Why was he here?
After the meeting ended, the officials leaving the conference hall in twos and threes were somewhat puzzled to find Kroko standing at the entrance.
"!?"
Those officials with guilty consciences, however, got quite a fright.
But when they discovered that Kroko paid them no attention and instead walked straight into the conference hall with a document, they breathed a sigh of relief.
Having nearly taken to their heels, they vividly illustrated the saying: if you had done nothing to shame your conscience, you need not fear a ghost knocking at your door.
The next second.
"What's in that document?"
They grew curious about the document in Kroko's hand.
Sneaking glances back into the conference hall, they saw that Sankara had taken the document and was writing something on it with a fountain pen.
"Forget it. It has nothing to do with me anyway. I'd better hurry back and think about how to deal with the agricultural reforms Sankara proposed!"
Believing it had nothing to do with them, they hurried toward their respective offices, taking the stairs two at a time.
Inside the conference hall.
After circling the last name on the document with a red fountain pen, Sankara handed both the document and pen back to Kroko and said:
"Arrest and interrogate everyone I've circled immediately. Once the interrogations are over, if they have no other significant value, hand them over to the Supreme Court for trial, then have them all shot.
"As for the people whose names I've underlined..."
After giving it serious thought for a moment, Sankara finally said:
"Forget it. These people can't be trusted either! But shooting them outright would be going a little too far. Let the court sentence them according to the crimes uncovered during their interrogations."
The people Sankara had judged as "untrustworthy as well" were those whose loyalty had fallen below 50 before rising above 50 again.
"Yes, Mr. President!"
Kroko took the fountain pen and document, nodding expressionlessly in acknowledgment.
As Sankara's absolute confidant, Kroko, whose loyalty had risen from 87 to 92, would not question any order from Sankara.
"Bang!"
Roberts had barely stepped into his office before slamming the door behind him, as though venting his anger on it.
"Agricultural reforms? Reform your mother's fucking balls! Damn you, Sankara! Damn you, Ameli! You're all a bunch of goddamn bastards!
"So because the knife isn't slicing flesh off your bodies, you don't feel any pain, is that it? Some people even said to confiscate it outright without paying a single cent? Pah! Fuck you!
"Just don't let me get an opening. If I do, I'll throw every last one of you in prison, then slice the flesh off your bodies, cut by cut. We'll see whether you know what pain is then!"
His face flushed scarlet with rage, Roberts paced back and forth in his office, cursing nonstop while keeping his voice as low as possible.
Quite some time passed like this.
Perhaps he had vented the fury in his heart, or perhaps his mind had regained its composure. Roberts finally stopped pacing aimlessly and sat down in his office chair.
"The best news right now is that Sankara is still too young! A young man in his twenties doesn't understand just how treacherous the human heart can be!"
A trace of mockery and contempt appeared at the corners of Roberts's mouth:
"He actually thinks everyone will stand with him as long as something benefits the country and its people? How ridiculous!
"My performance at the meeting must have left a good impression on Sankara. I have to seize this opportunity!
"Ideally, I'll secure some authority in these agricultural reforms!
"Then I'll use that authority to turn the implementation of the agricultural reforms into a tyranny that squeezes the farmers and eliminates competitors, making Sankara a president the farmers spit on!
"If possible, we can then use the farmers' anger, together with our own strength, to drive Sankara out of office and replace him with a new president who serves our interests."
"Knock, knock, knock-"
Just as Roberts was envisioning this wonderful future, someone suddenly knocked on his office door.
"!?"
Roberts froze for a moment, a flicker of fear passing through his eyes.
Perhaps because he had been thinking about how to oppose Sankara only a second earlier, Roberts felt somewhat uneasy now.
"Come in!"
Roberts steadied his breathing and spoke.
If one listened closely, a slight tremor of fear could still be heard in his voice.
"Director Roberts!"
The door opened, and a middle-aged man who looked about Roberts's age walked in.
"Whew-"
Once he saw who had entered, Roberts felt completely relieved. A heartfelt smile appeared on his face, and he said without thinking:
"Aibuer, it's you! I thought it was..."
But halfway through, Roberts caught himself and swallowed the rest of his words.
"Who did you think it was?"
Seeing his reaction, the middle-aged man called Aibuer asked curiously.
"Close the door first."
Rather than answering directly, Roberts motioned for Aibuer to close the door first.
"???"
Roberts's behavior made Aibuer even more curious.
He then poked his head outside and looked left and right. Only after making sure no one else was nearby did he close the door. Finally, he walked over to a chair and sat down, asking curiously:
"I checked. There's no one else outside. You can tell me now."
"I was just thinking about how to deal with the agricultural reform proposal Sankara put forward at the meeting. You knocked before I'd finished thinking it through. I thought those lackeys from the National Security Committee had discovered something and were coming to take me away!"
Roberts smiled and answered.
"Pfft-"
At Roberts's answer, Aibuer burst out laughing. Shaking his head as he laughed, he pointed at Roberts and said:
"Hahahaha-aren't you a little too timid?
"Besides, after that performance you gave at the meeting, Sankara must think you're a rare loyal servant. Why would he send the National Security Committee to arrest you?"
Before his words had faded.
"Knock, knock, knock-"
Someone knocked on the office door again.
"???"
Both Roberts and Aibuer froze for a moment. Looking thoroughly irritated, Roberts muttered:
"Who the fuck is it now?"
"Whew-"
Only after expelling his frustration along with that stale breath did Roberts speak:
"Come in!"
And this time, the people who opened the door and walked in-
Were an officer and several fully armed soldiers. The distinctive armbands on their arms showed that they belonged to the National Security Committee.
"???"
"!!!"
Roberts and Buer were utterly dumbfounded.
"Gulp-"
They swallowed in unison. Their legs began trembling slightly with fear, and an urge to urinate shot straight from their tailbones to their foreheads.
"Oh? You're here too? Perfect. That saves me another trip!"
Seeing that Buer was there as well, the officer in the lead showed a rare smile on his icy face. But the smile soon vanished. He took out two sheets of paper bearing red seals and said:
"Mitchell Roberts, Mitchell Buer, in the name of the National Security Committee, I formally arrest you for treason. These are the arrest warrants signed by the Supreme Court!"