Translator: Nox

23

Chapter 23

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I had confidently declared to Vivian, "I'll take care of it!" but in reality, eradicating "Cecil's Lullaby" from the slums was quite a tricky task.

When I played the <Cecil's Lullaby> quest in the game, not only the slums but the entire kingdom was suffering from "Cecil's Lullaby."

It was a large-scale event, and thanks to that, I could receive help from many people.

But now, "Cecil's Lullaby" was just beginning to spread in the slums. I had to solve it purely with my own strength.

I examined the cards I held in my hand.

Vivian had given me the recipe for "Cecil's Lullaby."

Bruno had given me the location of the warehouse where "Cecil's Lullaby" was stored.

'And the information I learned through the game, I guess.'

At first, I thought about using my power to move the guard. But there was a lack of justification.

It wasn't like he was using forbidden herbs designated by the country, and Bruno was a Wizard affiliated with the Magic Tower.

Even if it was the guard, touching a Wizard from the Magic Tower without solid evidence was a risky move.

It could potentially escalate into an international issue with the Magic Republic, to which the Magic Tower belonged.

Even if Bruno was revealed to be the mastermind, the Magic Tower was extraterritorial, so it would be difficult to impose proper punishment.

Moreover, the slums were a crime-ridden area ruled by the laws of the underworld, not the kingdom's laws.

The guard would be reluctant to step forward.

'Informing the Magic Tower internally wouldn't be the answer either.'

Blood is thicker than water.

In the end, the only remaining option was to eliminate all the stock stored in Bruno's warehouse and prevent the drug from spreading further into the slums.

Fortunately, I could easily think of someone suitable for the job.

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend, they say."

The one who currently held the most animosity towards Bruno.

It wasn't Vivian, nor the temple, which had a bad relationship with the Magic Tower.

It was none other than the two forces that controlled the slums.

The "Sewer Rat," who monitored the order of the slums with vast information, and the "Stray Dog," who defended the order of the slums with ruthless violence.

No one would want to tear Bruno to pieces as much as they would.

He had disrupted the order of the slums, which they had protected for hundreds of years.

Among them, the leader of the Sewer Rat died from addiction in the early stages of "Cecil's Lullaby" distribution.

The Sewer Rat, having lost its leader, quickly collapsed, and the Stray Dog, having lost the Sewer Rat, simply transformed into a violent group that filled its own belly.

The slums, having lost their rulers, succumbed helplessly to "Cecil's Lullaby."

'The Sewer Rat must be searching for the culprit with bloodshot eyes right now.'

Originally, finding an executive of the Sewer Rat was impossible, even for the King.

Even I, who had mastered almost all endings of <Hirome>, couldn't know who the current executive of the Sewer Rat was, but I could obtain some clues to find them.

Ending number 23, the one who becomes darker than the darkness.

As you can tell from this edgy name, it's an ending where the protagonist becomes the leader of the underworld.

It was quite difficult to achieve because I had to revive the collapsed Sewer Rat and put a leash on the Stray Dog, who had lost control.

Fortunately, there was one helper who wholeheartedly assisted the protagonist in becoming the leader of the underworld.

Jerry, the only survivor among the executives of the Sewer Rat, who was looking for a new King to restore the collapsed order of the slums.

He said...

"The method the previous Sewer Rat used to collect information on the nobles?"

"We just... ran a normal family business. My mother, my father, and my crazy sister who foamed at the mouth."

"Although I was an executive, in reality, I was just supporting my father, who had a brilliant mind."

A job where you could pick up gossip that nobles carelessly let slip, freely enter and exit noble mansions, and even examine their bodies without raising suspicion.

A dress shop was the perfect disguise for obtaining information on the nobles.

Taking Jerry's words as a hint, I summoned all the dress shops that the Sewer Rat might operate.

"Contact the dress shop I'm talking about right now. I need to get a dress made immediately."

I deliberately leaked information in front of those gathered, and the Sewer Rat eagerly bit the cheese I had leaked.

When the information that Marilyn's husband was sick also coincided, my suspicion turned into certainty.

Terry, the executive of the Sewer Rat I met, was, to be honest, very scary.

Especially when I think about the look she gave me when I mentioned the name Cecil...

'I guess that's what they call the madness in clear eyes.'

I subtly hid behind Lord Penadel and answered his question about how I knew Terry was a Sewer Rat.

"You underestimate the information power of the Blanche family."

This time, Terry opened her mouth instead of Lord Penadel.

"We know very well that the Blanche family is a moron who buys silver with gold to earn 1 silver, but you're talking as if you have some great information power."

Wow, she's suddenly hitting me with the truth.

It's true that the descendants of Blanche can't earn a penny on their own and are sucking the sweet juice of the achievements made by one ancestor.

I tried to pretend it wasn't, but I was poked in the sore spot, and an awkward smile spread across my face.

But Belinda is someone whose ego dominates her body. Maybe others see it as an incredibly arrogant smile?

"The Sewer Rat's information power is only that much after all. Just because you haven't uncovered it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. As proof..."

I deliberately paused for a beat before continuing.

"I'm trying to provide information that even the Sewer Rat doesn't know. For example, how about the warehouse where 'Cecil's Lullaby' is stored or an antidote that can cure the addicted?"

At my words, Terry's expression, which had been sullen all along, quietly sank.

Her quiet anger was chillingly cold, but I had Lord Penadel as a human shield.

"Is it okay to judge that Miss Belinda is admitting to being the culprit who manufactured and distributed 'Cecil's Lullaby'? No, how can we believe that information is true in the first place?"

"Does someone who handles information entrust the weight of truth and falsehood to the other party? Why should I prove my innocence? That's your job."

I gave Terry, who seemed speechless, a cold warning as if it were the last time.

"Check it with your own eyes. I'll be sure to get the price for your rudeness and the information later."

Outside, the sky was already faintly dawning.

I didn't feel the dawn of the day when the college entrance exam results were announced was this long.

I was so exhausted that I collapsed on the chair without worrying about my image, closed my eyes, and organized my thoughts.

'Vivian is making the antidote, so it will be completed soon.'

But the real problem was how to give the antidote to the slum people who didn't even know they were addicted.

Fortunately, the method was surprisingly simple.

In fact, an antidote wasn't even necessary, but I asked Vivian to make it because I had other uses for it.

'Based on what Jerry said, his father, that is, Madam Marilyn's husband, must be the leader of the Sewer Rat.'

Fortunately, he didn't seem to be dead yet.

If I gave him the antidote to cure him, I could gain the trust of the Sewer Rat.

As the tension in my whole body was released, I felt a belated headache.

It was because I had strained my nerves all night with Belinda's body, which wasn't in good condition to begin with.

Ah, I feel like my eyes are getting hot too.

My body is in this state after staying up all night.

Isn't Belinda's prickly and bad temper partly due to her weak body?

"Lord, are you there?"

"Yes."

"I think my eyes are getting hot. Bring me a cloth soaked in cold water."

Even to my quietly murmured words, I didn't feel Lord Penadel moving.

Am I using people too much in the middle of the night?

Just as I was about to say it was okay out of embarrassment.

An ice-cold and large hand carefully covered my eyes.

"Ugh."

Surprised by the temperature, I let out a faint groan, and Lord Penadel's hand trembled and fell, then covered my eyes again with a moderate weight.