NOVEL WEB Chapter 90
“…What’s the deal with the codename, Dreamer?”
“I don’t know either. The informant who passed me the info said they had no clue what this Dreamer is up to.”
“Was the informant Ophelia Bloomin?”
Since she casually tossed out the name of the Information Guild leader, Silina’s gaze shifted toward Pina.
A moment later, she nodded, confirming.
“Yep. Ophelia Bloomin. Even the leader of the Information Guild couldn’t figure out the source of the info. That’s why it’s so untrustworthy.”
“Doesn’t it sound ridiculous that they don’t even know where the info came from?”
“I agree. But what can we do? Apparently, this info was just sitting on my desk when I woke up this morning.”
“…So you brought it straight to me?”
“Exactly. This info even defied the cartel’s orders to come to me. It’s a well-behaved scout dog. So we can’t kill it.”
“How did it make it to the Academy?”
“Ophelia’s a Puppeteer, remember? Not just any Puppeteer, but one who deals with bizarre creatures. Among her puppets, there’s an animal-type puppet that can deliver information to places like this. This time, it was a cat.”
“…Hah.”
I felt a lump in my throat, like there were sand grains rolling around.
The side branch seems to have struck some deal with a Dark Mage.
Honestly, in this day and age, it doesn’t matter if you’re doing business with a Dark Mage, dealing drugs, or whatever.
Dark Mages have blended into society quite well.
Just stepping outside and looking up, the Black Magic Tower is casually strolling across the sky.
Is it a crime for Dark Mages to commit crimes?
It’s not just Dark Mages who commit crimes.
When I looked up the statistics, I found that plummeting crime rates applied more to Dark Mages.
Perhaps they’re being cautious because they’re aware of such an image, or maybe their ideals have genuinely changed more than I suspect.
But the fact remains: it’s now more dangerous next door than with a Dark Mage.
So, how should I think, judge, accept, and what direction should I take action in?
Should I rip apart the side branch of Eustetia for daring to deal with a Dark Mage?
Is it right to tear apart the side branch just because they engaged with a Dark Mage who is well-accepted in society and even quoted by the Empire?
If I choose the former, I need evidence.
If I do something first and can’t find evidence of any blasphemy, then I, along with the direct lineage of Eustetia, will all be screwed.
What if I choose the latter? I’m just in a lousy mood.
And it’s clear this situation is going to escalate into an annoying hassle.
“Uncertain source… right.”
As Silina pointed out, this is unreliable information.
I can’t tell what the hell this Dreamer is doing or whether what that brat saw is even real.
And even if it’s true, what was traded, why did they go to the floating Black Magic Tower, and what reason did the Black Magic Tower have to allow entrance?
I’m clueless about everything.
However, I can speculate about the contents of the deal.
The side branch of Eustetia who dealt with a Dark Mage.
Before thinking about what was given, it’s important to consider what was received.
Although Dark Mages value their rewards more than anything, those rewards aren’t standard.
Usually, Dark Mages don’t seek materialistic things.
They prefer the unseen.
Such as their pleasure, chaos in the world, or gaining points with their master.
In simpler terms, they are granted the right to make requests.
Thus, before considering what the side branch gave as a reward, it’s crucial to know what they received.
So, what did those brats gain?
That’s likely linked to why that Shivria brat is acting up right now.
I recall the atmosphere she’s surrounded by.
She’s being a pain in the ass to me, a direct descendant, and didn’t even show her face when the head of Eustetia appeared.
I can explain the former as merely my fault; she doesn’t like me.
But the latter?
For anyone bearing the name of Eustetia, that behavior is unacceptable under any circumstances.
Disrespecting the head of the family.
In essence, that’s an act of rebellion against everything Eustetia stands for.
They’re trying to incite a rebellion against Eustetia, who commands both the Royal Knight Order and the Nameless.
What gives them the confidence to pull that off?
Do they genuinely believe they can defeat the Eustetia Knight Order and the Nameless?
Is there some group stronger than the Nameless and the Knight Order backing them up?
There’s no way.
Although he’s never openly stated it, the Kerian I know is at least 7th Rank.
That means the Nameless Captain is at least 7th Rank too.
That screams 8th Rank.
The mere fact that someone of 7th Rank is within the Nameless group exponentially raises its value.
