I Became the Mastermind Who Betrays the Heroines-Chapter 117

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]

Chapter 117 - The Kingdom (4)

The Kingdom.

The largest underground city in the Empire—the domain of the Sovereign, once hailed as the pinnacle of the underworld.

A place that, until a few years ago, had been considered the very heart of the shadows.

Murder, drugs, human trafficking—these things ran rampant here, woven into the fabric of everyday life. A veritable hell.

Even the Empire had no means of dealing with them.

In that sense, it wasn’t surprising that a mere city had been granted the name "Kingdom."

It was like a purgatory born purely from human malice.

"…This brings back memories."

A brief murmur.

The words slipped out without thought, tinged with something resembling nostalgia.

Memories I’d rather not recall.

"J-just a little farther this way!"

Injustice hurried ahead, clumsy but eager to lead.

And so, we walked.

Crossing the darkened streets, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the stench of blood lingered in the air.

Maybe it really was coming from an alley nearby.

Either way, it wasn’t exactly pleasant.

"Has this place changed at all?"

"Uh, well… It has been three years since the war ended, so…"

"Hah."

I let out a dry chuckle.

No.

To my eyes, nothing had changed.

Peel away the rotting outer layer, and you still wouldn't be able to conceal the filth underneath.

The city was as dirty as ever.

—Rustle.

As if to prove my point, I could feel eyes watching us.

Figures lurking in the alleyways, hidden in the shadows.

Each one of them gripping grimy knife handles, their blades stained with the blood of others.

Their hunger-filled gazes scoured the streets, searching for easy prey.

"…"

Would we be included in that category?

With how openly we were walking through the streets, it wouldn’t be strange for someone to jump out and pull a knife on us.

And yet…

The moment they spotted the girl walking beside me, they hesitated.

‘Impressive.’

So her reputation still carried weight.

Injustice—one of the Five Negatives.

Though she’d shown quite a disgraceful display earlier, she was still one of the nightmares that ruled this city.

As a member of the Sovereign’s personal guard, her skill was undeniable.

The pack of wolves, tails tucked between their legs, quietly backed off.

Thanks to that, we reached our destination without any unnecessary trouble.

"We… we’re here."

She came to a stop not far from our destination.

And there, rising before us, stood a massive palace.

An extravagant sight—one that stood in stark contrast to the scenery that had surrounded us moments ago.

It was the symbol of this bloodstained, shadow-drenched city.

A place so feared that even the most crazed criminal organizations dared not defy it.

This was the Sovereign’s domain.

"Let’s go in."

"Y-yes…!"

I stepped forward, passing through its threshold.

A grim sight awaited us inside.

The grandeur of the palace was enough to make even the grandest castles seem modest in comparison, yet it was devoid of any real vitality—like staring at an image drained of color.

Perhaps that was because of all the suffering its lavishness had buried beneath it.

I said nothing.

—Click. Click.

The sound of my footsteps echoed through the long corridor.

At the end of it, a door came into view.

The audience chamber.

The place where the master of this city resided.

The guards standing by the entrance stepped aside the moment they saw us, pushing open the heavy doors without hesitation.

Their movements were crisp, disciplined.

"His Majesty has been expecting you."

—Creak.

With a heavy groan, the doors swung open.

Without hesitation, I stepped inside.

The floor was lined with a crimson carpet, leading directly to the throne.

I lifted my gaze toward the figure seated upon it.

"…"

The one occupying that greed-stained seat—the Sovereign himself.

A sharp-eyed old man.

Even without moving a single muscle, the very mana in the air seemed to bow before him, as if acknowledging his dominance.

Surrounding him were the rest of his personal guard.

Injustice.

And the other four Negatives: Unknown, Ignorance, Anxiety, and Distrust.

Familiar faces.

Unknown, whom I had encountered previously, stood in his usual place.

At some point, Injustice had also slipped away from my side, now blending in with the others.

No one spoke.

Silence hung thick in the air.

We simply watched each other.

"…"

A peculiar sort of standoff.

The tense stillness dragged on—until one of the guards broke it.

A hulking man with a menacing scowl suddenly barked at me.

"What do you think you’re doing, standing there without showing proper respect?! Kneel before His Majesty and pay your greetings at once!"

"…?"

What the hell was this?

Caught off guard by the outburst, I turned my gaze toward him.

‘Judging by the insignia on his shoulder… Anxiety, huh?’

The only unfamiliar face.

Since I had no memory of him, he was likely a recent addition to the Sovereign’s personal guard.

I had no intention of entertaining him.

I had no interest in fools who didn’t even know when to keep their mouths shut.

Letting out an amused scoff, I dismissed him outright.

At that, his eyes flared with rage, his stance shifting as if ready to pounce.

A situation on the verge of igniting.

"You bastard…!"

"Enough."

Finally, the old man spoke.

A single command, halting the impending clash.

Anxiety turned to him, eyes burning with indignation, but the Sovereign met his gaze with nothing but a frigid stare.

The room fell deathly silent.

"But, Your Majesty…!"

"Did I not make myself clear?"

"…"

"I distinctly remember saying that a valuable guest would be arriving, and that there should be no unnecessary commotion."

"…My apologies."

"Step back. This is not your place to interfere."

"…Yes, Your Majesty."

Suppressing his frustration, Anxiety withdrew.

But his glare remained defiant.

I sneered.

"Your men lack proper discipline."

