Ch.202Chapter 202 – Five Orange Pips (8)

“Hmm… This is quite well-made for a temporary hideout.”

“…Indeed it is.”

The KKK group’s hideout, which I entered with the bound Lady Clay, was far more sophisticated than I had expected.

In my mind, I had pictured them huddled together in a simple tent or house, but what revealed itself before my eyes was a full-fledged underground cavern.

I couldn’t tell if they had modified some kind of cave, but even as we were still walking through the entrance, I could sense its considerable size.

“It doesn’t seem to be a magically created space. They probably modified an existing area…”

The Lady muttered with a somewhat impressed expression beside me, apparently sharing my opinion. Fortunately, their magical abilities seemed to be within the expected range.

However, if they needed a space this large, their numbers were likely higher than anticipated.

“This place seems to have existed for quite some time and the structural integrity appears weak. Can’t we just collapse it?”

“Hey, be quiet.”

“With my magical power, I could easily wipe out everyone inside… Wait, what did you just say?”

“I said be quiet and keep walking.”

“Ugh?”

As I was walking forward with these thoughts, I yanked hard on the rope binding the Lady, who had been whispering with a disgruntled expression beside me.

“W-what insolence…”

“…We can’t enter too confidently. Lady, you’re supposed to be my captive right now.”

“W-when was I ever captured? I’m merely playing along with your scheme, but maintain basic courtesy.”

However, the Lady remained uncooperative.

The Lady is a capable person who diligently completes assigned tasks, but she can be somewhat frustrating in situations like this.

Well, it’s understandable since she grew up as both a member of a ducal family and the leader of vampires, always receiving the treatment befitting the highest class.

But that’s of no help in our current situation.

“Then I have no choice. You won’t be getting any more of my blood.”

“W-what did you say…?”

I needed to give her a little push to change her attitude.

“And that’s not all. Let’s end our contract too.”

“…S-suddenly?”

“I’ll release you right now, and you can leave with your subordinates or do whatever you want.”

When I stopped walking and said this, confusion began to cloud the Lady’s expression.

“A-at this point…”

“Why? Haven’t you been forcibly held by me until now? Wouldn’t it be better for you if I let you go without any penalty?”

“B-but…”

“Take out the contract. You always carry it with you, don’t you?”

Eventually, after biting her lip slightly under my questioning, she began speaking with a trembling voice.

“T-the contract isn’t here. I left it at the hideout…”

“…Is that so? Then let’s go get it now.”

“N-no. It’s not at the hideout either. Actually, I lost it.”

Of course, I had anticipated this response. Because the Lady still needed my blood.

Unlike others, the Lady, with her maximized desire for power and dominance, isn’t the type to deliberately give up a chance at freedom because she’s fallen for me.

“S-so… the contract can’t be canceled. No, it’s impossible to cancel.”

“…Then let’s make a new contract.”

“T-that’s…”

Rather, she’s probably flustered because she can’t take more of my power.

“…W-who would manage the organization and handle the accounting if I’m gone?”

“We’ll promote Miss Milverton, who manages the organization’s funds. Unlike you, she’s obedient.”

“T-then… who will clean the house…?”

“We can hire a cleaner. Since Miss Blaze is seriously injured, I was thinking of hiring a housekeeper anyway.”

As I said this and began untying the rope binding her body, the Lady, who had been staring blankly, started to look bewildered.

“H-how can you do this now…?”

“…What do you mean?”

“I-I… was the first to join you, wasn’t I…? I’m like a senior… isn’t this treatment too harsh…?”

Eventually, she made a genuinely hurt expression and even began to sob.

“…I value ability over seniority.”

But knowing this was her act, I responded with a still indifferent expression.

“Ugh, uugh…”

She then began to tremble, biting her lip tightly.

“So, I’d like the Lady to prove her ability this time…”

“…A-ability?”

It felt a bit strange, like teasing a tsundere, and thinking that pushing further might backfire, I started to gradually drop some bait.

“It’s simple, isn’t it? Just act as I tell you to.”

“……”

“Then you’ll not only be treated well but also gain ownership of my blood. I don’t understand what you’re so dissatisfied about.”

Then, looking at me with teary eyes, she answered in a low voice.

“But you’re not well right now, are you?”

“What?”

“…You’ll die at this rate, you fool.”

After adding those words in a hushed voice, she turned away from my gaze with a slightly reddened face.

“……Ugh.”

To be completely honest, that was a bit dangerous. I almost fell for the Lady’s act.

