I Don’t Need a Guillotine for My Revolution

Chapter 78: Directory Government - Shadow Meeting (2)

"......Paimon."

I never wanted to see the real thing, not just the records in the crystal ball.

"I'm glad you remember me, Marquis Lafayette."

Paimon grinned, eyes curving into a sharp smile.

I glared at that bewitching face and made an assessment.

No weapons.

Unlike the seemingly manageable succubus, I couldn't gauge Paimon's strength. In a one-on-two situation, should I attack?

"Where is this place?"

Paimon smiled at my question and replied.

"It's an illusion recreating the Abyss Corporation's reception room, Marquis."An illusion, and the succubus said this was my dream.

So, in my dream, they're showing me an illusion using the succubus's power?

Then, as the succubus said, would fighting here be meaningless?

How much should I believe, and how much should I doubt?

I slowly circulated my mana, and I felt not only my body but the entire space resonating.

This, if I do it right...

At that moment, Gremory reacted.

"Oh, oh, oh! You mustn't do that!"

Gremory, who had been floating in the air, flew down, landing with a thud next to the sofa where Paimon sat, shaking her head vigorously.

"I am a peace-loving succubus who arranged this meeting at the request of the CEO of Sloth Corp! I have no intention of harming you!"

"...Do demons have a culture of approaching people pretending to be their fiancées when arranging meetings?"

At my question, Paimon turned her head to look at Gremory, and Gremory subtly averted her gaze.

"I just wanted a little taste while I was at it..."

"Gremory...."

"Marquis. If a wine bottle with an incredibly fancy label was just opened right in front of you, could you resist without even tasting it?"

Dumbfounded, I didn't answer, and Gremory crossed her arms and spouted nonsense.

"If a succubus sneaks into the dream of someone who looks incredibly delicious and doesn't even taste them, such a person doesn't deserve to be called a succubus!"

"...Did you call me here to play word games?"

Paimon smiled and offered me a seat.

"Of course not, Marquis. It's an honor to have you here. Though it's an illusion, I'd be pleased if you'd sit comfortably."

A meeting, a meeting.

I don't know what the Abyss Corporation is thinking by doing this, but there's no harm in listening to some information.

Thinking that, I sat in the seat Paimon offered.

Gremory snapped her fingers, and teacups and a teapot appeared on the table in front of us.

"This black tea is a special product of the Abyss Corporation! It's an illusion, but the taste and aroma are almost perfectly reproduced!"

Gremory wore a friendly, hospitable smile and poured me some tea, but of course, I didn't even touch it.

Why would I trust and drink tea offered by a demon?

"I'm putting a lot of effort into making this with my magic, and you're rejecting it so coldly. This is a dream, so physical harm is meaningless..."

"I'm not foolish enough to believe everything a demon says."

"Lust Corp's motto is Love and Peace! To doubt a succubus who works day and night for love and peace is too much..."

Gremory made a crying face.

As expected of a succubus, she looks harmless and like a wounded woman...

But this seemingly airheaded succubus has infiltrated my dream, in the middle of Kroxx's camp, and is displaying this realistic illusion.

Anything could happen, and I'm not even sure if I have any means of resistance, so I can't help but be tense.

I turned my gaze from Gremory, who was spouting nonsense, and glared at Paimon.

"Speak."

"I didn't expect you to be so prickly just from information, but this is charming in its own way."

Paimon blushed slightly and crossed their legs.

This one's not normal either. I was about to click my tongue when Gremory said something shocking.

"Marquis. Don't be fooled. Paimon of Sloth Corp is a man."

...What?

I scanned Paimon's face and the shape of the purple dress under the white robe, up and down.

How is this a man?

Are they joking?

"Gremory, don't say unnecessary things."

"Flaunting is Lust Corp's specialty! Paimon, who keeps overstepping, is bad. I hate perverts who threaten the jobs of succubi!"

I let out a light sigh and gathered my mana.

In response, the reception room we were sitting in began to shake.

If this illusion is overlaid on my dream with mana, then I, as the owner of this place, should be able to break it with mana.

"Ah, ah! Sorry! I'm sorry! Gremory will shut up now!"

Gremory said that and covered her mouth with both hands, watching my expression with golden eyes.

"I apologize, Marquis. It's an important meeting, but as you know, we demons are not very normal by human standards."

