Talca City

“A Hero party came to Talka City a few days after the Inquisitors lost contact. The Inquisitor who was checking on the Hero party brought very shocking news.”

“What is it?”

“The Saintess Asha-nim, who was a member of the Hero party, is missing.”

“Huh?!”

“After the Inquisitors of Stozanya City went silent, the Hero party came to Talka City, but Saintess Asha-nim disappeared. Doesn’t that seem strange?”

“It does.”

“We have secured additional evidence that the Hero party is connected to the God of Darkness.”

“What is it?”

“We always investigate the whereabouts of all Dark Humans in Talka City. On the night the Hero came, the Dark Human Ivana, along with a Dark Human maid and soldier, visited all three hotels where the Hero party was staying. After that, Dark Humans began to appear in the Talka Research Institute, where there were none before.”

“Why didn’t you inform the Knights?”

Anushe wore a bitter expression and continued.

“We already informed humanity about the existence of Dark Humans, but humanity was divided into those who supported and opposed Dark Humans, and they fought each other. Dark Humans are still the same. We realized through that failure that simply informing people is not a good idea. We waited for an opportunity. If it didn’t work out, we were even considering charging in with all the Inquisitors with the determination of mutual destruction.”

“I see. So, the entire Hero party has been consumed by the God of Darkness?”

“We don’t know. Ivana visited all three hotels, so it’s not clear who the being of darkness is. We suspect two people.”

“Who are they?”

“First, it’s Serena. She is a Dark Human. Serena is a femme fatale born with the blood of a Succubus Queen, so she must have completely turned the Hero into her pet. And I think she is manipulating the Hero to her liking.”

“This can’t be…”

“The second is Kyle.”

“The Elf commander?”

“That’s right. Kyle hasn’t been seen since Ivana entered and left the hotel. Only Kyle’s wife, Nisa, is wandering around the downtown area, enjoying herself. Doesn’t that seem strange?”

“It is strange.”

“It’s just suspicion for now. Maybe Kyle just likes to stay in his room.”

“Only questions arise.”

“I’ll tell you what we’ve judged. There is a subordinate of the God of Darkness in the Hero party. They must have used the Hero in Stozanya City to eliminate the Inquisitors and Saintess Asha. Stozanya City is probably a city of Dark Humans now. The fact that Stozanya City has given up all industry is probably a scheme to weaken the Hamel Empire.”

“That makes sense.”

“The subordinate of darkness in the Hero party came to Talka City and instructed Ivana, who is a Dark Human, to do something. Since Ivana went to the research institute, darkness is invading the research institute.”

“Then how did you know about me and Carol?”

“We were always monitoring the area around the research institute and checking the number of Dark Humans. Tonight, we happened to discover Clovis-nim and Carol-nim sending a small golem to the research institute. And running away in fear too. We knew you had discovered something. And we quickly protected your mansion.”

Clovis thanked them with a relieved expression.

“Thank you so much.”

“We can’t lose the most important informant. What did you see there?”

Clovis told them what had happened there.

Anushe worried with a face full of concern.

“The situation may be more serious than we think. Do you know what the identity of the God of Darkness is?”

Clovis thought for a moment and said.

“Tentacles?”

“That’s right. Therefore, the high-ranking subordinates of the God of Darkness are also likely to be tentacles. The number of Dark Humans is increasing in the research institute, and even researchers who are not Dark Humans praised the tentacles. It is clear that these tentacles have the ability to brainwash humans and turn them into Dark Humans. I think that tentacles with this level of ability are either the God of Darkness itself or a high-ranking subordinate.”

Carol and Clovis groaned at the enormous situation.

“Hoo…”

Anushe continued.

“And the more terrible fact is that these tentacles were with the Hero party. The most likely explanation is that Kyle, who doesn’t go outside, is the tentacle in the Talka Research Institute.”

Clovis asked with a complicated expression.

“What should we do from now on?”

“Now that the tentacle knows it has been discovered, it will move quickly. The Marquis Lucas family, where Ivana is, is not safe either. There are no Dark Humans in the Knights yet, except for the researchers. We must gather the Knights right now and inform them of this situation. Clovis-nim alone wouldn’t believe it, but if the Inquisitors testify, they will believe it.”

