Isaac's sights were set on dragging down everyone on the list he had. With his experience in infiltration, investigation, and coercion, he was able to quickly make use of the flaws of those in his list.
In fact, he didn't even have to dig into their flaws that much. With the aid of Madam Z, he was able to pinpoint their weaknesses and investigate them fully in a short span of a few days — of course, she did this in the most covert and subtle way possible.
Isaac preferred it this way — so that even if he were to be caught, there won't be any leads that could tie back to Madam Z. At most, if he was captured and interrogated, the only thing they can associate him with Madam Z was thru Vertin, but even that was a slim chance since the latter talked about their alliance in secrecy, and at this point of the story, the tensions in politics weren't too strangling yet.
In other words, he was fully embracing the role of a disposable pawn.
He didn't mind it, though. Because, in truth, he had already experienced much worse than being a simple throwaway pawn.
For example, he once had to almost behead himself for a negotiation — so, really, being a disposable pawn didn't bother him that much.
Walking along the hallways of Laplace's institute, he casually pulled out the folder from his lab coat and inspected it.
"That's one down... There's a couple more to go..."
As he said so, he couldn't help but think for a moment.
Madam Z originally just wanted him to coerce these people to sign the refusal of Regulus' transfer to Laplace. But Isaac wanted it more to be than just that.
He wanted them to be his own set of pawns that he could use during critical moments.
These people, who appear to have no significant power, each have influence within their respective departments within the Laplace branch as team leaders. As such — as seemingly insignificant as they may be — they might come in handy in the future.
As such, Isaac wanted to gain control over them — and the best way to achieve that is to control their fear.
Isaac was well-versed in this aspect. Confusion, fear, and disorder were his area of expertise, as such, with enough coercion, he believes he can control these people with ease.
He returned the folder to his coat and walked casually, as if he really was a researcher from Laplace. With his fake ID provided by X, he was able to look like one, at least.
Then, he sighed deeply. "To think that I'd return to doing this kind of thing again... I already expected it, but still, I hope my skills haven't rusted..."
It had truly been a long time since he had done this kind of coercion.
But remembering his promise to Vertin about protecting everyone in her team, he soon smiled wryly. "But still... If it's for her, this much isn't a problem."
That's right... He might be many things, but his fidelity was one thing to be assured of.
If it meant he would be tainted for their sake, then he wouldn't mind it one bit.
Isaac continued exploring the institute, and soon, found his next target. Looking at the team leader through a glass window, he waited for a moment until her colleagues were gone before entering.
This time, he wanted to make sure that they would remember him and be a pawn ready for him to use in the future.
As he passed through the door, his same enigmatic smile appeared as he greeted the team leader. "Good afternoon! I hope I'm not interrupting anything important."
The woman — team leader of the Environmental Calibration and Spatial Integrity, according to the plaque by the door — looked up from her console, visibly startled. She blinked at the young man who had just entered without knocking.
"Who are you? This lab isn't open for visitors."
Isaac raised both hands slightly in a placating gesture. "Ah, apologies. Force of habit. I'm just passing through... unofficially."
Her eyes narrowed. "What team are you with?"
"Let's not get caught up in formalities just yet, hm?" he said gently, brushing some dust off his sleeve. "You seem like a sharp one. I'm sure you can tell I'm not here for paperwork."
She stood slowly, clearly on guard now. "Then you need to leave. Now. Or else I'm calling security for this breach in regulation."
Isaac chuckled. "You know… I've heard you're very efficient — very… detail-oriented, even. Everything calibrated down to the decimal, right? That's what they say about your work."
Her brows furrowed. "What are you getting at?"
"Oh, nothing." He slowly approached the nearby table, running a finger across the sterile surface, a playful smile present on his face. "Just that precision like yours? It's impressive. But it makes errors… stand out."
He turned to her, his smile sharpening.
"For instance… Room 3B had a brief fluctuation last week, didn't it? Just for a few minutes. A pressure dip and a strange echo pattern. Very minor. Went unreported. Not worth escalating, right?"
Her expression changed slightly — only for a second — but Isaac caught it. He was in.
"I mean, anyone would've let it go." He continued. "Except I happen to know there were two interns stationed in 3B that day. And while the fluctuation didn't cause injuries, the recalibration protocol they followed afterward? Completely against Laplace standards. Curious how that went unnoticed, no?"
He leaned forward slightly, his tone still light, still warm — but tinged with subtle weight.
"I'm not here to report anyone, mind you. Honestly, I couldn't care less. I'm just here to ensure we understand each other."
He reached into his coat and pulled out a familiar folder, placing it down gently on her table.
"I just need a signature. Simple refusal form. No obligations, no strings attached. Not yet, at least."
The team leader glanced at the document but didn't reach for it. "...Is this blackmail?"
Isaac tilted his head, looking mock-hurt. "Oh, heavens no. Blackmail implies something ugly. This? This is just... a favor between professionals. I help you, you help me. No scandals. No reports. Everyone gets to go on with their day and sleep easy."
Of course, he was by no means a professional.
She stared at him, her fingers twitching slightly beside her console.
"And if I don't sign?"
He shrugged. "Then maybe I'll forget to forget about Room 3B. Maybe I'll bring it up to one of the ethics boards. Or perhaps someone much more paranoid than me decides to poke around. You know how Laplace and the Foundation is… Sometimes, things don't need to be proven to be punished."
His tone dropped slightly. "But like I said, I'm not interested in burning anyone. I just want a little cooperation. And this is the only time I'm asking nicely."
A long silence stretched between them. Without her noticing, a thin veil of mist had drifted in the room, subtly influencing her mind and amplifying her fear — fear of the consequences behind Isaac's threats.
Eventually, she let out a breath through her nose, picked up the pen on her desk, and signed the form.
As she wrote, without looking at him, she asked a question. "Are you the devil?"
"Aha, what a cruel question. Unfortunately, no. But I'm curious how you came up with that question." He entertained her with a pleasant mood.
She paused for a moment before answering. "You seem to fit the criteria for it..."
With that said, she finished signing the form and slid it back to Isaac.
Isaac smiled warmly, accepting both the form and her opinion of him. "I'll take that as a compliment. Thank you."
He tucked the form back into his coat and headed toward the door. Just before exiting, he turned to her and spoke casually.
"Oh, and don't worry — if I ever do need your help again, I'll be polite enough to ask. And who knows? Maybe I'll even bring coffee."
Then, with a wink, he slipped out of the room, leaving the team leader staring at the empty doorway in a stunned, uneasy silence.
Back in the corridor, Isaac exhaled, Triumphant once more.
"That's two. Starting to get the rhythm back."
He continued walking casually, his hand brushing the folder hidden in his coat. To anyone watching, he looked like a harmless researcher with somewhere to be.
But behind the façade, his mind was already calculating his next move — the next signature, the next piece in his personal web of contingency.
He didn't want to do this.
But if it kept his friends safe… if it meant staying one step ahead of the chaos… then he'd continue being a gray piece without hesitation.
After all, someone had to get their hands dirty. So... why not him?
For the next few days, he continued targeting the other team leaders in the list — he couldn't target all of them in a day, after all. That would be too risky.
Finally, after thoroughly gaining all of the team leaders' support — with some being quite difficult with it — he had now fulfilled Madam Z's request, and they were now able to bureaucratically fight Laplace.
It was now time for them to get Regulus back.