Noblemen and women that didn’t have anything else to do usually enjoyed gossiping about others and personally, I believe it was a topic that everyone would enjoy talking about. The news about Ito Sota wearing the mask of a kind-hearted person and killing an ordinary person in order to hide his weakness was enough to stir up the high society. If he already had a bad reputation, then it wouldn’t have caused such a big impact, but because he had such a good image and was known as the idol of high society, a massive impact was inevitable.

After I finished talking to Cha Hee-Ra, I spent the entire day comforting Jung Ha-Yan and although I felt like it was a waste of time, I did hear good news so I was feeling better. The news about Lee Ji-Hye already working hard had placed me in a very good mood and although I started spreading rumors whenever I got the chance, Lee Ji-Hye was even more skilled than me in talking behind people’s backs.

‘I should help her out with that today.’

Anyway, the one that visited me today was Kasugano Yuno, a person I hadn’t seen in a while. I saw her kneeling quietly and bowing.

“You seem to be in a good mood, Master.”

“Of course. I don’t feel any aftereffect and I don’t have any trouble moving around,” I answered.

“You… You must’ve been in a lot of pain,” she said.

“It was painful, but it was nothing. I took painkillers beforehand, but I don’t think it had been really effective because the mana had really turned my insides upside down… by the way, how’s the distribution going?” I asked.

“I’ve completed everything you asked me to do. They are already on the market and the sales have been great,” Yuno answered.

“How good are the sales?” I asked.

“Today, our net profit is over 20,000 gold, excluding the amount we sold on the black market,” she answered.

“Not bad. Considering that it hasn’t been that long since we started selling, that’s not bad at all,” I commented.

“Yes, and the number of people that are buying it for personal satisfaction is increasing and I’m sure that number will continue to increase,” Yuno said.

“That’s good,” I said.

I knew they would sell. Not only was it reasonably priced, but when considering the fact that it helped people forget about the pain of reality, it would be strange if it didn’t sell - especially in a world where there were no dreams or hope. This was an improvised version of the psychotherapy potion that I had developed at the Cursed Shrine, but the problem with this one was that it was slightly addictive. It wouldn’t be a big problem if I discussed it with a pharmacist, but I was the pharmacist, so of course, there wasn’t anyone that was able to handle the potion properly.

“We haven’t been caught, right?” I asked.

“Of course not, Master. I’ve been using my personal business to launder the potions that we have been selling on the black market and the new guild that has been selling the potion has always been moving according to the procedure and on top of that, some of the Yamato Guild members have started using the potion too…” she said.

“That’s interesting news. Any news from the Yamato Guild?” I asked.

“It’s difficult to tell, but after they started investigating Ito Sota, the guild’s mood changed a little bit. They refused to trade with our guild and have been in contact with another guild,” she answered.

“How are we dealing with it?” I asked.

“We’re also trying to get in contact with another guild, so you don’t have to worry, Master. Even in Japan, Ito Sota’s public opinion isn’t that great right now,” she said.

“That’s good...”

I hadn’t heard good news like this in a while. It made me happy to hear that the public’s opinion of Ito Sota wasn’t that great here or over there. It was an obvious reaction since the Yozora Guild had been criticizing him, but the public opinion of the Yozora Guild wasn’t that great at all because some of them were from the right wing. Of course, once everything was over, all of this would be taken care of.

“If something comes up, report it to me,” I told her.

“Yes, Master. I’ll continue keeping an eye out,” Yuno answered.

“By the way, have you seen anything recently?” I asked.

“Unfortunately no…” she said.

“It's a nice, yet uncomfortable skill,” I commented.

“I’m sorry. P-Please punish me,” she said.

I saw her getting down on the floor again, but now wasn’t the time to give her the punishment she wanted because I heard Cha Hee-Ra’s voice from outside.

“Darling? Didn’t you say you were going to meet with Lady Caitlyn?” she asked.

“I was about to head out, noona,” I told her.