“I understand.”

“And there are not many Dark Humans among the soldiers either. I guess that in order to make someone a Dark Human, a process of capturing the opponent is necessary. So, they probably couldn’t make those with strong martial power into Dark Humans. Clovis-nim, who is the Military Committee Chairman and the Commander of the Knights, must gather the soldiers.”

“Are you telling me to rebel against Marquis Lucas-nim?”

“Are those who have converted to the God of Darkness nobles?”

“We don’t know yet if the Marquis-nim has converted to the God of Darkness, do we?”

“This is a race against time. Please think of your son, Tepri. If the Marquis-nim is not a Dark Human yet, then we can bring the Marquis-nim in later.”

Clovis clenched his fist tightly and made a decision.

“I have no choice. I will do that. What will the Inquisitors do?”

“First, we need to explain the current situation to those who follow Clovis-nim. And we will send what we have discovered to the Inquisitors in other regions and the Elia Holy Kingdom as well.”

“Will they believe it?”

“The Holy Kingdom and the Inquisitors believe in the faith of other Inquisitors. If an Inquisitor expresses doubt, it means that there is definitely something. Reinforcements will definitely come. The Inquisitors from the surrounding cities and territories will come here immediately. In the worst case, we may have to fight the Hero party, so be prepared.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

“There is no time. Let’s act quickly.”

The dawn had already ended, and morning was coming.

It happened to be a holiday today.

A few Inquisitors decided to constantly guard Clovis’s house.

Out of the 56 Knights, the 14 Talka Research Institute researchers, excluding Carol, had to be considered enemies.

Clovis took Anushe and the Inquisitors to the Public Security Corps building.

And he sent a messenger to gather the remaining Knights who managed the military and administration to the Public Security Corps building.

Clovis and the Inquisitors told the Knights all the information that had been revealed so far and persuaded them that they had to move the military and police.

Clovis preached that this was not rebelling against the Lucas Marquis family, but preventing a greater danger from coming to humanity.

Three division commanders and Bruno, the Public Security Corps chief, were originally close to Clovis, so they decided to follow Clovis.

The divisions of the division commanders who agreed with Clovis were located in the south of Talka City.

Several Public Security Corps knights decided to follow their superior, Bruno.

Among the Public Security Corps knights and administrative knights, those who were devout Elia believers agreed with the Inquisitors.

The remaining three division commanders and seven knights did not like this situation.

The divisions of the division commanders who opposed Clovis were located in the north of Talka City, and the Lucas Marquis’s mansion was also located in the north.

The seven knights had a negative reaction to resisting the Lucas Marquis family.

The Inquisitors were staring at them with fierce eyes, so they nodded for now.

After the meeting, they secretly headed to the Lucas Marquis’s mansion.

—-

Today was a holiday, so all the researchers were free to do as they pleased.

Ivana and Sophia went to the Lucas Marquis’s mansion early in the morning to meet Silvie.

Ivana was Silvie’s younger sister, and Sophia was Silvie’s Hamel High School classmate and friend, so they were always able to meet Silvie.

On Sophia’s shoulder was her pet octopus, Puyo.

When Ivana and Sophia entered Silvie’s room, Silvie, who was sitting at her desk studying, greeted them.

“Hi~ You two came together today?”

Ivana said.

“Yeah, unni. We used to play together like this in the old days. Let’s chat today~”

Silvie looked at the pet octopus on Sophia’s shoulder and said.

“Why did you bring an alien? Were you brainwashed?”

Sophia laughed.

“Puhuhut. Silvie is always the same~”

“I’m just being rational. You came to brainwash me.”

“What are you talking about? We came to chat as friends.”

“Then, sit here.”

Silvie, Sophia, and Ivana sat around the table and chattered.

Silvie’s interests were mainly in new worlds, aliens, and the hands that manipulate the world from behind.

Silvie had liked these mystery elements since her Hamel High School days, so Sophia and Ivana humored her appropriately.

Sophia changed the subject to bathing in the middle.

