Dragon Raja 3; Chapter 160: Cycle of Catastrophe (3)

Dragon Raja 3

Anjou gave him a cold glance and pulled a box from under the desk. The box looked like it had been around for a hundred years, covered in dark green lizard skin, brass clasps slightly rusted, with the crest of Cassell College embossed on the seal.

He pushed the box in front of Pompeii. “This is the original treaty between us and Yamata no Orochi. Be careful when you look at it; don’t damage it.”

“A treaty?” Pompeii opened the box and leafed through the stack of yellowed, brittle papers inside.

“We have an alliance with Yamata no Orochi—an equal partnership, which is the only one of its kind among all our divisions around the world. Until the late 19th century, the Secret Party didn’t even know there were hybrids in Japan. Dragon Raja relics were mostly concentrated in Europe and China—those places seemed to be the origin of hybrids. Japan was isolated before the Meiji Restoration, and Europeans knew little about it. To them, Japan was inhabited by a bunch of small fishermen. But after the Meiji Restoration, Japan began Westernizing, and the government sent its best young people to Germany to learn how to build ironclad ships. Among these young people, the Secret Party discovered hybrids. So in 1894, Lord Mayek traveled to Japan on behalf of the Secret Party. After months at sea, he arrived in Kyoto, where he met the representatives of Yamata no Orochi. That was the first official contact between the two sides. Both the European hybrids and the Japanese hybrids were shocked by the other’s existence, but wary of each other’s strength, they sat down to sign this treaty. They expressed goodwill, but given the enormous cultural differences, neither side truly trusted the other. Yamata no Orochi viewed the Secret Party as ambitious schemers, secretly calling Lord Mayek a colonizer. They are a powerful force in the underworld, controlling Japan’s dark side and unwilling to let us interfere with Japan, even wanting to extend their influence into Europe. Therefore, during World War II, Yamata no Orochi was staunchly pro-war, sending their best descendants to the battlefields of Asia and the Pacific. We realized their involvement was directed against us, so we stood behind the U.S. government. Both sides fought tirelessly on the Pacific front, which you should be somewhat aware of.”

“I know, I know. Though Italy was allied with Japan, the Gattuso family was your American allies’ inside support!” Pompeii said obsequiously. “We were on the same side! Together, Japan stood no chance!”

Anjou ignored Pompeii’s sycophancy and continued. “After World War II, I went to Tokyo to meet with Yamata no Orochi again, signing an educational agreement based on the treaty. The so-called educational agreement was actually a formal cooperation pact. According to the educational agreement, Yamata no Orochi would send their best descendants to study in America. These Japanese students would then form Cassell College’s Japanese branch upon returning home—this was the origin of the Japanese branch. Signing the educational agreement meant that Yamata no Orochi formally became a subordinate of the Secret Party, but with significant autonomy.”

“These are all good things, so why didn’t you disclose these documents to the School Board? No one else knows that Japan counts as an autonomous region within the college’s jurisdiction.”

“Given the domineering nature of the Gattuso family, if Frost knew the Japanese branch enjoyed autonomy, he’d want me to completely suppress Yamata no Orochi. But I don’t want to go to war with them.”

“As long as nothing goes wrong, that’s fine. But now something has gone wrong, and the board members might use ‘concealment of critical information’ as grounds to dismiss you. Not even Elizabeth could save you, even though she has quite the crush on you. As your brother, I’m genuinely worried for you.” Pompeii’s expression was both sincere and serious.

“Stallion, you’re getting overheated again and starting to spout nonsense.” Anjou frowned.

Elizabeth Laurent is the heir of the Laurent family and the School Board member who supports Anjou the most. Frost had tried several times to strip Anjou of his power, but each time, Elizabeth’s opposition had foiled his efforts.

“Trust me on this, brother—women, especially young women, are always attracted to older, charismatic men!” Pompeii grinned lecherously. “There’s a special thrill in winning over a powerful young lady’s heart, isn’t there? And physically… well, that’s a different story.”

Anjou silently raised his teacup.

“Alright, alright, I won’t say any more. No need to get mad. It’s not nice to throw tea, you know. This shirt is made from handmade Nepalese hemp.” Pompeii took the teacup from Anjou’s hand.

“But even if the Japanese branch is autonomous, with how cunning you are, how could you let them act recklessly?” Pompeii added.

“I know that Yamata no Orochi wasn’t happy about their defeat back then and was unwilling to submit to us. But I didn’t think they’d betray us easily, because Yamata no Orochi isn’t a united group. There are eight families, and each has its own territory—for instance, the Miyamoto family controls the shipping industry, the Ryoma family controls arms, and the Inuyama family runs the adult industry… If one family wants to meddle in another’s business, they must solve it through violence. Not only that, but they also have a sworn enemy called the Oni Clan. They’re also a criminal organization, formed by traitors from Yamata no Orochi, and have considerable power in the south.”

“So there are actually two major factions in Japan’s underworld—Yamata no Orochi and the Oni Clan.”

“Yes. For years, there’s been ongoing conflict between the Oni Clan and Yamata no Orochi. Though the Oni Clan’s influence is far less than that of Yamata no Orochi, Yamata no Orochi would have to pay a heavy price to wipe them out completely. They remain in a deadlock, like a cold war.”

“Kind of soft-hearted for dealing with traitors,” Pompeii scoffed. “If the Gattuso family had such troublesome traitors, Frost would do whatever it took to wipe them out.”

“It sounds like you think Frost is the head of the Gattuso family. What about you?”

“I’m not in a rush.” Pompeii shrugged. “He can be anxious all he wants—he’s always been like that, more anxious than the emperor himself.”

“That’s an apt description. You’re getting really fluent in Chinese now.”

“Thanks to my Chinese girlfriends. Love is the best motivator for learning. If I had an Ancient Egyptian girlfriend, I’d master hieroglyphs too!”

“You could dig up a few female mummies from the Valley of the Queens. With your taste—eclectic and extreme—you’d probably fall for them too,” Anjou teased.

“Funny you say that. I recently acquired a few female mummies! Real masterpieces! The stone sarcophagi are painted with their images in gold, and the bodies inside are perfectly preserved.” Pompeii eagerly pulled out his phone. “Let me find you the pictures. Each one cost me millions of dollars, but it was worth it. Good stuff like this is getting rarer and rarer…”

“Back on topic! Did you fly all the way from Thailand just to talk about your mummy collection?” Anjou suddenly snapped to realization. “Do you care more about your son’s life than about these dead women?”

It had always been like this, even ten years ago—serious discussions would veer off topic if Pompeii was present, turning into enthusiastic conversations about new yachts, space travel, or that perfect ski resort he’d found on the southern slopes of the Alps. As a top-class playboy, Pompeii was well-versed in food, wine, antiquities, luxury goods, even painting and photography. When he spoke about these subjects, his broad knowledge and charm would captivate everyone around the table, shifting the conversation towards his “spirit of spending limited life on unlimited self-entertainment.”

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