V2 C5 - The 100 Day Mark

One hundred days had passed since David became the Demon Emperor and time froze, sealing him inside a grey dome.

It’s just like when I arrived in Aangapea.

It was time to choose his next general, though all David could think about was how little he’d achieved in one hundred days.

He ruled one castle and was nowhere near establishing an empire.

If I keep going at this pace, I definitely won’t be able to overthrow the Holy Empire within a year. Even if I could do it, what then?

I need more!

If David didn’t hurry, Eris’s summoned heroes would arrive before he was ready and he truly would be doomed.

“I can’t afford to skulk in the shadows much longer. I need to be bolder, but.” He frowned. “That raises the chances of us being discovered too early and ruining everything. How do I-?”

Before he could finish that sentence, three stone tablets fell onto his lap, bouncing off his legs and onto the bed.

Only three?

Eris had given him twelve tablets to choose from last time.

Worse, he would only get to pick one this time.

That, however, wasn’t what concerned David the most.

“Why does each tablet have two names written on them?”

Arion and Pegasus - The Loyal Steeds of the Mighty

Cerberus and Cu Sith - The Hounds of Darkness

Scylla and Charybdis - Beasts of the Oceans

Beneath each were a series of printed statements that raised even more questions.

1. Whichever tablet you choose, you will receive both of the listed generals as your servants.

2. - This is the only time where you shall be given two generals in a single tablet.

3. - While each of these generals are inherently monsters by nature, all of them are able to transform into humanoid beings.

4 - The general lots Lady Eris drew up are always fixed but the order they come up in is completely random. It is not based on your immediate needs or your performance, so do not attempt to manipulate the lots and try to trick Lady Eris.

5. - While it should be obvious, you will only be allowed to choose each general during their selection process. Any generals you don’t pick you will not get to pick at a later time.

David scoffed.

Lady Eris? What a joke.

“I can only pick one tablet but, no matter which I choose, I get both generals listed on it? Eris says they’re all monsters, but they can all transform into humanoids too? Meaning I don’t have to leave the castle before I can summon them or risk losing my roof?” He smiled bitterly. “What a considerate Goddess you are.”

Where the hell do I begin this time?

With the original twelve, David had three main priorities in making his choice: his immediate safety, the ability to gather information and to see whether or not the unique text on the tablets would give him stronger or weaker generals.

Abaddon was there for his immediate safety, Mímir existed to gather intelligence, and Mania was David’s final pick to see the effects of the unique text.

Given his current situation, David wanted to pick a general to either fulfil one of those roles or that could give him an army, like Legion could have. However, based on the names he recognised on the tablets, he was limited to only two single monsters this time.

They could be powerful monsters, but that might be it.

Cerberus never had the ability to summon kin to its side and Greek myths only ever talked about one dog. Further, at the end of the day, Cerberus was essentially just a three headed dog that was easily defeated by Herakles as his final labour.

That didn’t inspire much confidence in David.

To David’s recollection, Pegasi were in a few myths and so there was a chance he could get a whole pack or even an army of them, but, ultimately, they were simply flying horses. Having aerial superiority sounded interesting initially to David but then he remembered that the summoned heroes would be people from his world.

The second they hear about my air force, they’ll start advising the other nations on anti-air weapons and the like. Once that happens, they’re dead, if I even get more than one of them.

David didn’t know who Arion or Cu Sith were, but he did know a tiny bit about Scylla and Charybdis.

Great sea beasts that terrorised sailors in Greek mythology. Scylla was described as a hydra-like beast and Charybdis was said to be a gigantic, underwater monster that swallowed ships whole.

He’d first heard of them during an English lesson.

“How many of you have heard of the phrase ‘Between a rock and a hard place?’” His teacher had asked. Naturally, everyone raised their hands. “Then, what about ‘Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea?’” Only a few people raised their hand, making Mr Graham smile.

“They both mean the same thing, but the Deep Sea Idiom is used in more dire situations. It’s fallen out of use over the years because rock and a hard place is a much simpler, faster way of conveying the same feeling.

“This idiom’s meaning is a rather timeless phrase in a lot of ways. Unlike the Deep Blue Sea idiom, it’s still widely used and some scholars have even traced its origins back to the ancient Greeks. There used to be a saying between people like this which was: ‘Between Scylla and Charybdis’.

