WeTried Translations

Translator: Botanica

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◈ I Became the Slit-Eyed Henchman of the Evil Boss

Chapter 029

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Business Trip and Aftermath (3)

Ortes looked at Dimedes.

Ordinarily, because his eyelids were nearly closed, it was quite difficult to tell where Ortes's gaze was directed.

But this time, he kindly turned his head to reveal that he was looking at Dimedes. It was an intentional gesture.

"Director Dimedes."

Ortes spoke in his usual gentle voice. However, the Directors could sense an inexplicable chill in his tone.

"I am moved by your enthusiasm, Director. Since your resolve is so firm, I too must do my best to repay you."

A new image appeared on the holographic projector in the center of the conference room. The Directors could easily tell what the image was showing.

It was footage of one of the cults Blasphemia was tracking. The followers of Bacchus, the god of revelry whom the Bikada Wandering Troupe was believed to worship.

"The first thing we will target is the Bacchus cult in this location."

"Bacchus? The drug addicts?"

Dimedes clicked his tongue. The blood of addicts was sufficient for maintaining intellect, but even chimeras had their preferences.

They were reluctant to taste the murky, flavorless blood soaked in drugs.

"Why target such insignificant ones first of all?"

Not a few inwardly nodded at Dimedes's assessment. Given Ortes's temperament as they had witnessed, it would not have been strange for him to immediately charge into the largest cult.

Because he was someone who acted without factoring in danger for the sake of Karisia's goal.

Even this recent business trip was proof of that.

Dimedes had heard that the source of the information Ortes brought was a branch of the intelligence organization operated by the Ten Towers. This was guaranteed by Arabel and Divius, who were collaborators in that operation.

It was not known that Ortes's business trip was not merely an intelligence-gathering spy operation, but a full-scale engagement involving the murder of a Blasphemia branch chief. Because Arabel and Divius had remained silent.

But even this much was enough to add to the weight of fear the Directors felt toward Ortes.

In common perception, infiltrating the shadow of the Ten Towers was far more dangerous than eradicating heretical cults believing in primal faiths.

"Insignificant, hmm. That is certainly true."

"According to the information, there aren't even any who use the power of the old gods... divine power, is that not so?"

Blasphemia generally classified the followers of superstitions into three tiers.

Simple lay believers who merely believed in gods.

Priests who used the power of the vanished gods.

And cult leaders who heard the voices of the gods as leaders of the cult.

Since recording detailed ranks such as bishop or cardinal would vary endlessly from cult to cult, it was a format that only established a broad framework for universal use.

The Bacchus cult was fragmented to the point where it was uncertain whether a cult leader even existed. The location Ortes had pointed out was also estimated to have perhaps only one or two priests at most.

Even in Blasphemia's internal assessment, it was marked as 'not yet worthy of attention.'

"That is also correct."

A question bloomed on Dimedes's expression. Wasn't this just trivial work that would hardly serve Hydra Corp's purpose?

"We must be cautious."

Ortes began his preamble like that.

"If we took rusty arrows on a great hunt, we would surely regret it. Rather than diving into a major undertaking unprepared, it is only natural to inspect our tools first."

It was a provocation stating that he could not trust their skills and demanding they prove themselves. Dimedes tried to protest but soon gave up.

Were not the Directors gathered here, without exception, those who had been defeated by Karisia and Ortes?

From the standpoint of such strong individuals, it was only natural that they found the abilities of the weak unreliable.

"But it will not be as small a hunt as you might think. Please look at the location once more."

Dimedes looked at the hologram again. The gathering place where the Bacchus followers were said to assemble was not inside the city.

It was a high-crime area not protected by the Magic Towers. A lawless zone where wanted fugitives usually went into hiding.

"So we're to catch wanted fugitives too?"

"Yes. To be precise, that is what you, Director, must catch."

Not a single one escaping, all of them.

On Ortes's lips as he said this, a smile deeper than usual was rising.

Dimedes felt greater unease proportional to the deepening of the smile, but soon shook it off. This man was not his enemy now.

"Dead or alive?"

"Wanted fugitives, dead or alive. But please leave enough heads to submit as evidence. As for the Bacchus followers, I ask that you bring them in alive whenever possible."

"...You're not accompanying us?"

"The followers of the vanished gods are quick to move. I need to track down as many as possible before the information's shelf life expires."

Meaning there were things he could not yet entrust to Dimedes, so he would move himself. Dimedes nodded, though feeling humiliated.

'At any rate, I've obtained permission for the human hunting I need right now. I'll move as soon as the meeting ends.'

***

"Why did you do that?"

A detached question.

Karisia said this to me as I was tidying up the spot where the Directors had left.

"What do you mean?"

