Saikyou Mahoushi no Inton Keikaku (LN) - Volume 14 - Chapter 82

Eighty-Second Chapter

March of the Mad King

The silver moon shone in the midnight sky with twinkling stars above. Even though it was a tranquil night, all the lights were on in the mansion and it bustled with activity.

Nobility tended to build villas in remote areas with great views in all nations. At present, the temperature and even the starry sky was artificial in the human domain, but the upper class still enjoyed summer retreats in idyllic countrysides. However, this mansion was strangely isolated from the surrounding scenery compared to villas used by nobles, as if eerily lurking in the darkness of the remote region.

The mansion’s tidy, refined garage had several parking spaces, and only a single luxury magic car parked there. The spacious hall on the second floor of the mansion was normally used for balls, because its lavish decorations would create a glamorous atmosphere. However, there was no sign of people there, and the air was cold and deserted. But empty as it was, the hall now had several leather sofas placed in its center, arranged in a circle.

Suddenly, the air in the hall wavered. A door along the wall opened without sound, and wind blew in. Following the cold air was a person who walked without making a sound. And as if that was a signal to start, one after another, people entered from doors on all sides of the hall.

“A decent gathering. It’s about time,” a voice said to no one in particular after a few minutes passed. The figures reacted to the voice, wriggling with a hint of delight. However, the first to speak didn’t say anything else, like a stern ruler who would not permit the audience to reveal their honest feelings.

Finally, the voice he seemed to have been waiting for echoed heavily in the hall. “Dante, I’ve finished things on my end.”

A giant of a man ducked under the doorframe with another man behind him—Gordon and Suzar. Gordon wore a large piece of cloth like a cloak, covering an odd ridge running across his back. Suzar stood by Gordon’s side like his aide, acting unnaturally calm despite the overly tense situation.

“Like I said before, I’ll be working with you, Dante,” said Gordon.

“I have no objections either,” said Suzar.

Dante grinned at the two and urged them to take a seat on a free sofa chair. But the ridge on Gordon’s back got in the way, destroying the chair as he sat down on what was left. That was when an intense perfume wafted through the air.

Stepping forward, accompanied by a young lady-killer waiting on her, was Mir Ostayka. In her hand was a vividly colored iron fan.

“Dante, like you said, it seems that somebody has noticed me. I’ve disposed of several that were tailing me, but it was impossible to get all of them. There seemed to have been some very experienced people mixed in. They were a pain to deal with, so I just shook them off,” she said.

She seemed to have borrowed a revealing outfit that emphasized her breasts. Her manicured fingers shook strangely, and she let out a sweet breath as if intoxicated by herself. Without asking, she walked to a chair and sat down, crossing her long legs.

“That’s enough. It’s a good thing they were so dim-witted,” said Dante.

“Maybe I should have trapped and caught a few? I could have made them confess their background and killed the people behind them.” Mir shrugged.

But Suzar bluntly answered, “It’d be pointless; once you get to the pros it wouldn’t lead anywhere. Not even you could do it.”

“Oh, look at you talking,” said Mir. “Hmm, I see that you’ve gotten your own AWR. But are you serious about helping us? I wouldn’t trust a dog like you further than I could throw him.”

Suzar’s cold eyes sharpened beneath his cap at Mir’s provocation. “It seems this convict has forgotten how to speak as soon as she was freed from her cage.”

Mir replied with a dubious smile. “Oh, I was only joking. Welcome, and congratulations on becoming one of us, Vice-Warden Suzar. I expect both you and Warden Gordon to work like dogs,” Mir said and spread her iron fan, concealing her scornful smile like a noblewoman.

Instead of relaxing the mood, Mir’s joke made the air around Suzar fill with mana pressing down on its surroundings. The vicious magical criminals trembled with fear, and leaned back as if trying to get away from him. Some even pulled back their chairs and braced themselves as the air in the hall froze over.

Then Gordon said, “Suzar,” and that was enough to erase Suzar’s storm of killing intent.

“Oh my,” Mir let slip, as if to show she was let down. “You have a lot of patience for somebody who stoically abstains from women. But if I find the time, I wouldn’t mind playing with you.” Mir giggled as if dealing with a child, licking her lips, as if trying to catch him off his guard.

Suzar had lost all interest, silently correcting his posture.

“My, you’re unexpectedly stuffy. Ha ha, is this one the same I wonder?” Mir crossed her legs, showing off sexy legs that had been hidden by her skirt.

Seeing that, Gordon spoke up with a frown. “I don’t know what you’re planning, but you’re the leader here, Dante. I’m merely the former warden...but I’m not going to become a babysitter.”

“I don’t need that. If you wanna go at it, then by all means. Just don’t get in my way,” said Dante.

