Re-Awakening: I Became a Pay To Win Boss Monster

"Hmm... why aren't we going straight for the capital?" Lilith asked. "Wouldn't it be much easier to just get the ruler and be done with it?"

"Yeah, but I have a little grudge I want to settle," Rael replied with a chuckle. "Back when I was a bit weaker and when Celestara was facing backlash for the agreement we made with Yrgon, there was a certain group of people from this city who acted a bit... unsightly."

By that, he meant several attempts at forging information and signatures, trying to get him or Zafira impeached by the churches.

During the summit, Rael found out that the person responsible was a Viscount, not a Duke, which narrowed it down to one city in the end.

Sanctis.

King Arthur would've shown more of a reaction if that person was inside Elarin. And... I know for sure it isn't in Temperia because there are no Viscounts there, only Dukes, Earls, and Barons.

But not Sanctis. That place was filled with religious masochists and nobles, some of whom were Viscounts.

After explaining that to Lilith, he was met with a chuckle.

"That's a lot of work for getting rid of an ant. Once you're in power, you could just summon all the Viscounts to the palace, then find the one responsible and publicly humiliate them."

"No." Rael shook his head. "I want to deal with this guy as Rael Sutekh. Not Rael Sutekh, the Ruler of the Holy Kingdom."

"Hmm... how symbolic of you," Lilith remarked. "But sure, I'll help you find them."

Rael nodded and took a look around. It was dark, but the lanterns scattered throughout the city illuminated it.

Yet the closer he looked, the more he realized there was an interesting pattern.

If he looked at it from one angle, then the lanterns resembled a beautiful long-haired woman looking to the left, with a sun symbol right above her.

But if he adjusted himself into the right position, he saw another woman facing the other side, the crescent moon right above her.

The Goddess of Light, and the Goddess of the Moon, huh? Though one of those goddesses is currently inside my mind realm, drowning.

The two glided down to the streets of Sanctis and got to searching.

The streets of Sanctis were clean, straight, and quiet. White stone roads, tall churches, and statues on every block. A few guards stood at every corner, watching intently.

Of course, they were soon stopped by a pair of guards.

But despite their rather imposing appearance, the moment their gazes landed on Rael and Lilith, they froze.

"S-Sir, could you please show me some manner of identification?"

"No."

"..."

The guards stepped aside, letting them pass.

"Well... that was a bit anticlimactic," Lilith remarked.

"They have a good survival instinct," Rael replied with a shrug. "Plus, it's just a basic routine check."

As he was about to continue talking, he halted, spotting a mansion in the distance.

He narrowed his eyes, his gaze practically zooming in on the letters above the gate.

<Triyari Family's Estate>

"Do you happen to know the noble families?" Rael asked. "What kind of family are they?"

Lilith puffed her chest. "The Triyari noble family is a family of tailors. They started off as mere commoners, but after several decades, they were able to rise through the noble ranks. I think they hold the rank of Barons at the moment, so no, they aren't the family you're looking for."

She tilted her head. "But are you sure that the person you're looking for is a Viscount?"

"I can tell when someone lies, Lilith," Rael replied plainly. "So yes, I know King Arthur was being sincere."

After a brief chat, they continued walking through the streets of Sanctis, stopping by a few manors and trying to identify the noble responsible.

Sure, they had found a few Viscounts, but Rael had a very strong feeling that they were not responsible.

That was when they passed by another manor that looked incredibly luxurious, its outer décor covered in golden pillars and the statues of the Light Goddess.

"What a rich noble. He must be a Marquis or a Duke at least," Lilith commented with a chuckle as the two passed by the manor, not even taking a single look back.

Why would they? A Viscount is the second-lowest noble rank, which meant that its income would pale in comparison to the higher ranks.

Yeah... why do I even bother—

"AAAAAAH! My balls are on fire!" a scream thundered through the air, causing Rael and Lilith to halt.

It came from the direction of the manor.

"Balls on fire...? How does that even happen...?" Lilith mumbled, puzzled.

"I don't think he meant it literally," Rael said with a shake of his head.

"AAAAAH!"

"..."

"Maybe we should check it out?" Lilith suggested. "We have been walking for a few hours now, and my feet are getting sore. So unless you want to carry me in your arms, let's take a break."

Didn't I just say I can detect lies?

Still...

"Fine... let's check it out," Rael replied and approached the luxurious fence of the estate.

But as he was about to push it open, he caught sight of the name.

"Partivon?" Rael mused. "Have you heard of it, Lilith?"

"Partivon... Partivon... oh!" Lilith grinned. "The Partivon noble family is a family of Viscounts. Their history dates back a single century, and their main merits were third-party commerce. They're like the people you pay to safely facilitate your deals, you know?"

"That sounds..."

"Yeah, same." Lilith nodded. "These people have dealt in some fraud back in the past, though I don't know much about the current head of the Partivon family. He's married, but he's cheating on his wife with one of our demon succubi. He brings in a lot of money, so I don't mind."

Rael stared at her for a few moments, then glanced at the overly extravagant manor.

So inside there is our guy, huh?