"Dimedes. He isn't that incompetent a person, is he? Couldn't you have given him a more difficult mission?"

Oh, dear. President.

Just because you give someone a difficult task out of the blue and if they succeed you say, 'I have good judgment,' and if they fail you say, 'What a worthless fellow,' that doesn't mean you have 'good personnel management skills.'

Naturally, I didn't have the nerve to say that openly to Karisia.

"Dimedes is in a state where his body is burning due to lack of blood. If I gave him a more difficult mission in this situation and he made a judgment error, his entire organization could be annihilated."

"Personnel loss, you mean."

Karisia, who seemed to understand my words, soon tilted her head and asked.

"Wouldn't that be fine too? We already have enough combatants for Hydra Corp, don't we?"

We can't do everything with just the two of us. I erased the words that nearly reflexively came out from my mind.

"There are two reasons. First, let me explain why we need to take care of wanted fugitives as well-"

"It's to avoid attracting the Ten Towers' attention, isn't it? If we only captured the followers, the Ten Towers would sense something strange."

As expected, she's sharp. I nodded.

"But you said there were two reasons. Is it to build up achievements for qualifying for Apex Magic Tower promotion or passing the document review for a Magic Tower Listing?"

"Yes. To be precise, regarding the Magic Tower Listing."

Karisia tilted her head once more, then fell into thought while tidying the hair near her forehead.

"A Listing. I suppose you're not trying to list our company on the market."

"Of course not. That would be disadvantageous for our company."

A Magic Tower Listing is a procedure for selling shares in that Magic Tower's mana core. It is usually accomplished by connecting the Magic Tower's Ether Space to the Ten Towers' Ether Space.

A Magic Tower that undergoes this procedure registers shares of its mana core as a sale item, enabling a kind of stock trading.

If fortune favors, one might receive investment from the Ten Towers and elevate the entire Magic Tower's level at once.

But at the same time,

'It's an act of putting a leash on yourself for the Ten Towers.'

Although a Magic Tower's mana core and the Ten Commandments are connected, directly synchronizing the Ether Space is a different matter. Because it allows direct viewing of the Magic Tower's research achievements recorded in the Ether Space.

Of course, the Ten Towers do not demand that all secrets be disclosed for a Listing.

The size of the Ether Space is proportional to the capacity of the mana core. The Ether Space to be disclosed to the Ten Towers, in other words, the mandatory disclosure amount for the shares initially registered on the market, is 30% of the total mana core capacity.

Once listed, 30% of the visions recorded in the Ether Space are disclosed to the Ten Towers and other Magic Towers.

Of course, there is also a trick to not sharing data by erasing the contents of the Ether Space to be disclosed in advance. In that case, only the mana and computational power produced by the mana core itself would be sold.

But that deviates from the original purpose of a Listing, which is to 'gather investors.' It is a trick occasionally used by Apex Magic Towers overflowing with surplus mana.

For an ordinary Magic Tower, perhaps not, but Hydra Corp's founding purpose is not wealth and glory.

Neither our superficial goal of 'the 11th King, nor our true goal of 'the Fall of the White Light' are matters that can be disclosed carelessly.

The reason I brought up the Magic Tower Listing was-

"Come to think of it, you used to work as a fixer and traveled around, didn't you. Was there a colleague who hoped to become a Magic Tower Master?"

"...You remember that?"

I didn't think she was the type to remember such trivial personal details. Somehow, Karisia was staring straight at me.

"That's right. I need to meet that friend, but it's a bit awkward for me to visit officially."

In the fixer industry, I'm probably treated as missing in action or dead. Because the official survivor count of the mission where I met Karisia was zero, and the actual survivor is just me.

"I want to make contact using the Listing review."

"Oh my. Are you asking your boss to work for the employee?"

I hastily check her expression, but there's a hint of amusement. It was probably said as a joke.

Anyway, high-ranking people don't understand how destructive their jokes can be.

"She is a person who can be of great help to your goal, President."

"Well, fine. Do as you wish. Are you going to keep assigning Dimedes to tracking wanted fugitives from now on?"

"Yes. Dimedes, after all, has a risk of unpredictable behavior. I believe it is more appropriate to assign him the task of wiping out wanted criminals, who can be killed without issue, rather than followers who need to be persuaded or captured alive."

"Then it seems the field work of the Divinity Investigation Office will still be entirely your responsibility."

So things are turning out that way again. I'd rather just receive reports from a safe place and stamp approvals.

Strangely, the situation forces it that way. Now that I've set up the automatic hunting of wanted fugitives in place of the tasks assigned to Dimedes, there's no one to take my place in the field.

"Well. It'll get better gradually. I'm used to it, so it's fine."

"Then."

"How about going on the next business trip with me?"

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