“Tek here, when I spoke to Arisa, I learned that she lived in version of Britain where it was overly religious, with religious wars almost breaking out constantly--mainly between the Christians and Muslims, or the Muslims and the Jews, or the Muslims and Muslims…A religion of peace? You mean a religion of pieces. In a way, a world without gods is better. As soon as I saw churches, I was sure that this world too would suffer from religious wars.”

 

The ship is anchored at a location where we can see the Capital, which is lit up with a mixture of torches and Mage Lights, casting a multicoloured glow into the night sky.

 

The port is crowded due to the upcoming tournament, so we have to wait--the Duke has issues an order to prioritize ships that carry supplies, and there are a lot of anchored ships.

 

Since the captain has received the right to enter the port first thing in the morning tomorrow, it seems that we won’t have to wait in the morning.

 

Everyone was watching the night view, riding high on the beauty of the cave a while ago, gazing quietly up at the stars while pondering many things. But a little while ago, they began to doze off, as the excitement wore off--so I made them turn back to the room.

 

I hear light footsteps, looking back, I see Arisa.

 

She stands next to me and leans against the railing, “So, you’re going after all?”

 

Earlier, I had secretly told her about the high number of Short Horns in the Capital--she guessed that I would take the chance to go in advance, to make sure everything was safe for the girls.

 

But when she asked this, she had a strange atmosphere, “I can’t imagine that anything will appear that will be strong enough to defeat you--it would level the capital just by releasing its Magic. But, be careful, okay?”, She looked up at me.

 

“I will be careful. I will hopefully get there before they get the chance to use the Short Horns.”

 

The identities of the people who are holding the Short Horns are very suspicious. The majority of them are younger nobles, all of which are members of a secret society called the Wings of Liberty. It seems that there is the direct descendant of a Duke among them.

 

I have the suspicion that the Weaselkin are involved somewhere in the background, but the members themselves are all Humans.

 

“Alright--you absolutely come back unharmed, okay?” Arisa looks up at me with puppy eyes, her lower lip trembles slightly.

 

She seems to worry a lot, this silly girl.

 

I smile reassuringly and embrace her, “Of course I will--even if the Demon Lord himself appears.” I whisper into her ear.

 

She trembles slightly as my breath tickles her ear, before she gently pokes my forehead, “Don’t raise any flags, stupid master.”--she seems to have cheered up, a soft smile pulls at her lips.

 

After holding her for a few seconds, I gently disentangle her and step back, “Well, I will be off. Oh, and River Pirates might attack tonight, so have someone do night watch--it’s also fine to call Karina and her maids to our room, she will bring Raka with her.”

 

I shouldn’t say that she worries a lot--I’m probably worse.

 

***

Now then, there was a little something that I didn’t tell Arisa.

 

First, there are about 300 Wings of Liberty’s who don’t have Short Horns, and there is no one over level 30--but they have a stronghold that is in a mysterious area located hundreds of meters below the Capital. I only knew about it after someone I had marked, appeared out of the map’s range, and when I checked his surroundings--it was treated as a different area. I wonder, could it be a Geofront--or more realistically a labyrinth, or withered labyrinth.

 

Second, there are three people with: Abnormal Status: Demonic Possession. Among two of the executive members, one of them is a clergyman of the Tenion Temple.

 

I feel curious as to why a Clergyman is possessed--well, since the three of them are in the underground stronghold, I’ll do something about them after I collect the Short Horns.

 

***

I wonder if it’s because of my Spy Skill, I’ve successfully snuck into the Capital without any of the patrols--including the flying Batkin, who use something like echolocation.

 

Of course, I didn’t enter via the front gate. I dove over the main wall using Sky Drive.

 

Since it’s a stealth mission at night, I’m currently wearing a jet-black mask. I’m also not wearing a robe, but simple black leather over black long pants and long-sleeved shirt, and boots.

 

I thought that it’s better not to wear anything that can be linked back to me, because a lot of my targets are related to nobles, and everyone believes nobles over anyone else.

 

Now then, even though there is a lot of nighttime left, they’re already gathering in the underground. So, I should quickly raid the Short Horn holders on the surface.

 

First of all is a fortuneteller in a back alley.

 

I quickly opened the door, breaking the lock, and entering without knocking.

 

“Who? The shop is closed for today.” A really beautiful, sexily dressed blond woman says in irritation as she looks up from whatever she is reading on the main counter. But I move quickly and make her faint with a carefully controlled knock on her pretty head. I rip open the metal safe, deforming and tearing the reinforced metal as easily as if it was clay--taking the Short Horn that was in the safe.

 

I leave the shop--the woman should be fine until she wakes up.

