Acting as a Slit-Eyed Villain Perfectly

Chapter 264

Chapter 264. Working Behind the Scene (2)

"Felkhor! Weren't you supposed to be on guard in Zone 3? What are you doing here?"

"I'm on a break, ma'am!"

"Alright then! Felkhor must know what he's doing! Why are you so worried?"

"Because he's like a son to me! With that bulk, he's so slow!"

Felkhor, who somehow turned away the Central Park officials trying to enter the rest area, let out a sigh of relief.

Watching Felkhor, Zahard chuckled.

"You are quite polite for someone who looks like that, Felkhor."

"Do you want to die?"

Felkhor closed the door, glanced at Zahard, and said,

"We work together, so I should show some respect. You're older than me, right?"

"I think I'm older than you too."

"I don't know about being older, but you're the kind of person I want to hit with a stick."

Zahard laughed heartily at Felkhor's fierce words.

"So, what should we do now?"

Having brought Fulcurn to the rest area, Felkhor grimaced as he looked at the bound captive.

"Mmmp, mmmp!"

Alongside Fulcurn, a member of the Rose Knights had their limbs and mouth bound.

With both placed in the rest area, Felkhor had a troubled expression as Zahard chuckled.

"So you caught them without any plan?"

"Starting is half the battle. It's essential to act first and think later for this kind of work."

"That might be true for this case."

Zahard chuckled.

"Mmph, mmph..."

As Zahard and Felkhor talked, Fulcurn's unfocused eyes gradually began to clear.

"Ugh!"

The blow from the rough Felkhor must have been quite painful, as Fulcurn immediately looked at Felkhor with fear.

"Don't look at me like that. It breaks my heart."

It didn't look like it at all. Zahard held back from saying it out loud to Felkhor.

"Uh!?"

Felkhor suddenly let out a sigh and started examining Fulcurn's face. Afterward, he showed signs of realization.

"Now that I see, this man is from the Rose Knights, isn't he?"

"You mean the Rose Knights?"

"Yes."

Felkhor nodded.

"They're the knights formed by the nobles."

"They call themselves knights, but I've heard it's basically a social club for the nobles' 'image'."

"That's exactly it. A social club."

Felkhor said this, looking down at Fulcurn with a displeased expression.

"Even so, back when I was in the Azure Lion Knights, they acted all high and mighty because they were nobles."

Shuddering at the thought, Felkhor raised his fist as if to hit Fulcurn, but soon stopped.

"Forget it. I should let go of the past. Especially since I'm currently serving the one who left a scar on my eye."

"Did you have such an incident with Yulian?"

"It's a past that I don't even remember now. I've washed my hands of revenge."

Felkhor scratched his nose, feeling sheepish.

"Actually, saying I washed them isn't quite right. It's just that when I see Sir Yulian now, the anger doesn't boil up like it used to."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I'm not one to talk, but the guy's become a bit more human now compared to when he was a complete waste."

Zahard nodded in agreement to Felkhor's words.

"That's undeniable."

"Who'd have thought we'd have a day when we're on the same page."

Felkhor chuckled.

"Well then, it seems like it's time to call Yulian."

***

What in the world is happening here?

Following Zahard's words, as I headed to the rest area in the 'Central Park' with him, an unusual sight caught my eye.

"Mmph, mmph...!"

Two bound members of the Rose Knights.

Among them was a man named Fulcurn, holding an executive position in the 'Rose Knights'.

'... Ah.'

A strange sense of déjà vu hit me. It felt like something similar had happened before... Ah, right, Pintel. That guy once did something similar.

"Sir Zahard."

I turned my gaze to Zahard. Looking at him as if to ask what was going on, Zahard shook his head and spoke.

"Isn't it obvious? Uruhar prepared someone."

"Is Sir Zahard's statement true, Sir Uruhar?"

As I spoke and turned my head, Uruhar, who had followed me here, looked at me with a perplexed gaze.

"... I don't know anything about it."

"Oh?"

Ridiculous. Is that an excuse?

Does he think I won't notice he's trying to stab me in the back while pretending to cooperate?

"It's true! I don't know anything about this!"

Uruhar shouted with an astonished look. Through the 〈Color of Negativity〉 trait, I could sense Uruhar's emotions, but only the 'negative' aspects.

Moreover, without him feeling 'fear', it's impossible to verify the truthfulness of his words.

"Indeed. There's nothing else you could say but that you don't know."

Still, Uruhar's words seemed sincere. Whether to believe it or not was a different matter.

If he were truly associated with the 'Imperial Knights', it's possible he often carried out secret missions.

'Deceiving emotions must be a simple feat.'

In many ways, a tricky opponent.

"... The Black Knight is involved. I really don't know anything about it."

Desperately, Uruhar spoke words laden with grievance.

"Hmm."

I glanced at Uruhar once before shifting my eyes to Felkhor.

