Plans change as fast as regular lords in Westeros change. I love it when things don't go according to plan. It makes you believe that the world is much more alive than a regular sandbox for seizing power. Today, plan "A" failed, therefore, you have every right to implement plan "B".
Plan B with mass genocide...
Yeah, lately the essence of the avatar often prevails over the original data. Who is he for me? An extremely evil creature with karma sunk to the very bottom, noted for the mass destruction of players and cities of Yggdrasil. Well, I have a good track record of evil deeds. But I am still far from the perfect plan that will go without a hitch. There is something to strive for, which is certainly pleasing.
- So this is the capital of the Kingdom of Re-Estize? - I asked. - There are many roads inside the city, but except for the main one, there is only one paved road - the roads were not covered with stones at all. Natural soil on a trampled surface. After the rain, such roads turn into a real swamp. The merchants are not happy, so I do not understand the authorities' savings on roads.
"The capital used to be more majestic, but everything changed when the Eight Fingers came..." Lakyus began to tell about the situation in the kingdom in a serious tone. And I wanted to joke a little, because her speech reminded me of the "Fire Nation" and "The boy who must sort everything out after a hundred years in the Iceberg." "But I believe that with the support of the princess, we can help everyone," she finished.
Right after that, Kurumi's leisurely claps sounded from my right. Because we were in a large carriage with good sound insulation, all the adventurers heard her claps. Skepticism was clearly visible in the lazy movements of the evenly sitting Kurumi.
"A great story. The kingdom is being devoured by greedy nobles and criminal syndicates," the black-haired girl summed up briefly.
"A fish rots from the head. But if the rot begins its course from the tail and the head at the same time, then the life span of the creature is cut in half," I noted. "But I am surprised that with such incompetence there has not been panic among the civilian population, as well as other riots in the cities."
In my old world, when a medieval ruler of a landed estate died, most of his subjects lost their leash. Like untied dogs, they began to rush at their neighbors, tearing their throats out for a good cow or a beautiful wife. If the ruler had a strong heir, such incidents in a large territory were "one, two, and that's it."
It's a different matter if it's not an ordinary ruler who dies, but a full-fledged king; there's no heir, but there are a bunch of corrupt nobles. I wouldn't be surprised if they've already plundered the palace treasury, rewritten land plots, and done other nasty things.
The king is not a minor lord dealing with peasants' problems. Millions of destinies depend on him, and seizing his power gives great control. Power in the wrong hands will lead to nothing good.
"The information was passed on through the guild... Well, well..." the leader of the adventurers began to dig into herself again.
Lakyus remembered very well the reaction of the armored adventurer who came to us. Such an unreliable person would tell his friends everything in an instant, and they would tell their friends. In a couple of hours, panic would break out throughout the city. For now, in one place, and then it would spread like a forest fire to all the neighboring cities. The same scheme here, any criminal syndicate, especially Eight Fingers, would take advantage of the opportunity. Provided that I take Lakyus at her word, and these bandits really are dangerous.
- Come on, don't be dramatic, everything will be fine! - the most muscular woman you could ever meet cheerfully supported everyone.
"No," Evileye denied shortly. "The troubles are ready to flare up at any moment, and all the bad and greedy people will take advantage of it. It's good that we have almost reached Ro-Lent Castle."
- Ha, and in front of the Lord of Dawn you are surprisingly verbose.
— Hey!
*
Blue Rose has quite a lot of influence. Literally following them like a tail, I managed to get to the Valencia Palace in about twenty minutes on foot. All because of the numerous patrols and noisy palace guards.
You could teleport deep inside and run as fast as you can, but a panicked rush would attract a lot of unnecessary attention. It's better to spend time on your own thoughts, and if you're too lazy to think, you can always enjoy the beautiful medieval architecture.
The castle has an area of over one square kilometer. It has many watchtowers and several layers of walls, which is very helpful against enemy assault.
If I were an ordinary person, I would have been able to cause considerable problems for the enemy army during its defense, pushing various combat tactics to the masses. From the banal boiling oil from the walls to the rarer - successful sabotage by calling artificial fog. I learned these techniques mainly from games and books, but here the people are illiterate, and the experience accumulated by ancestors is most often passed on by word of mouth. Perhaps, even with my accumulated knowledge, I would have been able to at least write down many innovative technologies at the conceptual level.
Especially in the military sphere.
