Chapter 4 - Becoming the Mastermind of the Count’s House (4)

Time passed, bringing Alon into the second year since he had rescued Yutia and begun exchanging letters with her regularly.

“The rescue was successful this time as well.”

“Really?”

Evan had brought Alon good news.

“Did you send them to the orphanage?”

“Yes. That makes five.”

Alon nodded.

Over the past year and a little more, Alon had successfully rescued all three remaining Sins he had originally intended to save.

‘Rescuing the Sin of Greed was a little difficult.’

The Sin of Greed, whom he had rescued third and who currently went by the name Rine Grof, had merely been difficult to find. The rescue itself had not been particularly hard.

The same went for the other Sins.

Finding each of them had taken a few months, but by working Evan hard with the knowledge he had gained playing the game, Alon had managed to locate them.

Alon looked at Evan, who had spent the past year running all over the place on his orders to rescue the Five Great Sins, and said,

“You can get some rest now.”

“Are we finished now?”

“We’re finished.”

“... That’s a relief.”

Evan sighed in relief, then looked at Alon.

“But aren’t you happy, young master?”

“Of course I’m happy.”

“For someone who’s happy, you don’t show it at all.”

“... Really?”

At Evan’s words, Alon turned to look in the mirror.

There was the face of Alon, now all too familiar to him.

‘He’s right...’

The man reflected in the mirror was expressionless.

No, on closer inspection, the corners of his mouth were slightly raised. But the change was so minute that anyone not looking very carefully would miss it.

Alon tried forcing his mouth into a smile, then stopped when he saw his reasonably handsome face turn into that of an oddball.

‘It feels like the skin on my face is the only part I haven’t properly possessed.’

Unlike before, when his emotions had shown clearly, Alon’s body did not let them appear on his face.

Even when they did, the changes were far too subtle.

‘Not that it’s a bad thing.’

Of course, Alon felt only the slightest regret over this and did not consider it a major issue.

After all, other people were the ones who might feel uncomfortable because his emotions did not show. It hardly inconvenienced him.

‘Anyway, that takes care of everything I need to do for now.’

Alon smiled as he thought of the five prospective Sins he had gathered at the orphanage.

‘I never thought things would work out this well.’

In truth, Alon had never expected things to go this smoothly from the outset.

All five had more than enough reason to become Sins, and no matter how hard he worked to rescue them, he could not save them before anything bad happened to them.

In other words, his sole concern had been that he could only rescue the Five Great Sins after they were already broken. Yet, as though to put those worries to shame, all five were growing up normally.

“Evan.”

“Yes.”

“You said everything looked fine when you last visited the orphanage, right?”

“Even Rine and Seollang, who had been in poor condition before I sent them to the orphanage, had recovered quite well by the time I went to look around.”

“Really?”

“Yes. When I first rescued Seollang, she sat motionless, doing nothing, like a completely broken doll. But she was doing well at the orphanage. Likewise, Rine had kept her eyes shut when I first rescued her, as though refusing to look at anything, but the last time I saw her, she was reading a book with an interested expression.”

Alon nodded at Evan’s words.

They were little different from what Yutia had written in her letters.

‘I didn’t know Yutia would do such a good job.’

In truth, part of the reason Alon had initially left Yutia at the orphanage was that he did not want to keep her close. But it was also because her backstory said she was rather attached to the place.

Still, he honestly could not be certain she would take good care of the other children too. He had originally planned to send Evan to check on things and even bring in professional help(?) if anything seemed the slightest bit off.

‘There’s no need for that now, though.’

Alon smiled.

Things had worked out far better than expected, and thanks to Yutia’s efforts, there was now only one thing left for him to do.

‘Develop enough ability to protect myself.’

Of course, as House Palladio’s third son, his life would not be threatened if he did nothing out of the ordinary.

He even had Evan at his side.

But remembering that this world was based on dark fantasy, he considered the ability to protect himself essential. That was why he was debating whether to learn magic.

“Oh, speaking of which, have you heard about ‘Blue Moon,’ young master?”

Evan’s words interrupted his deliberations, and Alon asked,

“Blue Moon?”

“Yes. They’re a group that has recently become very well known in the east. I hear they’ve been hunting down other criminal organizations.”

“... One organization is hunting other organizations?”

“Yes.”

“Then they’re doing good work.”

Alon’s reply was flat.

Having already fully adapted to this dark fantasy world, he offered praise.

If Blue Moon were massacring ordinary people, that would be something to frown upon. But hunting criminal organizations was a slightly different matter.

After all, Alon had never seen or heard of anyone calling themselves an ‘organization’ on this continent conducting business that did not involve human lives.

A group that hunted bastards who toyed with people’s lives was hardly something to view negatively. That was why Alon had reacted that way—but then Evan continued.

“The problem is, they kill nobles too.”

“... Evan.”

“Yes.”

“Starting today, sleep in the room next to mine.”

Alon spoke firmly.

