Ch.174174. Problem

Magan’s corpse lay sprawled out.

The moment everyone saw it, time seemed to freeze in the banquet hall, and everyone’s bodies stiffened.

After all, the head of state had been assassinated in his own country, during an event with distinguished guests from other nations.

It simultaneously demonstrated how dangerous the place was while proving their incompetence.

“R-Resistance?”

The first to speak was the heir of the Valestan Republic. It was a somewhat reasonable deduction.

The Clark Republic’s Resistance was famous enough that rumors about them had spread to other countries.

But most were skeptical. If they could assassinate someone so cleanly in a place with so many powerful individuals, it would be strange that the Resistance hadn’t managed to assassinate the President until now.

Rather.

“More suspicious than the Resistance would be Griffin, who was sitting closest.”

Jornia from the Desert Kingdom of Zerman crossed his arms and cast a suspicious glance toward the Griffin Kingdom.

The Griffin representatives couldn’t help but be flustered by such blatant hostility.

“What ridiculous nonsense.”

Princess Elenoa firmly dismissed it without wavering.

“Why would we? We came to establish friendly relations with the Clark Republic. We have no reason to assassinate their President.”

“……”

“I know the Kingdom of Zerman has been quite interested in us. You’ve been quite involved in the Marias Great Forest too, haven’t you?”

Elenoa responded without backing down to the Kingdom of Zerman, which was openly looking for excuses to slander Griffin.

It seemed like Jornia was just testing the waters, as he pressed his lips together without uncrossing his arms. But this posture itself displeased Tairn.

“Uncross your arms and apologize.”

His mana swirled throughout the banquet hall. A sealed room with no escape.

Everyone could be witnesses for each other, but conversely, if everyone deliberately turned a blind eye, it wouldn’t be strange if someone else died.

“……”

Despite Tairn’s warning, Jornia maintained his silence with his chin held high.

Finally, Tairn couldn’t contain his anger and stepped forward with a thud.

“Where’s the secretary?”

Deia’s words echoed through the banquet hall, drawing everyone’s attention.

Leaping toward the President’s corpse, Deia examined both the body and the surroundings.

It was a terrible death befitting a nation’s dictator, but more importantly, the secretary with emerald hair was nowhere to be seen.

“The secretary is gone.”

At Deia’s words, others also approached the stage one by one. Deia moved around checking if there might be another exit, but there was none.

“Was the secretary the assassin then?”

“Hmm, that’s possible.”

“Indeed, that makes sense. Internal assassination is more likely than us external guests.”

People were offering their opinions as if swept along by the flow. But even from Deia’s perspective, it seemed peculiar.

‘Then where did the secretary go?’

If the secretary was the assassin, shouldn’t they still be here?

It meant they must be hiding somewhere inside the banquet hall, since there was no way to escape outside.

“Lord Tairn, please protect the Princess and the Saintess carefully.”

“Mm.”

Tairn nodded and assured her not to worry. His staff, pointed like a spear, stamped the floor with a thud, asserting its presence.

“Then where is the secretary?”

“Hmm, that’s a good point.”

“We need to be a bit more calm. The situation is so sudden that everyone’s vision has narrowed.”

The group discussing among themselves quickly regained their composure, proving they weren’t high-ranking officials for nothing, and acknowledged they had been too hasty.

“Have you all calmed down now?”

Just then, a distinctive voice came from the collapsed entrance. Green hair faintly visible in the darkness beyond the light.

“The secretary!”

“So she appears.”

Warriors immediately stepped forward to respond. The shield-bearer Tom from the militant Valestan Duchy and the elderly martial artist Han So from the Han Empire each took a step forward.

The secretary looked at them, smiled slightly, and extended her hand.

“Everyone, do you truly understand what’s happening in the current situation?”

Her voice resonated clearly yet softly, as if wrapping around their eardrums.

They realized she had waited until everyone could hear her properly.

Conversely, she was also demonstrating that she was skilled enough to hide in this space without being detected by anyone.

“The President of the Republic has been assassinated. The mastermind behind the terror was the Griffin Kingdom, and Princess Elenoa, unable to bear the pressure, confessed and returned to her kingdom to commit suicide.”

“…What?”

Elenoa frowned and glared at her as her name was suddenly mentioned.

But the secretary wasn’t finished.

“The Clark Republic, outraged, will start a war with Griffin. The Eastern Kingdom of Zerman will also help us conquer this vicious assassin nation.”

“Hmm.”

Jornia of the Kingdom of Zerman listened to the story with his arms crossed, saying nothing. It was difficult to tell whether he was agreeing or disagreeing.

