I Accidentally Created a Villainous Organization

Chapter 61: We’re losing, but you’re smiling.

Unfortunately, my logical explanations had no effect at all.

No matter what I said, the responses were always the same: “That’s Sad. Do you not trust us?”

In the end, I had to surrender completely.

I pleaded with them, ‘If you absolutely must do this, please make sure you don’t get caught.’

Leaving only that request behind, I disbanded those passionate supporters of the Black Fangs.

The once bustling streets now had not a single person in sight.

Siel and I erased the traces of magic from the land and dismantled the temporary shelter.

I looked around, lost in thought.

We managed to save many people and successfully diverted the Empire’s attention.

Though in the process, we ended up doing a lot of good for the Black Fangs, gaining supporters, shaping public opinion, and boosting their reputation.

But that shouldn’t be a big problem.

Recently, the Empire and the Black Fangs have been in conflict. A little help here and there won’t hurt.

Coming here was a pretty good choice, I thought, as I gazed at the empty streets.

“……?”

I was supposed to be the only one left here, and I was about to head back to the mansion.

But a few shabby-looking men were staring at me.

Their hair was a mess.

They had dark circles down to their lips.

Maybe they heard rumors about a shelter opening nearby and came looking for help?

I approached them, thinking I might give them some food and send them off...

“Pl-please, save us!”

It was a familiar voice.

I had heard it several times before.

And there were three of them.

It didn’t take long for me to recognize who they were.

‘Now that I think about it, I forgot about these guys.’

Knights.

Imperial Knights.

The ones who came looking for us last time and ended up being used as labor.

…Why do they look so miserable?

I distinctly remember telling them they could rest whenever they wanted.

But it seems no one ever listens to me.

I approached them to check if they were injured. And then….

“……What are you doing?”

One knight, trembling alone, fell backward. Upon closer inspection, I saw tears in his eyes.

The three of them had their eyes tightly shut, as if they had planned it together... It took about 30 seconds for them to finally open their eyes.

The knight in the middle opened his mouth with a dazed look and asked.

“W-were you not going to kill us?”

Such an unexpected question.

Naturally, my expression turned to one of confusion.

Why bring that up all of a sudden?

“Why would I kill you?”

The question popped out of my mouth in utter bewilderment.

What on earth did these guys think of me?

“Well, we’ve become useless now….”

The knight stammered, sweating nervously.

Useless.

Indeed, that might not be entirely wrong.

We dismantled the shelter earlier than planned, and everyone was evacuated.

Whether or not the Empire found our location didn’t really matter anymore.

“You’re right. I have no reason to keep you alive anymore.”

As soon as they heard my words, their faces turned pale again. I quickly continued before they fainted.

“But what does that matter?”

“...What?”

Such a dumbfounded voice.

The knight was visibly flustered.

He didn’t seem to understand my words yet, but it wasn’t a complicated story.

“Just because you’re useless doesn’t mean I have to kill you.”

You no longer have any use.

Keeping you alive wouldn’t help at all.

Is that a reason to kill someone?

“That’s the kind of thing the Empire would do.”

At least, I don’t want to do such a thing.

It might seem like a soft-hearted approach, but I didn’t think it was wrong.

Living this way allowed me to meet my current companions.

If I had lived without caring whether others died as long as it benefited me, I wouldn’t be standing here now.

I probably would have died alone in that mine.

“...”

The knights stared blankly at me.

Though it was disappointing to see them unable to accept the mercy offered, technically speaking, they were the last guests of our now-closed shelter.

So, I extended my hand and said to them with a generous heart, “What are you waiting for? You should get going before I change my mind.”

The knight took my hand and stood up.

He looked at me intently and spoke, “Now I understand.”

His gaze was a mix of all kinds of emotions.

“You intended to save us, just like you saved the others.”

The knight continued to speak at length about the experiences he had while saving people instead of cutting them down.

Listening to him, I could only feel bewildered.

In truth, I had only used them as slaves out of spite.

I even forgot about them halfway and left them behind.

“We have learned from your teachings, and we will do what we must.”

But I couldn’t bring myself to pour cold water on his grateful face.

And honestly, I was tired of explaining myself.

I just nodded silently and finished my farewell.

With everything settled, I left the beloved shelter, lost in thought.

What was this?

Nothing went as I planned, yet the outcomes weren’t as bad as I expected. It was all so bizarre.

*****

These days, a smile rarely left the Second Prince’s face.

Even as he leisurely smoked a cigar, his lips never seemed to fall.

The reason was very simple.

Everything was proceeding smoothly, as if luck was on his side.

The Second Prince had finally received recognition for his achievements.

That foolish brother.

Even the Third Princess, who always looked down on him, had been unusually quiet lately.

‘Naturally,’ he thought.

His sister was incompetent, and he was brilliant.

While she wasted her time investigating some trivial potion merchant for looking suspicious,

The Second Prince, through relentless investigation, had finally uncovered the identity of the leader of the Black Fangs.

This accomplishment was acknowledged by their father,

And now, that annoying woman had ceased her time-wasting activities by their father’s orders and was focused on search operations under his direction.

‘Even under me, she’s still useless.’

As if picking a fight, the Third Princess constantly nitpicked at him with absurd complaints.

She claimed she had a bad feeling.

She questioned whether he was managing his subordinates properly.

It was nonsense, pure and simple.

Asmodeus had officially confirmed this ‘yesterday’ as well.

None of his subordinates had any contact with the Black Fangs.

And there was no one among them who had been seduced by the rapidly spreading Black Fangs’ faith, so he assured.

So, instead, she should be worried about her head.

Always trusting her instincts and making futile efforts, wasting time—it was nothing short of a disgrace to their bloodline.

‘Well, it works in my favor.’

Her incompetence only highlighted his competence.

This should have greatly swayed their father’s heart.

It was undeniable that he had gained a tremendous advantage in the succession battle.

‘It’s still unpleasant that I had to borrow that suspicious fellow’s hand.’

But if these were the results, it was a risk worth taking.

Initially, all demons were refusing to touch the Black Fangs for some reason, leaving no other choice but him.

That creepy smile.

It was annoying to see him always looking so pleased while staring at him.

But that guy had produced overwhelming results.

Obtaining a photo of the Black Fangs’ leader at the cost of ten percent of his soul was a minor feat.

Asmodeus was still watching.

The leader of the Black Fangs.

Although it was difficult to interfere due to his high status, Asmodeus’ claim that he could maintain his sight by offering substantial souls regularly was no lie.

With his father’s support, using the souls secretly collected by the Empire as fuel, Asmodeus was still monitoring the leader of the Black Fangs.

“What is that guy doing now?”

[Hmm... To protect others, he’s personally eliminating a monstrous entity that attacks people’s minds.]

Thus, the Black Fangs were already in the palm of their hands.

No matter what they did, they couldn’t escape his gaze.

From his behavior to his habits.

Everything was thoroughly analyzed to eventually become a trap that would capture them.

‘...We’ve won.’

The Black Fangs’ faith was spreading actively.

They might be arrogantly celebrating their victory.

But the true nature of this battle was somewhat different.

They were being gradually cornered without even realizing it.

The world might view this conflict as the Empire’s defeat.

‘This fight, it’s our victory!’

The goddess of victory was smiling at him.

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