#1092 Evil in the Shadows – Merfolk Version

I am… Well, let’s just say I’m no one in particular.

A wandering rogue tangled in some petty intrigue… yeah, let’s go with that.

Even now, a gaggle of scheming scoundrels is busy shouting at each other before me, each more exasperated than the last.

“Hey! What the hell is going on?! Wasn’t your plan supposed to derail the development project, force Lucife Focale to take the fall, and resign?!”

“How should I know?! Things go sideways sometimes! Sure, I promised the project would stall, but whether your country’s prime minister resigns or not is your circus, not mine!”

“Unbelievable! You tricked me!”

Heh heh heh...

Oh, the sweet sound of these conniving fools squabbling when their little plots go awry. Music to my ears.

Why is it, I wonder, that they’re so convinced everything will go exactly as they wish?

The twisted logic of villains is as baffling as it is amusing.

“For the record, you’re not the only one frustrated here. I had a golden opportunity to topple that brat, Ritheseus, and you went and blew it. So spare me your screeching before I lose my patience.”

“Oh, spare me your whining, lowly human! Why should the victorious demon race care about placating the losers? If anything, you should be tiptoeing around me to avoid my wrath!”

“What is wrong with this guy?!”

Tensions rise with the stakes, and the bickering pair grows more irritable by the second.

Perhaps a quick introduction is in order.

First, we have Lavajiputa, a high-ranking bureaucrat from the New Human Kingdom.

His family has served the government for generations, not as noble patriots but as leeches feeding off power.

He tried to ride the coattails of the regime’s reconstruction but missed his chance, leaving him scheming in the shadows to either tame the youthful ruler or eliminate him outright.

Then there’s Dampahl.

He’s a demon bureaucrat with a decent track record in the Demon Kingdom’s administration.

Despite this, many outshine him in competence, a fact that eats at him—especially when it comes to his nemesis, Lucif Focale.

Every one of Lucife’s accomplishments is another nail in Dampahl’s envy-fueled coffin.

These two traitors to their own nations are conspiring to derail a vital development project. Their goal is to destroy their political rivals and seize the spotlight for themselves.

It’s almost tragic how much faith they’ve put into their harebrained schemes.

They’re beyond help, spinning their little schemes just to snag a lucky break.

The sort who can only rise by tripping others up, huh? Heh heh heh heh heh...

“Enough griping. We didn’t meet in secret to whine like children.”

“Quite right. I haven’t abandoned my capital relocation plan, after all. Why, we’ve even finalized the design for our mascot, Relocation Lord.”

“I don’t give a damn about that.”

Cowards never know how to quit with dignity.

The odds are stacked so high against them, yet they refuse to throw in the towel.

And that’s why we’re out here, risking life and limb just to talk it out.

If anyone got wind of this meeting, well, that’d be curtains for sure.

“Anyway, my plan was flawless! Humans and demons stumbling into each other in the wild? It’s bound to lead to bloodshed! That’s why I kept them in the dark before sending them off...!”

“And yet, they’ve not only avoided conflict but are working together. The project is a roaring success! This could ruin my relocation plan!!!”

“Quiet! That’s why we’re here to figure out how to sabotage it and pin the blame on Ritheseus!”

Honestly, their inability to adapt is almost impressive.

If your plan fails, wouldn’t the logical next step be to figure out why?

“According to reports, a so-called saint appeared at the development site. This ‘saint’ managed to unify the settlers, turning them into a cohesive force.”

“Before that, humans and demons were at each other’s throats, just as we intended. This saint ruined everything!”

Finally, they’re catching on.

Yes, that’s right.

The Saint of the Farm.

That individual disrupted everything and turned their plans on their heads.

But who is this mysterious figure?

“There are legends. Somewhere out there, hidden in this wide world, there’s a farm owned by a saint. Within that blessed patch of land, it’s said that countless, one-of-a-kind treasures lie scattered about, just waiting to be discovered.”

A paradise that everyone dreams of, an idyllic utopia.

But no one ever reaches it, and if by some miracle someone did, the creatures guarding that farm are said to be so vastly stronger than any monster that no intruder ever returns alive.

“...Isn’t that just some silly rumor? Nonsense spouted by fools who can’t tell dreams from reality?”

And yet, as a matter of fact, the saint of that farm appeared, gathered the pioneers together, and put an end to the fighting.

It’s perfectly natural to call something unreal a fantasy, but brushing off what’s right before your eyes as mere imagination is the mark of a true blockhead.

“Reports indicate the Saint’s Farm lies beyond the development zone. It seems they couldn’t ignore the chaos unfolding so close to home.”

