Chapter 113
Chapter 113
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 113
Chapter Title: Superior-Subordinate Affection (1)
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"From today on, we're taking aggressive countermeasures."
For the time being, we'd ignore the Demon God Cult's lack of movement and focus on swiftly and decisively resolving the issues with Svetlana's constant meddling toward Karin and the labyrinth itself.
Up until now, we'd prioritized Karin's safety above all else, avoiding any risks of tangling with the Demon God. But since they kept throwing the first punches, it felt wiser to operate under the assumption that conflict was inevitable and plan to crush them outright.
It was almost certain that Svetlana had some means of interfering with Karin, so with help from Big Sis Mina and Big Sis Reimi, we'd also set up barriers to block external observation as much as possible.
"Aggressive... what exactly does that mean?"
"I don't know much about the labyrinth, but I sure as hell know who's been messing with you, Karin. We're gonna wipe them out."
"Whoa. That's gotta be one of the most extreme things you've ever said, Cafe Manager."
"Well, 'wipe out' might sound a bit harsh, but that's the term we have to use since we can't actually kill them."
"Immortal?"
I nodded at Big Sis Mina's question. Svetlana was a headache in multiple ways. Being immortal was bad enough, but she was loaded with annoying abilities like spatial teleportation, shapeshifting disguises, mental interference, invisibility, and more.
In the first game I'd played, she was more of a map gimmick than something you fought head-on, and back when I was Julius Lebedev, the best answer had always been "don't fight her."
But now we had Big Sis Mina and Ermina—two asymmetric superweapons against great demons—me, and Karin, who was linked to Svetlana in a curse-like bond.
Whether it was a curse or a blessing, once two sides were connected like that, interference was unavoidable. I figured the link had to be pretty deep for such persistent meddling.
"Fundamentally, you can't kill a great demon like Svetlana. Even the Goddess's power—the best matchup—can't do it."
"Ugh. Just thinking about her pisses me off."
"Exactly. That's why Lebedev struggled with her for over a century without ever managing to kill her."
"But you said you have a plan, so there must be a way, right?"
It was hard to explain in words, so I just nodded.
This was something I'd have to discuss in depth with Karin herself later, since she was the one most directly involved.
"Alright. I'll leave the 'how to wipe her out' to you, Cafe Manager. I trust you completely on that front. So, what do we need to do?"
"Big Sis Reimi, please dig all the way to the bottom on that item I asked you to analyze last time. Big Sis Mina, set up a barrier that can absolutely bind a great demon, even if it only lasts a short while. And though she's not here, Ermina, Kaya, and Yumin's subordinate will use the Goddess's mark on Karin to pinpoint her coordinates the moment she's isolated."
"So, the setup is: Karin gets snatched away, we track her, ambush Svetlana, and capture her."
"Exactly."
Conversations like this were always so smooth. They got it perfectly even when I skimped on the details.
And for Dras, who had been watching us, I had one final request.
"Dras. You know those swords like fairy swords, right?"
"Ah, yeah."
"I'd like to buy one that's decently sturdy. Got anything good?"
"Depends on the use, but I've definitely got something worth handing over to you."
"Then I'll take one, please."
That wrapped up the task assignments.
"Um, Cafe Manager?"
"Yeah?"
"Don't I have a role?"
"Of course you do. Why wouldn't you?"
At my words, Karin's face lit up with excitement, though it was mixed with a hint of hesitation from the pressure she felt as she looked at me.
But her role... wasn't anything impressive-sounding, so I hesitated to spell it out.
"The most important thing for you going forward is courage. Courage. And patience."
"Honestly, that's kinda deflating."
"Our whole plan hinges on that bastard Svetlana showing up. Which means endless waiting until she does."
Hmm. Karin let out a dissatisfied noise, but then her eyes suddenly widened as if she'd had a bright idea.
"What if I lure her out?"
"Lure her? How?"
"By doing something that'd catch her interest."
"Something to catch Svetlana's interest. Hmm."
The only thing that came to mind was something sexual.
"Your Excellency."
"...You're an idiot, Cafe Manager."
"Until this damn world gets a bit more normal, I'm planning to stay an idiot."
"Idiot Cafe Manager."
