Chapter 252: Royal Capital Infiltration Operation*

New chapter of The Demon King is out! (1/2 chapters)The First Volunteering Knights, also known as the Temple Volunteering Knights, were composed of personnel recruited from monasteries and associated orphanages throughout the Papal States. These recruits were rigorously trained using methods from the era of the God-Protected Empire until they are recognized as full members. By the time they turned 22, 90 % of the applicants had dropped out, and of those, 10% died. There were no general public recruitments.

The Temple Volunteering Knights, established in this way, were further divided into four divisions internally. Each division was assigned a name with a sacred four-letter (Tetragrammaton) designation, but they usually humbly refer to their own division by a number rather than using the name of their master out of respect.

Basilio Cazali, who belonged to the First Division, usually served as the Deputy Director of the Heresy Investigation Department, engaged in various activities. The work of the Heresy Investigation Department involved investigating heretics both domestically and abroad. If it involved a small village or similar level of heresy, they used means such as assassination to eradicate it themselves. For larger organizations that were beyond their control, they reported and entrusted it to a larger force. Of course, this work also included undercover investigations. However, they never expected to be dispatched all the way to this northern edge.

Basilio was now in the north of Sibyaku.

—

About two years ago, there was a major battle in this area. Many of Basilio’s acquaintances and friends perished here. After all, this was the place where half of the four divisions, the Second and Third Divisions, were wiped out in a single day.

Before him stretched a land overgrown with grass, and beyond that was a low-growing forest. Perhaps because it was near the city, the battlefield had been completely cleared. At a glance, it just looked like an open field. The reason the grass appeared to be sparse in some places might be because it was land that absorbed human blood. There were no visible traces of the thousands of corpses that lay there and the lives that were lost two years ago.

It was a desolate place. Basilio thought that, if he could, he would like to create a forest where the birds’ songs could be heard for the sake of his fallen comrades, but it was something he could not possibly do.

“—Stop it, Orbert.” (Basilio)

Next to Basilio, his subordinate Orbert was on the ground with his hands on it. His back was trembling. He had lost his close friend from the Second Division in this very place. It seemed he had become overwhelmed with emotion as he thought about his friend.

“Even though many devils also perished in this land, it has already been two years. Those with strong bonds should have come to terms with their departure. If you mourn like that here, it will seem abnormal. Stop immediately.” (Basilio)

“…Yes.” (Orbert)

Orbert stood up and wiped his tears with his sleeve. Basilio took out a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to him.

“Use this to wipe. Wiping with your sleeve will leave swelling around your eyes.” (Basilio)

“…Understood. I’m sorry.” (Orbert)

Basilio did not lend the handkerchief out of kindness to his colleague. The most dangerous part of the upcoming operation was the infiltration into the capital. He felt uneasy about leaving any flaws before proceeding with such a critical phase where utmost caution was necessary.

“Are we done already?” (Benedict)

The voice, light and casual, came from Benedict. It seemed that Benedict had no interest in the battlefield where his comrades had fallen. He was idly swinging his legs and kicking at the grass with a look of boredom.

“It’s done. Let’s go, Orbert.” (Basilio)

“Yes.” (Orbert)

“Don’t think about the friends you’ve lost. Keep your emotions in check.” (Basilio)

“Yes, Basilio-san.” (Orbert)

“It goes without saying, but please don’t speak once we enter the city.” (Benedict)

Benedict made a trivial remark. Basilio wondered if he thought so little of them.

Unlike Basilio and Orbert, Benedict was not a member of the First Volunteering Knights. He was from the citizen class and belonged to the Third Volunteering Knights. The reason for including such an outsider was that no one in the First Volunteering Knights spoke the Devil language.

Basilio’s native language was Telor, and he had also learned Arn, spoken in the Dragon Empire. Orbert had similarly learned Arn. Until a few years ago, the recognition was that the Devil nations were on the brink of extinction, so there was no perceived need to train personnel in the Devil language.

As a result, among military personnel, those who could speak the Devil language without discomfort were, aside from translators, mostly torturers. Though torturers were also on the list, they were not trained military personnel, so their ability to endure long marches was questionable. More importantly, Benedict had a good appearance. He was suitable as someone who would not create discomfort in conversations with devils.