 

After that, I was able to collect up until the fourth Short Horn without any problems, but the fifth is more difficult--of all things, he’s the third son of the Duke. I’m able to infiltrate the castle, but there are a lot of guards with the See-Through, Surveillance, and Enemy Search Skills scattered around.

 

I want to believe in my level 10 Spy Skill, but the number of sentries is too damn high, I can’t feel reassured. I wonder if I can get invisibility-related Skills if I erase my presence, like I did when I got the Enemy Search Skill back then.

 

The fortunate thing?

 

There are no shortage of enemies who are trying to find me, so it should fulfil the conditions.

 

Back then, I was searching for foreign bodies in nature, but it’s the opposite now. I relax and imagine myself melting into the surroundings, mind and body.

 

Maybe because I had a similar experiences before, I obtain the Skills even more easily than I expected.

 

>>Skill: Hiding Acquired.

>>Skill: Invisibility Acquired.

>>Skill: Stealthy Footsteps Acquired.

 

I quickly level up and activate the Skills, and can now walk down the corridors with ease, without making even the slightest sound--even when I deliberately stomp on the ground once.

 

Thanks to the combination of the four Skills, the infiltration mission is successful. I’ve arrived at the living room of the Duke’s third son. When I look inside, there’s a thirty-year old obese man muttering in a quiet voice, while looking at a hand mirror. At first, I thought that he’s talking to himself, but the hand mirror is emitting Magic Power, so it’s probably a communication-type Magic Tool.

 

When I listen closely--

“Then, kidnap--no, invite Sera from Tenion Temple.”

 

I hear disturbing words. If I’m not mistaken, one of the people with Abnormal Status: Demonic Possession is called Sera.

 

“Mmm, I want to go there as well, but I’m busy with government affairs, so it’s extremely unlikely that I can participate in the ritual. No, I’m not making light of the society. I understand, I will be there before the ritual begins. Keep the Gatekeeper waiting for me.”

 

After he finished his conversation with whoever was on the other end of the he carries it over to the bookshelves while carrying it. After he pulls on a certain book, the bookshelf rotates and a hidden room appears.

 

Since he begins changing into the society’s attire inside the room, I quickly stun him and collect his Short Horn. There is a list of passwords and some kind of plan inside the treasure chest, so I collect them as well.

 

The duke’s third son is unconscious while wearing the Wings of Liberty special clothing, so I leave him there.

 

There’s a hidden passage in the drainage that goes from the castle’s basement, so I make use of it--it smells like mold. There are rats darting around, if they were familiars I would have been long caught, but since neither the radar nor my Danger Sense are kicking in--they’re probably just normal rats.

 

Several alarm devices that look like spider webs are scattered along the way--but my Trap Discovery and Danger Sense mean that they aren’t even minor obstacles to me.

 

I had already stolen some of the society’s clothing from the blond woman earlier, so I change into it in the middle of the drainage passage. Typical of a secret society, the attire completely cloaks the figure and face of the wearer.

 

Luckily, or unluckily, she wasn’t wearing the clothing at the time I stole it--I would have been a little reluctant to leave her unconscious in her underwear in a shop in such a seedy alley. She hadn’t actually threatened me or my girls, so I had no reason to kill her, or get her killed--she wasn’t an enemy, yet.

 

***

“The wind of liberty blows.” A woman asked me for the passphrase.

“Toward the blue sky.” I replied to her.

 

There are also other people from the society gathered here, but among these people, there is no one with a Short Horn.

 

Some of the people are wearing clothing that differs from ordinary members, they seem to be the higher-ups, and they have been arguing about something since before I entered.

 

“What should we do? Mitsuo still hasn’t arrived yet.”

“That fool must be resting somewhere--there’s no time until the ritual starts, so let’s leave now.”

 

Apparently, they’re waiting for the Duke’s third son, the one that I stunned earlier, but it seems that the ritual will start soon. I’ve been looking through the document that I stole from the third son, but I doubt that the content is serious. They’re offering sacrifices with a ritual to summon a Holy Relic--which, based on context is more Short Horns.

 

Today’s sacrifice seems to be the Sera that the third son talked about before. Since she’s already been possessed by the Demon, she might have already been sacrificed.

 

I move along with the other members, going over to the gate that would transport us to the underground stronghold--it looks like Stonehenge, except it glows and is covered in some kind of Runes or Sigils; they remind me of Cuneiform.

 

The device activates and almost instantly teleports us to the underground area.

 

I quickly activate All Map Exploration and check on the information for this area. It’s the Pig King Labyrinth--Ruin. I wonder what the difference between a Ruined Labyrinth and a Withered Labyrinth? Well, usually there should be Monsters in a withered labyrinth, but there are none at all here--if I ignore the possessed people.

 

The society’s people are gathering beyond the corridor, since my main objectives, the holders of the Short Horns and the three possessed people, are in there--it seems I can settle it in one fell swoop.