Cha Hee-Ra sounded a bit uncomfortable. Even though the environment around me had changed a bit, what changed the most was my relationship with Cha Hee-Ra. Not only did she pretend to have forgotten about her strange actions from last time, but she had been talking to me frequently these days. Whenever Kasugano Yuno was around, she would intentionally look for me and I guess she must be doing this because she was worried that she and I were going to become a couple in the future.

‘She’s just not expressing it…’

It was because she was the prideful Mercenary Queen. I wasn’t sure why her attitude had changed compared to before, but I was certain that it was something personal since liking someone wasn’t a feeling one could explain logically. The possibility that I was filling her mind up even now could just be my misunderstanding, but based on the situation, I was certain that I had become more important to her than before.

‘It’s a good thing.’

“I should get going,” I said.

“As you wish, master,” Yuno said.

Not only was I taking care of the Mercenary Queen, but I took care of Yuno as well. When I slowly patted her head, she looked just as happy as Jung Ha-Yan did when I did this to her and it showed that Kasugano Yuno was easy to manage. Her difficulty level was easy and since she had already made me the owner of her body, there was nothing else I needed to say.

“You seem like you’re having fun, Master,” Yuno said.

“It’s not because I was bored being with you. I just enjoy talking badly about Ito Sota with Lady Caitlyn, so you don’t have to worry. Oh, make sure you keep maintaining your relationship with other people in the Holy Empire… anyway, I’ll see you later,” I told her.

When I quietly opened the door, I noticed Cha Hee-Ra looking at me and it was strange how she looked at the shaman briefly. Kasugano Yuno simply bowed without expressing any other emotion, but she must have felt Cha Hee-Ra staring at her because she stared back at her.

“Let’s talk,” she said.

“Oh.”

“You can go back to work, darling. I have something I need to talk about with her. You’re fine with that, right? Shaman?” Cha Hee-Ra asked.

“Yes, of course. I also have something I need to discuss with you. I do have a lot of work I need to get done, but I can spare a few minutes to talk with you,” she answered.

“That’s great. I’ll see you later, darling,” she said.

“...”

I was a little bit scared about what they were going to talk about, but I thought that it would be best if I didn’t get involved. I had plans and rather than trying to find out what those two were talking about, spending time doing what I loved was more important to me. The empire’s guards escorted me to Victor Hart’s place and after walking with them, I saw noblewomen having tea time in a garden.

“Oh, Mr. Lee Ki-Young.” Lady Caitlyn called out.

“Nice to meet you, Lady Caitlyn and Lady Elise. Oh! You’re here too, Lady Marilyn. It has been a while since I’ve seen everyone,” I said.

“Everyone wanted to participate when I told them I was going to have tea time with you. How are you feeling?” Lady Caitlyn asked.

“I still feel a bit uncomfortable moving my arm… but I couldn’t possibly miss my chance to speak with such beautiful ladies. I’m sure you were all surprised by what happened last time… so I’m very thankful that you’ve called me here today,” I said.

“It was nothing. Everything happened so suddenly that we couldn’t take care of you properly. We should be the ones apologizing,” she said.

“Anyone would’ve been scared in that situation. I’m thankful that you called for me after that incident… I’m just glad that I was invited here to spend time with you,” I said.

“This is nothing. We really enjoy talking to you, Mr. Ki-Young,” Lady Caitlyn said.

Of course, it was fun. I never thought that I was gifted in talking, but these ladies who had nothing else to do would admire or clap and enjoy their times here. The topic of the conversation was important, but since I was the talk of the town right now, they felt superior for being able to talk with me.

‘The rumors will spread quickly as well…’

It was akin to a web of collective communication and since they were in the center of it, the rumors would spread like wildfire. I also enjoyed drinking tea while gossiping about different things and as expected, the ladies started the conversation which made me smile. They were discussing different topics, but they were eventually going to talk about that bastard.

“By the way, I’ve never thought of him that way, but he seems like a scary person.”

“You’re right. Who knew he would do something like that at a social gathering? Whenever I think about that day, I would wake up in the middle of the night.”

