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When the brief standoff between father and son finally came to an end, an awkwardness, as if they had made some unspoken agreement, rose to the faces of the two men as they finally became aware of the guests who had been watching them all along. Rasmus, pretending not to notice, kept clearing his throat with a series of “Ahem, hmm, hmm,” while Brantley couldn’t bring himself to lift his head, instead wiping his face. Sophia, with a subtle smile, spoke up.

“Anyway, you two can resolve your issues between yourselves. As you might have guessed, the reason I’ve come all the way to the royal city of the Kingdom of Dane is because this land is being targeted by demons.”

“Ahem… I assume you have solid evidence for this?”

“Of course. At first, it was just a hunch, but I became certain when I arrived at the port. If you wish, I can show you the evidence right now.”

“No, that won’t be necessary. If a Paladin of the Church is so certain, it would be foolish to demand proof. Very well. If you could explain the specific situation, I, Rasmus Somz, though past my prime, will do my best to assist.”

Though Rasmus spoke confidently, his decision was deeply rooted in the words of his second son, Brantley. In his heart, the father trusted that his son wouldn’t act without good reason.

Sophia, though she sensed Rasmus’s inner thoughts, pretended not to notice and nodded in agreement. Having lived a past life as a man, she could somewhat understand the heart of a father who didn’t want to show too much affection for his son.

After hearing from Sophia about the tragedy in Aarhus, the demonic aura detected in København, Malmö, and Gotland, and finally the things the group had seen and felt at the port of København, Rasmus sighed with a pale face.

“Damn, this is truly urgent. So, what can I do?”

“First, I’d like to ask for your help with København. Can you control the flow of people entering and leaving the port?”

The problem with the monsters in København’s port was that they were mingling freely with the citizens and outsiders under the guise of illusions. If the monsters started causing trouble, the unrest among the uncontrolled crowd would quickly lead to chaos throughout the city.

However, if at least the city’s citizens could be controlled, there would be some room to manage the situation. While it wouldn’t completely prevent damage, it would allow for a more manageable environment with fewer complications.

But things wouldn’t be that simple.

In response to Sophia’s question, Rasmus pondered for a moment, then nodded slowly before shaking his head.

“It’s not impossible, but it’s also not easy. Getting permission from the lord won’t be too difficult, but completely controlling the crowd is likely impossible.”

Rasmus’s words were straightforward and honest. København was a port city crucial to the Baltic trade network. From the wealthy to the day laborers, most of the city’s population relied on the port for their livelihoods. Asking them to stay away from the port, even for a day, would be met with resistance. And the number of security personnel needed for such control was beyond even Rasmus’s estimation, despite his experience as a former chancellor.

“Hmm, indeed. Then how about this?”

Sophia, seemingly expecting Rasmus’s dilemma, proposed an alternative plan. After hearing her explanation, Rasmus readily agreed that it was feasible.

“Next is the matter of what to do after resolving the immediate problem here in København. As I mentioned earlier, the demonic aura wasn’t just detected here. It was also sensed in Malmö, a port city in the Svea Union across the strait, and on the island of Gotland.”

At Sophia’s words, the expressions of those gathered in the reception room grew heavier. Demons, once they appeared, spread great calamity and twisted the innate destinies of people. Whether because they lacked destinies of their own, demons were particularly earnest in ruining the fates of humans.

With demons potentially lurking in three places, including København, and the group still tied down in one location, a sense of frustration naturally welled up.

“Anyway, that’s the situation. Naturally, once København’s issue is resolved, our next destination will be Malmö and Gotland. And since many of the monsters hiding in København are believed to have come from Malmö, the problems of the two cities are likely intertwined.”

“Of course. But if your schedule is as such…”

At that point, Rasmus realized what Sophia was expecting from him.

“Indeed, the influence of the Church is quite weak in the Svea Union and the Baltic coastal nations, including Gotland. There’s no unified channel for dialogue in these rural areas. I understand what needs to be done. Leave it to me. This is my area of expertise.”

“Then, I’ll leave it to you.”

What Sophia wanted from Rasmus was simple: to handle the diplomatic and strategic maneuvering with various influential figures and powerholders, allowing the group to move swiftly in response to the demons’ schemes.

And from the perspective of the Kingdom of Dane, this was a favorable proposal.

‘Malmö, along with København, occupies both ends of the Øresund Strait. And the Øresund Strait is a crucial gateway connecting the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. If we can exert influence over both cities, we could control the flow of goods between the two seas.’

Exerting influence over Malmö was something the Kingdom of Dane had long desired. If successful, the kingdom could quickly become a dominant power in the Baltic region.

‘Moreover, Gotland has always been a key stop for Baltic trade ships.’

Even if direct colonization was unrealistic, establishing political and diplomatic influence would be more than enough. If things went well and both the Øresund Strait and Gotland were secured, the Kingdom of Dane could position itself as the ruler of the Baltic, perhaps even as a king among kings.

The only thing lacking was the moral justification and pretext. If such a justification could be provided, the Kingdom of Dane would welcome it with open arms.

