Everyone, I have great news."
The morning after Lady Hestia left the office with heavy steps.
"At last, the Saint has decided to join our plan."
Aside from Sasha, who collapsed from carrying food all night, and Alfred, who skillfully excused himself to take care of her, the remaining executives—meaning, Runiel and Parsha—were summoned back to the office.
With a bright smile, I announced to them the success of our plan.
'If this had failed, the expenses would have been a problem, but fortunately, we succeeded.'
Although what little remained of the Count's estate was spent, Sasha had been exhausted from carrying food until nightfall, and my father's cherished wine cellar had made a noble sacrifice.
AdvertisementStill, this was a moment of celebration, and I felt like raising a toast.
'Well, Parsha will take care of growing our assets, so there's nothing to worry about, right?'
Though I was slightly concerned about our funds running low, I still had Parsha.
"So, are we storming the Academy right away?"
As I gazed at Parsha with such thoughts, she suddenly raised her hand, her eyes gleaming with a rather ominous question.
"Haha. We're not going to conquer the Academy, Parsha. We're just escorting the Saint to the Hero."
"Oh, sorry. I got too excited for a moment."
If left alone, she might actually start planning an Academy raid, so I hurriedly clarified our original plan.
Fortunately, after scratching her head for a moment, she quickly accepted it.
"…Still, it would be best to take control of the Academy as soon as possible."
"Excuse me?"
"Quite a few Demon Lords… no, rulers have perished simply because they couldn't breach an Academy."
For some reason, her words reminded me of a certain noseless villain, who crumbled to dust because he failed to conquer a mere school.
Wait, is she really treating me like a Demon Lord now?
Surely, she wasn't just following Meredia in every route because she secretly wanted to play a Demon Lord-raising game, right?
"And from a practical standpoint, it's best to infiltrate the education system first to facilitate brainwashing…"
"Haha, Lady Parsha. Let's focus on our current plan for now…"
Of course, I already had my hands full with saving Meredia and reviving my family, so I tried to chide her in a quiet voice.
"Indeed, the first Demon Lord and the second Demon Lord both ultimately fell in the Academy sieges. I even designed a strategy game based on those battles to teach at the Knight Academy…"
"Sigh."
Right on cue, Runiel muttered in a serious tone beside her, forcing me to let out a deep sigh.
"…Therefore, if you really intend to take over the Academy, you must plant an insider."
"Wow, I was worried for a second, but you really are worthy of being an executive!"
Where had the Emperor's Hound and Meredia's only tactician gone?
Instead, I had a hero fanatic and a chūnibyō kid passionately debating in front of me.
"…To be honest, I suspected that was the real reason behind our current operation."
"Is… is that so? As expected…"
"Haha. Ladies."
If I continued listening, I might actually have to invade the Academy for real.
"I'm speaking now, aren't I?"
Keeping my smile intact, I lowered my voice and sent a warning to the two, who were whispering to each other.
"…Yes."
"Understood."
Startled, both Parsha and Runiel raised their heads and sullenly answered before shutting their mouths.
At least they listened to me well—that was my only consolation.
"In any case, I've been appointed as a judge for the upcoming Talent Selection Tournament at the Academy, and we have secured the Saint's cooperation… It's time to move on to the next phase."
"Oh, wait a moment."
I was just about to transition into the main topic when—
"There's something we're lacking before we proceed."
Parsha raised her hand again, but this time, her expression was serious.
"And that is information."
"Hmm."
I had a vague idea of what she was about to say, so I simply listened.
"First of all, Master's name has only recently become known in the Empire. Naturally, the Academy's board will scrutinize your qualifications."
"…That's true."
"So, as a judge, you should familiarize yourself with the participants' personal details in advance."
Yes, when she's serious, Parsha is truly reliable.
"Additionally, we should gather information about the tournament venue, staff placement, and break times. That way, the Saint will have a lower risk of being exposed."
"Well, to some extent, those details will be provided to the judges, but…"
She pinpointed every single weak spot in my plan without missing a beat.
"…You're worried the Academy won't be cooperative, aren't you?"
"Exactly! From their perspective, Master got appointed through political influence."
Well, it's not just their perspective—it's the truth.
"The Academy is inherently exclusive, so they'll try to find fault with you. They might even withhold information on purpose."
"What if we ask the Prince for help?"
"Hmm. Do you really think he would obtain reliable information?"
Not only had she identified that we couldn't fully trust Princess Katarina, even though she was now an ally, but she also already accounted for it.
I suddenly felt guilty for thinking of her as just a chūnibyō kid.
"In that case, do you have a solution in mind?"
"Well, if you entrust me with intelligence gathering, I'll do my best, but…"
Curious if she had come up with an alternative, I cautiously asked her.
"…Information costs money. And right now, I've invested all of the Count's remaining wealth, so we're severely short on funds."
Even Parsha found our family's pitiful finances to be a headache.
"It'll take time before we see any returns, right?"
"Yes. Since I invested in long-term gains based on your plans…"
"Well, that's not a problem for now."
Still, I wasn't too discouraged.
Parsha's specialty was compiling and analyzing intelligence—expecting her to generate more resources on her own would be too much.
"After all, my next step is to address our biggest weakness—the information gap."
Yes, the time had come.
"Now, let's prepare to head out."
"Right now?"
"Yes, we have somewhere to be."
Not just for intelligence related to this operation, but also information on future black mages, Meredia's curse, my strange white magic…
And all the other challenges ahead.