“So, you think so too, Lady Elise? I’m the same way. I thought that he was trustworthy because he had a good relationship with the pope, but I guess you can’t really judge a book by its cover.”

“I actually heard something…”

“Oh! What did you hear, Lady Marilyn?”

“It’s kind of a sensitive topic… I heard it from my friends who are in the pope’s faction. I’m telling you this because I trust you all, but please keep it a secret.”

“Yes, of course.”

I guarantee that the news Lady Marilyn was going to tell everyone was going to spread all over the empire within three hours after this gathering ended. I was certain that it would be a secret everyone would know.

“That man, Ito Sota, and the abbess, Ariel from the pope’s faction are apparently…”

“What?!”

“Shhh! Keep your voice down, Lady Elise.”

“There are rumors that they have an inappropriate relationship and even though it hasn’t been confirmed yet, considering the fact that they have been going in and out of the Vatican late at night, it makes sense…”

“Honestly, the rumors about Lady Ariel aren't that great either. She’s always smiling yet she has been doing things like that behind everyone’s backs. I thought that it was strange how she kept visiting the castle during the social gathering, but I never imagined that she had a connection with Ito Sota…”

“The Vatican isn’t what it used to be and even though I don’t doubt their hearts in serving God, their actions do seem suspicious.”

“According to a friend I have in Celia, Ito Sota’s reputation in the free city isn’t that great.”

“Really?”

“He supposedly made fun of women, bullied the weak, and didn’t really act like a knight. Everyone is turning a blind eye because he’s the guild master of a large guild, but his influence has been weak recently so people have been criticizing him for his actions.”

“I see…”

“They say that he’s the owner of the black market and the owner of the slaves that are running the black market…”

“Oh dear, how scary…”

Even though I wasn’t saying anything, that bastard was completely turning into a piece of shit. The strange rumors about how he had a bad relationship with the Vatican and him throwing away his fortune in a way that even a third-rate wealthy family wouldn’t do started to spread. The majority of the rumors that were created here would eventually become the truth and be the hottest topic within the castle, so I had no choice but to enjoy it and participate in the conversation.

“I’ve actually heard of that rumor as well.”

‘No, I haven’t...’

“About him managing the black market…”

‘This is the rumor I started spreading.’

“Oh my, really?”

“Yes, I heard you can obtain various items there. There were many people in the free city that had found it unusual how fast the Yamato Guild grew. Of course, we’re not ignoring the guild’s achievements, but when comparing their dungeon captures or other achievements, the guild became too big, too fast,” I explained.

“Oh, dear…”

“It’s difficult for me to explain the details, but I heard that they’ve been developing using bad methods, oh, but the source hasn’t been confirmed…” I quickly said.

The source would be confirmed after today.

“I see. So the information that you said you knew… is it related?”

“Yes, but now is not the time for me to say it since I’m in a position where I have to be cautious… I’m worried that it’ll cause unnecessary conflict,” I told them.

“After seeing him injure you like that, I’m sure there’s a reason why there are rumors like that about him. He’s probably getting some kind of benefit behind everyone’s back, right?”

“By the way… you’ve been drinking tea and talking with that man…”

“No one can be trusted in this world. Don’t you agree, Lady Marilyn?”

“You’re right, Lady Caitlyn. I must warn my father as well.”

“Me too.”

“I’ll do the same. I’ll tell my husband as well.”

This was the reason why I couldn’t stop myself from coming here and if Ito Sota was here, I was sure that he would have laughed because of how absurd everyone and everything was. After some time, these ladies started to criticize Ito Sota directly and even started cursing him.

“That piece of shit!”

“He’s the reason why the free city citizens are being criticized and of course, I don’t mean you, Mr. Ki-Young…”

“It’s fine and I completely understand how all of you are feeling,” I told them.

Not only could I understand their feelings, but I was also having so much fun.

‘I’m having way too much fun!’

Just imagining what kind of rumors were going to spread tomorrow got me feeling excited. The warm sun, the delicious tea, and the fun gossip…

‘This is my raison d'etre.’

These were no different from drugs.