38
Chapter 38
Inside a luxurious mansion.
Inside, Kishua sat lost in thought while sipping tea.
The reason was quite simple.
The Black Fang.
It was because of the video they had leaked.
The footage had sent the Empire into an immediate uproar.
Of course, no one dared to speak of it openly to avoid drawing the Empire's ire.
Yet, there wasn't a soul who didn't know about it.
The Empire was more chaotic than ever before.
'This time, they definitely crossed the line.'
This was evident from how severely public opinion had soured, not just among the commoners, but even the nobles.
'Of course, they probably had their own reasons.'
Those connected to the High Command or high-ranking nobles would have likely received a prior explanation regarding the Black Market terror attack.
They would have been warned not to visit the place.
Besides, no one creates a plan expecting it to fail.
The Empire likely never imagined this would come to light.
But the plan had been completely exposed.
Though they were putting out various excuses, no one believed a word of it.
It had become an accepted fact that the Empire had disguised itself as the Black Fang to carry out a massacre.
'Well, if that were all, they might have been able to cover it up.'
Even if public opinion worsened, the Empire was still the Empire.
No matter how arrogant a noble was, they had no choice but to walk on eggshells around the Empire.
The massacre captured in that video.
Even the fact that the target was a noble's child.
It was certainly horrific.
But it wasn't the first or second time the Empire had done something similar.
Ultimately, no one was foolish enough to express their dissatisfaction directly to the Empire.
And those with the power to do so would have been notified in advance, leaving them with no reason to complain.
Over time, such things are slowly forgotten.
This incident would have likely met the same fate under normal circumstances.
However...
The current situation was a bit different.
It was something anyone could realize with a bit of thought.
'The video itself is less important than the fact that it spread.'
That undoubtedly played a major role in causing the unprecedented chaos within noble society.
The video itself was shocking, of course.
But compared to the absurd reality that the video was spreading so successfully, its contents were practically meaningless.
'......The Black Fang.'
A revolutionary organization constantly carrying out terror attacks against the Empire.
He had assumed they would fade into obscurity like every other group that dared defy the Empire.
But this was undeniably impossible to ignore.
And that was only natural.
This video.
The fact that it had spread throughout the Empire's society signified the Empire's defeat.
The Empire had always eliminated those who rebelled using unfathomable, unknown powers.
This meant their methods were ineffective against the Black Fang.
'How on earth did they do it?'
The grim fate that met the Empire's enemies.
Analyzing all of this, Kishua came to a conclusion.
The Empire likely possessed some sort of means for Cognitive Alteration.
Nations that had unnaturally vanished from history.
Strange gaps in the historical record.
And the headaches he would get whenever he thought about such things.
He deduced that some massive, secretive entity was involved with the Empire.
However... it seemed the other side was just as secretive.
The Black Fang was still running rampant.
In other words, they had figured out the Empire's hidden cards that no one else had noticed.
And at the same time, it meant they knew how to nullify them.
Reaching this line of thought, most nobles with a functioning brain would consider it.
That perhaps the Black Fang wasn't such a bad option after all.
Military might is immeasurable.
Anyone who skimmed the summary of the Black Market incident could figure that out.
The Black Fang's strength was formidable enough to unilaterally brutalize even that Archmage.
'Plus, they're quite smart.'
Unlike the nobles, they didn't receive the video directly, but the commoners also knew of its existence.
It was now common knowledge that, outside the Capital, in areas where the Empire's surveillance struggled to reach, the video would occasionally appear in the sky out of nowhere.
Kishua had also managed to acquire and watch it.
It covered the same massacre by the Empire's knights, but this time it emphasized that the victims were not nobles, but children.
They had expertly shifted the focus, taking into consideration the perspective of an audience that would hold resentment toward the nobles.
The Black Fang was more adept at inciting the public than he had thought.
If one were to speak out against the Empire, they wouldn't know when their head would roll, so everyone kept their mouths shut.
Still, public opinion toward the Empire was likely at its absolute worst.
'Perhaps, they might actually pull it off.'
The Empire's mysterious methods weren't working this time.
While the organization's size and members remained unknown, their sheer might was undeniable.
In terms of intelligence and inciting the public, it was safe to say they had even surpassed the Empire.
How such a group could emerge without any warning was a mystery, but...
Even setting that aside, it was undoubtedly an appealing option.
'If the revolution succeeds...'
The ones to seize power afterward would naturally be the founding contributors.
Those who clung to the Empire would meet a gruesome end, and a new era would dawn.
Something.
Something was about to happen.
Many cowards would seek refuge in simply watching the situation unfold or claiming neutrality.
But the clever ones knew.
That now was, in fact, the perfect timing.
An opportunity for advancement.
A chance to stand at the very top of the pyramid.
If they kept hedging their bets until the end, trying to side with the winning faction, they would only end up hated by both and die in vain.
In that case, it was better to quickly choose a side.
That was why Kishua was agonizing over this right now.
Whether to side with the Empire or the Black Fang—it was a decision best made as soon as possible.
And after analyzing the situation up to this point, the conclusion he reached was... that the Black Fang was indeed the more attractive option.
It was strange.
Even though he hadn't been notified about the Black Market incident this time, Kishua was still a highly esteemed Noble.
Under normal circumstances, it would only be logical to dismiss such a dangerous choice as sympathizing with Traitors.
No matter how unstable things got, the Empire was still the Empire.
There was a safe way to maintain his status; not taking it was simply irrational.
Yet, strangely enough, he couldn't stop thinking about the Black Fang.
Kishua pondered for a moment before...
...he soon realized something.
'......Could it be.'
Did the Black Fang do this on purpose?
To provoke this exact reaction.
There might have been a hidden purpose behind sending a video of a noble child being dismembered.
He originally thought it was just ordinary propaganda.
Seeing a child die so gruesomely would naturally instill resentment toward the Empire.
He had assumed it was merely a video meant to sow rebellion against the Empire.
But... there might have been another intention hidden within it.
Anyone who saw this video,
would have likely thought about it at least once.
That I could have been caught up in that too.
That I could have died as meaninglessly as that child.
A massacre like that was planned for the Black Market. Yet I didn't receive a single warning.
That could have been me.
That in the end, I'm just disposable.
Kishua himself had thought exactly that, without even needing to look far.
Anyone who saw this would inevitably come to that realization.
That they, too, are nothing more than a chess piece whose head could roll at any moment by someone else's hand.
That even for a noble with blue blood flowing through their veins, there is always someone above them.
And when people start having those thoughts, the Black Fang presents a solution as if they had been waiting for it.
Telling them to side with them.
To join them and truly reach the top of the pyramid.
To be the ones holding Dominance, rather than the ones being dominated.
Kishua's face was painted with sheer astonishment.
He was already well aware of the Black Fang's military might.
But he never expected them to be this exceptional in this aspect as well.
They were manipulating human psychology so naturally. So subtly that even Kishua himself hadn't noticed.
'Just what kind of monster could they be...'
With just this one video.
The Black Fang had shaken the Empire.
At first glance, he had thought it was just propaganda to plant hostility toward the Empire.
But the more he dug, the more hidden political intentions surfaced.
What kind of mindset must one have to manipulate people's hearts so freely?
Just what kind of superhuman is the Leader of the Black Fang?
It was impossible to comprehend with common sense.
However, if there was one thing he could be certain of.
"......I should try making contact with them once."
It was clear which side he needed to join.