Chapter 301: Chapter 265: Picking a Fight (2)

“Count Ravel~!”

A man’s voice echoed, filled with confidence.

It was Dowd Campbell, who had crushed the main gate and barged in.

“I brought you a present~!”

Following those words, he dropped someone’s body onto the yard.

The body was a man’s, tied up nicely as if he was ‘gift-wrapped’. His body was dropped with a particularly loud sound that stood out even among the buzzing noises and screaming voices around Dowd.

“…”

Count Ravel silently narrowed his eyes.

He quickly recognized that the tied-up man was one of the informants that he had assigned to watch the punk. The count also remembered how fired-up this particular man was about this task because he was one of Nicholas Comital Household’s confidants.

At first, he thought that assigning this task to him might be a little dangerous. After all, the risk of him committing a mistake was high, and if he were to get caught because of it, things would turn messy really quickly.

But eventually, he decided to do it anyway. At the end of the day, it was just a possibility, not something that would actually happen.

And yet…

Just…how…?

Magic Tower’s ‘stealth outfit’ that they had brought here with great difficulty boasted an overwhelming performance when it came to stealth. It was to the point that he was confident that an assassin could easily assassinate anyone he wanted to kill—save for the empress, since the Sword Saint always sticks to her like glue.

With this tool, even if the informant made a little mistake, the count was confident that no one would be able to catch him, let alone getting tied up like that.

While the count was racking his brain, trying to guess what had happened, Dowd continued with a smile on his face.

“This guy visited my room and tried to pry a hole into my body. What a mannerless guy, don’t you think? Well, I don’t know which idiot thought that it would be okay to send a guy like this to me, so… Can you tell that idiot to just stop? He won’t accomplish anything by doing this.”

“…You have no right to talk about manners, Viscount Campbell.”

Count Ravel said those words, barely managing to suppress the rage that was trying to seep through his voice.

“Then again, what should I expect from someone hailing from such a humble bloodline?”

Even though he was barely able to suppress the rage boiling up inside him that had reached its boiling point…

His mind was colder than ever.

He beckoned his Chief Aide, who was not in his view.

Telling him to get the other ‘equipment’ in the mansion ready.

The fact that the biggest sponsor for the Magic Tower was the Upper Nobles Association was already well known. With that in mind, it wasn’t hard to guess that Count Ravel’s mansion was well-equipped with ‘the most advanced equipment’ created by the Magic Tower.

Even now, he only needed to give out the signal, all the equipment—each could kill the punk ten times over—would be activated without delay.

…He has gone this far, I have no reason to put up with his nonsense anymore.

There wasn’t much time left until the members of the Upper Nobles Association, including him, would carry out the ‘insurrection’.

All this time, they had been trying their best not to give the opponent the excuse to attack them, but, since the punk in front of him was provoking them so openly, the count figured that there was no reason for him to tolerate him anymore.

While it was true that they were the one who had provided him with an excuse for such a provocation, the punk had crossed the line he should have never crossed.

“That’s why, we will take it into our own hands to educate you in regards to manners, Viscount. So please, don’t resent us too much.”

“Oho.”

However, even after he heard Count Ravel’s cold voice…

Dowd still responded to him calmly.

It was as if he liked where this was going, and he’d welcome this outcome with open arms.

“I’m looking forward to it then.”

“…”

Hearing his response, Count Ravel gritted his teeth.

Teaching him manners was a done deal, but he felt the need to strike a heavy blow with ‘his words’ before his rage would be quelled.

“…Once I’m done with you…”

That was why he decided to let out an ‘efficient’ sentence, even though he knew that he would drag his dignity to the ground if he were to say it.

“…I’ll work my way with Lady Tristan to hold her accountable for your actions, because I know that it’s either the empress or her who made you think you can do all this without a care in the world.”

But, perhaps because of his boiling rage…

He failed to notice the subtle change in Dowd Campbell’s attitude the moment he heard those words.

“I’ve never been fond of that accursed murderous monster household to begin with. Especially their eldest daughter who always acted as if she’s better than everyone.”

Count Ravel said with a cunning smile.

Of course he didn’t really plan to go that far, but if the situation indeed turned out like that…

It was quite well-known that Lady Tristan was a woman of great beauty. If the opportunity arose, he wouldn’t refuse to accept the side pleasure of a ‘conquest’.

“I’m genuinely looking forward to it. It would be quite fun to overpower you arrogant and reckless punk and who you the sight of Lady Tristan who had became ‘submissive’ to—”

Only after he said that sentence did Count Ravel realize…

“Let me tell you one thing,”

That his words were more ‘effective’ than he ever expected.

“I don’t particularly like someone talking about the people around me in that way, Count.”

A bright smile was still plastered on Dowd’s face.

But his tone had turned quite polite now.

However, beneath that polite tone was…

Black.

A blackness that was akin to clammy soot that was sticking to one’s heart.

Everything who casted their gaze upon that blackness felt a sensation that akin to their nerves rotting away.

“…”

“…”

“…”

The people around them suddenly went silent.

Or rather, they couldn’t say anything.

—What the…

Inside the place that turned deathly silent, as if time was frozen…

Only Count Ravel managed to rack his brain.