“There is a region in the Mediterranean called the Strait of Messina where a large whirlpool is located which is where many people think the phrase originates. Scylla was the name of a rock formation just opposite which we call today the Rock of Scillia and so the phrase related to the decisions sailors had to make when crossing the region.

“Between Scylla and Charybdis, which fate is worse?”

Curious, David had looked them up on his phone later that day and found the myths about them.

However, even with all that knowledge, David hesitated to choose them.

Given what’s happened with Abaddon and the others, there are a few things I can be certain of. Each general has some sort of personality issue or flaw that could cause me trouble, and I haven’t seen any of my current generals overcome them yet.

If those two turned out to be massive gluttons due to their beast-form size, they could run our limited food supply dry. What if they can’t fight on land? What if my enemies don’t attack by the sea? If their only strengths come from their monster forms, what good are they to me?

I could say the same about the others, although they’d definitely have some uses on land at least. David picked up the Scylla tablet again and exhaled. Should I just pick the ones I know best and compensate for their drawbacks later?

Wait. David glared at an empty space beside him. What if Eris knew that I knew the most about these two and put them in here to mess with me? What if she put these two in here to tempt me into taking them and then she gives me the two weakest, most useless generals she can?

I definitely wouldn’t put it past her, and I definitely don’t believe everything that she’s written on these tablets. All of the information on here could just be a trap to make me think everything she says is true.

David winced a little and grasped his heart as a sharp, stabbing sensation hit it.

“I won’t accept it,” he muttered, remembering her cruel words from the Shadow Tombs. “I won’t blindly believe whatever you try to spin, Eris.”

Maybe I’m overthinking this, his mind growing wearier and wearier as he tried to wrap his head around Eris’s logic. Is there any point in trying to understand what Eris is thinking? She’s cruel and sadistic, uses twisted logic to justify whatever she does and commands absolute fear and power.

Could anyone, even another God, understand what goes on inside her head?

David closed his eyes and tried to get his thoughts back on track.

Until he picked his generals, he wouldn’t be able to leave this space and David worried that if he spent too long deciding, Eris would get angry and he didn’t want to imagine what she’d do if she did.

“I’ll just pick one.”.

He decided to take the two he knew most about - Scylla and Charybdis.

Like before, the tablet cracked and the other two vanished but, this time, two sparks of energy appeared, shooting at the ground and summoning his two generals before him, kneeling.

“Scylla, Beast of the Ocean; I present myself to the Dark Lord.” said the one on the left.

She had turquoise hair tied in twin tails and red eyes. Unlike David’s previously summoned generals, Scylla had no obvious weapons on her person.

“Charybdis, Beast of the Ocean; I present myself to the Dark Lord.”

Charybdis had long dark blue hair and red eyes, with a bow in her right hand and a quiver of pure white arrows strapped to her back.

Both wore tunic-like dresses with short sleeves and skirts, an outfit David deemed impractical for battle like Mania’s.

Maybe I should make some armour for my generals - couldn’t hurt, even if they’re skin’s as strong as scales.

“What are your orders, Master?”

Before he could say a word, Eva knocked at the door.

“Excuse me, Lord Allaric, but you haven’t had breakfast yet and-” She stopped halfway through the door when she saw the two women kneeling before David. “My apologies, your majesty! I didn’t know you-”

“Don’t worry, Eva. Gather the council members in the throne room, and Hilda too. I want to introduce you all to my newest servants.”

***

Rebecca, Eva, Jorōgumo, Hilda, Jessica, Mania, Abaddon and Mímir had assembled in the throne room.

David arrived shortly after with his new generals.

A variety of stares greeted the newcomers.

Rebecca and Eva had been surprised but they quickly regained their composure.

Hilda’s expression didn’t change.

Mímir eyed both women suspiciously.

Abaddon scoffed and puffed out his chest a little.

Mania bit deep into her lip with her fangs.

Behind Mania, Jessica looked on at the women in awe.

Jorōgumo was confused.

David sat upon his throne as Scylla and Charybdis stood either side of him, their eyes closed.

“While this is sudden, allow me to introduce my newest servants: Scylla and Charybdis. To the newer members of my council, allow me to explain - I can periodically summon strong servants from other dimensions to my servants, like Mania, Abaddon and Mímir.

