Chapter 105: Thinning (1)
The best way to attack those devil worshippers in my current situation was to expose their identity.
No matter how secretive they were, constantly not being named would have unimaginable effects.
First, restrictions would be placed on all their actions, and potential converts would be reduced.
There was an enormous difference between not knowing anything and being wary because you knew such people existed.
In the first place, they didn’t tell you they worship the devil from the start.
The only reason I hadn’t been able to do this was because I lacked the authority to know about them.
Carl Schurtafen had nothing to do with the devil worshippers. In the end, it revealed my background was false.
‘Anyway, to denounce the devil worshippers as a disposable identity…’
It was simple.
I just had to become a devil worshipper.
Of course, it was not that I really would turn into one. I meant exposing myself as such a person.
Even if I was treated as if I were dead, there was a high chance the suspicion of being affiliated with Haisen would arise.
It was a way to preemptively block that risk. That was why it was important for me to make the first move.
Even if enemies tried to frame me as being associated with Haisen if I was the first to open the door by declaring Carl Schurtafen as a devil worshipper…
Those who say such things would themselves be suspected of being devil worshippers.
To further reduce the risk, I had to attack Haisen in the process.
‘And deal with the leader too.’
The image of me killing Haisen’s leader before they could engrave my identity was enough.
Of course, I’d also need to leak information to the empire before that.
A defection by a hero of the empire.
How big of an impact would it have? Naturally, not only the empire but the entire continent would be tarnished with the reputation of devil worshippers.
‘For those who intended to move quietly, this will be a tremendous disaster.’
The plan stemmed from the idea of attacking devil worshippers, but there seemed to be no better option than this.
Of course, this wasn’t discussed with Haisen.
I couldn’t talk to the Duke right now, and revealing it was risky for me.
And escaping from Haisen’s grasp was also advantageous for me.
I intended to approach Phiri. I needed Phiri’s help to leak information to the empire.
The sooner the plan was executed, the better.
‘The problem is the Empress.’
That was the most troublesome part. It didn’t matter if it was revealed that the Empress was a devil worshipper.
Wasn’t I originally one of Erendil’s trusted aides?
Of course, there would clearly be damage. But not enough to strip her of the right of succession.
Compared to my identity as part of Haisen being revealed, it was a hundred times better.
If Erendil couldn’t become Emperor, her death in the future was essentially confirmed.
The problem was that they might attack Erendil while I was not there.
‘She even knows things about me.’
Even if it was not assassinating Erendil, if the Empress exposed me, my efforts could turn into bubbles.
I should kill her if possible…
But capturing the leader and the Empress was unimaginably difficult even in my imagination.
And it was hard to bring her mind back.
They said more brainwashing was needed to make her kill her own daughter, but she had already been recruited.
She was probably heard the devil’s whispers.
I’d already experienced in games that it was nearly impossible to bring such people back.
It would only increase her wariness of me.
‘Sigh.’
On top of that, I didn’t have the confidence to tell this to Erendil. I didn’t know how she would react to her mother’s death.
Emotion could surpass reason. Even if she read the truth from my words, it could become a problem.
I should have left her to die when I first came to the empire. I gained trust by saving her, but now things were complicated.
It must be because of the Empress that I got the Death Avoidance warning when I accepted the Duke’s offer.
‘It’s impossible to kill the leader and the Empress on the same day.’
The priority had to be the leader. In the end, I had no choice but to escape the pursuit and return to the empire as quickly as possible.
And assassinate the Empress without Erendil knowing.
Anyway, time was running out. That’s why my head hurt quite a bit while preparing.
I had to talk to Phiri today and move as quickly as possible.
“What are you thinking about so deeply?”
Emmet’s words brought me out of my reverie. Only then did the scenery outside the window catch my eye.
Moonlit leaves were swaying in the wind.
“Oh, nothing.”
I didn’t realize I had gotten so deeply lost in thought. Nevertheless, not being aware of it was my own fault.
I hardly slept these past few days, trying to organize my thoughts and plans.
Was this the best way? Was there no other option I hadn’t thought of?
There was a lot of mental stress due to the urgency of time.
And with a body already unable to rest properly and accumulated mental fatigue, I missed my composure.
I glanced at Emmet, wondering if my emotions had leaked out.
“Is it because of Her Highness?”
“Her Highness?”
I repeated the question knowing full well what he meant. Recently, following my advice, Erendil had been keeping her distance from me.
The tutoring also stopped. It was to reduce the expected shock from the betrayal of a close aide as much as possible.
The picture was that Erendil was the first to notice something strange and distanced herself.
Emmet must have noticed it of course.
“Lately Her Highness has been avoiding you.”
“We’ve just been close on many occasions recently.”
Emmet frowned slightly. His lips moved as if to say something but stopped.
His expression as he looked at me seemed uncomfortable.
“Is Her Highness okay?”
“Yes?”
I tilted my head at the sudden question, then roughly grasped what he meant.
From before, his eyes when looking at me and Erendil had been strange.
“Is there a problem?”
As I answered with a faint smile, Emmet was silent for a while before nodding heavily.
“I see. Of course, it’s for Her Highness.”
After saying that, Emmet looked at me briefly and then silently patted my shoulder once before turning away.
That touch was excessively gentle.
He probably thought I had rejected Erendil’s feelings or something.
Well, none of my business. My head felt like it would burst from other things right now anyway.
