The Organization's Motto!
"Phew~ You made a bet with that lunatic?"
"Yeah. No choice, right?"
After sealing the bet with Halphas, I went to see Big Daddy the next day and told him everything that had happened the night before. The sudden visit from the war-crazed demon, Vanessa's story—everything. Only after hearing about Vanessa did I see Big Daddy flinch. As expected, this guy knew her true identity all along.
"What a mad bastard. To accept a bet from that war freak..."
"Why? Got a problem with it? Thanks to me, your side won't take any damage, right?"
"I told you before. That bitch is the incarnation of war. Destruction and war are inseparable. She's a complete psycho who just smashes everything in sight! You think she'll let something smashable pass by nicely just because of some bet with a punk like you?!"
"Damn... Should I ask Vanessa for a favor?"
"Ahem! To casually ask that hot-tempered bitch for a favor without issue..."
"Never mind that you knew her identity from the start. Why, ten years ago when we first came here, did you guide us to Vanessa's mansion? I had no connection to her back then."
"I don't know. I just made a pact with her."
"Pact?"
"Right after contracting with Glashalabolras to survive that massacre by the demon of justice hundreds of years ago. I wandered aimlessly and ended up in this land. Crumbled walls, endless fields of corpses, ruined cities. But the only building left standing was that mansion you live in now—Vanessa's place. I sought shelter there and made a pact with her. To bring Dantalian's contractor, who would come to this land far in the future, to her mansion."
"Huh? From back then... she's been waiting for me all this time?"
"That's why I don't know the details! She only told me to guide Dantalian's contractor there! Ask her yourself!"
What the hell is going on? I have no prior connection with her. Did she know I'd show up centuries later?
Why would she wait for me? Maybe it wasn't me specifically—maybe another Dantalian contractor?
But she showed interest in me from our first meeting. No idea why, but have we met somewhere before?
But no matter how I racked my brain, I had no memory of meeting her. After reincarnating into this world due to overwork death in my past life, the only thing that happened was regaining my memories from the shock of getting beaten by the beggar king. Unless we crossed paths while I was dead, passing through hell on my way to rebirth? Even then, it didn't add up. Halphas said Vanessa—Baal—was defeated by the demon of justice long ago and vanished from hell.
Guess I'll have to wait for Vanessa to explain later... Right now, the pressing issue is what's right in front of me.
"Kid. I don't know about anything else, but don't piss off Vanessa. If what you say is true, even Halphas and the other 666 demons are just mice in front of a cat when it comes to her."
"She and I are on pretty good terms! I don't remember ever making her mad... uh... have I?"
...
...
To be precise, it wasn't me who pissed her off—it was squabbles with the women in our family...
'Fall back, Boss!'
'No way! I oppose Vanessa sis monopolizing Actor oppa!'
'Yeah! We're going out to play with Boss oppa!'
'Hey! Vanessa! Aren't you sticking too close to our Boss?!'
'I'm his secretary! And please don't go running around the mansion with that piggishly huge body of yours!'
'Pig?! You wanna go at it for real?!'
'Estelle! What's with the spiderwebs in front of Boss's bedroom?!'
'Beats me~ I know nothing about that~ But why is our secretary slinking around Boss like a little rat?'
'Lately, there are too many flies buzzing around Boss. Boss! Let's move your bedroom.'
'I'm settling things with Boss today, so don't interfere!'
...
...
Whenever it involved me, she seemed to get the angriest? Was that my imagination? The more I thought about it, the times I'd upset her were mostly petty disputes with the girls, but I really had no clue.
"Hey. You crazy punk! You have some idea, don't you?! Spill it!"
"Uh... kinda... a few things?"
"Tch! Handle it yourself. Don't drag me into it with her... Just cleaning up after you has aged me another ten years!"
"Come on, that's too much! Between partners?!"
"Your family causes so much trouble. Cleaning up is overwhelming enough!!--"
...
This centuries-old geezer whining like a kid with a skinned knee.
"If you get it, get out already!- You walking disaster!!--"
And just like that, I got the boot from Big Daddy. How did such a petty guy end up as boss of this massive organization anyway?!
*
Back at the mansion, I gathered our family and the subordinate organizations from each district, ordering them to prepare for the fight against Halphas's contractor who would arrive soon. In this land, risking your life in battle was everyday life, so no one flinched at the idea of all-out war. But knowing the enemy was a demon contractor, tension hung on everyone's faces.