“Scylla.”

“As you command, your majesty,” Scylla said cheerfully with a quick curtsey.

She stepped forwards and put her hand to her chest. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, esteemed members of the Dark Lord’s council. I am Scylla, Beast of the Ocean. While this might surprise you, I can transform into the great beast you might know me to be with this.”

Scylla raised one of her palms and, gruesomely, the skin on her hand began to open up.

Tiny, razor sharp teeth emerged in the hole in her hand, dragging out from her body a jagged black dagger which was coated in a purple poison. In its hilt, there was a serpent’s eye and, once the bottom of the hilt had been pushed out of her body, the hole was covered up by her skin and she caught the blade in the same hand.

“A single stab with this to my heart will transform me into the Great Beast of the Sea.”

What the hell was that?! David screamed in his head, barely able to maintain the emotionless front he was putting on.

The generals looked impressed whereas Rebecca and Eva were just as terrified as David had been. Jorōgumo, who could also transform, was so impressed by Scylla she clapped gently.

Hilda, however, looked downtrodden a little and lowered her head.

Can…I…compete?

“So, this short stack is-”

A dagger flew towards Abaddon’s face and he knocked it out of the air.

Scylla was glaring viciously at him, holding two more daggers in her hands.

“Who the fuck do you think you are?” Scylla’s eyes turned a deep, dark green.

“That’s what I should be asking you!” Abaddon drew his sword. “I am Abaddon, one of the first generals handpicked by his majesty. You should treat your elders with more respect.”

Scylla scoffed. “Respect? Ah, I know all about you, Abaddon. My sister and I haven’t been here even an hour and we’ve already heard tales of your ‘glory’." Abaddon clicked his tongue, making Scylla and Charybdis giggle. “Forgive me for speaking out of turn, Master, but I can’t help but feel that Lord Abaddon disrespected me first.”

Anger issues? I don’t care if she fights with Abaddon as long as they don’t kill each other, and can work together when it counts.

Although, when did she learn about Abaddon’s shortcomings? Did Eris tell her?

“I don’t mind in this case, Scylla.”

“I apologise and thank you for your mercy, Dark Lord.” Scylla’s hands swallowed her daggers before she bowed to him gracefully.

David turned to Abaddon and took on a sterner tone of voice. “Abaddon. Not only have you embarrassed yourself by insulting her the moment you’ve met her, but you’ve also embarrassed me by not knowing to be respectful to your fellow generals.”

“…I’m sorry, Lord Emperor.”

“Just don’t do it again, or else you’ll be punished for it this time. Charybdis, introduce yourself.”

“As you wish, Master.”

Charybdis showed the council a beautiful smile and bowed in the same way Scylla had. “I am Charybdis, Beast of the Ocean much like my younger sister there. Just as she can transform into her beast form, so can I with the same dagger, though it embarrasses me to say that I have to use my sister’s dagger to do so. I cannot produce weapons like she can.”

“Your majesty, may I ask her a question before she continues?” Mímir inquired.

“…If it is a brief one, then yes.”

“Thank you. Charybdis, from what I know of your tale, you were the sea monster that lurked in the water and swallowed ships whole, correct?”

“Yes, it is as you say.”

“Then, might I ask as to why it is that you have a bow and quiver of arrows on you?”

“Because these are my weapons when I am on land.” Charybdis slung the bow from her back into her hands and knocked an arrow against it. “Lord Mímir, I assume that you are aware of the story of my sister and I, yes? Then, you should know this part of the tale as well.” Charybdis giggled slightly and drew back on her bow. Even though she was still smiling sweetly, there was a haunting look in her eyes. “If anyone or anything gets too close to me, I’ll devour it.”

She fired the arrow and it flew towards Mímir with great speed.

Mímir narrowly dodged, but, as it flew past him, the arrow swung around mid-air and chased after him. Mímir drew his sword and cleanly cut it in two, stopping the arrow for good.

“Impressive,” Mania whispered, covering her mouth with her hand to hide her nasty expression.

“Indeed,” Abaddon grunted. “But that won’t save you if someone gets too close to you, will it?”