I turned my gaze outside. Soon it was time for Phiri to come.
About 30 minutes passed. Phiri appeared a little later than usual. And she wasn’t alone.
What’s going on? As I was wondering, Phiri spoke first.
“He’s Father’s man. Don’t be wary.”
Hmm. For someone to show up now, could it be that shadow-wielding mystic power and trusted aide I’d heard of but never seen? The one said to be at the Duke’s side?
How should I interpret this situation?
I had thought the Duke would have the same worries and be moving very carefully.
If he had different thoughts than me, my plan could turn to bubbles.
His idea might be better than mine but the chances were low.
-Yes. Nice to meet you
Before my hand could even write, the man spoke.
“Greetings can wait, let’s get to the point. The matter is grave and time is short.”
A stiff man. Or the situation might be more urgent than I knew.
The duke must have gotten information from imperial agents.
“According to recently obtained information, those crazy devil-worshipping bastards were indeed raised by the empire.”
-I see, just as I thought.
“Your conjectures from the report you submitted around 2 years ago were correct. They were raised in secret but got out of control.”
As expected. Otherwise, it would be hard to explain their secrecy. And the fact that their name never comes up.
Seeing the terror aimed at Erendil yet the quiet response, I was already certain.
To protect his life, Chief of Intelligence Duke Schweig would be hushing it up with all his might.
“Let’s leave that talk for now, it’s not urgent.”
-Yes.
“Before relaying the mission, there’s something I want to ask.”
After saying that, the man was silent for a while. Maybe a personal question not representing the Duke’s intentions. I waited silently.
“Duke said your thinking would be the same as his.”
The Duke said that?
If true, it was good news for me. It would be hard to come up with ingenious methods beyond what I had thought of given the constraints.
I had thought this might be the best given the many limitations.
-Is that so?
“Yes. If you don’t mind, I want to hear your thoughts first.”
Didn’t he just say there wasn’t time? It was a sudden thought, but I suspected the man’s intentions.
As per the current plan, I would soon find myself in a very precarious situation.
The Duke’s retainer might be uneasy. If I make the wrong choice, Haisen could be in danger.
Perhaps he didn’t just want to relay orders but wanted confirmation through me.
-I’ll become a devil worshipper. Haisen needs to push me toward the Empire. Then, I’ll have to attack Haisen. And maybe taking care of the leader in the process.
At the end of the brief summary, the Duke’s retainer’s silence confirmed the Duke’s and my alignment of thoughts.
It was good news. I tried to erase the smile from my lips.
“Surprising.”
-“Is that accurate?”
“Yes. The operation’s codename is ‘Thinning’.”
Thinning. To thin them out. It was a fitting operation name.
But Phiri seemed quite surprised, as if hearing this for the first time.
“Just a moment. Do we have to go that far?”
“Right now. Do you have another plan?”
The man cut off Phiri’s words.
“If this gets out, not only Carlyn but also we will be in danger.”
“…”
“And the Duke agrees with Carlyn’s thoughts. Do you have anything else to say?”
Phiri couldn’t argue. The Duke’s retainer spoke to me.
“Is there anything we can do to assist with this plan?”
-No, just let me know when it’s time to push me toward the Empire.
“We can do that now.”
-When?
“Tomorrow.”
-Understood.
I wasn’t surprised. After all, I was also planning to tell Phiri to speak tomorrow.
We just need to follow the plan.
“When will you move?”
-I’ll move at midnight tomorrow.
Moving straight away might seem suspicious, but it couldn’t be helped.
Since there were devil worshippers on the Empire’s side too, I had to move before information could be exchanged.
“Okay. Let us help with dealing with Derek.”
-No, it’s fine. It might even become a problem.
The man let out a cold laugh.
“You seem to be suspicious of us. Don’t worry. Only Phiri and I will move. Only four people know about this operation. Just prepare a suitable route.”
It seems only the three of us here and the Duke knew about the operation. The Duke was indeed moving very cautiously.
“Except for a few people who know about this, you will be considered a traitor. We will genuinely pursue you as well.”
It was a natural statement, for Denif or Orhen as well. Such secrecy was best known to a select few.
I could feel Phiri’s breath becoming heavier. Perhaps she was concerned about me.
However, the last sentence bothered me slightly. I had expected them to provide some means of communication, no matter the risk.
Though risky, talents like mine weren’t easily acquired.
Were they considering collaborating with the Empire?
It was possible. Perhaps to demonstrate Haisen’s innocence, there would be internal surveillance for a while.
-When should I return?
After a brief silence, the Duke’s retainer spoke up. Personally, I found that silence somewhat unsettling.
“The Duke has left the decision to your judgment.”
-Understood.
After discussing the details, the Duke’s retainer spoke one last time.
“It’s Duke’s statement.”
-I’m listening.
“‘Thank you. Good luck.’ Do you have any message for the Duke?”
A phrase popped into my head incongruously with the situation. A memory from Earth. Of course, I couldn’t tell it directly.
It had been hard but I’d learned and gained a lot under the Duke as an orphan. I concealed my smile.
-Please tell him ‘Thank you damn much for everything…’
After Phiri and the man left, only the most difficult mission of my experiences remained, also my last mission in Haisen.
But why? Despite the many uneasy factors, I strangely felt at ease.
Hmm. It was not always the case, but my condition would often peak at times like these…
Author's Thoughts
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