## Chapter 531 – A Useful Fellow

The place where I was to meet the mayor was a rather luxurious eatery, no, a restaurant. The senior captain who picked me up led me there.

“Welcome. You are the associate priest of the Brass Saint Angel Society, correct?”

The mayor was a large, old man.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Mayor. I am Kim Kat, associate priest of the Brass Saint Angel Society.”
“Thank you for dealing with the demons. Please, have a seat. Let’s eat first.”

His name was Morba Solbanio.

He seemed to be a noble in his own right. The senior captain had told me in advance that he reigned as the mayor of this city and was deeply concerned about the current demon situation.

Anyway, after exchanging greetings, I sat down as he suggested.

Besides the mayor, the senior captain, and the employees, there was no one else in the restaurant. Soon, the employees began to bring out the food. It looked quite delicious.

Let’s bring Claudia and Winia here before heading back after work.

“Hehe, I am grateful for such a warm welcome. I have never properly learned dining etiquette, so I ask for your understanding if I make any mistakes.”
“I don’t particularly mind… Hmm, it’s delicious.”

The meeting with the mayor proceeded over dinner.

Seeing that he didn’t care much about etiquette, I thought he seemed like a good person. You shouldn’t associate with people who nitpick over trivial things.

He even had a hearty appetite, which made it easy for me to eat as well.

So, we had a simple conversation while eating.

“Mayor.”

Let’s get down to business.

“Currently, extremely wicked individuals are hiding in the shadows of this city, plotting to achieve their goals. Do you understand?”
“Ugh… I understand. Associate Priest, what should we do about this? It’s the first time I’ve ever heard of demons and their worshipers hiding here.”
“Don’t worry. I’m here to solve that problem. Take a look at this.”

I immediately took out the saintess’s directive from my pocket.

The best thing to impress someone in a high position is a document like this.

“What is this?”
“It is a directive from the Saintess of the Brass Saint Angel Society.”
“The Saintess’s directive… I already received the official document. But to send only one person…”

The mayor grumbled as he took the directive. Well, he must be anxious. Even the Holy Knights would be insufficient, but only one associate priest had come.

“The mission I received from the Saintess is to annihilate the demons hiding in the city. The Saintess must have had something in mind when she sent me. So, rest assured.”
“…I suppose so.”

The work is already done anyway. Now that I know who the culprits are, there’s not much to do.

I just need to move the troops under the mayor’s orders and catch them.

“Anyway, let’s get to the point. One threat has already been rounded up in cooperation with the City Guards, but another remains. Didn’t the senior captain already report this?”
“You mean the large group of demon worshipers?”
“That’s right.”

I downed my wine in one shot and continued.

“In fact, the demon worshipers who are currently seducing the workers are increasing their power. From my own investigation, it seems they are dissatisfied with the existing wage system and are determined to overturn it.”
“Wh, what! Is that the truth, Associate Priest!!!”

The mayor shouted as if he was shocked to hear it for the first time.

For the mayor, this kind of thing would be the most troublesome.

If the workers, who are being exploited to build wealth, demand higher wages, it’s bound to be a pain in the ass.

“This is a document I prepared after conducting my own investigation for ten days. Please read it.”

I handed the mayor the document I had prepared while conducting the investigation. He hurriedly took the document and began to read it with wide eyes.

“Ugh…!”

The mayor’s face was becoming serious.

“There are at least hundreds of workers attending the gatherings.”
“This is… ! In my city… !”

The mayor, with a deeply furrowed brow, expressed his anger.

In fact, a workers’ revolt would be a bigger threat than an unrealistic threat like demons.

Well, I think the workers have every right to do so.

But the problem is that there are demon worshipers in their ranks. We must cut them off at the root.

Unfortunately, wage negotiations will have to wait.

“Fortunately, the ringleader has been identified. The senior captain is quite capable. It was very easy to handle things with his help.”
“…!”

At those words, the senior captain smiled brightly and nodded.

