Chapter 108. The Eccentric of the Magic Tower (2)

Aiden's secret laboratory.

A place closely tied to the event "Bloody Tuesday" from 〈Let's Kill the Demon King Now〉.

Due to random factors, its location could not be confirmed, but because of past experiences, only I could pinpoint the "laboratory's" position.

"So, where should we investigate?"

"Near where the underground sewer is connected. If you find anything suspicious there, please let me know."

Aiden deliberately built his laboratory in a place like this not just to hide experiments from being uncovered, but also because it was a convenient location for disposing of 'waste'.

"Creating replicas of the demon's horns produces a lot of waste."

Therefore, Aiden's 'laboratory', despite its random nature, was always located in the slums and connected to the sewers.

"Underground sewers... Why there?"

"...... It's a directive from the Black Knight."

I had plenty to explain, if only it weren't so tedious.

The event 'Bloody Tuesday'.The story related to the fake horns.The background and the narratives involved.What a nuisance.

"Alright. Since it's something the Black Knight mentioned, he must have his reasons."

Immense trust in the 'Black Knight'.

I wondered how surprised this guy would be if she knew I was the subject of that trust.

"But if we're going to investigate the entire slum, it doesn't seem like our 'Nameless Band' alone can handle it?"

I've already prepared for that.

"It's okay. We're getting cooperation from other sides as well."

"...... As expected of the Black Knight. He must have persuaded others without us knowing."

Sure, let her continue with her delusion. It's free, after all.

"Alright, then."

Saying that, Maier gathered mana at her fingertips and released it into the sky.

One of the spirits she handled.

Whisper whisper.

Watching Maier whisper something to the spirit, I offered her a word of advice.

"If possible, it'd be better to take off the mask when you act. After Sir Gerard's incident, the Nameless Band is under some surveillance by the Dawn Society."

"Got it."

Nodding, Maier whispered a few more words to the spirit, and it promptly disappeared into the sky.

"Then, let me assist with the search just like everyone else......"

"No, lady Maier has something else to do. Could you follow me?"

With a sly smile, slit-eye—that is, the villain— spoke, and Maier tilted her head in confusion.

"Why me?"

I felt a headache coming on from Maier's resistance. Given her almost zero trust in 'Yulian', her reaction was expected.

No matter how much "Yulian" seduced her with sweet words and showed her a dazzling future, she wouldn't believe it.

A wheedling cheat technique was necessary.

"A request from the Black Knight. He emphasized that only Ms. Maier could do it."

"Only I can do it..."

Her eyes sparkled for a moment but then she soon fell into thought.

Muttering to herself a few times about whether she could meet the Black Knight's expectations, she finally nodded.

"Alright. Where should I go?"

"The Magic Tower."

"Magic Tower? Why there?"

At the mention of the 'Magic Tower', Maier's face twisted as if she had seen a grotesque insect.

I was rather puzzled by her reaction.

Did she have a reason to hate that place? Aren't mages just conducting their research there...?

"Hmm..."

On second thought, I seemed to understand.

Among all the mages I've met, the sane ones were rarer than a handful.

Initially gritting their teeth at me, now treating me as a superior, bizarre ones.

Crazy ones, researching and experimenting with fake horns.

A clueless one who tried to get rid of me in cooperation with such a lunatic.

Isn't it complete chaos?

Is that the nature of researchers?

Always appearing a screw short...

"Come to think of it, they're all Bishops!"

The Dawn Society isn't the problem; it's the problematic individuals joining the Dawn Society.

"There's something we need to fetch from there."

"Fetch? What is it?"

"A Resonance Stone."

Given that Aiden's laboratory is a place to research "fake horns," the likelihood of a demon appearing there was quite high.

Since we couldn't be certain about which demon might appear, it seemed wise to have a "Resonance Stone" as an insurance.

"A Resonance Stone? You said it's a request from the Black Knight?"

"Yes."

"Hmm..."

Maier pondered for a moment.

"The Black Knight hides his identity, yet how do you know so much about him?"

Oops.

Suddenly, Maier, who had seemed pretty naive, struck me differently.

Well, one needs this level of intellect to be a mage, right?

"Perhaps you..."

She looked at me with her half-open eyes.

Did I mess up somewhere?

In all my conversations so far, I might have unintentionally spoken too much from my perspective.

If she had any sense, she could deduce I am the 'Black Knight'.

Had I underestimated Maier...

"You've gained immense trust from the Black Knight, haven't you?"

Of course. You were just a fool after all.

"...... Unlike the rumors, perhaps you have trustworthy aspects for someone as noble as the Black Knight to trust you."

I felt grateful for Maier's lack of perceptiveness.

***

With a creaking sound, a carriage cut through the night fog of the capital.

Bearing the clear insignia of the Donatien family, the carriage slowly started to reduce its speed, eventually stopping in a dark alley.

Emerging from it was Aiden, who had recently failed in forming an alliance with Bishop 'Corund'.

"To think you'd end up living in such a filthy place."

As usual, wearing a cynical expression, he let out an inappropriate sneer as soon as he stepped out of the carriage.

His mockery was directed at a man leaning miserably against the wall in the alley.

Though dressed in ragged clothing, the man's eyes blazed with a certain emotion.

"How did you find me here?"

"There are few people who know this city's layout as well as I do."

"It must be because of that damned 'laboratory' of yours?"

At the mention of the laboratory, Aiden's sneer grew deeper.

"So, you were aware, I see. Bishop Gerard. Or should I say Sir Gerard?"

