Chapter 66 - Whispers of the Devil

The ever-rising sun. Behind it, there is bound to be a shadow.

And that fact is no exception even in an empire that holds the sun as its symbol, so even in the middle of the system, there are hideouts for those who live in the dark.

"Huh? You, you fucking goblin, you're caught!"

"Ki, kieeeek!"

A back alley located on a street with little light.

A place where slave traders who find it difficult to do business in the sun, businesses that require secrecy, or things that are suspicious, such as magic or black magic items, are secretly traded.

The reason why this place with a strong criminal vibe exists in the middle of the system, not in some remote territory, is relatively simple.

Since ancient times, there has always been a steady demand from the upper class for this place.

Just because you are wealthier or have noble blood doesn't mean you have exceptional morality.

Moreover, even the high-ranking officials need to have a way to catch their breath or deal with dirty business.

In the middle of a dark street, a wealthy merchant holding a goblin wearing glasses by the collar was also one of the main customers of this back alley.

"You swindler! What are you going to do with my money?! You said that the Unity Knights were definitely the ones who were going to win, so trust them and invest! You boasted that the odds would be small but definitely safe! But the winners were the wrong guys?"

It's very common for back alleys to have fights.

Despite the commotion going on right before their eyes, pedestrians just pass by with a snicker as if it was nothing. Or they just watch with interest from a distance.

"Oh, no... no! That's not my responsibility, it's the variable...!"

That's right, the small goblin, who was caught in the hands of the humans, was almost out of breath.

"Excuse me for a moment. Could you step aside? I need to go inside."

"What are you… Huh?!"

A man with a huge body that was a head taller than a healthy man, and a face covered in scars, boasting a more threatening impression than anyone else, appeared and stopped them.

The young master, who was dressed nicely, was so excited that he was almost foaming at the mouth.

"Ahem. This is, I'm sorry. Please go in quickly."

As expected of a merchant's son, he was quick-witted, and as soon as he saw the man's appearance, he quickly calmed down his anger and became a docile lamb and opened the way for him.

Then the man tapped the young master on the shoulder and entered the building.

"Thank you. I'll finish what I was doing."

After the man disappeared. The suspicious gazes began to gather around the dazed-looking young master and the pale-faced goblin.

And then, a low, slurred voice leaked out from one of them.

"Black Lion Knight Commander... Why on earth are you here?"

.................

'That guy just now, he looks familiar?'

The face of the man who was blocking the entrance to the meeting place and fighting with the goblin kept coming into view.

As I recalled my memories, I realized that he looked a lot like the son of a wealthy merchant who was my classmate at the officer training school. His name was probably Milo.

Judging from the typical merchant's attire, he might have been his friend's brother or relative.

If I had known this would happen, I should have asked him where he was.

"Come this way. The customer who came earlier is waiting." "Hmm."

I followed the employee inside, leaving my regrets behind.

—Sparkle, sparkle!

The soft light coming from the dark yet luxurious interior stimulated my gaze.

Several closed rooms with guaranteed security and soundproofing were lined up on both sides of the long hallway, and judging from the faint smell of food and alcohol leaking out, it seemed like they served food and drinks separately.

At first glance, I couldn't tell what kind of place it was.

Looking at it this way, it seemed like a kind of membership restaurant that rented out a place needed for secret meetings.

I don't know who the owner is, but he was really smart. It would definitely be in demand among some nobles.

—Drum!

"This way. If you need anything, please ring the bell inside."

"Thank you."

But this is my first time in a place like this.

My heart starts pounding for no reason. It felt like a secret society plotting a conspiracy, so I should say that it secretly stimulated the emotions of men.

The inside of the secret room was extremely luxurious.

Even by my standards, which are quite picky about furniture, the facilities were satisfactory, and expensive drinks and food were spread out on the table.

And, inside, a familiar middle-aged face greeted me.

"Welcome, Lord Wolfgang! What on earth is this that you came to me first? You must have been surprised to receive my letter."

"Haha. It's been a while, Lord Randolph."

It was Lord Randolph, the executive officer of the Counterintelligence Department whom I had met for quite some time since the Persen County Incident.

I contacted him to ask him to meet me soon because I had something important to discuss, and he replied in less than half a day, not only accepting the offer, but also mentioning the time and place.

The reason he chose this location must have been because he made a living digging up various secrets and information.

In most cases, Lord Randolph would have come to me first, but this time, I was the one who came to him because I was sorry, so I stepped into this back alley that I had never been to before.

