Time to Unleash the Final Boss
The next day. We headed to the pub to meet Seldas. It was lunchtime. As soon as we stepped inside, the receptionist took one look at us and immediately headed toward the back room.
"They head straight for the back room the moment they see us now. Do they already know what we're here for?"
"It's better that they're quick on the uptake. I suppose one doesn't become a receptionist for Exeed for nothing."
You couldn't just be anyone to work as a receptionist for the Empire's greatest dark guild. They must get paid a fortune. Even if I was stronger, that receptionist probably had a larger bank account than me. The thought made me feel a sudden pang of self-pity.
Well, even so, I don't regret becoming Franche's slave at this point.
Saving someone with my own hands... Ever since I met Franche, I had experienced a sense of accomplishment and pride that I'd never felt before. I would probably never forget the days I spent with her for the rest of my life.
"Ah, the receptionist is back."
"Let's head straight in."
We naturally made our way inside, as if we were walking into our own living room.
"You've arrived."
"Were you waiting for us?"
"I had no choice. Things have turned into quite the mess, after all."
Seldas's eyes, visible through the gaps in his mask, curved into a crescent.
"It seems I won't be handing over those 1.8 billion gold for free."
"Didn't I tell you? I have absolute confidence."
"Yes, you did. But you see..."
Tilting his head, Seldas fixed a sharp gaze on Franche.
"Isn't this all Jin Barenberg's plan? It doesn't seem like the Lady did much of anything."
Another blatant insult. Franche's expression turned ice-cold.
"You've been looking down on me since last time. I fail to understand where you get the confidence to act this way."
Franche's voice carried a sharp edge, but Seldas didn't back down. Instead, he let out a soft chuckle, actively provoking her.
"Lady Descartes. What exactly have you spearheaded so far? I was at the Imperial Palace party as well, and from what I observed, Jin Barenberg was pulling all the strings. If that isn't a puppet, then what is?"
It was true to some extent. Up until now, Franche had only done what she was capable of, while I handled most of the planning. Even the things she did manage to do were only possible because of the stage I had set up for her. Franche seemed to realize this as well, biting her lower lip and lowering her head.
Seeing this made my own blood boil.
"Seldas Freya."
"What?"
"Don't overstep your bounds any further."
"...Overstep my bounds?"
I narrowed my eyes and released a wave of pure, suffocating bloodlust.
Seldas flinched, his entire body instantly freezing in place.
"What are you thinking? Aren't we in a cooperative relationship?"
"Cooperative or not, I'm telling you to know your place."
There was no way I would just stand by and watch my master get insulted like this.
"Fine. I made a mistake this ti—"
Just as Seldas was about to back down and yield—
"No."
Franche cut him off with a sharp, decisive voice.
"...What is it?"
"I believe this is something I must address myself."
The two of them locked eyes right in front of me. It felt as if a strange current of electricity was crackling between them. Was it just my imagination?
"It is true that Jin spearheaded everything. However, I cannot accept your claim that I merely danced like a puppet."
Well, she actually did move pretty much like a puppet. But she's still in the learning phase, so she'll get better in time.
"Is that so? I wonder if that isn't just the Lady's own delusion."
Franche bit her lip. She was furious, but she couldn't find the words to refute him. Perhaps sensing her intense anger, Seldas leaned back slightly, adopting a more passive posture.
"Well, I admit my words were a bit harsh, so I shall apologize. Even if Jin Barenberg did lead the way, it's not as if the Lady did absolutely nothing."
First he slaps her, then he offers a bandage. What kind of conversation was this? If he was going to back down like this, he shouldn't have provoked her in the first place.
"Anyway, let's leave it at that. You came here regarding the matter with Frida, correct?"
Franche simply nodded. Seeing how she refused to answer verbally, she was clearly still fuming.
"I've been keeping an eye on Frida for a while now. It would be stranger if they didn't make a move after what you did to them."
Seldas smirked coldly as he continued.
"It seems they made up their minds at the imperial party and placed a request with a dark guild."
Hiring a dark guild instead of a standard mercenary group... They must have been absolutely livid. Franche asked:
"Which guild did they hire?"