The word "Bishop" made Gerard flinch slightly.

After that, Gerard glared at Aiden with eyes like a roaring volcano.

"Ah, since you've been expelled, calling you a Bishop might be a bit off, huh?"

"Shut that mouth of yours! Before I rip it open!"

As Gerard reached inside his pocket, Aiden caught sight of a dagger gleaming blue and the fluttering right sleeve.

"Calm down. I didn't come here to eliminate you, someone labeled a traitor."

Aiden then chuckled mildly.

"Aren't we comrades against the same enemy?"

At the mention of a 'common enemy', Gerard's shoulders trembled once more.

"You mean Yulian, that wretched bastard?"

"Yeah."

With Aiden's affirmation, Gerard's left hand quivered.

Aiden subtly clicked his tongue inwardly.

'He's hopeless.'

While Gerard's fists trembled as if from rage, there was a "murkiness" mingling in his emotions.

The word for this negative emotion etched into his body was 'fear'.

"Is the mighty Gerard really stepping down like this? It doesn't make sense, does it?"

Having no allies left in the Dawn Society, Aiden subtly provoked Gerard's mind.

"Shouldn't you seek revenge for that severed arm?"

"...... I have no intention of getting revenge on Sir Tenelon."

"But the circumstance was crafted by 'Yulian', wasn't it?"

Crack.

The sound of grinding teeth.

"If I can just kill Yulian, I'm willing to do anything! But."

"But?"

"If it's not certain, I can't cooperate."

Aiden furrowed his brow slightly.

Revenge burned in Gerard's eyes, yet an inexplicable hesitation was visible.

"That guy is an incarnation of schemes...... No, he's a demon! Being told to face such a demon again...... I loathe it!"

Spoken like a man gasping for air was Gerard.

"I couldn't understand what was happening behind the scenes. The Nameless Band, the Black Knight, it was all part of his scheme......"

Before long, the anger in his pupils faded, leaving only undisguised fear dancing in them.

"You say that, but aren't you also looking for a comeback?"

A man shaped by desire, Gerard wouldn't be content with such a lifestyle.

By any means necessary, he'd aim for re-entry into the 'Dawn Society', striving to remove the dishonorable labels now stuck to him.

"Is there even a way? A way to kill Yulian."

'If there were a certain way, why would I have to come all the way here?'

Such words welled up to his throat, but Aiden refrained from voicing them.

"Of course."

After all, Gerard was just a card to be used and discarded.

The idea was to exploit the ropes Gerard still had, despite being kicked out of the Dawn Society.

"So, what are you asking me for?"

"Now the conversation seems to be getting somewhere."

Replying so, Aiden began detailing his plan.

"Youths. Preferably those whose disappearance wouldn't be noticed... Yeah, that works."

"Does it have to be children?"

"Yes, it does."

Familiar with what was required for the experiments concerning the fake horns, Gerard immediately grasped what Aiden was getting at.

To further his experiments, or rather, to fulfill his family's secret wishes, Aiden was willing to discard the principles of humanity to a certain extent.

This was the desire innate to "Aiden," a resolve to relinquish his humanity.

"What a lunatic you are."

"Haha, for someone who mobilized mercenaries from the slums, your words don't hold much weight."

At Aiden's retort, Gerard's eyes sharpened.

"Can't you easily find such children in the slums?"

Redirecting his gaze from the direction of the slums back to Gerard, Aiden asked.

"What does it have to do with dealing with Yulian?"

Judging Gerard's excessively cautious demeanor, Aiden frowned slightly, though he didn't show it.

"It's not directly related. It's mainly to complete my research."

"...... Are you confident in eliminating Yulian by divert this way?"

"It's not hard."

Rather than feeling reassured by Aiden's seemingly unfounded words, Gerard became even more suspicious.

"Didn't you recently fail in your negotiation with Corund? Moreover, you wouldn't have been able to carry out the orders from the third prince, Kaldrach."

"...... It seems you're well-informed about the matter with Prince Kaldrach."

"Though in this state, I still have ties within the royal family. After all, the family hasn't collapsed."

Aiden felt a slight nerve tighten.

Gerard knowing about this could potentially become a setback for him.

"The third prince does not wish for unity with the Holy Kingdom. Being in contact with the military, he must preserve the war to solidify his claim to the throne."

"You know it well."

Aiden cleared his throat to refresh the atmosphere.

"Indeed, I did not foresee the Holy Kingdom issue. However, the breakdown in negotiations with Bishop Corund was indeed a part of my plot."

"A plot...... you say?"

"Yes."

Although not every step had fallen perfectly into place, he was confident the butterfly effect he had anticipated would ensue.

"...... I see, it was to cultivate another force to oust Yulian?"

With Gerard accurately discerning his intent, a sinister smile escaped from Aiden's lips.

"If even Corund, as a mage, grasped the significance of the situation caused by Yulian."

A challenge to the mage's prestige.

Corund didn't need anyone to tell him just how arrogant and impudent that thought was.

'I care not if my honor is tarnished.'

What matters is solely the demise of that troublesome Yulian.

"In that sense, Gerard, why not seize this opportunity to unleash the revenge you've been harboring?"

"Hmm."

With a groan, Gerard plunged into thought upon Aiden's direct proposal.

Facing such a question, there was no rational answer but affirmation.

Aiden covertly smiled, biding his time.

To swallow the bait.

Gerard was inevitably bound to cooperate with him.

"No. I won't cooperate with you."

Clacky's Corner:What is this? Failing from the start?

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