Free Web NovelChapter 175: Night Call [ 4 ]
"To be specific, you will stop Dunvol, the War God. This is final, and you cannot refuse."
Leomaris suppressed the urge to seize Caelus by the throat and choke the life out of him. He’d been hearing Dunvol’s name with alarming regularity, and he knew it was an ominous sign.
That was a monster he desperately wanted to avoid, and now he was being presented with the audacious task of hunting him down? That wasn’t something he could simply capitulate to, and why in the world couldn’t he refuse?
"That’s quite the challenge... so why me? Why are you trusting me with something like this? And more importantly, what do I stand to gain?"
Caelus grasped his cup of tea, gave it a leisurely shake, and watched the steam coil upward through the air, even through the ambient fog.
"Your life, actually... You’ll go out there and fight for it. Not just your own life, either, but the lives of the millions who could die if the plague is allowed to spread."
Leomaris clenched his teeth in irritation. Caelus’s nonchalant tone set his blood boiling. He couldn’t determine what the man was playing at, but up until now, the nobleman had exhibited nothing that could lend his words any credibility.
"And what makes you think you can kill me? If you really have the manpower for that, then why waste it on me? Why not use it to stop Dunvol?"
A soft smile surfaced on Caelus’s lips. He reached into his pocket, procured a watch, consulted the time, and returned it to his pocket.
"Do you really think I’d make a statement like that without having the means to back it up?"
He let out an exhausted sigh.
"Jester of the End, Sovereign of the Laughing End, and a member of Mercy of Death. Your reputation began with the destruction of the terrorist organisation Black Arms’ headquarters. More recently, you were responsible for the deaths of three members of the religious organisation known as the Crimson Order. While those achievements are noteworthy, they are not the primary reason for your fame. What truly distinguishes you is your elusiveness and the unconventional manner in which you operate.
"These actions alone are enough to justify a century of punishment by the Secret Detective Organization. Certainly, they would incur casualties in pursuing you, but the final outcome would still be heavily stacked against you."
Leomaris grimaced.
"What makes you think I didn’t consider that before starting the organisation? Why would I be a killer if I was afraid of death or of being restrained?"
Caelus nodded silently after Leomaris’s words.
"That’s exactly why the Secret Detective Organization decided to leave this in your hands. We share the same goal: to go after corrupt individuals and organisations, but we do it openly with a badge, while you remain hidden in the shadows.
"That can all change. Killing you or capturing you is not our preferred option. Many organisations already fear your name, and keeping you active on the streets helps maintain control over certain elements. That is why this offer is being presented."
His expression turned grim.
"This is a deal. The correct choice is obvious. Accept, and eliminate Dunvol and his sinister plans, and the Secret Detective Organization will tolerate your presence under an agreement. Refuse, and you will be killed or imprisoned for over a century."
’In other words, the Secret Detective Organization is too occupied to concern itself with trivial matters.’
Leomaris let out a profound sigh.
He’d harboured suspicions about Caelus being a Secret Detective, and it was believable enough, the Sentinel family was more than capable of such a distinction.
Moreover, he knew that opposing the Secret Detectives would be the worst decision he’d ever made. Those bastards wouldn’t merely imprison him, they’d subject him to torture for the sheer amusement of it. He didn’t possess a single memory of them that portrayed them as remotely sane.
The most viable answer, however, was equally treacherous. At this moment, he simply had to determine which decision was the more catastrophic of the two.
"Dunvol, the War God... isn’t he one of the Seven Royal Knights? Would opposing him effectively count as an attack on the royal family?"
Caelus deliberated over Leomaris’s words for a moment or two, carefully weighing them against the question posed.
"The Royal Knights are not just knights. Even their presence within the underworld serves a long-term purpose for the Royal Family. They work alongside criminals for information, all to better protect the Royal Family. However..."
He motioned with a finger.
"...Their protections do not extend to the royal family. No matter their loyalty or rank, they take all attacks directly. Ensure your actions do not extend so far as to threaten the royal family. If that line is crossed, the deal is void, and we will hunt you down."
Leomaris desperately craved the sensation of wrenching his hair out in frustration or perhaps inducing any form of physical pain whatsoever. He simply wanted something corporeal, but the bravado had to remain intact.
He now understood Dunvol’s role within the underground community, but that only made matters considerably worse. Dunvol had seized the position of overseer over two-thirds of the southern region solely to consolidate his authority over information as well.
Not only did that magnify the enormity of his reputation as the War God, but it also afforded him access to every individual conspiring toward another revolutionary war. The remaining six were no different.
"That certainly makes things complicated..."
Caelus chuckled.
"But that’s nothing you can’t handle, right? I do hope you follow through. It would be a shame if you left my nephew’s faction, your presence has been quite beneficial to him."
Leomaris cursed.
He discerned what Caelus was doing by invoking "his nephew." Had Leomaris been a distinctly different person from the Jester of the End, the mere thought of his superior should have served as a signal that Caelus could simply appeal to Leomaris to command the Jester of the End.
"Underhanded measures are not necessary. We want you at your best... not coerced."
’Ah! The pretense...’
Leomaris fiddled with his fingers for a moment, his thoughts carrying him elsewhere.
’I most definitely don’t want to die... that should be the last thing I consider. Dunvol could kill me, yes, but compared to the Secret Detectives, I’d choose Dunvol. At least with him, I have over two years...’
It was quite simple. Should he still prove incapable of standing against Dunvol in two years, he’d devise a means of extricating himself from this world entirely.
He wasn’t, however, simply going to agree without a protest.
"Your offer is tempting, I must admit. However, I cannot accept at the moment. Give me a few days to reconsider. If you do not hear from me within three days, it means acceptance. If you do, then it will be a declaration of war."
Caelus was taken aback, but he found himself laughing soon enough.
"Isn’t it the other way around, though? You’re supposed to send a message if you agree and a declaration of war if you don’t, aren’t you?"
Leomaris was well aware of that, but he knew composing a telegram would be a considerable undertaking, and he’d probably never get round to it. He simply didn’t want to leave any margin for chance.
His expression darkened, assuming a foreboding edge, and his voice turned chilling and guttural.
"What makes that funny, exactly?"
Caelus recoiled.
"Easy... easy, would you?"
His words had barely settled when a disturbance rippled through the hall.
It was subtle at first. A shift in the crowd in the halls below, loud voices erupting, conversations dissolving into something incoherent, the uneasiness palpable throughout.
Neither of them could tell whether it was the start of a commotion or something far worse, but whatever had changed, it was enough to draw grim expressions from them both. The atmosphere had suddenly become much heavier. And somewhere within the haze, something was happening.
