Chapter Fourteen: Caught Between Advance and Retreat

The matter was far from over.

Watching as the giant Paul and the attendant Simon vanished at the end of the street, Amy’s smile slowly faded from his face, replaced by a heavy cloud of worry. Though he had managed to muddle through for now, he did not expect such misleading deceit to last. After all, whether it was a matter of information or of power, he was leagues apart from his opponents. Even if he could use the information broker to pit them against the mysterious organization behind Willy, exposure was only a matter of time.

However… if he could stir the waters further into chaos, perhaps he could use the confusion to hide himself.

A shadow passed from the youth’s face. Whether in the Upper or Lower District, beneath the surface of conflict and opposition, the root was always a clash of interests. Yet, compared to the Upper District—where everything was wrapped in elegant manners and protocol—the struggles of the Lower District were far more direct, blood-soaked, and brutal. In the end, the death of the giant Paul was but a prelude; what would truly draw Michelangelo’s attention would be the disturbances in the Lower District. If the Church could shatter the current stalemate between the various factions and draw some of the focus away from him, then the situation might turn much more favorable for him.

Emperor Michelangelo, the mysterious force behind information broker Willy, the killers of the Dark Guild… Each of these troublesome foes would be enough to give a scion of glory a headache for days; for them all to appear together, and to fix their schemes upon him, was almost more than he could bear.

After all, power is the privilege of the Glorious—an outcast Glorious scion hardly had the means to make a splash in the Lower District. Though Amy’s blood was more potent than anyone could have imagined, and his individual strength made him a top contender in the Lower District’s small pond, it did not change the fact that he stood alone.

He was utterly in the dark when it came to intelligence; by now, he didn’t even know where his enemies lay, forced only to react to the ever-changing, convoluted circumstances. If things continued like this, he would be like a lone skiff tossed in a storm—no matter how long he held out, he would eventually be dashed to pieces.

“It seems… I still have to return to the Upper District.”

Even as he spoke, Amy hesitated. The Upper District was no safe haven; beneath its glittering façade lurked dangers far greater than any in the Lower District. Relying on his rich blood of Order, his strength was unmatched below, but if he returned above, he might have to face the Galsworthy family, rulers of Hemtica for three centuries.

Of course, only a possibility.

But even that possibility was enough to make him shudder at the risk.

In the tangled web of Lower District power, he might still have a chance to struggle on his own, but faced with the Galsworthy family, it would be like an egg striking a rock. He couldn’t imagine how his parents, now vanished, had ever managed to offend Hemtica’s city lord while already in decline, yet still remain free for so long.

He and Yulia had not been so fortunate. After their parents’ mysterious disappearance, all manner of factions descended upon them. Though the faces remained polite, behind the masks lurked ravenous beasts, and assassins and killers were never lacking in the shadows.

Whether the Galsworthy family had a hand in it, Amy did not know, but for such open attacks on a Glorious family—even one in decline—the city lord and council members must have, to some degree, allowed it.

Still… he doubted they were directly involved.

With such overwhelming power, if the Galsworthy family had truly set out to kill two children, no barrier between Upper and Lower District could have stopped their deadly intent—indeed, Amy and Yulia likely never would have escaped the Upper District at all.

Thus… the chance that Lord Duke would move against him was vanishingly small.

“So… perhaps it’s worth the gamble.”

Amy narrowed his eyes. Setting aside the Galsworthy family at Hemtica’s summit, the other Glorious families would hardly risk everything just to curry favor with Duke Galsworthy. The true elites of that tier would not be deployed; his enemies would be of the ordinary kind, not those monsters kept at the top of the pyramid.

He had no wish to repeat a life-and-death battle like the one with the killer. Being killed even once was quite enough; he had no desire to collect more experience in dying.

A helpless smile crossed his face as Amy rose to pour himself a cup of hot water. Warming his hands around the cup, he pondered the possible effects and consequences of a trip to the Upper District. The intelligence he had seen at the Dice House had already tempted him, but being tempted was not the same as acting without careful analysis and planning. Only after weighing all factors and drafting a strategy was it time to move.