Dante’s few words seemed to consider Gordon’s feelings and made everyone curl themselves up, frozen by a mysterious fear. Everyone could feel their hearts beating faster.

“Oh, Dante, please, and here I am helping you this much,” Mir said in a nasal voice, looking ecstatically pleased.

“I’m serious. I don’t care when or where you want to kill each other. I know you’re all craving blood. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to have a bloody fight to evaluate each other,” answered Dante.

“How cold. It would be sad to say bye-bye after coming this far,” said Mir.

Dante ignored her and turned his attention to Gordon. “Well, let’s talk about your side job. Tell me the tales of your travels, Gordon.”

“It’s a boring one. I ran rampant for a while as a replacement for my letter of resignation,” said Gordon. “I came across Clevideet’s Single while I was at it, and she was just a little brat. If someone like that can sit on that seat, then I have no interest in it.”

Gordon and Suzar had had an easy victory against a Single. That meant one of Gordon’s goals had disappeared.

Gordon had once been within reach of becoming a Single Digit Magicmaster, but he’d essentially been demoted and made warden for the Trojan Prison. Unfortunately for Gordon, the prison needed the person in charge to be someone of adequate ability with a commanding presence who could keep the vicious magical criminals under control. He was sent as a result of a political power game.

The nation he had been so loyal to instead gave their one Single seat to some little girl, entrusting the dream of national prosperity to her. Everyone in the top brass had known that Gordon was obsessed with the position and prestige of a Single Digit Magicmaster. They also saw his overwhelming power as a problem.

They knew if he were to get the position, nobody would be able to stop him should he abuse his authority...so in a sense he was considered a nuisance.

When Gordon had learned how the top brass had let their cowardice cloud their judgment, he blew his top. He already had connections in Kurama at the time as a necessary part of the job. He hadn’t used them for his own gain yet.

But that day, Gordon changed. His loyalty to his nation vanished, and his anger smoldered under the surface, inside of a cage in the Outer World. In the Trojan Prison, even the jailers were isolated prisoners.

Aware or not of what that giant of a man was feeling, Dante let out a low, ridiculing laugh. “Ha ha ha, what the hell’s that? So did you finish off that little girl?”

“No, I didn’t kill her there. Well, if we cross paths again, I’ll make sure to kill her. But still, I never imagined that the current Single would be so weak.” With a hint of disappointment on his face, Gordon dismissed the prestigious title he had desired in the past without any regrets. He had hoped to see someone more worthy sitting in the seat he had so sought after in the past.

“You can do whatever you like,” said Dante. “But I’ll need you two to go on a rampage again anyways. So be as flashy as you can until you grow tired of it.”

Gordon answered Dante with a bitter look. “Hmph, don’t measure us by your scummy standards. We aren’t bloodthirsty killers. And torturing the weak is not my hobby.”

“I can’t believe my ears after all of those shitty experiments that crazy professor performed that you tolerated. That woman was broken, but you’re no exception. I could never get a good night’s sleep whenever she strolled down the hallways because of all of the screams. It was really bad for my skin you know.” Mir’s complaint was surprisingly sound, but considering what the provisional punishment had been, that she handled it as a minor complaint showed her own abnormality.

“The prisoners from the fourth and fifth layers truly are monsters,” Gordon said, somewhat exasperated. If not for that, he never would have helped in a prison break in the Outer World. Since there was no point rambling any longer, Gordon cut to the chase. “We’ve already been made targets by the nations. Trying to rely on petty tricks will just get us crushed by the resources they have available.”

Gordon had heard that their cooperators were people of noble lineage with discontent towards the current government, and aside from providing a hideout and the bare minimum of resources, they wouldn’t get involved. Only a single person had served as their contact, and a very simple one at that, which saved Dante the trouble of having to dispose of them.

Mekfis had mentioned wanting some of Dante’s forces in return, but the selection of a contact person had been quite sloppy for that. The prisoners had converted him into a corpse when he put on an air of nobility and claimed to be a watchdog to ensure the promise was carried out.

There’d been no contact after that.

Mekfis seemed unwilling to play any role other than that of a mediator. It was wise for the head of a family acting behind the scenes not to show their face directly. If the hiding escaped prisoners were found, it was the noble who would be in trouble.

“Hmph, so we will be crushed by the various nations, is it...? But that’s a needless worry. After coming to Alpha, it’s clear that the sheep here are stuck in a dream,” Dante said, eyes narrowed in amusement.

“The citizens here don’t know of the bleak reality in the Outer World, nor of the taste of violence and blood. They are living in an illusory garden, all carefree and refined. Only their information control is competent enough. So the military will avoid making any overt movements or launching any large-scale operations. Not that they have the decisiveness or spirit to do so anyways,” said Dante.