However, Benedict was a shallow man and was not the most suitable person for the mission. He was someone who had learned the Devil language to become close to devils he had worked with as a prostitute. It was inevitable that he was superficial. His tendency to refer to devils as “long ears” and view them as sexual objects was a peculiarity that conflicted with Basilio and Orbert’s views, so they now avoided conversations outside of their mission.

“Well then, let’s go. Once this is over, I’ll be rich.” (Basilio)

—

“—!” (Orbert)

At the target mansion, Orbert silently drove his blade into the back of the guard’s body. He covered the devil guard’s mouth to prevent any noise from escaping. After a few seconds of convulsions, the devil went limp. Orbert turned the body to avoid the flow of blood, moved it to the shadow of the wall, and laid the corpse down.

Basilio sprinkled sand over the small pool of blood that had collected, performing a simple concealment.

“Let’s go.” (Basilio)

Then, they entered the house silently.

“—Eek!” (??)

As soon as they entered, a small scream was emitted by a devil dressed as a maid.

“Are you Azumi?” (Benedict)

Basilio spoke in the Telor language. According to the prior briefing, this woman was supposed to be the one leading them in, and she was identified as a speaker of Telor. Azumi was not her real name but an alias used for infiltration, though that was irrelevant. There should be no one else in the house besides this woman and the target.

“Yes.” (Azumi)

It seemed that this woman was indeed Azumi, as she nodded.

“Where is the target?” (Basilio)

“She is on the second floor.” (Azumi)

“Lead the way.” (Basilio)

Azumi immediately ascended to the second floor. Heading straight, she opened the door to what looked like a closet room.

The target was in that room, half-naked and selecting a dress.

For a moment, Basilio wondered if the woman was human. Her breasts were too big for a devil, and the thought that such a talented woman could be a member of the devil race bolstered this consideration. Just as he was about to be certain that it was indeed the work of a human and not a devil, he saw her ears peeking out from her hair. They were distinctly pointed and had hair growing on them. She was indeed a devil.

Basilio took a moment to recover from the confusion.

“—!? ×××! ×××××××!” (Lily)

The woman was speaking in the Devil language.

“×××!! ×××××!!” (Azumi)

It seemed she was interrogating Azumi. Given the situation, it wasn’t surprising.

“!? Is she the target?” (Orbert)

Orbert, who had arrived on the second floor late, looked at the woman with surprise. Perhaps, he was shocked by her breasts, which was an unexpected appearance for a devil.

“It seems so.” (Basilio)

“…I see, this woman is the one.” (Orbert)

Orbert looked at the woman with eyes full of hatred. He likely saw her as a major cause of the defeat suffered by the Papal States in the battle two years ago and the subsequent decline.

Basilio shared that sentiment, but with his experience, he had learned to suppress such feelings internally. The work of the Inquisition wasn’t always about ideals. There were times when one had to overlook those who seemed to defy the justice taught by Isus, and conversely, times when a girl who seemed innocent had been sentenced to death. Young Orbert had yet to face such internal conflicts.

“Whew!” (Benedict)

Benedict, who had come up to the second floor, whistled briefly, as if to blow away the inner conflicts of the two with the sight of the provocatively dressed woman.

“Azumi, this woman is indeed the expert called Lily, correct?” (Basilio)

Basilio made sure to confirm.

“Yes.” (Azumi)

Though the woman’s screams made it quite difficult to hear, Azumi indeed confirmed it. Therefore, it was certain that she was Lily. In any case, they had no choice but to proceed under this assumption.

The woman, who was supposed to be a talented scholar and an expert, was wearing a dress with an open chest, resembling that of a high-class courtesan. It did not look like everyday wear, and this raised questions. However, in this situation, there was no way to confirm her identity any further. Staying in this city was increasingly dangerous, and they had to escape as quickly as possible. There was no time for interrogation here, and even if there was a chance that they had captured the wrong person, there was no time to verify it.

Of course, if there was a major change like discovering that the person was a man instead of a woman, they would have to verify it, even if it impeded the operation. But, as it stood, she was a woman. Since she wore glasses, she did give off an air of being a scholar.

“This appearance is problematic. Benedict, put the white coat on her and make sure she wears trousers underneath. Orbert, keep watch to ensure she doesn’t escape.” (Basilio)

“Eh… what a waste.” (Benedict)

Benedict seemed to be aroused by the sight, looking at her with a gaze that suggested desire.

