128.
The information that flowed in from Haruna was also relayed to Jinhyeon through San. Jinhyeon, who had been living in semi-isolation since the night he pounced on Yu Jin, smiled, baring his teeth. Yu Jin had told Jinhyeon everything he knew. As a result, Jinhyeon also knew as much about Leviathan as Yu Jin did.
Including who the leader was.
Greyardin. Known as the second son of Count Rockston’s family, but the reality was different. He was a half-elf, with a lifespan different from ordinary people. He was already forty when he established Leviathan, so he couldn’t be the second son of the Count’s family. How could there be a second son older than the first? For this reason, the Rockston family was either a collaborator with Leviathan or a sacrificial lamb.
“Disgusting bastard.”
Although his appearance was pretty, befitting a half-elf, Jinhyeon didn’t find him attractive. It was natural, given what he knew about Leviathan’s past actions.
‘But why did he suddenly approach Haruna?’
Was he planning to attack from the periphery? Just in case, he warned Haruna about kidnapping and brainwashing. Although Haruna said she would be cautious, Yu Jin, still feeling uneasy, sent one of the shadows to Haruna. He said it was someone skilled enough to at least escape with Haruna if something happened. However, after their first meeting, Greyardin didn’t act suspiciously. He just consistently sought out Haruna, building trust.
“But even that behavior could be a stepping stone for future evil acts,” Haruna thought.
“Or he might be thinking of approaching Yu Jin-nim through me.”
As the head of one of the five major trading companies, he would be qualified to meet the head of Lucid. But now, not long after the death of the previous head, Yu Jin was refraining from going out. Given Lucid’s busy nature, he would soon start scheduling external appointments, but dealing with urgent matters first would likely push back a meeting with Greyardin.
The five major trading companies were impressive, but they were towers built solely on money. Compared to Lucid, which held both money and power, they fell short.
Above all, they were already dealing with Tulin. Why meet someone below when you’re dealing with the best?
“I’d like to prevent his approach if I could,” Haruna sighed heavily.
“I feel the same way. But we can’t keep blocking him forever.”
“That’s right. Once he starts external activities, he’ll try to meet somehow, mentioning his connection with me.”
They could refuse a few times, but not indefinitely. To erase Leviathan, they would inevitably have to deal with its leader. Perhaps the current situation, where Greyardin was revealing himself and approaching, was better. If they could catch him, they might be able to deal with the Zodiac 12 at the same time.
According to Yu Jin, Greyardin first revealed himself at an imperial party. He had tried to approach the crown prince there. It seemed that with the change in circumstances, his target had also changed.
“This guy and that guy…”
Jinhyeon frowned and leaned back on the sofa. He just wanted to love Yu Jin normally, but he couldn’t understand why there were so many people interfering.
“I know who this guy is. Is that guy Greyardin?”
It seemed he was quite displeased with Keith clinging to Yu Jin. Haruna chuckled and stood up.
“I should go see Yu Jin-nim before I leave.”
At this, Jinhyeon’s expression soured further. He was annoyed that Haruna could easily go see Yu Jin while he currently couldn’t. Still, compared to Keith, Haruna was tolerable, so he managed to endure it somehow. Jinhyeon was also changing as he spent time with Yu Jin.
Count Lumine placed his hand near his heart. It was beating so fast that it felt like it might burst out of his body at any moment.
“So,” he spoke, and the red-haired man sitting comfortably in the place of honor flicked his finger. It was an arrogant gesture to make towards the head of a count’s family, but considering his true identity, it was understandable.
“Do you really, really mean that you’re an elder of Leviathan?”
“That’s right.”
“One of the Zodiac 12?”
“You know well.”
“I don’t live without thinking. If one doesn’t know about Leviathan, it would be difficult to obtain information, but if one does know, it’s a different story. It’s something you can learn if you get close to and gain favor with high-ranking nobles.”
“I suppose so. I thought it shouldn’t remain a complete secret, so I spread it around.”
Those in high positions tried to hide it, but there are no eternal secrets. Moreover, once Leviathan had resolved to disclose information, it was natural for it to spread.
“I see. I thought the amount of information had increased compared to the past.”
Count Lumine spoke with an excited face.
“To be able to see an elder of Leviathan! I’m thrilled!”
“Why? Aren’t the nobles of the empire hostile to Leviathan?”
“Ordinary nobles might be, but I’m different.”
He didn’t bother asking how he was different. Even without being asked, Count Lumine chattered on about various things like a gossip. Humans blocked by the walls of reality despite their desire to rise higher tended to have lower vigilance than expected. No, at this level, it could be said there was none at all.
“It seems you wanted to join Leviathan?”
“Yes, I want to join. I consider the current reality to be absurd. The world is too peaceful, and because of that, it’s not as easy to accumulate merits as in the past. In this situation, titles remain unchanged.”
“But it seems the Count wants to rise higher.”
“I want to rise higher!”
“Good, that aligns with our ideals as well.”
“Then will I become a member of Leviathan?”
“If you pass a few tests and receive approval, that is.”
Count Lumine quickly responded to Greyardin’s words.
“I’m confident in anything.”
“Yes, it seems so.”
At this level, it seemed he could be efficiently used with just a bit of brainwashing.
Greyardin was curious about Yu Jin. When Yu Jin was a good-for-nothing, he hadn’t paid him any attention. But now, it felt different.
‘It seemed like he had become a different person.’
The questions that arose from this turned into a light obsession. He wanted to keep Yu Jin close and examine him in various ways.
Still, Greyardin didn’t move hastily. At that time, he had been working on Ruhan, the previous head of Lucid. But Ruhan had fallen according to Aksen’s plan. When he first heard the plan, he wondered if it was possible, but Ruhan had given up his life to retrieve a single corpse.
And then Yu Jin became the head of Lucid. This meant it was possible to redirect the personnel who had been focused on Ruhan to Yu Jin.
‘Moreover, the guy placed by Yu Jin’s side is also from Leviathan.’
Rector’s disciple. The guy who joined Leviathan to survive. Greyardin didn’t fully trust Keith, but Aksen said:
“Human greed is stickier and more tenacious than you think. If something they want is within reach, they must have it.”
“What if the feelings aren’t that strong?”
“Then we make them that strong. But in this case, it seems we don’t need to interfere. The emotion of love sometimes produces better results than hatred. Jealousy is the same.”
Aksen said this with a sinister smile. And as he predicted, Keith brainwashed Yu Jin. Although brainwashing didn’t mean he could immediately control Yu Jin at will, it was fine. Time was on Greyardin’s side.
For this reason, Greyardin asked Aksen about a second brainwashing. He wanted to brainwash Yu Jin to make him look at himself. After all, that would be more convenient than having him brainwashed by Keith.
“A second brainwashing? It’s not impossible. We can use a weak agent for the first brainwashing. And then use a stronger one for the second. The subject might be a bit confused, but… Why do you ask?”
“I want to use it on the head of Lucid.”
“Then I’ll look into it. But why is the leader suddenly showing interest in someone else?”
“I wonder.”
Greyardin ended the conversation with a languid expression. Aksen, reading the mood, didn’t ask any more about it. And he adjusted the degree of brainwashing, but didn’t inform Keith about this fact. He thought Keith might not stay still if he had to hand over the person he loved, whom he had barely obtained, to someone else. That’s how things had progressed until now.
‘I’d like the first meeting to be a bit spectacular.’
For this, he recruited Count Lumine. Isn’t it natural for people in distress to feel favorably towards those who help them? This time, Greyardin intended to play the role of a benevolent person.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
