In My Second Life, I Rule from the Shadows

Chapter 222: Alforam (6)

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"What?!"

Dolores widened her eyes.

Laysis’s glass had shattered without any apparent reason.

He wondered if she had noticed his scheme and broken it on purpose, but her equally startled expression suggested otherwise.

"Princess Laysis, are you alright? It seems there was a crack in the glass."

"Yes, I’m fine. I'm sorry, especially after you poured for me."

"It’s alright. I’ll just pour you another glass..."

Knock knock.

Before Dolores could finish speaking,

someone knocked on the door of the room they were in.

"......"

The man near the door furrowed his brows and quietly rose from his seat.

He had restricted all access to the room to turn Laysis into a Demon Human.

There should have been guards stationed outside—who could dare come?

At Dolores’s signal, the man opened the door.

Stepping inside was a representative from the Madeira Trading House, wearing a faint smile.

"Miss Laysis. No matter how enjoyable the party may be, it’s a problem if you forget our promise."

"...Carl!"

Laysis’s eyes rounded in surprise.

She hadn’t told Carl about this meeting, so how did he know she was here?

‘Well, it is Carl, after all.’

Her eyes drifted to the broken glass.

If he had gone so far as to break a glass, he must have had a good reason.

Laysis turned her gaze toward Dolores, who was still staring at the door in surprise.

‘I’ll need to be cautious.’

While she thought that, Dolores, now a person of interest, bit her lip briefly before greeting Carl with a bright smile.

"Ah, pardon my late greeting. I’m Dolores of the Doldorof Household."

"Carlos of Leipzig."

"If you don’t mind, would you join us for a drink? This is a gathering of young nobles who will lead the kingdom’s future."

Carl casually scanned the people in the room.

They were all nobodies, pushed aside by their respective families, just like Dolores.

It hardly looked like a worthwhile meeting.

"If it’s only for a bit, I suppose I have time. Let’s do that. I’ve been parched from work at the trading house without a single drink."

"Oh dear, that won’t do. Denson, prepare a glass."

"Got it."

Carl entered the room and naturally sat beside Laysis.

-How did you know I was here?

‘Did you really think I’d leave you without any precautions?’

-That’s fair.

Since he had taught her how to use Voice Transmission long ago, they could converse without being noticed.

To others, it merely looked like they were exchanging smiles.

‘Don’t consume anything served in this space. That includes food from the royal palace. Try to dine with Yuria as much as possible.’

-Is something wrong? You said that with your treatment, I’ve become resistant to most poisons.

Carl gave a slight nod.

Thanks to the elixir he had given her, Laysis had acquired the purest form of mana.

Should any common poison enter her system, her mana would either burn it away or purify it.

But this wasn’t some mere poison.

‘It seems to be the raw extract of Black Beads that I mentioned on our way to Alforam. The moment it enters the body, the process of becoming a Demon Human begins. Be very careful.’

-...

Laysis’s expression faltered briefly but quickly regained composure.

She was seething at the fact that someone dared to attempt such a thing on a princess of the realm.

As she subtly nodded to indicate she understood, Dolores approached Carl holding two glasses.

"Come now, it’s a rare vintage. Everyone should have a taste."

"Should Laysis be drinking that?"

"...Ah, that’s true. I was only planning on a single glass."

"I’ll report you to Instructor Frahan."

"Ugh, please don’t do that."

"...Is there a reason she shouldn’t drink?"

Dolores asked curiously, and Carl answered with a shrug.

"Princess Laysis is currently learning swordsmanship under Instructor Frahan. It’s a crucial stage in forming her physique, so she’s prohibited from drinking or eating anything that might hinder that."

Of course, that wasn’t true.

He had made up the story on the spot.

There was no way Dolores could verify it, so such a harmless bluff posed no problem.

Matching his lead, Laysis gave Carl a slightly pleading look.

"Can’t I just have one glass?"

"No. Instructor Frahan explicitly asked me to keep a close eye on you. I’ll drink both glasses instead."

"Haha! Then I suppose I have no choice. The glasses go to Lord Carlos."

Dolores handed the drinks to Carl with a cheerful expression.

Now that a representative from the Madeira Trading House had appeared, Laysis was no longer the main target.

If she could brainwash the man who held distribution rights for the Mana Beads, both she and the Doldorof Household would reap massive profits.

‘And I’ll get rid of that damned brother too.’

Her older brother had hesitated, insisting on a cautious approach.

Always so timid—what use was he, really?

Even their father had seemed a little disappointed by his overly careful stance last time.

If she could step up and accomplish something now, she might earn his trust.

"This has a nice flavor."

"Haha, it’s a specialty from our Doldorof territory. If you like it, I’ll send some with you when you leave."

Dolores grinned.

Now that Carl had drunk the wine, the embedded Demonic Energy would slowly spread to his bone marrow, turning him into a Demon Human.

A loyal subordinate who would obey her every command would be born.

Having emptied all the glasses, Carl chatted with them for a while before exiting the room with Laysis.

"Are you okay? Wasn’t that dangerous?"

"It’s fine."

