“…A deal?”

Leo asked.

“Luca, are you thinking of entering Pleroma~? You know they won’t be reasonable, right?”

“Yeah. They’re not reasonable.”

But Pleroma is not the one I intend to negotiate with.

You can only have a conversation with those who understand reason. How could I possibly strike a deal with those who would poison a river?

For a negotiation to be possible, the compensation must match or exceed the loss incurred by abandoning the act.

In other words…

“Crime itself cannot be a bargaining chip. I’m not making a deal with Pleroma—I’m negotiating with the Emperor.”

If I time the revelation of information well, I can significantly increase Bavaria’s influence while solidifying Nicolaus’s Impression Score at 8 points—no, even higher, to perfection.

The same goes for Elias’s standing.

‘Of course, that’s one thing…’

Even in the novel, Pleroma once staged a massive incident, and the Imperial Family, failing to seize the opportunity, nearly led all imperial citizens to their deaths.

I can’t let that happen.

At the mention of the Emperor, Elias’s gaze turned slightly more serious.

“What exactly are you planning to negotiate?”

I snapped my fingers, spreading a Soundproofing Spell throughout the room.

“To minimize civilian casualties, we’ll need to implement a number of immediate countermeasures. Since we have to do that anyway, why not use this opportunity to weaken the Imperial Family’s influence?”

For a moment, all three pairs of eyes locked onto me.

This issue will not be resolved quickly.

Pleroma has found the most effective method they’ve ever used—if poisoning the water doesn’t work, they’ll do the same thing to the land, to the air.

The problem is grave, which means the solution will be complicated. But that also means Bavaria’s influence can expand drastically.

Leo, watching me, asked,

“You’re saying you’ll use the countermeasures as a bargaining chip to weaken the Imperial Family?”

“Exactly. I’m going to negotiate a system with the Imperial Family. Bavaria has already received significant support from the Emperor due to this incident. They’re probably playing nice on the surface while preparing to assert their dominance behind the scenes.”

Elias swallowed hard.

Leo’s eyes flickered as he realized what I was saying, but he soon regained his usual calm demeanor.

“…That’s simple.”

“Yes. Simple. But there’s a huge difference between moving with the Imperial negotiation in mind and moving without considering it. We must not be reckless and reveal all our information at once under the guise of goodwill.”

“What about the safety of the citizens?”

“Not disclosing information doesn’t mean we won’t save them.”

There’s a difference between receiving compensation and sending a weapons manufacturer to produce arms, and simply dumping blueprints and schematics into the public domain.

“If we make the information a public resource, everyone shares the initiative equally. But if we reveal that a solution exists while keeping the core resources and personnel in our hands, the initiative belongs to us. Of course, we must not exploit this crisis for personal gain.”

“…If we control the key resources or personnel….”

Leo repeated my words, staring into the air, lost in thought.

It seemed he was calculating how to handle various factors.

“Make the Imperial Family indebted to Bavaria for the safety of the Empire, Leo.”

That will become the power to put Elias on the throne. And it will serve as my solid foundation.

At that, Leo smiled softly instead of answering.

‘A clear response.’

It was an offer that only benefited them, after all.

I gave a light smile.

“Now, we need to secure the resources for negotiation.”

Right now, we lack both technology and information.

However, since everyone but us believes this is the work of demons, we have ample time to turn this into our advantage.

“Leo, when is the earliest time I can meet His Majesty?”

“Anytime.”

It was currently midnight.

Given that this was a national emergency, it seemed the King was keeping himself available at all times.

‘Good.’

To gain the upper hand in negotiations with the Imperial Family, I first need the cooperation of the Kingdom of Bavaria.

[Mass Hysteria Under the Name of Demons—Is the Empire Safe?]

[From 12 AM to 6 AM, sporadic victims appear across the Empire… Cause still ‘unknown’]

[Daniel Neumann, Archbishop of Munich: “Satan’s influence is clear… We must be vigilant.”]

[[Bavaria] Victim count reaches 207 as of 6 AM]

[Symptoms identical to demonic possession… The Papal State vows full support]

‘It’s a mess.’

I closed the newspaper and stood up, heading upstairs to the conference room with Narce.

Thirty minutes ago, I had contacted the King, requesting an audience.

At first, I only intended to meet the King alone, but His Majesty suggested gathering government ministers and the leaders of both houses of Parliament as well, inviting me to the government building instead.

‘Works for me.’

Of course, I had to account for the possibility that some members of Pleroma had infiltrated the political ranks, so I brought Narce along.

As we ascended, a royal attendant opened the door and announced,

“His Excellency Nicolaus Ernst and His Excellency Bishop Michael Schulz have arrived.”

Unlike the brightly lit hallway, the conference room was dim—likely to facilitate the use of magic to display documents.

Around thirty government officials, including ministers and parliamentary leaders of Bavaria, sat at the table, their expressions dark with concern.

As I found my seat, the King entered at the perfect moment.

“His Majesty the King has arrived.”

Sweeping his gaze across the room, the King looked at me and spoke.

“Everyone is here. I’ve gathered you all because there is something of great importance you must know. If you’re ready, we shall begin immediately.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

I stood again and projected my materials.

“I’ll get straight to the point. I have reviewed every article covering the incident from the past twelve hours. Most reports claim it to be the work of demons. And having personally visited the affected sites, I can say that the victims’ symptoms are indeed identical to those caused by demonic possession.”

