Debuff Master

Chapter 680

“Are you Gandhi...?” Siegfried muttered in sheer disbelief.

"If you hand over XX, then you will be spared from bloodshed" was a line from the popular computer game Civilization, and it was immortalized as a meme. The reason it became a meme was that this line was used by the most pacifist character in the game, Mahatma Gandhi.

Gandhi would often use his overwhelming military might to request for significant gold donations from the players. However, Siegfried didn't expect to hear those legendary lines once again and in BNW, of all places.

— Gan what?

“There’s someone like that. He’s absurdly strong.”

— ...?

“It’s not like you’d know even if I told you.”

— Are you choosing bloodshed in the end? Do you need to see some blood to finally realize your situation, you pathetic little kid?

“Shut it. I’ll be the one warning you,” Siegfried interrupted him. Then, he flashed his trademark smirk and said, “Let Quandt go within three days while I’m still being nice. Ah, make sure you fuck off without causing a scene, too. I’ll spare you as long as you don’t appear in front of me ever again.”

— Keke!

Avant burst into laughter, completely unfazed by the threat.

— So you have chosen bloodshed. Sure, I’ll give you what you want.

“I already told you to fuck off without causing a scene.”

— Bwahaha! Let’s see how long you can keep yapping.

“Sure, let’s see,” Siegfried replied with a shrug and ended the call.

He headed straight back to the meeting room where Michele and Ninetail were waiting.

“It seems things have gone from bad to worse,” Siegfried said. Then, he placed his +13 Vanquisher’s Grasp on the table and added, “They want my weapon.”

Michele made a quick calculation and came to a very logical conclusion, “What if we simply give them what they want? The construction projects in the Espadrille Province will start again, and our relationship with the Bavarian Workshop will be restored.

"We will be able to resume trade with the Bayerische Kingdom as well.”

“I agree with Sir Michele. I am not aware how valuable that weapon is, but I believe handing it over to them is the best course of action when taking into consideration our short-term benefits,” Ninetail chimed in.

“Yes, I agree with both of you,” Siegfried replied, agreeing with their logic.

The current value of the +13 Vanquisher’s Grasp was not that valuable compared to the benefits the Proatine Kingdom would gain from giving it up. However, the potential the +13 Vanquisher’s Grasp carried was far more valuable that it was worth more than an entire kingdom.

“I want to restore our relationship with both the Bavarian Workshop and the Bayerische Kingdom. And I’m also aware of the massive losses we are suffering with the construction projects in the Espadrille Province being halted, but...” Siegfried trailed off.

He looked both of them straight in the eyes and said, “How long will we keep compromising with other kingdoms and avoiding conflict?”

“Your Majesty...?” Michele tilted his head in confusion.

“Why are we growing our military? Aren’t we doing that to protect our kingdom from foreign invaders?” Siegfried asked.

“Yes, that is correct, sire,” Michele replied with a nod.

“I hope you’re not thinking of getting dragged through the mud by others and giving them whatever they want while we continue to keep our military might hidden?”

“That's...”

“This is a blatant insult and challenge to me and the kingdom.”

“Yes, you are right, sire.”

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“I will not let this matter slide. The new Head Blacksmith of the Bavarian Workshop and the Bayerische Kingdom have not only insulted me, but they had also inflicted heavy economic losses on our kingdom. We have to make them pay.”

“Hmm...”

“I would like to avoid war at all costs, but it can be inevitable in certain circumstances.”

“...!”

“We might have to wage war when push comes to shove, so tell our men to be ready for combat at all times.”

“Y-Your Majesty...!”

Michele was taken aback by how quickly Siegfried made up his mind. He had always been on the side of caution and tried his best to not be embroiled in war, but he was different this time.

Siegfried chose to go to war not to protect the +13 Vanquisher’s Grasp in his possession, but rather, to protect the honor of the Proatine Kingdom.

The Bavarian Workshop and Bayerische Kingdom blatantly insulted and looked down on the kingdom, so he was planning to use this opportunity to show that the Proatine Kingdom should not be looked down on.

“I mean, it’s not like it’s a losing battle, right? The Bayerische Kingdom is not even one of the powerhouses on the continent.”

“Yes, that is correct.”

“The time has come for us to show others what we are capable of. Also, Quandt is an important business partner of our kingdom. The only reason we could tap into the technological expertise of the Bavarian Workshop was all thanks to Quandt’s help.

"We cannot and should not forget how much we profited from his help. Yeah, I know business can be cold and ruthless at times, but we have to be loyal to our partners at times.”

“I cannot deny that.”

“Besides, I have a feeling Avant just doesn’t like me and our kingdom. This is something personal to him, so there’s no reason for us to compromise with him regardless of whether Quandt is involved in this or not.”

“I understand. I will tell our men to prepare for all-out war,” Michele said with a bow.

“War will be our last and final option, so don’t worry about it too much. But before anything else...” Siegfried said, trailing the end of his words. Then, he clenched his fist and added, “We have to rescue Quandt.”

He had no plans to let Quandt stay in prison.

***

The Fortress of Hell was one of the most infamous and notorious prisons on the Nurburg Continent where only the worst of the criminals were imprisoned. The prison was originally constructed with investments from numerous kingdoms, and it was not affiliated with any kingdom.

One unique thing about this prison was that the guards and wardens were not humans, but rather, demons. They struck a deal to watch over the humans, in most cases, NPCs, in exchange for harvesting the souls of the prisoners once they were dead.

In other words, the demons were receiving the prisoners’ souls rather than money as their pay.

“So it’s impossible to use mana in that place?”