But I already knew from the Professor’s tip that she was secretly building her power behind my back.

‘Good thing I knew…’

Do they teach acting in social education classes in ducal families?

She performs high-level acting that even I, who can detect most performances, find difficult to discern.

Come to think of it, when I first met her with the Professor during the Red Mana Alliance incident, she quite convincingly played the role of a modest country girl.

As expected of the fourth smartest woman in London.

“I’ll handle that, so will you help me? Or not?”

“…Hmph.”

After firmly resolving myself internally, I asked with a slightly softened voice, and after briefly watching my reaction, she answered in a low voice.

“I’ll help you…”

“It would have been easier if you’d said so from the beginning.”

There was still a slightly grumpy tone in her voice, but it was passable enough.

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– Creeeeak…

As the door to the main hall deep underground slowly opened, the gazes of the gathered members all turned at once.

“All existing members should be here…”

“…It must be a new recruit. There are quite a few people in England who support our cause.”

“With the sudden pressure from everywhere recently weakening our organization… new faces are always welcome.”

“But who’s that woman beside him?”

The members began whispering among themselves about the two people who had just entered.

“Kugh… Y-you!”

Just as attention was focusing on the new faces.

“Release… this at once…!”

The woman in red clothing, who had been looking quite tense, suddenly raised her voice and began shouting at the man beside her.

“D-do you know who I am…!”

Her face was deeply etched with shame, humiliation, and fear that she tried but failed to hide.

“”………””

And that sight was quite familiar to the people gathered here.

“Who is that woman?”

Around the time the atmosphere was becoming hostile, someone with a slightly different emblem on their chest than the other members emerged from the crowd.

“…She’s a vampire.”

To the question from the person who appeared to be at least an executive, the man holding the rope binding the woman answered briefly.

“V-vampire…?”

“They still exist…?”

“I-I’ve heard about this. One of the executives is a descendant of a vampire hunter family…”

Immediately, the atmosphere became chaotic.

“…Silence.”

The member with the unusual emblem, who quelled the atmosphere with a single word, quietly tilted his head and asked a question.

“What proof do you have that she’s a vampire?”

“Well, it would be faster for you to see for yourself.”

The man replied with a light snap of his fingers.

– Whoosh…

“…Huh?”

Instantly, the rope wrapping around the woman in red came undone.

– Roooooar…

“”……..!””

At that moment, an immense red energy began to fill the main hall where the members were gathered.

“How dare you… humiliate me…?”

The woman, freed from her restraints, began to growl fiercely at the members before her, summoning all her strength.

“I’ll burn you all… in hellfire…!”

“That’s enough.”

“…Kuhk?”

But the next moment, as the man snapped his fingers again, the woman was instantly bound by rope and forced to kneel on the spot.

“Withdraw your energy.”

“Urgh…..”

“Do you want to crawl around with your limbs torn apart again?”

As the man caressed her chin and whispered coldly, the woman, gritting her teeth, obediently withdrew her energy and lowered her head.

“”……..””

And then came silence.

– Clap, clap, clap…

In that silence, small applause began to echo.

“Excellent.”

The member with the unusual emblem was clapping with a quite satisfied expression.

“”W-wow…!!””

Following his lead, the members began to clap and cheer in unison.

“You, follow me with that vampire.”

In the suddenly bustling atmosphere, the member with the unusual emblem quietly moved toward the back and whispered to the man.

“I’ll introduce you to the high officials, including myself.”

“…Understood.”

Adler responded respectfully with a bow, then quietly broke into a smile of satisfaction.

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“…I-is this enough?”

“You did well, Lady…”

Having successfully completed the KKK group’s initiation ceremony as planned, and fortunately catching the eye of an executive, I began to follow behind the executive, gently answering the Lady’s timid question that came amid the cheers.

[Wait a moment.]

But at that very moment, a bright red message appeared before my eyes.

[It’s dangerous ahead.]

“Well, when has it ever not been dangerous?”

After reading the message, I chuckled and was about to dismiss it, but.

[I sense the presence of an entity trying to break the rules of the world.]

“……..”

[So please retreat for now. Neither I nor you are prepared to face the source of the corruption yet.]

After confirming System’s urgent addendum that appeared below, I had to pause my steps for a moment.

“…System.”

[Yes?]

“Don’t you know what a developer’s destiny is?”

[What is it?]

It seems System has forgotten who designed this world.

“What else could it be? Bug fixing, of course.”

[…Are you serious?]

As the creator of a world, it’s time to meet the troublemaker who dared to try to ruin my world.