Sophia’s request was precisely that—a proposal that provided the necessary justification and pretext.

Cities and territories occupied by demons, and the journey to reclaim them, led by a Nun Knight, an expert in fighting the Great Demon, and her remarkable companions.

By acting on behalf of this group, the Kingdom of Dane could intimidate and coax the various powerholders and influential figures in the Baltic region, gaining significant political influence across the entire area.

From there, more conversations flowed between Sophia and Rasmus. Though not immediately apparent, these discussions were laden with dense political implications.

Naturally, the atmosphere in the room shifted from a simple, friendly gathering to something more akin to a meeting of shadowy figures plotting to conquer the world.

“Then, let’s proceed with this part as discussed.”

“Agreed. Let’s do as you’ve suggested.”

When the strangely tense yet oddly cheerful tea party finally ended, those present could finally relax, leaning back in their chairs and letting out sighs of relief.

“Phew…”

As Conra stretched his stiff neck and diaphragm, releasing the tension in his trapezius and back muscles, he suddenly noticed Maria sitting beside him.

‘Oh no, I’ve been so caught up in my own state that I haven’t been paying attention to Maria. Failing to look after my younger sister in a student-teacher context is a serious lapse…’

Looking at the table, the tea had gone cold, and the pile of pastries on the plate remained largely untouched. Conra himself wasn’t particularly fond of pastries, but Maria, his younger sister, quite enjoyed them.

Conra suddenly worried that Maria, caught up in the uncomfortable atmosphere, might have refrained from eating her favorite pastries.

As Conra glanced at Maria’s plate, his eyes widened, and he let out a soft chuckle. A faint smile escaped through his teeth.

‘Heh, this kid might be more of a big deal than I thought.’

Conra’s gaze fell on Maria, who, despite the serious and oppressive atmosphere, was happily munching on various pastries with a clean, carefree expression.

Conra smiled warmly, watching Maria enjoy her pastries. A warm, fuzzy feeling bubbled up in his chest. Unbeknownst to him, the others in the room, who had been tense from the meeting between Rasmus and Sophia, were also watching the young pair with warmth and affection.

After the meeting, Sophia left the Somz mansion and began walking through the streets of København. In her mind, she recalled the rough directions to the residence of ‘someone’ she had learned about through the Somz family’s servants.

+++++

A sunny morning.

Soren Christensen Hiltman, the young director of the København Detective Agency, was slicing bread to fill his empty stomach, savoring the sunlight streaming through the window as if tasting it.

“Mmm, today’s a lucky day.”

Slicing freshly baked rye bread from the bakers’ guild was a luxury for the citizens of København, something that happened maybe once every ten days.

After all, København was a big city. The population alone was easily around 40,000.

Supplying bread to this many people on time was impossible. Of course, the København Bakers’ Guild had the largest flour mill and ovens in the Kingdom of Dane, making it the largest bakers’ guild in the kingdom. But even so, some things were just not feasible.

If anything, the citizens should be grateful that they could get their hands on bread once every ten days.

Anyway, the young detective agency director, slicing the still-warm rye bread, began toasting it on a slightly heated iron plate. Once the outside was slightly crispy, he spread a lump of hardened pork fat on it and topped it with shredded pickled cabbage. It made for a decent breakfast.

If it were the usual hardened rye bread, he wouldn’t have even thought of adding vegetables. Instead, he would have had to make a hot stew to soften the bread. But today was an exception.

After all, who would make stew for breakfast when eating alone?

If it were a hot stew made by someone else after a night of heavy drinking, he would have welcomed it with open arms. But making stew alone for breakfast, sweating in front of the fire, seemed a bit excessive.

As he chewed the rye bread with pickled cabbage, he realized that freshly baked bread really was delicious.

The traditional Danish rye bread, rugbrød, was known to be relatively bland compared to other regional rye breads when hardened. But properly baked fresh bread was quite tasty.

Moreover, the rye bread from the København Bakers’ Guild was made with a mix of rye and wheat flour, using a unique yeast that gave it a distinct flavor, making it much tastier than regular rugbrød.

Added to that were the grains like oats and barley, and nuts like chestnuts, pine nuts, walnuts, and macadamia, giving it a rich, crunchy texture. For rye bread, it was quite luxurious.

With the savory melted pork fat, even though the only topping was pickled cabbage, the flavors exploded richly in his mouth.

As the man, Soren Christensen Hiltman, director of the København Detective Agency, enjoyed his breakfast of rye bread and herbal tea, his gaze suddenly turned toward the northeast, toward the port. At that moment, his nose wrinkled without him realizing it.

“Damn, I’ve lost my appetite.”

With a click of his tongue, Soren, who had been enjoying his meal just moments ago, unceremoniously tossed the rye bread into the trash. Not satisfied, he spat out the saliva in his mouth and rinsed it with herbal tea. Then, as if nothing had happened, he started his day. The only unusual thing was that he never looked toward the port again.

Grabbing his coat from a hanger in the corner, the man put on a hat with a brim and left the room.

Anyway, another day had begun, and it was time for the detective agency director to head to work.

 

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