“The martial artist from the Han Empire will support this testimony, and the heir of the Valestan Duchy, after returning, will assassinate his father. Though he will take the leader’s position, he will feel burdened and transfer authority to us.”

“Ridiculous.”

“W-What?!”

Han So, the martial artist from the Han Empire, and the Valestan heir raised their voices simultaneously. It was difficult to let this pass as the Clark Republic was writing a convenient fiction according to their wishes.

“Hmm, the assassin is…”

Scratch, scratch.

The sound of something crawling around them. An enormous number of something was moving outside the Saintess’s light.

“Let’s say it’s you.”

The secretary pointed at a woman with short hair.

It was Deia.

“Harboring resentment over the Norsweden attack, you received special orders from the Griffin Kingdom to attempt assassination and succeeded splendidly. Truly remarkable.”

Clap, clap, clap, clap.

Mechanical applause.

The secretary’s faint laughter echoed from beyond the darkness.

“We were such fools. Who would have thought Griffin would attempt assassination at a reconciliation event.”

“Crazy bitch.”

Deia spat out irritably, but the secretary shrugged and slowly walked forward.

“Well, that’s the prepared scenario. Some of you may not like it, but keep your mouths shut if you don’t want to die.”

At those words, Tom from the Valestan Duchy stepped forward in disbelief.

“This is bullshit. Do you know what responsibility you’ll bear if even one person here dies? You’ve already told us this is all a setup, how brazen!”

“…I see.”

Listening to Tom’s words, Deia came to an unpleasant realization.

It was something most people in the room had thought of, and Princess Elenoa’s expression darkened rapidly.

“What’s wrong?”

Darius asked Deia, who sighed. She explained to him and the tense-looking Deus who didn’t understand at all.

“These bastards already have a way. They don’t care if the people here die. That’s why they created this sealed room. So no one can see what they do to us.”

And by having their own leader, the President, die, they ensured no one could point fingers at them.

After all, the Clark Republic suffered the greatest loss.

“Don’t worry. If you don’t cooperate, we can always create replacements.”

“Replacements?”

“Well, let’s save that pleasure for later.”

The secretary smiled and extended her hand forward. Coming from the darkness into the light, her hand pointed at the Saintess.

“However, just two people. Saintess Lucia and…”

The hand that had been pointing at the Saintess moved again, this time pointing at Deus.

“Spirit Master Deus Verdi will definitely die here today.”

At this calm death sentence, Lucia clasped her hands together and prayed to God, while Deus struggled to maintain his composure.

“Hmm, but there’s one thing I need to confirm.”

The secretary slowly entered the light, revealing herself. Her eyes were those of a snake, and her tongue was so long that it protruded slightly.

A completely different appearance from what they saw on stage earlier. Everyone present immediately understood.

That she was a demon.

This made everyone tense. Words that had sounded like nonsense until now felt like heavy cursed revelations from the moment they realized she was a demon.

That’s how much demons were objects of fear to the people of the continent.

“Rather than confirmation, I’m giving you an opportunity.”

“Opportunity?”

The secretary’s gaze pierced directly at Deus, who tilted his head questioningly. Her eyes seemed more like they were testing something rather than showing mercy.

And that became absolutely clear with her next words.

“Are you really a Spirit Master?”

“……”

Questioning his very existence.

Instantly, the eyes of everyone in the banquet hall turned to Deus.

The Griffin Kingdom representatives, who knew his true identity, couldn’t help but be tense, while individuals from other countries couldn’t help but be interested in the secretary’s question.

The only Black Mage recognized by Griffin, which thoroughly rejected Black Magic.

Of course, other countries had done basic research on him.

“What do you mean?”

Deus straightened his back, trying to maintain his composure.

Seeing this, the corners of the secretary’s mouth slightly turned upward.

“I don’t think you’re the real Deus. The pressure, atmosphere, composure that he had when I met him directly… you can’t even match half of half of it.”

“……”

“Now, I’ll give you a chance.”

Demons always test humans.

They throw out choices and enjoy the binary decisions.

“Are you a Spirit Master? If you answer honestly, I’ll spare you.”

“…!”

“After all, there’s no need to kill a man who isn’t a Spirit Master.”

A tense silence hung in the air.

Everyone’s eyes were on Deus, but he was still pretending to be expressionless while his mind raced.

“Ah, really.”

But was even that brief silence boring to her? The secretary made another proposal.

“Fine, just one thing. If you answer this, I’ll spare you.”

“What is it?”

“You’re a Spirit Master who comforts the dead. The owner of blessed and cursed eyes that can see all souls.”

Snap.

The secretary’s long fingernail pointed at Deus’s eyes as she asked.

“Where is the soul of Lord Magan who just died?”