While a certain headmistress was agonizing over a certain student’s ridiculous demand sowhere, a certain count was letting out a sigh over a similar ridiculous demand.
“Is this so sort of a joke?”
Asking for entry permission for club activities? At a ti like this? Could it be any more ridiculous than this?
While the count played a role as an assistant or so sort for Marquis Bogut, he was still ranked third or fourth of the most important people in the Upper Nobles Association. For this person to demand sothing like this to him… Calling him audacious wouldn’t even cut it.
“Seeing how confident they are in demanding sothing like this, it’d be safe to think that they have so tricks up their sleeves.”
“I thought so too, Chief Aide.”
Count Ravel replied while sweeping his hair. His annoyance was clear in his voice.
…What’s the point of doing this now?
The civil war was about to break out and there wasn’t much ti left before it happened. There was no way that this person was such an idiot that he wasn’t aware of that.
“How is Nicholas’ ‘resurrection work’ going?”
Hearing what Count Ravel said, a slight disgust passed through the chief aide’s face.
The count ignored it though, since even though they were in the sa group, the general consensus of Nicholas was that he was a disgusting human being.
Then, the chief aide replied to him, and his answer was a little unexpected.
“Currently, it’s going smoothly, but we’re seeing so…‘side effects’…”
“Side effects?”
“…To quote the people involved in the progression itself…”
As he went on, the disgust in the chief aide’s face grew deeper.
“…His ‘appetite’ has increased quite a lot.”
“…?”
“Regardless, that isn’t important for now. You have to consider that man’s intention behind sending this kind of request, Count.”
The chief aide forcefully changed the subject.
From his expression, it was clear that he didn’t want to talk about that topic anymore, prompting Count Ravel to tilt his head, but what he had said was also a topic that was hard to ignore. �
“…Either the empress or the chancellor is backing him, Count.”
“That’s obvious. Unless he’s out of his mind.”
The chief aide, who was also his personal secretary, nodded in agreent.
Count Ravel had been inford several tis that the punk called Dowd Campbell was close to both the empress and chancellor.
That was why, both the count and the chief aide concluded that there was a high chance that the man was carrying out so important mission given by these two characters. If it wasn’t the case, there was no way he’d willingly enter the enemy’s line all by himself like this. At the very least, he was definitely ‘hiding’ sothing.
If Caliban or Atalante, the two people who knew the truth of the situation, heard the content of this conversation, they’d have burst out laughing hysterically.
Because, they already said it themselves; neither the empress nor the chancellor were backing Dowd, he was simply just acting like a lunatic.
However, there was no way these two people knew that, so they just flesh out their conspiracy theories instead.
“The fact that either the empress or the chancellor is moving in tis like this ans that he is intending to provoke us.”
“…Agreed. As for why he’s doing it, he’s pressed for ti.”
The two n exchanged cunning gazes.
In their eyes, the fact that their opponent was going out of his way to provoke them like this ant that there was a high chance that he ran out of resources to carry out his thing, and this was just his defense chanism.
After all, a dog who wanted to bite soone wouldn’t bark. It would keep an eye on the person’s movents and look out for a ‘chance’.
To put it simply, there was a high chance that this was rely a bluff that ca out of his desperation.
Which ant, the way to deal with him was simple.
“…Make sure we won’t be negligent in welcoming our guests, Chief Aide.”
“Understood.”
There was no need to unnecessarily engage in a battle of nerves against a dog who couldn’t even bite. What they needed to do was to deal with him enough before ‘humiliating’ him and sending him away.
Then, they could orchestrate for ‘sothing horrible’ to happen to that Dowd Campbell punk and used it as a trigger for the civil war.
“Keep this in mind though, do not rush anything. The reason why he’s here is because soone is backing him up.”
“No need to worry. I’ll only start dealing with him after everything is ready from our side.”
Both of them then exchanged gazes that were even more cunning than before.
“…Speaking of, do you believe in that?”
“No. Rumors are rumors. They’re always exaggerated.”
And so their conversation went. Little did they know that this conversation would serve as a prologue to all kinds of tragedies that would happen afterwards.
Even after making all kinds of those speculations, there was only one thing that the two of them guessed correctly.
The fact that Dowd Campbell was indeed hiding sothing.
●
“Uh, Caliban?”
[Mm?]
“…Could it be that these Upper Noble Association people are actually good people?”
[Are you seriously thinking that?]
I knew right? That was what I thought too.
But still, was there ever any reason for them to treat , their enemy, kindly like this…?
The way they treated today, I could only describe it as a ‘warm hospitality’.
As soon as I entered their territory, they received with courtesy. They showered with good food and a cozy accommodation. From the atmosphere, it felt as if they were doing all this with sincerity.
There was nothing to complain about. Even if I were to pick a fight with them, they’d just respond amicably to —!
“I thought they’d throw into jail the mont I ca in, then they’d torture , or worse, just outright try to execute ! Why aren’t they doing all that—?!”
[…You crazy bastard.]
I knew that this was a strange attitude to have for soone who was trying to barge into their enemy’s military hub, but I really ant what I said.
What I was trying to do was to showcase the ‘suppressing power’. If I were to use violence on them unprovoked, it would just turn into the villain.
“…Well… I still have faith…”
[What faith?]
“Faith that the Upper Nobles Association are bad guys who’d subject to terrible things.”
[…]
“Surely they’d pull up a sword to cut in half. Right?”
If they don’t, I swear I’m gonna be screwed, so please, do sothing horrible on ! Please…!
[This crazy motherfucker…]
As I heard Caliban muttering that quietly, the sound of soone knocking on the door entered my ears.
Right, I called soone to co around this ti.
“Are you there?”
“Yeah. Co in.”
