Chapter 294: Cactus (1)
-Wake up! Command! Guards!
Marching and training noises announced the morning. Sophien awoke and looked up at the ceiling.
Blink, blink- blink, blink-
“…”
When she suddenly turned her head and looked out of the window, there was a blazing sun that looked like it could melt the gla.s.s. The heat of the desert was strong enough to bend any steel frame, but the interior of this main building remained pleasant.
“Keiron.”
-Yes.
“I feel refreshed.”
Her exhaustion vanished, and her condition was perfect enough to not need sleep for three days and three nights. She didn’t know why.
‘Did the Professor come and go?’
She looked around, but he was nowhere to be seen.
-I’m glad. However, I heard that the servants are coming.
“The servants.”
-Yes.
Sophien felt a throbbing in her head. The good thing about the desert was that they weren’t there, so why did they have to come?
“…What about the Professor?”
Pretending to be uninterested, she asked.
—The Chairman is exploring external threats. He said that the area around Your Majesty would be established as a safe zone by installing mirrors in various places in a radius of three kilometers.
“A safe zone?”
-Yes.
In theory, if you used the properties of mirrors well, you could monitor without blind spots.
“…”
Sophien raised her torso without saying a word. At that moment, she felt her heart was choking.
“Again, again, this d.a.m.n….”
Thump—
As if a knife were being rammed through her chest, the pain spread throughout her head.
“…This f.u.c.king sickness.”
If the emotion she felt for Deculein was love, was this also part of that love?
“Haah.”
Sophien patted her chest and stood. She walked around the room with her hands clasped behind her back, then sat back on the bed—
“Haah.”
Sophien patted her chest and stood. She walked around the room with her hands clasped behind her back, then sat back on the bed—
“Haah.”
…After repeating that a few times.
“I look like a moron.”
She came back to her senses and changed clothes. Today’s clothing was an all-black suit from Yuren.
“Hmm.”
She sat in her office chair with a stack of government tasks to be dealt with. Sophien stared at the doc.u.ments.
“I see more paperwork arrived this morning.”
-Yes. The guards await the prisoners’ sentencing.
Sophien bit her lower lip for a moment, remembering Deculein.
“I said that all of them must be killed.”
-Yes. However, it seems that the chairman is being careful.
“…”
Her eyes narrowed sharply. Her heart shook again, but this time she nodded calmly.
“Okay. Deculein that b.a.s.t.a.r.d said to give those prisoners a chance.”
Sophien picked up her pen.
“Then, give it to them. That chance.”
A personal letter from the Emperor was completed with just one sentence. It flew away with Psychokinesis.
“This… is the only chance that I’ll give them.”
The content of that chance that was close to impossible was as follows:
[Within two weeks, propose how to make the most beautiful flowers bloom in the middle of the dunes.]
* * *
…The Imperial Guard built watchtowers all over the desert and connected their nests with equipment such as radios and walkie-talkies. They also placed troops on the border of the desert to block traffic. As such, the desert was isolated in just three days, and a network was established to monitor it.
“It’s too fast.”
—In the middle of that desert, Lia was sweating profusely and walking down the dunes.
“It’s because of Deculein.”
Lia cheered inside when the incompetent man named Bell became their leader. However, Deculein’s influence was still strong, and he chose to constrict the desert. Of course, Bell was quite displeased.
“How did he come up with the idea to stop the groundwater?”
He planned to block all underground waterways by using the Malia tribe, who found water veins. That was why Lia crawled through the dunes that tried to swallow her whole.
“Whew… is it here?”
Finally, she reached her destination. She picked up her map and checked it once more.
“It is. An underground outpost.”
This was the underground checkpoint of the Demon Blood that she visited when she was an adventurer. There were also some pretty close Named friends here. Lia double-checked for any unforeseen—
“Who are you?”
She heard a cold voice.
Whooosh-!
Lia smiled, feeling a presence inside the sandstorm.
“It’s me. You know me.”
“…!”
The sand subsided. A man in a turban appeared.
“…Wait?”
The man’s eyes widened as he looked at Lia.
“Are you Lia?”
“Yes. It’s me. Kaisel.”
Kaisel. The Demon Blood Named and the nephew of Carixel, who was now locked in Rohalak.
“Nice to see you.”
Lia had a good network with the Demon Bloods, and the reason she came to him was, of course, the main quest.
“…Why are you here?”
“Take it.”
Lia handed him a doc.u.ment. It was top secret, including all of Deculein’s plans, the location of the watchtowers, ambush spots, and so on.
“…?”