He gave me 40 silver, so what can’t I say?

He’ll probably give me more after solving this case, so a little lip service is easy. The mayor, hearing my words, praised him.

“Indeed, you are very good at your job. I’ll see you at the next promotion.”
“Th, that’s all thanks to the priest’s competence! Hehe!”

What a beautiful sight.

“I’m not very interested in worldly affairs. But if demon worshipers appear, the story changes. Those wicked enemies must be annihilated no matter what. This is just my guess, but I have a bad feeling that the reason he’s gathering so many people is to sacrifice them all at once.”
“Sa, sacrifice them all at once…?”

I spoke heavily, striking the right atmosphere.

“He might summon a great demon by offering a large number of sacrifices. If that happens, the city is finished. It will turn into a battlefield.”
“Wh, what!”

The mayor and the senior captain grabbed their heads in shock at the mention of a great demon.

“A great demon…!!!”
“A gr, great demon!”

The seasoning is all done.

“We must move the troops before that happens. If we don’t catch the ringleader, the city will fall into ruin.”
“Of course, we will move the troops! Senior Captain! How many troops can we mobilize immediately!”
“I will return to the office and submit a report immediately!”
“I understand! Mobilize as many as you need! I delegate full authority!”

In the end, the mayor agreed to provide troops.

The story ended that way. I would discuss the detailed strategy with the senior captain, but since the mayor said he would spare no support, the arrest would be no problem.

I gave a brief greeting and left the restaurant.

“Hehehe.”

The matter had become so big that the city’s troops would be mobilized.

ㅡSolving this inflated case would be my achievement.

I’ll have a lot of material to attach to my report to the Saintess.

“Priest!”

The senior captain followed me.
There was something I wanted to ask him.

“Senior Captain. I’m just asking in case, but do the city’s soldiers have the ability to suppress such a situation? I mean, are they trained?”
“Of course. Suppressing the interior of the city is the most basic training. You don’t have to worry about that.”

That’s a relief then.

“I know the location of the demon worshipers. I will guide you to the location and arrest the ringleader. The soldiers can be used to raid the scene.”
“I understand.”

I made a separate arrangement with the senior captain and agreed on a scenario for how to resolve this situation. He was a capable person from the start, so things proceeded very smoothly.

The detailed plan is as follows.

Anyway, I know the exact location of the guys with Hildegard’s help. On the day of the gathering, I will infiltrate the scene first, and that will be the signal for the soldiers to advance and raid the gathering place itself.

In the process, I will arrest the demon worshiper, and that will be the end of it.

“Then I will proceed with that in mind. On the day, I will move with you, and when you infiltrate the gathering place first, I will signal the soldiers to advance.”
“Very good. If we do that, it will be resolved cleanly.”
“Hehe, that’s all thanks to the priest directly negotiating with the mayor about the use of troops.”

That’s why it’s convenient to talk to the person in the highest position. You can skip all sorts of procedures and get what you want right away.

“The members of the Brass Saint Angel Society are said to be very ruthless and capable, and seeing the priest, I trust those words.”
“Hehehe, thank you. Then let’s meet at the agreed place on the day.”

* * *

The day of the operation arrived.

I came to the meeting place with Claudia, Winia, and Hildegard. The night, without even moonlight, was pitch black.

“The darkie has done a good job of proceeding. Is this all we have to do?”
“Yeah. If we catch all these guys, we can get our reward and go back.”

They moved according to the instructions I gave them.

“Kat, you’re so capable. Awesome.”
“Hehehe, ah, I’m so cool.”

In fact, if the four of us were there, arresting the ringleader would be easy.

We could sneak in and take care of it quickly. But then there would be no story and not much to report.

If I went to the Saintess and said, “Saintess, I just caught them all by gut feeling,” would she honestly believe me?

Only suspicion would remain.

It’s more `realistic` to suppress them with a large number of soldiers, so I embellished the situation a bit. It’s more plausible to say that we worked with the city’s public power to wipe out the demon worshipers.

