Chapter 67: How not to get a boss’s loyalty.

“My lord, surely you do not trust the words of those monsters? I do not see a single hint of trust in their words,” Lyra uttered, a somewhat angered look on her face.

Carlotta was standing right beside her, nodding her head to show that even she agreed with what Lyra was saying.

Kai, seated on the bed, looked at them.

“Your concerns are valid. And quite frankly, they are not wrong either. Tell me, do you think those monsters would submit to me of their own volition?”

Knowing Kai, they immediately understood the question had to be some kind of test, which brought a serious look to their faces.

“If we were to control them with power, I am sure they would have no choice but to oblige. Monsters’ instincts allow them to humble themselves before those that are stronger,” Lyra replied.

“I agree,” Carlotta added.

“We have a much stronger dungeon than them. If we enslaved them, there is only little resistance that could come from their side. All their efforts would prove to be futile in the end, as no one could hope to match your strength.”

Then Kai spoke.

“If someone stronger were to come in my place, do you think they would still pledge their loyalty if we used these methods you speak of?”

There was silence for a while, followed by more words from Kai.

“Force can buy you a soldier’s blade, but it will never buy you their heart. If we enslave them, we simply create enemies who are waiting for the right moment to strike. Tell me, would you rather have a thousand slaves who pray for your downfall, or seven kings who believe their very survival depends on my existence?”

“But my lord, I doubt there is anyone stronger than you are,” Carlotta leaned forward slightly.

“Oh, I understand now,” Lyra suddenly spoke. “Lord Kai is not speaking solely on the terms of strength alone. If a person’s loyalty can be swayed by anything, even a minor change in power, then it is not worth having. Is that what you mean, my lord?”

“Excellent. You have made me proud, Lyra,” Kai continued. “In order to get their undying loyalty, forceful measures would do nothing. All who serve under me must harbor no hint of betrayal. To earn their loyalty, we must ensure they recognize their dependence on us, which will foster their appreciation.”

He raised a single finger to further emphasize his point.

“What do you think would happen if the human soldiers were to completely wipe them out? How desperate do you think they would be to receive help from a being such as I?”

A loud gasp escaped the girls’ lips as they understood where Kai was heading with it.

’Oldest trick in the book. In my former world, people used this a lot. I am pretty sure a lot of the corporate companies used this method to gather people’s faith. As long as it was about helping the planet or whatnot, people would soak it up like a sponge.’

Kai lowered his hand, placing it under his jaw as he thought.

’Although, it would take quite a bit of planning. If the soldiers were to attack and truly wipe them out, they could easily blame me since I already promised to protect them. It has to be in a way where their numbers are reduced greatly, and also in a way where they would be the first to betray me.’

“My lord, we fully understand what you are trying to let us know. Please forgive our simple-mindedness; we should have known you were thinking several steps ahead.” Lyra slowly bowed her head, looking at Kai with resolve.

“In order to fully conclude your plan, I beg that you let me handle this.”

’Eh? She already has a plan to let this work?’

“While I do trust you, I still wish to hear what you have planned.”

“If we are going to make them indebted to us, we need to think of a way their guilt adds to the fire. Of course, I am sure my lord already has an idea, but I would like to speak of mine.”

“Go on. I did ask to hear it, after all.”

Lyra smiled.

“Using my powers, my lord, I can stage an interesting confusion among them. For now, they are obviously trying to be on good terms with one another after the meeting. If I manage to make them believe one of them attacked one of our own, and because of that we no longer choose to help them, they will blame one another when the humans attack.”

Her grin seemed to be growing wider with each word.

“When we do eventually come to save them from the danger, they will be filled with appreciation and sing praises to your name for rescuing them from death. Of course, right after they agree to completely eradicate the one who they assumed killed our own in the first place. It was their fault we drew back.”

’Damn.’ Kai blinked.

“While I do find your plan to be quite detailed and effective…”

Lyra smiled at the compliment, but it soon died when she heard the words that followed.

“I do not agree with using one of our own as a sacrifice. But if you must, make sure it is a new skeleton monster, one that could be turned into a vampire later on by Sanovere.”

“It’s understandable. All your creations are perfect. I shall keep that in mind.”

“I am glad we have come to an agreement. In the meantime, I will be heading to Rambosa City. There is some business I would like to take care of there.”

“Will you be taking Carlotta like you did last time?” Lyra asked, already having a jealous look on her face.

“Yes. She is known to be my colleague in the city already. If I am to become the greatest adventurer there, then she will be seen as my assistant.”

Carlotta didn’t even try to hide the smug look on her face, and her gaze was fixed so intently on Lyra that it felt like it was burning through her chest. Lyra sighed.

“My lord, I fail to see the reason for this ’Aron’ persona you have adopted in Rambosa. Would your adventurer rank prove to be useful in the future?”

“Humans tend to put their trust in people they deem as heroes. If we can gather their trust, it will be far easier to use it to our advantage.”

’I know that much. Even in my former world, people were willing to sell their properties just to help a fake celebrity. Of course, the main reason for me doing this is so I can feel like an actual player in the game, but that response won’t suffice for Lyra.’

“Of course, my lord. To gain their faith is to gain their resources and, ultimately, their lives,” Lyra conceded, masking her disappointment with a professional nod.

Kai gave a faint smile. “You two should rest. The preparation for this little charade will require all your focus, Lyra. Carlotta, be ready to leave with me at dawn.”

“Understood, my lord,” Carlotta replied, a triumphant gleam in her eyes as she looked at Lyra.

Lyra merely offered a deep, respectful bow. “I shall make all the necessary arrangements, my lord. The confusion will begin before you return.”

As the two girls left, Kai leaned back against the headboard of his opulent, dungeon-crafted bed. His eyes, usually sharp and calculating, drifted shut for a moment.

’Lyra’s a genius for manipulation. A natural at playing the political game. Carlotta is perfect for managing the dungeon if nothing else. I need both, but Lyra’s methods are getting too complex. I have to keep them streamlined or I might end up tailing off.’

..

[A/N]

Thank you for reading. I cant tell if the quality reduced, but that would be because I had to write ten Chapters in the last two days. I will be back tomorrow, fatigue-free.

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