Chapter 119
Chapter 119
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 119
Chapter Title: Bervert's Facade
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The Bervert I looked into was infamous at the Academy.
For what? For being kind, gentle, cute, and lovable.
He was the type no one could hate, like a delicate flower in a greenhouse that made everyone want to care for him.
'And without any Charm Trait, no less.'
Of course, the Traits I saw on him didn't include it right away, but it could be so low-ranked that it doesn't show up.
Which means all of Bervert's glowing reputation stems from thoroughly calculated actions.
'Effort taken to the extreme.'
Of course, he probably had the Acting (A) Trait helping him out.
But even that Acting Trait was undoubtedly honed through "effort" for the sake of building that reputation.
'And if you throw in an innate charmer like Paiyan?'
Anyone who's ever immersed themselves in something they love—whether writing, drawing, or anything else—knows.
How talent that can't be matched by effort alone crushes the spirit.
Sure, there are strong people who brush off that misery as a fleeting impulse and move on, but what if Bervert—who's hardly ever failed at what she wanted—meets Paiyan, a talent-loaded charmer?
"There won't be any harm to Sister from it. She's useful and quick on the uptake."
I rested my chin on my hand, making a show of it as I opened my mouth.
"If you don't believe me, how about a divine contract?"
"Boss over there..."
"A contract? Why are you willing to go that far to stick this woman on me?"
"Boss?"
"Paiyan's like a chess piece that'll only piss off someone other than Sister."
"Are you even listening to me?"
Gadia and I ignored Paiyan's words about how even if she had two bodies, she'd want to focus on outside matters because Kane caused so much trouble.
"Who is it? Tell me, and I'll consider."
"Bervert."
At my words, Gadia's rounded shoulders twitched.
"Why would that child's name come out of your mouth...?"
"That wench is gunning for me? She was eyeing my stuff."
I deliberately furrowed my brows, pretending to be short-tempered and quick to anger, with no ulterior motives.
"So I need to give her a taste of her own medicine to vent."
"...I'll think about it. And you dragged me all the way here just to tell me that?"
"No way. Have some food before you go. The meals my kids make are insanely good."
"I refuse."
Gadia rejected my offer flatly.
You'll regret it. Zero and Luna are prepping braised chicken right now, and Rif's making carrot soup.
I playfully waved at Gadia as she shot up from her seat.
"Please give a positive answer."
She left without a response. I waited until the door closed, then looked at Paiyan, who was pouting.
"What."
"Boss, so now you see me? I thought a Transparency Trait popped up on me or something."
Oh, sulking over that?
I smiled gently to soothe her, but Paiyan averted her eyes upon seeing my face.
"No... that's not what I mean, it's not bad. Boss is nobility, after all. It's natural..."
Yeah, so my Arrogance Trait did its thing, huh?
"It's fine. Gadia's gone, so say whatever you want freely."
At my words, Paiyan glanced around.
Gadia was the reason Kane had holed up in his room ages ago. Rachel chased after him to play games, and the rest were prepping dinner.
"Honestly. No, you said you were handing me the underworld. So I'm busting my ass growing the faction."
She seemed to have a lot pent up, chugging mineral water before wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.
"No, and then you toss in an off-the-charts magic bomb like Kane? What the hell? If that's how it's gonna be, wipe them all out from the start, huh? And dump the cleanup on me!"
Her voice rose in a gradient of rage as she pounded the table with her own hands.
She looks like she's drunk on mineral water and ranting.
"What did Kane do?"
For reference, I have a ton on my plate coming up, so if the foundation's still shaky, I sent a letter telling him to use Kane's sword to prune overly strong enemies appropriately.
"He killed them all!"
Paiyan gripped her cream-white hair with both hands, messing it up wildly.
"Cleaning that up will kill me. It's impossible. No, screw cleanup. It wasn't my order!"
She shook her hands as if dusting them off emphatically, then leaned back in her chair, crossed her arms, and turned her head away.
Looks like she's really pissed.
Kane must've gotten lazy and mowed them down like weeding in one go.
Well, nothing for it.
"Do it that way."
"Huh?"
"I said do it that way. Don't clean up."
I chuckled lowly, and Paiyan furrowed her brows, wondering what scheme I had now.
"Since Kane did it, it'll never get traced back."
There might be superhumans who surpass Kane's senses, but the few on the continent won't care about a slaughter in the underworld.
At most one in the imperial capital. And if there is, they're probably tied to the royals.
So who cares if a few dozen underworld executives wake up headless one morning?
No one will know, they'll suspect each other, and those without enough clout to lose their heads will scramble for the scraps.
"It'll be noisy for at least a few months. Infighting and checking each other?"
"Y-Yeah, probably?"
"Then your faction just grows minimally in the meantime, waits till things stabilize, and then scoops up the remnants. You got the skills for that, right?"
"O-Of course?"
Her face says it all. That "oh shit, not like this" expression.
How'd she fool people all this time with such poor poker face control?
"And about your Traits. You had Compounding too."
At my words, Paiyan's eyes rolled.