“Come to think of it, I miss the Marquis family’s hot spring. My house just has a shower and a bathtub.”

Ivana asked Sophia.

“Unni, then do you want to take a bath and go?”

“Sounds good~”

“What about Silvie unni?”

Silvie also nodded.

The three went to the Marquis family’s private, giant hot spring.

The Marquis family’s hot spring had a huge bathroom with a hot spring water tub and shower facilities.

The three took off all their clothes, wrapped white hot spring towels around themselves, and entered the hot spring.

Steam rose from the hot spring water, and it felt like all the fatigue was disappearing from the warmth.

Sophia murmured while soaking in the hot spring water.

“Nirvana~”

Ivana also looked at the sky with a happy expression.

Puyo also floated in the water with its pupils unfocused.

“Puii…”

Silvie poked Puyo with her finger and played with it.

Poke poke poke

“Mysterious octopus.”

Ivana and Sophia exchanged glances and hugged Silvie tightly from both sides and shouted.

“Got you!”

Puyo’s legs lengthened like tentacles and tried to wrap around Silvia’s head.

At that time, one of the 2m-sized human statues in the hot spring pointed its hand at Puyo and shot a Mana-Po, causing Puyo to explode.

Jiiiiing Puhuhung!

Ivana and Sophia screamed.

“Kyaaaaaaak!”

Ivana was horrified.

“When did you prepare that!”

Silvie said with an excited face.

“I knew it! Aliens existed! You’ve all been brainwashed!”

“That’s not important! What is that statue!”

“It’s a golem I made in preparation for times like this! Golems I made are hidden everywhere in this house, and they attack when I’m in danger. Ahem.”

“What did you do to the house!”

Silvie threatened.

“Anyway, won’t you let go of this hand if you don’t want to get hurt?”

The statue walked through the hot spring water towards Silvie.

Splash splash

The statue threatened.

“Ppireeriree. Please release Master Silvie.”

Silvie puffed out her chest and boasted.

“Ahem. It can even say basic sentences.”

Ivana and Sophia were shocked.

“No way! You made a golem that can judge and speak on its own!”

Silvie raised both arms and shouted proudly.

“I am Silvie, the successor of the Lucas Marquis family!”

At that time, a giant tentacle suddenly grew out of the hot spring water behind the statue and wrapped around the golem with its tentacle legs.

The golem twisted its body and resisted.

“Ppireeriree. Crisis! Crisis!”

The tentacle legs wrapped around the golem and exerted force, causing the golem to shatter.

Jeojeok Woojiggeun Pungdeong Pungdeong

Silvie shouted bitterly.

“No! My statue golem No. 1!”

The tentacle ran towards Silvie and wrapped around her with its tentacle legs.

Silvie said calmly even as she was lifted up.

“Am I now becoming a member of the dark hand that moves the world?”

Ivana admired.

“Silvie unni, you’re so bold!”

Sophia shook her head and corrected her.

“That’s not bold, it’s just being 4D.”

Silvie asked Ivana.

“I’ll ask you just one thing.”

“Yeah, unni.”

“How did this tentacle get in here?”

“You’re not curious about what will happen in the future…”

“I’ll find out about that later.”

“Well, that’s like you, unni. It was in my pussy. The pet octopus that just exploded was a chimera made by Sophia unni as a smokescreen. I expected you to make some kind of safety device with your extraordinary brain.”

“I lost. Tentacle, hurry up.”

I, Kyle, was confused as to whether Silvie was really bold or just clueless.

I used the tentacle to change Silvie’s brain structure.

Silvie opened her eyes and worshiped me.

“Ah! Oh God!”

Silvie suddenly lit up her eyes and shook my tentacle legs, begging.

“Make me a member of the organization that controls the world from behind! I want to be a high-ranking executive of darkness too!”

I clicked my tongue.

“I knew it. Your personality doesn’t change. If you bring me human sacrifices, I’ll make you a subordinate. Then you will also occupy an important position in the plan I’m drawing.”

Silvie raised both arms and cheered.

“Awesome! I wanted to try controlling the world from behind too! If you see my genius, you won’t regret making me a subordinate!”