“But it’s a bit awkward… this timing.”

It wasn’t that contacting the Church was an impossible plan—simply that now was not the best moment. The seeds of suspicion had only just been sown in Simon’s heart, or perhaps in the heart of the Mask behind him. No sooner had they left than he would set out for the Upper District himself—a highly suspicious act.

Even if, upon his return, the Church threw the Lower District into turmoil and drew all eyes, once suspicion was planted, it was hard to uproot. It was all too easy to be seen through colored lenses, and even if there was no problem, one would be found. Not to mention… he was indeed involved in the matter of the giant Paul.

A headache.

He truly did not wish to offend His Majesty Michelangelo. The fragile order of the Lower District depended entirely upon his rule. Even if Amy managed to exploit the chaos to commit regicide, what then? With the sun gone, the stars would fight for the sky’s only place, and another round of slaughter and chaos would be inevitable. He would be inviting disaster for nothing.

Yet fate seemed to leave him little choice.

The young scion of glory sighed, though his heart wavered little. Since he had been targeted, there was no sense in simply taking blows without striking back. What mattered now was not the distant future, but the present—seizing this rare chance to turn the tables and carve out a foothold in the Lower District. The future could wait for his future self to consider.

With this thought, Amy’s resolve hardened.

Since the Lower District was already in chaos, why not add fuel to the fire?

The flames in his heart blazed, yet his eyes were clearer than ever. He was not the sort to act rashly in a moment’s heat. He understood the Church better than most, and with more caution. He would not blunder into the High Tower to accuse the Dark Guild of rearing killers and performing forbidden experiments without evidence.

Even if the Church valued the sanctity of the Ten Commandments above life, mere words were not enough. Without solid evidence—or at least detailed documents like the Dice House’s secret files—he would only bring disgrace upon himself.

So… should he try to obtain evidence from the Dark Guild, or…

Go straight for the Dice House?

After a moment’s thought, he made his decision. The Dark Guild’s secret laboratories were certainly top-secret; even the Dice House, which claimed to know the color of Emperor Michelangelo’s underwear, might not have much useful intelligence. Besides, as a secretive underground group capable of breeding killers, the Dark Guild would surely guard such a place heavily—breaking in would be no easy feat.

By comparison, the Dice House seemed the softer target.

But… was it wise to provoke the Dice House?

Amy fell silent. Regardless of his personal feelings, the Dice House had survived for years as a top intelligence organization; it could hardly be as simple as it appeared. Perhaps its raw power was less than the Dark Guild’s, but it hardly made sense to provoke the Lower District’s top intelligence network while leaving the Dark Guild untouched, making a powerful enemy for no reason.

“It really is a tough choice…”

Caught in indecision, Amy couldn’t help but sigh. Both the Dark Guild and the Dice House were formidable adversaries; whichever he chose as a breakthrough, he would be taking a serious risk. But in this world, what could be accomplished without risk? Sooner or later, a choice would have to be made.

First… he would test the waters at the Dice House.

In the end, he decided thus. In his heart, he preferred the idea of breaking into the Dark Guild’s labs and obtaining first-hand evidence, but he did not even know their location. To gather such intelligence, he would have to visit the Dice House. At the same time, this would allow him to probe the Dice House’s true strength, preparing for future maneuvers.

So… should he set out now?

Amy hesitated, but his mind was made up. Information on the Dark Guild would be highly prized at the Dice House; if he did not obtain primary evidence about the demon blood transplants before the intelligence network reacted, his information would likely be sold to the Dark Guild.

Thus—sooner was better.

With this thought, he sprang to his feet, pushed open the gate to the courtyard, and—

—and found himself staring in surprise at the unexpected visitor outside.

“It is an honor to meet you, Lord Ulysses.”

The uninvited guest, caught face-to-face, showed not the slightest embarrassment, bowing courteously. But what he said next made the young scion of glory’s expression change.

“On behalf of the Dice House, I greet you.”