Charybdis giggled and gently put the bow down, resting it against David’s throne. “On the contrary.” From her back, four long, deep green claw-like arms sprouted and shot at Abaddon, trying to grab him. “I can handle myself just fine at any distance.”

Abaddon pushed two of the claws out of the way, but the other two sank into his shoulders, digging into his skin and pulling him towards her. Abaddon grunted and dug his boots into the ground, trying to resist her, but the other two claws latched onto his legs and pulled them out from under him.

He had been almost instantly overwhelmed by her.

“It’s like I told Lord Mímir, Lord Abaddon.” Charybdis dislocated her jaw and her mouth opened wider, revealing smaller versions of the claw-like arms she’d sunk into Abaddon. “If my prey gets too close to me, I’ll devour it.”

With her demonstration done, Charybdis dislodged her hold on Abaddon and relocated her jaw, returning a sweet smile to her face.

They’re both terrifying! What the hell?! Why couldn’t they be more like Jorōgumo?

Charybdis gave a light bow to David. “I hope Master will forgive me for being so brazen and attacking my fellow generals. I merely wished to prove to you my strength and to show your council that I have the right to stand beside you.”

“…It’s fine,” David whispered, trying not to let his fear show, though the cold sweat encasing his body made him shiver a little. He was glad he’d put on his armour before he’d come, but he wished he’d put on his helmet as well. “It made your self introductions much more interesting and straight to the point.”

“Thank you very much for your kind words, Master.”

I wish I’d picked Pegasus.

“There was another reason I called you all here,” David said. “A hundred days have passed since we arrived here in Aangapea and my plan to overthrow the Holy Empire must progress. We had a setback in Black Port and our military continues to grow slowly. No doubt there is little time until someone somewhere discovers or begins to discover our operation.

“Therefore, it’s time for us to get more ambitious and take greater risks.”

While all of the generals were excited by the announcement, Abaddon was the happiest about it.

“Until now, we have stayed hidden in the shadows to avoid detection and to test the strength of the Holy Empire and we have done so to mixed results. Thus, we must begin to make bolder moves but also distract and confuse our enemies who might find us. Mímir, what news do you have from Stonefall that could help us in this regard?”

“Per your majesty’s orders, Mania and I have been looking into any and all information we can find in the city to find allies to assist you, but hadn’t been too successful until two days ago. As I was browsing a bookshop in Stonefall, I found a thick tome titled ‘Myths and Legends of Aangapea’ and learnt of a powerful sorcerer who once terrorised the land and fought against Saint Themis herself: Karak-Harth.”

“Karak-Harth?!” Rebecca yelled inadvertently. She quickly covered her mouth and lowered her head a little when everyone turned to look at her.

“You know of him, Lady Rebecca? Could you explain who he is to his majesty?”

“O-of course.” Rebecca straightened her back. “Karak-Harth was the original Divine Caster for Saint Themis before the founding of the Holy Empire. During the War of Unification, Karak-Harth betrayed Saint Themis and tried to kill her, but was ultimately defeated in a battle at the Shadow Tombs.

“It is said that he cursed the Tombs upon his death and, once Saint Themis died, he would return and inflict never-ending suffering upon the Holy Empire. From what I’ve read, it seems the reason the Shadow Tombs is able to create so many undead constantly throughout the year is because of Karak-Harth’s curse.”

“Is this true, Mímir?”

“Everything that Lady Rebecca has said is exactly what I’ve learnt, your majesty. It is also possible that the reason the Holy Empire became so scared of the Great Disaster Mania and I created is because they made a connection between our words and Karak-Harth’s curse.”

“Do you think that could happen if that were the case, Eva, Lady Rebecca?”

“I believe so, Lord Allaric.”

“I-I do too, your majesty!”

“This is perfect!” David rose from his throne. “We shall use this Karak-Harth and his curse as our distraction to make the Holy Empire dance to our tune, and to keep them off our trail. Mímir, where is this Karak-Harth buried?”

“At a tomb located across the Goddess’s Eye Lake, your majesty, according to the stories.”

“Then that is where I shall go. Scylla and Charybdis will accompany me and we shall find this tomb, resurrect Karak-Harth, have him raise an army to be our true Great Disaster.”

“As you wish, Master,” the twins answered with a bow.

“Master, could I go with you too?” Jorōgumo inquired. “I wish to be of more use to you.”

