Chapter 94

Upon hearing my words, Nerea tilted her head with a look of blank surprise.

“I haven’t the slightest idea what you are talking about. I have ruled the land of Eurea for many years. It is impossible for me to have connections with a foreign nation.”

She said it with a perfectly straight face. It seemed she intended to play dumb until the very end.

I let out a sigh as I drew on my cigarette, which was getting short. Then, looking Nerea in the eye, I asked:

“What did you do with the subordinates dispatched by the Assassin King?”

“…”

“Don’t think you can deceive me. This isn’t just a groundless accusation. I’ve obtained a fair amount of corroboration.”

I slowly crossed my legs. During that interval, Nerea remained silent.

“If you claim to be innocent, then let me investigate the documents stored in your mansion. Specifically, those kept in the area restricted by multiple layers of barriers. If nothing comes of it, I’ll apologize.”

“…”

Nerea continued her silence. If she kept up the act, I would have to resort to rougher methods, but I wondered how she would move. After about a minute of stillness, a smile played across her lips.

“Well, I suppose it can’t be helped. Yes. Just as you pointed out, I am interfering with a foreign nation.”

“You’re being unusually honest. Which country specifically?”

“The Empire next door. I am lending my support to one faction within it. My goal is to ensure they swiftly seize hegemony in the absence of the Emperor.”

The country next door—the very one that summoned me. I’d heard that the civil war was intensifying, but I didn’t think Nerea was involved. It was a bit unexpected. I’d heard several predictions from Alice regarding which country Nerea was in league with, and the Empire was among the lower-probability options.

“What is your goal in helping that country?”

“The faction I am assisting will likely produce the next Emperor. I simply wish to place them in my debt while I still can.”

Nerea spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Judging by her tone of near-certainty, she must have had some basis for it. I was curious, but I didn’t want the conversation to derail, so I let it go for now.

“In the near future, I intend to disrupt the power balance within Eurea. I plan to have the Empire assist me in that. Foreign aid is indispensable if I am to outmaneuver the Sage and the Assassin King.”

“That’s a happy little plan. I thought your basic policy was to avoid pointless conflict and increase national power?”

That was what Nerea had said during our first meeting at the assembly. If the Representatives were to clash, war would break out across the entirety of Eurea. It was supposed to be a far cry from her stance.

In response to my point, Nerea answered with a serious expression.

“Affairs proceed much more smoothly when power is concentrated in one person rather than being split among multiple Representatives with differing ideologies. It will result in peace, which I believe is a wonderful thing.”

“Well, I won’t deny that.”

“Now that the Great Dragon-Man Dorgu is gone, it is the perfect opportunity to change the era. For the sake of Eurea’s further advancement, I shall start a revolution.”

Nerea declared this with a face of firm resolve. She didn’t have the air of someone telling a lie. It seemed she truly intended to throw Eurea into turmoil. She was a much more bellicose woman than I’d imagined. I’d suspected she was up to something, but the direction was slightly different.

I crushed the remains of my cigarette into the ashtray.

“Thanks for the lovely presentation. Still, was it really okay to blabber all that? Your villainy has been exposed in its entirety.”

“I could never have hidden my schemes from you two forever. If it was going to be revealed eventually, there was no point in deceiving you with unsightly lies, was there?”

Nerea said this while elegantly sipping her tea. She was right. If we had investigated regardless of appearances, we certainly would have found the collusion with the Empire. Confessing before any unnecessary damage occurred could be called a very wise decision.

“By the way, Lord Jack.”

“What is it?”

“Why did you reveal the investigation to me? I do not understand your intent.”

This time, Nerea was the one asking the question. It was true that there was no merit in revealing our objective to her; it would only make her needlessly wary. I lit a new cigarette and gave a bold answer.

“I came to the conclusion that it was impossible to investigate behind your back. Your security is quite something.”

In this Entertainment City, Nerea had countless clones. Furthermore, strict barriers had been erected. It was clear that important documents were likely inside the mansion, but I’d found that taking them out without permission was impossible. Even Mihana, who was currently acting separately, was being accompanied by another clone. In this city, one could not completely deceive Nerea’s eyes. Since even Alice said it would be difficult with her magical power, I had no choice but to give up.

Even if we attempted a stealthy investigation, Nerea would sense us in the process. We’d tried through trial and error while sightseeing, but ultimately found no effective means. Since the very act of racking my brain over it became a hassle, I decided to come clean to Nerea.

When I summarized these reasons for her, Nerea narrowed her eyes. The pressure of her gaze intensified visibly.

“With all due respect, Lord Jack… do you think I will do nothing after hearing that?”

“It’s not that you won’t do anything. It’s that you can’t.”

“…What do you mean by that?”

