The meeting between Shane, Anastasia, Olicia, and Osten continued late into the night.
Afterward, even Mimir who had finished his day’s schedule joined them, and their plan gradually took shape. By the time morning arrived, the plan had been perfected, as if flesh was added to the bones.
However, from another perspective, this speed gave off a strong impression of being overly radical.
Given the nature of the coalition, where administrative procedures were inherently slow, there were many legal obstacles.
But Osten settled it all with a single sentence.
“Forgiveness is easier than permission. Especially for those in high positions, and the better the results, the more effective this rule is.”
It was a clear sign that actions would speak louder than words.
***
The current head of the coalition Halo Mild was going through a rough time due to the recent string of rampages by different races.
And rightly so, since this incident alone had resulted in over 30 casualties. Most of them were civilians, and naturally, this had instilled fear in the citizens of the coalition.
On top of that, a few of the victims were nobles, and the fury of these grieving noble families was immense.
Given that the coalition selected its next head through a citizen vote, if Mild failed to resolve this problem properly, his reputation could be completely ruined.
And so, Mild responded swiftly.
“What information did you find out?”
At Mild’s question, his adjutant Pierre hurriedly responded.
“It seems this incident is related to the underground city.”
“Haah, is it because of that damn ledger?”
“Yes.”
The coalition had already been keeping a close eye on the commotion happening in the underground city.
Count Salier’s transaction ledger.
An object that should never have surfaced had finally seen the light of day.
Because of this, the coalition had been looking for ways to acquire the ledger, but they failed in the end.
The auction had completely collapsed.
“After the incident at the auction, for some reason, both the sewer rat and Miss Sue from the Four Families disappeared. Right after that, we received reports that the trade of non-human slaves which we had been monitoring dropped noticeably.”
“So it’s that rat and the drug dealer who pulled off this mess.”
“That’s the most likely assumption at this point.”
While they had identified the culprits, the main issue was that they had vanished without a trace.
“What about the search of their base?”
“We investigated through our agents planted underground, but it was completely empty. Not a single scrap of paper was left behind.”
“Tch. There’s nothing we can do, then. Has there been any word from the First Princess of the Empire since her visit?”
“Yes. After securing the testimony of the crocodile beastman, she requested high-level protection and then suddenly left.”
“Requesting such high-level protection means she knows something, but I can’t figure out what that is.”
“It seems to be because he’s the only witness. Of course, the current security is being maintained at the highest level.”
“There hasn’t been any additional testimony since then?”
“No. We’ve brought in a mage who is skilled in treating non-humans, but the witness still hasn’t regained their senses.”
It was a frustrating situation.
With the enemy deliberately hiding, there was little the coalition could do.
“Hoo…”
At that moment, a drastic plan crossed Mild’s mind.
Until they could at least catch the enemy’s tail, suspending the activities of all non-humans within the coalition was one option.
The data on non-humans residing in the coalition is all recorded. We may not know about those who have gone underground as slaves, but…
However, the coalition was an entity that valued freedom above all else.
Such a drastic measure would surely spark complaints, not only from non-humans but also from the general public.
At the very least, though, it would prevent the situation from escalating any further.
The problem is whether we can catch their tail even with this…
On top of that, just proposing such a measure would provoke a huge outcry from political nobles.
They would undoubtedly label him a dictator and fiercely attack him.
“Tch… Looks like I’ll have to take the gamble.”
The hesitation was brief.
Mild finally made up his mind.
His long experience had taught him that it was better to take the initiative in a crisis than to sit and wait for things to resolve on their own.
Just as he was about to give orders to his adjutant, something happened.
“C-Coalition head!”
There was a commotion outside the office, and a young noble under his command suddenly burst through the door.
Even though Mild had been receiving criticism from the political nobles lately, such a reckless entrance was still unheard of. But after hearing what the young noble had to say, it seemed justified.
“A-Another violent incident involving non-humans has occurred!”
“What! Where?”
“Th-The thing is…”
“Stop stuttering and speak!”
“In Districts 2 and 5, as well as 7 and 14, the incidents happened at the same time.”
“Four places? Damn it, the number’s increased since last time.”
“B-But…”
“But what?”
“Not a single casualty has been reported.”
“…What?”
The number of non-humans involved in this latest attack had actually increased, so how was it possible that there were no casualties?
“A group of people appeared just before the non-humans went berserk and subdued them, according to the report.”
“A group of people…?”
Just before asking who that could possibly be, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from outside again.
“Council head!”
“What is it now?”
Just as the title “Council Head” was starting to become unnerving, an unexpected guest arrived.
“The First Princess of the Empire is here!”
“What?”
“Oh my, Council head. Did I come at a busy time?”
Behind his subordinate, a young girl with golden hair walked in with a bright smile.
***
A few days before the second non-human violence incident.
The main priority this time was to minimize casualties above all else.
To achieve that, they needed to act before the enemy did, but realistically speaking, that was almost impossible.
How could they predict where the organization would send the non-humans in advance?
Detailed information related to the terror attacks couldn’t even be obtained from the sewer rat or Miss Sue’s subordinates.
“We’ve identified some common traits in the areas targeted in previous attacks.”
So Osten pinpointed locations that the enemies would likely prefer to strike, most of which were crowded downtown areas.