Kaisel was dazed. The enemy’s most important secrets were twinkling right in front of him, but he was just blinking, not taking it.
“Take it. I’m here to help the Demon Blood and the Desert tribes.”
Aka, a double spy. Lia was willing to take on such a dangerous role. This was because the destruction of the Demon Blood and the desert would be harmful to completing the main quest.
“I’m lost for words. You suddenly come here and…”
“Would you believe me if I said that I approached Deculein on purpose for this?”
Of course, she didn’t approach him for this, but since she was already there…
“On purpose?”
Kaisel asked. Lia replied bravely.
“Yes. People are being slaughtered. All of them, children and the elderly included, just for being Demon Blood.”
“…But-“
“The Empire is trying to slaughter even the tribes of the desert, and that’s not right. Therefore.”
She pushed the doc.u.ments into his hands.
“Take it.”
“Oh.”
Kaisel put it in his pocket, but his complexion didn’t look good.
“But Lia. Think about what you are doing now. If you’re caught, you’ll receive the death penalty. No, beyond the death penalty, the eradication of-“
“I don’t even have a family. All you have to do is keep the secret, Kaisel.”
“…Of course, I will protect it with my life. Even if this information is not true, I will believe you-“
“It is true. It’s information stolen from Deculein.”
Kaisel’s eyes widened once more. Looking at his shocked expression, Lia smiled broadly.
“Deculein, from the professor who has neither blood nor tears? How?”
“They said I look like Deculein’s ex-fiancé.”
“…Oh.”
Kaisel was startled. A strange thought seemed to be running through his mind. Still, given that he didn’t ask much, it seemed a surprisingly popular rumor. The Demon Blood must have studied and a.n.a.lyzed everything about Deculein.
“So it was surprisingly easy. Also, this.”
Lia pulled a piece of folded paper from her pocket.
“Take it. This is a double paper.”
Double paper, a pair of magic papers made of two sheets. What was written on one page was copied and written on the other.
“If I get these kinds of secrets in the future, I will bury them in the ground. I’ll mark the location on this double paper. And you, Kaisel, will go find it.”
“…”
“I am a double spy.”
Kaisel nodded his head silently. He took the sheet with a stern look.
“Thanks, Lia. You-“
“You don’t have to thank me. I’m going to do this as an adventurer mission too. A double spy mission.”
Lia added with a small smile.
“And hey, Kaisel. Later, when all the misunderstandings are cleared up, and the Demon Blood are recognized…”
“I’ll risk the future of my race and promise you a reward.”
A quest popped up at the same time as Kaisel’s promise.
[Main Quest: The Future of the Demon Blood]
◆ Mana +500 when the Demon Blood are independent
“Yes. I’ll trust you!”
Lia answered vigorously.
…
After Lia returned, the Demon Blood’s Underground Post. Kaisel was talking to someone through the crystal ball.
—Lia came and said that in person?
“Yes.”
-How?
The voice seemed to find it difficult to understand. No matter how talented the adventurer, Deculein’s secrets weren’t easily obtainable.
“Lilia, you told me. That Lia resembles Deculein’s ex-fiancé.”
—…
“Lia seems to have approached him on purpose. The Red Garnet Adventurers don’t want war either.”
At Kaisel’s words, Lilia Primienne — former deputy chief of public security and current head of the Rohalak camp, went silent for a moment.
-Indeed. His eyes, looking at Lia in Reccordak, were unsettling.
“Other than that, there is no reason why Deculein would have taken Lia in.”
-That’s right.
Primienne agreed.
—In any case, it’ll be a great strength for us if that child becomes a spy. She is at the heart of the Imperial guard.
“Confirmed.”
—…
“And?”
And. Kaisel asked, but Primienne’s next words had nothing to do with the Demon Blood.
—To think that the Professor leaked secrets. I guess Lia really resembles his ex-fiancé.
“…Yes.”
—I’ll hang up.
Click—
Whooo-!
Kaisel blew out his oil lantern.
* * *
The temporary Imperial Palace was built in the desert. As I walked down the first floor, I found a familiar face.
“It’s so nice and refreshing here….”
Lia was sitting on the couch in the living room. Her clothes were soaked in sweat, and she was dozing off with a languid expression. In that little bosom, she held the theory of elementalization that I gave her.
“Cool dolphin…”
“Lia.”
I called the girl’s name.
“What?”
“What have you been doing?”
Lia glanced at me, and her expression grew awkward.
“I’ve been training. Training in the heat…”
Pretending to be dead, twisting her head, she avoided conversation. I sat next to her.
