ACCA-13: Rumors of a Coup D'etat (part 2)

At a meeting between the Five Chief Officers, Chief Officer Grossular notifies the group of a rumor that could endanger the peace and stability of the kingdom. According to this rumor, conspirators are plotting to overthrow the monarchy, and Jean Otus of the Inspection Department is their messenger, using his natural position as an Inspection officer to travel to each of the district to coordinate the plot.

Chief Officer Grossular of the Five Chief Officers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Concerned that the very department responsible for overseeing ACCA-13 may now bring it ruin, Grossular decides to employ "Crow" of the Internal Affairs to surveil Jean Otus as he travels to each district to conduct his audits. Crow's true identity is Nino, a close childhood friend of Jean Otus. Of particular note, during his meeting with Grossular, Nino tells his superior that the other Chief Officers will soon realize that the rumors of Jean's involvement in the conspiracy to overthrow the monarchy is in fact true, suggesting that Grossular's source of information of the rumors of the coup d'etat and Jean's purported involvement is none other than Nino.

Nino meeting with Chief Officer Grossular

 

 

With Grossular's announcement of a potential coup d'etat plot and his intent to investigate the matter, the stage is now set. Each with their own agendas, senior officers of ACCA-13 begin to move in secrecy, and in caught in the middle of their political machinations is Jean Otus. Named as a possible co-conspirator, Jean suddenly finds himself at the center of attention of the most powerful individuals of ACCA-13.

While rumors of a coup d'etat have always nagged the Kingdom since the failed attempt 150 years ago, several key political events loom on the horizon which give greater credence to its legitimacy. First, the current ruling King Falke has just celebrated his 99th birthday, and while his health is not an immediate concern, the Crown Prince Schwan is also expecting to celebrate his coming of age, which makes him eligible to take the throne. There is an expectation that the King will soon abdicate to allow the Crown Prince to be coronated as the new ruler. It is also no secret among the political elites that the Crown Prince harbors ambitions to strengthen the Dowa family's control over the Kingdom by dissolving ACCA-13 and the legislative. With the fate of the Kingdom's future at hand, what would have been dismissed as mere rumor now warrants greater scrutiny.

Crown Prince Schwan maneuvers to ensure his ascendance.

 

 

 

 

 

After learning about the rumors of a coup d'etat from Grossular, Chief Officer Lilium seeks out Jean Otus. In a discreet meeting in a car, Lilium reveals to Jean what Grossular had told him, of the rumors of a coup d'etat, and that he has been identified as a co-conspirator and messenger. Furthermore, he also reveals that a member of the Internal Affairs is surveilling him, and that Jean may already know this man intimately. Finally, Lilium assures Jean that he does not believe that Jean is involved in the conspiracy and that instead, he believes that Grossular is the true conspirator who is spreading the rumors of a coup d'etat.

Chief Officer Lilium secretly meets with Jean Otus.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Having learned of the the rumors of a coup d'etat from her own sources, Director-General Mauve initiates an investigation but is shortly ordered to cease by Grossular. Undeterred, Mauve seeks out Jean Otus to recruit his help, though fully aware of the possibility that he may be a co-conspirator. In a clandestine dinner meeting, Mauve asks Jean to report back to her after his audits to each of the districts on any information regarding the coup d'etat. She also confides in Jean that while she believes the Crown Prince is a fool who will bring ruin to the Kingdom, a coup d'etat may lead to serious harm to the people if it were to escalate into civil war, which goes against ACCA-13's mission in preserving order and protecting the people. While employing Jean Otus as her agent, Mauve is still unsure of Jean's true allegiances and initiates a separate investigation on Jean and the coup d'etat.

Director-General Mauve recruits Jean Otus as her agent.

 

 

Rumors of Jean's supposed role as co-conspirator and messenger for the coup d'etat spreads throughout the Kingdom, and Jean finds himself in an awkward position as he travels to the districts for his audits. As Jean meets with the branch chiefs during his travels, they attempt to delicately probe Jean's position to ascertain whether he truly is a co-conspirator. Using this opportunity, Jean decides to play into the role as co-conspirator and messenger to learn more about the plot, and to his surprise, he discovers that while there seems to be no concrete plans of a coup d'etat, there is a definite underlying appetite for it among the senior ACCA-13 branch officers. However, what Jean still cannot understand is why a relatively unimportant individual like himself has been named a conspirator in a plot he is not involved in.

Jean with Hare district's branch officers.