Katsuragi Reimi nodded in agreement.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean Marquis Delanck is the leader of that faction."

"That's right. A Marquis couldn't possibly be the leader, especially with the involvement of the royal family," someone mentioned without naming names, although everyone present understood who the royal family member referred to.

"Also, we still can't be sure which side she's on; she might belong to a third party," another person added.

"In that case, are we left with no allies at all? It feels like everyone is an enemy," someone remarked.

Thinking about this, even Arashikaze Manami couldn't help but sigh.

The future seemed bleak.

"Well, now is a good opportunity to take down their organization in one fell swoop. After all, it was mentioned on the phone that they would be having discussions after taking over the hostages tomorrow," someone suggested.

"At the very least, some high-ranking individuals will gather together, right?" Asuka inquired.

"No, it's more than that. We can also find out the location of their main headquarters. There's a good chance they might discuss important matters there," someone explained.

"So, are we planning to directly infiltrate their base? Is that feasible, and didn't you intend to do this before coming here, like pretending to be one of them to get their address?" someone questioned.

Katsuragi Reimi admitted candidly, "Yes, I planned to do that from the beginning. They will undoubtedly contact their headquarters, providing us with a rare opportunity, which indeed we have gained."

"...While that may be true, what's the next step? Tomorrow afternoon, what are we going to give them since the exchange location might not be their headquarters? If we can't produce the person, won't all our efforts go to waste? Even if we manage to capture them, we may lose track of the main base. Although we have the option of interrogation, if they give us a fake address, it would be troublesome. We might end up walking into a trap."

"Yeah, and we probably won't find a substitute," Katsuragi Reimi mused.

"Even if we discover their headquarters, we won't be able to handle it with just us; although some can take on ten opponents alone," someone pointed out, prompting everyone's gaze to shift to Hiyori.

"Huh? What's up with me?" Hiyori was puzzled by the sudden attention, innocently asking.

"Nothing," everyone replied in unison before redirecting their attention.

Asuka continued the conversation, "Based on this, we can't find anyone who can offer help."

"I recall those two individuals in the afternoon mentioning they would assist," Arashikaze Manami reminded.

"However, their power may not be sufficient, despite their willingness," Katsuragi Reimi stated the harsh truth.

"Then who else can we turn to? We can't just approach the Holy Heir directly; we don't know whose side she's on, and we might be walking into a trap ourselves."

Asuka said angrily,

"Well, although we don't know who the real enemy is, it's actually irrelevant. If they can help us, even if they are enemies, it doesn't matter as long as our goals align."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Actually, if we connect the hostages and the external support together, the answer may surprisingly be simple. In any case, I seem to have figured out a solution."

"So, you mean we still need to ask for help?"

"Exactly, after all, we have no connections in this country, and some things require the help of others; we can't do it alone."

"So, who exactly?"

Asuka inquired.

In response, Katsuragi Reimi just smiled slightly.

"In fact, we met this person today."