“Lia.”
“…”
“Answer me.”
“…I’m sleepy now.”
“Before I kill-“
“I’ll tell you later.”
Responding bluntly, she shot up.
“Oh-!”
At that moment, a voice echoed from across the hallway.
“Chairman?”
It was General Bell. The majestic figure with his faction behind his back provoked in me the urge to kill, but I casually welcomed him.
“General Bell.”
“Yes, Chairman, I have something to tell you-“
“Say it.”
Bell’s brow furrowed slightly. He seemed to be unsatisfied with my way of speaking.
“Yeah, well… anyway. They said the location was identified?”
“Location?”
“Yes. A Demon Blood hideout has been found here by this Volgen.”
Bell laughed, congratulating the male knight standing right behind him.
“Wait for now. Surveillance is more important than advancing.”
“No, no-“
Bell shook his head.
“No, no. It isn’t; it isn’t.”
He kept shaking his head. He shook like that about seven times and then spoke.
“I’ve already received orders from Her Majesty.”
“…Orders?”
“Yes.”
Ahem. Bell cleared his throat and crossed his arms, then whispered.
“So this is a notice, not a consultation. Chairman Deculein.”
“…”
Notice, not consultation. I looked at Bell. No words, no reaction. Just indifferently and dry.
“…”
“…”
As the time went on, Bell seemed a little embarra.s.sed.
“Ahem. Anyway.”
He strongly urged my death variable.
“From now on, such indiscriminate treatment will be a little uncomfortable. Respecting each other – yes, I think that would be good, so just know that.”
Bell walked down the hallway smiling like a rat. Dozens of bodyguards followed after him like parasites. Lia, pretending not to be, was looking over.
“…Oops.”
She closed her eyes again and laid down on the couch.
“…”
I walked down the hallway without a word. Bell, there was no need to get mad at filth. I would kill that guy anyway. Even if I died in the not-too-distant future, I would at least kill him before that.
[Private room: Deculein]
I arrived at my private room. The moment I put my hand on the doork.n.o.b-
Chijik—
I felt a certain trace.
“…”
Creak-
I quietly opened the door and looked around inside. It was easy to sneak into this room. It was also easy to copy or remove the confidential doc.u.ments neatly organized in the drawers. It was a s.p.a.ce that was deliberately created that way.
“…But.”
A thief had been here. I looked closely at my Vision, but the faint traces left were of an unexpected kid.
“Lia.”
Why that girl?
* * *
Bell marched like a scoundrel. However, he achieved results. He found the Demon Blood’s outpost, and since he took the Demon Blood as prisoners, Sophien praised him. On the other hand, Deculein managed nothing every time he maneuvered. Whether information leaked or was predicted, the plan to block the groundwater also failed due to a surprise attack. As a result…
—Rumors are rife that Her Majesty is trying to cut down Deculein.
Deculein’s influence in the desert weakened. Even Keiron was concerned.
—How long are you planning to humiliate him like this?
“Hmph.”
Sophien looked at Keiron and clenched her teeth.
“What do you care? Also, isn’t it true that he can’t work anyway?”
—You know it too. That the Demon Bloods are giving Bell military merit on purpose.
“…”
He was right. Bell was running wild like a fish in water, and the Demon Blood were throwing all kinds of baits at him. They hoped that Deculein would be overthrown and that the incompetent Bell would succeed.
“I’ll do what I want. So shut up and p.i.s.s off.”
Sophien waved her hands. Keiron continued.
-Your Majesty. Then you may end up hated.
“…What?”
For a moment, Sophien’s face hardened.
“What did you just say, who will hate-“
—Since that day, Deculein has not come to visit Your Majesty.
“…”
She was speechless.
—Or do you want Deculein to come first and bow down? Saying that he was wrong and wants to be with Your Majesty again?
Her cheeks ached, and her heart burned like it was on fire. It was a very strange pain.
—You know it’s impossible, don’t you? He may obey Your Majesty’s orders, but he is not one to bend his convictions.
“…”
—Besides, Deculein is a real n.o.bleman who values face the most.
Keiron continued.
—But your Majesty is now crushing his pride.
“Just shut…”
—You’re doing what he doesn’t tolerate the most.
Hearing that, she felt that it was a bit unfair.
—I’m just curious.
What he couldn’t stand, Deculein had already smashed her heart.
—Is Your Majesty abandoning Deculein?
He told countless lies. He said it was only for Julie and trampled on her. But why…
—Or maybe Your Majesty is being abandoned by Deculein.
‘…Why does Keiron say such painful things to me?’