Suzar’s stare remained fixed on Dante as he spoke in a hushed tone. “Kurama. Them going strong is proof of how weak the military is.”

“That’s right. Kurama still hiding within the seven nations is the biggest proof of all. Despite knowing that they’re a dangerous element, no military has the courage to get off their asses and launch an all-out war.”

“Say, Dante, I’m tired of all this bothersome talk,” said Mir. “Can’t you tell me about that Mekfis? It doesn’t sound like he’s on our side, but he assisted in our breakout and introduced us to that noble, didn’t he? But, good guy or not, he doesn’t really excite me.”

They had all witnessed Mekfis slaughtering escaped prisoners to keep the numbers thin. So not even Mir, who prioritized a nice face over all else, had taken a liking to him. If anything, she’d picked up on his true nature. Frankly, she was reluctant to even call him human. And while it was only a hunch, she trusted her intuition as it had helped her survive countless battles.

“Mekfis, huh. He’s an old guard of Kurama. Apparently even he’s forgotten what his real face looks like,” Dante said.

“What’s that supposed to mean? Is he going through puberty?” Mir spat out.

Dante continued with a serious expression. “No, it’s just what it sounds like. He has a special ability related to blood, and he’s always lying about his appearance. Just try not to pick a fight with him, or you’ll regret it. We might end up disposing of him in the end, but don’t make a move for now.”

Mir sank into silence so Gordon interjected, “I don’t know all of the details, but he’s too whimsical. I think it would be better to get rid of him sooner rather than later.”

Gordon had some connections with Kurama, and as far as he knew, Mekfis tended to stay in the shadows, even more so than the usual Kurama members. He’d never heard of him accepting any shady jobs brought in from the outside. He only appeared for negotiations and collecting debts even though he himself had no interest in money and often busied himself with personal activities that didn’t benefit Kurama.

“It’s hard to get a grip on him, but it’s at least clear that he’s not as militant as Hazan. I can’t imagine losing a fight against him,” said Gordon.

“Don’t be in such a rush. There’s a difference in strength from what I can see. Their executives are all equal to Singles or above them. Ah, but you just mocked one of those just before,” said Dante.

“Indeed...but if you’re going to go that far, I’ll avoid picking any unnecessary fights for now,” said Gordon.

“A wise choice. Mekfis is suspicious, even to me. In the worst case he might even...no, that’s enough for now.” Dante’s grin grew wider, but didn’t say any more.

That seemed to bother Gordon, who furrowed his brow. “Hmm...what even is the reason for Mekfis lending a hand? What’s he after?”

Everyone waited silently for Dante to speak. As attention turned his way, he put his arms on his armrest and slowly clasped his hands together over his stomach. His thumbs pressed against each other, and he slowly closed his eyes because to him the air felt as heavy as lead.

Recalling his conversation with Mekfis after thinning out the number of escaped prisoners, he deliberately gave his own conjecture. “He was relentlessly concerned about that woman...Nox. And this Nox woman was a former member of Kurama.”

It seemed Gordon found the answer anticlimactic and let out a sigh. As the warden, Gordon knew everything about the Trojan Prison.

“Is that it?” he asked. “Don’t tell me that it was some sort of display of friendship. Besides, Nox died several months ago. Her luck ran out when that crazed professor, Kwinska, designated her as a test subject.”

It was difficult for Mir to follow Gordon. After all, there was a thick bulkhead separating the fourth and fifth layers. Mir had only learned of Dante’s intention through Gordon.

Seeing Mir’s perplexed expression, Gordon spoke up again to explain. “Nox was a woman confined in the fifth layer. Have you heard about the mass suicide incident? The Vivid Bloodletting Incident?”

As Mir was a homicidal maniac, he didn’t even need to ask. No matter how much the information was controlled, the event was well known in the underworld. The name of the incident had come from Nox’s own mouth.

“Ah yes, that thing,” said Mir. “I wish I could have seen it with my own eyes. What a masterpiece it was. Everyone gathered there killed themselves using the fastest means possible... So Nox was the mastermind behind that?”

“Probably.” It had happened in another nation that he wasn’t connected to, so Gordon could only give a weak affirmation.

Dante joined in on the conversation. “Mekfis reacted ever so slightly to Nox’s death. It was like he’d been outmaneuvered, and he even looked a little frustrated.”

“So he was looking to free Nox?”

That was how Gordon understood it, but Dante didn’t seem to agree.

“No, if that was why he helped with the breakout, it was way too late. Nox falling prey to the professor was bad luck, but I think Mekfis was trying to make contact with her regardless. He might have wanted to kill her.”

“So it was to silence her or over a personal grudge?” Gordon asked. To him it felt like nonsense. Even if Nox hadn’t become professor Kwinska’s guinea pig, she would have eventually lost her life anyways. Her body had been a wreck when she was thrown into her cell, and the brutal provisional punishment was then carried out on top of that. It was hard to believe that she’d last for long.

