16

“What was that just now?”

Rubelmel asked.

“We’re using his father as a pawn by taking his little sister hostage, but we forgot to kidnap that brat too.”

Dinarts looked at one of his subordinates and said, “Because of this idiot here.”

“But he’s just a brat. He’d be easy to kill or kidnap. I’d forgotten about him because he didn’t matter, but somehow, I don’t know where he found out, that brat came here all on his own.”

Dinarts continued speaking cheerfully.

“I thought about killing him on the spot, but then that brat said, ‘I’ll bring money, so please give my father and sister back.’ The money that brat brings isn’t worth much, of course, but entertainment is important too. I thought if we had a clown around, even this stuffy place might liven up a little.”

That hateful smile grated on Darius.

“What has actually happened to that child’s father and sister?”

“…Rubelmel?”

Dinarts and his companions looked at one another, then burst into loud laughter.

“As if that matters. The father died ages ago, and the sister was sold off, so she’s not even in Elias anymore!”

“…Huh?”

A foolish sound slipped from Darius’s mouth.

Dinarts had said that humans would move for the sake of their family’s lives. Darius, because of his peculiar upbringing, had not understood those words, but he had felt something from the boy who went without food and handed over money.

“That’s why I said it’s entertainment! I’m looking forward to seeing how he reacts when he brings all the money and I tell him the truth! Right now, I’m slowly maturing that enjoyment over a long period of time!”

“You have excellent taste.”

“Right? You get it too, Rubelmel-san!”

Dinarts was surely looking forward to what would happen to that boy, because now in high spirits, he spoke to Rubelmel in a friendly tone.

“Yes, well. Entertainment is something that enriches life, after all.”

“Right! Right! If a person’s life dries up, there’s no helping them!”

However, Rubelmel was merely going along with Dinarts in a voice that did not sound amused at all.

“…Scum.”

Darius muttered softly, but it was drowned out by the men’s laughter.

“In that case, the pawns who will blow up the warehouses are also…?”

“Yeah. Of course, all the brats have either been sold off or used for fun, so they’re not here anymore.”

Dinarts answered Rubelmel’s question as if it were only natural.

Perhaps the people around him were remembering the times they had tormented them, because their faces twisted hideously.

“But there are things people are happier not knowing, right? It’s obvious they’ll feel better dying while thinking their family or children were saved.”

“That is true. If the result does not change, then whether they hold hope or despair along the way does not matter. Dinarts-san, you are kind, since you allow those who are about to die to hold hope.”

Dinarts nodded along, pleased by Rubelmel’s words.

However, Rubelmel’s expression showed not the slightest trace of joy.

And Darius felt intense disgust toward Dinarts and his companions, who laughed vulgarly while spreading their foul breath around.

Darius had become a member of the Next-Era Luminaries, an organization recognized as an enemy of the kingdom. Of course, he understood that by joining such an organization, he himself was a villain.

But that was exactly why Darius could not forgive Dinarts’s words.

To make someone obey, a suitable price was necessary. Whether that was monetary compensation, some kind of condition in return, or the deep trust placed in the one who had spoken the words.

Everything Dinarts did was plastered over with lies.

He moved people with lies, killed people, and told more lies.

There was no compensation there at all, and the weight of his words was only the weight of his lies. Darius thought that he absolutely did not want to join hands with this man.

“What do you mean by ‘the result does not change,’ Rubelmel?”

Darius stepped in between Dinarts, who was spreading his foul laughter around, and Rubelmel.

“What is the matter, Lord Darius? In this situation, it refers to the bombing of Elias’s warehouse district.”

“I heard that we, the Next-Era Luminaries, and Dinarts’s group were in a cooperative relationship, but exactly how far does that relationship go?”

“It is only as long as our interests align, Lord Darius. As long as they align, we will continue to cooperate with them in various fields, such as supplies and military force.”

“Continue? Is there a future after this?”

Elias would lose its means of trade, and by blowing up the warehouse district, it would also lose its storage sites for supplies. That would show itself as stagnation in distribution within the kingdom, and the people’s dissatisfaction would be directed toward the rulers. That was the objective of the Next-Era Luminaries.

If that was the case, Darius asked Rubelmel whether there would truly be any mutual interest with Dinarts and his group afterward.

“Besides, Rubelmel. These people have already failed once. If our interests are aligned, then their failure is also our failure.”

“Hey, Darius. What are you trying to say?”

“They say that unexpected interference came in, but a failure is still a failure. Rubelmel, that has nothing to do with us. It is not the process, but the result that matters, is it not?”

“However, Lord Darius, we were merely watching. That is a little too…”

Rubelmel answered that way, but the corners of her mouth, which had not risen while she was speaking with Dinarts earlier, lifted ever so slightly.

“That’s why. We must cooperate as well. No matter what, we cannot allow the next attempt to fail.”

“I see. That is true. If we simply continue to watch like this, that person will become angry with us. To make absolutely certain, we should cooperate with Dinarts-san, though our assistance may be insignificant.”

“So that’s what you mean. True, our result was a failure. No matter what excuses we make, that doesn’t change. In that case, I can’t blame you for feeling uneasy.”

Dinarts, who had glared at Darius thinking he was about to be criticized, relaxed the wrinkles between his brows after hearing those words.

Darius saw Dinarts’s reaction and judged that he had accepted their proposal.

Darius raised the corner of his mouth fearlessly and looked at Rubelmel.

“Rubelmel, may I have it?”

Dinarts frowned, not understanding what he was suddenly talking about, but Rubelmel answered calmly.

“Of course, Lord Darius. We received quite a few things from above for our previous work.”

“Also, Rubelmel. This lemonade is surprisingly not bad. Would you like to try it?”

“Are you sure, Lord Darius? I will drink it all, but do you no longer need it?”

“Yes, I don’t need it anymore. So, Rubelmel, if you’re going to drink it, hold it properly. The condensation has made the glass slippery.”