#1090 Evil in the Shadows – Human Race Version

I am Lavajiputa, a human.

I come from a long and distinguished lineage that has served the human kings for countless generations.

My ancestors have produced ministers and chancellors one after another, making our family name practically synonymous with nobility in the Human Kingdom.

Because of that long legacy, we’ve accumulated vast wealth, power, and connections... Even without a formal title, if we were so inclined, swapping out the king for another would be child’s play.

In other words, the human king himself is nothing more than a puppet whose strings we pull in secret.

Am I going too far if I say that the entire history of the Human Kingdom has been shaped behind the scenes by my family’s influence? No, I think not.

Our might and reputation were so formidable that even the Demon King’s Army when they once conquered us, butchered all the royals but never dared lay a finger on my family.

They knew better than to pick a fight with us.

Even though the Demon King’s forces triumphed in war and occupied our homeland, they gave our household a wide berth.

That incident alone shows who the true victors were, fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa-fa!!!

Still, truth be told, during the era of demon occupation, things were a bit tricky for us behind-the-scenes players.

They wouldn’t let us touch politics at all, and we couldn’t even put our extensive networks and secret connections to use.

I tried hinting to the Demon King’s Army a few times, like, “Hey, want some help?” But they turned me down flat every single time.

What short-sighted buffoons! They didn’t realize that, when you’ve just rolled into some foreign land, the smartest move is to coexist and cooperate with the locals for maximum efficiency.

In short, the Human Kingdom under demon occupation was a tough time for us string-pullers too. We couldn’t do as we pleased.

But at long last, that chapter has closed!

The Demon King’s forces retreated, and sovereignty returned to us humans once again!

Yes!

Our springtime has come back around!

Of course, we will never rule in the open. We are a family that manipulates from the shadows.

Under the new regime, we’ll just put a new puppet in place, let them catch all the complaints and accusations, and safely sip the sweet nectar of power from behind the curtain.

So begins this fresh era.

The one who stepped into the spotlight is some young whelp named Ritheseus.

A clueless youngster like that can be swayed and played with ease, no problem at all.

Even in this new age, where not a single member of the old royal family survived, my own family remains firmly unscathed!

…At least, that’s how I felt back then as I laughed triumphantly. Now, it seems like forever ago.

When this new era actually kicked off, Ritheseus, who took the throne so early in life, turned out to be far more formidable than we ever imagined.

He’s just a commoner’s brat with no proper education.

Without us to guide his every step, how could he possibly manage the kingdom’s affairs?

If that were so, then the kingdom’s politics would be as good as ours to command!

He’d be no different from the old royals who were too busy fooling around to govern, leaving it all to us in the shadows.

The world would still dance to my tune!

…Or so I thought. Against all odds, that brat Ritheseus is versed in all sorts of complex knowledge.

Before I can even open my mouth, he fires off one well-structured command after another.

“Please conduct a survey of farmland nationwide. Taxation shouldn’t be based simply on the size of a domain, but on the percentage of that land used for agriculture and its yield. We need a detailed system.”

“The law is the cornerstone of statecraft. Whether it’s being enforced fairly determines the health of the nation. Now that we’ve become a republic, we’ll revise our laws to better fit our present reality.”

“Diplomacy is essential for maintaining peace. Even with the Demon Kingdom, once our enemies, we must now pursue cooperation. And if we wish to remain equals, we should also strengthen our ties with the Mermaid Kingdom.”

“Those who lose their benevolence are bandits, those who lose their righteousness are rogues, and one who loses both is a ‘rogue-bandit.’ Such a creature is unfit to rule, no better than a common nobody.”

“Now, about the Dow Jones average for today…”

I have no clue what he’s talking about.

Curse that little upstart!

Where did he pick up such advanced knowledge?

Thanks to him, there’s not a single gap to exploit in his policies. Instead of pulling his strings, I’m the one being ordered around, used as his errand boy!

Early on, there were others like me who shared my goals, but now most have either given up and slunk away or ended up genuinely impressed, pledging their unwavering loyalty to Ritheseus.