"A group called Zenbukoros."
"Hmm..."
Zenbukoros. The second strongest dark guild in the Empire. Unlike Exeed, they were a group that focused entirely on raw martial force.
"I'd rather avoid a direct clash with them. I can only provide information on their movements and their objectives."
Indeed, even for Seldas, a head-on confrontation with them would result in heavy losses. Well, it didn't matter since I could just handle them myself. Franche seemed to understand this as well and nodded.
"That is perfectly fine. I have Jin with me. Your guild only needs to relay the information and protect our stores and workshops."
The corner of Seldas's mouth twitched beneath his mask. For some reason, it felt like we were dancing right to this bastard's tune.
"That is excellent news."
He smirked coldly once more. He was really starting to get on my nerves.
"Then I shall send word as soon as we gather the intelligence. Is that all for today?"
"There is one more thing. It is a rather important matter, and I would like to entrust it to you."
Intrigued, Seldas tilted his head.
"What is it this time?"
"I want to plant a spy inside Frida."
"A spy?"
"Yes. I plan to bring them over to our side."
Tap. Tap. Seldas tapped his desk, seemingly lost in thought.
"I see. You've planned that far ahead. Do you hold some sort of grudge against Frida?"
"It is less of a grudge and more of a pursuit of justice. They are not a normal merchant group, after all."
Exactly. Evil corporations deserved to be judged. They were bastards who did nothing but exploit their workers to line their own pockets.
"Very well. I shall accept the request. Now that I know your objective, we will handle the spy placement on our end. And I will let you know the moment Zenbukoros makes a move."
Great, the first objective was complete. But were we really just going to focus on defense? I learned from web novels that the best defense is a good offense.
It would be much cleaner to just crush Zenbukoros entirely.
Zenbukoros was a violent group that controlled the territory surrounding the Imperial Capital. They had been quite a headache in the game as well, so I had experience wiping them out myself.
Since I know their location and their leader, it'll be best to clean them up quickly.
It was just a guess, but they had probably already finalized their plans and were fully prepared to raid our stores and workshops. I had to strike before they did, leaving the other matters to Seldas.
"Is that all the business you have?"
At Seldas's question, Franche looked up at me. I gave her a subtle nod.
"Yes, that is all. I hope you handle the requested tasks well."
Franche rose from the sofa and walked toward the door. Just as she was about to turn the doorknob, she paused and looked back.
"Ah, there is one more thing."
"What is it now?"
"Regarding the ten percent of the profits we promised to give you."
"Ah, that. There is no rush. You can pay me whenever."
Oh? I expected him to demand it immediately, so this was quite surprising.
"After all, this won't be the last time I work with the Lady."
He wasn't wrong. There was a mountain of work waiting for us in the future.
"Then we shall take our leave. I will send a check as soon as the net profits are calculated."
With those final words, we left the pub. Franche let out a heavy sigh, her breath fluttering her bangs.
"It's so frustrating that I couldn't knock that man down a peg."
She looked like an angry squirrel that had just had its acorns stolen. I chuckled softly and spoke.
"He's always been like that. You don't need to pay him any mind."
"But I can't help being angry. I thought he would never be able to look down on me again."
That's because you're only on step one of the curriculum. Don't worry, things will change drastically later on.
"This is only the beginning. It's not good to be too impatient."
Despite my comfort, Franche still seemed upset, pouting her lips and scowling. Seldas had indeed been incredibly overbearing. Though that was just how he was.
"At any rate, we have important matters to discuss, so let's head to Cazar's house."
Franche tilted her head in confusion.
"Cazar's house? Are we going to pick up your medicine?"
"That too, but I also have something to discuss regarding this situation."
"True. She needs to be kept in the loop as well. Let's head over and talk."
"...Why has my house suddenly turned into a war room?"
Cazar asked with a completely blank expression, holding a tray with teacups in her hands.
"To be precise, it is a house that I rented out to you."
"Well, that is true, but..."
Letting out a deep sigh, Cazar shook her head.
"So? What brings you two here?"
"A dark guild is going to attack us."
