“Yebul… why are you so anxious? You should know that the Demon Race places great importance on things like agreements and promises.”
As Yebul glared gloomily at the mansion, venting his spite, a handsome young man dressed in a white official’s uniform emerged from inside the restaurant and sat down beside him.
“You talk as if you’re a demon yourself… Ariel. You said that woman was here. Is your intelligence reliable?”
The arrival of the young man named Ariel made Yebul’s expression even more morose.
He greatly disliked this fellow who had attained the same rank as him at such a young age.
However, due to their equal standing as officials, he still spoke to him in a familiar tone.
“Of course it’s reliable. This information was leaked by someone of high status within the Duke’s Household. Didn’t you already send people to check the Royal Princess’s residence? She isn’t there.”
“…That doesn’t necessarily mean she’s in this mansion. The Duke could very well have hidden her in the Honglian Palace since her condition worsened. No one would be able to find her there.”
“Then why don’t you just take your men and charge in? That’s the only way to confirm whether the intelligence is true or false, isn’t it?”
“…Don’t provoke me. I’m not so foolishly insane.”
“Then that’s strange… looking at your eyes, you’re clearly so angry you’re about to go mad, and so filled with hatred you’re losing your mind. Otherwise, why would you agree to join forces with the Demon Race? You even brought that thing — “
“Why should I dirty my own hands and expose myself to danger? Regardless of who does the deed, my only goal is to enjoy the sight of that woman’s miserable death. Whether she becomes a pile of charcoal or an ice sculpture, I will be pleased with the result.”
In the face of Ariel’s further provocation, Yebul didn’t get angry; instead, he laughed.
He curled up slightly on the lounging chair, shifting his gaze toward the street in front of the mansion with an expression of delight.
“Is that so? Then that is certainly something to look forward to. But from the perspective of an official of the Empire, seeing her die in that second form would actually make me feel a bit sentimental.”
Ariel chuckled. He seemed to have expected Yebul’s reaction. Thus, he leaned back in his chair as well, waiting for the demon who had agreed to meet them today.
Time passed minute by minute, and pedestrians hurried back and forth on the street.
The two Imperial Capital officials sat quietly and motionless in their chairs, while their subordinates behind them craned their necks, searching the street for the demon’s figure.
This was because the ones who had met with the demon last time were these very men in disguise.
The subordinates remembered a burly man with a scar over his left eye that hadn’t blinded him.
Just seeing him appear gave one the illusion of facing a wild beast. If such a man appeared on the street, they should notice him immediately —
“Sorry to keep you waiting… humans.”
A very ordinary-looking black-haired young man pulled out a chair from the table and sat down before the two officials without hesitation.
It wasn’t until he had completed the action that the subordinates looking at the street noticed his presence.
“Is it him?”
Ariel had his eyes closed as if dozing off, while Yebul cast a questioning look at his subordinates.
“It… it doesn’t look like him…”
“You few are the employees of the Middle Territory Transport Company and the Ilanroa Woolen Uniform Factory, right? We met that day.”
The black-haired youth looked up at the subordinates. His pupils gradually revealed a ferocity and ruthlessness that belonged only to a wild beast.
“Yes. It’s him!”
“Then let us begin. Mr. Demon, what shall we call you?”
“You don’t need to know my name. You only need to tell me what you have arranged and where we are to strike.”
Hearing him say this, Yebul frowned slightly. He didn’t hear any hint of arrogance or mockery in the demon’s words… he was simply confirming the target.
This meant he was an extreme efficiency-oriented individual.
“Fine then.”
Yebul took out a piece of paper, pulled a fountain pen from his breast pocket, wrote down the details, and handed it over.
The black-haired youth — Aoke — took the paper, glanced at it, and immediately tore it into pieces.
“This is a very simple task, isn’t it?”
“Human, you are mistaken. I am not your subordinate. You have no right to order me.”
“I’m not ordering you. I’m requesting your assistance. Only powerful High Demonkind like yourselves could possibly sneak into the mansion and install these things without being noticed, right?”
“This is not assistance. You aren’t bearing any risk.”
Only a simple line was written on the paper: Please use the explosives we provide to blow up the mansion in front of you.
“How can you say that? We’ve provided the necessary tools for you… this kind of thing is hard to come by even in Seles City. The Duke maintains very strict control over this powerful new invention — “
“That has nothing to do with me. We have our own ways of causing a commotion without risking drawing the entire city’s guard here.”
…
……
………
Aoke’s calm refusal made Yebul hesitate. He didn’t consider the demon before him a fool, but he hadn’t expected him and those behind him to be so difficult to deal with.
They truly were madmen for daring to sneak into the Duke’s Household with such a small team.
If they succeeded, the entire Northland would fall into chaos… no, perhaps the entire world would fall into chaos.
‘But what does that have to do with me? As long as I can destroy that woman and everything she holds dear, what does it matter what happens to the world?’
Therefore, he decided to add more fuel to the fire by throwing out a vital piece of information.
“No, no, no, this is a risk you should take. Because the Sword Saint, who is gravely ill and unable to move, is inside this very mansion. As long as you follow my plan, after a loud ‘bang,’ she will vanish from this world forever.”
Yes, that was it.
Yebul saw a flicker of hesitation in Aoke’s calm eyes.
He was well aware of how obsessed the faction these demons belonged to was with eliminating the members of the Brave’s Party — they harbored a deep-seated hatred for those heroes who had defeated them during the war.
Perhaps even more so than himself… no, that should be impossible.
“What is your source of information?”
“One of your compatriots. He’s undercover in the Duke’s Household, just like you.”
This time, it was Ariel who answered him with a face full of smiles.
“…That’s impossible.”
Aoke was startled. He remembered what Luc had said to him before he left…
“Believe it or not. Since you have your own methods, then we don’t actually need to cooperate.”
Yebul glared at Ariel, but the latter continued anyway.
“Because even without cooperation, we won’t lose anything. On the contrary, you will have wasted a chance to get rid of the obstacle known as the Sword Saint forever.”
“Why don’t you think it over? An opportunity like this won’t come again.”
Ariel urged Aoke to make a decision with a calm expression.
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