But I refuse to surrender!

Our family thrived in the old Human Kingdom by bending the king to our will!

Just because times have changed doesn’t mean our glorious past should be erased!

I’ll find a weakness in that clever Ritheseus, something that’ll force him into absolute obedience!

So, I’ve spent years enduring as a faithful lapdog in public, all while secretly plotting his downfall...

Now, at last, my chance has arrived!

The land development project!

A major policy aimed at expanding habitable land for the people!

The recent population boom is a serious issue by anyone’s standards. If handled well, his reputation will soar, but if he fumbles the response, he’ll face a storm of criticism, and all the trust he’s earned will crash right down.

If this expansion flops, that young pup will be backed into a corner and have no choice but to rely on us old pros.

And once that happens, we’ve got him! We’ll charge him a hefty favor, that’s for sure!

So we, too, must move behind the scenes!

Sitting around waiting for him to fail on his own is second-rate.

We have to stir the pot where no one can see, pulling subtle strings so that the plan falls apart naturally.

That’s what a true mastermind does.

First, before the plan even gets rolling, we’ll raise objections the moment it’s brought to the table, sowing doubt about the whole idea!

As expected, Ritheseus insisted, “It’s absolutely necessary!” and overrode my objections.

Excellent. Now when it fails, all the blame will fall squarely on him!

A true conspirator always plans several steps ahead. With my subtle groundwork laid, the stage is set!

Of course, the main event is making sure Ritheseus’ project actually tanks in the field!

While examining the project’s details, I discovered the perfect Achilles’ heel that could push it toward failure.

They’re planning to work alongside the demons.

Ritheseus, you idealistic fool, always rambling about friendship and peace. Now you’ve tried to transplant that naive vision straight into reality.

How laughable!

Humans and demons are natural enemies!

Hating, resenting, and killing each other. That’s their only mode of interaction!

So if they meet face-to-face on this new frontier, friction will be inevitable, leading to total collapse!

When that happens, Ritheseus’ reputation and his dreamy ideals will crash down together!!!

I made sure to set up a few clever tricks to guarantee this downfall would happen without a hitch.

I purposely kept the on-site manager completely in the dark about anything related to the demons.

That way, when the demons suddenly show up with zero warning, they’ll look like some mysterious enemy force!

I can’t wait to watch them all lose their cool and blow up!

Their panic will be the spark that sends Ritheseus plummeting and lights up our grand fireworks display of triumph!

Oh, and right.

I need make sure none of this info leaks back to him. A tight seal on the grapevine!

Tell everyone involved to keep their mouths shut.

If bribes don’t do the trick, take their families hostage!

Next, I’ll create a separate mess in another department, then dump that whole problem in Ritheseus’ lap!

With all these distractions, he won’t have a moment to think straight!

I have to admit, I’ve really outdone myself this time. Such a meticulously orchestrated scheme!

I truly am the perfect candidate to be the secret puppet master pulling this world’s strings!

Now, the only question left is what manner of threats and petty humiliations I’ll use to break that brat Ritheseus once he’s at my mercy.

He’s been so stubborn until now.

I’ll have to train him to be a perfectly obedient puppet. It’s best to break his spirit thoroughly.

But all of that comes after the people and demons on the frontier clash and everything goes up in flames!

I can hardly wait for that moment...!

Then, at long last, news arrives.

My spy lurking in the settlement has sent a report.

Naturally, it must be good news for me!

Surely the humans and demons, both caught off guard, fell into a brutal conflict, right?

How many died, I wonder?

The more casualties, the stronger my case against Ritheseus becomes!

Let’s hope for tens of thousands of deaths, a nice, dramatic affair!

Wah-hah-hah-hah-hah!!!

...

…Huh?

What’s this? Not a single casualty?

On the contrary, the tension on the frontier was resolved before it got violent.

They say now humans and demons are happily cooperating, moving the development forward together.

Why?!

How did it turn out like this?!

My grand scheme… it’s completely unraveling?!

…?

What’s that?

The Saint of the farm appeared?