Ch.80Chapter 80: Trap.

“Do you know these guys don’t cooperate with each other?”

The five major criminal organizations don’t cooperate.

For their subordinate groups, “being used as pawns” would be a more appropriate expression than cooperation.

The five major organizations don’t cooperate because of their power balance.

But that’s something Lisa knows well about the Empire, while it’s unfamiliar to the others.

After all, how would someone visiting the Empire for the first time know anything about criminal organizations?

“I don’t know?”

“I figured. These guys are extremely sensitive about their territories. That’s why they don’t cooperate well. They’re already enormous for criminal organizations. Cooperation? If just two of them team up for a new venture, the other three wouldn’t sit quietly, would they?”

Lati, who had been listening quietly, makes a puzzled face.

“What does that have to do with the requests being strange… Oh?”

As Lati’s face shows realization, Lisa snaps her fingers and points at her.

Then, while manipulating her armlet, she continues:

“Right, look carefully. The requests are strange. Assessing Venom headquarters’ troop strength, assassinating the head of Butcher, cutting off and securing Thorn Swamp’s funding, obtaining Shadow Reaper’s assassination request list, attacking and neutralizing Santar’s armory.”

“These are definitely requests that regular students couldn’t handle.”

Lisa nods.

“Meanwhile, the easy requests are simple enough that even below Grade 3 students could handle them. Does this make sense? Unless someone intentionally blocked the information, this is nonsensical. Those guys are criminal organizations, criminal organizations! They’re bad guys who can’t make money if they don’t do something shady every day. Is it possible they’re lying low enough for all requests to disappear?”

As everyone listens to Lisa, the atmosphere shifts to one of agreement.

Then Valt quietly interjects.

“Hmm… are they preparing something? Something that requires long preparation, enough to pause their businesses.”

Lisa deliberately exaggerates as she praises Valt.

“That’s right! As expected of our leader. As you know, criminal organizations can’t just shut down all their operations overnight. They must be up to something we don’t know about.”

Lati, who has been deep in thought, agrees with Lisa’s opinion.

“One thing is certain. These guys are cooperating right now.”

Robin, who had been listening quietly, adds a dissenting opinion.

“Wait, we don’t have any evidence, do we?”

“No, we don’t have evidence. It’s just a feeling I have.”

But Lisa’s words, though somewhat forced, carried a strange persuasiveness.

“If Lisa’s words are true, all of this could be intentional.”

Solphin frowns at the increasingly complex situation.

“I don’t understand what you’re all talking about. Can’t we just go and smash them?”

Lati flies over, bobbing around, and starts shaking Solphin’s horns.

“You monster, it’s not that simple!”

Strangely, Solphin can’t move against Lati. He seems to think that he shouldn’t touch something small and cute.

“Hey, stop it, don’t shake my horns! I’m getting dizzy!”

Liris, who had been silent until now, suddenly speaks.

“It’s similar to the method used in Brasov.”

“What?!”

The Brasov incident that shook the Vampire Kingdom. Words coming from someone directly involved carried extra weight.

“Gradually sinking into a swamp… We also thought it was a small incident at first. But things kept escalating until… we fell into a trap. This is a snare. There will be traps in the easy requests.”

Everyone who had been listening carefully falls into thought.

The Dark Society might be involved.

That’s the possibility Liris was considering.

“Shouldn’t we report this?”

“Yes, even if they ignore it, we should at least report it. We need to let them know this possibility exists.”

Whatever they’re preparing, it will clearly deal a significant blow to the Empire.

“I hope Lisa is wrong…”

Solphin rests his chin on his hand and speaks glumly.

“Those criminal organizations are crazy. Don’t they know that if they cause trouble like this, it means war with the Empire? They’ll be completely destroyed.”

“That’s how desperate they are. Otherwise…”

At that moment, Valt cuts in with a low voice, his eyes gleaming.

“If they succeed, they must be confident the Empire won’t be able to catch them.”

***

Valt is now in a private audience with the Imperial Princess.

“Really? If Lisa’s speculation is true, this is no ordinary matter.”

