Chapter 80

80. Changing Daily Life (9)

My gaze towards Caron turned cold.

To give an S-rank artifact to Luna.

There was no other explanation but that he was a lolicon.

'I have to be careful. That's an incurable disease.'

Rustle.

I put some distance between myself and Caron.

Who knows, he might have a thing for young boys.

As a (questionably) pretty boy, it's best to be cautious.

While desperately trying to put distance between myself and Caron in the small room,

"...I have a rough idea of what you're thinking, but don't worry, it's not the case."

"Huh, huh... Y-yes, that's right. Don't worry. I won't reveal this information anywhere."

"..."

Caron let out a deep sigh.

He rubbed his forehead as if exhausted and then spoke.

"I told you, I made a deal with Renia."

"Huh, huh, what a convenient excuse."

"Isn't that the same for you?"

"Me?"

"..."

Caron's eyes were filled with irritation.

Well, I did swear on Renia's name to get out of a crisis.

But the situations are different, right?

I used it to escape being labeled a pervert, but Caron used it to escape being labeled a criminal.

Pervert vs. Criminal.

Anyone would say the latter is the bigger problem, right?

"Anyway, the price for the information is enough with that. Now, hand over the information about the Mad Creator. I'll pay you well, so don't worry."

An S-rank artifact that can overcome death once.

It was indeed a generous price.

Except for the part about giving it to Luna instead of me.

Puff.

I puffed out my cheeks to show my dissatisfaction. Then,

"...What's that supposed to mean? Do you want to die?"

Of course not. I immediately deflated my cheeks.

I tried mimicking Luna, but the reaction was lackluster.

If I were a girl, I'd definitely be a top-tier beauty, and it would have worked.

'Phew, finally got it sorted out.'

I unintentionally made Caron angry, but it wasn't without results.

I could distinguish between information I could give and information I couldn't.

With a feigned serious expression, I said,

"I've had dealings with low-level black mages. They were strange guys, with one part of their bodies damaged."

The common trait of black mages who follow the Mad Creator.

They either lack one or two body parts or have grafted demonic limbs.

And this trait worsens as their rank increases.

"They said that the one they follow is even more formidable. They claimed to have implanted demons in their bodies. I thought it was impossible..."

"...No, that's right. I saw it myself, so it's certain."

"Implanted demons and still be fine?"

Perhaps thinking of the Mad Creator, Caron slightly frowned.

I can understand why.

The only existing illustration of the Mad Creator.

But no one could forget that illustration, even if they saw it just once.

It was a notorious image on internet communities and still occasionally appears.

It was so bizarre that one could imagine what it would look like in reality without needing to.

'I hope Caron kills it before I see it.'

I'm a fragile and innocent child.

If I saw something that terrifying, I might faint.

"I'm not sure if we should call them human, but their minds seemed human."

"I see. So the one they follow is the 'Mad Creator'...?"

I raised my left hand to my chin, the classic thinking pose.

In that position, I quietly muttered,

"I thought it was impossible, but it seems their words were true. If that's the case, could the other words be true as well?"

Unconsciously, I muttered to myself.

Caron didn't miss my words.

I had fallen into my own trap.

"What do you mean? What's true?"

"Oops, my mistake. Don't worry about it. It's not confirmed information..."

"I said I'd refine the information. Your job is to spill everything you know. Tell me everything."

That's why working with someone competent is so convenient.

I smiled inwardly and said,

"They said there exists a high-level black mage who can communicate with the Demon Legion Commander."

"Legion Commander...!"

Caron's face was filled with shock.

It was understandable. If a Legion Commander descends, the continent will be filled with blood and flesh.

This isn't a metaphor.

On the battlefield against a Legion Commander,

There can only be blood and flesh.

'Because it's a war on a different scale, involving all of humanity.'

There is a common treaty in all the countries of this world.

The first and last treaty.

A treaty that all countries must adhere to.

-If a Legion Commander descends, humanity must immediately cease all hostilities and unite against the Legion Commander.

Empire, Holy Kingdom, Duchy, Kingdom, etc.

All of humanity will form a united front against the Legion Commander.

A force that can barely stand against the combined might of all humanity.

That's the power of a Demon Legion Commander.

'In the game, the most recent descent was the 5th Legion Commander, Crowley.'

About 40 years ago.

A kingdom was destroyed with the descent of the 5th Legion Commander, and a war for the survival of humanity began.

The result was a victory for the human alliance, but it was a victory filled with scars.

10% of humanity was sacrificed.

But everyone agreed that the damage was minimal.

'Because in the past, at least 20% of the population died.'

