Chapter 69

<068. Treason, Revolution, Reform, Assassination, ...Massacre?>

The world that Youngjin knows is extremely narrow and limited.

All the information and knowledge in this world originate from the game.

In D/Z SAGA, which centers around the academy Jefrin, he knows the character statuses, relationships, and routes, but once he steps outside Jefrin, his knowledge is less than that of a chick in front of a stationery store.

At least, a few DLC stories dealt with the world outside Jefrin, and in the epilogues after the endings, the story occasionally unfolded outside Jefrin, but that was a very short part.

So, now he has to admit it.

Wolfram von Loen格林 rejected Regina Siella from the 【Merchant Route】 and is now in a mutual hate relationship with Yeb von Loen格林 from the 【Royal Route】, and he has never even seen the face of Ysolde from the 【Knight Route】.

Instead, he has become friends with Ayla Trista, the 【Act 3 Boss】, and has become a colleague of Rudyka Hotsan Shadow, the 【Kelters Discipline Officer】, and has formed a good senior-junior relationship with Milady von Sabre, the 【Pink Chick Who Should Have Been Expelled】.

【Nee-sama】 Nefterian ... no, 【Knight of Conviction】 Nefte is the only one who is originally friendly towards Kelters, but she can't even remember Kelters' name.

...So, you have to understand.

I am Wolfram von Loen格林, a third-rate villain, and my network and relationships are ... perhaps a trick of fate, but they are forming with people who have little to do with the main story.

So, what am I saying now...?

The fact is that the information I know might not be as helpful as I thought.

"What kind of monsters mainly appear?"

"Slimes."

"Boasting about the two major merchant families of the Loen格林 Empire, the Trista family with the black crystal, is struggling with...?"

"Slimes."

"......"

It seems that this world can be lived in even without such information.

No, that...

Slimes?

Did they have a previous life or something?

***

"Slimes... Well, it's a bit hard to say, but I think I can handle them alone?"

"Ah, ahem. Well, the thing is. Hmm."

Of course, as a setting, my father-in-law, Count Glass, knows my status and blushed at my words.

Is it because his name is Glass that his mentality is a bit fragile?

Actually, I'm not really confident about real slimes. If they were edible slimes, I might have a fifty-fifty chance of winning a soul match.

"...... Well, let me explain. Father. Even though they are slimes, they are not ordinary slimes."

"What kind of slimes?"

Spica took over the conversation.

Unlike her brother's earlier ramblings, she had a cold and rational gaze.

Spica took out her reverse-bent fashion glasses from her front pocket, put them on with a flick, and continued her explanation with a gleam in her eyes.

"Slimes. To be precise, they are called mine slimes. They usually parasitize in a state identical to soil, but when their bodies are shocked, they counter-attack. ...That's what I know."

"Even if they are mine slimes, they are still slimes, so they shouldn't be that tough, right?"

"The problem is that the miners can only carry mining tools. They can't be equipped with weapons or armor."

"Hmm."

"It gets more complicated when you consider the characteristics of the slimes."

"Indeed. I see. I understand."

Slimes, whether they are edible, mine, or even the end-of-humanity slimes from the Hell Custom route, have the habit of splitting when their health is low if their core is not accurately pierced.

So, in the game, it would be like 【The slime's health is low. The slime is attempting to split!】 and it would puff up.

Moreover, they have a 【kin recognition】 trait and a slightly higher 【agility】 stat, making them nimble. So, if you don't catch them properly, they multiply, split, and recognize their kin, and are nimble... If there's one, you should think there are a hundred...

"Are they cockroaches?"

"What are those?"

Spica tilted her head. Come to think of it, there are no cockroaches in Jefrin, or rather, in this world. It is indeed a happy, peaceful, and beautiful world.

However, there are slimes.

"So, in other words... Are the mines infested with cockroaches, camouflaged...?"

"Um? No, they are slimes, Oni-sama?"

"Yes. Slimes. The mines are infested with slimes. Moreover, mine slimes are... a particularly vicious species."

"Do you know a lot about mine slimes?!"

"Of course. It's all written in the royal ancient books."

"...... Wow, that's really cool. I want them. Oni-sama."

"They can't be taken out of the royal palace."

"No, that's not what I meant. Hehe... If I take them from my sister, it will be a revolution. The success of the revolution. Spica... Uhu, uhuu... ."

As soon as she finished explaining, she bowed deeply and started muttering something.

Anyway.

Attacking slimes that attack people!

Thinking about it makes me feel really creepy.

"So... If you know about mine slimes, can you, Sir Wolfram, exterminate them?"

"Hmm. I'm not sure how many there are, but I can handle a large-scale extermination."

"Oh, oh... ."

"First, we need to inspect the mine. Prepare the carriage quickly, and I want Ayla and Rudyka to come along, as well as Parteush."

"Yes, I understand. For the reform!"

"Oni-sama. Can I come instead of my sister?"

"Why?"

"My sister said she was excited and went to bed late last night, so she's still in dreamland! I, I'll go instead!"

"Hmm... Haha."

I placed my hand on Spica's head and tapped it lightly twice.

A "Ow" sounded from under my palm, and I smiled at the sound.

You little thing. Do you know how dangerous the place we're going to is?

"Spica Trista. As a student of Jefrin, you must be ready to dedicate yourself to the empire at any time. This is an obligation stated in the Jefrin student regulations. However, you are a noble of the Trista family, and you have no right or obligation to go to a potentially dangerous site. Of course, if Count Glass allows it, that's a different story... ."

"It's still dangerous for Spica."

"Then, leave this to the future seniors. Challenges and adventures can wait until after you enroll."

Saying this, I smiled without realizing it.

Because she is Ayla's younger sister, I sometimes feel like she is my own little sister.

