Chapter 209 : The Meeting (1)
Chapter 209: The Meeting (1)
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“Would you mind standing guard for a moment?”
“Sure.”
As King nodded, Carl immediately sat down cross-legged.
He needed to prepare to dissolve the shard of Kylos he had just absorbed.
If it had been in its divine form like before, absorption would have been the end of it, but now it was mixed with impure demonic energy.
If he devoured it as is, it could cause a backlash.
Chzzzz.
Carl operated the Primordial Unity Divine Art and slowly layered Kylos’ shard onto his own energy.
‘No matter how often I see it, this energy flow is always fascinating.’
With his arms crossed, King watched Carl with a curious gaze.
They too had their own mana manipulation methods and training systems.
But Carl’s method was far more systematic and focused on mana control.
If he had been a bit younger, King would have tried learning it as well, but with an aged body and a rigid nervous system, changing his mana manipulation was too difficult, so he had no choice but to give up.
Crack, crick.
Then came the sound of something tearing from within Carl.
It was the process of the demonic energy detaching from the divinity.
Had this process started from scratch, it would have been quite difficult.
Fortunately, the divinity of Kylos he had previously absorbed still remained inside Carl.
Divinity always had the characteristic of striving to maintain its purity.
This was the same reason why priests’ skin and bodies were clean.
So, using the pre-existing divinity, he stimulated only the same type within the mixture to slowly filter it out.
‘As for the remaining demonic energy...’
He considered absorbing it into the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, but this demonic energy was too toxic and would likely have adverse effects.
Once the separation was complete, Carl opened his eyes wide and pulled something out from his inner pocket.
Pop.
It was the bottle that had contained the top-grade potion he used earlier.
Top-grade potion bottles were magically treated, making them hard to break and easy to store.
So they were usually reused after the potion was consumed, but this time, it was being used for a slightly different purpose.
Chzzzz.
From the tip of Carl’s finger, dark energy dropped into the bottle.
When all the demonic energy in his body had been expelled, the bottle was filled about two-thirds full.
‘I wonder whose demonic energy this is.’
Carl’s eyes narrowed as he looked at the bottled demonic energy.
To think this small amount could corrupt the shard of a demigod.
It was undoubtedly from a high-ranking demon.
“All done?”
“Yes. Thanks to you, I managed it well.”
“I didn’t do anything. I just watched from the side.”
King joked that perhaps he should be paying admission to watch instead.
“So what do you plan to do with this place?”
“I had the previously discovered ruins reported and handled by the Empire, but I don’t think that’s necessary here. We’ll recover all the relics and artifacts inside and use this place as a NOX hideout or base.”
“That sounds like a good idea. The location’s decent, and building a facility of this size takes quite a bit of legwork.”
It was essentially a space they had gained for free.
If they sold the wealth stored inside, it would bring considerable profit.
Of course, they’d have to be wary of the Empire’s scrutiny, so they couldn’t flood the market immediately, but if they sold things gradually over time, it could be quite lucrative.
“Let’s head back.”
“Have you been living this busily ever since arriving in the capital? No time to catch your breath.”
“Since I’ve mounted a running tiger, I might as well keep whipping it. There’s plenty of time to rest once I reach the top.”
“I’ve never met a young man as diligent as you in my life.”
At King’s words, Carl let out a small chuckle.
He wasn’t particularly diligent by nature.
He was merely doing what needed to be done.
It was a habit ingrained in him since his days as an assassin, and it still drove him forward.
As Carl stepped out of the cavern with King, NOX members waiting outside greeted them.
“Nine, I’ll leave the cleanup to you.”
“Understood. Also, we’ve received word from Lahan. Organizations from other regions have reached out to propose a meeting.”
“A meeting?”
It was an unexpected development.
Even if they had sorted out a few zones including the Western Third Commercial District, Lahan shouldn’t be influential enough to receive such invitations.
“They didn’t mention Lahan specifically—only NOX. They said they wish to meet the Master.”
“They’ve realized NOX is behind Madeira.”
“It appears so.”
Carl nodded.
He had expected the other side would begin fishing for information soon anyway.
The fact that they contacted them directly mentioning NOX at such a timing meant that the nobles and influential families behind each underworld organization had stepped forward.
It was highly likely that the information had leaked from within the Imperial Family.
‘It seems my request to Crown Prince Yulian worked out well.’
Crown Prince Yulian had promised Carl that, if he wished, he would prevent the nobles from interfering with NOX.
Though he would use a proxy, it wouldn’t be difficult to suppress them with imperial authority.
However, Carl had realized that this too was a test from Crown Prince Yulian.
“They’re trying to prune. They want to use us to strike down the nobles who have ties with the underworld.”
“I believe it would be wise to send out Dirsen first and gauge the atmosphere…”
Nine cautiously offered her opinion.
NOX's power was impressive, but it was still difficult to go to full-scale war against the underworld organizations.
