Chapter 56

I came to Virtus's hideout with Elicia.

"That base... you actually used it!?"

Virtus, half-naked, said with wide eyes.

I turned to Elicia standing next to me and replied.

"Y-Yeah. Elicia's holy magic was amazing..."

"Not really..."

To the modest Elicia, Virtus muttered.

"Not only beautiful but also skilled in magic... How about becoming my servant!? ...Or even my wife, if you like!"

Virtus knelt on one knee before Elicia, trying to charm her.

But Elicia immediately replied, "No, thank you."

The entranced Virtus was led to a chair by a nearby female demon.

Beautiful women really do catch his eye...

I sighed and said,

"Anyway, the base is mine now, right, Virtus?"

"It's a promise... but are you really okay? What if ghosts appear again at night..."

"That won't happen... I cut off the source."

"Source?"

To the puzzled Virtus, I told him about the Enetoa family. Of course, I kept quiet about my son becoming a demon.

"The mastermind is Toareas. He's the head of a new merchant guild. He opened a shop on the All Nations Street in less than ten years... I saw it when it opened. He seemed to be a serious man, around thirty years old."

"Do you know if he has any connection to the Holy Order?"

"I don't know, but he's also known as a fervent supporter of the temple. He's a more troublesome opponent for you than a ghost."

Virtus said it as if it were someone else's business.

"I'll be careful... By the way, have you heard that Toareas is involved in slave trading?"

"Those slaves... they're not monsters, right?"

I nodded, and Virtus turned to the nearby female demon.

The woman, crossing her arms, answered.

"Hmm. No one is being forcibly taken away in this district. But recently, someone has been recruiting a lot of people for a profitable job in the south... Two of our employees quit to take that job, saying they wanted to send their sisters to school and needed more money."

"I remember them. Both were beautiful and it was a shame to let them go."

Virtus said, sounding genuinely regretful.

"Well, it's not unusual for people to move to better-paying jobs. If they need a lot of workers, it makes sense to recruit in places with many unemployed demons."

The female demon nodded in agreement.

"True. It's not unusual at all."

I asked the female demon,

"What kind of job is it in the south?"

"It's a job to repair the barrier in the Rovria Earl's territory. It's close to the Demon Kingdom, you know? Recently, the barrier in the city of Rovrion was destroyed by the Demon Kingdom, and it was a big topic in the capital."

Virtus, as if realizing something, turned to me.

"Wasn't it my beloved brother Alex who saved it? The barrier was really destroyed, right?"

"Yeah... but it's strange."

"Strange?"

I nodded and replied.

"The Rovria Earl said he would have humans, not demons, repair it. Because the barrier was destroyed by a group of demon craftsmen."

"Because demons can't be trusted. Besides, if they were called from the capital, it's not clear when it would be fixed."

"True. And the demons being recruited aren't necessarily craftsmen, right?"

The woman nodded.

"They said anyone who can work is fine."

"I see... Moreover, the ship Toareas seized from the Enetoa family was loaded with restraints and cages."

At my words, Virtus suddenly stood up. His face was unusually serious.

"I'm going to the Toareas family guild..."

"Wait, Virtus. They won't let you in if you go in the front."

"Then I'll just break in! The two of them are in danger!!"

The woman seemed surprised by Virtus's desperation.

I had never seen Virtus like this before.

He's worried that his former employees might be sold somewhere. This man is unexpectedly emotional. Or maybe it's just because they were his favorite women...

"I understand your concern. But can you leave this to me? I have a plan."

"Plan?"

"Yeah."

Virtus would normally think a plan from a kid smaller than himself...

But I saved Rovrion and reclaimed the Enetoa family guild. On the other hand, he doesn't have a plan either.

Virtus gritted his teeth and eventually nodded.

"Tell me..."

I told Virtus my plan and then returned to the Enetoa family guild with Elicia.

～～～～

"Do we really need these clothes?"

I was dressed in a coat, bow tie, shirt, and shorts, a far cry from the usual noble attire.

Elicia, Yurii, and Serene stared at me intently.

Elicia, wearing an apron dress instead of a maid uniform, answered with a heavy breath.

"Yes! We might not be able to use the 'Invisibility' spell! Let's go as a mother and son, a typical Imperial family dressed up a bit! This is how it should be... Excuse me!"

Elicia took my hand and grinned, "We're going shopping, Alex."

I replied calmly to Elicia, who was swinging her hand.

"I don't think it's necessary... We're going to sneak in with 'Invisibility.'"

Well, there might be a need to gather information inside the Toareas family guild. If something happens, it's good to have a disguise.

"Let's head to the Toareas family guild. Tika, the warehouse in the harbor district?"

"We investigated five buildings related to the Toareas family guild, but found nothing... The only thing left is a door in the basement of the guild headquarters. It seems to be locked with a high-end magical lock."

"Seems to be."

