Chapter 183
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 183
The next day.
“A reply has arrived.”
I had returned to the Underworld after heading to the Union to settle a few matters. With the leaders of the Western Branch gathered, I opened the letter and scanned its contents.
“…”
The message from Carmilla was blunt: she accepted the meeting.
Getting her to agree was part of the plan, but…
Ciel, reading over my shoulder, frowned. “The location is problematic.”
“I agree.”
The meeting place Carmilla had designated was the ‘Panopticon Central Headquarters.’ In other words, she was telling us to walk straight into the tiger’s maw if we wanted an audience.
A summit in the heart of enemy territory. It was a bold demand.
Alfredo, finishing the letter, asked, “This seems to be a polite way of refusing, does it not?”
He called it polite, but it was essentially a rejection—and a mocking one at that. However, something felt off.
I thought Carmilla’s personality would make her accept without question.
She was the type to chase anything that promised entertainment. Given her arrogant and insolent nature, there was no way she would turn down such a provocative proposal. She should have readily accepted the meeting with the intent of capturing and killing Rebecca in one fell swoop to end the war.
Therefore, this reply had to be interpreted not as a refusal, but as something else entirely.
First, I assumed that accepting the meeting was Carmilla’s own decision, while the choice of location had been suggested by one of her subordinates.
The hidden motive for choosing the Panopticon headquarters…
I stroked my chin, trying to see it from their perspective.
They have nothing to lose, anyway.
They had to accept the meeting because of Carmilla, but since they held the upper hand in the war, they didn’t want to be swayed by our terms. They were telling us to either accept the risk of their central headquarters or come crawling back to renegotiate the time and place. Furthermore, the process of haggling over the location would allow them to gauge our true intentions.
As I laid out my reasoning, Alfredo and the others nodded in understanding.
“So that was their angle.”
“That guy, Gulados, seems to be sharper than he looks,” Rebecca commented.
Brushing her remark aside, I pointed at the map. “In any case, the Central Headquarters is too far and too dangerous. It’s out of the question.”
Being in the heart of enemy territory was one problem, but the distance also made a surprise attack via the tunnels impossible. The tunnels connected through the Izelin Academy underground were near the Western Branch. Digging a tunnel over a dozen kilometers to the Central Headquarters was impossible given our time constraints.
Watson, who had been observing the exchange, spoke up. “For now, it would be best to propose a more suitable location. Somewhere near the border region, perhaps?”
“No, that would reveal our hand.”
Proposing a specific location first was a weak move. Therefore…
“Let’s propose holding it here, at the Western Branch building.”
Just as they had designated their headquarters, we would repay the gesture in kind.
Alfredo looked concerned. “Wouldn’t that be too provocative?”
He had a point, but it didn’t apply to her.
“Carmilla loves that kind of thing.”
“…?”
Provocative, fun, and interesting—that was her bread and butter. She would probably burst out laughing with delight at the audacity.
In any case, we couldn’t actually hold the meeting at the Western Branch. Carmilla’s side would inevitably counter with a third location, different from both our suggestions. That would likely become the real meeting place.
I looked down at the map, lost in thought again.
If I were the enemy, where would I choose?
During a summit, fighting is temporarily halted. Therefore, a contested area where their side has suffered heavy losses would be ideal. They would want to designate that place for the meeting, use the ceasefire to regroup, and then attempt to recapture it later.
Having made up my mind, I spoke. “Ciel, you’re coming with me to the Durhen District.”
*
East of the Western Branch lay the Durhen District—a vital crossroads leading to the undeveloped areas of the Meteor Archipelago and the Panopticon Central Headquarters.
Due to its geographical advantages, it was a constant conflict zone frequented by resistance fighters opposing the Panopticon. Now, it had become a major flashpoint in the Underworld’s civil war.
With only Ciel by my side, I surveyed the district. The atmosphere was utterly bleak. Shops were shuttered, and the streets were ghost-town quiet. Thick iron plates or wooden boards were nailed over the windows of every house—a desperate self-defense measure against the frequent raids by plunder-hungry resistance fighters. It felt like a settlement in a desolate wasteland from an old Western.
As we walked through the lifeless streets, a guard from the Western Branch on patrol stopped us.
“Halt. I haven’t seen you two before. Identify yourselves.”
At my nod, Ciel produced a pass from her pocket. The soldier’s eyes widened at the sight of the seal. He immediately saluted.
“This is Lord Alfredo’s seal… My apologies, sir.”
“It’s fine. What’s the situation here?”
Although I received regular reports, hearing it from a boots-on-the-ground soldier was always more accurate.
The soldier answered with total sincerity. “Sir, this was a fierce battleground until very recently. But after a major victory a few days ago, we managed to push the enemy to the outskirts of the district.”
“Is that so?”
It seemed the reports were correct; our side had driven the enemy out not long ago. But this was an area where territory was constantly traded, like a bloody game of king of the hill. The enemy would surely attempt to retake it.
“How are the local residents?”
The soldier’s voice turned somber. “…They are weary, sir. They only stay because they have nowhere else to go. Public sentiment is grim.”
It was the expected answer. It’s hard to lead a normal life when your home is a perpetual warzone. But I had another question in mind.
“What is their perception of the occupying forces versus our own?”