“What of your spiders that I wish to use as spies?”

“The first twenty have already been hatched and know to listen to my commands, as well as yours and Mímir's. With or without me being here, they will do whatever it is you desire.”

“Then, Mímir, I’ll leave you to decide how to use the spiders and where to send them. Make sure to spread out our information network as widely as you can whilst not being discovered. If necessary, have this Sylvan serve as the disposable, traceable link should you be discovered.”

“By your command, your majesty.”

“I trust you will follow my orders properly this time and that you’ll check with me about any other bright ideas you have, yes?”

“…Yes, your majesty.”

“Then, we have not a moment to spare,” David said, beckoning Scylla and Charybdis to follow him. “All other council members are to continue their duties as directed in our last meeting and, while I don’t wish to discourage people taking the initiative, do so within reason. Is that all clear?”

“Yes, your majesty,” the council members replied.

“Excellent. This meeting is adjourned.”

***

With a strike of Hilda’s staff, Cain was knocked onto the ground unconscious.

Lucy swung her sword multiple times towards Hilda, but Hilda ducked and dodged every single one, then jabbed her staff into Lucy’s stomach. She then spun her heel around and drove it into Lucy’s cheek. Lucy smashed against the floor and didn’t get back up.

“Amazing,” Jessica whispered in awe.

“That’s enough for today.” Mania clapped her hands twice. “I’m impressed with just how far you’ve come in such a short time, Hilda.”

“Thank…you.”

“Truly, you are an impressive warrior, Hilda. Lady Mania, if you would excuse me.”

“Of course.”

Jessica bowed and went to tend to the unconscious adventurers with the Machai.

Impressive. Hilda struggled to stay standing just a few weeks ago, and now she’s strong enough to defeat two adventurers by herself, Mania mused. I thought it was impressive when she took down five Machai herself a few weeks ago, but this is really impressive. I a little bit proud of her.

“…Can we…continue…later?”

“As in later today?” Hilda nodded. “I don’t mind, but aren’t you tired after this session?”

Per Mania’s schedule, Hilda trained for at least an hour or two a day depending on how injured or exhausted Hilda became. Usually, just that session was enough and Hilda never requested another one on the same day.

“I’m…fine. Please.”

“Hilda, is something wrong?” Hilda cocked her head quizzically. “I mean, something must’ve happened to make you ask for another session, right? Is something bothering you?”

Hilda winced and she nodded. “…His majesty…has servants…much stronger…than me. I don’t…want to be useless…to him.” She closed her eyes. “…I want…power…to stand by his side.”

Mania smiled warmly. “I understand how you feel, but the Dark Lord isn’t someone who would abandon you if you prove useful to him. Even though I have disappointed him greatly, he hasn’t discarded me. Yet. As long as we are useful to him, he’ll never throw us away.”

“Then…let’s make sure…neither…of us…is thrown away.”

“Yes. Hilda, shall we have another training session this afternoon? I might have to make it a shorter one because of my work in the city, but I take it that’s fine with you.”

“…Yes.”

“Excellent. Until later.”

***

At the Hierophant, Mímir had summoned a Raven and one of Jorōgumo’s spiders named Echo to his office to discuss an urgent matter.

It was the middle of the day, the Hierophant's busiest time, but Mímir had deemed it necessary to address the matter as quickly as possible.

“How many different groups are watching the Hierophant?”

“Three, Lord Mímir.”

“Have we identified them all?”

“The Ravens have identified one of them.”

This one’s kin have identified two of them, Echo said with a disconnected voice.

“Who are they?”

“The Sons of Tartarus. It appears that they have been sending in random men from their ranks to investigate the inside of the Hierophant, whilst they have other eyes and reinforcements nearby on the streets posing as ordinary citizens.”

“What gave them away?”

“Despite changing who they send to scope us out every day, they have made a fundamental mistake by having their lookouts take up positions in the same spots each day. It made identifying and following them much easier.”

“How many people have they sent to investigate us?”

“Close to forty, Lord Mímir.”

Mímir frowned. They might be waiting for a moment to strike at us after assessing our threat level.

