Chapter 18: The Culprit

After I dove into my shadow, I immediately appeared in a desolate area of the front garden in which not many people are coming, I immediately went outside of the shadow of a tree as I look at the surrounding carefully and cautiously.

Some faint yellow aurora that seem to be the mana source of the sweet scent can be seen and upon closer look, you can really see the undead like servants and even the leader of the house having deadfish eyes as he also walked like a zombie in the front garden while holding a bottle of wine and a wine glass.

It seems like the one who controls this family have given them initial pattern of behavior and when you really look at it, the flowers that are being cut by the maids are already long gone but they are still cutting like it was still their and it's really annoying to watch it because the balance is being destroyed.

Sigh... Anyway upon confirming the fact that they are indeed being hypnotized (though I pretty much already confirmed it earlier), I immediately proceeded to look for the epicenter of this scent as I make myself invisible using illusions magic and further thinning out my presence by using my natural ability and started to stealthily walked towards the center of this nauseating scent.

No sound of footsteps can be heard and no rustle of clothes was audible, the brainwashed servants and nobles that are making unrecognizable groans doesn't have any idea that someone already infiltrated their manor.

"It's getting stronger..."

I kept looking for the illusion, and no I am not sniffing it like a dog, even though I have better sense of smell than most of people, I can't use my sense of smell because of my pride.

I'm a Devil, not a dog so I what am I using right now is my eyes as I track down the ripples and auroras of mana that is continuously coming from a certain direction, I immediately looked for this room going right, left and sometimes in the middle of several forked hallways.

Several paintings showing off the legacy of the great Mondragon family can be seen, however right now this family is already destroyed and is just a puppet of someone, someone that I will sure to catch right now. There aren't any guards, not the knights of the Mondragon family but guards of whoever the person who controls this place is.

If I am some generic house burglar, then I would be suspicious that they predicted my arrival and is about to trash me with a pan and ladle, but because I am amazing I can rest assured that this person is arrogant of his or her own ability.

It seems like he or she trusts the authority of the Mondragon Family too much, an authority that extends in the vast lands of the south, of course he or she will be conceited and be confident that no one will dare to trespass this place.

What an amateur, I shall teach this person a lesson in being cautious. This also slashes down the fact that the culprit is a subordinate of one of the Seven Rulers, those people have many training regime unique to their own, (Like the Forest of Death for my case) and they will not disregard caution and preparations for the worst case scenario.

While thinking about those things, I noticed a room with strangely dense mana ripples, I immediately opened it, and as expected, there are no traps, guards whatsoever, what the heck this is so stupid.

Well that's what I was thinking, but some black clothed people charged at me with daggers in both of their arms.

"You dare trespass Alice-Sama's stronghold!? You are courting death!"

All of them said in unison without any kind of flaw or impurity, it's as if they have choreographed this speech.

I made an ear to ear grin as I made countless mana bullets, the bullets are black colored as usual and they floated around me and with a snap of a finger all of them shot out and hit the heads of the five or so assassins, blood dripped out from their heads as all of them slumped dead into the wooden floor of the library, motionless.

I ignored them and then continued while muttering the words: "Alice-Sama, Huh?" As I smirked and then find a shelf who is slightly tilted, I completely tilted the shelf and then found a staircase, I immediately jumped out on it and then landed to the ground without a sound, then I saw a rundown basement, the basement is small and only have a room in which two people are currently chatting.

Seeing that they are the only two people in this room, I once again crept into my shadow and then appeared in the room without them even noticing.

"Just how did that damn Fuckboy got himself a puppet of a magistrate a day after he fetched his wife. Just when Guinevere is finally gone, that bastard suddenly appeared and made Camelot basically his turf."

A lady with red hair and sharp eyes that have the same look as mine, though more feminine, frowned and cursed.

The lady wears a black sailor uniform that goes extremely well with her red hair and eyes as they signify her sharpness and cunningness, she after all hypnotized and controlled one of the most prominent clans in the great human empire.

She have normal sized breast, not too big not too small, just the right size to be likeable, she also have slender waist and a pretty good thigh. Shall I ask for compensation instead of making her learn a lesson? (Author: Remember that Loki is the one narrating this)

"That, my lady, I don't know."

The butler in the kitchen side said as he put the tea he brewed in a tray, however he didn't noticed a black colored needle that precisely stabbed his carotid artery, of course the one who stabbed him is me.

I immediately grabbed his tray with my right hand and then used my left to gag his mouth to not make any groan that will alert Alice, Alice then menacingly said.

