IBFWGFG 62

chapter 62

I arrived at the meeting place slightly earlier than the other Pillars.

The usual meeting place—the Thirteenth Church.

“You came early,” Bella, the witch who resided here, greeted me.

“It doesn’t seem like you came just because you had time… Did you come to give an answer to my proposal?”

The witch had proposed forming an alliance with me.

But what she truly aimed for wasn’t the alliance itself.

“She wants to take my hand and use it to take revenge on the church that abandoned her.”

Her intention was clear. By allying with me and keeping me close, when the witch eventually revealed her identity, I would naturally become one of her supporters—at least publicly.

In an instant, the witch, Lucis, and I would become icons opposing the current church.

“The moment that happens, the church will become my enemy along with the saint.”

I had no intention of antagonizing the church itself, though. They were a convenient group that would cooperate as long as money was involved.

“But I can’t just push the witch away.”

I had killed the Clown and obliterated his organization.

Although conflicts among Pillars of the underworld were common, I had never completely erased an enemy’s existence this cleanly before.

“I don’t think it will happen, but if the other Pillars join forces to attack me, I can’t be sure I could withstand it.”

The underworld’s top figure, the Crow, controlled death in the underworld. The only assassination guild in Grenium belonged to him.

The second-in-command, the Ogre, controlled the underworld’s violence. Any big, strong thug belonged to his organization.

“But if I join forces with the witch…”

The witch commanded nearly all the women of the back alleys, which meant she controlled about half of the slums.

She could mobilize force, albeit less than the Ogre, and hire assassins, though not as effectively as the Crow.

Moreover, she possessed intelligence comparable to that of an information guild.

This would further solidify my safety.

“This alliance is worth forming.”

The gains outweighed the risks.

After all, there was no guarantee I would even survive until the witch revealed her identity.

In the original game, her attempts to overturn the church had only appeared as a side story, and she had never succeeded. She was, after all, a criminal of the underworld. The protagonist’s side story was meant to stop her, not aid her.

“All right. Let’s make that alliance.”

“You’re surprisingly decisive.”

“But there is a condition.”

“And what might that be?”

I set down my teacup with a clink.

“I will not follow your orders.”

“Of course. That’s what an alliance is.”

“But you must follow mine.”

“…Do you not know what the word ‘alliance’ means?”

“If you refuse, the alliance proposal is void.”

The witch’s brows furrowed slightly.

I also needed an alliance with the witch, but she needed it more. Those chasing revenge were no different from dogs chasing the nearest bone.

Otherwise, they were just people without purpose in life.

“All right. I understand,” the saint said with a small sigh.

“But if you give an unreasonable order, I will terminate the alliance as well.”

“Of course. I’m not so cruel as to give absurd orders to an ally.”

“….”

I narrowed my eyes, ignoring the witch’s glare, and issued the first command.

“During this Pillar meeting, cast a vote against Hayden becoming a Pillar.”

“Excuse me?”

“And show that you are doing your best to persuade the other Pillars as well.”

The witch’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Hayden, the black market boss, was useful as an ally, but his position and skills made him even more valuable.

If rumors spread that the witch voted against him, he would cling even more tightly to me as someone who supported him.

There was much I needed to extract from him.

“Honestly, this is unsettling.”

The meeting about Hayden’s ascension to Pillar was underway.

“The black market… doesn’t quite fit with the ‘underworld,’ does it? It’s a bit too… vibrant?”

Hayden’s eyes widened, as if he had never imagined the witch would oppose him.

However, since the meeting was about his ascension, he had no right to speak.

“You didn’t expect her to oppose, did you, witch?”

The Ogre asked, surprised.

“Aren’t you one of the black market’s main clients?”

“Just because nobles attend the church doesn’t mean all nobles build churches in their townhouses. Being a main client, I also have perspective others don’t.”

The witch acted effortlessly, as if she hadn’t even considered casting a supportive vote just 30 minutes ago.

“Didn’t you notice through the Clown? I can’t trust merchants in general anymore. Of course, you’re an exception, Slave Merchant.”

The Pillar who ran the slave market, Slave Merchant, nodded fervently. He had been an ardent follower since the witch’s days as a saint and agreed unconditionally with her words.

“The Clown resisted fiercely, clinging to his narrow market even though Seymour offered him the chance to expand elsewhere. Isn’t he the so-called ‘Prince of the Black Market’?”

“One would think that since he traffics treasures from afar, he’d welcome a wider market.”

“On the contrary. Though he may have had hidden routes, Seymour’s plan opens all markets to us. Hayden may see this as a threat and ignite another Pillar civil war.”

“Hm…”

“Even if we started a grey market, who knows? Hayden could spark internal conflict again.”

“That’s overthinking. Even if Hayden did start a civil war, it wouldn’t be an issue in the underworld.”

The arguments between the Ogre and the witch ran parallel.

Watching their debate, I decided it was time to conclude.

“All right. Opinions are well aired, let’s vote.”

The Ogre and the Crow voted in favor.

My influence in the underworld had two major aspects: connections to the surface world and expansion to other cities.

If I included Hayden, the surface connections would be secured, and the two who now had reasons to fear me after the Clown’s death would have to rely on me.