Siegfried was informed by Ninetail that the use of mana was restricted by something within the Fortress of Hell.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Whoa...” Siegfried muttered while grimacing.

Mana was the source of power on the Nurburg Continent. Both Adventurers and NPCs could only use their superhuman abilities thanks to mana. In other words, the inability to use mana meant that one could only rely on their body’s innate abilities.

“But that's not the only thing that makes the Fortress of Hell a fearsome place.”

“What? There’s more?”

“The entire castle is like a maze. Even the guards would get lost the moment they wander to another section not assigned to them.”

“Hmm...”

“On top of that, there are Petite Cerberus, which are dogs with three heads, guarding most places. These demonic dogs have an extremely sharp sense of smell—so sharp that they could detect an intruder from miles away.”

“Petite Cerberus? I’ve never heard of that monster before.”

“It is the pup of a Cerberus.”

“Ah, I see...”

“And even among the guards...” Ninetail proceeded to list out everything she knew about the Fortress of Hell.

“Hold on. Hey, how do you know so much about that place?” Siegfried asked, finding something strange, after listening intently for quite a while.

Then, Michele chimed in as if he had been wondering about it, too, “Yes, why does it sound like you are very familiar with that place?”

Ninetail’s eyes trembled, and she started squirming as if she had no idea how to respond. “Ah... T-That is... So when I was a child... What I’m trying to say is, before I became Ninetail... Erm... You know... Hmm...”

“Don’t tell me... Were you locked up in there when you were a kid and you managed to escape...?”

“Hahaha... N-No way...”

“You were.”

“Hahaha...”

“You seemed to have had an interesting childhood. How did you even get imprisoned in such a place at such a young age—”

“I-I was influenced by bad people!”

“I think you were just born to be a thief—”

“I’m not!”

Ninetail lashed out, denying the accusations against her, but neither Siegfried nor Michele changed their minds.

‘Thief!’

‘I should be careful of our kingdom’s treasures from now on...’

The two looked at her with skeptical eyes. The only way to explain how she could end up in one of the most notorious jails on the continent was that she was born with the talent to steal.

“Okay, let’s put aside your interesting past for a second. Does that mean you managed to prison break from the Fortress of Hell?”

“Y-Yes, I did.”

“I suppose that means you can easily go inside and escape again?”

“It will not be easy, but I think I can do it. After all, I already did it once so...”

“That’s good enough. Let’s go and rescue Quandt,” Siegfried said with a smile.

“What?! Go to the Fortress of Hell?!”

“Why? I thought you can do it?”

“I do but...”

Ninetail seemed hesitant to go back to the Fortress of Hell.

‘Ah, she probably has some trauma from that place being locked up so young,’ Siegfried saw right through how Ninetail felt.

“But it’s different this time,” Siegfried said.

“W-What do you mean by that, Your Majesty?” Ninetail asked.

“You were a prisoner escaping that time but you’re different now.”

“H-How...?”

“You’re the Chief Intelligence Officer of a kingdom, and you’re on a mission for the kingdom’s benefit. You’re no longer a criminal.”

“...!”

Ninetail flinched at those words. On the other hand, Siegfried flashed a sinister smirk and thought, ‘Hohoho! I got you hook, line, and sinker!’

Of course, he maintained his gentle smile on the outside, so as not to get caught with what he was really thinking.

“It’s something like making a triumphant return, no? I mean, you're that Legendary Thief, but you were still a criminal. But what about now? You’ve become the Chief Intelligence Officer of a kingdom as well as a count.”

“Yes...”

“Doesn’t it feel different? Being able to return to that place as a new person with a far higher social status?”

“Y-Yes! You’re right!”

“But I won’t force you if you’re still hesitant about going. Just give me some tips and I’ll go alone—”

“No, I will go, Your Majesty.”

“Gotcha!”

“Huh? What did you say just now, sire?”

“N-Nothing!”

“Did you trick me just now?”

“I didn’t!”

The Freudian slip made Siegfried suffer for quite a while in an attempt to clean after his own mess.

***

Siegfried agreed to head for the Fortress of Hell with Ninetail on that same evening.

“Where’s she? Why isn’t she coming?”

He waited past the promised time for her to appear, but there were no signs of her anywhere.

“Did she get cold feet and run away?” Siegfried grumbled.

It was then.

“Who got cold feet and ran away?” Ninetail said from right behind him.

“What took you so long? Do you know how long I have been waiting—” Siegfried grumbled and turned around, but he ended up freezing. Then, he pointed at her and stuttered, “W-What the hell is wrong with you?!”

“Huh?”

“Y-Your outfit! It’s indecent! Who the hell dresses like that for a mission?!”

“Why? Is there a problem with my outfit?” Ninetail asked, purposely turning around and showing off her god-given figure.

Her outfit could be either described as "sultry" or "enchanting," and the line dividing these two words was quite thin.

She was wearing leather short pants that showed off her butt, stockings that went all the way up her thighs, and high heels that could be described as killer heels. However, that was not the only thing sultry or enchanting about her outfit.

Her top showed off so much of her cleavage that one wrong move could end up in a wardrobe malfunction, and her entire bare back was visible, as there was nothing covering it up.

To top it off, she was holding a whip made out of leather.

“No! What operation will you do in that outfit?! Go and change!”

“But why?”

“That’s a hard no! Go and change. I can understand wearing tights, but what’s with the heels? That’s going to click clack every step you take!” Siegfried exclaimed.

“It seems Your Majesty is clueless.”

“What?”

“This is just a disguise.”

“A disguise...?”

“I am a Succubus,” Ninetail said coyly while seductively shaking a fake tail attached to her tailbone.