He Became The Most Insane Emperor Of All Time [EN]: Chapter 190

I Became the Crazy Emperor – Episode 190

“Your Majesty, the Baron’s mansion burned down last night.”

“Did anyone survive?”

“No, sir. The Baron is presumed dead, and his close aides have disappeared. And the slave servants… all dead.”

The Elf slaves, who had been living contentedly in the Baron’s mansion, were all killed overnight.

It seemed like it happened because of me, but I didn’t feel particularly guilty. I don’t feel sorry for the Elves, who were always cruel to humans.

“I hear the freed Elf slaves are gathering money to hold a funeral for the Baron.”

“They wouldn’t be genuinely grateful to the Baron… someone must have given them the money. Probably the Dawnlight Society…”

The Baron probably changed his identity and left for another place.

“Shall we track down the Baron? The agents are already trying to locate him.”

“No, the Baron will contact me on his own. The deal was that he would introduce me to the Dawnlight Society.”

It’s not that I don’t trust the skills of the Counterintelligence Knights, but there’s no need to move unnecessarily when I can just wait for him to contact me.

It was better to be exposed so he could find me easily.

“I should attend the funeral. And make a donation in the name of Shadow while I’m at it.”

I don’t particularly like money going into the Elves’ pockets, but if I think of it as the cost of luring out the traitors, it’s a cheap price.

* * *

“Here lies a friend of our brothers. Elf brothers who love nature and peace, and friends of the Elves who have graced this place. Today, we….”

Was it because I donated a lot of money? Or because there were quite a few slaves the Baron had released to use as doll materials? The funeral became quite grand.

Attending the funeral, I listened to the Elves’ nonsense about peace, which I didn’t care about, and offered my condolences for the Baron’s fake death.

“Brothers, unfortunately, there are many suspicions surrounding the death of our friend, Baron Gawain. The likely suspect is presumed to be an Imperial supremacist-”

The Elves’ intentions in using the Baron’s death were obvious. They seemed to be planning to consolidate public opinion by blaming his death on the Empire.

Even if they were going to start a rebellion with a fake Spirit King, they needed public sentiment to follow them first. Of course, they probably chose this method because the Spirit King’s past deeds were too much to openly mention the Spirit King.

“Are you Count Shadow?”

Then, someone approached me and asked. It was an Elf dressed in an Imperial-style coat.

“……!”

“Wait, don’t move.”

Clink-

A small bolt sound was heard. It was a magic-triggered pistol.

They were aiming it at me as a threat, as I had deliberately not brought any guards.

Not just one person, but others were also taking out what looked like the same weapon from their pockets and aiming it at me.

“Your hospitality is terrible, Dawnlight Society. Did the Baron send you?”

Their identity was obvious. It was the Dawnlight Society. They frowned when I said their organization’s name.

“Come with us quietly. There are too many eyes here.”

“Are you going to shoot me if I follow you?”

“Quiet. The Baron introduced you, as you said.”

Once it was confirmed that the Baron had sent them, I obediently followed them.

Even after leaving the funeral hall and getting into the carriage, they kept their guns aimed at me.

“You, did you approach the Baron knowing our identity?”

“So?”

“How did you know?”

Was it an interrogation from the start? Well, even if the Baron introduced me, they wouldn’t trust me right away.

“You guys are supposed to be a secret society, but is this how you do things?”

“What?”

“From the Greenskin side, I mean. They were so blatant that even an outsider like me couldn’t help but notice. I bet they’ve already been raided by the Counterintelligence Department by now, right?”

“……”

“Well, thanks to that, I found out about your existence too….”

Having prepared in advance for contacting these guys, I had created several ‘fake scenarios’.

I needed to gain their ‘trust’ for a while to infiltrate them.

“Hmph, even a spy can guess that much.”

“Why are you like this? You should have done a background check on me, right?”

“……”

“Shadow is obviously a pseudonym. The title of Count was bought with money. I am a distant relative of the Karstein family.”

Karstein.

The one who challenged me when I didn’t have many personal forces in the Central Territory.

He was dead, and his direct line was virtually extinct. But there was no basis to punish even the distant relatives, so I left them alone. Officially.

I disguised myself as one of those suitable individuals.

If they did a background check on me, Hendrick’s intelligence department would provide forged personal history.

“So, I have a lot of resentment towards the Empire.”

“You expect us to believe that?”

“Is there any reason not to believe it? I haven’t betrayed the Baron or you guys even once, have I? On the contrary, I’ve spent quite a bit of money, haven’t I?”

“……”

The money that went into the Baron’s funeral would have been passed on to them as well. It’s quite a lot of money. Enough for them to do whatever they want with it.

It’s like giving money to the enemy, but if I can buy their trust and lure out more guys, it’s a cheap price.

“……Alright. I’ll believe you. So, you want to become our comrade?”

“What if I do?”

“It’s an act of betraying the Empire. If we told you to kill the Emperor, could you do it?”