"...It's good that you're aware of that. So? give the reason for this meeting."

I gathered my mana and glared at Paimon, who... absolutely didn't look like a man.

Paimon raised both hands, smiled, and opened his mouth.

"The Abyss Corporation wishes to establish diplomatic relations with the Republic of Francia."

A scoff naturally escaped me.

The revolution in Francia was sparked because King Louis was selling the people to demons, and now they want diplomatic relations?

Ridiculous.

"You must know why our revolution happened. Aren't you being too shameless?"

"That's a misunderstanding, Marquis. The Abyss Corporation lent the war funds requested by King Louis, and it was King Louis who chose to sell slaves as a means of repayment."

Paimon continued in a very relaxed tone.

"Speaking for the Abyss Corporation, the fault was committed within Francia, and our innocent Francia branch suffered damage from the revolutionaries."

"I have no intention of listening to your sophistry. If you want diplomatic relations, submit it formally to Francia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs."

Paimon smiled.

"With you glaring so fiercely, who in the National Assembly would dare to suggest restoring diplomatic relations with us? It was quite a sight—those who tried to kill Countess Aquitaine with our products-"

Paimon stopped speaking when my outstretched hand grabbed his neck.

"Killing anyone here will be of no use, right?"

Gremory, who had been looking surprised with wide golden eyes, nodded with her hand covering her mouth.

"Shall we test it?"

I channeled mana into my arm, and the illusion began to tremble-

Crack.

With a chilling sound of bones breaking, Paimon's neck snapped.

"Hmm, you're too violent."

Paimon spoke leisurely with his broken neck, and I frowned and let go.

"Are you convinced now, Marquis?"

Paimon smiled, eyes gleaming.

"...Yes, damn it, I am."

Gremory snapped her fingers, and Paimon's neck returned to normal as if nothing had happened.

Annoying.

I sat back down on the sofa.

"You seem to know very well why I hate you, so why did you arrange this meeting?"

"Ah, well. 'Paimon' and 'the Abyss Corporation' have slightly different positions."

Paimon swept his long red hair back with his hand and answered with a smile.

So, you know I won't accept this proposal, but the Abyss Corporation wants diplomatic relations with Francia?

"But I have to convey it, so I'll say it. The demand is to terminate diplomatic relations and trade agreement with King Kroxx, and to establish diplomatic relations and a trade agreement with the Abyss Corporation."

I was dumbfounded, but-

"If you accept these conditions, we will provide 10,000 muskets and 100,000 rounds of ammunition as an advance payment."

I frowned upon hearing the attached conditions.

Certainly, it's generous. Some might be tempted by this.

Paimon added with a faint smile.

"This is my personal suggestion. I'm also willing to prohibit separate transactions with internal factions, not formal transactions with Francia. Of course, Marquis Lafayette and Countess Aquitaine are exceptions."

They'll prevent harm from being done to me or Christine using Abyss products?

Paimon is looking at my face with a smile full of laughter.

Is he sure I'll accept his offer?

No, rather.

Is he anticipating my reaction?

Why?

"I admit the conditions are quite good. But I refuse."

Despite being clearly rejected, Paimon looked amused.

"May I ask the reason?"

"What could be stupider than relying on a potential enemy for national defense? On the other hand, King Kroxx is our ally against you."

"Why do you consider the Abyss Corporation a potential enemy..."

"You know how I dealt with Halphas, don't you? You blame King Louis, but wasn't it you who instigated the revolution and caused chaos to have fun?"

The smile on Paimon's lips grew wider.

"Then I'm even more puzzled, Marquis. You knew how the revolution in Francia was sparked, yet you're loyal to a republic born of a distorted revolution."

"Do you think you're omnipotent?"

Paimon paused at my words.

"You seem to think it was a revolution fueled by the ideas you instilled, but you're wrong. In the end, you lost control of it, and you got hurt too, didn't you?"

The beginning may have been influenced by what they instilled, but ultimately, it was a revolution that erupted from the long-suffering people's desires.

Did the soldiers who marched without fear of death and the politicians who resisted to the end to protect democracy get influenced by demons? Never.

"This is a revolution that Francia caused, and a republic that we built. You just put impurities in it and accelerated it, but in that corrupt kingdom, it was bound to happen sooner or later. There's no place for you demons there."

Paimon's eyes curved, and the smile never left his lips.

