Chương 218: Let's Do A Switch

"S–Sorry, Leou… I don't s–see any way for me–me to assassinate him–Unless you w–want me to un–unleash my ver–version of the Nightmare Plague upon his re–resi–dence""That is a shame, it wouldn't be great to do this. Ergonip is very interested in your interpretation of the Nightmare Plague and doesn't want it to be revealed carelessly… I am afraid that the baron will have to stay alive for a while longer, unless one of the members of the council is willing to act themselves.

It doesn't seem like we have the manpower to deal with him" Listening to the fluffy gal, it sounded like any member of the council would be able to kill the demon if they really tried to, but of course, their identities were to remain total mysteries. As such, they did not wish to take any action themselves…

I didn't get why they didn't seem to have any minions that could do the assassination job, but I guess their followers simply weren't cut out for a sneaky job, or perhaps they valued them too much to take the risk… Indeed, sending someone after Baron Hyotrask Devilblood was risking them. Leou had given me a whole exposé about this guy's life, and he wasn't someone I could confidently state that I could take care of. He was a real example of a success story and a rise from the bottom.

Hyotrask was born to commoner parents and worked hard as a farmer and also on other jobs, all to afford enough food to sustain his training and increase his strength. He grew to be one meter and ninety-five centimeters tall, a whole ten centimeters taller than me… Not only was he tall, but his muscles and body as a whole grew to become incredibly imposing. This man wasn't a mountain of muscles per se. His muscles were incredibly compact and dense.

As a junior knight who hadn't been taught any form of energy circulation, he was said to have endured several volleys of bolts from ballistae. Of course, it hadn't been from the largest kind of ballista, but even the smaller models could absolutely shred through flesh and bones, and he had apparently endured so much that his armour had ended up breaking, and he still managed to stand his ground with just his bare flesh, merely guarding his face using his arms.

Apparently, seeing him take several shots without a clear reaction, the enemies had thought that he was actually the leader and decided to focus fire on him, giving a great story for all of Hyotrask's fellows to tell and spread, beginning the tale of his glory. This alone was a testament to his strength, but he had gone on and on with more and more feats of a similar nature. After learning energy circulation and body augmentation spells, he was able to do some pretty ridiculous things.

It was no wonder that the Malkazertian king had decided to grant him a nobility title. If Hyotrask didn't get any, then it might as well be considered impossible to get one. He served his kingdom well plenty of times, and always with unblemished loyalty. Of course, having a commoner background and hailing from a demon species that didn't really have anything special to stand out, he was very well-liked by common folks, allowing him to rule his territory with great efficiency.

It wouldn't surprise me if this guy were going to continue to rise through the ranks. The demon king might just think that Hyotrask was a great asset who should be kept within arm's reach… With just his martial feats, I already knew that I wouldn't stand much of a chance in a direct confrontation.

His natural defences in particular were absolutely nonsensically ridiculous, with what he had casually resisted as a trainee with only his raw, unenhanced body, the man he is today probably would only lightly bleed if I bit down on him at full force–And that was if he wasn't wearing any armour, but he wasn't complacent, he was nearly always decked up.

I might be able to deal good damage if I caught him in the neck, head, or any soft portions of his body, but it would require me to sneak up on him successfully and get him to actually take off his armour. … Now, it just sounded like I needed to pull a similar trick to what I had done with Hulil Boorizar, but with the owlfolk, I was certain that I could kill him in the blink of an eye if given the occasion, Hyotrask?

Even if I had the full element of surprise, and he had his turn back on me, I wasn't very confident that I could actually kill him in a single blow. Considering all the stories I heard about him, he probably has a quick rate of natural regeneration that he could enhance with a surge of mana if need be–It wasn't confirmed, but I felt like it was something obvious. Demons were absolutely different from humans, beastfolks, and the like.

We might be able to get along just fine and cooperate, but it would be a mistake to think that we were the same. We, humans, are versatile little bastards who could somehow spread out over a large area quickly despite needing nine months to procreate. There are few areas we don't touch upon and have deep knowledge of. Also, although they are overshadowed most of the time, humankind does have different species amongst our ranks. I was once told that there were winged humans.

Beastfolks naturally excelled more in more primal ways of power and the like, while also holding many benefits thanks to their bestial side. Meanwhile, demons were somewhere in between, while possessing bodies that meshed very well with all kinds of energies. The demons had way more magical potential, it was just that they tended to be a bit more specialised in what they did–Case in point, Hyotrask was apparently profoundly untalented when it came to projecting mana outward, but inward? It was another story.

All that to say… I really don't think I can kill him. I do believe that I might be able to get inside his residence, but that was pretty much it. The baron was still a man after all, a widower at that, his wife had passed away a few years ago, and he had not remarried. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

Leou did know that he hadn't stopped 'engaging' with women, and some assassins had even tried to get to him this way, but the problem was once again that he was unlike Hulil. With the owlfolk, I was inherently in control of the situation.

