The luxurious carriage started pulling away from the front of the embassy. The sounds of the horse's hoofs and the turning of the carriages wheels slowly faded off into the distance.
Shien and Lucy both sat together in the cabin of the carriage and have started discussing the events just now.
"Well?"
Lucy started with such a question.
"What else?" Shien replied listlessly, "I can only say, as expected of an old guy who's been alive for over a thousand years. Other than what he purposefully leaked, he basically didn't reveal a thing. He's quite something."
The previous bit of conversation might look like Lucy interrogating Jacinta the whole time, but it's obvious looking back on it that it was that Violent Dragon who had held the initiative and control over the whole conversation.
"I'm even suspecting that those twins had purposefully provoked me under his direction. Before we even started probing at him, he has already started testing us. Really, he's unbelievably cunning. As expected, all politicians are black hearted."
Shien completely spat out all his inner thoughts, making Lucy show a difficult face.
"Those words of yours are rather indiscriminate here. Please don't say it out in public. Otherwise, you'll end up offending a lot of people." Lucy rebuked Shien, but she also agreed, "However, Lord Jacinta is indeed not easy to deal with. He pretty much parried all my questioning, and he didn't show any difficulty in it from start to end. He revealed to us the portions that he felt was fine to reveal to us, and everything that he didn't want to reveal was completely covered up and refuted. And he did it all in a way that makes it that we can't push him even when we suspect it. He's quite tight lipped."
"However, it's not like we didn't get anything out of it at all." Shien spoke thoughtfully, "From the portion that guy revealed, we can know that he shouldn't be working with those monsters, and that he's in fact hostile to them."
"Indeed." Lucy nodded in agreement, "Although we don't know what he knows, it's likely that he's staying in the Capital and his subordinates are moving around the areas near the Capital in order to find that monster. Or rather, to find the people controlling that monster from behind the scene."
Shien and Lucy were both certain that there's a mastermind behind that monster.
Shien is sure because of the information he got from Nien, so he knew long before there's someone trying to create a new Demon King behind that monster.
Lucy is sure due to the situation from the previous day. Adding in the fact of that mysterious ritual likely occuring on that mountain, she determined that the monster was purposed situated there by someone.
"Who could it be though?" Lucy muttered.
Shien didn't say anything, but he had some ideas.
Without question, that monster's birth has something to do with the Old Demon Faction.
However, the ones controlling that monster may not necessarily be the same as being the ones who created it.
At the very least, Shien feels that way.
He can't say exactly why that's so, but it is a kind of mysterious intuition that he has.
(This feeling. It might be from the same source as the reason why Lucy could find where that monster was situated.)
In other words, that intuition may originate from Shien's blessing.
Having the Highest God's Blessing is like having the protection of the world itself. Thus, Shien may very well be just like Lucy, able to accomplish his goals solely by using his intuition.
Lucy, who didn't know about Shien's situation, asked him something.
"Doesn't that mean then that we're out of clues then?"
Lucy was worried over that.
This is likely all that they will be getting from Jacinta.
And the possible links from that mountain had long since been broken.
Now, Lucy felt like there was no more way to continue investigating.
Of course, Shien thought differently.
"Didn't you say that you possess the guidance of fate, so you'll be able to reach the core of the matter sooner or later?" Shien spoke noncommittally, "In that case, then it's fine for you to just continue waiting."
"So I have no choice but to just wait then?" Lucy wasn't all that willing though.
Seeing that, Shien gave Lucy a suggestion.
"You can send people to keep an eye on the demon s in secret then." Shien spoke, "That demon Commander is still going to keep having his subordinates keep investigating around the Capital after all, so you can have some people keep following them in secret. For one, it'll let you monitor their movements, and for two, when they discover anything, you'll be able to also learn it as soon as possible as well."
"That…" Lucy hesitated, "Isn't that bad though?"
"What's bad about it?" Shien grimaced before continuing, "Since he can ignore your own situation and send his subordinates out around the Capital while refusing to reveal anything, that's practically declaring to you that he's unwilling to cooperate or work with you. In that case then, why should you care about his own position and avoid tailing his own people?"
Those words were rather rough but logical. Shien had directly pointed out the important bits, so Lucy fell silent.
"How about this then." Shien saw Lucy's considering look and showed an evil grin, "You can just directly send the knights to seal off all the areas around the Capital using the investigation of suspicious individuals as an excuse. That way, the demons won't be able to send people to look around anymore, and they'd be stuck as well. With that, if that Demon Commander wants to do anything, then he'd have no choice but to find you and ask to cooperate with you. When that time comes, wouldn't you then be able to force him to tell you all that he knows?"
Shien's suggestion completely stunned Lucy.
"Isn't that really bad?"
Lucy was a bit dumbfounded.
"What's bad about it?" Shien however spoke as if it was completely just, "There are indeed suspicious individuals moving about in the Capital's surrounding areas. Thus, it's only right that you send the knights in to investigate. It's also completely logical to cordon off the area. Thus, how could you call it bad?"
"… Your explanation isn't wrong." Lucy had no words with which to refute him, "Only, the method. And you were just talking about how they're black hearted, so why do I feel like you're no better?"
It can't be helped. All this came from involuntary osmosis.
They're classic cliches of dirty tactics after all. Even though it's dirty, it's still a cliché. Thus, someone like Shien who has been bombarded with such things will logically not lack ideas when it comes to stuff like that.
The most important part though is that this way, he could somewhat get back at that arrogant demon Commander who acts like everything's under his control. And that will get Shien in a good mood.
"Just say if you'll do it or not."
Shien doesn't care to explain any further. Instead, he just tossed the question back at Lucy.
"… I'll do it." Lucy let out a sigh and spoke resignedly, "Putting aside for the moment whether or not we'll work together with Lord Jacinta, by the current situation, it's still necessary to have the knights seal off the areas around the Capital."
Who knows if there are more of those kind monster after all?
Who knows if the masterminds behind it all might try something new in the areas near the Capital?
Plus, using human wave tactics to cover more ground and search the area is also a decent method.
Thus, in the end, Lucy agreed.
"And you? What are you planning on doing?"
Lucy looked at Shien and asked.
"Me huh…" Shien rubbed at his chin for a moment before replying, "I'm going to head back to the library for my proper work. When I get back come night, I'll go ask a big shot of the demon race about it. See if maybe she knows something."
"A big shot of the demon race?" Lucy didn't understand.
Shien didn't explain anymore either. He just shrugged and looked outside the window.
The carriage continued its travels and had finally returned to the palace.
Afterwards, Lucy sent out the knights just as she said and sealed off the areas around the Capital. She also released the news to notify everyone to not approach those areas.
Please do not delete thisHow to find a list of chaptersPlease find the chapter label next to your favorite translator's name, and click the label.