While I was with Virtus, Tika and Nate were asked to investigate the Toareas family guild.

It seems to be a normal guild on the surface, but there's something suspicious in the back.

"It's my turn to use 'Teleport'... Demons entering the guild headquarters have been spotted."

There must be a secret behind that door.

"Alright, if something happens, everyone, follow the plan... Elicia, let go of my hand. Let's go."

I cast 'Invisibility' on myself and Elicia and left the Enetoa family guild headquarters.

Our destination was the Toareas family guild headquarters across the main street.

In less than a minute, we arrived in front of the Toareas family guild.

"Rare cacao beans from the southwestern continent!! Only this price for a limited time!! The Toareas family guild offers the lowest price in the capital!"

In front of the guild, a man was shouting, backed by a large number of barrels. He was likely an employee of the Toareas family guild.

He seemed to be selling cacao beans, the raw material for chocolate, at a price lower than the market rate.

Cacao beans themselves are rare in the capital.

That's why a large number of people were buying cacao beans.

"Thank you! But you can't eat them as they are! If you like, I can offer a discount on the special grinder! We also have sugar!"

On the other hand, the grinder was priced reasonably, and the sugar was slightly more expensive than the market rate. They seemed to be selling them as a package deal.

The barrels of cacao beans all had unnatural marks, as if the Enetoa family's brand had been scraped off.

Making money from stolen goods... and Virtus is here too.

In front of the guild, Virtus, with an unhappy look, had arrived. He probably wanted to break in himself.

"Leave it to me, Virtus... Let's go, Elicia."

"Yes."

I entered the Toareas family guild with Elicia, remaining invisible.

Inside, there were many customers and foreign goods.

The barrels and wooden boxes also had marks as if they had been scraped off. They were likely from the Enetoa family.

We moved through the crowd and display shelves. With 'Teleport,' we could move quickly even if we were about to bump into someone.

Our destination was the stairs near the white crow statue.

According to Tika and Nate, there was a door in the basement of those stairs, locked with a powerful magical lock.

"Is this it...? Hmm?"

Just before the statue, I noticed a crowd gathered.

In front of a luxurious door, servants, guards, and noble children had gathered.

I stopped in my tracks when I recognized them.

And the person who came out of the door was also someone I knew.

"–Not bad at all! The shine befitting someone with the crest of the Holy God!!"

The person who came out was Louis, wearing a golden white coat.

The room behind the door was a fitting room, and Louis seemed to have been trying on clothes.

"It suits you, Lord Louis!"

"Lord Louis, even more beautiful!"

The noble children around him praised Louis.

"Not bad at all. Toareas, isn't it?"

At Louis's voice, a shy-looking young man in a white coat knelt.

Wearing white gloves and adorned with gold necklaces, this young man was Toareas.

Toareas looked up and answered with a strained smile.

"I gathered gold, silver, gems, and magical ores from all over the continent for His Highness Louis! I paid attention to the decorations, and it can handle more magic power."

"Hmm, I like it. I wish I could show it to that Alex!"

"He's here... but he hasn't noticed us."

"Toareas, I'll use this shop from now on!!"

Louis, with a pleased look, said, and Toareas bowed.

"Yes! Thank you very much! We also have a wide variety of foreign goods on the first floor. Please take as many as you like!"

"I will! ...Burius really introduced me to a good merchant!"

Louis started walking around the store, humming a tune, pointing at various items and having his servants carry them.

Louis was here...

But more importantly.

I noticed a man in priest's robes among the servants.

This man was the High Priest of the capital, Burius, likely a key figure in the Holy Order.

Toareas bowed to Burius.

"Burius-sama... Thank you for introducing me to His Highness Louis."

"Many nobles gather around His Highness Louis. If he favors your guild, more nobles will visit."

"You're right. I can't thank you enough... I can't express my gratitude to Burius-sama."

"Show your gratitude through action, not words. Even though that land became a gathering place for wisps, a promise is a promise."

So, Burius... the Holy Order was involved with the Enetoa family guild.

Toareas, looking flustered, replied.

"O-Of course! I've already sold it at a high price! But please wait a little longer for the shortfall! I've found a good business! I'll definitely have it in a month!"

"...Well, the temple has received a reward for the extermination request for that building, so it's fine. Besides, I have high hopes for your skills."

"Thank you! I will follow Burius-sama from now on!"

"Yes... don't disappoint me. Otherwise, you'll end up like your brother-in-law."

"Y-Yes!"

Toareas bowed.

Burius showed a disturbingly calm smile and quickly followed Louis.

Toareas continued to bow.

But soon, he stared blankly at the white crow statue, not at us. After a while, he hurriedly walked towards Louis.

"So, the Holy Order was involved... This might be a good opportunity to weaken their influence."

"Let's go, Elicia. The 'good business' should be in the back."

"Yes."

I and Elicia headed for the back.