The person who entered the room with an expressionless face upon hearing my answer was Victoria, the only person I took here with .
Well, I thought of taking only her with from the beginning anyway, it was just strange that the other punks didn’t even try to get in the way at all.
…It’s really strange.
I an, the punks who would’ve even risked their lives just to ask why I only took one of them with were unusually quiet.
When I asked them if sothing bad was happening to them, they just told over and over again that there was nothing like that at all.
And it wasn’t like I had any evidence against it. I an, if those punks were really going through sothing horrible, their Demonic Aura would’ve co out in the first place.
[…I think your suspicion towards that person is too much. In the first place, she was the one who advised you that you’d only need three different Auras charged into the Seal, no?]
…Yeah, but still…
I couldn’t trust her yet.
Sure, I could believe that she was my biological mother, but I knew nothing about her. I didn’t know what she was trying to do either.
“What is it? You were the one who called here, but you aren’t saying anything.”
“…Hey, are you really not going to tell what’s going on?”
I knew that this punk escaped Professor Astrid’s clutches. That was why I wished that she’d tell what was going on before she managed to get away.
On our way here, I asked her over and over again about it, but her responses were the sa.
“I’ve told you already, I don’t know anything. The mont I heard what she wanted to talk about, I just left.”
“…Is that so?”
“If it’s worth sothing, I’d tell you that the others, Seras included, seed to be listening to her intently.”
“…”
That…was a weird thing for sure.
In any case, it was hard to even say that Astrid’s move could be considered favorable.
Especially when she said that she was going to evaluate her daughter-in-law while looking all pleased with herself.
Those won might be able to stand her antics because she was my mother, but they still weren’t so easy to deal with. Even so, they still willingly cooperate with her just like that.
Seriously, what the hell were they talking about that those won would act like that…?
“What? Is that all? I’m going to leave then. It’s annoying enough that I had to follow you all the way here, don’t add to the annoyance even more.”
“…”
“In the first place, the thing that you’re asking… The matter with daughter-in-law and all, it’s just stupid. Honestly, I don’t even understand why soone like you attracted so many won at once to begin with.”
“…”
Why the hell is she badmouthing all of a sudden?
Co to think of it, this punk’s attitude had changed dramatically ever since I made her suck my finger that one ti.
Before that, she’d only act ‘indifferent’ or ‘wary’, but nowadays, she’d pick fights with like this often.
[…That’s just how it is.]
What?
Caliban said sothing incomprehensible, prompting to tilt my head. Then he continued, sounding as if he was unable to hold back his laughter.
[You see, that girl’s confused because it’s her first ti experiencing such emotions. That’s why she’d take it out on you every ti she sees you.]
…Is it similar to how a child would try to bully soone that they like?
To think that I’d see such an attitude from a Grand Assassin. What was she, a shy tiger?
Anyway, I could see what Caliban was trying to say, at least to so extent.
Because her reaction if I were to tease her proved his words.
“If you hate that much, you could’ve just refused to not follow .”
By the way, I stressed the point to her that this ti, I was going to an extrely dangerous area. In other words, this punk ca here knowing what was up.
Hearing my words, Victoria pouted her lips as she replied.
“…I’ve promised…”
“Promised?”
“That I’d follow you no question asked if I were to lose against you in our match.”
“…”
“…I hate to admit it, but I lost that match since I failed to kill Seras…”
Hearing that, I could barely manage to hide my smile because this punk would throw a fit if she were to see it.
Considering what would happen ‘next’, I shouldn’t make her angry now.
< tip!="">
[ The higher the Devil’s Vessel’s favorability level towards you, the easier it is to collect Demonic Aura! ]
[ Low favorability level will spawn so difficulties in the collection process! ]
I rembered such a window popped up a while ago.
That window most likely popped up as an explanation as to why the Purple Devil’s Demonic Aura wasn’t only charging slowly, but wasn’t charged to 100%. The window definitely didn’t apply to Seras, that was why I concluded that it was this punk’s favorability level that was the problem.
I figured that I should clear this matter out as soon as possible.
Because I had a feeling that there was a high chance that both Seras and Victoria—or even the Purple Devil herself, would be the key in subduing Nicholas, the biggest obstacle in this chapter.
That was why it would be better for to clear up even the smallest obstacles as soon as possible.
In that regard…
Caliban, do you rember what I said in the past?
[Hm?]
You know, the thing that I said to Faenol.
[Which thing? How the fuck am I supposed to know if you’re being this vague?]
The part where I said that I could seduce her in a day as long as the conditions have been t.
[…]
I didn’t say that for no reason.
Because that was the reason I summoned this punk all the way here.
This was pretty much an opportunity for to create a situation where I’d be ‘alone together’ with her, despite the place being a dangerous area for .
“Victoria.”
“What? Also, don’t call my na in that way. It isn’t like we’re friendly to each other. I’m getting goosebumps just from hearing—”
“We’re going to have a date today.”
I said those words in a matter-of-fact manner, as if that had already been decided.
This way, she’d have no way to refuse.
It was basically telling her, ‘Whether you like it or not, we’re going to have a lovey dovey ti together today’.
“…Uh.”
Hearing what I said, she let out a subdued voice, just like a death throe.
She stood there for a while as her eyes moved around uncontrollably while scratching her chin and kicking the ground a few tis..
After that, a deep red blush appeared in her face as she looked up at .
“…W-What?”
Her body stiffened as she let out a weird sound. Seeing that, I just continued.
“The reason why I ca here with you, leaving the others behind, is so that we could do that.”
“…”
“So, is there anywhere you want to go?”
“…”
I gotta admit. The way Victoria moved her lips, not making any sound while blushing, was cuter than I expected.
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