What's the difference with Yeb? Yeb is not a little sister but a blood mate. That's a strange thing to say.

I really wanted a little sister like this. Really.

I'll switch with Yeb.

"Ugh... ."

Spica blushed, perhaps embarrassed by the pointed fact.

"Do you understand, Spica Trista?"

"...... Yes, I understand. But in return, you have to stay at the academy until I graduate next year?"

"Of course, I plan to be at Jefrin next year as well."

"Yes. For the first time, I really want something. I inherited jewels and dresses from my sister, but... for the first time, I want to take something. I'll stake my revolution on it, sincerely... ."

Spica looked at me with eyes that clearly showed her determination.

Hmm. Her eyes are so deep and resolute, they remind me of Ayla in serious mode.

"Understood. I'll wait for you."

"Yes. You must wait for me. Prince Wolfram von Loen格林. No, Oni-sama!"

Saying this, Spica bowed respectfully and left the room with quick steps.

"...... Hmm, is this the reason to entrust the entire future of the family to Sir Wolfram? Or perhaps... to entrust everything to this young man and see how it goes... ."

Count Glass was muttering something behind us.

No, when is the carriage coming?

***

So, Rudyka, Parteush, and I got into the carriage and headed for the mine.

Inside the carriage heading to the site, I looked at the God of Assassination, Rudyka Hotsan Shadow, and suggested,

'Rudyka. How about we do some work together?'

'Oh? Do you know what it means to entrust a mission to this Rudyka Hotsan Shadow?'

'I do. The secret techniques of the assassination family. The greatest successor. The Dagger of the Abyss, Rudyka Hotsan Shadow, is the one I'm talking to.'

'Fine. I won't refuse a mission if the pay is right. Especially if it's from Wolfram.'

'From now on, at the mine... .'

Thus, a noir movie-like deal was made, and I agreed to take a 30% cut as a middleman and pass all the pay to Rudyka Hotsan Shadow.

But is it right to take a 30% cut as a middleman without doing anything and just entrusting the job to an assassin?

I don't care.

In this world, the one who gets scammed is at fault.

30%? What? We don't even get anything out of it. Got it?

"I want to finish this quickly."

"Hmm."

And so, I and my cheerful companions entered the mine, and we immediately dealt with the slimes as Rudyka expressed her desire to finish quickly.

And Rudyka did not disappoint my expectations.

"......"

With a swish, swish, swish, she silently sliced through the slimes, her attacks truly ruthless and cruel.

Rudyka's dagger accurately pierced the slimes' cores with each strike, and they fell dead one by one.

However.

Splat, splat!

As each slime burst, its remains inevitably splattered towards Rudyka. No matter how skilled an assassin, she couldn't attack and defend simultaneously.

Unable to use the Heaven and Earth Martial Arts stance, Rudyka became covered in slime from her school uniform onwards.

"...... This will never end if we keep this up."

"I agree."

While she was slicing them with a swish, swish, swish, I sighed deeply, knowing that she was probably cursing under her breath, as befits an assassin.

"Count Glass. I have a question."

"Please ask, Prince Wolfram."

"They seem to have multiplied quite a bit. It looks like you've been fighting them for a long time to eliminate the mine slimes, right?"

"Yes, that's correct."

Tsk.

That makes sense.

They multiplied so much that they overflowed because they weren't killed in one hit.

Moreover, slimes have a tendency to feed on the remains of their dead kin.

Now, it seems that this mine can't be cleaned up without planning a total war against the slimes.

"What about abandoning this mine?"

"...... Considering the mining output of this mine, it would be a significant blow. Moreover... ."

"Moreover?"

"It's not just this mine. Similar issues are happening in most of the western mines. We must defend them somehow; retreating won't solve the problem."

"I see."

Only then did the pieces fall into place in my mind.

The reasons why Ayla gathered talented people in Act 3 and why she became the boss.

Ah...

What a mess.

"But, Sir, you are also a member of the Hotsan Shadow family, known as the continent's greatest shadows, and despite showing such prowess... to have no countermeasure... ."

"......"

Count Glass looked at me with a resigned smile, and Rudyka, who had entered assassin mode, glanced at me and said nothing.

"No, there is a countermeasure?"

"Yes?"

"Then let's change the countermeasure now. Rudyka, stop for a moment. We're changing to a different method."

"...... Oh. Alright, Wolfram. Rudyka was getting tired anyway."

Saying this, Rudyka grinned. I responded with a bitter smile and turned to the mine.

"Another method...?"

"Yes, there is."

"Hmm, hmm. Can I hear about it?!"

"Yes, it's not difficult. It's the poison-feeding method. ...Hmm. We need materials, though."

"Poison-feeding...?"

"Yes."

As I mentioned earlier, slimes have a tendency to eat the remains of their dead kin.

So,

"We will kill the slimes with poison, and the other slimes will eat the remains of the poisoned slimes and become poisoned themselves, and when they die, they will become nutrients for other slimes... and we will repeat this process infinitely."

"Ah, ah... . Indeed, if that's the case, it should be possible to deal with them... . But that's... I don't know what to call it. Not reform or treason, or even revolution, but... ."

The mentally fragile Count Glass hesitated and then continued with difficulty.

"...... Massacre?"

"Ah, no."

No bad words.

I glared sharply, and Count Glass immediately backed off.

"...... Wolfram, isn't Wolfram more suited to be an assassin than Rudyka?"

You too?

He's not that kind of person.

"Hmm. No, not really. It's just at the level of assassination."

"...... Assassination is more secretive than this. Such a large-scale massacre is not done. Wolfram is underestimating... no, overestimating... assassination... no... that... ."

Rudyka broke down.

But in fact,

"Isn't it an assassination if there are no survivors?"

"......"

"......"

You're right.