“Of course.”

I could lie very easily. Why couldn’t I lie to myself?

“……At least you’re not an Imperial Church fanatic.”

“Was that a test just now?”

“Yes. Fanatics can’t make such lies, surprisingly.”

Is that so? Well, the Counterintelligence Knights’ agents wouldn’t be that dogmatic.

“But I still can’t trust you yet.”

“Then what can I do to be trusted?”

“You have to prove it. Proof of your credibility and your abilities.”

“I can prove both with money, I guess.”

“That remains to be seen.”

After that conversation, the carriage stopped.

“Hmm, there’s no sign of anyone tracking us.”

“If I were a real spy, who would be tracking me while I’m being held captive?”

“You never know. Usually, guys thrown into the field like this are disposable.”

“You’re quite thorough.”

Of course, the Intelligence Department wouldn’t be unaware of that, and unless they knew about the ‘Throne,’ they would already be identified by the Intelligence Department if they did something similar in the Imperial territory.

“Come in here.”

It was a hideout somewhere in the slums of Elvengrad. They were with Elves who clearly seemed to be resistance fighters.

Everyone was staring at me with fierce eyes as I entered.

Soon, they sat me on a chair and tied me up.

“Are you planning to torture me? Well, go ahead if you want. Or is there another initiation test?”

“There’s no such thing. I heard the Baron said you could provide us with weapons.”

“That’s right.”

“Hand them over to us. Then you’re a new member.”

Is it that easy to pass? Well, the fact that anything can be done with money still applies today.

If I just give them what they want, they’ll have to use me even if they know I’m a real spy.

But I can’t get closer to the root of the organization unless I give them a very strong belief in me until then.

The question is how to do that….

“Hey, I don’t have time to be a newbie. I wouldn’t have come to you if I was going to do such trivial things.”

“Quiet. How can we trust you and give you a major role in the organization? In the first place, it takes time for us to receive instructions from above, so wait quietly.”

Judging by what they’re saying, the organization is compartmentalized. Well, that’s obvious. No secret society would not be compartmentalized.

“Disappointing. The Baron taught me more.”

“What? What did the Baron say?”

“You know? The Baron is making dolls.”

“……To say that, the Baron is too loose-lipped.”

“Is that all? He taught me even more.”

“What do you mean?”

Swish-

“Tell me, what else did the Baron say?”

Several Elves drew their swords and pointed them at me.

Of course, even if these guys tried to kill me, I was confident that I could untie the ropes and kill them all in reverse.

But I couldn’t do that now. I smiled and said.

“Is killing me now the right decision?”

“……Is there any reason I shouldn’t kill you?”

“Well, because you’re still safe. If I, who already knows all those facts, was a real spy from the Counterintelligence Department, you guys would have been dragged to the Counterintelligence Department and tortured to death by now, right?”

“……”

“The fact that that hasn’t happened means I’m innocent… wouldn’t you agree? Even your bad brains should be able to understand that, right?”

Of course, it’s a clever trick.

The Baron didn’t tell me that. Mirror found out that fact.

But these guys couldn’t possibly know that subtle fact, so they had no choice but to quietly put away their swords.

“My credibility has been proven with this. As for my abilities… they’ll be proven when I receive the weapons, right? Then how about untying me while you’re at it? Unless you have sadistic sexual tastes.”

“……Hmph.”

The leader of the resistance soon cut the ropes binding me with a dagger.

“Now you believe me.”

“As you said, there’s no reason not to believe you.”

“So, are you going to tell me about the plan now?”

“The plan? Why do you need to know our plan?”

“Because I’m not a fool who leaves my fate in the hands of others.”

I shrugged and said.

“What if your plan fails and I get caught up in it? Of course, I need to know, right? If I’ve become a true comrade of your Dawnlight Society.”

“……”

Pushing forward with logical arguments, the leader of the resistance soon hesitated and finally made a decision.

“Alright. What are you curious about? You already know that the Spirit King is a doll, right?”

“Well, I don’t want to know the trivial details. Where and how the rebellion will happen, what’s the point of knowing that?”

That’s something the Counterintelligence Knights should find out. There’s no need for me to ask and arouse suspicion. Even if they don’t find out, the ones who will die in the civil war are Elves anyway.

“What I’m curious about is, why are you making so many of those dolls? Is the Baron really making them as a hobby? Or can they all move like the Spirit King?”

“……In a way, yes. Of course, there’s a practical reason. Although the Baron has his personal goals as well.”

“Then what is it? Are they like the Undead?”

When I mentioned the Undead at the fact that dolls, which are as good as dead, are moving, they chuckled.

“No, it’s not something as insignificant as that. The dolls contain living souls. It’s not a plan to create Undead. There’s a real purpose.”

“What is it?”

The leader of the resistance said with a look of longing.

“The spirits. They are their new homes. It’s a way to replace the polluted spirit world.”

It was the moment I finally learned their purpose.