“It seems they also avoid places that are too remote. Perhaps they think it wouldn’t be ideal for spreading rumors. If an entire rural village were wiped out, how could anyone know whether it was the work of monsters or non-humans?”
“Even so, there are still too many areas to narrow down.”
Just like Anastasia said, it was difficult to predict where the attacks would take place with just that information.
The coalition had a large population spread across various regions.
Moreover, the population density varied by time of day in each area, making it impossible to know when an attack might occur.
And there was no guarantee that the terror attacks would only happen within the coalition.
“Therefore, it’s important that we search for the members of the organization known as ‘Nameless’, but for now, the only person we can identify is this one,”
Osten pointed to a corner of the newspaper photo where Klein was in.
“Hmm?”
At the spot Osten pointed to stood an unremarkable young man.
Anastasia immediately asked,
“Why him?”
“There was testimony from Sir Klein. During the first encounter with the crocodile beastman, this was the person who shouted to kill the non-humans.”
“A provocateur, then.”
“Yes. That’s right.”
Osten nodded in agreement with Shane’s words.
He was the only one at the scene inciting hatred against the non-humans.
But Olicia asked with a hint of doubt,
“What if he’s not the one?”
“We should of course consider that possibility, but it seems unlikely. Others who stopped the rampages in different regions also testified that someone had incited them.”
“Hmm. Then the odds just went up.”
“Yes. Now, the problem is finding this person, but…”
“That won’t be an issue.”
The one who answered was none other than Shane.
“Trees are everywhere.”
Shane immediately summoned the dark elves.
***
“……”
22-11.
A number assigned when the man joined the organization as a low-ranking member, and now it had become his name.
Among his peers, he was called Eleven, and he was walking toward the newly designated inn.
“This job isn’t easy.”
He muttered while rubbing his face in frustration.
Though he said that, in truth, Eleven found this mission to be nothing special.
The mask that intricately covered his face was uncomfortable, but at least he wasn’t at risk of dying in a dungeon like his peers.
“So this is it.”
After checking the location of the mission as usual, he tore the note into pieces and threw it into the fireplace. Then, just as always, he lay down on the bed and began meditating.
“I wonder how much longer I have to keep doing this…”
It had been a luxurious thought, but just waiting idly like this was its own kind of torment.
“Still, if I endure just one more year, I can become a team leader—”
“That day will never come.”
“……?!”
At the sound of the eerie voice in what had been an empty room, Eleven immediately sprang up and looked around.
However, no matter where he looked, there wasn’t a soul or even a shadow to be seen. Trying to calm his startled heart, he opened the door to check the hallway.
Again, nothing was there.
“Wh-What was that? Did I hear wrong?”
Maybe the fatigue from traveling to the mission site had finally caught up with him.
He let out a sigh and closed the door, but the moment he turned around—
“E-Eeeeeeek?!”
The sight of every surface—walls, floor, and windows—filled with sharp teeth burned itself into his vision. Instinctively, Eleven stumbled backward and fell.
“Aaagh?!”
The teeth on the floor began swallowing him up, and before he could even let out a proper scream, he was chewed up and consumed.
“That’s the fourth one.”
With those final words, the room in the inn returned to its normal state, as if nothing had happened. Only the crackling sound of the burning fireplace remained.
***
From that point on, things progressed smoothly.
“This is a magical tool I’ve only ever seen in research papers. Fascinating.”
After dealing with the member who had led the uprising, Shane stopped by the Kabeer Magic Tower before returning to Arunvida and asked Osten who was looking at him with amazement.
“Are you familiar with this?”
“Yes. The Kabeer Magic Tower has invented quite a few advanced magical tools over the past two years, hasn’t it? I even subscribed to their monthly journal and read it regularly.”
“Elder Cayton will be pleased.”
“That person probably doesn’t even know who I am.”
“He’ll find out soon enough.”
In any case, the item Shane brought from the Kabeer Magic Tower was a magical detection tool he had developed in advance for situations like this.
It extracts the magical power infused in objects, stores it in a flask, and once placed into the tool, it detects the same type of magical power within a certain range.
“The problem is that mass production isn’t feasible, so the cost is quite high, isn’t it? I’ve heard that only a few nations can afford to equip themselves with this tool…”
Now, with the help of the black mages, they only needed to activate the tool, but just like Osten mentioned, the tool came with a hefty price tag.
Based on the information Shane had gathered, there were four locations which meant they would need four of these tools.
Additionally, to prepare for unexpected incidents in unforeseen locations, they would need even more tools.
Just inspecting the places Osten had identified as prime targets for terror attacks required far more than just one of these.
“It’s not like I’m short on money.”
As Shane gestured to one side, Mimir and Felice were seen carrying over another magical detection tool.
“Ah… right, of course.”
What could money possibly mean in front of the Clayton family?
“Well then, all that’s left is to be thoroughly prepared.”
With such vast resources and careful preparation, the operation proceeded smoothly.
And now, here were the results:
“Quite an interesting piece of news has come in, hasn’t it, Council head Mild?”
Olicia who handled political matters said with a bright smile.
The head of the coalition, Halo Mild, wore a complicated expression as he looked at the princess and finally spoke.
“…Could you explain the situation to me?”
“As much as you’d like.”
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