At the ntion of human trafficking, the young boss’s face darkened.
His reaction was calr than I expected.
From the descriptions in the novel, I thought he would fly into a rage.
“How much do you know.”
“I know that your organization is tracking it.”
“How did it reach the Count’s ears? I was definitely handling it quietly.”
Crushing out the cigarette, Cesare let out a long sigh.
It wasn't simply a matter of human trafficking being bad.
Although all sorts of criminal organizations and pleasure houses flourished in the Northern Federation, there was one taboo.
Human trafficking.
It was a taboo unrelated to morality or compassion.
‘If they cared about such things in the first place, businesses like kidnapping wouldn't exist.’
The reason human trafficking was forbidden was much simpler.
It was because Cesare’s parents had fallen victim to human traffickers.
The first thing Cesare did after conquering the underworld was hang everyone involved in human trafficking organizations.
“Yes, soone is definitely buying and selling people.”
“When did you find out.”
“Not long ago. I caught a lead about a month ago. Well, this kind of thing isn't exactly the first ti, and I planned to catch and crush them quickly…”
Cesare trailed off.
I already knew the reason but pretended not to know appropriately.
“I heard you have the Federation’s underworld in your grasp… Is that not the case?”
Hmm, saying it like that sounded like sarcasm.
Cesare’s expression turned grim, perhaps taking it as actual sarcasm.
“If it were solely the Federation’s matter, then yes. But this ti, those bastards have latched onto good backing.”
“Are you saying it’s a diplomatic issue?”
Cesare nodded.
Worry was felt more strongly than anger in his expression.
“This incident isn’t just sothing perpetrated by so vermin within the Federation. It’s much more… Hmm, how should I put it…. It feels like the outside of the Federation is involved too.”
“Outside…”
He wasn't wrong.
This trade was sustained because soone outside the Federation was buying slaves on a large scale.
And on quite a large scale at that.
The Dix Autonomy, located in the southern part of the Empire.
An area with an economy centered on large plantations, where the slave system was active.
Naturally, it was a place where the demand for slaves always overflowed.
‘Moreover, since it’s where the descendants of Imperial ritorious subjects are, the Empire is also backing them.’
That's why it was too much for the young boss of the underworld to handle alone.
Even though he controlled the Northern Federation's underworld, on the diplomatic stage, he was just the head of a criminal organization, so there was no way to deal with them.
Alone, that is.
“At first, I didn’t pay much attention either, but as the scale grew larger, it’s becoming a problem for the demons, and furthermore, even for the Empire.”
“…I have no excuse.”
“I’m glad you at least know. Whatever happens in the Federation is none of my business, but if it affects the Empire, that’s a different story.”
Cesare took out another cigarette.
After taking a deep drag, he muttered with a resigned face.
“How do you plan to dispose of this.”
“Dispose? Let’s not use such harsh words. Yes, let’s call it cooperation.”
“Cooperation… you say?”
“Isn’t it a problem for both the Empire and the Northern Federation? Wouldn’t investigating together be much faster?”
“……”
Cesare narrowed his eyes.
He seed to be gauging whether he could really trust the man before him.
In the original work, Cesare never t Valheit.
Ah, he saw him once right before dying, but let’s exclude that.
So, for him to suddenly appear and ntion cooperation was inevitably suspicious.
After sufficient ti had passed, Cesare carefully opened his mouth.
“With nothing in return?”
“Of course not. Since when were we ever that close.”
Of course, there was the goal of saving Cesare, who was originally supposed to die first, but I didn't co solely for that.
“An interesting event is scheduled to happen soon in the Empire. At that ti, our young boss will have to help.”
“Is it perhaps related to the continuous orders placed with the Imperial family…”
“Let’s discuss such complicated matters later. For now, we need to resolve the problem at hand.”
After pondering for a mont, Cesare nodded in agreent.
He didn't know it, but that nod just now saved his life.
“Good. Send your subordinates to the mine near Novosibir as quickly as possible.”
“I suspected that place too and investigated it several tis, but found no clues.”
“No matter how much of a scumbag they are, they wouldn't have run such a dangerous business without any safety asures, would they?”
“……!”
I leaned back leisurely and twisted the corner of my mouth exaggeratedly.
“It would be best if you checked the surroundings.”
* * *
Coming outside and looking up at the sky, a weaker blizzard than usual t my eyes.
Cesare had begun to act based on the information I gave him.
‘Cesare from the Federation side, Til in Novosibir, and Noah and I will enter the mine.’
This way, the protagonist’s exploits remain intact while quickly resolving the Northern Federation’s problem.
At least, according to the information I possessed.
“Assuming the story doesn’t suddenly change drastically, that is.”
I chuckled to myself, then tilted my head.
Co to think of it, there was a part different from the story I knew.
The fire that should have occurred in the Wasteland.
Although I started the fire myself, aning the story's flow ultimately didn't change, the story could have gone awry right from the start.
I called up the Status Window.
[Tir]
298 Episodes until World Destruction.
(View Details!)
▶ Valheit Death Probability: 82.3%
There were no particular changes.
The death probability actually decreased, and it just progressed one more episode.
I checked the Relationship chart too, but it was similar.
