Chapter 87 - I Want to be Alone With You (1)

At my mocking proposal, the office becomes chillingly quiet.

Looking around at the surroundings where only silence had settled, I thought the atmosphere was quite to my liking and opened my mouth.

"50 seconds."

As I created a shadow hammer in my arms and took it out, Elisia spoke to me urgently, "...You're crossing the line. Do you know where this is that you've come in?"

At those words, I smiled slightly and continued speaking, "40 seconds."

"This is the North. No matter how much you're a son of the Carsaril family, I cannot tolerate behavior that causes trouble all the way in the North."

Judging by her reaction like that despite erasing the memories of kidnapping and confinement, it seemed fear imprinted on the body really existed.

Deciding to stop the joke here, I looked at the two in front.

I'm not sure what that Archbishop Mikhail guy is thinking.

Elisia was looking at me with an expression that seemed more complex than anger.

Finding this situation quite interesting, I enjoyed this atmosphere for a moment, then stared intently at Archbishop Mikhail in front.

They said this guy was one of those who made Dale a hero, right?

Judging by the fact that he “made” him a hero, it seemed this guy also knew about thegoddess's absence.

That meant he naturally knew that both the goddess and Saintess were false beings.

There was a high chance he had answers to questions that couldn't be solved no matter how much I dug.

That means if I use this guy somehow…

I was thinking I might be able to extract information related to this when the guy called Archbishop Mikhail introduced himself to me with a kind smile.

"You make quite an interesting proposal. I'm Mikhail. I humbly hold the position of Archbishop in the church."

Mikhail, who pulled the "I'm an archbishop" card, started provoking me, asking if I could touch him, an archbishop.

At that behavior, I smiled slightly and lightly threw the hammer, aiming at the wall beside Mikhail, and said,

"I told you to give reasons. I don't think I asked for introductions."

"I wanted to let you know who you're messing with, Damian."

I wasn’t sure if his individual combat ability was quite excellent or if he had something he was relying on, but I noticed he didn't seem very scared even when the shadow hammer passed by right next to his face.

Interesting.

The moment I saw that behavior, I briefly considered kidnapping Archbishop Mikhail to the shadow city and trying some physical persuasion, but decided to endure for now since that would mess up all the plans.

Holding back the urge to reveal my true intentions right away, I smiled brightly and said, "It's a joke, why so serious? Ah, do they not play jokes like this in the church?"

"You're an interesting person."

"...It was a joke?"

Since I usually do whatever I want, it was quite difficult to hold back something for the future, but deciding to endure for Ruen who would be waiting hesitantly outside, I calmly continued speaking, "Well anyway, I thought I should tell you this. It seems multiple rifts will open soon."

At the word rift, Archbishop Mikhail looked at me with an expressionless face, while Elisia looked at me with bewilderment.

"Rifts, you say? Why is that?"

"I don't know. Judging by the invasion of the port city Chetica this time, don't you think they're about to start a full-scale invasion now?"

After saying that, I immediately observed Archbishop Mikhail's expression.

An archbishop would likely know almost everything happening in the church.

In other words, he would have already known that Ruen headed to the port city Chetica, and there was a high chance he already knew that Chetica was being invaded by demon race.

Yet the church side took no action.

And seeing how calm he was despite hearing that rifts were appearing here and demon race were invading, I thought Archbishop Mikhail might know that demon race were a group that could be used.

I learned something good.

What I learned from this was that not only black mages, but the church was also favorably entangled with demon race.

Realizing this, I silently looked at Archbishop Mikhail, feeling the enemy's identity becoming clearer bit by bit.

What on earth are these guys aiming for?

The reason they had to join hands with black mages who have beliefs and powers completely opposite to their own.

And furthermore, the reason they were able to use demon race who were dominated by primal instincts.

Thinking it was full of questions the more I heard related information, now that I had obtained all the necessary information, I decided to leave and exited the office.

Ruen, who had been waiting outside with Loraine, subtly linked arms with me and said, "Lord Damian. Excuse me for a moment."