As the top freshman and strongest student at Grovint Academy, Valt was requested by the Imperial Princess for weekly private meetings and duels, which he accepted.

Especially since the Emperor himself had recommended it, Valt had no reason to refuse.

But today, instead of training, they were having tea and conversation.

Valt told the Princess everything he had discussed with his companions.

“That’s right. I don’t know what’s happening, but something is brewing. The calm before the storm, as they say?”

Click-

Elias elegantly sets down her teacup, her expression quite serious. Though she is the youngest, she is still undeniably a member of the imperial family.

She knew her fair share about threats to the Empire.

She even knew most of the secret history about the vampire Liris, which ordinary people didn’t.

“Could it be related to the Dark Society?”

Elias also referred to the mysterious group conducting covert operations as the “Dark Society,” a name that Lisa had coined.

“I don’t know. But the possibility is high. Surely the five major criminal organizations of the underworld can’t be touched without something like the Dark Society. However…”

As Valt trails off, Elias asks:

“However? What is it?”

In truth, this doesn’t make sense. The Empire is vast, and its influence is no joke.

The Academy alone has several Master-level powerhouses, and the administrative power is similarly formidable.

Since a nation doesn’t run on military might alone, the Empire’s political system was robust, supported by numerous talented individuals.

Moreover, there are dozens of intelligence agencies serving as the Empire’s eyes and ears throughout the world.

And yet they evade not only the Empire’s surveillance but also that of the Kingdom Alliance?

Honestly, it’s implausible.

The conclusion is obvious.

“I believe it’s certain that the Dark Society has numerous spies within the Empire and various countries.”

“……”

Even Elias acknowledges this point.

Normally in such situations, Elias would have threatened, “How dare you doubt the loyal subjects of the Empire?” But the circumstances speak for themselves.

“No, the leader of the Dark Society, this ‘Master,’ might even hold a high position within the Empire.”

Elias can’t help but be outraged at Valt’s words.

“What nonsense!”

But Valt’s expression remains calm.

“Think about it, Elias. Even with spies, this doesn’t make sense. You’d need dozens of moles in each government agency to track all the Empire’s movements. Do you think that’s possible?”

“……”

Elias bites her lower lip hard and listens carefully to Valt’s next words.

“Of course, it might not be the case. They could be extracting information through some artifact, magical tool, or other extraordinary method we don’t know about. After all, not all artifacts have been discovered yet.”

There are more undiscovered artifacts in the world than discovered ones. So it’s plausible that an artifact with such capabilities exists.

If there are artifacts that can save someone from death once, what’s so impossible about an artifact that can gather information from afar?

But it’s a matter of probability.

“I’m saying we should keep our options open. Even if such an artifact exists, it can’t be used as easily as eating a meal, right? So it makes sense to think someone in a high position is connected to the Dark Society.”

After quietly organizing her thoughts, Elias finally comes up with a counterargument and offers one possibility.

“Couldn’t it be someone outside the Empire? There are people from the Kingdom Alliance, and in some cases, drag—”

While a dragon’s 10th circle magic could make it possible, dragons have no interest in worldly affairs, so Elias stops mid-sentence.

“Well, that’s possible too. There are certainly many Kingdom Alliance personnel in the Empire.”

This is how suspicion works. The more you suspect, the wider the range becomes, and you may gradually deviate from the right direction.

“I’m not telling you to catch the culprit, Elias. I’m telling you to be careful.”

At the sudden affectionate words, Elias’s face turns bright red.

“W-what? Are you w-worried about me?”

“What’s strange about being concerned for a friend? Elias, you are the Emperor’s only weakness. Always remember that.”

***

The next day, Valt’s group gathers again.

This time, Caldrian, Riduin, even Shukbil, the disciple of the Creator, and Elias are present.

All the strong freshmen have gathered.

They couldn’t sit still after hearing about the Dark Society’s possible involvement.

With everyone assembled, Valt speaks first.

“There’s suspicion that the Dark Society is involved. We need to complete the requests. Is everyone ready?”