AHEIAID Chapter 4: Garius Heine

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ANNOUNCEMENT

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To say it was shocking would be an understatement.

The moment everyone reacted, the commanders of Districts 1 through 13 of the Ottoman Empire immediately stood up, shouting for their secretaries to contact the director of the Biological Bureau.

They all had only one thought:

This human—I (my district) must have him!

As the live broadcast went into a frenzy and the official communication lines were bombarded to the brink of collapse, the director of the Biological Bureau was also drenched in sweat, frantically calling the on-site squad leader, Pasha.

Pasha, who had always been praised by her colleagues and superiors as mature, steady, and full of potential, now stood frozen in place.

She and her team members dumbly watched as the black-haired "little one" waved his hands wildly, speaking in a language they couldn't understand, before suddenly turning and running away in sheer panic.

His fleeing posture was clumsy and stumbling. His wet black hair swayed with every step, and at one point, he even tripped and fell. Struggling to get up like a little turtle, he looked so—

"Too cute..."

A sigh of admiration came from beside her.

Pasha snapped out of her daze and glared at her team member, Ir. "You stole my line!"

Ir coughed awkwardly, rubbing the tip of his nose. "...Sorry, Captain."

Pasha huffed and turned her attention back, just in time to see the little figure disappearing into the distance. She had barely had time to appreciate the sight with a gentle gaze before her communicator blared in alarm.

The moment she picked up, she heard her superior's trembling voice, a barely suppressed roar filled with exasperation:

"What the hell are you doing? Huh?! Catch him—he's running away! Pasha, I order you to bring the human back! If you fail—don’t bother coming back!"

"Uh… yes, sir!"

Pasha jolted back to her senses, immediately signaling her team to cut off the live broadcast before focusing on capturing the human.

The screen of the livestream instantly went dark.

Countless viewers erupted in outrage, flipping their tables in frustration!

【???】

【??? What the hell?! Can you hear me? What the hell?!】

【LMAO, incoming chaos!】

【Damn it!】

【草！】 (TL: Chinese internet slang for expressing shock or frustration)

【草草草草草——】

【草草草草草草——！】

Meanwhile, just like the viewers, Joey was mentally screaming as he stumbled through the grassy terrain in a desperate escape.

There were no sounds of pursuit behind him.

But Joey kept running, breath growing ragged. His vision was beginning to blur with dark spots, his heart pounded erratically, and his legs felt weaker with every step…

W-What’s happening…?

Did… Did those things I ate just now have poison?!

His heart pounded painfully. Joey finally collapsed onto his knees, clutching his chest while gasping desperately for air. His lips had turned completely purple.

As he tumbled into the grass, he vaguely saw those "aliens" surrounding him, speaking in urgent, panicked tones.

At the same time, a faint electrical noise buzzed in his mind.

【System loading complete】

【Confirming host】

【Host confirmed】

【Hello… zzzt… I am your syst—zzzt… please…】

Damn it, is this seriously a cliché system trope?!

What a trashy author, what a trashy novel!

Joey mentally cursed before his eyes rolled back, and he lost consciousness.

"Did you capture him?"

The director of the Biological Bureau let out a long sigh of relief, wiping the sweat from his forehead before breaking into laughter.

"Well done! Pasha, forget about the broadcast—hurry! Bring him back and make sure there’s not a single scratch on him, understand?"

"What—poisoned? What happened? Is it serious?"

Pasha quickly explained the situation in detail. Only then did the director relax.

"So it was just hemlock leaves… That's fine, hemlock isn’t too toxic. You should have the antidote—no, no, we should still do a thorough check-up just in case. Get him into the medical chamber immediately. My god, who knows if this little guy has even a third of our normal toxin resistance."

If anything happened to this human, the entire empire would rip him apart!

He continued his anxious, nagging instructions, but before he could finish, his assistant rushed over, panting heavily.

"Director! T-There’s a communication…!"

The director scowled in irritation. "Who is it? Which district’s lord? Didn’t I say not to take any more calls?"

"N-No… It’s not a district lord."

The director raised an eyebrow. "Then who?"

His assistant swallowed nervously, his expression filled with fear and unease. In a hushed voice, he whispered:

"…It’s His Excellency, Garius Heine, from District 13."

The director stiffened. "…Who?"

"The Overseer of District 13! His Excellency, Garius Heine!"

Silence.

The director, a plump and slightly overweight man, trembled three times at the mention of that name. His assistant, similarly tense, watched as his superior hesitated for a long moment before finally, with a pale face, picking up the communicator.

The screen lit up.

A stark, silver-white office appeared in view, cold and imposing.

Two aides, dressed in the uniform of District 13, stood on either side of a chair, their posture rigid and proud, their gazes fixed forward without a hint of emotion.

Seated behind a grand desk, the man in the chair looked directly through the screen at the director with golden-green eyes that had seen the darkest corners of the empire.

"I want the human."

He spoke with the cold finality of a command.

Or rather, he was issuing a command.

The director’s tongue felt stiff in his mouth. After a long pause, he finally stammered out, lacking any confidence:

"…Ahem, the human is… is the wealth of the entire empire. We can’t just hand him over so easily…"

Garius: "Your ship is returning. I expect him to land directly on District 13’s docking bay."

The director: …

Did you even listen to a word I just said?!

Can’t you tell I don’t want to give him to you?!

"…Do you even have the proper paperwork?! Without the proper procedures, this doesn’t conform to regulations—I can’t just—"

Before he could finish, the man on the screen pulled the faintest of smiles—one that didn’t reach his eyes.

The director immediately shut up.

The man, infamous for his ruthless methods, spoke in an eerily calm tone:

"Rules exist to protect the weak and restrain the strong. Tell me, Director Lef, do you think I fall into the former category or the latter?"

Director Lef, drenched in sweat: "…The latter?"

Garius: "No."

"……"

"I am the one who makes the rules."

"……"

The brief, shallow smile disappeared.

The young yet terrifying man stared down at the director, his golden curls draping over his pointed ears, flowing down his shoulders like molten gold—beautiful yet cold.

The perfection of his features only heightened his detachment, his sheer presence exuding the divine indifference of an untouchable being.

Dressed in the pristine white uniform of the District 13 Overseer, he was as impenetrable as a warrior clad in armor—unyielding and absolute.

Just like his words.

Because no one could refuse Garius Heine’s orders.

No one.

"…I understand."

Lef slumped his shoulders in defeat.

Even if he tried to challenge this bastard, he knew that the higher-ups wouldn’t dare take the human back either.

"A rational decision."

The screen went dark.

The moment Garius disappeared, the director realized his back was completely drenched.

As his staff anxiously watched him, he let out a string of curses, then stormed toward his office, fuming.

"Damn it! I’m reporting him! I don’t care if they can’t take the human back—I'm still filing a complaint!"

Hmph!

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