Episode 2 of the Overly Competent Villain

Behind the circle

After her father’s funeral, Elysia took a long vacation.

Although it was an added virtue of catching a big terrorist named Aburak Abdeslam.

But it wasn’t just good things. Jacques Pietro was caught and missed by the Ministry of Justice.

To be precise, the deputy director voluntarily reported it before he was caught, but he was reprimanded for catching all the 10 most wanted criminals of the empire and missing them.

Still, it feels like it has been offset by the capture of a big-time terrorist who caused great damage to the empire.

In the end, it was plus or minus zero, but the deputy director didn’t feel so downtrodden. In any case, the deputy director made many achievements here.

He killed Jurgen Klissmann, the knight killer who killed three knights, arrested the large-scale poppy farms that were making the empire sick, and those involved, and also killed a big-time terrorist who was only classified as classified.

In terms of objective scores, it is much better than missing Jacques Pietro.

In any case, it is only natural that rewards and vacations are paid since he has achieved various achievements. In addition, Elysia even had a statue of her father.

– Smart smart!

Visitors who break through complex thoughts. When I opened the door, the owner of the house, an elderly lady, was waiting for me.

“Miss, you have to pay the rent.”

“Ah yes.”

Perhaps today was the day to pay the rent, Elysia handed over the money envelope she had prepared. It was an envelope containing 35 10-gulik bills.

After paying the rent, Elysia looked at the detective board, which had a dense presence in the small room.

A detective board that summarizes the connection between Jacques Pietro’s crime and the case. There are new names and events added.

Aburak Abdeslam.

triad circle.

and father Janssen von Wittenberg.

What he did here was ultimately aimed at the triad circle.

The knight-slayer Jurgen Klissmann and the terrorism instigated by Abdeslam… it is clear that it is related to his own interests.

But what about your relationship with your father?

The relationship between Jacques Pietro and his father is not simply the terrorist incident of 12 years ago. An incident from a long time ago connects the two.

“ha······.”

My father didn’t tell me everything until the very end. I just left the words to watch from Pietro’s side and judge for yourself.

That’s why it was Elysia who put judgment on hold, but it’s just hard to know where to start digging.

– Kworuk!

At the alarm on the belly button, he carefully packs his coat. Looks like it’s time to eat.

“Whoa…”

The recent food expenses have been burdensome.

When I went to work, I was able to use the cafeteria, and there is a subsidy in the name of food expenses.

However, forced leave based on performance did not provide food support, which was a great help to households, even though it was paid leave.

‘Because I broke the bounty and installment savings for funeral expenses, the remaining balance is…’

A knight must be poor and ascetic.

I’ve usually convinced myself that way, but seeing the balance decreasing in real time makes me a little sad.

‘I have to change my sword regularly, and I have to get a new coat… and I have to send money to the territory…’

The biggest expense is manor management. With the collapse of the Wittenberg family, most of the estates were sold, but the estates that the family had managed since the days when they were counts could not be sold carelessly.

Elysia remitted most of the bounty money I received last winter for the villagers who grew up with only potatoes.

Naturally, her life is poor, but as a strong knight, she can live with only potatoes and water.

If you save even one more penny, the villagers of the poor manor will be able to prepare enough firewood for the winter.

‘it’s okay. It is the law that those who are knighted should be friends with frugality and poverty.’

Elysia decides to keep food expenses to a minimum until the vacation is over and finds the cheapest restaurant in front of her house.

This place boasts the cheapest price in the area, and if you add 3 gulicks to the mackerel sandwich, which is a single item on the menu, you get half a mackerel.

A valuable source of protein for her active body.

The moment Elysia is about to order a mackerel sandwich that smells slightly fishy but has a large amount, she hears a familiar voice.

“If you want to eat a lot, order the soybean sauté. It’s a hearty soup made by boiling meat in soybeans that are rich in nutrients. A mackerel sandwich all week long, don’t you get bitten?”

direction of voice. At a table in the restaurant there is a man in a suit reading a newspaper. Elysia is startled by her unique presence.

“All, you! When?!”

It’s a ghost to sing. To think that the knight himself did not notice his approach.

How the hell could this guy be so ignorant?

“Ellie. If it’s still time to eat, would you like to join us?”

“Keuk…”

My meal, brought by Jacques, is salmon carpaccio with lemon juice. 15 Gulicks… 7 Gulicks more expensive than the mackerel sandwich Elysia was trying to order.

“Rather than that, take a seat. If you don’t plan to engage in sword fighting in front of ordinary people.”

“Big…”

Elysia carefully sat in front of the surprised guests and Zach’s obedient attitude.

“What is it? He disappeared like that at the funeral home.”

Elysia gives a resentful look at Zach, who avoids answering about her relationship with her father.

