Chapter 32: The Market’s Honey Trap and the Perfect Lie
Location: Sunderland Nation - Triton City Market
The central market of Triton City was a roaring, hissing marvel of early industrial engineering. Brass-piped steam vents released white clouds into the morning air, while merchants peddled everything from enchanted gear-work watches to exotic imported fruits. It was loud, crowded, and utterly chaotic.
Yet, as Sofia, Sebastian, and Ashford walked down the cobblestone promenade, the sea of people naturally parted for them.
The citizens of Sunderland were accustomed to seeing wealthy merchants and military officers, but the sheer, transcendent beauty of the two women walking side-by-side was something out of a myth. Sofia commanded attention with her dark, mature, and aristocratic elegance, every step radiating absolute authority. Beside her, Ashford—Cain in his female morphological template—drew eyes for a completely different reason. ‘She’ possessed a sharp, delicate, and almost untouchable cold beauty, framed by a cascade of midnight-black hair.
Cain was currently carrying a woven wicker basket filled with fresh produce and minor supplies. He blinked, looking to his left to ask Sebastian a question about the local currency exchange rate.
He was greeted by thin air.
Frowning, Cain quickly scanned the bustling crowd. He reached out with his mana sense, only to find that Sofia and Sebastian’s presence had completely vanished into the city’s dense magical background noise. They had cloaked their signatures. They had ditched him.
What are they doing? Cain thought, his golden-ringed eyes narrowing in annoyance.
Before he could ponder it further, he felt it. A heavy, sticky, nauseating gaze burning a hole into the back of his neck. Cain casually glanced over his shoulder. A few yards away, a rugged, sleazy-looking mercenary was staring at him with undisguised, vulgar lust, licking his lips.
Beneath the tailored fabric of his attendant’s suit, Cain’s abyssal mana flared.
If we weren't in the middle of a populated street, Cain thought, his eyes flashing with a terrifying, absolute coldness, I would erase your existence on a molecular level without a second thought. The look Cain shot the mercenary was so intensely predatory and terrifying that the man physically recoiled, the color draining from his face as he hastily retreated into a nearby tavern.
Cain sighed, turning his attention back to the path ahead. But in his momentary distraction, someone stepped directly out of a clockmaker's shop right into his path.
Thud.
"Oh! My deepest apologies, My Lady!" a panicked, cultured voice exclaimed.
Cain stumbled back slightly. The wicker basket slipped from his hands, spilling bright red apples, a bundle of herbs, and a thick, leather-bound book onto the dusty cobblestones.
He looked up to see a young adult nobleman. He was handsomely dressed in a high-quality navy blue velvet coat with silver threading. He had bright, honest eyes and an expression of genuine, mortified guilt.
[System Appraisal]
Name: Lord Julian Vance
Race: Human
Class: Noble / Scholar
Estimated Threat Rank: D (Civilian)
"I wasn't watching where I was stepping, please allow me to help," Julian said, immediately dropping to one knee to gather the spilled fruit.
"It is quite alright," Cain replied smoothly, perfectly pitching his voice into Ashford's soft, polite alto. He knelt down gracefully to help, ensuring his movements mirrored the flawless etiquette of a high-class attendant.
As Julian reached for the last apple, his hand brushed against the leather-bound book Cain had purchased earlier. The young nobleman picked it up, reading the gold-embossed title: The Divine Chronicles: Heroes of the Church and the Abyssal Demons.
Julian paused, looking from the book to Ashford in complete amazement. As their eyes met, the young lord’s breath hitched in his throat. Up close, Ashford’s golden-ringed eyes and flawless, porcelain features were devastating.
"Too beautiful..." Julian murmured completely unconsciously, his cheeks instantly turning a bright shade of crimson. Every single thing about her, from her eyes to the way her dark hair cascaded over her shoulder, was mesmerizing.
Cain expertly maintained his polite, unbothered expression. "Thank you for your assistance, My Lord."
Julian quickly handed the book back, stammering slightly. "I... I must admit, I am impressed. It is rare to see a noblewoman reading such heavy theological and historical texts. Do you enjoy the chronicles of the Holy War? I am quite fond of that particular volume myself."
"I simply find the dynamics between the Demons and the Church to be... interesting," Ashford said, a hint of genuine, dark amusement hidden beneath her perfectly polite tone. "I do not hold any personal opinions of liking it. I merely study it for reference."
Julian was momentarily speechless. He had expected the usual giggling or polite deflection he received from the noblewomen at high society galas. He did not expect such a clinical, intellectually cold response. It only made him more captivated.
"I see..." Julian managed to say. "May I ask your name, My Lady? I am..."
"I must apologize, My Lord, but I am running on a strict schedule," Ashford interrupted with a flawless, apologetic bow. "Please excuse me."
Without waiting for a reply, Cain turned and walked away, his posture impeccably straight. Julian remained frozen in the middle of the street, watching her disappear into the crowd. Even after she was gone, a faint, incredibly intoxicating floral scent lingered in the air where she had stood, completely bewitching the young noble.
