chapter 135
135 – So, we’re not really in that kind of relationship. (9)
It’s the day to kick off the actual plan.
If you can call it a plan, it wasn’t anything grand… just Adrian and I strolling through the festival streets. Maybe if we reveal ourselves discreetly, it’ll be fine. Who knows.
– Are you ready?
-Don’t worry. I’ve found some suitable guys. They can cause a ruckus whenever needed.
With a talented and capable individual like Dantalion, it shouldn’t be too difficult. My plan was simple. Stirring up trouble at the festival with the right hoodlums.
Even in the most noble empire, there are dirty guys around. Inciting those individuals to attack Adrian is not such a challenging task.
Clearing out the trash, advancing the plan. Killing two birds with one stone. I had also planned to subtly hint at Adrian. Rumors will likely spread far and wide.
After the Lady’s secret mission, there won’t be anything as provocative as the tale of cleaning up the ugly trash on the festival street.
And if my presence is added to that… Well. It might cause quite a commotion, I suppose.
-Setting that aside… Have you found them?
-We’ve found a few pieces of evidence of the priests’ wrongdoing. But it’s not that substantial. Still, we are gradually getting some leads.
-Good. Keep going. If you think there’s a risk of exposure, pull out quickly.
-hahahaha. How do you see me, as a devil? It’s simple. After all, my expertise lies not in combat but in scheming.
-Scheming… Isn’t that a bit harsh for self-assessment?
-Why harsh? It’s just the truth. Anyway, I’m grateful for this opportunity.
-If this mission is completed successfully, I’ll call on you whenever there are good opportunities in the future. What you need most are incidents and accidents in the human realm.
-That sounds good to me.
Dantalion left a satisfied reply to my words. Good. That’s settled for now…
Next, should I speak to Adrian as planned?
I secretly used concealment magic and climbed the outer wall of the Papal Palace. Even if I asked for a pretext, it would be a clear breach of etiquette for me to knock on Adrian’s door first.
Not a high-ranking person and even a holy maiden. As the face of the Empire, without setting an appointment, unexpectedly showing up at her door could lead to troublesome consequences if someone found out.
Hence, the only way was to sneak in through the terrace. This way, there would be no risk of exposure.
I gently tapped on the terrace window.
Tap, tap.
At that moment, Adrian approached the terrace with a puzzled expression, and I released the concealment magic. Adrian hastily opened the terrace window.
“Sen… senior?”
“Ah, my apologies, Lady.”
“What on earth brings you here through the window…?”
“Due to the plan, I had no choice but to come at this time.”
“Oh. What will you do?”
“For now… I have obtained assistance from an accomplice.”
“Assistance…? And an accomplice?”
“I have a friend who helps me personally. To proceed with the plan of revealing your identity during the mission, the right incident is necessary, isn’t it?”
“Meaning, you plan to cause an incident?”
“Yes. However, it won’t be a serious one.”
“What kind of incident?”
“Well, nothing out of the ordinary. It’s a story that occasionally appears in fairy tales.”
“I see…?”
“Why, isn’t there such a thing? A princess going on an adventure, or a prince unable to bear injustice and revealing his identity… That kind of story.”
“Injustice?”
“As far as I know, there’s a place within Sacrum called the Land of Shadows.”
“Ah. Yes.”
She wore a slightly melancholic expression. The Land of Shadows in Sacrum had been a long-standing issue, still an unsolved problem. If one were to recklessly push against it, it would go against the very meaning of God loving all.
They did not commit any clear, serious sins, so it was not an easy task to just push them out of that place.
Above all, if they lose the slum, they might resort to their usual tricks in the city.
Rather, they might move more covertly to seek revenge in the kingdom, causing considerable chaos in the city. That’s why even the top brass of the kingdom is considering leaving them alone, despite being a thorn in their side.
Anyway, the plan was to use them this time.
“We’ve received information that the people in the slum will cause trouble during the festival.”
“Oh. Then….”
“Yes. We’ll create opportunities through them.”
“Sounds good.”
There are many dissatisfied people who engage in dirty deeds in the world. The kingdom was no different. In the end, this was just a neighborhood where people lived. Information, mercenaries… such individuals inadvertently formed factions and sometimes caused incidents.
What I asked Dantalion to do was to instigate one of them to cause trouble during the festival.
If they had their own plans, they wouldn’t move at that time, but Dantalion allegedly incited them by stealing the wealth that the priests unknowingly accumulated.
As always, there is a great saying.
If someone rejects my proposal, they should consider whether the money I offered is not enough. The people living in the slums are those who abnormally cling to wealth. There is nothing that cannot be achieved with a substantial amount of money.
Even if Dantalion couldn’t pay them, I was ready to use my own funds. After all, I was overflowing with money.
Anyway, Adrian had a fairly positive attitude. He felt a strong desire to condemn those who cause trouble and incidents.
Indeed. How long had she, as a saint, been waiting for the troublemakers to come out of the slums and cause trouble in the city on their own?
She seemed slightly pleased, smiling with the corners of her mouth upturned.
“Looking forward to it.”
***
Dantalion grinned sinisterly.
They say those living in the slums have short memories, and that was true.
“So, if what you say is true, just by causing a little trouble during the festival, we’ll get this money?”
“That’s right. And remember, this is just the advance payment. If the job is successful, we’ll pay twice as much.”
He subtly pulled out a hefty purse from his pocket, catching the attention of those trying to make a deal with him.
What was the name of the organization again? It had a grand name, but Dantalion didn’t bother to remember. After all, their roots would soon be torn out by the saint.
As someone who remembered the power of the hammer wielded mercilessly by her, Dantalion knew that those blinded by wealth were vulnerable.
“Oh.”
The man who seemed to be the head of the organization looked intrigued, gazing at Dantalion.
“But, do we really have a reason to follow your words? It seems like we could just kill you and take that too.”
He chuckled. The thought of robbing the foolish rich man who had come here alone made him feel good.
However, did they think Dantalion didn’t know their intentions? He was well aware of how little those living in the slums valued promises.
And such people usually, thoroughly submitted to a stronger force.
“It’s best not to meddle. If you don’t want to get hurt.”
Although Dantalion’s specialty was not combat, he was not so weak as to fall prey to these lower-class individuals who relied on the shadow of the kingdom.
No, rather, any human short of being a devil could not harm him. Ruslan was an exception.
It didn’t take long for the organization’s leader, who maintained a relaxed attitude, to distort his expression.
Because Dantalion swiftly approached, thrusting an ice-cold dagger into his neck.
“The reason I don’t use my hands is to give you a chance. How about it? With this amount of wealth, it might even be possible to crush other organizations.”
“Why are you making this offer to us…?”
“I’ve said it before. When I see pitiful and weak individuals, I like to give them a chance.”
“Ha, spinning such sweet lies. There must be something behind it.”
“So. Will you do it, or say it? If you don’t want to, this purse, including the advance payment, will roll into another organization.”
Those words sealed the deal. The leader readily accepted Dantalion’s proposal.
***
Having left the organization, Dantalion hummed a tune.
“Easy, so easy.”
Blinded by money, watching them crawl to their demise was always a joyless spectacle. He was, after all, ultimately a wicked demon.
“By the way, a storm of blood will soon blow.”
Investigating the subordinates, he realized their corruption ran deep. There was much evidence yet to be obtained, but it was only a matter of time before he found it.
However.
In the end, all of this had little relevance to him. He just had to follow Frah’s orders.
“I’ll just stack up enough wicked deeds. There’s not much time left… soon, I might become an intermediate demon.”
He smiled faintly.