Chapter 80

The Japanese Magic Empire.

It is a country founded by its progenitor, Oda Nobunaga. The daimyo, once called a madman, suddenly rose to prominence during the Sengoku period and unified Japan with his overwhelming power. After conquering Japan, Nobunaga declared himself a demigod and began to master all kinds of magic, creating unprecedented magical artifacts and a floating castle, thus establishing his rule over Japan.

For over 500 years, the Japanese Magic Empire, founded by a single genius, has faced various national crises but has continued to the present day.

The Japanese Magic Empire is ruled by the emperor and the nobility. Among the nobles supporting the emperor, the 36 most influential families are known as the 36 Great Houses.

These include the three ducal families, the three marquess families, and thirty earl families, forming the upper nobility.

Among them, the Kamu ducal family is the leading noble house in the Japanese Magic Empire. Although there are only three ducal families, the Kamu family stands out even among them with a sense of superiority.

The Ryusui ducal family, loyal to the emperor and possessing the greatest power, has little interest in commerce, making it somewhat weaker in terms of wealth.

The Awaji ducal family, ambitious and sending many of its mages to the military and samurai corps, mainly manages mines and dungeons, and despite its vast wealth, is slightly less influential than the Kamu ducal family and the Teisei marquess family.

In contrast, the Kamu ducal family, which owns a military enterprise and has a significant influence in the military, also excels in wealth. From the Kamu Department Store to amusement parks, they engage in various diversified businesses and have extensive networks in various fields, making them undoubtedly the leading ducal family.

Moreover, the Kamu family, like the Kagen, can manipulate multiple attributes, differing only slightly in the number of suitable attributes.

The Kamu ducal family, led by Kamu Daimyo, believed that even if they seized the throne, it would pose no problem, given their overwhelming power and influence.

However, he was thinking...

"What do you mean?"

Kamu Daimyo, who usually has his narrow eyes closed and a calm, suspicious face, was sitting in his office, tapping his desk while looking at the men standing opposite him.

The office, elegantly decorated with antique furnishings, was secured with various magical measures to prevent eavesdropping, and no sound could escape to the outside. The ducal family, which has existed since ancient times, possesses many items that are no longer manufactured.

"Yes... We have been unable to contact 'Loki' at all."

Seeing his subordinates shrug and look terrified, Kamu Daimyo's expression grew even more displeased. For a man who is usually calm and composed, and rarely shows his emotions, this was unusual.

This must mean that the current situation is particularly troubling, and his subordinates shrank even further.

"I know Loki's character. He enjoyed the chaos in Japan and was indifferent to treasure, so I never thought he would betray us..."

Leaning back in his chair, he rubbed his chin in thought. 'Loki' had supported me in my struggle against the emperor, believing that he would not interfere until I was about to become emperor. However, there was a possibility that he would betray me at the last moment and join the opposing forces. He was always seeking stimulation, and while I didn't fully trust him, I understood his character.

However, this time, he did betray us...

"Is there a possibility that he was killed by 'Solomon'?"

"No, we have confirmed the bodies of many mages, including those believed to be from 'Solomon'."

"Hmm..."

'Solomon,' a group that seeks to revive and control demons, is a collection of demon masters. They were powerful and convenient, so I collaborated with them for this mission.

Demon masters control demons to fight enemies. They are hard to capture and can dispose of demons as needed, making them a strong force. For this operation, I anticipated that they might betray me, but I had plans in place for such a scenario.

After all, they are a foreign group. There are limits to how much treasure they can transport. I believed they would eventually return to me for help, and there were many ways to control them without direct conflict.

'Solomon' is powerful, but the number of demon masters is small, and they lack the ability to transport and gather information. I had to arrange for them to enter Japan secretly, which I did through my influence.

So, even if they betrayed me, it wouldn't have been a problem. They would have to share some of the treasure, but I planned to get it back quickly.

They were supposed to be a crucial source of funds. I had many plans for the untraceable funds, but now they are all ruined.

"Among the bodies was 'Solomon King,' the leader of 'Solomon.' It could be a fake, but all the bodies were found in their underwear, and everything they were wearing was taken."

"Does the theft of magical artifacts prove that they were genuine? What is 'Solomon's' response?"

"They are in chaos. It seems that many of their high-ranking members were involved in this operation, and the loss of the upper echelons has caused them to struggle to maintain the organization."

"Then the real 'Solomon King' must have been killed. There is no benefit for him to fake his death."

So, it seems that 'Loki' did betray us.

"Besides defeating the King Mantis, Loki's actions this time are unusual... It's not like him. Could he have joined the royal family?"

The Kamu ducal family has not expanded its influence as much as it could. Not because it couldn't, but because the royal family's influence is strong, and the emperor is shrewd.

Therefore, this operation was a decisive move. If successful, the emperor's prestige would have plummeted, and the Kamu ducal family would have rapidly expanded its influence.

