Chapter 77 - 74: Where There Is a Church There Should Be an Inquisition
Meanwhile, on the other side.
In Kael’s study.
Upon receiving news regarding Baron Bernard, a smile of anticipated satisfaction crept onto his face.
Truly a pack of old foxes!
Even when they’re caught red-handed, their first instinct is to cut their losses and save themselves.
But if my guess is correct, there are surely others behind this.
Kael had mostly figured out the situation with the Charles family; Count Rezhe was a man who could be dealt with within the confines of the rules.
However, just because Count Rezhe adhered to the rules, it didn’t mean others would.
He knew well enough that within the Duchy of Engilance, there were plenty of people who were at odds with the Charles family.
Especially during the period when the conflict erupted within the duchy in the original timeline, the Charles family was judged thoroughly by another family, led by the Federation Noble Council’s Vice President and Conspirator, Marquis Gransham.
If memory served, the family leading the charge against them was another branch of the Lion Heart bloodline.
Remembered, was it Earl Campbell?
Interesting! Seems everyone wants a piece of me, don’t they?
No, that’s not quite right; they haven’t even looked my way yet.
While Baron Bernard had his own enterprises, he was seated with the burgeoning nobles who weren’t traditional merchants.
Not that he particularly favored this faction of new nobility, but because Earl Campbell, his supporter, needed their strength.
With that in mind, a subtle smile appeared on his face.
How fitting! To support such a large group of players, I’d also like to gain those people’s support; getting those who voluntarily or involuntarily support you to turn to my side—what’s that if not a form of NTR?
Ha, using me as a tool to incite internal strife within the Charles family?
These old foxes really underestimated me.
"Master, do you need me to handle this?" Old White hesitated, then said: "Since someone is creating problems, we might as well directly solve the problem maker; though it’s crude, it’s a viable solution."
"No, there’s no need; tangled with the Undead, they’ll have their own troubles to deal with."
All schemes and conspiracies boiled down to things that couldn’t be exposed to the light.
Nobles had their own games; right now, the Charles family had no obvious movements, and the same situation applied to the Campbell family.
This was why he’d been so determined to gain Luxius’s help at the time.
Someone like Luxius, who remained unaffected even by changes in the kingdom, was the kind of cornerstone Kael aspired to become.
If he hadn’t yet fortified his status enough, he’d have no time for playing these intricate games with those old foxes.
Did he lack money to earn, territory to expand, or players to amuse?
Madman...
Kael subtly circled the name in his notebook.
This player was a risky move by Kael.
Sister Astate was undeniably a tragic figure.
It was said that in real life, Sister Astate had gone out with her younger sister at a young age, only for her sister to be abducted by traffickers due to a moment of carelessness.
This event became a lifelong grievance for Madman.
More ironically, the thing that brought Madman some degree of closure was, astonishingly, a game.
As expected, Sister Astate’s actions must have drawn attention from those madmen (Church version).
The only question was which heresy tribunal from the official church would come after him this time?
The very essence of any church is bound to include a heresy tribunal.
In some respects, the folks from the heresy tribunal were even madder than Madman.
But when used correctly, they could still be cooperative partners.
Seeing you great aristocrats so idle, and with Madman needing an outlet, surely you wouldn’t mind letting the heresy tribunal clash with heresy, would you?!
Just a pity...
"That guy sure can stay put!" Kael sighed. With such a penchant for complicated schemes, wouldn’t he step in when he chanced upon an unpleasant situation?
But when it came to gray market chains spanning the entire continent, why stir up trouble and make himself a target?
"Master, where did you hear rumors about the Queen of Joy Street?" Old White asked, surprised.
Considering that such mentions had been rare in recent years due to their historical context, he was taken aback. Your next chapter is on NovelBin.Côm
"Well, maybe some goddess whispered it to me," Kael replied righteously.
He had no idea how to explain his source of information otherwise.
The Queen of Joy Street was rumored to be the true ruler behind the scenes, holding an item important to Kael—
[Seductive Demon Eye]!
From the name, it was clear that this artifact, sharing its name with the Incubus racial skill, had deep ties with the Incubi.
In his previous life, that Little New Star caused quite a ruckus in Joy Street leveraging the secrets of the Mage Academy, which led to a visit from the Queen of Joy Street herself that very night.
In exchange for using the unique effect of the [Seductive Demon Eye], the Little New Star agreed not to stir trouble in Joy Street.
Then...
The news spread, and soon it became a routine for players on the Incubus Account in the fourth pandemic to disturb Joy Street, triggering the Queen’s appearance, taking on the quest not to cause trouble, and receiving a one-time use of the [Seductive Demon Eye] as a reward.
This eventually became a hallmark task for players visiting the Royal Capital of Engilance Duchy.
In the process, the economic loss inflicted on Joy Street substantially impacted its gray market operations, and subsequently stymied the development of slave multilateral trade.
It was truly absurd.
Players always had a knack for steering events into bizarre territories with their reckless actions.
Madman? Fighting traffickers and slave trade?
Pure child’s play, no serious player would entertain that! All "muda muda."
Only the destruction wrought by players pursuing fun was a true lethal weapon, "ora ora" at will.
Unfortunately, whatever went awry, the pureblood Incubus Queen of Joy Street was nowhere to be seen.
"Never mind, let it be. The chaos they bring, they’ll just have to swallow it.
Grandpa White, be prepared, someone’s stirring up trouble in the Royal Capital; we don’t need to join but can gain dividends by going with the flow. Oh, right, how are things on the Undead’s side?"
"Everything’s progressing well. Likely influenced by your actions at Joy Street yesterday, many Slave Trading Houses are now well aware of your reputation.
Now when the Undead go down to promote, they no longer need to do it themselves.
The brothels even proactively come to collect your free novels and brochures."
Kael nodded, understanding their behavior.
After all, Kael’s books were complimentary, giving some face and gaining minor benefits without affecting their core interests—no reason to refuse.
"This way, the initial layout in the Royal Capital takes the first step."
Kael sighed softly.
Were he to hold enough strong cards, he wouldn’t resort to such fancy tactics; grandly steamrolling everything would be much more exhilarating.
The gray-area industries like Joy Street couldn’t be eradicated entirely in this period.
He lacked the power and position to uproot Joy Street fundamentally.
"Next, let’s take those few Undead to the Church! After promising pies for so long, it’s time to share some cake."
"Church? You mean the Earth Mother Goddess Church?" Old White paused, not having been in the Royal Capital recently, unclear on some matters.
"No, not that." Kael shook his head, smiling.
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