Rumours had already begun spreading that the Hierophant was now owned by a former A-ranked adventurer, including the exaggerated ones Mímir intentionally spread himself. Whenever customers came in asking him about it, he answered vaguely, making the rumours grow more and no one could confirm if they were true or false, just as he’d planned.

The inability to confirm our strength will keep unwanted attention away from us, but not forever.

“Echo, who are the other two groups?”

This one has identified them as soldiers from the Paladins and members of the adventurer’s guild. This one believes that both groups are trying to assess whether or not there is a connection between us and the murders that have occurred in the city.

“Well, it was only a matter of time.” Mímir brought a hand to his face and sighed. “With that many eyes on us, we can’t afford to make any more mistakes. However, we can’t stop our operations now. Raven, carry out the random murders but have them be less gruesome than the previous ones.”

“…Lord Mímir, might I ask a question?”

“You may.”

“Surely, changing our method of killing now would detract from the image of the Great Disaster we have already built, even if it is what his majesty desires. Would that not tip people off into thinking that this is nothing more than a man-made creation?”

Mímir smiled beneath his scarf. “That’s exactly right.”

“Lord Mímir?”

“By changing our tactics now, we better confuse our enemies into thinking that there might be multiple groups trying to use this Great Disaster to profit. It’ll distract our enemies’ attention partially and, in that confusion, we can act. The more we do and blame on the Great Disaster we’ve invented, the more confused our enemies become and the harder they start looking for any and all connections.”

This one would describe this strategy as being extremely risky but with the potential for high rewards, Echo said.

“I’m glad you agree, Echo. What other news do you have for me?”

“Sylvan asked me to deliver this to you, Lord Mímir.” The Raven handed Mímir a brown envelope. “He says that this could be the sort of opportunity our master would love.”

Mímir tore open the envelope and read the report inside, a thin smile forming over his lips.

The report was about the two countries to the north of the Holy Empire of Themis: the Federation of Free City States and the Royal Kingdom of Aangapea. It primarily consisted of a list of VIPs, building schematics and, most importantly of all, a piece of printed media right from the Royal Kingdom’s press.

Princess Raeanne and Duke Cavan’s Wedding: The Happy Couple Announce the Date of Their Marriage.

“Echo, find out everything you can about the Federation of Free City States and the Royal Kingdom of Aangapea. Raven, take five of your kin and head north to this venue. Prepare a lovely surprise the likes of which the bride has never seen. I will personally join you soon.”

“As you command, Lord Mímir. Do you have any specific desires for this surprise?”

“A high body count primarily from the groom’s party should suffice. Let’s aim for the groom’s parents too if we can.”

“As you wish.”

The Raven departed, leaving Mímir and Echo alone.

This one wonders if you should not have cleared this with his majesty first.

“I intend to do so now,” Mímir replied, opening a portal behind him.

This one wishes you had asked first.

“As long as neither of us mention it, we’ll be fine.”

This one will only tell his majesty should you get rejected. If your plan is accepted, this one shall remain silent.

Mímir stepped into the portal.

If his majesty says no, I can always catch up to the Ravens and drag them back.

***

On a side street in Stonefall, a cloaked man knocked at a rundown house’s door.

He knocked loudly twice, paused, then knocked once more but very quietly.

He heard the locks come undone as Paladin Christoph opened the door.

“We were expecting you to arrive later than this, my lord.” He beckoned the cloaked man inside before relocking the door. “Did something happen to hasten your arrival?”

Divine Paladin Lawrence smiled and hung up his cloak. “Only some good news I heard as I was riding north. The crisis at Black Port is over.”

“Our brothers and sisters made us proud,” Isabella, a woman in civilian clothing, said. “I wish we could’ve helped them.”

Publicly, the Paladins had eight-thousand members, all of which took part in the Battle at Black Port.

However, only a few outside their ranks knew that there were actually twelve-thousand Paladins.

“You had your own important tasks to handle.” Lawrence sat at the table. “So, what news of the Great Disaster?”

“A lot of whispers and rumours only, I’m afraid.” Isabella sighed. “Depending on who you ask, you’ll hear a lot of different stories. A lot of it seems to be exaggerated and baseless, but it’s hard to figure out what’s true and what isn’t.”

“So, we have an idea as to when the stories of the Great Disaster began at least. What do we know about the men who were killed?”

