Episode 162
Frieda received a call from Vargan.
Whenever Vargan summoned her, it was always to put her to work, and this time would be no different.
Frieda was well aware that she was the only one capable of handling the tasks that were often too questionable for public knowledge.
She had no complaints about that.
Even if others said she was being used for their benefit, the rewards he offered were far from meager.
She believed that doing what others couldn’t was both a strength and competitive edge.
“What’s wrong with getting my name and hands a little dirty? Just because I stay clean doesn’t mean gold coins or bread will roll my way.”
Another reason was… to win his favor. Frieda had not given up on becoming Vargan’s woman.
He was a Schugenharz after all, even if he was the third son.
Just how much wealth and freedom could she acquire?
And not just wealth or fame…
Perhaps, just perhaps. One day he might see her as a precious woman…
“…”
As Frieda walked through the hallway, she furrowed her brow, caught up in her thoughts. Suddenly, the audacity of the Portlet family’s daughter popped into her mind.
That little brat who occupied the highest position without a shred of gratitude.
She had the urge to bother her, pretending it was an accident, but she couldn’t do that.
She was Vargan’s fiancée and a valuable existence.
If she acted recklessly, she would find herself on the receiving end of his disdain. It was clear who was more valuable between her and Erica without needing to weigh the options.
That’s why Frieda was desperate to increase her value. Even if she couldn’t compare yet, she hoped that one day… one day she would catch up, at least a little…
“You’ve arrived.”
Vargan emerged from the arena after finishing the ranking match in October. The result, as expected, was victory.
Entering the second semester, Vargan had maintained the top spot without fail.
Based on the rules of the ranking match, his opponent was also someone occupying a high position, but it was no contest.
He looked nothing like someone who had just fought; there were no wounds, no signs of breathlessness, and not a drop of sweat to show any human traits.
It indicated just how overwhelming he was.
As Frieda watched Vargan, she rolled her eyes, scanning the surroundings.
She noticed Alicia, who always followed him, was nowhere to be seen.
Alicia was nowhere to be seen.
“If it’s Alicia, she must be training swordsmanship with Arterion.”
“Oh, is that so…?”
The absence of Alicia implied that there were orders being issued that were highly likely not to be given in her presence.
Frieda, following Vargan, felt a bit disappointed but spoke up.
“What mission are you calling us for today?”
“I’ll explain the details when we arrive.”
“I’m just asking in case, but is it related to crime? Because the risk is much higher in that regard, and the pay doubles depending on the level.”
Frieda continued with a playful tone, lowering her voice.
Her fox tail swished gently behind her.
“It’s bold of you not to refuse. What if I were to request a murder?”
“Uh… that’s a bit complicated.”
Frieda mentioned that even though she grew up in the harem district, she had never killed anyone unless it was in self-defense.
She reassured that she had at least that basic morality.
“The only time I killed was because the guy was trying to assault me, and it was an accident in the heat of the moment.”
“An accident, huh… Well, I’ll just take your word for it.”
The two arrived in front of the laboratory.
The darkness inside could be seen through the window; all the lights were off.
Vargan opened the door and stepped inside. The door was unlocked, and the room was indeed dark. They moved a bit further inside to the special room that was arranged.
The special room was also completely dark, but there was someone present.
Frieda, with her keen eyesight in the dark, could identify who it was.
“Felix… sir?”
The heir of the Hiode family, known for their swordsmanship.
Hiode Troa Felix.
The male student ranked 10th in entrance scores was there.
Currently a first-year student, he had a history of losing to Vargan in a ranking match, and aside from that, finding a connection between Vargan and him was difficult.
Perhaps because Frieda was in a different class, she had never seen or heard them converse or mention each other.
‘Why is someone who isn’t even a member of Arbol Frutal here?’
Frieda scrutinized Felix with eyes full of questions.
He seemed to be excessively tense, sweating coldly with unstable breathing and nibbling his lips.
Like a criminal standing before an executor, he was clearly trembling.
“Vargan sir, why is Felix sir here…?”
“Well, who knows?”
Vargan smiled as if enjoying the situation, his eyes slithering over Felix like a snake.
As his gaze closed in on him, Felix flinched.
Vargan then pulled out a white handkerchief, unfolded it, and retrieved a thin book bound with dozens of pages from within.
“Take this, Frieda.”
Vargan naturally passed it to Frieda, who looked puzzled.
Once given permission to check the contents, Frieda flipped through the pages. It turned out to be more of a list than a book.
“This is… personal information about several students from Academia…?”
As she flipped through the list, Frieda found information on 15 students and one professor packed inside.
The number of people isn’t large, but details about their backgrounds, wealth, and even recent activities were listed.
And among the students on the list, there was Felix, his name too.
Frieda couldn’t wrap her head around it yet and looked up at Vargan.
“Frieda, about that…”
His following words provided a tension that was unusual for Frieda, who wasn’t easily startled.
