Who told you I am an NPC

Chapter : 185

Comparing the two great empires, it was obvious that Romunik's economy was dispersed and controlled by nobles of various sizes, with the royal family taking a share through the buying and selling of titles.

However, the economic lifeline of Bartovita as a whole was almost entirely controlled by the Augreer family.

On the surface, they valued bloodline, yet the power in the hands of the old-school nobles was repeatedly diluted, but absolutely no one noticed... no, or rather someone noticed, but could do nothing about it.

Because the Augreer family produced a Queen with real power. Not only did this Queen possess part of the King of Bartovita's authority, but her eldest son was also currently the oldest and most favored heir to the throne of Bartovita.

The remaining princes and princesses basically couldn't compete with Prince Felton. They were too young; anyone who had come of age or was close to it was a princess and had already been married off, unable to enter the succession race.

Fundamentally, this was also because of Queen Augreer.

Because at that time, she was pregnant with the twin brothers Feu and Fitch. After the twin princes were born, the other royal children who had already been born or were about to be born died due to various accidents. It wasn't until Feu and Fitch came of age that newborns in the royal family could survive past the full moon.

Even a fool would know this was Queen Augreer's doing, but initially, everyone attributed it to a woman's jealousy and a heart full of love for her sons... etc. No one realized that by getting rid of these princes and princesses, the Queen was also clearing obstacles for her eldest son, Prince Felton.

At the same time, she was paving the way for the Augreer family to reach the next level.

That Queen's actions couldn't be called covert, but every move she made had a shallow meaning. Smart people could figure it out with a little thought, but it was hard to connect it to deeper implications. Plus, the rise of the Augreer family wasn't just in the last decade or so, but could be traced back to over a hundred years ago...

This was a layout spanning at least three generations. Perhaps ever since the successive heads of the Augreer family discovered that demonic beasts could be artificially created, they began to set up this plan. The appearance of Queen Augreer was the most significant stroke that pushed this plan to its climax.

...If I couldn't view the overall situation and hadn't learned from Palos that the Augreer family had mastered how to create demonic beasts, even I wouldn't have thought this deeply.

The Augreer family... didn't just want to become the number one noble family in Bartovita; their ambition was huge!

Occupying the magpie's nest to assimilate Bartovita, then opening a breach in the Romunik Empire, gradually encroaching on the enemy country, and finally swallowing it all.

Did the Augreer family actually have the idea of unifying the Ailman Continent?

I suddenly remembered when I first met Yuchir, the masked figure in black robes who confronted Yuchir at the end. It was also at that time I learned Yuchir's name from the mysterious black-robed man.

Later I learned that those masked figures in black robes belonged to the Eternal Divine Sect, but I hadn't thought deeply about the relationship between the Eternal Divine Sect and Augreer.

After all, those black-robed figures appeared in the dungeon belonging to the Fifth Prince Feu, or rather, one of the underground strongholds disguised as a dungeon that was actually for smuggling demonic beasts.

"...The Augreer family is related to the Eternal Divine Sect? Are they the backers behind the Eternal Divine Sect?" I murmured.

Palos thought I was asking him and wasn't surprised that I knew about the Eternal Divine Sect. "Barely counts. Augreer and the Eternal Divine Sect have always been in contact."

I was puzzled: "Hm? Isn't the Eternal Divine Sect an evil cult they secretly supported and established?"

"No, the Eternal Divine Sect has existed for a longer time." When Palos mentioned the Eternal Divine Sect, a ruthlessness appeared in his deep blue eyes. "More than five hundred years ago, this group of rats from the gutter popped up. At first, they preached undisguisedly. After I killed them a few times, they didn't dare to show their heads anymore and changed to preaching sneakily."

Me: ...

So the reason the Eternal Divine Sect preached so cautiously that neither Merlin nor Penelope noticed was also thanks to Palos.

I rubbed Palos's ears again. "Tell me about the Eternal Divine Sect."

Palos enjoyed it very much, saying whatever I asked him to say, exceptionally obedient.

...

I had to say, Palos could be considered an intelligence expert. The information I wanted to know could more or less be obtained from Palos, except for matters related to the prophecy.

As I thought, the prophecy was indeed spread with Theodore's tacit consent. Only Theodore knew the specific reason.

If I was hesitating at first, after experiencing that strange dream, my resolve to meet Theodore was solidified.

If the dream was something that actually happened, what exactly was the event predicted by Sylvia that was enough to destroy the world?

I vaguely felt that I must resolve this issue. Only by resolving this matter could I get the answers to everything.

Regarding why I transmigrated to this world... and even the answer to why I played the game "Demon King" in the first place.

"King." Palos's call brought my thoughts back from contemplation. "I received a piece of news earlier."

Me: "Hm?"

Palos: "Kien... might have resurrected."

I was stunned. After realizing what this name and sentence meant, my eyes widened. "Kien—resurrected?"

Palos was solemn: "Yes—but I cannot fully confirm this news. It was just information I accidentally obtained while destroying several Augreer family strongholds. They and the Eternal Divine Sect seem to be resurrecting someone."

"The news I got is that they seem to have achieved initial success."

"At first, I didn't take this news seriously. Resurrection from the dead... that's something even Gods can't do." Palos said softly, "But that old guy Merlin... uh, I mean, didn't Merlin say there were destroyed undead conversion formations in Slanlipa City? I thought about it..."

"If Merlin is sure that all records from back then were destroyed, for those destroyed formations to see the light of day again, there is only one possibility."

My face was as heavy as water, following Palos's words: "What the Eternal Divine Sect and the Augreer family resurrected is the one who created these formations... the Necromancer, Kien."

If Kien really resurrected, I felt I probably knew how this world was going to end.

That was a guy whose destructive power was comparable to a God, or even far surpassed a God.

"Boss!"

Just as the atmosphere in the room fell into an eerie silence, someone rushed in recklessly, shouting "Boss" somewhat panic-stricken.

Both my and Palos's gazes turned to the door simultaneously. It was an extremely young boy—perhaps calling him a child was more appropriate, looking only about eight or nine years old.

As soon as the child came in, he saw me and the wolf lying in front of me. He froze, then asked a soul-searching question: "Where's the Boss?"

I exchanged a glance with Palos.

I asked with my eyes: People in your Blood Mist don't know you're a werewolf?

Palos looked back innocently, his tail sweeping against my exposed ankle, remaining silent.

This reaction clearly meant they didn't know.

Makes sense. Palos had long transformed into Yuchir for the outside world. He probably hid it well internally too, otherwise, he couldn't have fooled Divic and the others.

I looked at the child and paused. "Yuchir just went out. Is there something you need? If it's urgent, you can tell me first."

The child looked at me warily, seeming to ponder my identity.

However, his pondering was obviously meaningless because I had never appeared in 'Blood Mist' before, so this child couldn't possibly know me.

But the child's next sentence left me dumbfounded: "Ah, are you the little lover the Boss keeps in the village?"

I thought I misheard. "What did you say?"

The child looked at me with a confused look that said 'Are you already hard of hearing at this age?', and repeated, "Are you the little lover the Boss keeps in the village?"

I fell silent.

I lowered my head and looked at Palos.

Palos guiltily turned his wolf head away, but I grabbed him by the snout and shook it up and down. "Lover?"

Palos: ...

Palos's pointed ears drooped down, his tail stiffened straight, the fur on it about to explode, looking completely cowed.

"Yeah, the old people in the village all say so." The child looked at me curiously. "They said the Boss brought a lover back and kept him in the village. For the past few days, he hasn't left his side, taking care of him personally. Is that little lover you?"

I smiled, the hand gripping the wolf's mouth exerting a bit more force. "Hm, sounds like it's me, right? What do you say?"

I asked Palos.

Palos, with his mouth pinched shut: ...

Wh-what could he say?

But the child didn't sense the strange atmosphere in the room at all. Hearing my admission, his eyes lit up and he leaned closer. "So it really is you. Then you're pretty amazing, able to beat someone as powerful as the Boss."

Me: "...Hm?"

I felt it sounded a bit strange. What did 'able to beat' mean... did this child really know the meaning of lover?

I met those innocent and clear eyes. Compared to Palos's feigned obedience, this child truly understood nothing. His dark, bright eyes were transparent to the bottom, filled with curiosity about me and... admiration?

Where did the admiration come from?

"Kid." I let go of Palos's mouth and beckoned to the child. "Come here."

The child was very obedient, coming over as told, and even introduced himself. "My name is Locke. You can call me Little Locke like the neighbor uncles do."

"Okay, Little Locke." I nodded. "Do you really know what 'little lover' means?"