"For reference, our destination is the outskirts of the Empire—the heart of the underworld."
The final missing piece of my dream team.
"There's someone we need to find there."
It's time to meet the player's informant—Bergen.
***
A Few Hours Later, in the Imperial Underworld
'So, we finally arrived, but…'
After stepping off the carriage and walking quite a distance, I found myself in the underworld district once again—my second time here since securing Runiel.
Looking around at the familiar yet sinister streets, I let out a dry chuckle, followed by a sigh.
'As expected, this is going to be tough.'
Unlike Parsha, whom I only managed to secure by using the "Alfred Chance," Bergen's whereabouts were relatively clear.
The problem was that there were far too many places he could be.
To put it simply, the entire underworld district was a possible location.
'He's probably wandering around in despair right now, so I guess I should start by checking every bar.'
After all, in the original game, the first encounter between the player and Bergen happened in a bar, where he was drowning in alcohol and causing trouble during an investigation.
Thinking about it that way, the search did seem daunting, but at least I had the comfort of knowing that he wouldn't have left this area.
If I stayed at a nearby inn for a few days and conducted a thorough search, I should be able to find him before the Talent Selection Tournament began.
"Hah, this is truly impressive work."
"…Ah."
"For the young master of the Count's family to set foot in such a grim place. Are you trying to make this old man file a resignation letter in his twilight years?"
Just as I was about to start moving, a disgruntled voice beside me made me pause with a wry smile.
"Haha, Alfred. I'm the one in charge of the household right now."
"And that is precisely why you shouldn't be here."
I felt a little guilty for making Alfred accompany us.
After all, I had knocked some sense into Parsha, who had thrown a fit about coming along, and left her behind to take care of Sasha.
But honestly, neither Parsha nor Alfred—who was nearing retirement—should be in a dangerous place like this.
"At least Runiel is with us, so we have some level of safety guaranteed. Right?"
"Though I'm not as strong as before, I can still wield aura to some extent, so there should be no problem."
Really, if I hadn't secured Runiel in advance, this whole trip would have felt hopeless.
Even though the mana circuit engraving on her soul wasn't completely finished, she was already radiating sword energy.
If I were a swordsman myself, I might have felt a serious sense of inferiority.
"But you must not underestimate the underworld. Anything can happen here—"
—Grandpa! That's why I told you I should go instead!
"Be quiet, child. You won't set foot in this place as long as I'm alive."
Just as Alfred was about to lecture us further, Parsha's voice suddenly rang out from the communication crystal in his hand, making him frown.
—Tsk… after you're dead?
"Clicking your tongue at me already? You've been learning all the wrong things."
Since finding Bergen would require an all-out effort, I had substituted Parsha's eyes and ears with that ridiculously expensive communication crystal—one that cost as much as three months' worth of our household's budget.
I could only pray that Alfred wouldn't get into trouble while holding it.
"Alfred, please stay close to me and Runiel at all times, okay?"
"…I may be old, but I can take care of myself."
"Haha. You have a great sense of humor."
Despite my insistence, he remained indifferent, simply shaking his head.
"So, where to first?"
"Hmm, let's check out that shop over there."
Though I was slightly uneasy, I figured that as long as Runiel and I remained alert, there wouldn't be any major issues.
However—
"Ah, but the people standing in front of it look…"
I hesitated as I noticed two burly men standing guard at the entrance, their menacing presence impossible to ignore.
"If they're in the way, I'll handle them."
"Mm."
Runiel's offer was reassuring. If she stepped forward, we could certainly get inside.
But—
"Are you planning to cause a commotion as soon as we arrive?"
Alfred had a point. Drawing attention too early could complicate things.
'But avoiding every place with guards would also be tricky…'
Given the nature of the underworld, most establishments had some form of security.
I was deep in thought, contemplating my next move when—
"You two stay here."
"…Huh?"
"I'll go have a word with them."
With a quiet sigh, Alfred handed me the communication crystal and stepped forward.
"Wait, Alfred—"
Naturally, I panicked and tried to stop him.
There was no way this old man could talk his way past those guards without endangering himself.
However—
"Master."
Runiel, looking just as startled as I was, spoke up.
"I think… he'll be fine."
"…What?"
Her words alone were enough to freeze me in place.
"I believe Alfred can persuade them."
It wasn't that I was convinced by her reasoning.
Rather, I was too dumbfounded to respond.
*****
"Hey, you two."
"…Huh?"
Meanwhile, at the entrance of the shop, the guards wore expressions just as baffled as Whitney's.
"Move aside. I wish to enter."
A robed old man with stark white hair had just made the bold declaration.
The two guards exchanged looks, then burst into laughter.
"Pfft. What the hell is this old man saying?"
"Listen, grandpa. If you don't want to end up in a coffin tonight, I suggest you turn around and—"
Given the brutal nature of the underworld, where dead bodies turned up in alleyways almost daily, it was only natural that they responded with hostility.
However—
"It seems you don't understand, so I'll say it one last time."
As the old man pulled back his hood, his gray eyes glowed ominously.
"If you value those pitiful little lives of yours, I suggest you move. Now."
In that instant, the two men, their large frames suddenly feeling insignificant, went pale.
Then, without hesitation, they stepped aside.
"Hmm, young master. They've agreed to let us through after a little chat."
"…Seriously?"
And just a few minutes later—
"Haha, I must say, it's nice how well-mannered today's youth are."
The news that the retired godfather of the underworld had returned began to shake the outer districts to their core.