"…The Duke is already and we menace can't let him invite another. Especially if it's one who served 'that' Former Emperor."
Dominik spoke as he thought about the Former Emperor of the Great Western Empire and the Empress Dowager of the Great Eastern Empire who were wreaking havoc for the Demonic Hand on the Northern Alpha Continent.
As he browsed his files, Dominik crossed out names he remembered. Each file included the names and photos of soldiers, adventurers, and knights who had become famous over the preceding month owing to the undead incident and were considered dangers by the Eighth Finger.
Some files had names and images crossed out, indicating that those people had been eliminated.
They were mostly rising C or B-rank adventurers and two low-ranking military officers; however, one A-rank adventurer was also crossed out.
As Dominik set some of the files aside, the light of remembrance suddenly flashed through his eyes as he opened his mouth and spoke.
"Methik told me something strange before passing out."
[What?
Oh, yeah. Come to think of it, couldn't he get reports from his corpse puppets?]
"Yes.
The first one died before it could report, but that's not the issue.
The second sent multiple reports, but something was odd.
He said that the person who attacked the Corpse Puppet in Falos's city…was Ulmoch."
[…I beg your fucking pardon?]
'Uno's' shock was evident when Dominik spoke, and the Eighth Finger continued immediately.
"Although I'm not familiar with other divisions, there's no way I won't know Kethryllia Keasatra's division's senior members.
Methik told me that Ulmoch attacked him, acting on orders from Kethryllia herself."
Dominik looked up at the projection of 'Uno' that stared at him in silence for a moment before replying.
[Impossible.]
"Why? She's always hated me."
[I am not referring to her interfering with your plans. That is certainly plausible. I am aware of the decades-long conflict between the two of you.
I'm saying Ulmoch couldn't have attacked Methik's corpse puppet.]
"Why?"
After another pause and an exhausted sigh, "Uno" replied.
[Ulmoch has been dead for over a month now.]
"…What?"
Now, it was Dominik's turn to be surprised.
[I didn't want to tell you this since you were busy here, but the last-ditch effort to make the 'Deadly Sins Massacre' a reality, failed woefully.
It was kind of expected, though.]
'Uno' then explained how the Demonic Hand's Sixth and Seventh Divisions had attacked all the Dungeon Cities where the Seven Deadly Sins were sealed, but they failed due to multiple parties' intervention.
[I say multiple parties, but it was just 'The Five' calling the shots.
'Strongest Human Rathal' most likely got the plan from Number 10 before she was killed by him and shared it with the rest of them so they could act.
She knew all plans except Osto's.]
"Dungeon City Osto? Ulmoch and his brother could have flooded the city with monsters to destroy it. It shouldn't have been strong enough to resist their skill synergies."
[They tried a different approach that would've worked normally, but it failed.
One of their subordinates who escaped told us who killed Ulmoch and his brother, and it's a name I've been hearing too much lately.]
After hearing 'Uno' explain things, Dominik sighed and rubbed his forehead before looking up and speaking as realization flashed through his eyes.
"Wait...is it me or am I beginning to see a constant in everything that's gone wrong for us this year?"
[You realized it too?]
"At this stage, It'd be weirder if I didn't.
Especially when his name has come up so many times because of his actions against the undead."
Dominik flipped through his files and placed one on the table.
The file was for a familiar black-haired, grey-eyed youngster, but the photo was from almost a year ago, when he had just turned twelve.
[Evan Del Eris]
'Uno' looked at the file and called out the boy's name before turning to Dominik and saying.
[1. He was at the 'Graveyard of the Arrogant' two days before Seith reported the Demon of pride was missing.
2. He killed the Ilmoth family Demon we helped sneak into the Great Western Empire's nobility.]
"3. The boy spent a few days in Bonas City and visited that goddess' church, where the Cardinal-Candidate and cousin of one of its strongest paladins who's currently in Bultom serves as a Bishop.