But that’s not all—there’s someone from the 8th Rank involved.
The Nameless group is led by someone from the 8th Rank.
8th Rank.
Circles at the 9th Circle.
A being elevated beyond mere humanity.
Such 8th Rank beings take on groups all by themselves.
To put it plainly, someone at 8th Rank could potentially match the Eustetia Knight Order and the Nameless in a fight to the death.
They might even wipe them out entirely.
The ability to perform such inhuman feats is what defines 8th Rank.
And such 8th Rank beings are rare on the continent.
Just look at the six pillars of the Empire to see how rare they are.
These individuals are held in high regard worldwide and are even heralded as potential heroes.
That’s what 8th Rank means.
But, would they allow someone capable of killing the Nameless Captain in the shadows?
That doesn’t make any sense.
So, I scratch my head for other methods.
A way for the side branch to win without confronting the Knight Order or the Nameless.
And then, I think of the past.
The methods previously used by Dark Mages, including the demon race and the Mages under their command.
It’s simple.
Create discord and collapse from within.
What could possibly stir trouble among those following Eustetia?
I already know the answer.
The fact that Eustetia’s blood doesn’t run through them.
That Eustetia isn’t descended from heroes.
Shivria Eustetia is.
Hesilia Eustetia is.
The side branch challenging Eustetia is.
They received that information from the Dark Mage.
Then, what’s the cost?
The collapse of Eustetia.
Tainting the name of the hero.
Destroying the name of Arisa Eustetia.
Ruining everything she has achieved.
So why the hell are they doing this?
No.
There’s no need to think about it.
Their motives aren’t important.
What’s crucial right now is that I have to suppress my burning desire to tear those bastards apart for planning this whole mess.
“…Hah.”
“Why not lighten up a bit?”
In contrast, Silina appears amused by my reaction and sips her tea with a calm face.
“Keep frowning like that, and Pina might just choke and die.”
“Hey, want to spar with me?”
“Nope.”
“Why not? You were just saying you wanted to.”
“If I do, I’ll end up hitting something other than your punching bag.”
Sneer—Silina scoffed.
“By the way, you really are something else. How dare you even think of using a princess as your punching bag?”
“Yeah, you got me there. So, if you don’t want to get punched, stay still and quit aggravating me.”
“Try talking more nicely.”
“Fuck off.”
“…Oh my.”
Silina’s eyes widened in surprise.
But just for a moment, she shook her head and let out a sigh.
“So, what are you going to do now?”
“What do you mean?”
“This situation.”
Just as I was about to mention that I was contemplating how to rip those bastards apart, I felt something odd.
“Why does your expression look like that?”
Clink—Setting her teacup down, Silina wore an enigmatic smile.
“I’ll help you.”
“…Huh?”
I narrowed my eyes and glared at Silina.
“Right, right… There’s still something I haven’t heard from you. Did you get the info about the snake from Ophelia?”
“It’s not from Ophelia. And it wasn’t relayed to me by anyone. No, actually, it’s not about the snake. To be precise, the information about what’s beneath the system was gathered from a request I made elsewhere. And, this information isn’t something you discovered first. Someone else got to it before you.”
When I received information from Ophelia, I did feel something was off with her neatly organized data.
It was as if it had been relayed once to someone else.
And didn’t Ophelia say what I brought was a copy?
But I merely filed that away as a strange feeling.
I thought the Information Guild [Uranus] was simply that meticulous in its work.
But, to think someone else wanted this information before me?
And then.
“Why were you trying to dig up such information?”
“Anton de Herman.”
When I asked for a reason, she just names a person.
The First Prince’s name, no less.
I blinked and stared at Silina.
“Anton de Herman knows this info too.”
“And what does that have anything to do with you knowing it?”
“Isn’t it strange that Anton knows this info? The one who might’ve tried to kill me after bringing demons into the system could be Anton de Herman.”
“What kind of question is that? Did you leave a recorder on or something? Are you trying to charge me with royal defamation the moment I give a suspicious answer?”
“If not trusting people is a disease, then it must be one. You can just say what you think freely; I won’t bite. Or should I go first?”
Squee—Silina giggled, twirling her teacup slowly as she spoke softly.
“I’m going to kill Anton.”