"Well, it's not like I don't have any cards left to play... Though it's limited... Hehehe, let's just see how cunning "The Devil" can be."

Alice made an evil smile and she indulged on her stupidity as she laughed like a maniac without her even noticing that her butler is already dead.

"Hmm... My lady, about your question, how about, you ask the person in question yourself."

I put down the tea pot and cup in her table as she stared at me with confused face and eyes that is about to come out of her sockets. Her whole body trembled as the person she is about to target appeared in front of her without her even starting to plan against me.

However, she once again regained her composure as she made another evil smile, of course she knew that I am a womanizer and she have the looks and she knows it quite well, she just have to play this card well and she will win a bargain with me.

Or atleast that's what she's thinking. I have priorities.

Though I do want to ask her for "compensation", I have to settle the matter with Juliet's family first.

And if you're thinking that "didn't you say that you don't sleep with women whom you deem as an enemy?"

Well I have a different meaning and interpretation of enemy, if it's someone who wants to interfere with my plans and succeeded in doing so, I will not hesitate to kill that woman. But when the lady is opposing me, but clearly cannot do so, then, according to my principle, that is acceptable.

Wait a minute am I a sore loser?

No, must be my imagination.

Anyway, because of that, I am not breaking any of my principles here.

Alice just looked at me with her cunning eyes, I will sure to make that eyes have heart shaped pupils later, but anyway, with that sight I also made a cunning smile as I said.

"Hello there, the name is Loki, will you let this humble one have the honor to have tea with you, Alice-Sama."

Alice seem to be startled that I knew her name, but then calmed down immediately. But any lies and facades cannot escape my eyes.

You're nervous and scared Alice, I knew it.

"Why?"

"Well, because my wife said that something weird is happening to her family and I saw you doing that weird things, so I have to confront you. And I also want to take compensations."

I put my index finger in the air as I responded.

"Do I care, GYAHAHAHAHA! GYARGH!"

Some veins came out of my forehead as I destroyed her table in front of her with my right foot causing it to explode into pieces in front of her, look of terror is now completely visible in her eyes and her last strand of hope of taking advantage of my kinks disappeared out of existence.

Who would have thought that someone branded as a women lover will be this violent in front of a woman.

"Because you don't have a choice, My Lady."

I used air magic and then made a chair in the side of the door move towards me, I sat down on it and looked straight at the terrified lady in front of me.

All her cards just got destroyed by my appearance and her plans of being the magistrate of Camelot just went down the drain because I appeared and fetch back my wife.

"Then, I don't really have a questions because I think everything is already clear to me, you're probably someone who is always alone and uses the weakness of others to make them obedient to you, and now you messed up because it just so happens that one of my wives got severely affected by your gimmicks."

She widened her eyes but then remembered who I am as her face started to lose hope, she strated to grit her teeth further and closed her eyes, seems like she is ready to be executed already.

"Hey now, don't make that kind of face, actually I have some gift to you."

I handed her my badge, it is designed as simply a round pin with gold as material that have a bat wings carving on it, she opened her eyes and received the badge reluctantly.

"Wha...?"

She asked, dumbfounded.

"I want you to cooperate with the magistrate, sweep the whole underworld of this Nation and then show this badge into the magistrate and call yourself 'Alice Darkbringer' and at that time, I will visit you again and will make you apologize to Juliet when that time comes. "

By the way, if you notice she doesn't have a surname, it is because commoners in some countries doesn't have one and they have to become a Peerage in order to have one, so yeah, she doesn't have a surname. (Valentine is Excluded)

"So you want me to become your eyes in the underworld of Camelot while the Magistrate is the eyes in the Above World huh? Well, atleast I won't die and the offer is not that bad... Though the motives are not clear..."

She completely ignored the apologizing part.

I looked at her and saw that she wasn't lying using my lie detection ability and gave a wry smile, but she seem to be confused about why did I make her use my surname as she suddenly stopped her questions about my motives.

"... Wait a minute, aren't you..."

And then she was suddenly struck by a lightning of realization as I make my face incredibly close to hers, she suddenly raised her face to look at me but then got startled by my close face as her cheeks started to glow a rose colored blush.

"Yes, you remembered what I said earlier right?"

I slowly reached her right hand with mine and then crept my left arm into her waist, I then spun clockwise once and gracefully make her leave her seat.

After that, I pulled her waist close to mine as I sat down and also put my right arm into her waist making her forcibly sit into my lap, we looked at each other's eye like that, she looked at me with a little rosy cheeks and I looked at her with my usual confident grin.

" That I will take compensations."