Right on cue, the dwarf delegation arrived to retrieve their kin, bringing weapons, armor, and gear. Thanks to trading them our slaves, we lacked nothing in equipment.
"Boss. The dwarves kept their promise. The gear quality is top-notch."
"As expected from a race of trust and faith! Weapons brimming with the craftsman's touch. Perfect for the battle ahead."
"Boss. Before that, I have a report."
"Hm? What is it, Mary?"
Just as I was wrapping up the meeting after Allen's good news that the dwarf exchange went smoothly, Mary stepped forward with additional intel. Even with her eyes bandaged, I could see her face twist in seriousness.
"It's about the suspicious infiltrators in the city you ordered me to investigate last time."
"Ah! You found them quick. Good work, Mary. Which organization snuck into the city?"
"Not just any organization. It was a black mage faction. And behind them... even bigger headaches than this fight."
"Black mages? Weren't they quietly holed up in the woods? Bigger than this fight?"
...
"Mary?"
"Magus Civitas. They've been expanding north lately. They called back the scattered black mage groups on the condition of rejoining Magus Civitas."
!!!
"I snuck into their hideout and overheard them. They're infiltrating cities across the continent, just like what we went through ten years ago... kidnapping beggars and street kids for human experiments. Hunting humans."
Brrr— Crack!
"Those bastards again..."
"Let's kill 'em! Boss! Wipe those scum out!!-"
"Boss! Send me! I'll slaughter those damn mages right now!"
Rage surged, making my body tremble. It wasn't just me—everyone in the meeting room shook with fury. Lich Pladeus. That disgusting lich who bought us at the slave market, tortured us for days to turn us into monsters. And now Magus Civitas was here in the North Continent, sourcing new test subjects from this forsaken land.
"That info... it's true?"
"Of course! Why would I lie to you about something this insane?! After the hell we endured!"
...
"You all heard. Prina. Use Mary's intel to track down every black mage branch. Then wipe them out, not a single one left."
"Yes!"
"I know we're swamped with Halphas, but you all know we can't let this slide. I'll inform Big Daddy too and request backup. That guy won't let central continent mage trash pull filthy stunts in his turf either."
No change in focusing on the Halphas bet first, so I sent Prina to scout main hideouts while gathering more on their scale and locations. Human procurement leaves traces—no matter how hidden, people go missing.
"Grrr! Gnash!— Boss! Send me! I'll kill them all right now!"
"Rina sis. You first with the war..."
"Please! Let me go kill them! I don't want other kids suffering like we did! Please, Boss!"
"... Fine. Once Prina pinpoints them, you go wipe 'em out. No need for captures. We can peel faces in the Halphas war. Kill everything in sight!"
"Got it! Leave it to me!!-"
"Boss oppa! Me too!"
"Oppa and sis's enemies are our enemies!"
...
"You guys are victims of Pladeus's experiments too, in a way... Fine. But don't overdo it. Listen to Rina sis, okay?"
"“Yes!”"
"Good! Let's recap! Crush Halphas's contractor and army soon to end that damn war freak's connection! Then slaughter every Magus Civitas mage! Got it?!"
"““Yes!””"
"Our organization's motto is simple! What is it?!"
"““Protect the family! Never betray the family! Fight for the family!””"
"That's right! Our family is family! Anyone who touches family dies to the last man! Got it?!"
"““Yes!””"
"War starts now! First, crush Halphas's contractor!!-"
Even if we're a crime organization, we're human too. Surviving this hellish world. Living for our family. Those who threaten our family...
We kill them all!
...
...
...
"Haa~♥ I can't wait to plunder him soon~♥ Hehe... Stealing the one Baal-nim marked? Where else can I get such a thrill? Hehe~♥"
"Ooooh!~ Goddess of War! We have completed preparations for the great war you desire! In one week, we arrive in the North Continent!!-"
"One week... Kinda boring till then, but fine! Brave warriors! Show me your war!~♥ Unleash all desire, destruction, rage! Teach the aesthetics of war! Haaa~♥ Show that war is the art revealing humanity's most beautiful instincts raw!!-"
"““War eternal!!--””"
"March! I want to seize him in my grasp ASAP! For even greater wars!~♥"
The war-freak goddess and apostle of war advance. Toward the forsaken land. The North, called the worst exile ground.