Chapter 96
“Come this way.”
Mikael grimaced with disgust. It was the overwhelming scent of the Madame’s perfume.
Using a faint divine power, he neutralized the toxins mixed within the perfume and followed Madame deeper into the establishment.
“Here, you can choose from these. All these girls are trained in feigning pregnancy. Naturally, the better-looking ones are more expensive.”
Mikael had stumbled upon this place by chance.
While incognito and roaming the streets, he overheard a conversation about ‘Madame Étoile’s women’ at a bar.
He traced the rumors back to a broker who facilitated these meetings, leading to this face-to-face meeting.
For precaution, Mikael was wearing a mask covering more than half of his face and had pulled his hood deep over his head.
“How would you like to make the down payment?”
“With diamonds.”
“They are clean and untraceable, I presume?”
Madame Étoile chuckled as she took the pouch from him. Greed filled her eyes as she verified the quality of the diamonds, then she nodded her approval.
After the overpriced women were dismissed, only one remained.
She was the most loveliest-looking of them all.
“Iona, you are finally leaving this place. Come and greet him.”
Iona had large, doe-like eyes, pale skin, and chestnut hair that fell to her waist.
Her dimples when she smiled and the way her eyes crinkled and her narrow shoulder made her look exceedingly delicate and fragile.
Her beauty was such that it wouldn’t be surprising if the Grand Duke spent a night with her.
“Hello, master. My name is Iona.”
Her tone was soothing, suggesting she had been well-trained, at least on the surface.
“Thanks for buying me. Because of you, I get to see the outside world. I have been here since I was born.”
“…Tsk.”
However, the cheapness of her language was unavoidable.
Mikael felt disgusted at the choice of words by Madame and the girl. Having been raised only around pristine and proper surroundings, he couldn’t help but feel this innate aversion.
Since he had paid the money, what he had bought was his, leaving no room for criticism.
There wasn’t a different way to describe this action. It was not a rescue.
“Send her to Niflheim’s main castle, properly prepared, in two days.”
With his expression hardened, Mikael turned sharply and walked away after his blunt command.
“Understood.”
Madame Étoile cackled, rubbing her palms together, while Iona politely bowed with her hands together.
Mikael exited the brothel quickly, his face contorting with disgust.
‘He’s a lowly mercenary. Who knows where or who he had been with.’
No one is ignorant of the fact that this group behaves like dogs in heat. There is no way they would bother to remember every woman they pass. Therefore, his plan was not entirely far-fetched.
If Iona performed well….perhaps he could achieve his objective.
* * *
Everyone in the world lives with a purpose.
Prince Loki wanted recognition from his father.
He did not aspire to become the Emperor but was desperate to escape a life overshadowed by his siblings.
For that, he needed his father’s support more than anyone else’s.
Though proud of his status as a prince, he sometimes wished to go to another country.
Discussing the Emperor of Asgarden’s goals would be boringly predictable. Like all rulers before him, he was merely following the same old concerns.
Only without the evil dragon could they disrupt the northern forces. So for now, he supports efforts to eliminate the dragon. That’s as far as it goes.
If an opportunity arises, he wouldn’t hesitate to send the imperial knights and the military to forcibly subdue the North.
Thinking of the Emperor idly dreaming with his saggy belly, Mikael felt a wave of nausea.
The important point here is that while ordinary people’s purposes often yield trivial outcomes, the goals of those in power can shake the entire world.
What, then, is the purpose of the church?
While one might typically think of royalty or nobility when discussing the power holders of Asgarden, a deeper look reveals that it is the church that holds significant influence over them.
The church’s singular aim was to install a puppet emperor and then seize complete control over the empire’s actual power.
To Mikael, this goal seemed tediously boring.
Most members of the church were deluded into believing they were morally superior.
They believed it was their duty to enlighten the barbaric people. For this ‘enlightenment,’ they felt political power was necessary.
To Mikael, it was amusing how they divided themselves into hierarchies, even though, in the eyes of their god, all were equally barbaric.
In his view, emperors and priests were all the same.
‘Like animals being played without even knowing who set the board.’
That night, Mikael sat alone, sipping wine and chuckling silently.
Above the goals of various groups, he stood. This realization gave him a thrilling pleasure.
‘It’s funny, really. There was never a prophecy to begin with. How foolish they are, dancing to a fake prophecy.’
Indeed, that was the case.
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