Sword of Salvation-Chapter 41: - Allies and Enemies

Nico arrived at Lexuria Inn shortly before the sun fully set. The meeting place chosen by Girhamvell was on the outskirts of the city, a bit far from the inn. They would have been late if he had spent more time meeting M and C.

Nico didn’t find the two figures on the first floor.

However, before he decided to wait at one of the empty tables, a waiter informed him that his presence was expected on the rooftop. He knew the rooftop could be rented for special purposes, but the cost was relatively high—something expected from members of Ultores.

Nico had to retract his admiration upon arriving at the inn’s rooftop.

It wasn’t M and C waiting for him, but two women wearing black masks that only covered the upper half of their faces.

One woman wore a maid outfit with short green hair. The other had long red hair and wore a dress layered with a long, thick coat trimmed with fur at the collar and wrists. A large scythe wrapped in bandages sat between the two women, though it was clear that the red-haired woman owned it.

A bad feeling haunted Nico. It wasn’t a coincidence that the two women had short green and long red hair. Even with masks, Nico was more than certain of their identities. And it wasn’t just Nico; anyone with a functioning brain would know who they were.

How could the two of them be here? Had M and C betrayed him? Was this the trap Girhamvell had feared?

What should he do? Should he turn around and leave immediately?

No matter what, Nico didn’t want Girhamvell and the others to be caught.

"Well, it’s good you finally here."

That voice ensured Nico lost his chance to leave quietly; the path to escape was now blocked.

"You may never get this honor again, so please, take a seat."

Nico scanned his surroundings, making sure no subordinates of the empress were hiding and ready to ambush him.

From what he saw, the two women didn’t seem to have ill intentions. They were relaxed, enjoying the food laid out. However, they were enemies. Libertania’s leaders had long been fugitives of the empire.

Seeing no signs of hidden enemies, Nico let out a long sigh and approached the table.

However, he did not sit. Nico stood behind the only empty chair available. He couldn’t let his guard down; no one knew what they would do if he showed even a hint of vulnerability.

"It’s fine if you’re unwilling to sit," said the empress after downing a glass of high-quality wine. "Explain it to him, Delphia. Keep it brief; we can’t stay here any longer."

Delphia set down her knife and fork, then looked at Nico. Her right hand reached for a napkin. "We want Libertania to work for the empire," she said bluntly. "Not as rebels opposing the empress, but as part of the imperial military. The empress plans to appoint Girhamvell as the chief general of the military."

The empress remained focused on her meal. Delphia wiped her mouth after delivering their proposal. Meanwhile, Nico stood silent, his eyes wide with shock. He hadn’t expected such an offer. It was far from what he had feared. He was genuinely taken aback.

"We have no plans to trap you," Delphia continued.

The statement snapped Nico out of his shock, and he looked sharply at the two women, alternating his gaze between them.

Their offer seemed too good to be true. Upon further consideration, Nico realized it could be what was known as a honey trap. The empress and her followers could be offering this temptation to lure them into an unexpected capture. It was truly cunning and dangerous—a serious threat.

"You seem doubtful," said the empress after finishing her meal and wiping her mouth. "But what Delphia said is true. You must have heard about the nobles who have been killed. I allowed them to act as they pleased and even pretended to be ruthless myself, but that’s no longer necessary. I’ve made sufficient preparations. It’s time for the empire to awaken from its slumber."

The empress’s words made Nico question the conclusion he had drawn. It was hard to believe, but the empress wasn’t lying. Nobles had indeed been living in fear recently. In fact, the victims from last night were nobles with immense control and influence.

"You still seem hesitant. Ha... well, so be it. Delphia, tell him why we haven’t taken action until now. You should sit, too. This will take a bit of time."

Nico didn’t know what to expect from the two women before him. What was clear was that he had no choice but to follow their suggestion. Besides, standing any longer would feel awkward, and he didn’t want to appear ill-mannered.

Nico pulled out the chair and immediately sat down. Delphia quickly began explaining the main issue they had faced all this time.

-----ooOoo-----

"Is it okay to let Nico meet the empress without informing him beforehand?"

Celinee finally asked the question that had been sitting on the tip of her tongue. She had wanted to ask it for a while but held back. Perhaps it was because she thought she already knew the answer. The question was likely just to confirm that her guess was correct.

Mariel leaned his body against the front wall of the inn, not answering Celinee’s question right away.

If he thought about it seriously and without hiding anything, Mariel rarely did anything without a clear reason. Nearly all his actions had a purpose. The same applied to the current situation.

The world could be seen as a game board. He was the player, moving the pieces on the board. His goal was to control that board, moving the pieces without them realizing it. While he didn’t fully control the board yet, he had already made his first move. Neiracia could be an important, even primary base.

He had invited Lasyana to speak with Nico not just to unite the empire’s strong elements but also to pave the way for Weimei to gather the information he needed. Weimei couldn’t move freely in the palace if Delphia was present. It was impossible for Weimei to disguise herself with Delphia around.

In addition, Mariel wanted to create an opportunity to seize the Sacred Scythe of Zesteria.

By proposing to Lasyana and Girhamvell to deal with Zagabob that night, a battle would be inevitable. He intended to use one of the demons to snatch Zesteria when Lasyana was distracted after killing Zagabob. It was a simple plan but effective if executed properly.

"I think it’s fine, C," Mariel finally answered after a moment of silence. "Trusting someone isn’t easy, you know that. Especially between two opposing factions. Nico is the kind of man with an open mind. If Lasyana and Delphia can earn his trust, or at least his cooperation, turning Libertania into Lasyana’s asset won’t be difficult. He’ll be able to act on my advice."

"But that doesn’t answer my question. Things would go more smoothly if we informed him of the empress’s intentions."

Mariel gave Celinee an intense look. "You really want to hear the answer when I’ve already given it indirectly?" he asked in disbelief.

"No need. But what’s the point of testing Nico? You already have Weimei for gathering information; Nico isn’t necessary. Building a relationship with him isn’t important either. We’ll leave here once our business is done. Ultores already told us that Dr. Lergen is in the Kingdom of Mangolla. You didn’t forget that, did you?"

Ah, Dr. Lergen.

Earlier that day, when they submitted their mission commission to Ultores branch, Celinee had asked the branch head about Dr. Lergen’s whereabouts. By coincidence, they had just completed a transaction selling a demon’s heart to one of Dr. Lergen’s messengers. The messenger had mentioned that the doctor was currently in Mangolla.

"You might not see it as useful. But, C, how many times do I have to remind you that I’m an imperial citizen? One day, I’ll return here to settle down."

Mariel wasn’t lying, but at the same time, that wasn’t the answer to Celinee’s question.

Nico would be his operative in Neiracia. Weimei would go with him and Celinee. Of course, the method would differ from how he had recruited Weimei. Mariel wouldn’t tell Nico his true intentions. He would simply make Nico believe he deeply cared for the empire.

"There’s no need to say that; I just didn’t think you’d return to settle here."