Meanwhile, cloaked in the shadows of a nearby alleyway, another set of eyes watched the entire exchange.
It was a corpulent, heavily jeweled nobleman. A knavish, crafty smile spread across his fat, greedy lips as he noted the insignia on Ashford's clothing and the direction she was heading. A new beauty in Triton, he thought, his eyes glinting with dark schemes. And a retainer of the Vileblood estate, no less. How completely fascinating. The corpulent noble chuckled to himself before waddling away into the shadows.
A block away, Cain let out a long, deeply exasperated sigh.
Why am I constantly surrounded by these ridiculous men? Cain complained internally. Some just stare like idiots, others have pure lust in their hearts. If I didn't have infinite patience, this entire city would be reduced to a crater by now. He stopped walking, looking at a reflection of 'Ashford' in a shop window. Suddenly, the gears in his mind clicked into place. He realized exactly why Sofia and Sebastian had abandoned him in the busiest part of the city.
They left me as bait, Cain realized, a dark smirk pulling at the corner of his lips. They know my female form attracts absurd amounts of attention. If the local nobles flock to me, trying to court me or buy my favor, they will naturally spill their political secrets to impress me. It was a classic "honey-trap" scenario. Cain had read enough isekai manga and fantasy web novels in his original world on Earth to recognize the trope immediately.
"Nice try, Sofia," Cain murmured to himself, amused. "But I know how this game is played. I'm not going to play the damsel in distress for your intelligence network."
Adjusting his grip on the wicker basket, Cain seamlessly blended back into the crowd, heading back toward the government mansion.
Location: Sunderland Nation - Capital City Vanguard, The Royal Council Hall
Miles away, at the very heart of the Sunderland Nation, the atmosphere was thick with political tension.
The Royal Council Hall was a masterpiece of architectural engineering. Massive, steam-powered chandeliers hung from the vaulted ceilings, casting a warm, golden light over the enormous mahogany map table in the center of the room.
King Alaric, an imposing man with a thick grey beard and a crown of forged steel, sat at the head of the table. To his right stood Prime Minister Winston, a shrewd, calculating politician with a monocle. Standing at attention before them was Commander Vance, having traveled via express high-speed train to deliver his report.
Gathered around the periphery of the hall, acting as both honored guests and ultimate security, were the Summoned Heroes: Hiroto, Reiji, Kenji, Yuuto, and Kento.
"Are you absolutely certain of this, Commander Vance?" Prime Minister Winston asked, his voice echoing in the large chamber. "A ship lost at sea for three years suddenly appears in our port, its passengers miraculously unharmed?"
"I oversaw the identification protocols myself, Prime Minister," Vance reported crisply, handing over a thick manila folder. "The magical biometric scans match perfectly. They are true humans. The leader is Lady Sofia Vileblood, accompanied by her butler Sebastian, and her attendant Ashford."
King Alaric flipped through the documents. "The Vileblood family... I recall them. They were an old, wealthy lineage, but they completely abstained from court politics. They focused entirely on overseas trade and mercantile investments."
"Exactly, Your Majesty," Vance confirmed. "They possess no political ties that could threaten the current stability of the capital. Furthermore, their primary estate in the Diamond District of Vanguard City is still standing. It has been maintained by a skeleton crew of their loyal maids for the past three years. They are simply citizens returning home."
"When will they arrive in the capital?" King Alaric asked.
"I have arranged for a private carriage on the royal locomotive," Vance replied. "They should arrive by the end of the week."
"Excellent. Let their frozen assets be restored. They have suffered enough," the King decreed, closing the folder.
In the corner of the room, Reiji leaned against a marble pillar, completely uninterested in the politics of merchants and nobles. His mind was elsewhere. He pulled up his system interface with a flick of his wrist.
[System Status: Reiji Kurokawa]
Ultimate Skill: [Omega Trigger - Absolute Death]
Status: Cooldown Complete.
Penalty Status: The severe internal organ pain and mana-vein degradation caused by overuse has been successfully repaired by natural recovery.
Condition: Optimal.
Reiji let out a long, quiet sigh of profound relief. He rolled his shoulders, feeling the strength fully returned to his muscles. He hadn't used his Ultimate Skill since their desperate battles on the front lines, and the excruciating internal pain that had plagued him for weeks was finally gone. He was ready to fight again.
Hiroto noticed Reiji's relaxed posture and offered a small nod. "Feeling better?"
"A hundred percent," Reiji smirked confidently. "If a Demon Commander tries to step foot in this capital, I'll turn them to ash."
Hiroto turned his attention back to the King and Commander Vance, feeling a sense of absolute security. The borders were heavily guarded, the Heroes were at full strength, and the government's screening process was incredibly thorough.
None of the brilliant minds, powerful politicians, or Summoned Heroes standing in that room had even the slightest suspicion that they had just enthusiastically approved the permanent residency of the Immortal Demon Lord and the most dangerous anomaly in existence right into the very heart of their kingdom.
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