“Don’t touch her. If she becomes desperate and commits suicide, all will be for nothing. Orbert, make sure Benedict doesn’t do anything inappropriate.” (Basilio)

“Understood.” (Orbert)

“Tch, how boring.” (Benedict)

Benedict said this and handed over the white coat and some suitable trousers.

“×××, ×××××××” (Lily)

“×××!” (Lily)

Lily yelled abuse(?), striking Benedict’s cheek with a loud slap. The sound was sharp and loud.

After a moment, Benedict raised his arm in retaliation. He seemed to have no qualms about hitting a woman. Basilio, having anticipated this reaction, leaned forward and grabbed the raised wrist from behind.

“Stop it. Do you have any idea how much time and lives it took to get this operation to this point?” (Basilio)

Even though the area was populated by many humans, infiltrating and making contact with the devil race was known to be extremely difficult. During the process of turning Azumi and 3 other devils into spies, they had contacted 13 devils and lost 38 personnel. They had failed in their attempts at persuasion and were reported. Such operations in enemy territory inevitably come with significant risks. This was not an operation that should be influenced by the trivial lust of a worthless man.

“…It’s fine. Women don’t usually commit suicide over a little incident.” (Benedict)

“You are not essential personnel of the team. If you continue to be so troublesome…” (Basilio)

Basilio tightened his grip on the wrist.

“—Alright, I understand.” (Benedict)

Benedict said with a resigned tone.

“××××××, ××××” (Lily)

“…” (Basilio)

She received the clothing. Perhaps intimidated by the tense atmosphere, she quietly put on the trousers under the dress.

“There is something you need to hear.” (Azumi)

Azumi said.

“She is supposed to meet Yuri Hou soon. She will become Yuri Hou’s mistress.” (Azumi)

Basilio did not fully understand what was being said. Although Azumi was supposed to be a speaker of the Telor language, it seemed she was not very proficient. This made accurate communication difficult. About 8 months ago, it was reported that she was dismissed from her position as village head in an occupied colony and had been financially struggling, only to be bribed with money. With such poor Telor, it would have been impossible to manage the villagers. It made sense why she had been dismissed.

“Benedict. Now that you’ve handed over the clothes, act as an interpreter.” (Basilio)

“Sure thing.” (Benedict)

Benedict was undoubtedly more fluent in both languages than Azumi. At least, the few devils they spoke to on the way did not seem to notice anything unusual.

“×××××? ××××××?? … She says that this woman named Lily was supposed to meet Yuri Hou soon. If Lily doesn’t show up, Yuri Hou might come here himself.” (Benedict)

“What? Without leading a squad?” (Basilio)

“××××××××××??” (Benedict)

“××” (Lily) Sᴇaʀch* Thᴇ n0vᴇl(ꜰ)ire.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

Azumi nodded.

“She’s not sure about the details. However, since the meeting was supposed to be a private one, it is quite possible that he might come alone.” (Azumi)

“…” (Basilio)

Basilio was momentarily stunned. He was being asked to make an extremely difficult decision based on unexpected information.

“Basilio-san, if that’s the case, I’ll stay here and try to handle it.” (Orbert)

Orbert immediately volunteered. It seemed he was prepared to stay behind and fight, willing to risk his life.

“Orbert. Once she has put on the white coat, gag her and bind her arms. Benedict, after you’ve told the maid to restore the disheveled room, fetch the carriage. Get moving.” (Basilio)

“Alright.” (Orbert)

Basilio gave the orders and then fell into deep thought. He saw the two of them moving. Lily was quickly gagged and had a cloth stuffed in her mouth. Benedict followed the orders and rushed downstairs.

Basilio had the authority to command on-site, but he did not have the authority to change the operation. However, there was no way to consult the Grand Marshal here, nor was there anyone else who could use this opportunity. If there was indeed a prime opportunity to assassinate Yuri Hou, it might be worth changing the operation on his own initiative. However, he had heard that Yuri Hou was quite skilled. Even if it was a surprise attack, if his lover didn’t show up, he would likely be on high alert. Furthermore, since they came with the plan to abduct, they had not brought equipment for assassination, like crossbows or poison. Could they handle it with just Orbert left behind?

Moreover, the possibility of Yuri Hou coming alone was just a theory. If he brought troops (which is highly likely considering he would be accompanied by guards), not only would Orbert die in vain, but the operation being related to humanity’s forces would be clearly exposed from the start. This would certainly have a negative impact on the success of future operations.

