And if mankind needed someone like that…
Right now, he was the only one who fit the bill. The military and the Holy Knights were caught up in a frenzy, trying to exterminate the Demon Blight, their passion for war blinding them to reason. Only Kormadino and a handful of like-minded individuals among the coexisters had the presence of mind to do what needed to be done. And that was why they had to succeed.
After a long pause, Mirose reached for her glass atop the table and took a sip of wine. “Let’s continue with the plan, Governor-General. What do you say?”
“A wise choice. I will continue as planned.”
“But there are issues you can’t ignore. That disagreeable bunch of fools have already started meddling. I’m talking about the penal heroes, of course…”
“I’m well aware of what they’re capable of.”
Even Tovitz Hughker seemed to see them as a threat.
Kormadino scoffed inwardly. The penal heroes had no social standing. They were nothing but a band of misfits caught up in their own delusions.
“For now, I am using Gwen Mohsa to distract Xylo Forbartz. They should have no problem keeping him busy, and they might even manage to kill him for us.”
Tovitz had foreseen that several members of the sect would be captured and subsequently interrogated, and he’d known that at least one of them would crack. That was all part of the plan. It was just about time to get rid of them, too. He’d tasked the Uthob Front, Unit 7110 with the mission of exterminating both them and the penal heroes in one fell swoop. Even if the heroes were somehow revived, by the time they were all patched up, it would be far too late to interfere with the outcome of the divine election. The results were now set in stone.
“I have already prepared a decoy for the Holy Knights and Galtuile as well. The penal heroes were our only remaining concern, but it’s only Xylo Forbartz that poses a problem in terms of force. Their goddess cannot harm people, so she isn’t a threat. I have taken care of everything.”
It was unfortunate, but some aggressive tactics had to be implemented.
“Luffe Aros is tomorrow, and High Priest Ibuton will be eliminated by the morning.”
“…What are you going to do about his guards? I heard he hired quite a number of soldiers.”
“That will not be a problem. I told you already, I have taken care of everything. I have hired the Emerald Finger, a group of assassins from the west, and they have already infiltrated the enemy.”
The only problem left was the penal heroes’ commander. Venetim Leopool was a man shrouded in mystery, even to Kormadino. The fact that he had somehow managed to influence Verkle Corp and thrust Nicold Ibuton into the limelight was frankly alarming. Who knew what unconventional tactics or unexpected reserves he might be hiding?
That said, at the end of the day, he’s nothing but a con man. Surely, all he has up his sleeves are a few dirty tricks…
Kormadino could still afford to put on a relaxed smile. He would never show weakness in front of one of his fellow conspirators.
“You have nothing to worry about,” he assured Mirose. “Just focus on your acceptance speech.”
“You said you’ve secured the votes of fifteen high priests. That’s certainly enough to win, but can you guarantee they won’t betray us?”
“You are aware I run a hospital, yes? Well, as it happens, those high priests have family being treated there. Children, elderly parents, and so on.”
The hospital offered one-of-a-kind treatment, thanks to a certain demon lord disguised as a human that Kormadino had been keeping. This demon lord had the power both to create and to cure illnesses. Because of this special situation, Kormadino had absolute confidence that their current supporters would remain loyal.
“I keep a special demon lord hidden there, and as long as I have him, then every one of our patients is essentially a hostage. If they wish to protect their family, these high priests have no choice but to help us.”
“…All that’s left are the undecided voters. I doubt they’ll make much of a difference, given our current lead, but…”
“I haven’t forgotten about them. As far as I can tell, there are only five high priests who are still undecided, and their decision is likely to depend on the will of the laity.”
All five of them were self-made individuals. Without a domain of their own or the backing of a noble family, they’d had to climb through the Temple’s ranks based only on their own skills and ability to come out on top in internal power struggles. They depended on donations and offerings from the laity for support and thus were easily swayed by popular opinion. For that reason, they were unlikely to align themselves with the losing side. On the day of the election, they would see how the tides were turning and vote accordingly.
“I have prepared a plan to gain mass popular support on the day of the election. We will use the Saint. I’m sure we’ll have their votes, and that will make twenty. We can’t lose.”
“…I hope you’re right.”
Mirose closed her eyes. She was a bit of a worrywart, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. It was proof she was facing reality, unlike those optimistic fools. That was why Kormadino had chosen her as his winning pawn.
I will come out on top. I’ll face reality head-on and ensure mankind’s survival.
He would stop at nothing to achieve his goal, even if it meant sacrificing thousands, no—tens of thousands.
Men like me will be the true saviors of the Federated Kingdom.
That much Kormadino was sure of.
“May the goddesses’ grace be with us.”