'Why are you here?'

That thought almost escaped me, but for the moment, since he was here, I intended to make use of him.

"Please untie their mouths."

"Yes!"

In response to my command, Felkhor began removing the tape from Fulcurn's mouth.

"Phwaa!"

Fulcurn exhaled harshly and then started glaring at both me and Uruhar with resentful eyes.

"Uruhar, you traitor!"

What is this reaction?

Seeing the words coming out of Fulcurn's mouth led to the assurance that 'Uruhar' had not positioned the Rose Knights there.

"How dare you investigate me secretly instead of repaying the grace bestowed by His Highness Eulsis!"

"Secretly, you say?"

When I spoke, Fulcurn locked eyes with me. They were eyes filled with strong conviction, but soon, the 'color of fear' began to ripple above his head.

"Hmm."

Looking at Fulcurn, I had a thought.

I was certain now that the materials 'Uruhar' provided, like the 'mansion's blueprint' and the map indicating the location of 'the Demon God's horn', were indeed linked to him.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have said such things about investigating.

'The Demon God's horn was stored at his residence.'

However, I had no intention of retrieving it myself.

'What if it's a trap?'

It could be a setup to make me go there. Maybe Eulsis, through 'Abigail', intended to use sorcery against me.

'Being cautious isn't a bad thing.'

After all, there's someone who can bring it.

"Regardless of how things turned out, now that I'm aware of such threats, I must be careful."

Though I couldn't pinpoint Uruhar's precise motivations for cooperation, I could only assume a shift in sentiment must have occurred.

Perhaps, something increased his respect towards the 'Black Knight'.

"I won't accept the information provided by Sir Uruhar."

"What?"

Upon asking, I glanced around and spoke in a quiet voice only audible to Uruhar.

"If I were to accept that information, the Black Knight would take on that task... Wouldn't it be dangerous to convey such risky information?"

If the 'Black Knight' had been unrelated to me, it wouldn't have mattered.

'But that's me.'

Who wants to engage in dangerous endeavors? Especially when a 'Demon God's horn' was clandestinely kept, indicating some security measures would be in place.

"... That's true."

Uruhar nodded, seemingly convinced by my words.

"Then we shall return for the time being. Sir Felkhor, could you take Sir Fulcurn and the knights? I believe there's a conversation that must be held."

"What!? Let go of me, you... mmph!"

Deliberately detaining the 'owner of the mansion', Fulcurn, ensured he left the premises.

With such a display, Uruhar would have no choice but to make his own decision.

'Show me your loyalty.'

Whether it's towards the 'Black Knight' or the 'imperial family', I don't particularly care.

'... Though, I doubt he'll truly act.'

***

― If I were to accept that information, the Black Knight would be the one to act... Wouldn't it be dangerous to convey such risky information?

Uruhar was aware. If the information were to be shared, the 'Black Knight' would be the one to act.

His whereabouts remain hidden within the capital, and no one truly knows his identity.

With the imperial family and nobles both involved, there was no more fitting candidate to intervene in this matter.

'Even knowing this, I tried to share unverified information...!'

Left alone on a bench in the city park, Uruhar crumpled the documents he'd brought, quivering with tension.

'Certainly, the imminent dangers for a terminally-ill Black Knight to act upon could be even more significant.'

Though such matters were not unusual considering what the 'Black Knight' had undertaken so far, the mindset of seeing him as 'terminally ill' was firmly embedded, leading Uruhar to resolve himself.

'... Is it something that I must do?'

The regulations set by the imperial household and the achievements that the 'Black Knight' together must reach were constantly being weighed by Uruhar.

Yet, that contemplation did not last long.

'The Demon God's horn.'

Its very existence within the capital was a blasphemy. He knew his complicity, in aiding its concealment, stained him.

Thus, he must correct it.

'Fulcurn's mansion.'

A location with such streams of 'demonic energy' that necessitated the forced removal of resonance stones in order to conceal it.

The presence of a Demon God's horn at the site was evident.

Prince Eulsis, in using it to attempt the resurrection of the 'Demon God' or whatever diabolical play was afoot, indeed posed a threat to the Empire.

'The Black Knight knew and was acting in advance.'

Formerly, although similar thoughts had occurred, Uruhar had never once acted.

He saw now he had merely been like those who silently shirked responsibility, dismissing it as a matter of the past unjust imperial court.

However, hearing of the 'Black Knight', courage through resolve arose within him.

'I've always left it to him to provide help.'

As his thoughts organized, the gloomy night began to embrace him.

The streetlights started to flicker, drawing bugs that lingered around the dimming illumination.

As the remnants of bustle faded into scarcity, Uruhar pulled up his hood, starting to move with determination.

'If you consider helping, then indeed help, Uruhar.'

With resolve flooding him, Uruhar made his way toward Fulcurn's mansion.