There was a proverb about sitting on two chairs, ‘if you try to gain both a clerical and a governmental position at the same time, you will end up with neither’. Similarly, in this case, it was essential to decide clearly which goal to focus on and concentrate on that one.

Should they leave Lily in Benedict’s care and confront Yuri Hou with just Orbert? That was not a viable option. The problem was not that Benedict might rape her and thereby force her to commit suicide. It was rather, if she did commit suicide, half of the objective would be achieved. The real issue was that in an urgent situation, Benedict might not be able to quickly decide to eliminate her. Benedict could be killed, and she could be rescued, leaving no harm done to the devil nation. That would be the worst possible outcome.

Then, should they kill her here, and since Benedict would not cooperate with the death squad, kill him too, thus achieving half the objective and abandoning the other half, and wait for Yuri Hou with just the two of them? Basilio felt that this was a relatively good decision.

On the left side of the scales was the achievement of bringing the expert Lily back. On the right side was the achievement of defeating Yuri Hou. Clearly, the right side was heavier. However, this weight must be divided by the possibility.

Basilio considered the probability of Yuri Hou actually coming alone. Would a widowed ruler come to visit his lover because one of his many lovers did not show up? That seemed questionable from the start. The likelihood of him coming here was at most 50%. If it came to him coming alone, it would be less than 10%. Such is the case. Of course, if he were to come alone with a 100% certainty, it would be worth distorting the mission to await him for the country’s sake. But if the weight is less than 1/10th, the scales still do not balance.

“Basilio-san, let me handle it!” (Orbert)

The young Orbert, having finished binding the expert Lily, was fervently bloodshot-eyed. Orbert was among the most skilled of the First Volunteering Knights, proficient in assassination techniques, with strong legs and adept at climbing walls. Although he was not suited for undercover investigations due to poor acting skills, he was extremely skilled at infiltrating fortresses at night. Perhaps Basilio was overestimating Yuri Hou’s combat abilities. Even if the chance of him coming alone was only 10%, there might be value in leaving Orbert behind.

Still, it was not possible. Given the situation, Benedict seemed unlikely to be of any use. The return journey was considerably long. Alone, he would be unable to monitor her during sleep. Without Orbert, transferring her would be inadequate.

“… No, it’s not possible. There will be no change in the mission.” (Basilio)

Basilio resolved himself. They were too short on personnel. Since the mission was to infiltrate enemy country, the number of personnel was reduced to the bare minimum in order to avoid drawing attention, but this backfired. They were unable to adapt flexibly to changes in the situation.

“Are you perhaps worried about my life?” (Orbert)

“No. The judgment is that with only you and me, we cannot carry out both missions and those are one to kill Yuri Hou and the other to bring her back. If we must choose only one, the original mission will take priority. The assassination of Yuri Hou has too many uncertainties, but the current abduction mission is progressing smoothly.” (Basilio)

“… Understood. If that is Basilio-san’s judgment.” (Orbert)

Orbert said this and then relaxed his tense, sword-like demeanor.

“Give me the promised money.” (Azumi)

Azumi said after finishing tidying up the room. Although she had only worked as a maid for about six months, perhaps because the house was accustomed to cleaning, the room seemed to be properly arranged. She had already received the advance payment of 30 gold coins, but the remaining 100 coins were to be given now.

“Before that, let me confirm. You haven’t left any evidence of us, right? It would be troublesome if there were things like a diary left behind.” (Basilio)

“I haven’t left anything.” (Azumi)

“Then it’s fine. Come downstairs. Olbert, bring her down here after a while.” (Basilio)

Two people were indeed necessary. One person alone couldn’t handle even this minor task quickly. With that in mind, Basilio went downstairs.

“Hurry and give me the money. I must leave here immediately.” (Azumi)

Azumi, with a desperate look on her face, was anxious, but her words were still clumsy.

“Wait there.” (Basilio)

Basilio pointed to the floor, where there were no objects around.

“…?” (Azumi)

Without showing any suspicion, Azumi moved to the indicated spot.

“Foolish woman.” (Basilio)

When Basilio suddenly grabbed her head and chin, Azumi’s eyes widened in shock for a moment. The next moment, Azumi was finished. With a sound of bones cracking, her chin was turned upwards as her neck was twisted, and her cervical spine was completely destroyed. With all her strength suddenly leaving her, Azumi fell lifeless like a puppet with its strings cut.

He never had the money to give it to her in the first place.

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