“I’ve planted bombs in various locations throughout this city. If you try anything funny, I’ll detonate them instantly.”

Nerea’s sensing abilities were exceptionally high, but they weren’t so precise or enduring that she could perfectly check our every single move. It was indeed impossible to bypass the strict barriers and obtain evidence of wrongdoing without being noticed. However, planting a bomb was something that could be executed in a very short amount of time. That sort of thing is my specialty. I take pride in having an ability that matches my uncompromising ego.

“Bombs, you say…?”

Indeed, Nerea reacted as if she was hearing it for the first time. Her face grew serious, and she began staring into the void. Sensing what she was doing, I held up the detonator in one hand.

“Oops, don’t go having your other clones disarm them, now. You wouldn’t want the city you raised so carefully to become a pile of rubble. Even my heart would ache, so I don’t want to do it.”

“Do you truly think I will succumb to threats?”

“It’s not a threat, it’s an order—do you want your real body to be killed?”

“…!”

Nerea’s expression shifted to one of profound shock. Satisfied with her reaction, I pressed on.

“I’ve already got a rough idea of where you’re hiding. Moving locations won’t help you; Alice is marking you constantly.”

“You won’t get away,” Alice added with her usual coldness.

It wasn’t a bluff. The words that left the mouth of this taciturn girl were backed by nothing but pure, unadulterated fact.

The existence of countless clones implied the existence of a ‘main’ body overseeing them all. I’d realized that truth early on. After all, the coordination required to block our investigation was immense; without a sophisticated command structure to control the clones, such a feat would have been impossible.

As for her crucial location, Alice had sensed her presence. She is a magic specialist. She can go toe-to-toe with the other Representatives like the Sage or the Sorceress—no, she possesses power that exceeds them. While we were sightseeing in the Entertainment City, Alice was busy analyzing the sorcery Nerea had placed throughout the area. Eventually, she pinpointed the location of the caster—the source of the sorcery and the true body.

In the process, she had even developed magic to efficiently destroy that sorcery. The days we spent living in the Entertainment City weren’t just for play. It was a period of hidden effort to increase our hand, the groundwork necessary to force Nerea to the negotiating table.

Still holding the cigarette in my mouth, I flashed a malicious grin.

“When we target your real body, do you have the defenses to stop us for certain?”

I knew Nerea wasn’t fond of direct combat. Her strength lay in the pseudo-immortality granted by her clones. The reason she was so wary of the Assassin King was likely because his overwhelming stealth capabilities could allow him to kill her true body directly. The fact that she focused her countermeasures there only served to highlight her weakness. Whether there were dozens or hundreds of them, I had the confidence to slaughter every last clone.

“We took care of Dorgu. I wouldn’t mind setting up a grave for you next. Well? It’s a simple enough choice, isn’t it?”

“Ugh… kh…”

Nerea looked down, trembling. Her fists, resting on her knees, were clenched so tightly that blood began to seep from her knuckles. Was she seething with rage at being backed into a corner? Unable to see her face, I watched her as she spoke through labored breaths.

“S—”

“S?”

“As expected of Lord Jack!”

Nerea snapped her head up. Her face was completely flushed with ecstasy.

“Such violent yet cunning groundwork! The sheer audacity to reveal your goal while fully aware of the danger! That unwavering confidence in any situation! Oh, it’s just so wonderful…!”

Nerea stood up, speaking rapidly and with frantic excitement. There was no anger to be found; instead, she was overflowing with affection for me. The heart marks in her eyes were practically dancing.

“This person is dangerous,” Alice muttered.

“I agree,” I replied, nodding to Alice, who was visibly recoiling.

I had absolutely no idea why she liked me this much. Had my words and actions struck some sort of chord with her? Regardless, I could tell her emotions weren’t fake. She was quite a crazy woman, but to be honest, it was an ideal reaction. It was the best possible outcome I had envisioned. It meant the likelihood of my next plan succeeding was high.

Clearing my throat, I set down my cigarette and stood up.

“Nerea.”

“Yes! What is it!?”

I let out a deep sigh at her joyful response. The slight headache I was feeling definitely wasn’t my imagination.

“Please, just calm down. We aren’t finished talking. This is the biggest reason why I came clean about the investigation.”

“The biggest reason…?”

Nerea lowered her energy and sank into thought. I was grateful she could switch gears so quickly. If I had simply given up on the investigation, I wouldn’t have needed to tell her. There would have been no need to threaten her. I could have just confirmed her involvement with the Empire for myself. I could have even skipped that and gone straight to assassination.

The reason I hadn’t moved to execute her was that I had a certain proposal. I reached out a hand to the bewildered Nerea.

“Listen, Nerea. Let’s team up. Let’s outmaneuver the Sage and the Assassin King together.”