"To advise you for the sake of the Marquis and Francia, there is a country that is buying a large amount of weapons from the Abyss Corporation to oppose Francia. If you don't prepare now, you may face a very serious problem?"

You're selling weapons to the Germania Empire?

"Then we must continue trading with King Kroxx. That way, we can procure weapons by trading with the dwarves, not you."

Paimon looks increasingly amused.

Why? I shouldn't judge a demon logically, but Halphas wasn't this strange.

"Oh, Marquis, you are absolutely right. But even if the dwarves are great craftsmen, it will be difficult for them to provide as many weapons as the Abyss Corporation."

"You won't release enough weapons at once to destroy Francia."

"Why do you think so?"

"Because that's how the war continues, and your long-term profits increase. If you give too much power to Germania, the war will end quickly, and after that, they'll become an uncontrollable variable and run wild, so you'll adjust accordingly."

"Haha."

Paimon finally burst into laughter with a delighted face.

"Gremory, have we ever had a human who understood us this well?"

Gremory, still covering her mouth with both hands, just shook her head.

"Oh, Marquis. You really understand the Abyss Corporation. To such a Marquis, I want to give you sincere advice. All your plans are possible only if the diplomatic relations with King Kroxx continue."

Paimon smiled provocatively.

"But we intend to completely crush King Kroxx and his followers. If necessary, we'll even use force-"

"Try it."

"Pardon?"

"Isn't the reason you don't set foot on the continent directly, but stay in the shadows and cause chaos and intervene only indirectly, because it's more profitable for you? If demons openly show their ambition on the continent, you'll become the public enemy of the continent, like the previously destroyed Pandemonium."

"..."

"If you could intervene to the extent of destroying Kroxx and his brothers at once, as you say, the Abyss Corporation wouldn't need to worry about Kroxx and Francia's trade and arrange this meeting."

In the end, they want to separate Francia, crush Kroxx, who suffers from food shortages, and procure materials for the industrial revolution from the Iberian Peninsula.

And you want to have fun selling those weapons to both Francia and Germania, right?

"You're not a nation ruled by a single ruler, but a coalition of seven interest groups, so you can't easily wage war. Because the losses from cutting off trade with the continent are greater than the profits from war. Am I wrong?"

"Haha, hahaha!"

Paimon burst out laughing.

He's even shaking his shoulders and laughing out loud, I really need a sword.

I turned my head and asked Gremory.

"...Why is he like that?"

Gremory, who finally took her hands off her mouth, tilted her head.

"Gremory doesn't know either- The Marquis's words are completely screwing over the Abyss Corporation, so where's the fun? Is he a pervert? A peace-loving succubus can't understand."

...I'm a fool for asking her.

By then, Paimon had stopped laughing and twisted his lips into a wonderfully obnoxious smile.

"Truly amazing, Marquis. Every word is correct. But a Marquis who understands us so well and deliberately obstructs us, isn't he a dangerous element that should be eliminated, even at some risk?"

"Weren't you already attacking me?"

During the civil war, King Louis strangely split his forces to target Lafayette, who wasn't even the leader of the First Prince's faction.

The Abyss supported the extremists' assassination attempt on Christine, which would have been a minor domestic dispute, and made her almost die.

With the Information obtained from interrogating Halphas, and their actions since then...

No matter how you look at it, the conclusion is that they have already regarded me as a threat and have been trying to act hostilely.

And they failed.

They are certainly unknown enemies, and they are tricky. But they are by no means omnipotent.

Rather than fearing such beings and enjoying the comfort of being their puppet, I will trust the people I have gained and my allies and fight against them.

"Keep trying hard from behind the scenes like you're doing now. You'll fail every time."

"Fufu, fufufu. The negotiations have broken down. I look forward to it, Marquis Lafayette. Ah, crushing King Kroxx is not an empty threat, so try to stop us."

"Thank you for the meeting, Marquis Lafayette~ But, by any chance, are you not interested in having a wonderful time? As a peace-loving succubus, Gremory will provide a solid service if she receives your essence! You seem frustrated, so I'll make you feel- Ah, never mind!"

The illusion of the reception room is cracking.

As the world of illusion crumbles.

"I'll be cheering for you, Marquis."

Just before I woke up, Paimon's voice, as if whispering in my ear, flowed in.

...Those damn demons.