‘Blue Moon never appeared in the original game, so they probably disappear before the story begins. It should be fine... Oh, come to think of it, Leo’s been in a bad mood lately. Was that why?’

Alon considered that briefly, then shrugged and began writing a letter.

It was his reply to the letter Yutia had sent, which had arrived yesterday.

“Hmm...”

As it happened, yesterday’s letter from Yutia was much the same as her previous ones. Along with a few pleasantries, it contained brief updates on those he had asked her to care for and a list of donors.

After checking it, Alon began with his usual inquiries about how she was doing. Later, he considered mentioning the ‘Blue Moon’ he had just heard about from Evan, but decided against it.

They supposedly hunted criminal organizations and nobles, after all—not orphanages full of orphans.

Alon finished his letter as usual and sent it to the Mercenary Guild.

It was a leisurely day.

####

A few weeks later, at the orphanage in the east.

At the regular weekly meeting they had begun holding after starting their ‘activities’ in earnest, Yutia was reading Alon’s letter.

“Is that a letter from him? Let me read it too! Me too!”

“I’d like... to read it too.”

As Yutia read, one girl waved her hand enthusiastically, while another sitting opposite her raised a hand timidly.

Their golden and green eyes, respectively, shone even in the dim hideout. They were Seollang and Rine, who would one day become the Sin of Pride and the Sin of Greed.

“Here.”

“Can we really read it?! You wouldn’t show us last time!”

“It’s about time I let you see it.”

Yutia smiled and handed over the letter. Seollang and Rine looked at it curiously, as did Deus, who had been sitting quietly beside them.

A little later.

“... This is an order?”

“It just looks like everyday conversation...”

“...”

All three reread the letter with puzzled expressions.

It really contained nothing but ordinary conversation.

When Deus looked at Yutia, his expression demanding an explanation, she smiled and explained.

“Of course it looks that way. From the very beginning, he ordered me to make it look like ordinary conversation.”

Then Yutia took a slightly worn letter from inside her clothing and showed it to them.

“...”

Its contents were ordinary. It began with a casual inquiry about her well-being, then naturally went on to suggest that they regularly exchange letters about the ‘orphanage.’

“...?”

“Isn’t this just an ordinary letter too...?”

Seollang and Rine looked puzzled.

Deus, however, spoke as though he had readily grasped the letter’s true meaning.

“Are you exchanging letters this way because our secrets must not get out?”

“That’s right.”

“I see.”

Deus nodded, glanced at Seollang and Rine, who were still staring at the letter, then asked,

“If you’re concerned about secrets leaking, wouldn’t it be better to use a magical communication device, or for us to visit regularly and hear what he has to say?”

“That’s right.”

“Then why insist on exchanging letters this way?”

“Because that is his will.”

Yutia smiled and added,

“If he has decided that’s how it will be, all we need to do is obey. There’s no need to question it or think about it.”

“...”

At those words, Deus felt his mouth go dry for a moment.

Her emotions were generally calm, but whenever she spoke of him, she displayed a faith so intense that even Deus felt a momentary chill.

“... I understand.”

Looking at the fanatical light in her red eyes, Deus quietly agreed. Once Yutia had taken back the letters she had handed to the members and tucked them carefully inside her clothing, the ‘reports’ began.

“Seollang. What about the north?”

“You mean the slave traders?”

“That’s right.”

At Yutia’s words, Seollang gave a bright, utterly unclouded smile.

“I took care of all of them.”

“Your identity?”

“They didn’t find out! The clothes Rine made me really seem to work. I gave them a quiz and told them I’d let them live if they could describe my face correctly, but not one of them could answer.”

“So?”

“I pulled them all off. Their heads.”

Those words were far too cruel to have come with such a cheerful smile, but Yutia calmly turned her gaze to Deus.

“What about the south?”

“A group called Avalon was running rampant, so I took care of all of them. I also found something there that we need to discuss today.”

“What is it?”

“Avalon’s leader is the eldest son of the count’s house where he lives, isn’t he?”

Yutia silently nodded at Deus’s words.

But then—

“... It seems the count’s eldest son is trying to get him addicted.”

The instant he finished speaking,

“... What?”

The atmosphere froze.

Seollang, who had been smiling cheerfully only moments earlier, flattened her ears back and warily watched Yutia. Rine, who had been watching everyone’s reactions all along, fixed her gaze straight ahead.

Deus, who had foreseen this situation, was about the only one who could still look directly at Yutia.

Yet even he felt as though cold sweat were running down his entire body under a killing intent far stronger than he had expected.

A short while later...

“... Are you certain?”

“There were written orders.”

“Did you bring them?”

“Yes.”

As though he had been waiting for the question, Deus took a letter from inside his clothing.

Yutia read it without blinking.

[After the count, who appears to have little time left, dies, quietly get him addicted and dispose of him.]

As she read that final line,

“... So he is.”

She clenched the written orders in her hand.

“He really is.”

Her eyes chilling, she murmured softly.