Carl immediately activated his divine art, expelling the intoxication and drawing all the invasive Demonic Energy together.

He pulled out a small glass vial from his coat and lightly nicked his fingertip.

"Ah!"

As the black Demonic Energy trickled down with the blood, Laysis let out a short gasp.

"This is the raw extract of the Black Beads, right?"

"Yes. It appears to be Demonic Energy processed through a certain method. Once it enters a human body, it permeates the bone marrow and transforms them into a Demon Human. Now, that is..."

"They modeled it after Mana Beads and created Black Beads."

"The quality is even worse. It's like people are paying to poison themselves."

Imagine thinking it's just another version of Mana Beads, only to become a Demon Human after eating it—how absurd would that be?

And the bigger issue was that not everyone turned into a Demon Human after ingesting it.

‘There were cases where the body couldn’t withstand it and either collapsed or swelled up grotesquely.’

He recalled a recent meeting held by an underworld organization.

Some had been deceived by the Black Beads and consumed them, only to become mindless monsters.

Only a chosen few could become Demon Humans.

It was truly a cruel tale.

"Let’s go back. Things will only get busier starting tomorrow."

"Yes. We’ll need rest if we’re going to purge those who’ve infiltrated the royal family."

"This plain is the Kingdom of Alforam’s gesture of goodwill toward the Madeira Trading House. As you can see, it’s very close to the capital and the surrounding area is well-prepared, so construction can begin immediately. Of course, all expenses will be covered by Alforam, and we’ll provide every convenience possible."

The next day at noon.

After finishing breakfast, Carl began his official schedule as the representative of the Madeira Trading House.

Originally, he had planned to first negotiate the supply volume of Mana Beads, but it seemed Alforam was more focused on long-term planning than immediate profits.

They had made a bold proposal to hand over full ownership of the plains near the capital if Madeira agreed to establish a branch in Alforam.

They even promised to cover all construction and facility expenses.

"The terrain is suitable. I think we can look upon this positively. Madeira also sees Alforam as a potential hub connecting the Empire and other nations."

"I’m relieved to hear that. Please do speak well of us."

Carl’s counterpart was Count Didella, the Chancellor of Alforam.

In terms of status, he might have been able to show some pride even in the Empire, but given the situation, he remained respectful even toward Carl, who held no noble title.

"Well then, shall we look around some more? I’ll guide you."

"Sounds good."

While riding on horseback, Laysis, who had joined as a princess, sent a Voice Transmission.

-Carl.

‘What is it?’

-Are you sure about this? There are surely other places offering better terms than Alforam. If you’re only doing this because of me...

Between Alforam and Madeira, Laysis couldn’t act rashly.

She had already received much help from Carl since the academy, and it didn’t sit right with her conscience to make demands under the guise of friendship.

Even this plan for Madeira to establish a branch in Alforam was likely because of her engagement.

"To be honest, from Madeira’s perspective, there are indeed places with better conditions than Alforam. But I chose to side with Alforam."

"It’s good news for us, but may I ask the reason?"

Carl glanced briefly at Laysis and smiled faintly.

Hoping that this would serve as his answer.

"It was because of Princess Laysis. That way, I’ll have more chances to see her."

"Huh!"

Count Didella’s eyes widened at Carl’s blunt statement.

The entourage that had accompanied them began murmuring.

"......"

Laysis pursed her lips at Carl’s bombshell remark.

Now she understood.

Saying something like that was both to tease her for her needless worry and to put her at ease.

She was grateful, but also a bit sorry.

"The princess has reached marrying age, after all. Haha. There have been rumors, but I suppose they were all false."

It was a subtle hint that he was considering Carl as a candidate.

Laysis, who had remained silent, threw out a warning to Count Didella.

"Chancellor."

"Haha. I was being too forward. My apologies."

Laysis shook her head at the chuckling Count Didella.

It was hard to believe that such a friendly-looking man had already fallen to darkness, becoming a Demon Human who bathed in blood each night.

He was always counted among the top three people least likely to betray anyone, which made the betrayal even more shocking.

"It’s about time. Since we’ve seen most of it, how about we have a meal?"

"Sounds good. Then, shall we return to the capital..."

"Haha, no need. We’ve prepared everything here. This way, please."

They had gone to the trouble of setting up a tent and even a makeshift dining area.

Of course, to those already aware of the situation, the act was obvious.

Soon, a delicious-looking meal was served, and Count Didella gestured grandly.

"Please, eat. We made sure to prepare it with great care for our distinguished guest."

"Hmm."

But Carl only looked down at the food with his arms crossed.

Count Didella cautiously asked, watching his expression.

"Is something the matter? We prepared dishes to match your taste..."

"It looks fine, but the ingredients seem rotten. The stench is unbearable."

"...Excuse me?"

Crack.

As Count Didella responded in confusion, a chilling sound came from behind.

At some point, a Black Label from NOX had appeared and snapped the neck of a royal guard.

"What the—?!"

As the shocked Count Didella shouted and leapt to his feet—

Thud.

Carl extended his hand and pressed down on his head.

"You’re the first. Blame Ascalon, who sent you here."