"So, you want to use the count and the marquis as a scapegoat to spread the knowledge. This way, you can avoid the blame from the Third Prince while still defeating your father's old enemies.
"During this turmoil, our Eternal Flower can infiltrate that place and gather information about the Supreme Devil Organization. Even if they're not related, they're going to be destroyed anyway."
"Yeah." Noel nodded. "This way, I can safely spread the knowledge."
"Does that mean you don't trust the Third Prince?"
"Although my father has supported him, I don't know the Third Prince personally. The fact that he is still adamant about his Third Prince's status, as if he is still the successor of the throne, has told me everything. He is still planning to become the king.
"Having this book will not only allow him to ascend the throne, but also become a higher ruler compared to the other three kingdoms. At that time, there will be a chance that the other three kingdoms will make an alliance and strike our kingdom.
"I don't want a war like that, Harley. I want humanity to unite and use that power to expand our territories by defeating the demons. Our enemies are not other humans. It's the demons." Noel looked at Harley with genuine concern.
Harley never thought that Noel didn't think only of this kingdom but the entire humanity. It seemed the only way to surpass their ancestor was to go beyond this kingdom.
He could finally see the path that no one had ever tread before. And this time, Noel wanted to walk on this path. To do that, he needed his help.
Harley thought for a moment. "In that case, I have to confirm two more matters, Master. First, how do you wish to treat the Countess?"
"She is my father's ally, not mine. Hence, I'm going there as a friend. If we can cooperate, it's good. But if we can't, that's when you make your move."
"Ah, I see…" Harley nodded. "Lastly, how do you wish to lead this brothel? I and the girls are at your command, so we'd like to know how you are going to lead us."
This question put a frown on Noel's face. On the one hand, this question seemed to be a warning from Harley. He wanted to see whether Noel was a good leader or not. He might have the ambition and the will to be a leader, but he didn't know about his ability.
"I see. So, you are giving me the command over you, the girls, and the brothels?" Noel smirked as if he was having an evil thought about it.
"Yes." Even Harley started to doubt, thinking he was hiding some weird intentions.
But to his surprise, Noel actually patted him. "In that case, I shall hand the authority back to you. You are the one who develops the brothel and our information network. So, you should be the leader. I'm asking for your cooperation, Harley. I'm not going to order you like a doll. After all, your experience and expertise are useful to me."
Harley closed his eyes for a moment. After hearing it, even Illia, who had been maintaining her poker face, couldn't help but have a change of emotion. Even the neutrality in her heart gradually turned into loyalty.
It seemed that their new leader was quite good.
After considering some pros and cons, Harley confirmed. "I understand. We shall cooperate fully with Master's plan. We have spread our people around their territories. So…"
Harley turned to Illia and nodded his head.
Illia immediately walked to a shelf and took out a metal box. She presented it to Noel while opening it, showing a black coin.
The shape and size looked like a normal gold coin, but the color and the drawing on it were different.
"Please take this with you, Master. If you present this to the receptionist in all our brothels, they'll guide you to the manager of that brothel. They will treat you like how they see me, so you can ask for their cooperation."
"I see. It's good to have a backup." Noel nodded. "Don't worry. Even if I have to involve them, I'm still going to consider their lives. I'm not going to send them to their deaths."
"I'm grateful for Master's consideration."
"Alright then. Let's discuss the details, shall we?" Noel smirked.
It took them three hours for Noel and Harley to discuss the details. However, they surely felt satisfied with the development. Since it took them a while to finish, Harley sent Illia to inform Anna and Rose of the current development.
Those two felt relieved since they gained the cooperation of the brothel. And Anna didn't have to fight against the brothel whose owner was Noel's subordinate.
…
After finishing their discussion, Noel decided to leave, planning to finish his own preparation.
Of course, he explained all the details to Anna and Rose. For Rose, this was a good opportunity to see how Noel's plan could take down a Count and a Marquis. This showed a lot of his abilities.
On the other hand, Anna felt overwhelmed because it was clear that the brothel's help would be a big boost to her investigation. Whether they were related or not, it wouldn't really matter since she would complete her own task with flying colors.
At the same time, the Royal Family and the Third Prince would be fighting against each other for the time being, giving breathing time for her father. This way, she could finally return to visit her father for a while, discussing the next step.
"And that's how it is…" Noel ended his explanation with a smile.
Rose nodded, satisfied. Meanwhile, Anna actually dropped her jaw.
Yes, the plan was good. But Anna felt it was too good.
With this plan, he could take down a marquis. Even she had heard that the marquis' downfall was related to this scenario.
But she also had a certain thought. 'What if Noel actually used this plan to destroy her family?'
It could destroy her family. But she somehow felt glad that Noel should have known about his father's secret before launching this plan. Otherwise, her situation in her past life would be much worse. And in this life, they might have to kill each other for real.