“Not much, other than the fact that they’re thugs sent to rough up merchants and shopkeepers into paying an extortionate amount of money.”

“Their public records seem to have been destroyed by the Sons at some point, so we don’t know what they were like before joining the organisation, or even what their names are,” Isabella grumbled. “Without any other choice, we just had our agents investigate their old beating grounds and have concluded that the Hierophant seems to be a possible source of the Great Disaster.”

“For what reasons?”

“Our agents discovered that on the day those men were killed, they’d visited the Hierophant and a few other shops. We were scouting out all of those locations at first, but ultimately decided to focus all our efforts on the Hierophant in the end.”

“Why?”

“The old owners had been seen leaving the city a day after those adventurers were killed,” Christoph said. “When we learnt of that, I contacted our agents in the Federation and asked them to investigate. Apparently, the old owners had moved into a remote village and were found dead a week later.”

“What?!” Lawrence yelled.

“According to the villagers, they didn’t leave the house, didn’t answer the door for anyone and then passed away, my lord.”

“Do we know how they died?”

Christoph shook his head. “The villagers didn’t say and had buried the bodies long before our agents got there.”

“What’re the chances of it being foul play?”

“There’s a chance, my lord,” Isabella replied. “The house was cleaned out and resold just a few weeks later, after all.”

“So, the lack of leads to follow makes it suspicious in of itself then?” Lawrence wondered. “Have our agents noticed anything out of the ordinary about the Hierophant?”

“Not a thing. Just seems to be a normal tavern. Do we take on a more aggressive strategy, my lord?”

“No, not until we have more evidence. For now, we’ll just have to pursue other leads. What about the Sons of Tartarus?”

“We did have some luck on that front, my lord. In fact, we have learned of a slave auction taking place today and we know where it’ll be going down.”

***

The Sons of Tartarus’s slave auction house was located in a large stone underground arena beneath the Merchant’s District of Stonefall.

With enough seats for almost two thousand bidders and hundreds of guards, it was one of the most heavily protected places the Sons of Tartarus owned.

Today was the Sons of Tartarus’s monthly auction and over a thousand buyers from across Aangapea would be in attendance.

Sat in one of the VIP boxes close to the stage were Lord and Lady Kelsey.

“I know it’s the Dark Lord’s orders, but I hate having to disguise myself as this inferior woman,” Mania grumbled, tapping her heel angrily. “Just thinking about it makes my skin crawl.”

“It cannot be helped, Lady Mania,” the Raven, her pretend husband, said. “We would not be able to fulfil his majesty’s wishes if we were not using this illusion.”

“I know that, but it still irritates me.” A beaten and bruised woman was dragged up onto the stage in chains. “What a waste of a nice face and a good body. Why would anyone do that to such a pretty thing?”

The Raven, a little unsure of what to say, remained silent and observed the auction below.

“Do I hear five hundred Rhams? I hear five hundred there and-six hundred to the gentlemen over there. Do I hear seven hundred Rhams? Do I hear any advances on seven hundred?”

Mania sighed. “Seven hundred Rhams for a single slave? She would’ve had more value if they hadn’t beaten her face so much.”

The Demon Emperor’s orders had been clear - investigate the Sons of Tartarus’s slave auctions and see if it was possible to buy and bring slaves back to the Dread Port. If it was too expensive, then they were to determine if it was possible to liberate all the slaves and take them to the Dread Keep.

However, that was their last resort option as it posed the greatest risk of all; drawing attention to the Demon Emperor’s plans.

They had brought ten thousand Rhams with them, but there were hundreds of slaves and the cheapest had been sold for five hundred Rhams.

Most went for twice that much.

Mania had deemed that the slave on stage sold at a low price was because of how badly she’d been beaten. Her face was swollen and had turned dark purple; her hair had been roughly cut and her body had multiple infected wounds from the crack of a whip.

“Sold for seven hundred Rhams!”

“It would seem we underestimated the greed of this world, Lady Mania.”

“So, it would seem. I think we’re both in agreement that it’d be easier for us to use force than money, yes?”

“I agree, Lady Mania.”

“Then, I shall return to the Dread Keep and ask-”

“There is no need, Lady Mania.”

The Raven reached into its pocket and pulled out a sealed scroll.