Yes... What a twisted sense of progress I have. If I were to end up in another world without my powers, but with this body, I would go the way of spreading the horror of science. Perhaps, I want to become the second Oppenheimer. I have never noticed this in myself before, but I do not want to justify myself in any way. We are the essence of what we are.
Lost in my thoughts, I didn't even notice how we approached a luxurious manor in the wing of the castle. I was reminded of this by Lakyus, who entered into a heated argument with the only guard.
"Hey, we have the right to pass!" Outraged by the actions of the palace guard, Lakyus literally ordered him to let her through.
In troubled times, the strong are right.
- I would be glad, but there... Just not to the royal family's residence. I can't! - the armored guard answered her, gritting his teeth and shaking violently. He looked too weak and young.
Surprisingly, we are now in the very heart of a multi-million settlement. A place that concentrates all the best and worst in the country. Strong creatures, powerful heroes and beautiful sword princesses should live here. However, at the moment, all the guards we met were at the level of skeletons from the cemetery.
"To the side," Lakyus brazenly pushed the poor guard aside and burst into the luxurious estate of the royal family. And immediately after that, she took a step back, as if she had seen a ghost.
Truly, the world has the power to shock young minds with its horrors.
The entire estate was covered in blood, as if it had recently rained blood. The bodies had been removed, but the smell and the drops of blood scattered everywhere remained. Any horror film director would have appreciated the once luxurious place with its long staircase, expensive parquet flooring and priceless paintings. Now it was all splattered with blood in the best Tarantino tradition.
"It doesn't look like a regular assassination attempt," I stated the obvious, to break the oppressive silence. "The criminal enjoyed every drop he spilled, artificially smearing it on the walls and furniture. Quite an interesting handwriting that any crazy killer would appreciate," I casually entered the room and began further inspection, as if I were in a museum.
"Are-are you so calm?" Ivilai asked quietly, surprised by my reaction.
"The more often you see human atrocities, the more often you consider them natural," I shared, shrugging my shoulders and openly.
"It was done by non-humans," Lakyus answered coldly, holding back the urge to vomit.
- Well, I asked you to... You can't be here...
"You, come here," the Blue Rose leader's order began to conflict with the nobleman's son's natural fear of blood. His appearance and manners showed that he was not a seasoned warrior. Perhaps ordinary cattle, no matter how strong they were in the eyes of the nobles, would never be put to guard the residences of the royal family. Such are the rules of a perverted society. "What happened here?"
"Well... Um..." grabbing the caked smell of blood with his mouth, the unprepared knight turned sharply and ran towards the beautiful flowers.
The king had a wonderful garden, with a bunch of blooming flowers of varying degrees of beauty. Among them were already those that could not be given to a lady. Due to special circumstances…
- What a softie.
- Ivilai, you are also surprisingly calm...
"Hey, I've lived longer than you… Oh, I mean… Forget it…" the girl decided not to reveal her age, as I understand her well.
A minute later, when there was nothing left in the knight's stomach, he returned to us. Actively staggering along the road, as if he had recently drunk a lot. Or maybe that's how it is, judging by his cheeks red with shame.
- It's a secret... But, a swordsman in a black robe attacked us. He cut everyone as if they were not made of meat, but of water. The armor... as if it wasn't there... He, as I was told, simply gutted everyone except the princess. Who saw him... No, it's impossible...
"What happened?" Lakyus asked, making her voice softer, almost maternal, without any pressure. Surprisingly, it worked, the young knight calmed down and began to share secret details.
"His techniques were the same as those of the recently missing Gazef Stronoff. But he couldn't be him! He would never raise a hand against the king. So it's all nonsense…" Having caught his breath, the guard continued with a green face. "There's a meeting of nobles, you'd better go there… But not here… Please leave," the guy's painful eyes once again looked deep into the entrance to the residence, where pieces of "red cloth" were visible every now and then.
- Perhaps, as a nobleman, you should join the meeting?
— We... You... You can help too! — some of the girls could barely stand on their feet from the word "help" addressed to me. If Ivilai and Lakyus were eyewitnesses and did not spin the details of my exploits, then they told the other girls an embellished story.
But God be with them and with their fear of my help.
For now, I'm concerned about something else: "guess the plan that should be followed."
The detective story is slowly acquiring new details. More and more interesting. At this rate, it will become clear that the Demiurge's multi-move is equal in length to the longest railroad. Amazing, he impressed me. Even now I only vaguely imagine how exactly the captured figures were used and placed. One incomplete week, and what a result. I am delighted.
More chapters on my P@treon: https://patreon.com/OOOTEN