Chapter 199: A Mission Completed Without Incident…?

We left the room and went to the receptionist, who promptly told us where we needed to go next. This place’s bureaucracy was definitely working, considering how much authority was spread around.

I’d expected something dramatic, like the Shadow Society… not plain, boring politics.

But since we were technically still students, I guessed the Empire wasn’t stupid enough to actually send us into a territory they knew was ruled by classic iron-fisted tyrants.

Well… the people here were definitely still tyrants. Just… much more stable ones.

“Surprised I haven’t punched someone yet.”

“Same, but this is fine too. The sooner we’re done here, the faster we can get back to the mansion and spend the rest of the day together.”

We arrived at what seemed to be the finance office, and this room… was exactly what I’d expected when I first came here.

Compared to the realistic, sensible decorations of the city itself or Hosuh’s room, the finance office was the complete opposite. It was cartoonishly lavish, even by fantasy standards.

Guess we finally found the perfect target for Evelina’s seduction.

“Who is it?”

A loud voice echoed from somewhere deep behind a row of cabinets.

“Hosuh recommended us. We’re here for financial aid.”

“Huh? The hell do you mean—”

The head of finance—more accurately, Hosuh II, according to his nametag—looked up at us. So the two of them were related, huh?

“O-Oh my! I-I apologize for my rashness.”

He immediately straightened up the moment he saw Evelina, laughing awkwardly as he adjusted his necktie and hurried to his desk, motioning for both of us to sit. Naturally, I stayed standing while Evelina took control of the negotiations.

And judging by his expression, this conversation wouldn’t take long.

“I’ll make this quick. I need funds—enough to rebuild at least thirty percent of the businesses in the outer district—and I want you to hold a new census there as well.”

Hosuh II was caught off guard by her request. That was… far easier to grant than he had expected. Usually, when people were given an audience with him through his older brother, he braced himself to hand out a lot more money.

But this? Just enough to rebuild thirty percent of the businesses in the outer district, plus a census? That was barely a problem.

“I-I can do that for you!”

He didn’t even hesitate. It was either because Hosuh had personally recommended us, or because he’d already developed a liking for Evelina.

Most likely both—but in my opinion, his attraction definitely outweighed the recommendation.

“One last thing,” Evelina added. “I want records of the businesses in both the outer and inner districts. I don’t care if they’re old or recent—give me everything you have.”

“T-That’s no problem. I’ve got plenty of copies here. I’ll get them right away!”

He left the room, leaving us alone.

“So… I’m guessing he’ll be your first target?” I smirked.

“Oh, most definitely~.”

“I’m back with everything!”

He returned with a briefcase, opened it just long enough to show us the contents, then snapped it shut and handed it to Evelina. He was like a dog, though compared to how I used to be, he was far more pathetic.

I kind of respect him for it. That’s how everyone should treat Evelina.

“You sure work fast, hm~?”

Evelina stood up, took the briefcase, and passed it to me.

And then… it was time for her to work her charm.

“Say, we should keep in contact. You seem… useful for a man, y’know? It’d be nice if we get to know each other more.”

Honestly, that was all she needed to say for him to happily become her puppet. But of course, Evelina wanted to be sure. Or rather, she wanted to go a little overkill.

[Parasitic Mark]

She blew him a kiss before we left. It looked innocent enough, but the magic behind it was anything but.

She’d just implanted him with a parasite that allowed her to control his dreams. And what did she plan to do with those dreams?

Well… let’s just say a mix of naughty and useful scenarios that would only drag him deeper into Evelina’s seduction.

“Goodbye~”

“G-Goodbye! Please come again!”

Hosuh II bowed as we left.

The moment the door closed behind us, I couldn’t hold back my laughter any longer. Did he seriously just bow? He was supposed to be in a higher position than us. How ridiculous.

“Mission successful!” Evelina said, a smug grin spreading across her face.

***

We stepped back into the sunlight of the city streets. Merchants were arguing over prices, carts rattled along the cobblestones, and a faint scent of smoke drifted from a distant forge. It was noisy, chaotic, and perfectly alive.

But more importantly, two other familiar figures were now in the crowd.

Julius and Marcellus.

So they’d made it here too. Didn’t take them long to get rescued, huh? If I had to guess, they were probably brought in yesterday evening.

And judging by how they were acting…

They were definitely going to do something dumb.

“Didn’t expect them to be here this early.”

“Should we talk to them? With their personalities, they’ll probably try to destroy this entire place.”

“Julius will. Marcellus will probably stop him. For now, let’s just ignore them. They’re not that reckless. This place is huge anyway—it’s better to let them handle their own territory and only step in if they screw up. And if they actually do well, we can work with them later. Simple as that.”

“You should teach me how to rule sometime.”

“No need. I’ll handle everything. You just keep looking handsome.”

“I feel like a househusband.”

“Correct~.”

She’s so perfect…

But I definitely won’t be satisfied just watching from the sidelines. I know she wants me to be submissive and obedient, but I still want to contribute.

“Then I’ll help you with the fighting part.”

“So you’re still planning to keep training me, right?”

“I know you’re just looking forward to seeing me half-naked and sweaty again.”

“Oh? Was I really that obvious?” She laughed. “Also, couldn’t you have phrased that a little better?”

“I’m just being honest.”

Yeah… this was definitely going to be fun. As long as Julius and Marcellus don’t mess anything up, anyway. Not everything has to turn into an all-out war. Sometimes it’s nice to just… be domestic like this for once.

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