“His majesty asked me to present this scroll to you for you to open should we both deem violence a necessary approach. He said that we were to open the scroll and follow the orders on it to the letter.”

Mania smiled sadly and took the scroll from the Raven.

I really have lost his majesty’s trust.

Mania opened the scroll, read it quickly and grinned. “Per his majesty’s orders.”

“Per his majesty’s orders, Lady Mania.”

Free all slaves you can and bring them to the Dread Keep.

Do NOT let any witnesses survive but return to the Dread Keep promptly if you risk being caught by the Holy Legion or other law enforcement.

***

“Master.”

“What, Jorōgumo?”

“Lord Mímir would like to speak to you about a mission he wishes to undertake.”

“…How do you-?”

“I can communicate telepathically with all of my brood, no matter where I am in the world.”

“May I ask why you chose only now to reveal that?”

“I had intended to tell you, Master, but you always seemed busy and I did not wish to disturb you,” Jorōgumo answered.

“No matter. Raven.”

“Your majesty?”

“Pull over. I’ll return to the castle to speak with Mímir, then return and we’ll resume our journey to the Goddess’s Eye.”

When he returned to the Dread Keep, he found Mímir awaiting him in his office where he explained his proposal in full.

“An assassination?”

“Yes, your majesty. By assassinating Duke Cavan and his family, the Federation will demand answers and blood, which will cause a war to break out to the north. The war will consume their supplies, their forces and their morale, making them weak and vulnerable. Then, after the Holy Empire has fallen, your armies can easily march through their lands and trample over the already weakened countries with ease.”

“You wish me to sanction a plan like this when we have no information on either of these countries? For all we know, this marriage won’t look like a political assassination caused by the Royal Kingdom and more a random act of violence conducted by a foreign enemy. The rulers of these nations might be smart enough to see through your trick, Mímir.”

“Even if they are, your majesty, what can they do about it?”

David smiled. “Go on.”

“If we assume, as your majesty has suggested, that both nations see through my plan and figure out it was done by a foreign nation, what exactly can they do about it?

“If they were to openly suspect or declare war on one of their neighbours with no proof, then their reputation among the other countries of Aangapea would drop significantly and, perhaps even, a war would break out between even more nations.

“Even if the Royal Kingdom and Federation were able to trace it back to the Holy Empire, that means that they’d have to declare war on one of the largest countries in the world. The war between them would be nothing but a benefit to us as it would make it easier for us to conduct our operations and the Holy Empire will quickly fall to your forces.”

He’s doing well already - a clever plan and he asked for permission first. Good, continue to learn from your mistakes.

“How many men do you need?”

“With your majesty’s blessing, I would take six of my Ravens to the venue of the wedding and strike before the vows are made. I plan to kill as many people on the groom’s side as possible, but I will leave the Royal Kingdom’s family without any casualties to make it seem more like an assassination caused by the Kingdom.”

“Why did you choose to kill the groom’s side of the wedding party?”

“Because I thought that you would want the princess for yourself.”

I’m sorry, what? “I would want her?”

Mímir nodded. “The report that Sylvan handed me suggests that the princess is one of the most beautiful women in the world and would be a worthy mistress for you, should you desire her.”

“Why?”

“While this might be forward of me, your majesty, as I understood it from Mania, you enjoyed bedding beautiful women.”

What has Mania been telling everyone?

His heart twisted in pain when he remembered the night he slept with Mania, and the injuries on her body.

He had slept with Kella, too.

Just remembering those nights was like someone stabbing a red-hot dagger into his heart.

…I wonder what Rebecca and Eva would think of me if they knew about that. Actually. They probably already know about Mania, don’t they? There’s no way Mania would’ve kept that to herself.

“…See to it that she isn’t harmed, but do not abduct her,” David commanded. “As long as she lives, the conspiracy you wish to draw up of the Royal Kingdom being responsible will grow.”

“As you command, your majesty. Shall I depart right away?”

“Is the ceremony soon?”

“It is a week from now.”

“Then make haste, but do not forget to return to the Hierophant from time to time. Conjure up some excuse as to why you aren’t showing your face and get it done quickly. While you may pile the bodies up high, you may only be brutal in your killing towards the Duke and his parents. The rest are to be quick and clean. Understood?”

“Yes, your majesty.”