The Extra Prince Sets Out To Conquer The World

“That sounds grea-! I mean, I’ll decide after hearing the detailed reason.”

I hastily corrected my words at Precia’s fierce gaze.

Precia looked at me and let out a small sigh.

When Precia nodded, I smiled brightly and gestured for him to continue his interesting proposal.

Vermilion looked at me and burst into laughter.

“Hahaha! You’re whipped, aren’t you?”

“Shut up. Just hurry up and tell me the detailed reason. Weren’t the back alley punks unable to act recklessly because of your father?”

At my question, Vermilion smiled bitterly.

“That’s the case in this city. Those guys are too large in scale to be called punks. The cities and villages outside the capital Bryuta are still being exploited by them.”

“Can’t your father wipe them out easily?”

Frost was a transcendent.

No matter how huge the back alley gang’s forces were, it would be fortunate if there were people among the executives who could use something resembling sword energy.

So if Frost set his mind to it, wiping them out wouldn’t be difficult.

At my point, Vermilion shook his head.

“It’s not that easy. …To be precise, it’s largely my fault.”

According to Vermilion’s explanation, the lord of this territory was periodically taking bribes from the underworld and participating in the exploitation.

Frost couldn’t move far because of his sick son.

Unless he gathered all the gangsters in one place and wiped them out at once, they would hide like cockroaches.

The remnants of the gangsters who had a grudge against Frost would surely target Vermilion.

Seeing Vermilion fight well without using a bit of mana, it seemed like ‘those bastards can try all they want’, but if they hid among people and attacked day and night, there was no answer.

“It doesn’t seem to be your fault though.”

At my words, Vermilion smirked.

“No, it is my fault. Because of me, my father had no choice but to compromise.”

Compromise, in the novel, Frost was a lukewarm character when it wasn’t related to his son.

Perhaps it felt that way because he was an extra with few appearances.

The reason Frost appeared was almost always when it was related to Sword Demon Vermilion.

Still, the Free Knights Alliance was a group that revered freedom and justice, so he might not be such a lukewarm character at this point in time.

Above all, on the surface, it was before Vermilion’s corruption.

“Even so, why do you have to move?”

At my question, Vermilion made a slightly boastful expression and laughed.

“I don’t need a reason. That’s what true justice is.”

It was too upright a smile for the future Sword Demon to make.

********

Early in the morning, Jade snuck into the underground space of the tavern that Yard and Precia had discovered, concealing himself with magic.

Although not as sophisticated as the light spirit, he could easily deceive a sloppy guard who was yawning and dozing off.

They had come once last evening with Yard, but by then, the people inside the iron cages had already disappeared.

Seeing that there were no people in the iron cages, Yard reproached himself, thinking that they might have been discovered because he didn’t ask the light spirit Eunha to remove the illusion on the first day they came to the city.

However, Jade didn’t consider that possibility very high.

It was because Yuan had instructed Eunha to withdraw its power within 10 minutes whenever it used its power to conceal the two, in order to prevent such a situation.

If someone were to come into contact with the optical illusion during that time, there was no way Yuan wouldn’t know.

Jade was convinced that Yuan, who was meticulous about these things, wouldn’t make a mistake.

“As expected, the possibility is for the purpose of using them as sacrifices?”

Regardless of the purpose, as the time for the black magic ritual approached, it was highly likely that they had moved the sacrifices they had been keeping separately to the ritual site.

Even the people in the slums where traces of black mana were detected, albeit faintly, seemed to have moved quite hastily if they were considered part of the sacrifices.

It was because those who had thoroughly erased their traces had left mana traces.

Why did they move so hastily?

Jade could quickly realize the reason.

The reason the demon worshippers moved hastily was because of Yuan.

To be precise, it was the result of Yuan and Purple Dragon Bahamut’s bet.

“Count Bahamhak must have been a very high-ranking person.”

Jade was convinced.

Yuan said that Bahamut had a connection with the Cardinal of the Sun Cult, and as soon as Yuan appeared, the holy knights of the Sun Cult raided the Count’s house.

The ledger of corruption that Yuan handed over to Bahamut wasn’t just an ordinary ledger of corruption.

Having reached that point, Jade closed his eyes for a moment.

What was important now wasn’t why the demon worshippers moved hastily.

His job was to find out where the black magic ritual was being held.

“…!”

As he traced the fading mana traces over time, Jade felt something strange.

“The discomfort… Right! The discomfort I felt while wandering the city! Was that this mana trace!”

Last evening, when they first came, the mana traces were strong enough for Jade to easily detect, so he couldn’t notice it.

However, as he concentrated and traced the barely remaining faint traces, he felt like he knew the identity of the discomfort that lingered faintly in the city.

Jade took out a roughly drawn map of the city and marked the places where he felt particularly uncomfortable.

Quietly examining the markings he had drawn, Jade was stunned.

“No way…! Is it a ritual so massive that it covers not a specific place but the entire city!”

If this was true, this city was certain to become a huge disaster zone.