"How'd you know? Anyway, why bring that up...?"
"No need to wonder since I did background checks. So what made that one appear?"
Paiyan grumbled before opening her mouth.
"I realized over time that people's first impressions come from looks, vibe, speech, body scent—a complex mix."
Distinct perfumes become weapons in themselves, she said.
For example, when operating as Ruby. She dyed her hair red to match, used heavy rose perfume, which made her stand out—but simply changing all that let her slip from people's memories easily.
"Even if I run into someone I met as Ruby now, in this form, it'd take ages for them to peg me as her."
Her brows trimmed softly rounded and drooping at the ends for a gentle look, makeup elegant rather than flashy.
She does look totally different from her Ruby days versus now as Lily.
"But I recognized you."
Bang!
"That's what's weird!"
At my laughing jab, Paiyan pounded the table again.
"Anyway, you'll have work once you're in as Gadia's maid."
I handed over a few sheets summarizing what I'd seen and heard about Bervert.
"I'd appreciate you keeping an eye on that kid. Plus, it'd be great if you outshone her at manipulating people in the Academy."
Paiyan read the papers slowly, then smiled crinkling her eyes.
"What is it, Boss? Giving me a vacation? Ah, shoulda said so sooner."
Kids who've lived at most twenty-odd years. No matter how elite-educated and cunning to the point of evil.
"I can trust you, since you staked your life on fooling people."
"Boss, aren't you rubbing in my scamming past too much?"
She giggled behind her hand while grumbling, and I smiled back before speaking.
"Then as a cheer-up gesture, let me treat you to dinner before you go."
That day, Paiyan devoured almost an entire braised chicken before heading home.
* * *
"So Siren can mass-produce them now if I say the word?"
[Yes, Young Master.]
I lay on my bed, conversing with Alkaido. Amid instructions to send a few mass-produced Sirens to the capital, I heard faint noise.
[I hear you met my sis?]
"Been a while, Lepid."
Looks like he snatched the Siren from Alkaido's hands.
He'd been holed up researching Sirens, but progress must be good—his words through the Siren made me chuckle.
"What, wanna chat?"
Shall I call Rachel? At that, Lepid freaked out.
[No talk with that musclehead. Begging to unseal me won't fly anyway. I just wanted to pay respects to you humans.]
What's this now?
[Love transcends species, but I didn't know violence did too.]
"There's a misunderstanding."
[No, there isn't. Don't release her—keep her with you. Win her heart, split a Dragon Heart in half, shove it in you, and you'll live as long as sis. Good luck.]
What the—.
I laughed in disbelief, and Lepid, pleased at teasing me, laughed loudly before handing the Siren back to Alkaido.
[Young Master, is it true?]
"Of course not."
Setting aside that Rachel originally had a thing with Kane, or that she's beautiful and strong.
Thanks to my buoyancy, I don't get those flutters anyway.
I replied nonchalantly, and Alkaido spoke as if he'd expected it.
[Also, the epidemic starting from the Chabid border is starting to flare up.]
The info Paiyan dug up at the masked ball mentioned it too.
Epidemic.
The massive long-term kidnappings in Chabid instilled hatred of humans in the beastkin.
Conversely, the epidemic spreading from Chabid across the continent makes humans—especially vulnerable to it—view Chabid as ground zero, fueling hatred of beastkin.
Beastkin, who usually stuck to tribes, got persecuted until a Beast King rose, united them all, and waged war on the continent.
That's the backstory from the original and Innocent Saga.
Not letting it go that way this time. Beastkin are valuable forces—no need to whittle them down.
"Good. Then release the cure now."
Too early, and they might swap it for another disease.
But once it's spread enough, changing strains would cost too much sunk cost.
It's not an instant killer.
High fever, vomiting, bloody stools. Body aches, fatigue, stamina drain. All sorts of agony without immediate death.
It burdens caregivers with more patients, parades suffering publicly to build hatred over time, so when the secondary epidemic hits, those with both strains have near-100% fatality.
So release the cure now.
Plenty suffering, few dead, too much invested for the Evil God Church to scrap operations immediately.
"We'll minimize profits to avoid seeming like we're profiting off spreading the disease then selling the cure."
[You're certainly different from Lord Kaiman, Young Master.]
Yeah, scheming and calculating as Kaiman's Traits are, he'd probably jack up prices despite the hate.
If Kaiman—who wanted the Kruger family to monopolize all continent gold and run Credits like a reserve currency—knew, it'd be trouble.
"I'm different from Father."
Soul from another world, after all.
[Understood.]
I smiled slowly. I can't foil every move the Evil God Church aims for.
But I'll smash, block, and disrupt what I can.
"And send more detailed intel on the imperial family."
The meeting with another royal I'd traded Zero to Drubyona for.
Once that's in play, I might have to choose.
Shake hands with Shahad or another royal.
Or both, or neither.
How to act to screw the Evil God Church and stave off continental doom even a bit.
And if there's achievements to feed Kane.
[Within the next few days.]
I exchanged a few more words before ending the call with Alkaido.
The rest can wait till I review the docs.