“Don’t be too disappointed. I’ll give you a gift if you help me and build credit.”

“Who do you think helps you more? I’m out of work now.”

Rather, Elysia is contemplating whether to arrest Zach now. But at best, will the deputy director transfer Zach to the center?

Even with Zach, who had slipped away leisurely, the deputy director didn’t seem eager to chase after him.

“How much do you know about the triad circle?”

“Suddenly? …I know it’s not just a gang union.”

Elysia listened to him, unaware that she was involved in Zach, who smirkingly changed the topic.

“It’s not easy for a coalition of simple thugs to take over the South. The big guys with ‘Pawn’ in their names don’t want to stand shoulder to shoulder with the lowly ones.”

“Does this mean that aristocrats are involved in…?”

“It’s not as noble as it is. It’s a much bigger mogul.”

Elysia first thought of Salvatore Salviati, the mayor of Lombardy, but he has a lot of feelings that he is not enough to be a great nobleman. It’s more like a local high-ranking official doubled as mayor.

“The reason why the Triad Circle was able to take control of the South is probably because of the support of high-ranking people who want contraband, but the real thing is different. Think carefully about the physiology of gangs. How they can expand their power.”

“······violence.”

At Elysia’s words, Zach grinned as if he had the correct answer.

“It’s the purest strength and the proof of the organization. Don’t you think it’s strange? The triad circle. For local thugs, it’s ‘too well armed’.”

“ah······.”

Looking back, it was like that.

Even the swordsmen of the Porgore family were armed with a magical sword, a product of imperial magic engineering… that is, an imperial sword, and at Poppy Farm they even mobilized machine guns to stop Abdeslam.

A local gang that can mobilize many of those expensive magic swords and machine guns? I don’t know anything else, but the magic sword and the machine gun are not something you can get just with money.

“Could it be that the military… intervened?”

“Well. As you know, there are no military bases in the southern part of the Empire except for the fleet. They are concentrated in the Pasha province beyond the Red Sea.”

“Then who are you?”

At Elysia’s direct question, Zach grinned and brought up a new topic.

“How much do you know about the Imperial Army Special Forces Kachitori?”

“Isn’t it a special force composed of prosecutors from the southern peninsula?”

“Recently, traces of their involvement have been found in the internal riots in Lombardy.”

Zach handed over some pictures. It is full of neatly dismembered corpses and heads with V-shaped scars on their faces.

“Kachitori’s confirmed kill… That’s it. I’ve heard of it.”

But this alone is not proof. Because such a merciless insult is something anyone can imitate.

‘Kachitori’ is a generic name for the special forces from the southern part of the Empire. There must be several units inside, but the number will easily exceed 1,000, so it is close to impossible to identify anyone.

“If you could be specific?”

“Did you find out anything?”

Zach handed over another envelope. Class 1 military secret documents… I wanted to question how the hell they obtained the military secret documents, but the important thing is the contents.

“A photo of the Olbia Air Base… what the heck is this—”

Wait, Elysia looked at the photos and noticed something strange.

“A private airship?”

The airship landing at the military airfield was a civilian airship without an imperial flag. The next picture was even weirder.

“······article.”

In the photo, swordsmen armed with swords and coats were pouring down.

“Sir Karl Hauser, the former commander of the Kachitori army, and his men. They landed on a military base in a private airship and immediately annihilated a gangster family in Lombardy.”

“no way······.”

“Competing families who took advantage of the weakening of the triad circle and looked for opportunities. Isn’t it a coincidence?”

It felt like I had been hit in the head with a hammer.

A former special forces member who was discharged supported the Southern Mafia Alliance.

Who the hell is the force that can send such a professional combat group as reinforcements?

“I need to inform the deputy director right now—”

Zach grabbed Elysia, who jumped up.

“Sit down, Ellie. Just don’t get ahead of yourself.”

“but······.”

“The story so far is just speculation. There is no clear physical evidence.

Yes. All of this is just speculation based on evidence.

“But isn’t it necessary to conduct an investigation? That way we can get evidence.”

“It’s the Bureau of Investigations that couldn’t move even in the Public Security Office. Can you try entering the Imperial Army Air Base?”

“Then how?”

“If you help me, there’s a way.”

“…Are you trying to use me again?”

Elysia immediately sent a suspicious gaze.

From the knight-slayer to Aburak Abdeslam.

The gains he took using the Investigation Agency and himself were terribly elaborate and insidious.

“I’m thinking of using the Bureau of Investigation to completely wipe out the Triad Circle and those behind it.”

“Think positively. You caught the murderer who murdered three knights, rounded up the huge poppy farm and the gang members. You also eliminated the classified Great Mage terrorist.”

The benefits the investigative agency took are by no means small. Jacques emphasizes that each other can help each other.

