“I-I’m sorry!” Gaion replied, shrinking back in fear.
Liz let out a heavy sigh and continued, “If the ruler died, the races’ alliance would likely fall apart, and this would render them vulnerable, yes. But that would simply bring us back to the previous state of affairs. Picking fights on three separate fronts is a hassle.”
“Yeah, but we’re not gonna lose!”
“It would nevertheless take too much time, time that others from the Black Guild might take to intervene and further complicate things for us.”
“Th-That’s true.”
“So, I get close to the mastermind, use the power of my succubus abilities, and turn him into a puppet. That way, control of the slums will effectively fall to me. That’s the plan.”
“R-Right! That is the plan!”
Liz stared up at the mastermind’s hideout, looming over them like a shadow in the twilight. “Now the issue is how to approach him.”
“Why don’t you just pay him a visit?”
“Undoubtedly he’ll have powerful guards. It would be difficult to meet with him.” While she could manipulate them one by one, dealing with them all at once would be hard.
“So...what now, then?”
“What, indeed,” she mused. As she was about to speak, the door to the hideout creaked open.
“Lady Liz! S-Someone’s coming out!”
“A guard, perhaps. Hurry, hide!”
The two quickly blended into the shadows and watched as a small girl with blonde pigtails walked out with a broom and began to sweep in front of the house while humming a tune.
“I-Is that a powerful guard?” Gaion asked.
Liz was silent for a moment before replying, “You moron. That’s probably just a caretaker.”
“R-Right, yeah, probably.”
“Hmph. Think about it. Guards kept as caretakers could easily catch you unaware and murder you in your sleep. It makes sense to have a powerless girl close, instead. Keeps the roles separate.”
“Th-That makes sense. What a smart guy.”
“And the girl is an elf. This is no ordinary man if he can keep an elf as a slave.”
“This guy’s no joke...”
“Either way, this won’t be easy. But that’s what makes it interesting,” Liz mused, bringing her finger to her lips.
Gaion was wiping the sweat off his brow when he suddenly spoke up. “Huh?”
“What is it?”
“Oh, uh, it’s just...someone’s looking this way from the second floor window.”
“Where?”
“I-I can’t see ’em anymore, but someone was there!”
“Is it the mastermind? Have we been spotted?”
“N-No, it... It was a woman. Pale as a corpse, gesturing to come closer. I-It must be a trap.”
After a moment’s silence, Liz spoke slowly. “She might be a captive. Rather than beckoning, she could be asking for help.”
“I-I see!”
Liz snapped her fingers as though she’d just had an idea. “We can use this to our advantage.”
“We can?”
“Use your brain. He has an elf girl as a slave and a woman held captive on the second floor. He must be very fond of women. A perfect match for me.”
“Th-That’s true!”
“So this will be simple. I pretend to feel unwell and collapse on the street. His men will find me, take me to his hideout, and present me to the philanderer.”
“You’re such a genius, Lady Liz!”
And then she would simply seize the opportunity once the two were alone and manipulate him like a puppet. Her lips curled into a small smile as she placed her finger on her lips once more and chuckled. “I can hardly wait. However dangerous this master of the slums might be, I’ll devour him down to the very last bone.”
Liz had yet to realize that, within that house, there were individuals far more dangerous than she could’ve ever anticipated.