"What? A dark guild? Why?"
Cazar tilted her head, her brow furrowing. Dark guilds wouldn't dare touch nobility unless they were offered an astronomical sum. For them to mobilize Zenbukoros, a massive fortune must have been spent.
Franche spoke as she lifted her teacup, her pinky finger elegantly extended—a clear sign of her noble upbringing.
"Remember how we poached all of Frida's key personnel? This is their revenge."
Cazar nodded slowly. "I see," she murmured before continuing.
"So you want to entrust the defense to me?"
She was quick on the uptake, as expected.
"Yes. Having a Mage like you on our side gives us great peace of mind."
Franche's silver tongue was truly well-trained. To think she'd use flattery to persuade her. Well, Cazar would have helped even without it, but still.
"Fine. Since we have an agreement, I'll do it."
"A wise decision."
"So, what exactly do I need to do?"
"The moment we receive intelligence, you just need to head to that location."
"Don't tell me I have to fight?"
"Exactly."
Cazar grimaced at the mention of fighting. Wait, this girl was perfectly willing to commit assassination back in the county, and now she's whining about a little skirmish?
"Well, I suppose I have no choice. I'll do it."
"I'm so glad we have you with us."
"...Flattering me like that won't get you anything, you know?"
Despite her words, the corners of her mouth twitched upward. She was surprisingly weak to praise. Watching Franche tame Cazar so easily made me realize how impressive she really was.
In any case, all the necessary discussions were finished. It was probably safe to speak up now.
"My Lady, there is something I must tell you."
Franche, who was about to take a sip of her tea, looked at me.
"Hmm? What is it?"
I laid out the plan I had formulated. The details were simple: I would single-handedly annihilate the group known as Zenbukoros, and by spreading the rumors of their destruction, I would ensure that no other organization would ever dare cross us again. I explained everything to her.
"...Even if it's you, isn't that far too dangerous?"
"There is no danger for me."
According to the history books of Barenberg I had read, Jin's mere existence was enough to keep entire nations in check. He was practically a walking natural disaster. Back when I played the game as Somire, I had easily crushed those guys, so there was no way I would fail with this body. It would take me less than a day to lay waste to them.
"Very well. I will allow it. But you must not overexert yourself, understand? Your condition isn't great right now."
I smiled warmly and nodded.
"I am well aware."
"Ah, and you need to get your medicine from Cazar."
At Franche's words, Cazar wore a completely blank expression.
"Medicine?"
"Yes. Jin said you made some medicine for him?"
"I did?"
"...Was he mistaken?"
I shot Cazar a sharp, warning glare. Only then did she realize what was happening and quickly played along.
"Ah! Right, right! I've been so busy I completely forgot! I'll go grab it right away!"
Cazar hurriedly scurried upstairs. I had called it medicine, but I wondered what she would actually bring down.
"Here it is!"
Cazar handed me a small glass bottle. Inside were... colorful star candies. Seeing this, Franche narrowed her eyes.
"Isn't that just star candy?"
"No? It only looks like star candy."
"...Is that so?"
Her suspicious gaze didn't waver. She was surprisingly sharp about the strangest things.
"I thought it might be hard to swallow if it looked too strange, so I made it in the shape of star candies. It tastes incredibly bitter, you see!"
Cazar lied through her teeth without batting an eye. Judging by her bright, innocent smile, this definitely wasn't her first time pulling something like this.
"Really? Well, if you say so..."
Fortunately, Franche seemed convinced.
"Then I shall make a swift return."
"Ah, take this with you."
Franche handed me a check.
"You should ride a horse, shouldn't you?"
"Ah, thank you."
Franche smiled gently and patted my shoulder. Her smile carried a hint of deep-seated worry.
"You must be careful, alright?"
"I will."
"...Good. Have a safe trip."
I bowed respectfully and immediately left the house. I then headed to the bank to cash the check, and subsequently rented a horse from the stables. My preparations were complete.
"Let's go."
As I gently stroked the horse's soft neck, a sudden realization hit me.
Wait... I don't actually know how to ride a horse, do I?
What the hell am I supposed to do now?