Inside the upper chambers of the church's dormitory, the air was thick with the scent of lilies and the lingering tension of a silent standoff. Venus Aphrodite, the newly appointed High Priestess of Neue Fiona, sat on the edge of her bed with her cheeks puffed out in a stubborn pout. Before her, seated in a disciplined seiza position on the polished floor, were her two most trusted personal attendants—Ylla and Mambo.
The Priestess had long since traded her clerical robes for a sleeveless silk sleeping dress. The fabric was fit to her form, revealing her soft skin and the graceful curve of her shoulders, while her legs were partially hidden by a long, flowing skirt. On her feet, a pair of fluffy teddy bear slippers added a touch of childhood innocence to her otherwise divine presence. Under any other circumstances, such a sight would have turned any man into a mindless fanatic, but her attendants were focused only on the "interrogation" at hand.
"Ylla, Mambo... please explain," Venus asked, her tone wavering between a simmer and a boil.
"High Priestess, there is a valid reason for everything that happened," Ylla began, keeping her voice steady.
"Yes, there is, Master. Please, just hear us out," Mambo begged, his head lowered in a show of deep regret for having assisted in dragging her away from her prayers.
Venus folded her arms tightly across her chest, causing the silk of her dress to ripple. "I have given you permission to speak, so explain yourselves! I know Mambo wouldn't conspire against me without a serious reason. Little Ylla, you go first."
"I'm actually older than you, Milady, so 'Little Ylla' is a bit much... but never mind," Ylla muttered under her breath before meeting her leader's gaze. "I heard from a reliable source that the Village Chief has asked your crush, Aljen the merchant, to act as an escort for his children in the Dark Scily Forest tomorrow morning."
The Priestess's eyes went blank for a split second. The name Aljen echoed in her mind, causing a physical shiver to run through her. "Pardon?" she asked, her face turning a soft shade of blue as she processed the news.
"I said," Ylla repeated in a quick, informative tone, "that the subject, Aljen, will be at the forest trailhead Monday morning. His arrival is estimated to be around 6:30 a.m. He will be babysitting the Chief's children all by himself."
Venus's lips trembled as she fought to suppress a smile. Her anger evaporated instantly, replaced by a radiant, delightful glow she couldn't hide. "Is that true? Or are you both just making fun of me?"
Ylla and Mambo nodded in unison.
"Yes. Our source provided this intel to maintain a favorable relationship with you," Ylla said, pulling a photograph from her pocket. It was a clear shot of a secret conversation between the merchant and the Chief. "Here is the proof."
"Oh, my gosh... this is legit!" Venus clasped her hands together, her heart racing. "But who is this source? Please tell me."
"A high-talent source who belongs to the Al-Ven Faction," Ylla stated gravely.
Venus tilted her head, her brow furrowed in confusion. "Al-Ven Faction? I've never heard of that organization. What is that?"
Ylla glanced at Mambo, who looked like he wanted to vanish through the floor. She realized the truth had to come out now if they were to proceed with their plan.
"Milady, I know this will be a shock," Ylla sighed. "The Al-Ven Faction is a group of people secretly aligned to support the Aljen-Venus 'Ship'. It is a hidden fan club, and the church itself has become one of the secret meeting places for your supporters."
Venus felt a cold sweat break out. "D-d-don't tell me... everyone knows?"
Ylla simpered. "I'm afraid I don't need to spell it out. All the girls in the dormitory are supporting your love life behind the scenes. In short, they are your fangirls."
Venus covered her face with her hands, letting out a soft, muffled squeal. "Oh, my goodness! Everyone is shipping me with Mr. Aljen? Kyaaa! I thought I was being so careful. How did they even notice?"
How? It's undeniably obvious that you're deeply in love with him, both Mambo and Ylla thought simultaneously, their faces reflecting a mix of affection and pure exhaustion.
"Since the subject will be alone with the children," Mambo added, "it is a perfect opportunity."
"Oh, that is so cute! Little Ylla, Mambo, you really did your best to help me out," Venus said, her eyes welling up with tears of joy. "I'm sorry for shouting. I'll listen to whatever advice you have this time!"
"Thank you, Milady," Ylla said with a triumphant look. "With your cooperation, the plan will be a hundred percent successful."
While the atmosphere at the church was light and filled with romantic schemes, a far darker energy permeated the Archnemesis mansion. Hermes sat in his study, his brow furrowed as he tried to shake off a lingering chill that seemed to seep into his very bones. His body temperature only began to stabilize when Justin placed a steaming cup of coffee on the mahogany desk. Hermes took a slow, deep sip, his collar unbuttoned to reveal the restless tension in his frame.
