87
I Killed the Demon King. It Was a Mistake.
Chapter 87
Miles thought while drinking some wine to understand Caesar's intentions.
-It's hard to understand.
-Then why has he stayed until now?
"Although this is a Wizard's domain, it's difficult to ignore the influence of the Royder Order. I believe you understand this fully and have accepted Professor Smir's proposal."
"I know. But don't you also know? That malaria treatment medicine. Its effectiveness is certain."
-The crown prince's condition has definitely improved.
-Almost all nine malaria patients have recovered.
-The effectiveness of that malaria treatment medicine is definite.
-The problem is that Professor Smir and the Redfield family cannot directly contact each other.
-The Arch Duke will definitely be difficult.
-But if it's through Caesar, the story changes.
"...The effectiveness is certain. However, that's different from it actually being produced."
"Councilman Walterwood told me. Your nature is closer to a merchant than a politician. Do you think it makes sense not to invest when there's clearly a profitable investment opportunity?"
"Just because a business item is good doesn't mean it will work. You know this well, which is why you handed me the sample. To receive help from me and the Redfield family."
"No. I'm sharing good news to maintain a good relationship with the Redfield family. With such a good business opportunity, it doesn't feel right to keep it all to myself."
Miles finished his wine.
"Please reconsider. Without the Redfield family's help, you won't even be able to drive a single rebar into the factory. Don't you know how the Royder Order might react?"
"Isn't that the same for you? Do you think you can proceed with business with Professor Smir personally without involving me? Everyone knows that when you move, the Redfield family moves, and I'm not sure how easily that will happen." Caesar drank his wine in one gulp. "So let me make it clear. I'm interested in investment from the Redfield family for the malaria treatment medicine. But I absolutely do not want to appear like I'm crawling underneath and offering myself."
Caesar put the empty wine glass down on the table.
"The party is over, and the excitement has died down. I'll take my leave now."
Miles glared at Caesar's departing back.
Caesar doesn't know how low those corrupt pigs can go.
That's why he can be so bold right now.
Miles decided to slightly modify his plan.
Miles snapped his fingers, and a man approached.
"I need to tame Caesar. He seems to think he can succeed at everything and doesn't know the bitter taste of failure."
"Shall I contact the Royder Order?"
"They'll contact me on their own. More importantly, I need to see my uncle."
"I'll bring Councilman Usher right away."
Miles grabbed the champagne carried by the staff and drank it all.
"Yes. If they don't need help, I'll make them need help."
***
December 5th.
The first end-of-year holiday everyone enjoys, 'Grezawa Day'.
[The Mastermind Behind the Demon Race Incident: Freak Show Circus?]
[Shocking Fact: Circus Preparing to Showcase Demon Races]
[Dre Order: Showcasing Uncontrolled Succubi and Vampires is an Innovative Suicide Method]
[Dior Kingdom: Will a Freak Show be Held Against Demon Races in Sodom... Is This the imperial Family's Incompetence or Corrupt Officials' Competence?]
The shocking photos Caesar handed to Hilos caused great shock to people.
Not only was the idea of using demon races as spectacles shocking, but the fact that they broke children's bones and poured potions to make them grotesquely deformed for the Freak Show's success was revealed.
Naturally, the Royder Order began to strongly condemn this.
[Royder Order: Those who have misused sacred potions will be shown hell within hell by the goddess.]
[Royder Order: We will definitely find out how potions flowed into the Freak Show.]
"How many soldiers are fighting and getting injured on the demon world front, and they're using potions to torture children? Are they crazy?"
"Where are the Freak Show participants? These bastards should all be torn apart."
The anger is intense and directed, unable to look elsewhere.
The imperial court began to more intensely condemn the Freak Show to cover up their incompetence in the demon race attack.
They appropriately captured a few corrupt officials, framing them as having taken bribes from the Freak Show Circus and hanging them.
Orders were even issued to the governors of each province to compile and report the Freak Show list.
The more this anger swallowed up anger, the more one person was praised.
And that was Caesar.
"Is it Caesar again?"
"They say Caesar risked his life to secretly infiltrate Sodom and reveal the truth about the Freak Show."
"Oh, come to think of it, Caesar recently invested in an orphanage for children. Could it be..."
"Come to think of it, isn't Gloria, who lives next door to Caesar, protecting orphans? Could they be orphans from the Freak Show?"
