CH 129

“… Ah, Rental.”

“Yes.”

“Do always study all night long?”

“Yes. I like studying. I’m happy that I’m getting out of the small world I’ve been living in all this time.”

Hume said that when he gained consciousness, he lived in a space of about one square wide.

“But aren’t you overdoing it?”

“I’m all right. I don’t collapse. My body is stronger than you think. Perhaps… Am I not allowed to study?”

Hume hesitated for a moment and looked at Lucion with sad eyes.

He couldn’t stop him from liking it.

Lucion let out a sigh and said.

“Then, just take it easy.”

“I see. Thank you for your permission.”

Hume smiled brightly.

[…Hey, Lord Lucion?]

Bethel called out to Lucion with a bewildered face.

The atmosphere was very warm, but this was the third floor, in the room of the branch manager.

“Oh, that’s right.”

Only then did Lucion turn his head and look at the branch manager whose neck was grabbed by Hume.

“I was so bored that I didn’t even realize you were there.”

Leaning comfortably on the sofa, Lucion put his fingers together.

Just in time, his stomach was hurting so he exhaled briefly.

The corpses of the people who escorted the branch manager were seen in Lucion’s eyes.

Upon arriving at the branch, Lucion sent the ghosts of his enemies to the sky.

After that, Hume immediately came to the branch manager’s office, smashed the sword of the branch manager who apparently knew how to use a sword, and killed the escorts.

As a result, the branch manager was now on his knees with his back caught by Hume.

[Well, it’s okay to be relaxed today, right? Lucion is not alone, there are members of the organization.]

Russell came down from the ceiling.

Having already searched up and down, Lucion decided that it was okay to relax a little.

[That’s true, but it’s because I’m worried that Lord Lucion will be distracted by the smallest things.]

Bethel was still listening to the surroundings.

[Lucion would never act like that. I promise you.]

Russell raised the corners of his mouth.

Lucion was quite cautious, even if he didn’t look like that occasionally.

His near-death experience tended to be because he he wasn’t aware of what was happening. 

[The members are moving, Lucion.]

Russell told Lucion the current situation.

“…By the way, where was I?”

Lucion stopped fiddling with his fingers and asked.

“You mentioned getting rid of Neubra.”

“Yeah. That’s it. So, what’s the answer? I think I’ve given you enough time to think.”

The branch manager kept his mouth shut and his eyes rolling around nonstop.

“Oh. Are you looking for a ghost?”

Lucion smirked.

“I already sent them off before coming in.”

Why would he leave alone the ghosts that served as the branch’s CCTV?

At his words, the branch manager looked at Lucion with a confused look.

“What’s the matter? I said I’d free you from the Neubra Kingdom, don’t you like it?”

“I-I am unconditionally loyal to the Neubra Kingdom!”

The branch manager quivered.

“I will never betray them, and I will be loyal to them until I die…”

“No. I’m not them.”

Lucion sighed.

“I will take responsibility to release your family that Neubra has captured.”

Of course not now.

It was something that had to be done after obtaining all six branches, but now he had to let the branch manager relax first.

“…”

The branch manager kept his mouth shut again.

But his eyes changed. It was the kind of look that held a certain expectation.

‘They must have been forcibly captured.’

Lucion couldn’t find out about it when he looked for poison from the branch manager.

In that case, it should be okay to push on a little more.

“I am Hamel, a member of the Organization Ale.”

Lucion introduced himself.

“Ale…?”

“Yes. It’s an organization created for peace and freedom.”

[Peace and freedom? …Whoa.]

Russell clenched his ten fingers.

It was because he couldn’t stand his fingers shriveling.

[Isn’t that a good thing?]

As if the words were genuine, a soft smile hung at the corners of Bethel’s lips.

“…Freedom?”

The branch manager was choked up for a moment and was barely holding back his emotions.

Even if he didn’t say anything, he felt desperate to be freed from Neubra Kingdom.

“I know there are six branches in total. I intend to free them all.”

“…!”

Only then did the branch manager realize that Lucion didn’t take it lightly.

Gulp.

He swallowed.

“What I want to ask is simple.”

When Lucion spoke, the branch manager waited for Lucion’s next words as if he was ready to answer anything.

“How does Neubra monitor this place?”

However, the branch manager looked into the air with a frightened look.

“There are no men watching you. Don’t make me say it again twice.”

“What… do you mean?”

The branch manager also voiced his dismay despite Hume’s gesture to strangle him.

“So?”

Lucion urged the branch manager again.

“They monitor us through invisible beings, and through the people loyal to Neubra hidden in the branch.”

“You mean double security?”

At the branch manager’s attitude that obediently followed his words since a while ago, Lucion was worried that he might have pushed the members into a meaningless battle.

However, with those words, his worries disappeared completely, and he thought it was rather a good thing.

“…That’s right. And there’s a periodic inspection once a month. Contact by letter is once a week.”

‘It’s broader than I thought.’

Lucion clasped his fingers and put his thumbs together.

[Are they managing it so poorly because they believe in ghosts?]

Bethel asked Russell.

The fact that they penetrated this deeply into the Empire, not just the kingdom itself, meant that they must have put in a lot of effort.

Considering that, their management was worse than the organization’s.

[Of course. Ghosts don’t have to sleep, don’t have to eat, and they can’t lie if you make them obey with black magic, so it’s perfect to keep them as watchdogs.]

Russell’s eyes slipped to Lucion.

The person who figured out the characteristics of the ghost and used them to the fullest was none other than Lucion.

[But the funny thing is, other warlocks are different from Lucion.]

[What do you mean?]

[There are many situations to consider, such as a certain radius of distance, weather, and the movement of the obedient ghosts. So just because a warlock has subjugated a ghost doesn’t mean that they can hear the report in every situation. They’re definitely great watchdogs though.]