And a significant portion of that percentage were young people, the driving force of human growth.

In other words, the descent of a Legion Commander is a disaster for the human side.

'But there exists a being that can communicate with a Legion Commander? No wonder he's shocked.'

As if to prove this, Caron was still in shock.

Even Caron was overwhelmed by fear.

But he was far from being surprised enough.

"The Mad Creator is one of the high-level black mages who can communicate with a Legion Commander."

"...One of them?"

I nodded.

"They said there are four high-level black mages. I can't confirm it, but if it's true..."

"The Mad Creator, and at least three others of that level."

Indeed, Caron. Tell one, and he knows ten.

And that was my goal.

'To inform him of the existence of the Four Kings.'

Caron could achieve meaningful results with this information alone.

With luck, he might eliminate one or two in advance.

Caron, lost in thought, muttered,

"Rizveld... He must be one of them."

"Rizveld?"

I knew who he was but pretended not to.

One of the Four Kings, a woman.

How did Caron know this name?

After a moment's thought, he spoke.

"...You said you dream of being a rat."

"Huh, huh, not anymore. There's no one to follow..."

"That's not important. Anyway, if you dream of being a rat, you need to get used to cruelty."

"Huh, huh, I think I'm already used to it."

"Then I can tell you. What I'm about to say is top-secret, so don't reveal it."

Caron's story began.

He investigated the Galata region, met the Mad Creator, had a conversation, encountered a chimera.

And the story of the chimera's experiments and the sacrifices.

While surprised that it wasn't from the game, there was something even more surprising.

'To share such information with a mere student.'

He might have hidden some, but this much is impressive.

'It's proof that he's starting to trust me.'

Encouraging. I clenched my fist involuntarily.

We'll exchange information in the future, and I'll receive rewards for it.

I tried to hide my excitement and said,

"Rizveld... Now it's clear. There are at least two, and at most four beings who can oppose Mr. Caron."

"Not to the point of opposing. He ran away."

He grumbled.

The Mad Creator must have really pissed him off.

I was also filled with anger after hearing what Caron went through.

'To use even children as experimental subjects...'

In the game, children dying is common.

But it felt different in reality.

"Soon, the empire will start preparations against chimeras. There's no specific method yet, but we're studying the corpses, so we'll have results soon."

It was disappointing that the research on chimeras wasn't delayed, but it wasn't bad.

This alone will significantly change the future.

"High-level black mages... It seems two of them are confirmed. The problem is whether the other two exist..."

The information that there are four high-level black mages who can communicate with a Legion Commander.

It came from a low-level black mage.

It's natural for Caron not to trust it.

He confirmed the existence of the Mad Creator and Rizveld, but it's hard to believe there are more such powerful beings.

It could be the typical boasting of low-level mages. Caron didn't rule that out.

"But if we can confirm one more, the information about the four is reliable."

"...Right."

Two out of four and three out of four.

If three exist, the probability of the fourth existing is high. No, it's certain.

That's logical thinking.

So, my job now is to inform Caron of the existence of one of the remaining Four Kings.

"..."

I walked around the room in a thinking pose.

A performance of something coming to mind.

A reaction came quickly.

"Do you have information?"

"...Not exactly, but it doesn't seem right."

"I said your job is to provide information."

...Wasn't it to 'spill' information? I don't understand why it suddenly changed to 'provide'.

But it was part of the plan.

"While wandering the black market, I heard a rumor about walking corpses."

"...Walking corpses?"

Caron frowned.

Probably because I was spouting nonsense.

Zombies, ghouls, skeletons, death knights.

Undead creatures haven't appeared yet in this era.

That's right, 'haven't appeared yet,' but they will soon.

'That's why they'll bring immense fear and chaos to the continent.'

They're familiar to us, but not to the people of this world.

If they first encounter corpses that move and multiply,

Anyone would be overwhelmed by fear.

"Well, since there's no solid information, I'll have to track it down. Where is it?"

"Carlos."

"Carlos? That's definitely..."

A kingdom that achieved a brilliant civilization, pursued the Answood Empire to the brink, and was about to declare its own empire.

And,

"40 years ago, the 5th Legion Commander, Crowley, descended there..."

"The capital of the Rohan Kingdom...!"

That's not all.

An enemy that grows stronger the more you fight.

A sense of defeat that deepens over time.

A battlefield where you must kill even your former allies.

Yes, he is there in Carlos now.

The pinnacle of necromancers, the one who commands corpses and brings death.

One of the Four Kings,

The Maestro of the Battlefield, 'Vulcan.'