"Then we can't just sit still."
People began leaving flowers, food, and children's clothing in front of Gloria's house.
So many gifts were stacked that Gloria couldn't leave through the front door and had to exit through the back door to organize the gifts.
"How cute this is. Kids! Do you want to try these on?"
"Yes, sister!"
When the children wearing clothes gifted by citizens were captured by newspaper photographers, sponsorship funds for the orphans began to pile up significantly.
Caesar looked at the excited Gloria from a distance and said to Harrison:
"Thoroughly block the parents of the orphans from causing a commotion. If they try to extort sponsorship funds, smash their heads."
"Yes. Understood."
As soon as Caesar left through the back door, a brilliantly decorated carriage stopped.
There are few people in the imperial country who can drive a carriage so lavishly covered in golden color.
Caesar bowed his head as soon as the carriage door opened.
"I greet Prime Minister Hilos."
"Get in. We'll talk on the way."
Caesar got on the carriage.
As soon as the carriage door closed, Hilos handed Caesar a golden envelope.
"It's an imperial decree from His Majesty. Open and read it now."
"Yes."
Caesar immediately read the decree.
The handwriting was subtly different from what he had received from Hudson before.
This must be the Emperor's real handwriting.
[To my beloved Caesar Sylvatil,
I hereby command you.
Completely destroy all Freak Show Circus members and report directly to me.
That is all.]
The decree was written cleanly, as befitting an imperial command.
But wouldn't it be nice to add at least one word of gratitude?
If it weren't for me, the royal court would have been completely cursed over the Eileen River attack.
Let me see what the Emperor's state of mind was when writing this decree.
-Although they say breathing has become easier because of Caesar, the hatred towards demon races has increased, making it impossible to experiment on vampires.
-The Fifth Research Institute director said they need at least 10 more vampires... Damn it.
-Since Caesar is said to be someone who listens and is open, I'll send flattery to Hilos and subtly ask.
This crazy old man.
Knowing the Eileen River attack happened because of his greed, he still wants to mess around with vampires.
'Miles' demon race business must be related to this.'
Whether succubi, vampires, or doppelgangers.
Their magic and habits are nothing short of a sensation for humans, so they would have wanted to investigate them somehow.
But how could that be easy?
Whether the Royder Order or the Dre Order, no order recognizes experiments on demon races or devils except for the purpose of 'killing'.
And when conducting experiments related to devils and demon races, at least one 'order' member must be present. If he conducted immortality experiments, the Emperor could have his political life cut short by the order's backlash.
"Have you finished reading?"
"Oh, yes."
Caesar returned the decree to Hilos.
Hilos read it briefly and then spoke.
"You'll depart tonight. And Lord Hudson will move with you."
It's obvious he attached Hudson to see if Caesar works well.
Well, two are better than one alone.
Gloria is busy with the orphanage establishment, and Gideon's right-hand man who placed the production order hasn't arrived yet.
"Thank you. But I thought the Dawn Knight Order was originally meant to protect only those of 'great blood'. Do they sometimes take on such missions?"
"What's the point of teasing the knights? Sometimes they need to be used like this."
There's nothing more to say.
By the way, Hilos probably has a question for me.
"By the way."
"Yes. Please speak."
"Don't you have plans to become a nobleman?"
Another person besides Miles asking this question.
But he's already prepared for such a question.
"I think it's premature. The tribute for the nobles and soldiers who have made merits in the demon world war hasn't been accurately announced, so it would look somewhat inappropriate for me to receive a noble title."
"You can delay the timing anytime. But you could pledge loyalty to His Majesty right now."
"I'm already a wandering knight, and I pledged loyalty to His Majesty and the imperial country when I became a knight..."
"You're uncharacteristically evading the question. That's not what I meant."
Hilos put a cigar in his mouth and spoke.
"Don't you have plans to pledge loyalty to His Majesty personally, not to the imperial country?"
Caesar calmly used psychometry while looking into Hilos' snake-like eyes.
-I need to see how much ambition Caesar has.
-I heard from Miles that Caesar pushed away the Redfield family's reach.
-So who is he targeting? The Arch Duke? Or the Emperor?
-If he refuses the Emperor's hand, there's only the Arch Duke. If the information about producing the malaria treatment medicine leaks to the Royder Order, the Royder Order will do anything to kill Caesar.
Oh my.