This operation had a high chance of success. 'Solomon' was a powerful group suitable as a scapegoat, and 'Loki,' who enjoyed chaos, was unlikely to betray me.

After years of preparation, the operation was finally launched, with significant investments of time and money.

"I did not expect 'Loki' to betray us. How many jobs was he handling simultaneously? I heard he was also trying to kidnap a young healer."

"The person who commissioned 'Loki' to kidnap Hayano Miu is unknown. There are too many suspects to narrow it down."

"A commoner with no power or wealth, but with the potential to use powerful healing magic in the future. There are many in both the open and underground worlds who would want to kidnap her. It's understandable. There's no need to pursue the Hayano Miu case further."

"Yes, I understand, Duke."

In any case, it's too late. She has become the head of the Hayano earl family. Kidnapping her now would be much more difficult due to the family's influence. It's best to leave it alone. The Kamu ducal family's target is Kagen Seina.

Kidnapping her would be pointless. Her value as a healer would decrease if she couldn't be used openly, and the risks of exposure are too high. Those who tried to kidnap her were likely foolish nobles below the viscount level or unscrupulous underground figures.

Losing interest, Kamu Daimyo decided to forget about Hayano Miu and continued the conversation with his subordinates.

"Has Kagen Seina and your son become close?"

"Yes... to a moderate degree. It seems that the heir of the Awaji ducal family helped her before you did, and there are rumors that they have been secretly playing together."

"Buying off the serving maid and subtly guiding Kagen Seina to the commoner district went well, but everything after that went off plan."

Originally, the chaos caused by the Scissors Mantis stampede was supposed to undermine the Teisei family's influence. I planned to gain influence by helping people during the chaos. Kagen Seina was supposed to be put in a predicament by a planted mage, and I would rescue her. I instructed my son to absolutely help the princess when they were together and provided him with the necessary magical artifacts. Although they weren't used, I thought he would gain her favor if he helped her successfully.

However, everything went wrong. The chariot battalion commander, whom I had bribed, unexpectedly performed well, preventing the chaos. As a result, the Teisei family had the resources to send aid to the commoner district.

If I had been asked to defend the noble district, I couldn't have refused. If I had insisted on going to the commoner district, I would have been suspected.

I should have bribed the chariot battalion commander more thoroughly. I thought he was lazy and sycophantic, so I didn't go that far. I also didn't want to be seen as too involved, as I planned to make him take the blame later.

I never expected him to make such a decisive decision. I thought he was a fat, incompetent pig, but he must be a member of the ancient Saku family, a trusted advisor.

Stopping his thoughts on the failure, he focused on the future.

"How is the groundwork for the 'Susanoo' unit going?"

"I believe the unit can be established, but it will not be independent from the military or the samurai corps. With the emperor's high prestige, no noble has given a favorable response."

Although the subordinate's negative report was disheartening, Kamu Daimyo was not disappointed, as it was expected.

"An independent unit is impossible... and giving it strong authority is also impossible. Fine, then we will aim to place it directly under the military."

"The Teisei family and other nobles will likely interfere..."

"They will likely view it as a threat and send in surveillance. The personnel will not be exclusively my people."

The 'Susanoo' unit, intended to be an elite force under my direct command, was supposed to be independent from the military and the samurai corps. I planned to use it to eliminate political rivals.

It seems that is not possible. However, if we can place it under the military, we might be able to give it strong authority later. I intended to establish it regardless.

"Nothing is going as planned... The failure of 'Solomon' means the dungeon stampede is also impossible."

I had planned to use 'Solomon' to cause stampedes in various dungeons to enhance the 'Susanoo' unit's prestige, but that is now impossible.

"Everything is going wrong... By the way, have you found the group that conquered the ant dungeon?"

To undermine the Awaji family, I had been secretly targeting the ant dungeon they owned, planning to use it for a stampede. However, it has been conquered, making that impossible.

"We haven't found them. ...Recently, things have been a bit strange."

"Strange?"

"Yes, recently, many underground information brokers have been caught and arrested. They will likely be in prison for at least a few years. It's becoming increasingly difficult to gather information in the capital."

Underground information brokers, including hackers, are committing crimes, and many are being caught and arrested.

"Information brokers... Has a large organization entered the capital?"

A vague unease crept over Kamu Daimyo. Something is wrong. Could it be the 'Yggdrasil'... or the 'Nidhogg' giants? However, their methods are different and more refined.

"I don't know. We have no choice but to reevaluate our strategy. And, I suspect an organization has entered Japan. Begin the investigation."

"Yes! Understood!"

As his subordinate saluted and left the room, Kamu Daimyo tapped his desk with his fingers.

"I don't know which organization it is, but they will pay for interfering. One failed operation will not crush my ambitions."

Slightly opening his narrow eyes, Kamu Daimyo smiled wickedly.