Rumors were always bound to be exaggerated, and they always gave birth to all kinds of strange misinformation.

At least that was what Count Ravel had believed.

-There’s a human-shaped monstrosity  inside Elfante.

When such rumors spread, he was the first person who sneered at them.

What nonsense, people couldn’t move an inch because they were suppressed by mere ‘presence’?

Those outstanding warriors, knights, and mages? Every single one of them?

Pfft, whoever it was, the empress, Duke Tristan, how desperate are they to even think of spreading such a groundless rumor?

However…

The moment he saw ‘this’…

With his own eyes…

He couldn’t help but understand…

The feeling of an ant being forced to face an elephant.

“In any case, I only stopped by to say hello. I appreciate you for your warm welcome.”

Even after he said such words in a mocking way, nobody said a word.

However advanced their equipment was, at the end of the day, they were operated by humans.

And for humans to not fear this ‘thing’ before their eyes?

It was impossible. Never in a million years.

“Alright, I will be waiting for you to send me something a little more…’wild’ next time.”

That was the last thing Dowd Campbell said before leaving the place.

●

“…Strange.”

As I said that word in a tone that sounded as if the whole world was going mad, Victoria, who was stuffing her face with cake next to me, quickly turned her head to look at me.

“What is?”

“Why aren’t they coming to kill me? I’ve even gone and did all that…”

I literally entered someone else’s mansion late at night, half-crushed it, and even insulted its owner.

After all that, shouldn’t they send me an official challenge or at least another assassin?

“…”

Victoria stared at me as if I was some kind of lunatic before turning her attention back to her cake while letting out a deep sigh.

As if gesturing that her paying attention to something like this would just tire her out or something.

“…”

So mean.

[She seems to be getting used to your dumb shit by now.]

That aside… Why the hell are these bastards staying still even after I clearly picked a fight with them?

[…Because you overdid it, of course.]

What?

[Look, if you wanted to pick a fight, you should’ve come out a little weaker so they’re more tempted to attack you. In this case, you’re coming out too strong.]n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

‘…’

[You were literally going around exuding ‘Try fucking with me, I’m going to grind you to dust,’ of course they wouldn’t just fuck around and find out.]

…Huh, really?

In the original game, those civil war rebels didn’t even care when they had to cut off the empress’ neck and create a sea of blood just to monopolize the empire’s political and military authority.

But when I gave them a little scare, they actually got scared and gave up trying to fight me altogether?

…Was I really that scary?

[What? Did you really do all that without knowing that?]

I held my power back though…

Well, I knew how much the Devil’s power could affect humans, but I didn’t expect that those guys would just give up like that even after I picked a fight with them.

As I was having such thoughts, Victoria, who had completely finished her cake, let out a sigh.

“Actually, I understand your feelings halfway. I could tell that you were trying to ‘make your opponent angry’.”

Hearing what she said, my body flinched.

Because there was a part in her words that I couldn’t ignore.

“…By halfway you meant, you don’t understand the other half?”

“Yeah. From the part where Lady Tristan was mentioned.”

“…”

“From that point onwards, I only understand the other guys more. Because you became so terrifying to the point that everyone who saw you would think that it would be suicide if they were to go up against you.”

“…”

Was I really that terrifying?

I remembered that my mood swing subsided pretty quickly back then. Of course, I couldn’t know how it might’ve looked to others.

“If Lady Tristan knows that you’re thinking of her that way, she’d definitely be happy. Must be nice.”

“…Hey, Victoria.”

“What.”

“I don’t know if it’s just me or what, but…why do you look upset when you’re saying all that?”

“It’s just you.”

“…”

“I said it’s just you. Keep staring at me like that, I swear I’m going to stab you.”

Victoria said while stabbing her cake with a fork.

As if demonstrating that she was going to do exactly that if I didn’t shut up.

“…Anyway, about the thing that you asked me to do…”

Seeing me shutting my mouth, she let out a sigh while changing the subject.

“First, it’s good news for you. Due to what you have done, military activities have been increasing in Count Ravel’s territory, they’re making a fuss about it everywhere.”

There you go.

While celebrating the news inwardly, I eagerly waited for her next words.

“Is that so? Good, good. Finally they’re coming out to hurt me—”

“Wrong. You see, the news of the possibility of them harming you has reached ‘someone else’s ears.”

“…”

What?

“Following that, the Upper Nobles Association’s military hubs nearby are being smashed to pieces one by one.”

“…”

“Most of the reports have one thing in common… The culprits are ‘several women’.”

…What the?

[Right, of course it would turn out like this.]

What is it?

[This is exactly what happened last time. You always thought that you’d need to do everything ‘on your own’, so you never considered the possibility that ‘someone else might do it in your stead’.]

What…?

[Seriously, you didn’t learn anything from last time, huh?]

Caliban continued while letting out a chuckle.

[As much as you cherish the women around you, they also cherish you.]

…Why are you talking about them all of a sudden?

[Think of it like this. The news of the possibility of you being under ‘threat’ had reached those women’s ears. How do you think they’d react?]

…

…Huh…?

W-Wait…

That means the thing I should be concerned with isn’t whether Count Ravel would pick a fight with me or not…

But the fact that he might just be killed by them soon…