Previously: Liz and Gaion of the Underground Guild, mistakenly believing Zenos to be the ruler of the slums, are observing Zenos’s hideout from a distance.
“Wh-What should we do, Lady Liz?”
The large man, Gaion, watching Zenos’s clinic from afar, spoke.
“We know the location, so shall we launch an attack?”
Liz turned a cold gaze on Gaion, who continued speaking.
“Are you serious?”
“Y-Yes. We can easily crush a shabby shack like that.”
“Are you stupid? The man who controls the slums from the shadows is in there. That exterior is likely a bluff. That’s just the entrance; inside, there’s probably a vast underground space.”
“I-I see…”
“Besides—”
Liz folded her arms leisurely.
“Our goal isn’t to kill the ruler, is it?”
“It isn’t?”
“How many times do I have to tell you? When will you remember? Is that head of yours just for show?”
“M-My apologies.”
Gaion cowered, and Liz sighed, saying,
“If the ruler falls, the united demi-humans will scatter, and it’ll certainly be easier to exploit their weaknesses. But it’s a pain to have a full-blown conflict with all three races.”
“I don’t think we’d lose, though.”
“I’m saying it’ll take time. And in that time, if other underground forces emerge, it’ll be even more of a hassle, won’t it?”
“T-That’s true.”
“So, we’ll get close to the ruler and I’ll use my power to turn him into a puppet. That way, I’ll effectively be the one in control of the slums. That’s the plan, right?”
“Y-Yes, that’s right.”
Liz stared intently at the ruler’s hideout, standing in the twilight.
“The question is how to get in naturally.”
“How about visiting normally?”
“There will surely be many strong guards. It might even be difficult to meet the ruler.”
She could manipulate them one by one, but it would be difficult if they came at her in large numbers.
“Then, what should we do?”
“Well…”
Just as Liz was about to say something, the entrance door creaked open.
“Lady Liz! S-Someone’s coming out.”
“It might be a guard. Hide, quickly.”
Hiding in the shadow of the building, they watched as a small girl with blonde hair tied in two pigtails appeared. Humming a tune, she swept the front of the mansion with a broom she held.
“I-Is that the strong guard…?”
“…”
Liz was silent for a moment, then said,
“Idiot, that’s probably a caretaker.”
“R-Right, of course.”
“Think about it. If he had his guards do his personal chores, he wouldn’t be able to respond if someone tried to slit his throat while he was sleeping. He keeps a powerless girl close by for that reason. It seems he divides the roles.”
“I-I see… He’s a sharp one.”
“Moreover, that girl is an elf. To have a rare elf as a slave, he’s certainly no ordinary person.”
“He’s dangerous…”
“It seems he won’t be easy to deal with, but that makes it all the more worthwhile.”
Liz put her index finger to her lips, and Gaion, wiping the sweat from his forehead, suddenly spoke up.
“…Huh? Lady Liz, someone was looking at us from the second-floor window.”
“…Where?”
“I-I can’t see them now, but they were definitely there.”
“Could it be the ruler? Did he notice us?”
“N-No, i-it was a woman. Her face was pale as a corpse, and she was beckoning us to come over. I-Is it a trap?”
“…”
After a silence, Liz said slowly,
“It might be a woman held captive. Rather than beckoning, she might be asking for help.”
“I-I see.”
“Good, we can use this.”
“Use…?”
“Think about it. He keeps a young elf girl and imprisons a woman. It seems the ruler has quite a taste for women. In that case, he’s the perfect opponent for me.”
“T-That’s true.”
“Then it’s simple. I’ll pretend to feel sick and collapse on the side of the road. If his subordinates find me, they’ll bring me inside the hideout to present me to the woman-loving ruler.”
“As expected of you, Lady Liz.”
After that, all she had to do was wait for an opportunity to be alone with him and turn him into a puppet. Liz curled the corner of her mouth into a thin smile and brought her index finger to her mouth.
“Fufu… How exciting. I’ll suck him dry to the bone, the ruler of the slums.”
Meanwhile, on the second floor of the clinic—
“Phew, that was close.”
Camilla, the wraith, muttered this and hid beside the curtain.
She had a vague feeling that something was approaching, and when she looked outside, she saw someone hiding in the shadow of the building across the street. She couldn’t see clearly, but she thought she saw a large man and a woman with long hair. She felt a sign that things were about to get interesting, but they weren’t coming over, so she inadvertently beckoned them. It would be a disaster if they became wary, but they didn’t seem to be running away.
Camilla glanced at the window and a smirk rose to the corner of her mouth.
“Kukuku… This will be fun. I’ll watch while gnawing on some meat with bones, you poor visitors.”
A/N: Run away…!