Both Miles and Hiros thought that to protect Caesar's 'greed', he must receive help from one of three: the Emperor, Redfield, or the Arch Duke.
Caesar drew out his cigar and spoke.
"May I smoke for a moment too?"
"Go ahead."
Caesar lit the cigar with a match and thought.
After investigating malaria, he found the Royder Order was making quite a profit from it.
They say one bottle of 5% potion can sustain a malaria patient for a year.
From the Royder Order's perspective, treating all patients would naturally make them furious.
He spent considerable time lighting the cigar.
Now it's time to answer.
If he refuses loyalty to His Majesty here or deflects the question, Caesar would definitely be seen as being in the same boat as the Arch Duke.
He could incur the wrath of the Emperor or the Redfield family.
Meanwhile, the Arch Duke wouldn't consider Caesar particularly important.
The Arch Duke cares only about the completion of the 'Ark', so he wouldn't care much about Caesar's fate.
Then it would be right to borrow the Emperor's or Redfield family's hand... But Caesar wanted to choose a different option.
"I'd like to ask one question."
"Go ahead."
"Does His Majesty want only me? Or does he want my influence as well?"
"Oh?"
HiLos laughed, seemingly amused by Caesar's question.
-An unexpected answer.
-Caesar believes that if he becomes loyal to someone, his Homigraph and influence across the imperial country will be drastically reduced.
-But thanks to this, I can understand what Caesar wants.
-Caesar doesn't want anyone above his head.
-The disposition of a lord.
"Do you think if I employ you, I can't preserve your influence?"
"Let's say I wrote an article praising His Majesty for the newspaper. If I write it as an imperial knight and newly appointed nobleman, people will just feel it's natural. Because I'm already His Majesty's person."
"But if you say it as a current wandering knight, the impact would be different?"
"Of course. Words are important for their content, but also for 'who' says them. And right now, His Majesty needs such a person, doesn't he?"
Hilos smoked his cigar while surveying Caesar.
-He's as clever as a fox.
-Dangerous.
-He knows very well how he should be used.
-The imperial power has fallen to the bottom right now.
-It needs hands and feet for the Emperor, but also a tongue like Caesar.
-Needed by the Redfield family too.
"Not bad."
-I didn't want Caesar to fall into anyone's hands anyway.
-If it were the Redfield family, maybe.
-There's no reason to hand him over to the Arch Duke. Caesar wants to raise his own value.
-There's definitely a reason why Miles is struggling.
"I'll explain well to His Majesty."
"Thank you."
Hilos took out a small box from the carriage drawer.
"Take this. I heard you like elixirs?"
Even in midwinter, cold could be felt from the box.
Could it be...
Caesar carefully opened the box.
A plump white magic seed was inside.
"...Is this a Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng?"
"Correct. His Majesty gives this for you to work hard, so make sure to consume it well."
Crazy.
I'll have to take this again.
I've only taken it once while living in Barre.
After consuming this, I won't have to worry about lacking or being affected by cold.
That's not all?
My physical strength will improve, and all my body's specs will increase...
It's an item so amazing it's hard to describe.
I must take this to Smir right away.
"I'll consume it well."
"And about the malaria treatment medicine."
Here it comes.
Caesar straightened his posture, dispelling his excitement from the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng.
"The Imperial family will provide a small support. But remember, it's a 'small' support."
-The crown prince had asked Caesar to be thanked.
-At least the Royder Order won't forcibly try to kill Caesar or push him out as a heretic without reason.
-The crown prince will mediate slightly if the Royder Order raises issues.
Saving the crown prince with the malaria treatment medicine is providing such great help.
He couldn't officially announce the production of the malaria treatment medicine because of that issue.
If the crown prince helps indirectly, he can put in effort.
"That alone is sufficient."
The carriage stopped.
"Well, go now. We'll meet again later."
When the carriage door opened, they were in front of the Valentine Magic Tower.
When did he arrive in Sapientia?
"Thank you."
Caesar bowed his head in greeting.
This is sincere.
Especially after receiving this precious Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng.
As the carriage departed, a man approached Caesar.
It was Hudson.
"We'll be working together for a while. I'm glad I can directly confirm Caesar's achievements with my own eyes."
"I'm also happy to work with Sir Hudson. But before that..."
Caesar pointed to the Valentine Magic Tower.
"I'll just drop this off quickly."
He's busy, but some things must be done.