50
Chapter 50
As soon as I brought up antagonizing the Holy See, Rubia's expression darkened drastically.
Her hands were trembling.
Her face turned pale.
Even cold sweat was running down her neck.
'This person really overreacts way too much.'
If anyone saw this, they'd think I just declared war on the Holy See.
I'm not the Head of some terrorist organization, so why would I suddenly declare an all-out war?
Before I could even offer that explanation, Rubia's eyes half-closed. A similar thing had happened before.
I somehow managed to catch Rubia as she slumped over.
She was so easily frightened that she actually fainted.
I shook the unconscious Rubia.
Fortunately, it didn't seem like I'd need to splash water on her. It wasn't long before her eyes opened again.
"Are you awake?"
I asked the dazed-looking Rubia. I wanted to avoid being misunderstood like before.
I quickly added the explanation I had missed.
"There's no need to be so scared. I only said I didn't mind facing off against the Holy See without really thinking about it."
An organization just as suspicious as the Empire.
That alone should explain just how dubious the Holy See really was.
The Empire reduced to a sea of fire.
A desolate sight where not a single soul could be seen.
The destruction I saw in the game's PV.
It was a highly reasonable suspicion that the Holy See had a hand in that future and its gruesome conclusion.
That was why I said clashing with them was unavoidable.
Because the day would eventually come when I'd have to uncover every single secret they were hiding.
"Of course, it's better to avoid them if possible."
That went without saying.
Even if the day to confront the Holy See would inevitably come,
there was no need to bring it forward prematurely.
"I'll try my best to prevent a conflict with the Holy See......."
Honestly, I wanted to build up more strength here and fight them only when victory was guaranteed, but...
things don't always go according to plan.
If it turns out to be completely unavoidable,
"If push comes to shove, well, we'll just have to use the power of the Black Fang to wipe the Holy See off the face of the earth."
Let's try borrowing some power from the Black Fang.
Hadn't I brought them enormous benefits last time?
The Empire was still in an uproar over the video I had spread. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say I was the number one contributor to the Black Fang.
Contacting that secretive organization was proving to be incredibly difficult, so I was having a hard time lately.
But as long as I could get in touch with them, it would definitely yield good results.
The Holy See and the Empire were tightly intertwined anyway. They would probably welcome a chance to antagonize the Holy See.
Me, Ciel, and Rien.
Add the enigmatic organization known as the Black Fang to that.
The two groups would join forces to launch a combined attack.
"To wipe the Holy See off the face of the earth without a second thought.... Even the Holy See is nothing in front of this person...."
Rubia mumbled something with a defeated expression.
The way she kept whispering to herself was so unsettling that I wondered if she was sick.
Was the Holy See really that scary?
They certainly seemed dubious and shady, but their outward public image wasn't actually that bad.
Maybe she had heard a lot of unsettling rumors about the Holy See because she was a Noble.
Thinking that, I grabbed Rubia's shoulders and shook her again.
At this point, I was genuinely worried about whether she could function properly in society.
She had the kind of fragile mental fortitude that would make her pass out in a haunted house for kids.
"I-I'm so sorry for constantly fainting like an idiot."
When I shook Rubia awake again, she mumbled with tears welling up in her eyes.
I ended up having to nurse her mental state for a long time.
I told her things like how she had been a huge help, and how I couldn't even imagine what would have happened to us without her.
I patted Rubia, offering those comforting words.
It felt like I was babysitting.
My head spun at the bizarre experience of having to console a twenty-seven-year-old grown woman, but...
I had received her help, so I had no choice.
"......."
Like that, an incredibly awkward amount of time passed.
Rubia's pale complexion finally returned to normal.
Actually, could I even call this returning to normal?
She had turned so red that she looked like she could explode at any second.
"Don't worry about it. People struggle sometimes, so it happens."
Seeing her looking so pitiful, I spoke in the gentlest tone I could manage.
Rubia avoided my gaze for a long time before finally giving a nod.
With that, the babysitting incident was officially erased from history.
"I perfectly understand what you're trying to say."
Rubia let out an awkward cough before speaking.
"This time, I'll definitely prove my worth. The Secret Technique you designed will be perfectly realized by my own hands."
Rubia placed a hand over her chest and declared with majestic confidence.