The officials nodded, listening intently.

I briefly glanced at the documents I had projected before turning toward the ministers.

“If that were truly the case, I would not have called for this meeting. This incident is not the work of demons.”

“…But the victims exhibit the same symptoms as demonic possession. How can you say it’s not demons?”

One minister questioned, but another responded calmly,

“We don’t have time. Let’s hear him out first.”

“Thank you. First, not long ago, I infiltrated Pleroma and secured their documents and drugs. I understand His Majesty has been briefed by the Crown Prince.”

“That is correct.”

The King affirmed, validating my claims.

His support was crucial to proving the credibility of my evidence.

I nodded and continued.

“Ladies and gentlemen, are you aware that the same issue occurred in Baden-Baden a week ago?”

“…The same issue?”

“I was requested by the Papal State to provide Divine Power support and assist in exorcism activities. And during my time there, I noticed one particular detail—all the victims had either consumed or come into contact with hot spring water.”

Several ministers furrowed their brows.

The connection between this and today’s mass outbreaks of victims near the river was clear, making their reactions understandable.

“Are you saying the water was drugged?”

“Yes. A synthetic Vitriol compound was detected in the local hot spring water.”

The conference room instantly buzzed with murmurs.

One minister pressed his hands against the table and asked,

“And what happened to that place afterward?”

“The moment they confirmed my arrival, they began withdrawing. After that, no traces of the drug could be found in the hot spring water.”

As the situation started to take shape, the ministers’ expressions hardened even further.

“What is their objective? Is this retaliation?”

I projected the documents I had reviewed earlier with my friends.

“The report states, ‘Vitriol does not transform into a Core and evaporates instead, rendering the subject unsuitable.’ If the drug they consumed caused the same symptoms we’ve observed, then that means these people are not suitable for Vitriol. They must be running repeated experiments to identify compatible individuals and expand their ranks.”

Silence fell over the room.

It was a lot of information to take in all at once, so their reaction was understandable.

But we didn’t have time for a detailed step-by-step explanation.

“…You’ve known about this situation for quite some time, haven’t you?”

“I experienced it a week ago. The inconsistencies in calling it a demonic act led me to analyze and compare it with the data I recovered from Pleroma.”

Silence settled again.

Just as I was about to ask why no one was speaking, the King finally broke the quiet.

“There is nothing more to discuss. Bavaria has not been forsaken by God.”

“…….”

Several ministers gave small nods at his words.

The deep worry that had been etched into their faces before the meeting had now shifted into a mixture of relief and exhaustion.

Slowly, the King rose from his seat and looked at me.

“Thank you. Thanks to your meticulous efforts, Bavaria can escape the disgrace of being labeled a land of evil.”

Then, turning to the ministers and parliamentarians, he continued.

“Now that we understand the true culprit, our next step is to counter Pleroma. With the insight Lord Ernst has provided, I trust we can swiftly respond to Pleroma’s threats to our survival.”

“…….”

“Therefore, I propose appointing Lord Ernst as Head of the Magical Disaster Countermeasures Bureau. Does anyone object?”

“No objections.”

Voices echoed from various corners of the room without hesitation.

Judging by their expressions, none of them seemed inclined to oppose the King’s decision.

It reminded me once again that, unlike in other regions, Bavaria had been supportive of Nicolaus from the start.

“Lord Ernst, from today onward, you shall serve as Head of the Countermeasures Bureau.”

“…….”

“The Bureau is an organization under multiple government departments, and it is customary for a minister-level official to serve as its head. Therefore, I also appoint you as a Special Minister in the Bavarian government.”

The King said it so nonchalantly, as if it was already decided.

I met his gaze and smiled.

‘A minister, huh?’

I had said earlier that Bavaria’s cooperation was necessary to gain the upper hand in negotiations with the Imperial Family.

We needed to reveal that a solution existed while ensuring that Bavaria retained control over the key resources and personnel.

Nicolaus’s status as a royal military mage was ambiguous. Just as holding Bavarian citizenship didn’t prevent someone from entering Prussian government service, my position needed to carry weight relevant to this crisis.

And before even hearing my full report, the King had gathered everyone here.

It was clear he had already intended to secure my position as a minister without opposition.

From the start, he planned to make all my ideas and strategies officially belong to Bavaria.

‘I like it.’

Having aligned interests makes things much easier.

“So, what is your answer, Lord Ernst?”

I smiled as I looked at the King, who was grinning confidently—just like Leo.

“I will not betray Your Majesty’s trust.”

[Nicolaus Ernst Appointed Head of Bavaria’s Magical Disaster Countermeasures Bureau]

[Nicolaus Ernst Named Special Minister in Bavarian Government]

By morning, similar headlines filled newspapers across the region.

Now that my position was secured, it was time to establish a proper system.

I set down the newspaper and stood up from my seat.

Knock, knock—

Right on cue, someone knocked on my office door.

“Come in,” I said simply.

The door opened, and a familiar face entered alongside an attendant.

“Lord Ernst, I have come with an urgent message.”

‘Hmm.’

I chuckled the moment I saw him.

His face was tense—like someone who had been given strict orders to deliver me without fail.

‘They’re moving quickly.’

Standing before me was the Imperial Emperor’s messenger.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep