Chapter 56: Life and Death

Arriving in Tialuhiya, Anden notes Uwiwa’s post-typhoon reconstruction under Espenian oversight and the anti-corruption purge that dismantled old vices, including the jade-smuggling nexus. He reflects on his uncertain future, Lott Jin’s contrasting path, and Jirhuya’s activism, framing his role as a flexible instrument of No Peak.

At the maximum-security prison, Anden meets Iyilo—once Zapunyo’s lieutenant, later Mountain-aligned head of Ti Pasuiga—now jadeless and awaiting extradition. He recounts how GSI captured Iyilo for Uwiwa’s government after Espenian pressure, and how neither the Mountain nor Matyos intervened, signaling Ti Pasuiga’s obsolescence.

When Iyilo derides No Peak’s offer of help, Anden outlines the stakes: extradition to Kekon will end in a swift, arranged death to keep Ayt Mada’s crimes buried. Anden proposes a high-profile KNB interview with Toh Kita to expose Ayt’s alliances and profits from black-market jade.

Iyilo balks at “ratting,” but Anden shifts tactics, revealing surveillance photos of Iyilo’s secret Uwiwan family and the limits of loyalty after his death. He contrasts Kekonese aisho with Iyilo’s vulnerability as a barukan, warning that Ayt and others could silence loose ends—including Iyilo’s wife and children.

Anden offers immediate evacuation and safe resettlement in Espenia under No Peak’s protection, promising new identities and futures for the children in exchange for Iyilo’s testimony. Acknowledging the moral tension of his own history, Anden asserts his willingness to decide “life and death” to protect family. The chapter ends with Anden awaiting Iyilo’s answer, the pressure unmistakable.