Cesare's and Karl's relationship charts were updated, but there were no particularly unusual entries.
‘Where did it derail?’
I had ddled here and there, but I hadn't done anything that should have affected the events of Episode 1, at least.
If the novel’s protagonist died or sothing went wrong, there was a risk it would end without even reaching 300 episodes.
That's why I tried to reduce variables as much as possible, so why did it change?
‘Other than that fire incident, the major flow hasn't been twisted. Why just this one….’
Other parts of the Wasteland episode didn't change significantly.
If so, I could assu I hadn't ssed up anything major.
It ant there was a fundantal problem.
For example….
‘Everything is the sa as the original except for ….’
The biggest change and the fundantal reason.
By possessing Valheit, the possibility that I wouldn't perform actions the original Valheit would have.
Although I knew the novel's contents well, I didn't know all of Valheit's actions that didn't appear in the novel.
“Why on earth was Valheit there?”
The protagonist crossing over to this world was purely a coincidental event.
Valheit couldn't have known, and even if he did, he wouldn't have been interested in a demon who looked unremarkable on the outside.
“It ans there’s sothing I don’t know…”
I carefully thought about soone who might know.
A person who spent a long ti with Valheit and knew him well.
The Commander of the Eight Council, who created the Eight Council and shared its history.
‘Looks like the list of things to ask when we et has grown. Though I need to find out the Commander’s na first.’
Anyway, that was a problem to worry about later.
‘Shall I resolve the matter at hand first?’
I took out a bracelet from my pocket.
I touched the severed finger piece embedded in the center of the bracelet.
It was ti to use Godrick’s Finger I obtained last ti.
* * *
Yesterday was a disastrous day for Paul.
The large-scale raid in the Wasteland was bad enough, but the terrified fellow smugglers flocking and banging on the door was more annoying.
Originally, he planned to lie in the hammock set up next to the door and read the cheap novel he bought last ti.
It was a day unbefitting the cushy job of a gatekeeper.
So today, he planned to slack off without moving much.
Those higher up seed troubled by the disastrous events of the Wasteland, but well, it wasn't a problem for a gatekeeper to worry about.
Thump thump-
Paul casually ignored the knocking sound.
They'd try a few tis, and if it didn't work, they'd go elsewhere.
There were already 5 secret passages connected to the mine, and this place was just a dog hole, so visitors were few anyway.
Contrary to his expectations, the urgent knocking showed no signs of stopping.
He irritably closed the novel he was reading.
“Fuck… who is it?!”
“Pretending not to be there when you are! Open the door!”
Checking outside through the peephole, he saw a person half-buried in snow, shivering violently.
“Who the hell are you?”
“Fuck, who else would co looking for this place?”
The person raised their voice and thrust out a bracelet.
Godrick’s Finger dangled from the pale wrist.
“Didn’t hear anyone was coming today.”
“I was hiding because of yesterday’s incident and barely made it here, okay?”
Speaking pitifully with eyes squeezed shut as if lacking the energy to even open them, Paul felt slightly moved.
It wasn't because of paltry sympathy.
If they escaped from the Wasteland, they surely had sothing worth ripping off.
All the guys who fled yesterday were like that.
“The higher-ups said not to accept any more. Can’t just let you pass.”
“Uh, well, I don’t have much.”
“Then get lost.”
“Damn… is this enough?”
The narrow-eyed guy took out a pouch and shook it.
Paul gripped his club and opened the door.
“Take it and piss off, fuck. Ugh, cold.”
It was a satisfactory amount.
Putting down the club, he lay back down in the hammock and opened his book.
If he had been a bit more careful, he might have seen his fellow smuggler's sneer.
Perhaps a few minutes passed like that.
Soone knocked on the door again.
‘What a shitty luck day.’
Grumbling, the gatekeeper got up.
“Not doing business, so piss…”
Sothing slipped through the gap in the peephole.
By the ti he realized what it was, the blade was already deep in his neck.
After flailing briefly, Paul collapsed, and the door rattled a few tis before opening.
Pushing aside the shattered lock and the corpse, two demons entered.
They covered their faces with cloaks and hoods, but couldn't hide their racial features.
“It really is strange. Completely different from normal magic.”
As the Dark Elf with long navy ears shook his head, the Diaboli with a pair of red horns shook his head.
“So you an you don’t really know, Karl?”
“Right. I think I need to ask soone who knows magic better than .”
“Hmm, okay. Let’s think about it later. For now, let’s deal with the matter at hand.”
Karl nodded in agreent at Noah’s words.
There was no ti to spare.
They needed to grab the ledger and get out.
‘Before that closed-eyed human starts sothing.’
The human who had suddenly visited the Demon District again had asked them to monitor Novosibir closely because sothing big would soon happen at the mine.
It was unclear what he intended to do, but it wouldn't be anything good for the smugglers.
Of course, that wasn't Karl’s concern.
However, it would be disastrous if the ledger detailing the whereabouts of other demons disappeared.
Now was the only chance.
Especially since a companion who, though the principle was unknown, was remarkably good at breaking locks had arrived.
“Then let’s go.”
The two demons began to ascend the passage, muffling their footsteps.
Unaware that even this was part of Valheit’s plan.
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