“It’s the list of the Goddess Church forces lurking inside the Academia.”
“…Huh?”
Frieda was left dumbfounded.
Did she just hear that right? The list of the Goddess Church forces…?
Clack clack clack. Felix’s teeth chattered anxiously, and his anxiety intensified.
It seemed this was no simple prank. Frieda’s expression hardened.
“Frieda, you don’t have to be that flustered. I got this record from Lucien, who leads the Formists within the Academia, and I just want to make use of it.”
From Professor Lucien…?
Make use of it…?
Many questions raced through her mind, but the one thing she needed to confirm first was different.
“…Why are you showing this to me?”
The Goddess Church, was it?
This was on a whole different level compared to her previous missions.
Even without hearing any explanations, Frieda instinctively heightened her vigilance at the scent of death.
Her previously swaying tail stood straight up.
Her fur bristled.
Vargan was vocal about rooting out the Goddess Church forces that had infiltrated the Academia, taking a leading position in the matter.
But… was he actually the mastermind behind the Goddess Church?
That meant he had been putting on a grand act ever since the festival ended…!
Something enormous was moving like a well-oiled machine.
Frieda felt surprise at his duplicity once again, tinged with a sort of fear.
This was a different dimension.
She thought she was quite good at deceiving and inciting people for profit, but Vargan’s scale and degree were incomparable.
As Frieda’s vigilance heightened, Vargan slowly reached out and stroked her hair, flowing down like silk, soothing her tension with a gentle touch.
This was the first time she was treated like this by Vargan.
“Why do you think I’m showing you this record?”
His usually cold voice was warm, as if he were addressing a lover. The slight smile that peeked through wasn’t a sneer but an affectionate display.
Vargan said.
“Because I trust you.”
“Trust…?”
“Yes, and this is something only you can do.”
With no substitutes.
Only Frieda was capable of this task.
Entrusting it to her was based on trust.
Vargan sweetly spoke those words. The more she heard, the more her stiff tail began to sway, and her tension seemed to melt away.
However, Frieda was no woman to easily be swayed by sweet talk. She knew that once she swallowed that candy, the poison inside would spread deep into her body, so she focused to stay sharp.
“So you’re saying you want me to manage the forces of the Goddess Church.”
Frieda straightened her gaze and replied.
The current situation was just a performance. His affection was taken by that girl, Erica. There was no way he would reveal a flaw this easily.
“Well, that’s something you can’t ask Alicia to do… and the same goes for Erica.”
Vargan was trying to use him.
Agreeing to this task could end with him being cruelly discarded. Unlike them, he would be the one drained dry and tossed aside.
Perhaps because of such thoughts, he spoke in a somewhat blunt tone, but Vargan didn’t respond harshly.
“Frieda, don’t start saying things like that again. We’ve been using each other from the beginning. I manipulated the crowd through you and leaked information. In return, you received money.”
“……”
“You can’t be unaware of that. But… while you’re currently afraid, you’re also expressing some sort of dissatisfaction.”
Upon hearing Vargan’s words, Frieda composed her expression, and her tone dulled the sharpness of the day.
While vigilance was one thing, she shouldn’t display an attitude that seemed treacherous.
Having grasped the connection with the Goddess Church and the general form of the operations Vargan was conducting.
If she refused the proposal, he would never let her go easily.
Curse? Familiar?
He would use any means necessary to bind her.
She might end up as a corpse tossed into the lake outside the Academia in a few days.
From the moment she arrived, there was no escape route.
Leaving just a hint of wariness, Frieda asked. Her gaze casually brushed over Felix, who was trembling behind her.
“What about the risk of the Goddess Church betraying you, Lord Vargan? No matter who you are, it seems difficult to control them as you wish.”
Frieda was aware of a recent incident.
Vargan and his companions had successfully discovered two additional followers of the Goddess Church, and after they used their blessings, they executed them due to an ‘unfortunate circumstance.’
At that time, she had thought nothing of it, but now it looked different.
Vargan had boldly killed those two who did not follow his order from the forces of the Goddess Church.
This instilled fear internally while enhancing his reputation externally.
“Even if Lord Vargan instilled fear in them, the threat of betrayal remains. No matter how big the reward, I’m not foolish enough to gamble my life.”
Frieda’s argument was quite reasonable.
Nothing is perfect. There are always gaps, and in cases like this, there are not just gaps but huge holes.
As much as she wanted to win his favor, accepting such a proposal wouldn’t be wise…
At that moment, Vargan smiled brightly.
“Frieda, they can’t betray me.”
“…What makes you so sure?”
Frieda’s claim was not wrong. It was accurate and beyond reproach. However, there was one point she overlooked.
By fixing her viewpoint to just one angle, she was unaware.
Yes, her words were true.
At least from the ‘Hero’s perspective.’
Vargan began to share part of his plan.
“I will bring down the Academia.”