4. He was then spotted in Kasteblum, together with the Vice Chief Grand Magus, and suddenly, Kasteblum deployed a Grand Mage and hundreds of Senior mages to assist the Great Western Empire's undead situation, with Emperor Rudeus' tacit agreement.
With this, It can be summarised he has a hand in getting the Mages of Kasteblum to interfere, and making the Church act earlier than predicted."
[Furthermore,
Evan Eris helped repel Ulmoch's monster attack and killed Ulmoch and Thoruul in Osto.
At this point, the Kid had prompted me to order an in-depth investigation into him, and the discovery shocked me.]
"His friends?"
[Exactly.
The first was a mage who used a catalyst and staff. Strange, but not too odd.
Her lack of pre-Great Western Empire information was the real issue.
It's as if she didn't exist before she showed up in Luka Town.
I personally believe someone caught on to our investigation and blocked us from discovering anything, but the fact that this happened showed the girl is obviously NOT a nobody.
Next, was the set of siblings in his adventurer party. Described to have 'Long black hair, blood red eyes and used eerie weapons that exuded sinister auras.']
"At this point, you don't even have to say anymore.
Their names were the dead giveaway; Pride and Greed."
[Yes. His appearance in the Graveyard of the Arrogant last year and Osto this year were not coincidences.
His presence here and actions so far are likely not coincidences either.]
After this, "Uno" and Dominik pondered their deductions in silence until 'Uno' finally spoke.
[I don't know if it's just him, or if he has someone behind him, but his actions are messing with our plans.
And he's been doing so from the start.]
"He's the variable you talked about, huh?"
[Yes.
Also, I'm just asking this now, but where on Aidos is Zacular?]
Before responding, Dominik closed Evan's file and put three more files on the table.
"Falos' cover was blown.
Zacular went to deal with the mess, as well as assassinate three obstructions to our plans."
He opened the files on the table as he spoke, revealing the names and images of one of Heinr's subordinates, the Brigade Captain that was currently in the Falos county's capital, and the A rank adventurer that Evan and Eliza had recently come to know, Tisha.
Tapping the pictures with his fingers, he spoke.
"These other two can fail, but this one, Zylwenys Tisha. She's gotta go.
Her AOE skills are too troublesome and are very effective against undead-type monsters."
[Why do I have this feeling that it won't turn out as planned?]
"Did you read my mind or something? I was just thinking the same thing."
Dominik closed all the files and pulled out a detailed map of the Cheverton Duchy after the two sighed in exasperation.
"Fuck all this scheming.
Zacular will soon report how many S and A-rank forces they can deploy easily.
If it's within expectations, I'll attack frontally."
[Sure?]
"Weren't you the one who said we had higher success rates? Besides, this time, I plan to incorporate my 'trump card' into my plans.
Even the Duke is not capable of facing 'that' single-handedly."
[…]
Just as 'Uno' was about to speak, there was a flash of light and the figure of a familiar brown-haired man appeared, with the stench of blood spreading out into the room.
"Zacular?! "What happened?!"
Zacular looked at his partially frozen and frostbitten left arm before responding.
"An unknown S-rank adventurer with a troublesome skill interfered."
The demon's arm was still continuing to freeze despite the fact that he wasn't in the vicinity of the skill's user, however, what was strange was that the ice, was hotter than most known Tier 2 fire magic.
Zacular nodded at the projected image of 'Uno' before sitting and informing Dominik about what happened.
Dominik and 'Uno' frowned when Zacular mentioned Evan, as they felt that the boy was a very annoying thorn in the side.
Dominik then turned back to his map and analysed a few things, checking the position of Bultom City relative to the two cities under the undead's control.
"I'm moving out."
"You're going in person?"
In response to Zacular's question, Dominik nodded twice as he stood up before continuing.
"They killed my right-hand man…
I am very angry right now, and I want to vent that anger.
One of their cities would suffice."
The Eighth Finger was quick and decisive; By morning, a small city northwest of Bultom had fallen to the undead monsters, but Evan and the others would only learn about it later.
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