And there would be official documents left behind.

“Ah, Kat-nim. I think they’re coming over there.”
“Really?”

As we waited, the senior captain came with two City Guard members.

“Priest!”

From what I heard, the City Guard members in this city also served as soldiers. About two companies of troops would be deployed for tonight’s operation.

“Good evening, Senior Captain.”
“Ah, yes… But who are they?”

The senior captain, who had approached, asked, looking at my wives and Hildegard. It would be better to just introduce them as mages here.

“They are my colleagues. They are mages with excellent investigative skills.”
“Ah, ah. I see. Nice to meet you, mages.”

They just nodded in greeting.

Hmm… Is it too noticeable to be walking around with three beauties?

They’re all covering their bodies with black robes, but they can’t hide their glamorous figures completely. Especially Winia.

“…”

The senior captain looked at me with strange eyes.

“Anyway, let’s go. Follow me.”
“I understand. Are you going straight to the… gathering place of the demon worshipers?”
“That’s right. Ah, but please make one correction. Not everyone is a demon worshiper. Most of the gathering participants are being deceived by the sweet talk of the demon worshipers.”
“I see. I understand. But even so, if a riot breaks out during the arrest operation, we will have no choice but to suppress it.”
“Well, not everything goes well. It can’t be helped.”

So, we followed Hildegard to the gathering place.

It seems to be held in the warehouse district again.

The night scenery was very dark, but people were gathering here and there. They were all workers who worked in this area, waiting and then heading to the gathering place.

That’s how they were able to hold the gathering secretly.

“Kat-nim, I think it’s that building over there this time.”
“I’m watching too.”

The irregular procession continued to the building in front. There were some people holding lanterns, so it was easy to see exactly where they were going. A guard was checking faces and letting people in.

“Priest. Is it that building?”
“That’s right. Do you remember the location?”
“Yes. For sure.”
“I will infiltrate directly from now on. Immediately inform the soldiers and come in while surrounding the area. Gatherings usually last for more than an hour… Can you do it?”
“Don’t worry. It’s just a matter of giving the order.”
“Then. I’ll start.”

The senior captain took his men and left.

“Hey, Hilde. There’s a demon in there, right?”
“Yes. For sure. Hmm, but it seems a little stronger than before? Of course, it doesn’t seem like it can beat Kat-nim.”

No problem.

“Did he gain some power in the meantime?”
“It seems so. If he can’t do that much when so many humans have gathered, he’s disqualified as a demon. Then let’s go in now.”

We waited until the number of people decreased a bit, and then we headed to the building with Hildegard in the lead.

“Hmm? Yoㅡ”
“ㅡShut up.”

Of course, entry was a free pass with Hildegard’s hypnosis magic.

ㅡBuzzing.

The inside was quite noisy. The number of people had increased in the meantime. I roughly measured the distance to the platform and drew a breakthrough route in my head.

“Kat, you can do it, right?”

Claudia whispered in my ear.

“Of course, I can. Take good care of Winia here. She might get swept away if people gather.”
“Darkie, are you worried about me?”
“I’m always worried.”

I plan to break through in a straight line and catch the ringleader as soon as the soldiers rush in.

He has accepted the power of the demon.

If I show that on the spot, I can quell the confusion of the gathering participants… or can I? I don’t know, damn it. I’ll leave the complicated stuff to the City Guard.

The most important thing is to show people that I’m making the arrest myself. Once I finish that, I’ll collect my reward and return to Isvant and report to the Saintess.

“Quiet!”

As I was doing that, the ringleader came up on the platform. The same person I’ve been seeing for the past few days. But for some reason, I feel a different energy today.

“Kat-nim, look. That human now…”
“Ah.”

It’s hidden by his clothes, but I can still tell.

ㅡJust by looking at him, his body was super healthy.

He was now wearing steel-like maximum muscles.

“Today, we were exploited again!”

He properly received the power of the demon.