“Trespassing on their doorstep, were we? Meddlesome…!”

These two badgers are absolutely steaming, furious at the saint who threw a wrench into their big plan.

All worked up as they are, they’re missing the one truly important point in the whole mess...

“Gentlemen, isn’t this a golden opportunity?”

“What are you implying?”

“A massive opportunity is dangling right before our eyes. Compared to that, whether we manage to trip up our sworn foe or not is just a minor detail, wouldn’t you say?”

Right.

These fools can’t even see that the real treasure is right under their noses.

Greedy and dim-witted? That’s a lost cause if I ever saw one.

“The Saint’s Farm is said to be the ultimate hidden haven—the one secret sanctuary that countless adventurers and explorers have tried to find but never could. They say it’s filled with relics and sacred treasures, any single one of which could flip the whole world upside down; and there’s not just one, but plenty of equal calibers hidden there.”

“Hmm… I’ve heard the stories too. They say the last king of the old Human Kingdom believed that if he could find and win over the Saint, he could end the war. He even halted battles on the front lines and shifted his forces to search for the Saint.”

Looking back, the Human King’s judgment was spot on.

Had they found the Saint before the Demon King’s army attacked, the war would have ended in a human victory.

And now, at long last, we know where this fabled Saint’s Farm actually is.

Apparently, it lies far beyond the frontier, well past the known lands.

“If we seize control of the farm and gather up all those slumbering divine relics and treasures, we could grip the entire world in our hands! Bringing down your political rivals would seem like child’s play by comparison. You have the chance to become kings of the entire world, and you haven’t even realized it yet?!”

“Ooooooh…!”

Ah, finally, these idiots’ eyes are lighting up.

Took them long enough to grasp how serious this is. Really, land-dwellers are so slow on the uptake.

“Yes… that’s it! The late Human King’s dearest wish was to bring the Saint under the human banner. To carry out that will is my duty as a loyal vassal of the old Human Kingdom!”

“Well then, me too! If we bring the Saint to our side, that would be such a monumental achievement that Lucife Focale wouldn’t even matter anymore! With that kind of glory, I’ll become the Prime Minister, pushing Lucife Focale aside!”

Heh heh heh…

They’re taking the bait, these foolish landlubbers.

All right, I suppose it’s about time I reveal who I really am.

I am Midrocon.

The former prime minister of the Mermaid Kingdom.

For countless years I served the nation, only to be cast out after a political shake-up—a tragic fall from grace.

And as if that weren’t enough, the woman who took over as Mermaid Prime Minister after me, Zoth Syra, chased me clear out of the country.

With her dreadful potions, she obliterated my private army. I fled, clutching what little hidden wealth I had. Sticking around the Mermaid Kingdom meant certain capture, so I risked everything on a desperate escape abroad.

With nowhere else to go, I used a shady “illegal humanizing potion” that turned my fishy tail into a pair of legs, allowing me to crawl up onto this dreadful land.

Even cast ashore on this godforsaken soil, I refuse to lose hope.

I dream of the day I reclaim my position. And now, I’ve snagged two wonderfully gullible idiots to help me make that dream a reality!

If I use these two to seize the Saint’s Farm, I might get my hands on at least one world-shaking holy treasure or artifact. Even one or two would be enough.

Then I’ll march right back to the Mermaid Kingdom, use my newfound spoils from the Saint’s Farm, and get my revenge on the former Queen Mahi and that prime minister Zoth Syra!

Righteousness is on my side!

I will restore the Mermaid Kingdom to the glory it knew under my chancellorship!

“Luckily, the Saint’s Farm is out past the frontier. Since it’s in the development zone shared by both the Demon Kingdom and the Human Kingdom, we can order the saint to vacate—or swear fealty to them both.”

“If they refuse, that gives us the perfect excuse for military action. We’ll seize it in a flash. Brilliant plan.”

The human fool and the demon fool have both fallen hook, line, and sinker for my smooth talk.

As I’m stripped of my homeland and my own forces, I need their cooperation to pull this off.

Now, for my sake, go forth and attack the Saint’s Farm!

For the Mermaid Kingdom and for the world itself!

“Once we occupy the Saint’s Farm, we can use its power to crush the Demon Kingdom. This will be our payback for the Human-Demon War.”

“And once I have the saint under my thumb and rise as chancellor of the Demon Kingdom, I’ll devour the Human Kingdom next. One single nation under demon rule is enough for this world…!”

Huh? Did someone say something?

Ah, whatever. From here on out, it’s all for our grand ambitions… for the sake of the world…

“Conquer the Saint’s Farm! We’ll take it for ourselves!!!”