"He’s still new to this side of things. I’d appreciate it if you could be understanding."

"Understanding? I didn’t expect you of all people to use that word."

"I’m not as rigid as you think."

"How deceitful."

"That’s just how adults are."

The Sovereign responded smoothly.

After eyeing me for a moment, he offered a greeting of sorts, his wrinkled lips curling into a dangerous smile.

"It’s been a while, hasn’t it… Serpent?"

"I don’t believe our relationship warrants such warm greetings."

"Now, now. No need to be so cold."

"If I were truly being cold, you’d already be dead."

"My, how terrifying."

The old man remained unfazed.

Had he forgotten what kind of magic was embedded in his heart?

At any moment, I could end him with the flick of a finger.

If anything, he should have been groveling for his life.

And yet, he welcomed me without the slightest hint of fear.

He maintained respect—but refused to bow.

I was reminded that this man, too, was no ordinary figure.

Once, he had been king of the underworld.

Back when I was still inexperienced, he was the only one who had ever given me real trouble.

A rare breed of adversary.

Still, it was all just an act.

"Well… putting all that aside."

I narrowed my eyes.

"You do have a valid reason for calling me here, don’t you?"

"You wouldn’t believe me I called you here for a friendly chat, would you?"

"Then I suppose I’ll be taking your left arm this time."

"It was a joke, so ease up on the bloodlust, would you? My right arm is still missing, thanks to you."

"I’m not a patient man."

"Of course… I know that well."

The old man idly brushed his empty sleeve.

His once-playful expression grew serious.

With wrinkled lips, he spoke.

"I have some new information. It’s too important to be exchanged through letters, so I called you here in person."

"Information?"

"Something that might be of use to you."

"…I’m listening."

"Good. I’ll have a proper setting arranged for us—"

"Before that."

—Thud!

A single blade of darkness shot forward, embedding itself in the throne.

A spike that barely missed the Sovereign’s throat.

It had cut so close that a thin line of blood dripped from his neck.

Had there been even the slightest deviation, his life would have ended right then and there.

I flicked my fingers, shaking off the lingering energy, and spoke.

"I don’t care about your reasons… If you ever touch the people around me again, I won’t be so forgiving."

"Noted."

The Sovereign nodded calmly.

His aged eyes remained as composed as ever.

It didn’t matter.

He wasn’t the one I had intended to provoke.

—Step.

A presence stirred behind me.

"How dare you threaten His Majesty…!"

It was none other than Anxiety.

He had been glaring at me this entire time, and now that his master had been attacked, he finally snapped.

With a sharp burst of wind, his sword came slashing toward me.

—Shiiiing!

"I did give you a chance, you know."

As expected.

I had a feeling he would react.

Muttering under my breath, I turned to face him—

My narrow-lidded eyes now fully open.

"You’re bringing out my old habits again."

My gaze gleamed with dangerous light.

I reached out—

And caught the fool by the throat just as he closed in.

Suspended in midair, he choked and thrashed.

"Keuk…?!"

I watched his struggle with cold, detached eyes.

I had given him an opportunity.

But that was the problem with criminals.

If you didn’t break them completely from the start, they would always bare their fangs again.

With a flick of my fingers—

—Snap!

A crisp, resounding crack echoed through the chamber.

And then—

His limbs were severed.

His arms and legs, neatly cut, tumbled to the floor.

His now-limbless torso collapsed right after.

For a moment, his dull-witted eyes darted around in disbelief.

Then—

"AAAAAAGGHHHHH!!!"

Pain.

Terror.

Confusion.

Despair.

A mess of emotions spilled out of him, his body writhing pathetically.

His severed limbs twitched on the bloodied carpet, the nerves still reacting.

I ignored him.

Instead, I turned my gaze back to the throne.

The Sovereign, for once, pressed a hand to his forehead as if dealing with a headache.

"…You seem particularly aggressive today."

"If it were up to me, I’d just kill him."

"I’d rather you didn’t. You stand to lose more than gain if we lose a member of our forces."

"Your standards disappoint me. That man is hardly fit for your personal guard."

"Well, the original Anxiety was someone you killed three years ago, wasn’t he? I didn’t have many suitable candidates to replace him."

"The Kingdom’s future is looking grim, then."

"I’ll have him retrained."

"You’d better."

"Now, how about we put the pettiness aside and restore him?"

"If you insist."

—Snap.

A second flick of my fingers.

Darkness surged.

The scattered limbs rolled back, reattaching seamlessly.

Before long, Anxiety’s body was restored—without a single scratch remaining.

Of course, he was still unconscious.

"…"

"I’ll take care of him. Please, enjoy your conversation without further distractions."

Ignorance stepped forward, his tone polite.

Without hesitation, he lifted the unconscious man and carried him away.

With that, all disruptions were gone.

Silence settled once more.

No more irritating stares.

Now, at last, the conversation could begin.

I clapped my hands.

—Smack!

The writhing black mist in the air began to weave itself together.

Threads of shadow intertwined, taking shape—forming a throne opposite the Sovereign’s.

I casually took a seat, sinking into its plush surface.

Crossing one leg over the other, I finally spoke.

The old man met my gaze.

"Now then…"

The room had fallen completely under the serpent’s control.

A venomous gleam flickered in my eyes.

"Let’s hear it. This so-called ‘important information’ you’ve acquired."

The Sovereign and the Serpent faced each other once more.

[Translator - Peptobismol]

[Proofreader - Demon God]