Little Locke looked confused but still nodded. "I know. The neighbor uncle said it's a relationship where you can fight together. As long as you win the fight, the other person can be your little lover."

Me: ...

I pressed on Little Locke's head and cast a condemnatory look at Palos.

Look, a perfectly good child has been led astray. Does your Blood Mist not value compulsory education at all?

"Alright, Little Locke, clear everything about 'little lover' from your brain." I said, "A little lover is not what you think, and I am not your Boss's little lover."

"Your Boss and I... have a very proper relationship."

I said without changing my expression, but in my heart, I was troubled about how to describe the relationship between a master and a kin.

Strictly speaking, Palos signed a master-servant contract with the Demon King, so Palos counts as... uh, my dog?

No, my wolf?

But saying this out would be harder to explain than 'little lover', and very strange too, giving me an inexplicable feeling of shame.

Why did I suddenly feel our relationship was unpresentable? It must be an illusion, right?

I could only attribute it to my own thoughts not being clean enough. I couldn't poison a child, a future flower bud of Blood Mist, with such dirty thoughts. So I swallowed the rest of the explanation and didn't plan to explain our relationship further.

I subconsciously rubbed the top of Little Locke's head. The child's hair quality was soft and floppy, feeling like a just-weaned kitten, excellent to the touch, a different sensation from Palos's fur.

As I was thinking this, Little Locke's head under my hand was pushed away by Palos. Palos used his own wolf head to switch places with Little Locke's head in a stealthy move.

At the same time, he used his wolf tail to encircle my ankle, displaying his possessiveness openly.

Tsk, a dog's nature really can't be changed.

Little Locke blinked, looking thoughtful, seemingly possessing a bit of adult-like understanding.

"Alright, Little Locke, put aside the relationship between me and your Boss for now. What did you want to say rushing in so urgently before?" I asked casually, not thinking Little Locke would have anything important to say.

After all, what important matter would be left for a child to report?

Little Locke's diverted attention returned to his original purpose for entering. Anxiety appeared on his face again. Hearing my question, he hesitated, as if considering whether to tell the news to me.

I could see the struggle on Little Locke's face for a few moments, finally turning into a look of 'I'll reluctantly tell you'.

"One of the two guys the Boss and the brothers captured before died. Locke and Zal found out when we went to deliver food to the dungeon."

I frowned and repeated: "One died?"

I looked at Palos and sure enough, saw his gaze also fall on Little Locke, his wolf face full of solemnity.

Little Locke nodded. "The thin one died, the fat one didn't. Zal has already gone to notify the other brothers. I came to notify the Boss!"

Fat and thin... given that Little Robert was a size fatter than Fitch, it was self-evident who had died.

Wait? Fitch died?!

My pupils trembled. "How did he die?"

I didn't use that much strength when I beat up Fitch before, right? A thorough check after a severe beating would at most show minor injuries. How did he suddenly die? Even insurance fraud isn't done like this!

Little Locke shook his head: "Don't know. As soon as that guy died, I ran over to find the Boss."

I glanced at Palos and patted Little Locke's head. "Alright, I will inform your Boss about this as soon as possible. You go check first... see if you need to notify anyone else."

Little Locke looked up, met my gaze, nodded ignorantly, turned around, and ran out quickly again.

As soon as I turned my head, Palos had already transformed back into human form, putting on Yuchir's appearance.

Seeming to know what I wanted to ask, Palos answered directly: "We captured Fitch for the few smuggling routes in his hands and a stronghold researching demonic beasts. It's possible the people below used excessive methods these past few days."

Me: ...Does this mean he was tortured to death?

Truly worthy of being the Demon King's kin; this level of roughness is indeed comparable to the Demon King.

"So did you get the information you wanted from Fitch?" I asked the key point.

Palos fell silent.

I understood.

No wonder Palos looked so angry, his already not-so-fair face turning even darker. It turns out the person died before any clues were extracted, equivalent to wasting effort for nothing.

For a guy like Fitch who didn't value human life, dying was just dying. But having risked so many brothers' lives only to get no desired clues, this was a huge loss.

I sighed. "You go investigate now whether Fitch's death was truly an accident."

If it wasn't an accident but someone's deliberate act, then Blood Mist might be facing a major purge.

If it really was an accident, then Blood Mist also needs to start preparing for the Augreer family's counterattack.