I was able to use my 'Voice Box Recorder' with pre-made lines easily since he was quick to turn obedient in the presence of a woman like me, but Hyotrask was an actual man, if I tried to flirt with him, it would probably work, but he wouldn't just be passive about it and listen to my orders–He was more likely to go ahead and be the one to give commands. … Which was good for a man, but terrible for an assassination target. How did Leou even get pictures like these?

Some of the images provided seemed to have been made by someone staring through the window of his bedroom, and included some shots of him bare-chested.

"Those are s–some impressive mus–muscles…"

"Right? What a shame that we have to kill him. The only downside to his appearance is that he doesn't have any hair. He would look quite good with the long dark hair many red-skinned demons have" Mmh… What's the matter, Nara? I am just surprised that you find a demon attractive. I was under the impression that you only wanted a human First of all, species doesn't matter when appreciating some muscles.

Rarelian was also magnificently built, and I guess that although I still view myself as one, I'm not really a human anymore. So I am a bit more open, after all, it's not like I can actually get married and become a mother in the usual way. Thankfully, I found Xlown. Mmh… Would this openness extend to- No. I can't prove it, but I feel like you're lying… Maybe not with Mari, but definitely with Leou! I can see through your eyes, and you've been locking onto her fluffier areas during the entirety of the conversation!

I just like fluffy fur. There is more to this, I am certain… In any case, Baron Hyotrask Devilblood was simply not a target I could take on–At least not in a sneaky manner.

The only way I could think of that might be actually viable was to get close, and then turn into my 'Molten Steel Form' at point-blank range and have him drown in the incandescent liquid steel, but it was rather far detached from a stealthy kill as it would absolutely destroy the residence, set it aflame, and send many people running into all directions. It wasn't really an ideal way of doing things, and I don't think any of my upgrades can really do the trick reliably.

So, unless someone else does it before me, I'll probably wait for another form, or perhaps for my second evolution–Which might not be far away–To take this mission and complete it.

"My b–bad that I can–can not do it. Do you–ou perhaps have anoth–ther mission that I coul–ould do?" I quite liked Leou, so I wanted to actually do my part and help her. The snow leopard rubbed her fluffy chin for a few moments, an action I would like to do in her stead. She seemed to be hesitating, but eventually just shrugged.

"Do you remember the list of items mentioned during the meeting? Well, I might have found the location of Blood-Cursed Wood. A whole tree at that! We only need fifty grams, so if my intel is correct, just collect about two hundred grams to be safe, and since I know you want cursed items and such, you can keep the rest if you want""Is–Isn't it a valuable resource–source? You could se–sell it for a good pri–price""I could, but Blood-Cursed Wood isn't an ingredient in our objective for no reason.

Its cursing capabilities are innate. Only someone intimate with curse slinging, which I believe you are, can get close to it. This thing will curse anything to death, and exhaust its power in the process, which is why you'll need a special container to put the wood you collect into… Otherwise, we'll end up with just a piece of wood with remnants of curses, which isn't good enough for what we are doing""I see. Wh–ere is this tr–tree?"

Like she often did, Leou pulled out a map and pointed her claw at a spot that was not in a country. It was in the Northern Wildlands. A vast stretch of land above Rootriska, Heldinot, and Malkazert that was unclaimed. This place was crawling with powerful beasts, monsters, as well as feral humans, beastfolks, demons, elves, and even dwarves, amongst many others. The reason it hadn't been conquered for its vast array of resources was something I had learned long ago.

The Northern Wildlands were a place that corrupted one's mind and pushed them to forgo their sapience in favour of a more feral mind. Naturally, it nipped in the bud any hope anyone might have of colonising this place, and it was also why the people living here were so animalistic without showing improvement. They were basically kept as savages by the land itself–Or, as some theorised, by some ancient creature whose influence stretched over the vast region.

I was a bit worried about being affected, but not only were the effects not immediate and gradual, I might actually be immune due to my undead-like traits. Regardless, though, this effect was only one of the issues. Since no one could truly establish themselves inside the wildlands for the long term, beasts and such thrived with only each other as opposition, which only pushed them to grow stronger and more cunning. This mission was dangerous, which was probably why Leou hesitated to offer it to me–She's so cute!

The allure of the Blood-Cursed Tree was great, however… Who knew how much experience I could get by absorbing the countless curses it could have for me? The only issue was that it would put a further rift between my Steel-Bound Curse side and Vengeful Spirit side. The former was far more nourished than the latter. Nonetheless, such an opportunity wasn't to be missed, so I agreed to take the mission–And claimed an advance payment by rubbing Leou's face with my thumbs as if she were an actual cat.

"B–By the way, do not get close to the pri–prisoner–er, I have placed upon him my version of the Nightmare Plague, it can manifest–est in those near him, so be care–careful"