"What happened to you, my Don?" Justin asked. His voice was low and steady, his sharp eyes dissecting Hermes's physical state with quiet, professional precision. He noticed the slight tremor in his master's hands, a detail that didn't escape his protective gaze.
Hermes gulped the last of the coffee, feeling the caffeine hit his system. "I have no fuckin' idea. Maybe the weather is affecting my body or somethin'. Never mind," he replied, though the "bad omen" continued to gnaw at his gut like a parasite.
'Even the slime power ain't helping from this. I feel like somethin' terrible will happen to me. How odd. What was the meaning of this?' he asked himself, wondering if the game's hidden mechanics were reacting to his presence. He scratched his head and brought out the subject matter to his advisor. "By the way, Chief Zamor offered me a job."
Justin's posture didn't break, but the air in the room seemed to grow heavier. He had been kept out of earshot during the private talk at the chapel, and the news of a mission being accepted without his vetting was a breach of the protocol he held sacred. He set the silver tray down with a muted metallic ring.
"An escort mission, I presume?" Justin asked. His voice was a smooth, controlled baritone, masking the irritation bubbling beneath his professional exterior.
"Mission? Naah, my mistake. It's a favor," the young Don corrected.
Justin folded his hands behind his back, his expression unreadable and perfectly composed. "A favor. And what sort of compensation will you gain from that f-a-v-o-r? I don't mean to overstep, boss, but are we forgetting something very important? Didn't I advise you not to accept any quests for the time being, hmm? Please remember we still have the Second Root case on our hands. Taking a secondary quest will only hinder our activity and it'll divide our attention to our main objective."
"Oh, well... calm down," Hermes asked, a bead of cold sweat forming on his brow. "Let's take it easy for now. We're still in the briefing process."
"How can I calm down, sir? You literally made a decision without asking for my consent, and not only that, you didn't even tell me everything when we were still on the road. Am I that unworthy of your trust, my Don?" the butler inquired, his tone dipping into a chillingly polite hurt.
Hermes blinked several times and tilted his head to the side, looking at his butler with a mix of confusion and authority. "I have no idea what you're talking about, but there's no one who I could fully trust but you. So, don't ask a lame question," he demanded.
The tension in Justin's shoulders vanished instantly. He bowed at a perfect ninety-degree angle, the transition seamless and dignified. "My Don, thank you very much. But sir, please, remember to take care of your body. Too much burden on your back will put your body in a terrible state. Please think twice before you accept something from a stranger."
'He's not a stranger, you moron.' Hermes's face turned disappointed when he said it internally. "Yeah, yeah, forget about it. How's the prisoner in the dungeon?"
"He's... okay, I guess? Nah, he lost four fingers and his upper body suffered a first degree of fractures on his limbs yesterday, so we can still mark it as a half-okay. Umm, yeah, nevermind," Justin replied with a terrifyingly casual shrug.
Hermes's body trembled slightly at the clinical description of the violence. "Lost a finger? Fractures? Nevermind. I don't want to hear somethin' delirious."
"By the way, he confessed a lot of things when I gave him a lot of special treatment," the butler revealed, his eyes turning sharp. "The Handdog Gang originally came from Naples. They were founded by Renzo, who was a former henchman of the Tatsulez family. This clan is a powerful household that experienced a coup five years ago."
"Tatsulez family, huh."
Hermes closed his eyes when he said the name. He knew them well. The Tatsulez clan was a minor household that served as a base for players in the game. The female playable character there was a power contender destined to unite Italia with fire and blood. Her stats had extremely high firepower, and with her fire attributes, Hermes knew he wouldn't stand a chance when she unlocked her skills—especially if a player selected her as their playable character or avatar.
Thankfully, she wouldn't make a move for a while because she was busy with internal family problems. In the next three years, however, she would slaughter his mercenaries when she expanded her territory to the west. The only obstacles to her conquest were the Verdugo and the Archnemesis.
"So far, they cannot be marked as a rival nor a threat to our business. This family is still far from our land," Justin continued, his logic sound and pragmatic. "But if the new leader of that clan sets her eyes on our territory, we will make sure to give them a hard time—just like the old times."
"Hmm, anything else?" Hermes skipped and asked. "Forget about them for now. Right now, what I want to learn is the information you gathered from that peasant."
Justin smirked. "A peasant, huh. As expected of my sadistic leader. The purpose of this gang is to control the village and they aim to make it their business hub."