“Speaking of, your cell was next to hers. Did she tell you anything, Dante? Like a reason for why Mekfis would go after her?” asked Gordon.

“Who knows,” said Dante. “That woman had completely lost it. She’d mutter to herself whenever she could.”

Dante shrugged, but an eerie smile appeared on his face as he seemed to remember something; it seemed almost as innocent as a child’s.

“Anyways, if we stand out too much, we will end up clashing with Kurama. But we’re still lacking in many ways to go at it with them. So perhaps we should send a simple present to deceive them,” he said with a fearless smile.

“Let’s stir things up a little in Alpha. Not only would Kurama owe us, but it’s also a request from Mekfis, who sent us to Alpha in the first place. Apparently, he doesn’t mind if we go on a massacre and cause a rain of blood. Well, I’m sure it’s a request from not just Mekfis but also from that noble. There was also a request to cut down one of Alpha’s Singles. That’s probably the real objective. Kurama would benefit from having less opposition. Single Digit Magicmasters don’t appear all that often after all,” Dante muttered absentmindedly. “So making a scene will be like killing two, three, or even four birds with one stone.”

“How far are you going to take this? They might not move their armies right away, but there’s a limit to their patience,” Gordon eventually said with a dismayed look.

Dante suddenly raised his head. And what he said next was completely unexpected to everyone in the room. Even Gordon rose up from his chair a little.

“How far? Well to the end of the world. I’m aiming for the New World. I will be leaving this cramped cradle of humanity, the Outer World, and even the Outer Sea, far behind.” 

Everything seemed to freeze for a moment. They all turned pale and were at a loss for words. Nobody in the seven nations had done so, or even considered it. The seven nations had only really expanded the areas they controlled by around a hundred kilometers from their frontline bases.

After a moment’s pause, voices rang out.

“Th-That’s too reckless!”

“We have no intention of risking our lives for that!”

The commotion died down after a few seconds of Dante staring at each and every one of them.

“Well, well, I am stunned... Do you even have any leads?” Gordon asked, recovering quickly.

“True, it’s reckless, but it’s also realistic. But the bigger the plans, the more detailed it needs to be,” said Suzar.

The other escaped prisoners all looked nervous as they waited for Dante’s answer.

“If I didn’t, I wouldn’t bring it up. No, I guess I would have. Hey, you guys. I’ll ask you again. What road lies ahead of us?” Dante asked clearly, in the most serious tone yet.

He kicked back in his leather chair, narrowing his eyes as if looking down on the surrounding criminals. “Sure, we can rise up in the world and fight Kurama. And as long as we prepare ourselves, we could even go up against a nation. If we put up a good fight, we could create lakes of blood and mountains of corpses. But that’s it.”

“Hmph, I get it. None of us have a place to return to,” Gordon said, summing it up.

Mekfis has already cleared them of the empty-headed and weak. Those who couldn’t resist their urge to kill and deviated from Dante’s control would be mercilessly buried in the future.

If they even had the reason to live a normal life, they never would have been in the secret prison in the first place. It was impossible to deny that they were fundamentally broken. There would never be a place for them in the seven nations. And it wasn’t like their noble patron would hide them forever. And even if they joined Kurama, they’d likely just be used and discarded.

Seeing no objections, Dante let a chilling mana flow from him. In no time at all, an ominous magic smoke filled the hall.

Dante held his arms wide open and proudly declared, “Let us start with a light war. You’ve been trapped in the depths of darkness for years, so why not go a little crazy.”

Then he said with a devilish grin, “For the sake of our ambition, we’ll first get our hands on that.”

“What’s that? It’s related to the information I looked into, isn’t it?” Mir asked with a smile on her face.

She stood up and approached Dante bewitchingly.

“Yeah, combined with information from a different channel, I know where it’s hidden. As long as we can get our hands on it, it doesn’t matter how many die in the process. Knowing what it is, the nation will probably send out a Single or two, but we can just dispose of them in the process,” said Dante.

“Oh stop being such a tease and tell us already... What are we taking?” Mir asked in a sweet voice, leaning on Dante and pressing her breasts against his arm. The pink blush on her captivating white skin showed her excitement.

That excitement spread to everyone in the hall, giving these vicious beasts goose bumps as they obeyed their inner desires.

And so preparations were complete. Once out of the mansion, the escaped prisoners would be free. No law would be able to bind their lust for blood. Kicking reason and morals to the curb, survival of the fittest would sweep across the nation.

Dante led the way and opened the grand door leading outside, narrowing his eyes beneath the silver light of the false moon and spoke.

“We’re going to steal Minerva.”