they clashed? That's key."
The detective continued searching. He found an Alphy insignia and other combat traces.
Moments later, the "Polymath" gathered all items before him. His hands passed over each, using paranormal abilities to reconstruct a scene.
A flash crossed the "Polymath'" narrow eyes: a luxury vehicle passing by, suddenly attacked.
"The Mattis caste was attacked by the Alphy caste. What do you think is the reason?"
The "Student of Ratiocination" was silent for a moment, then spoke.
"Lord Arsena, I have a bold hypothesis."
"Lord Nareth previously stated that those inheriting a High Lord's consciousness would consider it an honor."
As Arsena's confidant, Fularin attended the briefing and knew Gardinaal's core intelligence.
"After becoming a High Lord, they would bring benefits to their caste, breaking through and elevating its position within the caste hierarchy."
"This would be impossible before a High Lord emerged."
"Each Gardinaal caste was fixed from its creation. Only a High Lord could change that."
After his clear, logical presentation, he concluded.
"I speculate someone from the Mattis caste was chosen to become a High Lord, or at least is a candidate."
"The Alphy caste also has a candidate. To become the High Lord, they launched this attack."
The "Polymath" nodded slightly. "Your reasoning is correct."
"Immediately check all Mattis and Alphy caste individuals, ages ten to twenty-five..."
Although Gardinaal bio-technology could modify bodies, and the powerful could use life-extending tech, he guessed High Lords would choose young bodies for transfer.
After all, each transfer wasn't easy.
Younger bodies were better, presumably usable for longer.
"As you command, Lord. I will certainly find that High Lord," Fularin acknowledged.
At the same moment, the Bio-Engineering Research Zone.
Marlena stood one kilometer from the laboratory complex, beckoning to a group of rats found in lower-caste habitation zones.
The "Biologist" tossed dozens of seeds. Grey-brown furred rats immediately moved, raising their paws.
Each paw held one or two seeds of varying sizes.
Simultaneously, a squad of warriors with painted faces, clad in black ballistic armor, led hundreds of Gardinaal lower castes in an assault on the laboratory.
The guard captain activated a loudspeaker, shouting:
'Vermins! This laboratory is sacred ground for the honoured.'
"Disgusting, lowly slaves, leave immediately."
The guard captain observed that, unlike previous occasions, the lower castes did not scatter in panic like rats. Instead, they atually charged forward, screaming.
'Open fire! Kill these wretches!'
Guards raised their guns, firing dense beams at the bald lower castes.
The Catachan squad leader raised a lasgun crafted by Incaladion, accurately blowing the guard captain's head off.
He shouted to the demolitionists: "Proceed."
The Catachan leader gave orders. Usually, Catachans wouldn't launch direct assaults; they'd infiltrate to seize the lab.
But his orders were to attack, create breaches in the complex, then feign being repelled.
The leader didn't know why, but those were his orders.
Three demolitionists raised their missile launchers.
Three missiles trailing white smoke struck the laboratory complex.
.....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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