‘…Does that mean their antenna isn’t good, or that they don’t any antenna at all?’

Lucion was pleased with the remark.

He had Ratta, the divine beast of darkness, so that he could listen to reports in real-time anytime, anywhere.

Lucion glanced at his meek shadow and asked.

“When was the inspection?”

“It was a week ago.”

Lucion laughed at the words stating that they would come three weeks later even if Neubra couldn’t send someone to check.

There was enough time to go around and take control of all six branches.

“I like it.”

Lucion’s mask turned blue.

“Now the southern branch belongs to Ale. Do you agree?”

The end of the branch manager’s eyebrows went down at the words that sounded like holding a leash.

He thought he managed to get out.

His eyes, which had just been stained with hope, dried up.

He got caught like this again.

“Now this place will be the hideout of the organization. The conditions the organization wants are the same as before. It is based on moving secretly so that the Empire doesn’t notice.”

The Empire was big and strong, worthy of its name.

But since it was so big, it would be hard to look at the small things.

Why else did Newbra split its branch into six?

“But this place will always be a dummy pretending to be a hideout.”

Lucion lightly tapped his head with his fingers.

This was a place that Neubra knew.

He wasn’t a fool and he didn’t intend to use this place itself.

Lucion gave Hume instructions to let the branch manager go, waving his hand.

Hume let go, and when he was suddenly free, the branch manager looked at Lucion with bewildered eyes.

Russell covered his mouth in advance with intrigued eyes, not wanting to disturb Lucion’s concentration.

“What I need is not this branch, but you and your subordinates who have not been discovered by the Empire.”

What words do you need the most for someone who has been taken advantage of all along?

It was a recognition.

Recognition of one’s own existence.

At the words, the light shone again in the dying eyes of the branch manager.

A new southern branch.

And the information that the existing southern branch had.

‘With this information, maybe we won’t die in a confrontation with the Empire.’

Lucion felt the corners of his mouth rise.

He was going to share enough that the Empire would think Ale was perfect to be used.

“Therefore, you’ll be the branch manager, so what do you need?”

“…Yes?”

The branch manager asked in surprise.

“What do you need? I’ll support you.”

Lucion smiled brightly.

“Ah. Since you lived under threat, did you receive proper money? The only one who received the money must be the bastards from Neubra.”

Lucion took a money bag out of his arms, and Hume ran quickly to get the money bag.

Not one, but two.

No, three came out.

“Today is the day you’re freed from beggars, so relax and buy something delicious. Buy what you want to buy.”

Along with Lucion’s words, Hume took three pockets of money and held them out in front of the branch manager.

Opening a pocket of money as if possessed, the branch manager stiffened and quietly raised his head to look at Lucion.

The money was too much.

It was an amount that you wouldn’t get even if you worked for the rest of your life.

“Honestly, nothing will comfort you. I don’t even know what you’ve been subjected to. So I don’t want to comfort you half-heartedly.”

When that indifferent voice strangely touched his heart, the branch manager’s eyes fluttered.

“But with that money, you will be able to do what you want in the future.”

It was true.

Because that was true, the branch manager hugged the money and bowed his head.

“Congratulations on your release from shackles.”

His voice was still stiff, but he could hear the sound of holding back a cry from the branch manager.

He sniffled then suddenly shouted in haste.

“…There’s a bomb, there’s a bomb on the fourth basement floor!”

“I know.”

“It will explode there when the enemies come in!”

“Now you’re a member of the organization, too. Trust your fellow members.”

[Here it comes, Lord Lucion.]

At Bethel’s voice, Lucion turned and looked at the door.

Clang!

Several people came inside, breaking the door.

The second reason why he came straight to the branch manager finally appeared.

If there was a problem with the branch, what would the people planted from the Neubra Kingdom do?

Detonate the magic bomb.

‘…They’ll come to kill the branch manager.’

[Lucion. Stay still. You can just sit there and use black magic, right?]

Russell pressed Lucion’s shoulder as he tried to get out of his seat.

“That’s right, I’ll take care of it.”

Hume also stopped Lucion.

What would happen if the wound on his stomach opened when he moved?

―Yes! Ratta thinks so, too! Lucion handles darkness well even when lying still, right?

[Unfortunately, I agree.]

From Ratta to Bethel.

Lucion didn’t feel good because he felt like he was stowed away for no reason.

He wanted to take responsibility until the end because it was his choice.

‘…Well, it’s a pity, but it can’t be helped.’

Lucion grabbed the armrests and leaned back against the sofa.

It was a low-class sofa that was only covered in luxurious leather, but his body was tired, so this was good too.

“You don’t have to be scared.”

Seeing the branch manager tremble as he clenched his money bag, Lucion raised his finger and pointed at them.

“They’ve been driving you to hell. Watch what kind of end they will face.”

Just looking at it, he could already see floating ice around him, as if it was announcing that there was a wizard around.

Thud.

“Hurry this way, please! We’ll save you!”

The wizard hurriedly reached out to the branch manager and urged him on.

[Hume. The man on the right side of the wizard is holding a sword.]

Bethel hurriedly informed Hume so that the branch manager in Lucion’s possession wouldn’t be shaken.

At those words, Lucion spoke in a confident voice.

“You can’t possibly think we’re going fall for that, right?”

Whoosh.

With the sound of the wind being torn apart, Hume approached, twisted his body, and swung his leg at the wizard next to him.

When that man’s neck was bent and pulled out, it hit the wall and flowed down.

Thud!

At the same time, the sword he hid in his back also fell.

“Did you see that?”

Lucion pointed his finger at the wizard with a huff.