“Think about it. It will completely end the notorious mafia coalition that has been eating away at the empire. This will restore peace to the South.”

“Aren’t you going to take his place after all? To expand your criminal empire.”

At Elysia’s reasonable suspicion, Zach smiled wickedly and openly ignored it.

“Then, what will you do for me today—”

“Oh, don’t ignore me!

So, does that mean it’s okay for him to be mobilized for the illegal work? Zach recognized Elysia’s gaze and smiled wickedly.

“Let’s go flexibly, be flexible.”

“ha······.”

According to her father’s will, Elysia had to stand by Jacques Pietro and watch him and judge for herself.

For him, helping Zach is inevitable.

“Kuh… I won’t cooperate with crossing the line!”

“I don’t want you to go there either. And this is also an opportunity.”

“A chance… you mean?”

“Don’t you want to raise a family? To do that, you need to raise your reputation. The more vicious criminals you catch, the better your promotion path will be.”

Elysia was in a complicated mood. In fact, a promotion was due because of his recent performance.

After the fall of the family and the name of Wittenberg in the ground, more merit must be made for revenge and restoration of the family.

“Then how——”

When she looked up, she was the only one left on the table in the restaurant.

“also!”

I don’t know if it was once or twice, but each time it appeared like the wind and disappeared like the wind, Elysia was always very perplexed.

How could he fool the senses of the substitute knight and disappear like this?

“ha······.”

Elysia saw the note placed in the place of Zach who had disappeared. It’s like this again.

[Tonight, 44th street donut shop. nine o’clock.]

Elysia sighed when she saw the note left by Zach. Can’t you just say it in words?

Is it too much to feel like I’ve tasted some kind of fun?

In the meantime, Elysia realized that it wasn’t just a note that Zach left behind.

“This?”

I saw an envelope hidden under the plate. There was also a note left by Zach.

[That’s the price of rice cakes. Use it sparingly.]

Elysia opened the envelope, and then she was shocked! and held his breath.

* * * *

After gathering information from the Highney Squad and police officers, I brought Elysia in and was waiting for her at a donut shop.

“Boss, can I order some more donuts?”

“Do whatever you feel like.”

Skinny Roy, who was guilty of the donuts he ordered while waiting, took an additional order. Big Garrick is also an additional spell.

“Louisa, do you want another one too?”

“I don’t like sweets.”

“Then get me some more coffee.”

“I don’t even drink water before the operation.”

“It’s tricky.”

Unlike the other two younger siblings in the mercenary corps, the eldest sister, Louisa, focused on hunting preparations like a beast.

-We prepared the donuts and espresso you ordered here.

As I was sipping the coffee I ordered, Osman started talking to me.

[Do you think Sir Elysia will come?]

‘well. According to her personality, she wouldn’t be involved in such a crime.’

But Elysia will come. Because she’s still in her prime.

[So you even gave me a bribe? To bury the dirty things first and slowly pollute them?]

‘Contamination is an exaggeration. I’m just trying to find a little compromise.’

But I’m curious. How would Elysia use the money she handed over for bread?

Shall I close my eyes and gulp? Or would I flinch and throw the envelope in my face?

The latter is closer, but you never know. If she finds a compromise and decides to accept the money I hand over, it’s a profit that can’t be compared to anything like money.

Because it means that you can command the swordsman with money.

[I don’t think she’ll take the money.]

‘Me too, but just in case you don’t know.’

such an appointment. Someone started approaching the entrance of the donut shop.

“Hey, Pietro.”

Upon hearing Luisa’s call, her eyes turned to the entrance. My pupils were greatly dilated.

[What, what?]

Confused Archmage. It was Elysia who opened the door and entered.

“Whoa…! Pietro.”

Elysia was carrying a huge backpack. A huge backpack that can hold a full week’s worth of food and bedding provided for military use. Knock the military backpack for the knight’s solo operation to the floor! Elysia puts it down.

“Something, this?”

“Yes? You ordered it, right?”

Elysia nodded her head with pure eyes of the world.

“What is it?”

Rather than being curious about a person he had never seen before, the skinny guy opened the backpack secretly, curious about the contents of the backpack. Then–

“wow······.”

It was because the backpack was full of rice cakes.

“From now on, you do it yourself. Why did you order this errand? Are you sure you’re going to open a strange business here too?”

“·······.”

Did you understand the ‘rice cake price’ as the real ‘rice cake’ and ‘price’…?

[Pu-sup…!]

The archmage couldn’t help laughing when he saw it.

“·······.”

“???”

Elysia was a much more pristine white drawing paper than I expected.

“This is change. Why did you give me 10,000 Gulik bills to buy rice cakes?”

How are you going to handle all this rice cake?