"I sincerely congratulate you on winning the Knights' Competition! Well, if a monster like you doesn't win, who else will? Come on! Let's have a drink first."

"Ugh! Thank you for congratulating me. But, do you really have to call a person a monster?"

Our relationship, which started during the war, has been going on for quite some time, and now we can almost be called bad friends.

Although our personalities don't match well, I was a little reluctant to become close, he is the only person who can give me proper advice on the problems surrounding me.

"How have you been? Why do you seem to be getting more vicious by the day?"

"Why do you seem to be getting more sly by the day?"

As the glasses clinked a few times with light chatter between us, we gradually became somewhat drunk by the standards of ordinary people.

Sir Randolph asked me a question with shining eyes.

"Huh! Since you, who are reluctant to me, contacted me first, you must have some purpose. What do you want?"

"Well, huh…"

But when I actually met him, I felt a little reluctant to reveal my true feelings. I wondered if I was doing something unnecessary in front of a high-ranking official of the intelligence agency.

Of course, since I had a firm grip on him, there was no way he would use information about me to do something. But I couldn't help feeling uneasy.

Well, what should I blame? I should blame my narrow-minded interpersonal relationships.

Feeling suffocated, I drank an entire bottle of liquor into my stomach and sat still for a while without trying to drive away the intoxication.

"Oh, our Lord Wolfgang is being so reserved… Are you curious about the recent social trends surrounding you? Or are you perhaps looking to dig up the corruption of a hostile noble family?"

"Nothing grand."

Then, Lord Randolph, with his characteristic habit, began to arbitrarily misinterpret my intentions.

I finally honestly told him the reason I had called him.

"If I want to have a happy relationship with two women at the same time, what should I do?"

"What…?!"

Lord Randolph's sly face twitched in an indescribable way as soon as he heard my story.

"Phew… Phewhahahahaha!"

I felt a terrible sense of shame as I burst into laughter.

"…Don't laugh too hard. I'm serious right now."

Damn it. I was prepared for that kind of reaction, but now that I actually experienced it, it was so annoying.

I frowned and fell into deep thought in front of him, who was grumbling.

That's why I didn't want to come to see him, but I really had no choice.

'Master! How about exchanging letters every day from now on?' 'Director Wolfgang, I… I'm embarrassed, but I want to confirm your affection. When, when will we sleep together again…'

These days, I've been so desperate for my attention that I've been dying.

Clearly, neither of them were the type of women who clung so tightly to me. What on earth made them like that?

I want to beat up my past self who thought that even if I had more than one lover, I would love them equally.

'I didn't know love could be this difficult.'

Almost all of my close friends were killed in the war or lost contact, so my interpersonal relationships were literally in shambles.

At first, I thought about consulting with my experienced subordinates, but they all seemed to have already guessed that Agnes and I had a serious relationship.

It was obvious that if I talked about this in front of them, my reputation would plummet.

But I couldn't go to my teacher with my personal problems, so I was struggling because I couldn't see any way to solve this problem on my own.

In the end, I reached out to Lord Randolph, who was the most knowledgeable in this field among my few acquaintances.

He boasted of a flashy, even promiscuous, womanizing history, but he had a mysterious talent for organizing relationships without any trouble, so he would definitely be of help in some way.

"Hahahaha! Come to think of it, our Lord Wolfgang is still young, if not immature. Well, then it's understandable for him to worry about such things! Now, what should I start talking about?"

But, is this really right?

I closed my eyes tightly and silently listened to his long-winded speech.

At first, it seemed like useless dirty talk, but as I listened, there were some remarks that I found myself nodding along to.

I felt like I could put them into practice starting tomorrow.

After learning some valuable advice from the self-proclaimed 'tightrope walking master' Lord Randolph.

"Keuhe, I didn't know I'd be having such a pleasant conversation with you. Well, I'll get up now. Well, I'll see you again in front of the treasure vault soon anyway."

"Does Lord Randolph have the right to enter?"

"That's right? It's the position. There are many opportunities to secretly achieve great things. I can't waste my authority, and the treasure vault doesn't open every time. I think I should go in this time."

"Well, the last time I went in, it wasn't as good as I thought."

"It's different every time I go in there. I'm sure I'll find what I want this time."

After a brief conversation about the imperial treasure vault that will be opening in a few days, I set off home feeling quite satisfied.

I'll probably be able to satisfy both ladies at the same time soon.

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