"We will devour Boreas's underworld," I stated firmly.

"Um, Shepherd, won't it be too risky? The tension outside right now is not good. Moreover, the project given to me is still in the development stage..."

"Is this about the funds, Merchant?"

"And manpower. To be honest, there's a lot of ground I need to cover, and the Shadows are necessary for that reason."

"I will move personally. Assassin and Spy already know this. That should solve the manpower issue."

"The Shadows will move accordingly to your needs until the project takes flight. I will personally be by my Lord's side." Added Renata to Margareth.

"That's right. Now, regarding the tension you mentioned...we're gonna play the long game. In the meantime, set your sights on Gelliard's territory. You'll find a safe roof there, Merchant."

"I understand, Shepherd." Answered Margareth.

"Good. Does anyone else have something to say about this?"

Two good seconds flew by with no one saying anything, so I guessed they were cool.

"The plan is simple. We'll target the key people within the structure. The dirtiest will be disposed of immediately, while the useful bunch will be left in the Assassin's hand. I'll let her decide their fate."

'They're surprisingly docile considering the topic is about culling lots and lots of people.'

They did take it quite well, I must say. And here I thought, there will at least be some sort of disagreement.

'Well, it is what it is...'

"Assassin. Explain the detail." I threw the ball to Renata.

"Yes, my Lord. Before I begin, do any of you seatholders know how Borea's underworld operates?"

"Commission. They do everything for a price." A rigid and stern voice rang across from Trodin on the left side.

"That's barely scratching the surface, Paladin. I had a deal once with one of them sitting on the higher ladder. Apparently, there's a system that manages the whole thing." Said Clara smugly.

"That's right, and that system she's referring to encompasses a wide range of things. Slave trading, organ trafficking, slums, gambling dens, arms smugglers, illegal artifacts, and so on. The underworld has its own heads that oversee these kinds of things."

"The heads will establish the rule and move the flow of money from the bottom to the top. And at the top...The true leader of the underworld will get to decide where and when to put that money to use. This is exactly the system that Spy was talking about...and also our goal as of now."

"What will we do with it?" Asked Trodin.

"That will be up to my Lord." Renata turned to me.

"We will suck it dry. Both wealth and power. And when the time is right...Destroy it..." I voiced out a clear declaration.

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"Gasp!" Margareth flinched in surprise.

From her point of view, that was understandable. If we're talking about necessity, then the underworld was a necessity to Boreas in a way. It's like having an ugly hand that smells bad and looks bad to boot. Then again, it is your hand, so chopping them off for good won't be good for you.

But there's a reason why I need to destroy them. When the doom came near, some rat-like bastards trying to bite me in the ass was the last thing I'd want to think about...

"Move on, Assassin." Ignoring Margareth, I nodded to Renata.

"Yes, my Lord. As His Holiness said, we will hit the key figures starting from the bottom. After we're done with them, only then can we see where their carefully hidden tails are."

"By react...do you mean they'll send someone to deal with us?" Queried Clara.

"They will. And it will not be someone. They will come from everywhere, and they will not rest until we are eliminated."

"Hm. You have the pullings. Can't you find out where these heads are so we can deal with them in one go?"

'If only it is that easy, Trodin...' I commented inside.

"Do I look like someone who would waste my Lord's time on purpose? Use your brain for once..." She mumbled the last part softly in irritation, but it was enough for everyone to hear.

"We don't have all night to waste, Assassin. Continue." I decided to intervene. One stupid fight to feel each other out is enough in my mind.

"Apologies, my Lord." Renata stood bowed deeply.

Knowing I'd waste more time if I commented on her, I chose to ignore her antics instead.

"These people are tightly guarded at all times, and some of them are even well hidden. But the most important thing is nobody seems to actually know who is sitting at the very top. Rumor has it that there's no leader. But the ones who have been dabbling for years know better...There is a leader governing the entirety of Boreas's underworld. And the only clue about them is a group that goes by the name Phantom Squad."

"So it is them...They're Boreas's ghost squad that executes people left and right before disappearing like a freaking fog...I thought they were nothing more but a cold tale to scare others. I guess not?" Said Clara.

"They're real...As a matter of fact, I know one of them." Scoffed Renata. Everyone waited in bated breath for the woman to finish her words. "Because he was my teacher."

"Judging from your tone, there's some bad blood between the two of you?" Continued Clara.

"I'm going kill him. That alone is clear." A tender reply from Renata. She sounded gentle and captivating at the same time, like a temptress of death.

"...Back to the point, let's talk a bit more on our side. With all being said, I believe the first target we should hit is the slave traders."

"What do you plan to do with the slaves?" I could feel the impatient tone buried beneath Trodin's words.

"My Lord has decided to entrust them to you." Replied Renata.

"...What is the purpose of this?" Then he turned to me.

"Simple. You will make an army for us." And I answered him.

"Army?"

"Yes, an army, Paladin. An army for the future war..."

"Just when and how this doom you keep mentioning will happen, Shepherd?" Couldn't take it anymore, Clara finally dressed the elephant in the room. A question that must've bothered everyone.

"Years from now. I can't share the exact details when or where, not because I don't want to, but because I simply can't."

"Be grateful that my Lord is kind enough to humor each of you. How dare you lowly scums try to question the Lord's secret!" Barked Renata sharply.

"Ah, there she goes again..." Clara sighed exhaustedly.

Catching the standing clock at the far end part of the room, I knew it was time to end the meeting. 'Let's wrap this up.'

"I believe that we've discussed enough of our plan to devour the kingdom's underworld. Further details will be sent as reports along the way...Before we end this meeting, I'd like to add one last thing. A personal task for you, Spy..."

Clara, who was singled out of the blue, tilted her head in wonder.

"Me? What is it?"

"I want you to find a certain dwarf and kidnap him."

That's right, I'm going to kidnap a certain poor fellow away from his home, family, friends, and lover.

All for the sake of saving the world...