Chapter 184
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 184
One week later.
The heart of the Durhen District.
The forces of both factions gathered in the town square, where a dried-up fountain stood abandoned like an eyesore. On one side stood the troops of the Western Branch, loyal to Rebecca; on the other, the coalition forces centered around Carmilla.
The soldiers of both sides were lined up in formation, facing each other across the fountain.
“……”
Though they maintained a respectful distance, the tension and the tremors of their mana were palpable. As the two armies faced off in silence, I checked my wristwatch.
“It’s time.”
I stepped forward for the talks. Rebecca, Alfredo, and Ciel were with me.
From the opposite side, the heads of the Northern, Southern, and Eastern Branches, the resistance representative Gulados, and the root of all this trouble—Carmilla—emerged from their ranks.
Spotting me, Carmilla waved cheerfully.
“Long time no see, kiddo. Heard you got beaten like a dog by Amur. You doing okay?”
So the news had already reached her ears. Then again, it would have been strange if it hadn't.
I scowled and replied, “I’m fine. I don’t need your concern.”
“So prickly. Come on in.”
A circular tent had been set up in the center of the square. The tent, similar to a yurt used by nomads, served as the venue for our meeting. The representatives from both factions sat facing each other at a long table inside.
At a nod from Carmilla, Gulados, who sat beside her, poured wine into her glass. Carmilla took a sip and began.
“So, what is it you wanted to talk to me about? If you made me come all this way for nothing, I won't let it slide.”
“No need to rush. But before that, there’s something we need to make clear.”
“What is it?”
“Big Brother, who is no longer with us, chose Rebecca as his successor to Panopticon. That’s why he entrusted the Western Branch—the wealthiest and most populous of all the regions—to her.”
“……!”
My statement asserting Rebecca’s legitimacy made the other branch heads across the table bristle, their mouths opening to protest, but—
“Shh.”
A sharp glance from Carmilla made them swallow their words, their lips merely twitching in silence. Thanks to her, I could continue.
“We have the proof: Big Brother’s will. According to it, Rebecca is the rightful successor of Panopticon.”
“A will?”
“Yes. He apparently left it for Rebecca before he was bedridden. We can show it to you right here.”
Carmilla shrugged. “Well, go on. Take it out.”
At my signal, Alfredo produced a pair of pocket watches—the very artifacts that Lize had appraised in the past. When he opened the lids of the two watches, they began to vibrate in resonance. At the same time, mana particles began to shimmer in the air like a heat haze.
Click—.
Alfredo adjusted the watch’s winding stem, setting the second, minute, and hour hands to their proper positions. The shimmering mana then gathered together, soon forming the shape of a key.
Carmilla watched the process with intrigued eyes. “What’s that? A key?”
“Just wait.”
Rebecca took the completed mana key and turned it in mid-air.
Vwoom—.
Space split open, revealing a magic safe that had been hidden within. It was a specialized vault that only revealed itself when accessed by a specific person who met specific conditions.
Clank—.
Rebecca opened the safe and confidently placed the document from inside onto the table.
“Here it is. My grandfather’s will.”
The will was stamped with Big Brother’s signature and thumbprint. It explicitly stated that Rebecca Schofield was to be the successor of Panopticon and urged the other branch heads to follow her lead. It was the moment Rebecca’s legitimacy was proven.
“……!”
Confirming the existence of the rumored will, the other branch heads were startled, their expressions quickly shifting to discomfort. After all, the current civil war in the underworld had started because each of them had claimed to be Big Brother’s rightful successor.
Of course, even if the will had been revealed earlier, they wouldn't have meekly accepted Rebecca as the leader, but there was a massive difference between the document not existing and it being real.
I watched the scene silently, recalling the past.
‘…Back when I first visited the underworld with Lize.’
The "important information" I had given Rebecca was about this very will.
‘Before he fell ill, Big Brother realized he was growing weak and wrote his will in advance, storing it in the magic safe.’
But he had never told anyone, fearing the will might be altered or lost. He also worried that a young Rebecca could be assassinated if the truth came out too early, so he kept the will’s existence a secret. Instead, he entrusted one of the twin artifacts to the reliable Alfredo—a descendant of the butler family that had served Big Brother for generations—and hid the other.
And I was the one who had tipped them off to the location of that hidden artifact.
Just as everyone in the tent confirmed the will’s existence and began to murmur… Carmilla flicked her fingers, setting the document on the table ablaze.
Fwoosh—.
The will burned up in an instant, leaving not even ashes behind.
“Now it’s gone, isn't it?” Carmilla shrugged and held out her hands.
I replied with a deadpan expression. “That was a copy.”
As if I’d bring the original to such a dangerous place.
“…Oh.” Carmilla scratched her cheek, looking slightly embarrassed. “So what? What are you going to do with the original? A stupid scrap of paper isn't going to change the situation now.”
Carmilla was right. With both sides pointing blades at each other, locked in a fratricidal war, a mere piece of paper wouldn't change the momentum.
However.
“If this fact becomes widely known, it will create a rift within your coalition. The residents of the underground city will also begin to question the legitimacy of this war.”
Panopticon was not yet a tightly-knit organization. With Big Brother’s will discovered, the various branches and the headquarters would be thrown into chaos over the line of succession. It would also turn public opinion, already soured by the civil war, against the rebels.
The residents of the underground city probably didn't care who ruled them, but they would blame the rebels for starting the war, not Rebecca.
“If this gets out, you’re the only ones who stand to lose.”
“Then why didn't you reveal it sooner?”
“I was saving it for a day like today.”