"Which they have now failed to do," the young Don smiled.
"Indeed. That's how pathetic they are, boss. For a trivial matter, the method they did ain't acceptable in the eyes of the mafia, and the mafia council won't tolerate their trespassing. Taking control of the territory without the consent of their ruler will be undoubtedly a clear criminal act of robbery and treason. Thankfully, we easily uncover this outrageous act before it made a large hole inside our territory. That's all I got from that person."
'But, aren't we criminals too?' Hermes's face turned to anguish for a fleeting second before he regained his composure. "Okay, fine. I want you to continue to do your work. Squeeze him dry until he reveals everything to us. Do whatever you can do, torture him to death is a must. What matters to me the most is the information about their connections within and outside this island. Ask him if they are involved in any kind of activity behind the shadows and ask him if he has some ideas about the Second Root organization that is lurking in the village. That's my order, Justin."
Justin pressed his hand to his chest in a deep show of respect. "Yes, my Don."
Hermes stood up from his chair and moved closer to his butler, his expression shifting from a boss to a man with a secret agenda. He reached into his desk and pulled out a small stack of papers along with a metallic emblem—the crest of the Camella family.
"Good. By the way, I want you to do something for me," he said, handing the items down to Justin.
Justin took the emblem, turning the cold metal over in his palm. "Pardon, my Don. I don't know why you are giving me this emblem. But may I mind knowing what's this all about?" he asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.
Hermes tapped Justin's shoulder firmly. "I want you to come together with Chief Zamor in the meeting tomorrow, and make a deal about this problem alone. While you're doing your thing in that place, I'm going to stay with the children."
"Y-you mean the case? You're going alone?" Justin asked in a surprised, almost wounded tone. The thought of his master venturing out without his protection was like a physical blow.
Hermes tucked his fingers in his ears, anticipating the noise of a protest. "Yes."
"But, sir! Where is the place you're heading to with the children?" he quizzed, his voice rising with every syllable.
"That's a secret. Okay, no more questions to ask. Let's move on," the young Don clapped his hands together and turned around, signaling the end of the briefing.
Justin stood frozen in place, a wave of anxiety washing over him. He could clearly sense that his master was truly determined to do the job alone. 'Those imbecile children? They are commoners, my Don. It'll taint your reputation by guarding those insects.' Justin bit his lower lips, clenching his fist tightly with a burning, silent anger.
"This is outrageous. Those insects are taking advantage of your kindness, my Don. They deserve to die," he openly declared, his protective instincts overriding his usual composure.
"Hold your tongue. That's our client's child. Calm down. Chill. Just take it slow and relax. All of these are part of my plan. There's a reason for all of this. You know that, right?" Hermes tried to calm him down, hoping his authority would settle the butler's nerves.
The butler tried to insist, "May I speak my opinion about this matter?"
However, the young Don adamantly refused, "Permission denied."
"Boss, please," Justin ranted, his voice laced with desperation.
The young Don slammed the table to shut him down, the sound echoing through the study. "Enough. I don't want to hear anything but only 'Yes'. Capiche?"
Only this direct order made the butler frown. He realized his master's mind was set in stone. He gave in with a stiff bow, "Yes, my Don."
"Is the dinner finally ready? I'm hungry," asked Hermes, holding his tummy to lighten the mood.
His butler replied automatically, "Yes, my Don. Dinner's ready."
The young Don exited the room first, his mind already drifting to the forest. Behind him, the veins on Justin's forehead showed up and his eyes and body trembled in a mixture of anger and anxiety.
"I won't let the commoners ruin his reputation. I won't let anyone dare to use him for their own gains. That bastard Zamor makes fun of my Don." Justin cracked his fingers one by one.
"I have no other choice but to use my cards. My beloved Don, my God, won't stand a chance to his enemies. I need someone to replace me to protect him. Oh, I know someone who greatly admired his excellence. But, there's no way he would agree with me. I have to make an alibi. Oh, how about that? I should offer his master a favor she won't refuse. That girl is a good excuse to use her attendant. Not only that, that beautiful maiden is blessed with a pure heart that the children would surely like so much."
Justin's face turned dark, his mind spinning a web. "In other words, the children would turn their attention to milady. The boss would be able to stay still and watch them from a safe spot. These children of incumbent Zamor are the embodiment of stupidity and recklessness, turning every noble child into an abyss. And that one, I don't want my master to experience a sickening demise!"
While Hermes was preoccupied with his meal, Justin secretly called Mambo by phone and told him everything, setting the stage for the uninvited guests at the forest's edge.