"Yeah, an idiot. An idiot who doesn't get women."
"Idiot Manager dummy."
No matter what she said, we had to put it aside, avoid drawing unnecessary attention or suspicion, and quietly bide our time while steadily diving into the labyrinth.
We at least needed to progress the story until the Demon God's power fully charged, or Svetlana wouldn't bother showing up.
"For now, let's aim for clearing mapped floors. Depending on the situation, we'll push into unmapped layers within striking distance."
"Won't that be dangerous?"
"I never thought I'd be the one saying this... but like I mentioned earlier, this is defense through offense. We dive deep into the labyrinth first, uncover secrets ahead of her, proactively advance the bracelet to the next stage, then snag Svetlana the moment she appears. Depending on the bracelet's conditions, we might even need to go deeper."
Might need to? No, we definitely would.
This was a game-based world, no matter what anyone said. Solving all the riddles set up like world-shattering secrets by the labyrinth's lower floors? Ridiculous. No game would be designed that way.
So inevitably, we'd have no choice but to descend to the deepest level and unravel the mysteries there.
"So, are we good on what we all need to do?"
"Not bad for something you cooked up in a day."
"Aw, come on, Dras. A day? I've been mulling this over non-stop."
"Figured as much, with your personality."
"My personality?"
"You're the type who keeps your brain spinning full speed even while brewing coffee."
Spot on.
Whenever there was something to handle, I'd keep thinking about it no matter if I was working, in the bathroom, whatever. Coming up with a scheme that had a high chance of sending Svetlana packing was my biggest win this week.
Now we just needed to refine the plan and iron out any issues during prep.
It was the kind of thing I'd done often back when I went by Julius Lebedev. Guess I'm still racking my brains here too.
A wry smile escaped me as I brewed a cup of coffee.
Even in this vaguely irritating situation, the coffee still tasted great.
**
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"This is boring."
Svetlana was in a corner of Astraea, disguised as a human, sharing vision with her familiar. Had she gone too wild playing around in Porky's body? She wasn't sure if they'd pinpointed her, but they'd definitely fortified their defenses.
As a result, the intel she received was cut down to less than half—practically useless.
It was getting harder to watch Porky fantasizing about Julius alone, pulling out and stashing away naughty lingerie, or just acting like an idiot.
With that daily dopamine hit gone from her routine, she slumped at a tavern table corner, chugging ale after ale.
She was a priestess of the Demon God Cult, and the Demon God had left a precept against getting drunk, just like the Goddess. But cheap human ale wasn't enough to inebriate her anyway.
The faint alcohol scent rising up felt just right, so she tipped the barkeep extra, paid up, then sought out something sour and spicy to quench the booze-induced thirst. She ended up buying three skewers from a chicken stall using spicy sauce and devoured them.
"Ahh, my belly doesn't get full on stuff like this."
Watching humans crumble under desires they can't control—that's my joy.
That's what fills me up.
Porky seemed to have her desires mostly reined in by artifacts, leaving only some innocent crush. Even scraping the bottom of that barrel left nothing worthwhile.
And right then, the message she'd been waiting for finally arrived.
The Annihilator Octris had returned to the Demon God Cult's meeting hall.
"Fuck, she got here fast."
She hurried out of Astraea, nodded to the guards' greetings, then stood in the middle of the desert under the blazing sun to resume communication.
"Hey, Octris. What took you?"
『I was busy killing off worthless scum one by one!』
The cute voice delivering such brutal content was her charm point. Svetlana couldn't help but laugh in disbelief, and Octris laughed along.
Fools were fun to look at, faces and all.
"Situation sucks. Karsis is dead, Danil's dead, and I'm stuck here."
『Ehh? They begged me to be the one to kill them when their time came.』
"Like they had a time to die. Bad luck, heads roll—that's it."
『Lanarana always wants you to kill her.』
"I'm not dying. I'm the toughest one, remember?"
She cooed and cajoled the one calling her that shitty nickname, telling her not to go anywhere else and to kill off some innocent demons nearby if she got bored, then cut the connection.
Time was short for her too.
No choice but to push hard, rip Porky away from the Goddess, ruin her, and make her escape.