Jade began tracing the afterglow of the mana traces with cold eyes.

*******

The day after promising a fun hobby, no, an activity to uphold justice with Vermilion.

Today, the sky was still filled with clouds and it rained finely, but it was quite a mild weather compared to yesterday’s thunderstorm.

Perhaps because the wind and rain had subsided, Nabi and Rami were calm.

However, as thunder and lightning still struck inside the rain clouds, Nuni danced excitedly above my head.

I slightly lifted the head of Biam, who was wrapped around my arm with its head drooping, and listened to the progress report from Abasael and Yard.

“We haven’t found the mana that caused discomfort yet, but the installation of the magic circles is proceeding smoothly. Prioritizing secrecy, it will probably take about three more days.”

If it were Abasael alone, it would be a scale that would take not three days but three months, but since Silua’s dolls handled the simple tasks, the time was reduced.

Time reduction was also the reason I put Silua with Abasael.

“I went with Jade to see the abducted people, but they had all disappeared. However, we found faint mana traces, so Jade is currently tracking them.”

“You’re working hard from the morning.”

Even yesterday, they returned late at night, so I told them to report tomorrow unless it was urgent, but it seemed they had left before I woke up at dawn.

He really has a strong sense of justice.

I hope the immature guy doesn’t cause an accident while Yard isn’t around.

“It seems to be related to the underworld in the western part of the city.”

There was no way those punk bastards weren’t involved in doing something illegal and covert.

“Ah, this is the rough information about the underworld factions that you mentioned yesterday.”

“You could have taken your time.”

“No, it’s just information I had gathered and organized. It didn’t take long at all.”

Yard smiled brightly and finished his report.

“And Jade examined the people in the slums and found traces of mana and life force extraction. Normally, when forcibly extracted, they would be in agony, but it was strange that they were calm, so when he examined their heads, black mana was detected.”

At Yard’s report, Abasael let out a hum.

“Hmm… As expected, it seems the demon worshipper bastards are hiding, just as you predicted, My Lord.”

Not all black mages were demon worshippers, but demon worshippers, with few exceptions, used black magic.

At least as a minor, they learned black magic.

“Abasael, make sure to install the magic circles thoroughly. We probably won’t use them unless it’s serious, but we need insurance.”

“I will be extra careful.”

“Yard, be careful not to reveal yourself as much as possible. I plan to stir up the underworld separately, so if it gets noisy, think it’s me and cover the back as much as possible.”

“Understood. I’ll tell Jade as well.”

As the two’s reports were ending, Eunha, who was guarding outside the inn, informed me of Vermilion’s approach.

“Well then, let’s work hard today too. I’ll make one dish each of your choice when we’re done.”

Within the limits of the available ingredients, that is. Biam’s head, which had slightly raised, slowly lowered and soon drooped.

I tried to cheer it up by converting mana into a form used for fire magic and blowing it into him, but there was no response.

Once the rainy season ends, it will be a scorching weather, so should I just leave it alone?

At my words, Abasael smiled with anticipation, while Yard, who had never tasted my cooking, was curious.

“Yuan. It should be fine since Precia is with you, but still be careful.”

At Yard’s concern, I smiled brightly.

“I’m also a cautious person.”

At my words, Precia, who was sitting next to me, looked at me with eyes of disbelief.

“…But still, I’m more resourceful than anyone, so don’t worry.”

When I corrected my words, Precia finally nodded as if acknowledging it.

That’s too much.

Leaving the two in the room, I took Precia and Gilbert and went down to the first floor of the inn.

At the inn’s entrance, Vermilion was tapping his wet umbrella on the floor, shaking off the rainwater.

“Good morning. You’re here early. Did you have breakfast?”

When I greeted him, Vermilion approached, smiling and waving his hand.

“Good morning! Of course I had breakfast before coming. Wow! I’ve been excited since yesterday. I had a longing for the life of a wandering swordsman.”

Vermilion carelessly made a useless remark.

Fortunately, there were few travelers early in the morning. Especially during this season.

It was a good thing my party had half-chartered the place, otherwise there would have been a risk of unnecessary words reaching the ears of the gangsters.

It was a relief that this wasn’t a famous restaurant where people would deliberately come to eat from the morning.

I lightly scolded him and cautioned him, then put on an umbrella and left the inn.

“Do you have a plan?”

At my question, Vermilion smiled stupidly as if he had no thoughts.

“Can’t we just put on masks, ambush them, and beat them up?”

“Oh my. To think you had the idea to hunt ruffians like that.”

“Ahahaha, was it too crude?”

Leaving behind Vermilion, who was scratching the back of his head and laughing in embarrassment, I examined the information Yard had organized in his notebook.

For something collected and organized in two days, it was detailed and had a large volume.

With this much information, there were dozens of tricks that could be played.

“Just follow me, I’ll teach you the proper way to deal with punk bastards.”

I smiled pleasantly and took the lead.

It’s a fun ruffian hunt, no, upholding justice. The wandering swordsman is setting off!