Honestly, it would be a lie to say my trust in her hadn't taken a significant hit after what happened earlier.
Still, she was someone who delivered when it counted.
Since she was saying it with such conviction, it should be fine to trust her and leave it in her hands.
'Now, the only problem left is how to deal with the Holy See and the Empire....'
The scale of the potion business wasn't exactly massive, but it wasn't terribly small, either.
It was inevitable that such a drastic change would draw people's attention.
Incredibly annoying problems were bound to arise, whether it be interference from the Holy See or scheming from the Empire.
I needed a solid plan to mitigate those risks as much as possible.
I had to prevent Rubia from becoming a primary target.
It was absolutely necessary to draw their aggro so they wouldn't focus on her.
I pondered for a moment... before an idea finally came to mind.
A truly perfect scheme.
'A celebrity scandal.'
Those shocking celebrity articles that always seemed to drop at the perfect timing whenever the higher-ups ran into a problem.
That sort of thing didn't trend for no reason.
People kept doing it simply because it worked.
If you want to bury an incident, the best way is to cause an even more sensational one.
'And the absolute hottest name in the Empire right now is... the Black Fang.'
A smile naturally formed on my lips.
If I were to impersonate the Black Fang and make a move at a time like this, it would obviously cause a massive stir.
I was a little hesitant about impersonating the most vicious criminal organization in the Empire, though.
'Well, I already did it once before. And I haven't heard any complaints so far.'
Besides, I had even helped them out by spreading that video.
Surely they wouldn't complain about me borrowing the Black Fang's name to do a good deed, right?
Moreover, this would actually benefit the Black Fang. I would be going around saving the people of the Slums under their name.
I would essentially be building up their support base for the revolution on their behalf.
"Rubia, do you think you could get me some Mana Poisoning Cures?"
"Huh? Well... I did have plenty of extras left over."
Fortunately, as luck would have it,
Rubia seemed to have gone beyond stopping the Mastermind's plan and even secured the Mana Poisoning Cure he had been developing.
She really is incredibly competent.
She might be a mess in her daily life, but when it comes to work, she handles everything flawlessly.
I felt confident leaving this business entirely in her hands.
"Could you possibly prepare some of those for me?"
Rubia nodded with a bewildered expression at my request.
I offered her a polite thank you and left the room.
As I walked through the corridors of the lavish mansion, I sent communication magic to everyone.
From Ciel to Rien, and the other children as well.
I summoned all my comrades.
Since I had decided to trust Rubia with the business aspects,
it was now my turn to handle my own responsibilities.
'I have a feeling this won't be as simple as I'm hoping.'
A dinosaur had suddenly barged into the potion industry.
A lucky entrepreneur named Rubia who had stumbled upon a crazy recipe that cut costs by a hundredfold, shaking the entire industry.
I needed to create an incident massive enough to bury such a sensational topic.
It certainly wouldn't be an easy task.
However...
I was confident.
I had spent over a decade as friends with the internet,
living my days in a vast ocean of aggro and provocation.
I could create something.
Something far more scandalous than that.
Black Fang begins its full-scale operations... no, that's too weak.
It lacked impact.
I needed something more stimulating.
Just then, a certain phrase flashed through my mind.
'The Black Fang can even save the terminally ill?! A miracle that shocks the Empire and makes the Holy See weep with jealousy! The Black Fang saves the slums from Mana Poisoning! Another humiliation for the Holy See. The Pope on his knees crying, "Please stop! We surrender!" Is the Holy See just a collection of mediocre people born in an era without the Black Fang?! Is the wind of revolution finally blowing through the Empire?'
Perfect. I've decided on this as the material for my propaganda video. If I spread something like this and trigger a wide-area provocation, neither the Holy See nor the Empire will have the bandwidth to worry about a single entrepreneur. I'll have to polish the content for realism, of course. It's time to stop rerunning the Black Market footage and release a new masterpiece.
By the time I reached the stairs, the children had already gathered in the lobby. They were surprisingly efficient.
Heaven must be on my side.
Looking at them, the thought occurred to me naturally. I didn't even need to make them disguise themselves as the Black Fang, as they already looked the part. It was a stroke of luck that the black robes had essentially become our uniform. It couldn't have been a better omen.
I smiled faintly and said, "Let's head to the slums for a moment."
It was time to save the people in the name of the Black Fang.