If it came to a clash of upper forces, there would be no match.
But countless members would undoubtedly die.
The underworld’s organizations were nothing if not vicious and tenacious.
Instead of answering Nine, Carl turned his head and looked at King.
“Would you give me a moment to catch my breath?”
“I just follow the Master's orders. Looks like I’ll get to have some fun after a long time.”
Carl and Johanel had a relationship built on mutual respect.
They spoke informally in private, but in front of others, Johanel took a step back.
Even if he was the strongest in the organization, the boss, the Master, had to uphold his authority.
“Nine, contact the Madeira side. Tell them we’ll attend the meeting.”
“Understood.”
The scheduled meeting requested by the underworld organizations was set for three days later.
The attending organizations were led by representatives from prominent regions of the Western Commercial District.
Dirsen of Lahan also attended the meeting with the NOX delegation.
“Then I’ll go greet the others.”
“Go ahead.”
At Dirsen’s words, Johanel nodded.
Lahan had been conducting business in its own way.
And thanks to Godok and the Soul-Seizing Technique of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, Dirsen had been completely brainwashed, so there was nothing to worry about.
“Hm.”
Johanel represented NOX at the meeting.
To prevent conflicts, each attendee was allowed to bring only one attendant, and Carl, in disguise, naturally accompanied Johanel.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been to one of these parties.”
“I heard you were quite the sensation at social gatherings in your younger days.”
“That I was. Whenever I announced my attendance, all the beauties of the kingdom would line up outside the banquet hall—just to get a glimpse of this old man’s face.”
Johanel chuckled while stroking his chin.
He had tidied up nicely for the first time in a while to attend the meeting.
Perhaps because of his level, he looked much younger than his age.
He walked around the banquet hall with natural strides, exchanging glances and winks with those he passed.
Despite his age, the women giggled at Johanel’s flirtations, charmed by his dashing appearance.
“How is it? Something like this should suffice, yes?”
“...It doesn’t really seem like you’re acting, though.”
“I’m simply drawing on the memories of my youth.”
A light and frivolous vibe.
That was the boss image Carl had requested from Johanel.
It would make it easier for others to approach with hidden motives.
“But they’re not coming as eagerly as expected. I thought they’d swarm like wolves for those mana beads.”
“They’re either watching carefully or trying to assert dominance.”
Johanel, attending as NOX’s boss, had only spoken to a few people in the banquet hall.
Most of them were women, and others didn’t even glance his way.
Given that Dirsen, the boss of Lahan who had expanded into several regions including the Western Third Commercial District, was already mingling actively among the crowd, the contrast was striking.
“Not long ago, the Madeira side exposed a kidnapping case tied to the Merchants’ Guild.”
“I heard.”
“That might have something to do with it.”
Apparently, quite a few underworld figures had been implicated.
Carl wondered if any trace of the Thousand-Mile Tracking Fragrance remained among those present, but unfortunately, he hadn’t caught a scent yet.
“Um…”
At that moment, someone finally approached Johanel.
It was a man with a goatee, a slightly pale but sharp-looking face.
With a knowing smile, he extended his hand toward Johanel.
“Would you happen to be the boss of NOX?”
“They call me Johanel.”
“What an honor it is to meet the most talked-about figure in the capital lately. I am David, leader of an organization called Mesh.”
David of Mesh.
Carl, standing behind Johanel as his attendant, recalled the name.
It was on the list.
Not a large organization, but one that held a notable stake in the distribution network.
That meant they had a strong connection with the Merchants’ Guild.
Carl immediately transmitted that information to Johanel through voice transmission.
“Mesh. So you’re with the Merchants’ Guild. We must have crossed paths before. Pleased to meet you.”
“First, let me apologize. I deeply regret causing you trouble, however unintentionally.”
“Ah, the kidnapping case, you mean? Don’t worry about it. That’s already resolved. I hold no grudge. Business is what matters most, wouldn’t you agree?”
As Johanel raised his glass and laughed heartily, David smiled and responded.
“I’m relieved to see you’re so magnanimous. With so many profits entangled, there are bound to be fools blinded by greed. It’s my failure for not managing the lower ranks properly...”
David wore a genuinely remorseful expression.
Still, why did he keep bringing up the subject?
Was it to apologize for his mistake and gain favor with Johanel?
It all seemed a bit too calculated.
“It’s fine. More importantly, could you introduce me to some others? This is my first time here, and I don’t know anyone.”
“Of course. Let’s go.”
David readily agreed to Johanel’s request.
He had probably planned this from the beginning.
Soon, David began guiding Johanel around the banquet hall, introducing him to various people.
“A pleasure. I’m Johanel of NOX.”
“Oh my, what an honor.”
Those who had ignored Johanel when he was walking alone now greeted him with friendly smiles.
Trailing quietly behind, Carl suddenly stopped and turned his gaze toward a certain spot.