Chapter 297: Chapter 261: Date (1)

While a certain headmistress was agonizing over a certain student’s ridiculous demand somewhere, a certain count was letting out a sigh over a similar ridiculous demand.

“Is this some sort of a joke?”

Asking for entry permission for club activities? At a time like this? Could it be any more ridiculous than this?

While the count played a role as an assistant or some 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 something like this to him… Calling him audacious wouldn’t even cut it.

“Seeing how confident they are in demanding something like this, it’d be safe to think that they have some 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 time 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 same 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 some…‘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 agreement.

Count Ravel had been informed several times 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 some 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’ something.

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 times like this means that he is intending to provoke us.”

“…Agreed. As for why he’s doing it, he’s pressed for time.”

The two men exchanged cunning gazes.

In their eyes, the fact that their opponent was going out of his way to provoke them like this meant that there was a high chance that he ran out of resources to carry out his thing, and this was just his defense mechanism.

After all, a dog who wanted to bite someone wouldn’t bark. It would keep an eye on the person’s movements and look out for a ‘chance’.

To put it simply, there was a high chance that this was merely a bluff that came out of his desperation.

Which meant, 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 ‘something 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 someone 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 something.

●

“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 me, their enemy, kindly like this…?

The way they treated me today, I could only describe it as a ‘warm hospitality’.

As soon as I entered their territory, they received me with courtesy. They showered me 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 me—!

“I thought they’d throw me into jail the moment I came in, then they’d torture me, or worse, just outright try to execute me! Why aren’t they doing all that—?!”

[…You crazy bastard.]

I knew that this was a strange attitude to have for someone who was trying to barge into their enemy’s military hub, but I really meant 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 me into the villain.

“…Well… I still have faith…”

[What faith?]

“Faith that the Upper Nobles Association are bad guys who’d subject me to terrible things.”

[…]

“Surely they’d pull up a sword to cut me in half. Right?”

If they don’t, I swear I’m gonna be screwed, so please, do something horrible on me! Please…!

[This crazy motherfucker…]

As I heard Caliban muttering that quietly, the sound of someone knocking on the door entered my ears.

Right, I called someone to come around this time.

“Are you there?”

“Yeah. Come in.”

The person who entered the room with an expressionless face upon hearing my answer was Victoria, the only person I took here with me.

Well, I thought of taking only her with me 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 mean, the punks who would’ve even risked their lives just to ask why I only took one of them with me were unusually quiet.

When I asked them if something bad was happening to them, they just told me over and over again that there was nothing like that at all.

And it wasn’t like I had any evidence against it. I mean, if those punks were really going through something horrible, their Demonic Aura would’ve come 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 me here, but you aren’t saying anything.”

“…Hey, are you really not going to tell me what’s going on?”

I knew that this punk escaped Professor Astrid’s clutches. That was why I wished that she’d tell me 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 same.

“I’ve told you already, I don’t know anything. The moment I heard what she wanted to talk about, I just left.”

“…Is that so?”

“If it’s worth something, I’d tell you that the others, Seras included, seemed 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 women 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 women 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 someone like you attracted so many women at once to begin with.”

“…”

Why the hell is she badmouthing me all of a sudden?

Come to think of it, this punk’s attitude had changed dramatically ever since I made her suck my finger that one time.

Before that, she’d only act ‘indifferent’ or ‘wary’, but nowadays, she’d pick fights with me like this often.

[…That’s just how it is.]

What?n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Caliban said something incomprehensible, prompting me 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 time experiencing such emotions. That’s why she’d take it out on you every time she sees you.]

…Is it similar to how a child would try to bully someone 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 some extent.

Because her reaction if I were to tease her proved his words.

“If you hate me that much, you could’ve just refused to not follow me.”

By the way, I stressed the point to her that this time, I was going to an extremely dangerous area. In other words, this punk came 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.

[ The higher the Devil’s Vessel’s favorability level towards you, the easier it is to collect Demonic Aura! ]

[ Low favorability level will spawn some difficulties in the collection process! ]

I remembered 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 me to clear up even the smallest obstacles as soon as possible.

In that regard…

Caliban, do you remember 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 met.

[…]

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 me to create a situation where I’d be ‘alone together’ with her, despite the place being a dangerous area for me.

“Victoria.”

“What? Also, don’t call my name 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 me telling her, ‘Whether you like it or not, we’re going to have a lovey dovey time 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 times..

After that, a deep red blush appeared in her face as she looked up at me.

“…W-What?”

Her body stiffened as she let out a weird sound. Seeing that, I just continued.

“The reason why I came 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.