Otome Game Mob Villain

Chapter 593

"……The similarity between Renarute's fairy tale and the current incident. The emerald-colored orb is likely modeled after the Roukyu Pearl, huh?"

As I explained the insights gained in Valdia, Amon furrowed his brow in thought and let out a low hum.

Gabriel Santos, who had undergone a bizarre transformation right before my eyes, was taken away by two birdmen, and his current whereabouts remain unknown.

On the other hand, Remos Santos, the former head of the Santos family, has been confirmed dead.

When Amon and his audit team arrived at the Santos family's mansion, it suddenly exploded and burned to the ground.

Initially, Remos was considered missing, but a valuable testimony from a survivor who worked at his mansion shed some light.

"Lord Remos took out something small and emerald-colored, put it in his mouth, and shortly after, he swelled up like a balloon and exploded…"

If it weren't for Gabriel's case, this story would have been hard to believe.

However, since I had personally witnessed that bizarre transformation, the credibility was deemed high, and Remos was declared dead.

"The foxmen are being dragged into something with great malice."

With that thought in mind, Amon and I took the events surrounding Remos and Gabriel seriously and continued our investigation.

"Based on the information we have now, these are the conclusions my father and I have reached. I think it gives us a direction for the investigation. If we're wrong, we can always adjust later."

"Understood. I'll have my sister and the warriors continue the investigation with that approach."

"Thanks, I appreciate it."

As Amon nodded, I suddenly felt curious and shifted the topic.

"Do dungeons—Roukyu—appear in the foxmen territory, or rather, in Zubera?"

"Ah, of course. I've been to a few myself."

So, dungeons really do appear everywhere, huh.

I had been thinking about it, so if one is confirmed within the foxmen territory, maybe I'll go check it out.

"Ah, now that you mention it…"

Suddenly, Amon furrowed his brow and seemed to be deep in thought.

"What's wrong?"

"Well… If I think about it calmly, it feels like the occurrence of dungeons has decreased significantly compared to before."

As he said this, Amon turned his gaze to Karaba, who was standing behind him.

"How about the occurrence of dungeons lately? Have you heard anything?"

"Hmm, now that you mention it, compared to when Lord Gleas was still alive, it does feel like there have been fewer dungeons in the foxmen territory. However, without proper investigation, it's hard to say for sure."

"Understood. Please relay that to my sister and have her look into it as well."

"As you wish."

Karaba bowed in response to Amon's words.

Compared to before, it feels like the occurrence of dungeons has decreased, huh.

As Karaba said, without proper investigation, we can't know the exact numbers.

But around the same time that the occurrence of dungeons seems to be decreasing compared to a few years ago, suspicious orbs modeled after the Roukyu Pearl start appearing… Could that really be a coincidence?

There must always be a cause behind the outcome of things.

For example, someone might have been secretly entering the dungeons that appeared in the foxmen territory to collect Roukyu Pearls.

"…It feels like the dots are slowly starting to connect."

"Indeed."

As I muttered while pondering, Amon nodded in agreement.

"Still, the dungeon occurrence rate… If this hadn't happened, it's not something I would have paid much attention to."

He shrugged with a sigh, then leaned forward and said, "By the way, Rid."

"After your meeting with Tis, is the schedule for the meeting with Gyobu Yatanuki, the tanuki clan chief, still on track?"

"Ah, right. That's still fine as planned."

"Good. Then I'll let Gyobu know as well."

"Thanks."

Actually, even before returning to Valdia, we had been receiving requests from various clan chiefs across Zubera who wanted to meet with me and Amon.

The impact of our ruthless removal of the old regime's nobles and our efforts to eradicate political corruption had not only shocked the foxmen territory but had sent ripples throughout all of Zubera.

While I was back in Baldia, we even received a message via communication magic that the Beast King, Sekmetos Bestia, had expressed interest in a meeting.

Given that a meeting with the Beast King would be too much for just me and Amon to handle, it was decided that my father would come to the foxmen territory soon to help with the arrangements.

If we could just improve the roads, a charcoal-powered vehicle could make the trip from Valdia's new mansion to the foxmen capital, Forneu, in less than a day.

Even if it's a tight schedule, my father should be fine being away from Valdia for two or three nights.

It's a demanding schedule, but my father, who frequently travels to and from the imperial capital, should be able to handle it.

With the illegal funds collected from the old regime's nobles, the "Foxmen Reconstruction Five-Year Plan" is now on track.

Road improvements will likely progress rapidly in the next month or two, so the meeting with Beast King Sekmetos should happen soon.

For reference, the foxmen territory borders the tanuki clan to the southwest, the horse clan to the north, Balst to the east, and Valdia to the south.

A bit further northwest is Zubera's royal capital, Bestia.

After considering the priority of the meetings, we decided to prioritize the neighboring territories first.

Gyobu Yatanuki is said to have a relatively mild temperament among the clan chiefs.

However, I've also heard that he's a hard person to pin down.

When I consulted my father about the meeting and got his approval, he warned me not to let my guard down.

Among beastmen, the law of the jungle applies not only to physical strength but also to political and negotiation skills.

Naturally, the clan chiefs are not people who can be easily dealt with.

But if we can introduce and promote our technology and goods during these meetings with the clan chiefs, the foxmen territory, as a gateway to Valdia, will undoubtedly see economic growth.

If that happens, money from Zubera will flow into the foxmen territory and then into Baldia.

In turn, that money will contribute to the further development and influence of both Valdia and the foxmen, serving as a deterrent and countermeasure against future condemnations.

To be honest, I don't have a very favorable impression of Beast King Sekmetos or the clan chiefs who stood by and watched Gales and Elba's actions.

Or, for that matter, Zubera as a whole.

The Beast King and the clan chiefs likely had their own reasons, but if those in power had intervened, the "Battle of the Narrow Fortress" would never have happened.

That said, I don't hold any grudges or plan to pick fights—that would be unproductive.

Instead, I intend to dominate Zubera's untapped market through the foxmen territory, controlling it from behind the scenes in a near-monopoly and squeezing it dry.

And I plan to weaken Zubera to the point where its economy would suffer greatly without the foxmen and Valdia.

Once we reach that point, the nation won't dare lay a hand on Valdia again.

"…Rid, you look pretty pleased. Are you scheming again?"

"No, no, I'm not scheming. Come on, I'm just an innocent boy."

"Sure, sure, whatever you say."

Shaking his head and flashing a white-toothed smile, Amon gave me a look of exasperation and shrugged.

I've shared some of my plans with him, though I've kept the part about "avoiding condemnation" under wraps.

"The foxmen territory becoming a trade hub between Valdia and the empire, with people, goods, and money flowing in from all over Zubera? That's a fantastic idea."

Amon had said that with genuine enthusiasm.

Probably because he had some idea of my true intentions, though.

As we discussed the meetings with the Beast King and the clan chiefs, a certain name crossed my mind.

"Can I ask you something? It's a bit off-topic."

"Sure, what is it?"

As Amon leaned in, I brought up a new topic.

"Do you know Johan Bestia, the son of Beast King Sekmetos Bestia? Have you ever met him?"