233 — The Stomach Acid of Cunning Men

Success in subduing Argner.

Yet something remains unsettled in his stomach. Caution is still required.

Eliminating him swiftly is an option, but since he now occupies a valuable position as a general of the Demon Army who collaborates with the elves, he should be made to serve as diligently as a draft horse.

Specifically, have him gather intelligence on the elves, then feed the elves misleading information tailored to the Demon Army’s convenience.

The first objective is not particularly promising.

I can collect more information than Argner ever could.

The key lies in the second.

Secure false intelligence, or truthful but harmless garbage information, and use it to influence the elves’ actions—within predictable limits.

If successful, the elves may be lured into a trap.

Overdoing it will breed distrust. Leave the balance to Agner.

I gave Agner a brief explanation—though it took more than a day—and then positioned the fragments ostentatiously before returning via transfer.

Tired.

Primarily mentally.

Something about using people is just troublesome.

I keep thinking I’d be better off doing everything myself.

Why can’t people understand one another?

Tell me, god.

But not you, D. You’re out.

I want to rest, but can’t afford to.

While the main body remained in contact with Agner, the fragments initiated several actions.

I must verify them and devise countermeasures.

First, the Elro Great Labyrinth Group.

They reached the opposite entrance and began the invasion of the Daztordia Continent.

As expected, a fortress-like structure stood at the entrance. Humans were posted as sentries.

Infiltration through the eyes requires individual movement, not simultaneous advance, to avoid detection.

Spider congestion active.

Exploration of the Daztordia Continent has begun sequentially from those who have escaped, but full-scale operations appear to be still distant.

Next, Human Territory Group.

Reassign the Human Territory Group's operational focus from reincarnated explorer reconnaissance to Elven surveillance.

Information gathering within cities continues, but all other efforts shift toward locating and monitoring Elves.

The number of Elves discovered within this short span remains low.

Patience is required; long-term observation is necessary.

Demon Territory.

Argner is resolved.

Remaining focus: intensify surveillance of the other generals and influential figures.

To date, only Warkis and Argner have been confirmed with Elven connections.

Warkis's territory appears to be temporarily administered by street urchins.

If things proceed as expected, the urchins will be promoted to command the legion—likely succeeding Warkis.

Master.

After that, they joined forces with another elven unit and were safely protected.

Surveillance will not be neglected.

If you attempt anything strange toward me, I won’t let it pass unchallenged.

Vampire Child.

You’ve caused trouble at the academy.

Oh, you.

You’re already far beyond the capacity of ordinary elite fiends—so if you really go all out, the other children won’t survive.

What are you doing?

The most critical point is the elven village.

The eggs we fed to the three watchers hatched successfully.

Hatched as planned, upon entering the barrier.

Successfully infiltrated the barrier.

Good evening, from inside your mouth—while you sleep at night.

Gastric fluid 1!

Gastric fluid 2!

Gastric fluid 3!

Three together—Gastric Sisters!

Tou!

Aaah… stinks.

Not good.

Even the one being targeted would find this unpleasant. I find it unpleasant too.

Never again.

For now, limited to just three, capabilities remain constrained. Remain hidden within, focus on increasing numbers.

Fortuitously, the elven village is vast—extremely so.

Beyond residential zones, expansive forest-like areas stretch widely.

No shortage of sustenance.

If worst comes to worst, draw energy from the main body.

But the barrier interferes—energy transmission efficiency drops significantly.

Slight hindrance to connection with the main body.

Not severed completely, but incoming information arrives with a delay—like a time lag.

According to the main body's perception, the hatching should have occurred somewhat earlier—yet the incoming data confirms it just happened now.

The actual hatching occurred approximately half a day ago.

Ideally, this perceptual discrepancy should be corrected, but it remains difficult while the barrier is active.

Though undesirable, it may be necessary to grant a degree of autonomy to the sub-entities within the barrier.

Previously, remote-controlled operation left no margin for response during emergencies—time lag could render intervention impossible.

Should that occur, a chain reaction could result in total extinction of all sub-entities within the barrier.

To prevent such a scenario, equipping them with limited self-assessment capability would be prudent.

Thus, after a considerable interval, the process of splitting consciousness is initiated.

The fragmented awareness is injected into the sub-entities within the barrier.

The barrier itself interferes with the operation, requiring significantly more time than expected.

Additionally, excessive energy was expended needlessly.

But the barrier should handle the rest.

I'm counting on you, Gastric Sisters!

As for the lower realm, that is sufficient.

Efforts are proceeding in the direction of concentrating military force against the elves.

The elf is crushed.

This is a decision.

And the work proceeding from ahead is carried out simultaneously in parallel.

Upon reflection, it might amount to betrayal against the teacher.

The teacher actively working to rescue the reincarnated.

In contrast, I stand in a position that might result in the killing of a reincarnated individual.

Not just the reincarnated.

Human, demon, elf, or monster—does not matter.

It will be a massacre on a scale never seen before.

The reincarnated ones will surely be drawn in as well.

Steal the skill.

The more skills I possess, the higher the probability of death.