I was puzzled, wondering why, but since it wasn't anything too important, I nodded and was about to return home when suddenly the office door opened again and Elisia came out calling me.

"Damian!"

Curious at the sudden action, I looked at Elisia.

Elisia seemed like she wanted to say something, but seeing Ruen clinging to my side, she closed her mouth.

Then she opened and closed her mouth as if trying to say something, but seeming to decide it would be better to give up, she hesitated then shook her head.

"...It's nothing."

I couldn't know what she wanted to say, but seeing her expression wasn't very good, I just thought it was pleasant and turned my gaze away, then left.

***

As we exited the mansion, Ruen, whose face had turned bright red, subtly moved away from me and said, "I-I'm sorry. I thought it would be good to do this somehow. I caused you trouble for a moment."

It was too good to call it trouble, so I smiled slightly and linked arms with her like she had done earlier, and said, "It doesn't matter."

"W-what?"

Ruen looked at me with a surprised expression, seemingly not expecting me to do the same action in return.

Finding Ruen's reaction interesting, I said to Loraine, "Loraine. How's the North's Grand Duke's condition?"

"He's still holed up in the family head's office."

"I see."

For reasons unknown, it seemed the North's Grand Duke had no intention of stepping up even though rifts are occurring in his territory.

Thinking the North's Grand Duke might have given up on the North at this point, I entered the shadow city.

Liana greeted us and asked about the situation, "How was it?"

She was probably already grasped the whole situation using her ability, so asking this question was likely just to start the conversation.

I told Liana everything that had happened, and after hearing my words, Liana made an expression as if finding it interesting and said, "Then it's time to start using Poppy in earnest."

"That's right."

Deciding to start sowing discord using Poppy, I looked at Poppy who was trembling.

To an unknowing third party, it would look like quite a pitiful sight, but having heard from Ruen what that guy did to her, I felt no sympathy at all and said, "If you betray us or can't do as we say, we plan to detonate the bomb implanted in your body. So do well, okay?"

"Y-yes."

Though that line just now sounded very much like a terrorist…

I deliberately shook my head and denied reality.

With that thought, I said to Liana, "Then let's start implementing the operation."

"Yes. Then first, I'll send Poppy to the church side. Since Poppy was originally a black mage, there's a high chance her persuasiveness will be doubled."

"Then I'll go create as many rifts as possible with Siren."

"Sounds good."

"After that... we can bait the black mage side by asking Dasoon to pretend he saw what we saw earlier."

Thinking I was quite curious what kind of crazy situation would unfold, I looked at the giant worm Worms under the shadow city.

By the way, I had fed these guys countless shadow bombs.

The moment these guys were released on the ground, they would become living giant biological bombs capable of horribly blowing up desired locations.

"Then now we throw the bait, gather them in one place, and when they're fighting each other, we go boom and blow them up."

"Hearing you say that... it really feels like we've become terrorists."

The moment I heard those words, I reflected for about 2 seconds on how I was already thinking it would be fun to detonate bombs, then turned my gaze away.

Anyway, that's not what's important.

I shook my head, then subtly conveyed to Liana something I had briefly thought about before.

Liana made a very surprised expression and said to me, "Are you really a terrorist?"

"No, why?"

"That... it's certainly efficient and good, but it feels like crossing a line somehow."

As I was thinking when have we ever not crossed lines, Siren, who had been peeking around looking at me nearby, subtly approached me.

With an expression as if hesitating a bit, she struggled for a moment then spoke to me in a voice full of tension, "Damian. Do you remember the promise from before?"

At the word promise, I suddenly recalled one fact I had forgotten.

Biting fingers.

The moment I realized this fact, I nodded with a reluctant expression.

Siren looked at me like that and showed her determination as she said to me, "Now that all preparations are done. I want to do that now, can I?"

I thought there was no need for preparation just for biting fingers, but seeing Siren's resolute expression, it became difficult to say anything, so I just nodded.

"Then follow me. I want to be alone with you."

"Myeong."

"Ultra-giant fatty Pigsy, you go away too."

"Myeok?!"

Siren passed Daisy off to Loraine, then immediately grabbed my hand and started heading somewhere.