The truth was, we’d simply missed the right time to use it. Originally, the plan was to reveal the will as soon as Big Brother died to prevent a civil war. But Rebecca and Alfredo had missed the opportune moment while dealing with constant terrorist attacks from the resistance forces led by Carmilla.
But it wasn't entirely their fault. Once Carmilla got involved, the will was nothing more than a useless scrap of paper anyway. Using it as a bargaining chip on the negotiation table was the better move.
“So I’ll make you an offer. We’ll keep quiet about the will, and in return, we end this war right here.”
“……!”
“What’s the point of shedding blood for nothing? Let’s do this the easy way. In exchange, we will pay half of the Western Branch’s monthly profits to the central headquarters.”
“……”
Hearing the proposal, the eyes of the other branch heads glinted with greed. If they accepted, money would roll in without them having to lift a finger. Since they had sided with Carmilla for power and money in the first place, it was an offer they had no reason to refuse.
But unlike the tempted branch heads, Carmilla reacted with indifference.
“Why bother with all that? We can just crush you right now and be done with it. It’s easier to kill you all and take everything.”
“Even if you win, the people won't follow your rule.”
“……”
The branch heads seemed slightly swayed by this, but Carmilla didn't care at all.
“If they don't follow, I’ll just kill them all. I don't care.”
Carmilla had no fundamental interest in ruling the underground city or winning the hearts of its people. To her, the city was just a means to an end—or perhaps a form of entertainment. The lives of its residents were no different from those of insects.
With Carmilla’s refusal, the talks fell apart. Having flatly rejected my offer, Carmilla turned her gaze to Rebecca.
“Did you really call me here for such a pathetic offer? If you have something to say, say it. Stop hiding behind that kid.”
“Something to say…”
Provoked by Carmilla, Rebecca, who had been listening in silence, shot back. “Outsiders should stay out of it. What are you doing meddling in a family feud?”
“……”
Carmilla tilted her head as if she’d misheard. The face of Gulados, standing by her side, hardened.
Carmilla downed her wine in one gulp and asked again, “You. Say that again.”
“Have you lived so long you’ve gone deaf? I said get your hands off our family’s business and piss off.”
Just then, a portly man slammed his hand on the table, stood up, and pointed a finger at Rebecca.
“You—you bitch! How dare you speak so rudely to Lady Carmilla!”
He was Puffit Schofield, the head of the Eastern Branch and the first to side with Carmilla. He was also Rebecca’s uncle.
Rebecca scoffed and glared at Puffit. “Hmph. That’s your problem, Uncle. You have no talent, but you’re far too greedy. What were you thinking, siding with her?”
“Wh-what did you say?”
“Do you really think that crazy bitch will let you live after the war is over? Is your head just for decoration?”
“Nonsense! Lady Carmilla promised us our autonomy!”
“Oh, please. A woman who says she’ll kill any resident who defies her is sure to keep her promise. Aunt Emma, you should think carefully too.”
At those words, a middle-aged woman who had been listening quietly glared.
“…Don't talk nonsense, Rebecca. And who do you think you are, running that filthy mouth of yours? The father who protected you is dead. You have no one on your side.”
“Look who’s talking, leeching off an outsider because you have no power of your own. Now I see why Grandfather passed you all over and gave the succession to me.”
“What? How dare you say that…!”
Just as the conversation between Rebecca and the branch heads grew heated…
“Shh.”
Carmilla placed a finger to her lips, silencing everyone. Then, she looked at Rebecca with a sticky, possessive gaze.
“You’re more interesting than I thought. Forget the truce. How about you just come serve under me?”
“What?”
“I want to keep you by my side for a long time. Yes, I’ll even spare Alfredo and all your little minions. How about it?”
“……”
For a moment, Rebecca looked at me, seeming to consider it. She might not care about her own life, but the promise to spare Alfredo and all her subordinates must have been tempting.
But I slowly shook my head, signaling her to refuse. Carmilla wasn't the type to keep promises, and even if she did, it wouldn't be in any normal sense. She might "spare" them by leaving them barely alive, in a state worse than death. Or she might "keep her by her side" by turning her into a taxidermied exhibit.
Rebecca’s eyes met mine. Her resolve seemed to harden again as she raised a fist and offered a blunt response.
“Eat shit.”
“This bitch has some fire, doesn't she? What’s she relying on to act like this? Kiddo, you answer me.”
I shrugged. “Perhaps she was bored with life.”
Rebecca, who had always lived steeped in apathy and annoyance. Her willing acceptance of my proposal for talks, and her appearance today, dressed neatly in a suit, might have been because she craved this kind of stimulation.
“Bored, you say? In a way, she’s just like me. That’s enough. This was quite fun.”
Chk—.
She formed her fingers into the shape of a gun, aimed it at Rebecca, and said, “Did you think I accepted this meeting for no reason? I never intended to listen to you in the first place. How naive.”
From the sound of it, Carmilla had accepted the meeting with the intention of killing Rebecca all along. Of course, I already knew that much.
“You’re the naive one, Carmilla.”
“……?”
“Did you really think we proposed this meeting for the reasons we gave?” I grinned and opened my mouth. “This was just to buy time.”
It was a gambit to position our troops in the right place and wipe out the enemy at the perfect moment.
And at the same time—
Riiip—.
The ceiling of the tent tore open, and someone landed on the table.
Thud.
An old gentleman in a pure white suit had crashed the meeting. He smiled at me and asked politely, “How was my timing?”
“Perfect, Sir Watson.”
Along with him—
“Waaah!”
“It’s an enemy attack!”
Noisy shouts erupted from outside the tent. The battle had begun.