“Witch votes against, her follower Slave Merchant also votes against.”

The information guild master, Shadow, remained neutral as usual.

I abstained as well.

“…!”

Hayden’s betrayed gaze made me want to laugh, but I held it back.

“It’s a tie. What happens now?”

I asked the Ogre, knowing the answer.

He looked at me for a moment before responding.

“We must hold another meeting and revote.”

“I see. Then, let’s have a break before starting another tedious meeting.”

I ignored their responses and stood.

A brisk series of footsteps followed behind me, and I smiled faintly.

Hayden hurried after Seymour, rushing out of the chapel used as a meeting room.

“Seymour! This isn’t what we discussed!”

Hayden tried to grab Seymour, but Hela blocked his path.

“…!”

Hayden could only flinch at Hela’s towering presence.

Dressed in a black-and-white suit with magical circuits etched around her eyes, Hela looked fearsome enough to make even the fiercest cautious.

“Do you have something to say, Hayden?” Seymour’s words made Hayden bristle once more.

“You know better than anyone, Seymour…!”

Seymour laughed mockingly, signaling him to follow.

They entered a room formerly used as a priest’s office. Hela stayed outside, which was a relief to Hayden.

“You promised that if I cooperated, you’d make me a Pillar! So what was that abstention vote?”

Seymour calmly sat, crossing his legs.

“Yes, I made that promise.”

“But I’ve changed my mind.”

“…!”

Hayden gritted his teeth.

“Are you flipping your promise like a card just because you’re a noble? Are you still a Count, Seymour?”

Seymour laughed absurdly, showing his teeth.

“You tried to attack the Mausoleum. If I hadn’t gone to Lux that day, you would’ve joined forces to attack me.”

“So, I have to pay for that?”

“No. You owe me a reward.”

“A reward? What kind of reward?”

“If you and the Clown had attacked me, there’d be another tombstone in the back-alley cemetery.”

Hayden was silenced.

He couldn’t refute Seymour’s words.

‘He subdued the Clown instantly, with no casualties.’

Even if Hayden had collaborated with the Clown, it wouldn’t have changed anything.

Among Hayden’s forces, the only visible power to the outside world was the black market’s security—Seymour had dealt with the Clown’s elite troops without a sound.

Seymour had defeated the Clown single-handedly, whereas Hayden himself possessed almost no personal force.

“…gulp.”

Only then did Hayden realize the gravity of his situation.

He was alone with the underworld’s most powerful mage.

Seeing Seymour now, his appearance seemed different from before.

The black-and-white suit, cold expression, and calm demeanor contrasted with the usual priests. Sitting in the priest’s chair, he looked like a priest serving a god of death.

“…All right. What do you want?”

Hayden bowed. He needed Seymour’s cooperation absolutely.

Moreover, his merchant intuition told him that Seymour wanted something, and that he wouldn’t be killed if he cooperated.

“Let me clarify in advance: any preemptive purchase rights at auctions are off-limits, no matter what Pillar position is at stake.”

“For the black market, simply inform me whenever dragon-related items appear at auctions—that’s sufficient.”

“…Dragon-related items?” Hayden narrowed his eyes.

“What exactly do you want from me?”

“Beast Body Transplant Technology.”

“…!”

Hayden’s eyes widened.

Beast Body Transplant Technology—a forbidden technique allowing humans to use the power of a monster by transplanting its body parts.

It was a secret project that Hayden had been secretly researching with the black market’s massive capital.

Hayden instinctively looked around. There was no one else in the room.

In a low voice, he asked,

“How do you even know about this?”

The technique was strictly forbidden by the royal family and church. Discovery would be a death sentence for him and his family.

“That’s not the important part.”

At Seymour’s cryptic tone, Hayden shivered as he connected the dots.

‘Inform me whenever dragon materials appear at auctions… and Beast Body Transplant Technology…?’

Goosebumps ran over his body.

“Are you planning to transplant a dragon’s body?!”

Dragons are not beasts—they are near-divine, and some have even ascended to godhood.

He was planning to transplant such a being into his own body, using Beast Body Transplant Technology?

Hayden wanted to think it was impossible, that he was overthinking—if Seymour hadn’t smiled silently.

“You’re insane. Completely insane!”

Even magicians don’t imagine transplanting a beast’s body into a human.

Hayden, who studied Beast Body Transplant Technology, had never considered transplanting a dragon’s body.

“Impossible!”

This was something a child might imagine in innocent fantasy, not a real-world plan.

Transplanting a god’s body—how is that different?

At Hayden’s vehement denial, Seymour slowly spoke.

“Dignity comes from appearance. Then what comes from the inside? Power and authority. Charisma.”

“Yours is madness!”

Seymour laughed heartily.

“Ahahaha!”

It was unbelievable—he had been calm moments ago.

Hayden could not comprehend what was so amusing and felt uneasy.

“Perhaps. But madness is also one of the most fearsome forms of charisma.”

Seymour brushed the disheveled edge of Hayden’s clothes.

“Don’t you agree?”

Hayden felt Seymour’s touch brush against him and couldn’t even move a finger.