The difference in perception between the enemy and our allies was the real reason I had come to the Durhen District.
The soldier scratched his cheek. “Their reactions… Well, they’ve always been plagued by the resistance, so they tend to rely heavily on us. They were furious when they heard the Panopticon headquarters had allied with those bandits.”
“I see.”
It made sense. The locals didn’t care about high-level politics; they naturally hated anyone who joined forces with the people who had been tormenting them. Conversely, the Western Branch soldiers had consistently protected the area, making them the lesser of two evils—or even heroes.
The people were on our side. The situation was favorable.
With this, I don’t think we have to worry about being discovered if we dig a tunnel near the Durhen District.
At the very least, the residents wouldn’t report suspicious vibrations to the enemy.
“I understand. You’ve worked hard.” I pressed a gold coin into the soldier’s hand. “Do not speak to anyone of our visit here.”
*
The Panopticon Central Headquarters.
Lize’s temporary workshop.
Crack—.
“Ah.”
With a sharp snap, the mana stone disintegrated into black particles. Lize, who had been attempting to replicate a Dark Mana Stone, trembled from mana exhaustion and glanced nervously at Carmilla.
Carmilla had been watching Lize’s work with her chin propped on her hand. She reached out and stroked Lize’s hair. “Why don’t you focus a little more?”
“…I’m sorry.”
The touch was incredibly gentle, but with every stroke, an inexplicable chill of terror washed over Lize.
“Here, try again.” Carmilla picked up a fresh Dark Mana Stone and placed it in front of her. Then, she crushed a mana-replenishing stone and sprinkled the dust over the girl.
“…”
After days of repeating this grueling work, Lize felt as if her mana circuits and mana heart were overheating, slowly burning away. But she couldn’t stop. The slightest misstep might provoke Carmilla, and there was no telling what the vampire would do.
The best she could do was intentionally create as many defective stones as possible, feigning exhaustion. It was the only way a captive like her could help Roen and Alfredo.
As Lize worked under Carmilla’s predatory gaze…
Knock, knock—.
A messenger entered the room. “Lady Carmilla, a reply from the Western Branch.”
Carmilla pulled her hand away from Lize’s hair. “What did the bastards say?”
“They say they cannot accept our proposal. Instead, they suggest holding the meeting at the Western Branch building.”
“Kekeke! What a bunch of fucking lunatics. This is getting fun.”
Carmilla licked her lips. The sharp fangs visible behind her smile were a stark reminder of her inhumanity.
“Did they think I’d be scared? I don’t care where it is. The Western Branch is even better—it means I can launch a frontal assault. I’ll go there and tear them all to shreds.”
Carmilla shot up from her chair, ready to march out then and there. Gulados, waiting by her side, quickly offered his counsel.
“Lady Carmilla, if we accept their terms outright, it will look as if we are bending to their will. It would be better to compromise at a strategic point.”
Unlike Carmilla, who acted on whim, Gulados had to consider his future as the administrator who would eventually manage the Underworld. Being dragged along by the enemy’s pace was bad optics. Moreover, they couldn’t give their opponents any moral justification. Besides, if they stormed the enemy’s main base, Carmilla might survive, but the losses among the rank-and-file would be catastrophic.
“A compromise… Fine. We’ll meet near the border.”
“Yes. The Katel District, the Durhen District, or the Shen District would be suitable. As it happens, we received word that Alfredo visited the Katel District yesterday.”
“Oh?”
“Yes. Their proposal to meet at the Western Branch was likely a bluff. They probably want to lure us to the Katel District, but there is no need to fall for their tricks. This location would be superior.”
Gulados spread a map and pointed to a specific spot.
“The Durhen District. It’s on the way to the Western Branch, and it’s a territory we recently lost to the enemy.”
“So we use the meeting as a pretext to take it back?”
“Precisely. It is a strategic point we must reclaim. During the summit, they will be forced to pull back their forces, giving us the perfect opportunity to seize it.”
At Gulados’s explanation, Carmilla’s irritation subsided. She placed a heavy hand on Lize’s shoulder.
“Fine, the meeting will be there. As for the date… as soon as this little brat meets her quota for the mana stones. A week from now should be perfect.”
*
“…and that is the current situation.”
Late at night, in the Chairman’s office, blue moonlight streamed through a gap in the thick, dark clouds. Upon hearing Watson’s report, the Chairman smiled faintly.
“Huhu, young Roen has used his head well.”
The way Roen had orchestrated this meeting was commendable. Even under unfavorable conditions, he hadn't been swayed; he had skillfully used bluffs to lure the enemy to his chosen battlefield. He had also managed to conceal his forces so effectively that the enemy remained completely oblivious.
If everything went according to plan, the Underworld civil war would likely reach a successful conclusion. But victory was not yet a certainty. One massive, catastrophic variable remained.
Carmilla Vampir.
The Chairman’s gaze grew cold as he murmured the vampire’s name. Her power was something even he could not take lightly. It would be too much for Watson to handle alone.
Click—.
Hengard pulled a pendant from his desk drawer and handed it to Watson.
“Take this with you.”
“This is…”
“It will be of help when you face Carmilla. I will be waiting for news of your victory, Watson.”
As the Chairman patted his shoulder, Watson bowed deeply, his voice filled with resolve.
“You can count on me, sir.”