NOVGO.NET Chapter 306: Sudden Tension! Contact?
Chapter 306: Sudden Tension! Contact?
Chapter 306
The demoness kept talking, her sweet tone laced with a faint arrogance, unaware of the subtle calculations turning behind Oliver’s still expression.
She explained the city’s customs, the curfews, the trade routes, even the grand festivals held in honor of their newly promoted lord. Most of it was surface-level information—the kind shared by those who liked to hear themselves talk—but it was enough.
Enough for Oliver to begin mapping the city’s veins, tracing the invisible hierarchy present in the city.
When she finally stopped to sip her drink, her eyes flicked toward him. “Well, that’s enough about me. What kind of mercenaries are you?”
Oliver’s gaze shifted briefly toward Agnes, who sat quietly beside him, her hands folded neatly, her eyes half-lidded and unreadable. Then he turned back, his voice steady. “We take on requests from clients.”
“Requests? Of what kind?” she asked curiously.
“There are many,” Oliver replied smoothly. “But we specialize in bounty hunting, beast extermination, debt collection… and a few other specialized tasks, depending on the situation.”
The words rolled off his tongue effortlessly—a seamless performance honed through necessity. Lying had become instinct to him, at least he liked to think such.
The demoness leaned back, her eyes narrowing slightly as if trying to peel back the layers of his composure. “I see. That explains your confidence.”
Oliver smiled faintly beneath his hood, saying nothing.
Inside, however, his mind was moving faster than ever—assembling fragments, categorizing facts, analyzing tone and subtext. If the lord here had only recently ascended to power, that meant the political balance was still in flux. Fragile. And fragile systems… were the easiest to infiltrate.
Given the ’deed’ he had done prior and his recent promotion, it would soon become chaotic.
“You both look quite capable.” The demoness’s lips curved into a smirk, her tone carrying a deliberate ambiguity, as if she was subtly pointing something.
Oliver caught the hidden barb instantly. She wasn’t praising them. She just discretly mentioned their oddity, perhaps hoping to get him to talk more.
He didn’t rise to the bait.
“Do you mind if we exchange contacts? I feel I could use your services someday. Of course, it goes without saying the tasks would be worth your interest.” She smiled, her eyes glittering with intent.
’Contacts?’ Oliver’s brow twitched beneath the hood. ’How is she planning to do that?’
The question answered itself a moment later when she drew a sleek device from her storage artifact—thin, metallic, humming faintly with energy.
’…Ah. Right. That thing.’
He had completely forgotten about the Exorcist Web, buried under the chaos of recent events.
If humans had their own encrypted network to communicate and coordinate, why wouldn’t demons have developed something similar?
After all, the war between their races was ancient, and only fools underestimated the intelligence of their enemies.
Demons weren’t brainless beasts; they were cunning, adaptive, and frighteningly creative when it came to survival. Imitating or enhancing technology wasn’t beyond them, it was expected.
Still, Oliver remembered that humans remained leaps ahead in most intellectual disciplines. The difference was monumental. And yet, it wasn’t intellect alone that determined victory, it was how one used it.
Now came the real problem: what should he do?
He had no idea how this demon network functioned. Judging by how casually she’d pulled out the device, it seemed ubiquitous—something every noble likely carried.
But the issue ran deeper than ignorance. He was an exorcist—a human—an enemy. Connecting to a demon network was not just reckless; it was suicidal.
He could still recall the day Jenna had given him access to the Exorcist Web, the faint connection that bound the device to his signature.
There was no mistaking the contrast between holy and demonic signals. If this thing scanned his energy… he’d be exposed instantly.
“Well?” The demoness’s voice rang, stopping his spiraling thoughts, laced with amusement. “Cat got your tongue?”
She made a joke.
“Sure,” Oliver said lightly, his tone even. “Give me your username. I’ll connect with you.”
He didn’t move to retrieve any device of his own—a deliberate decision. If her tech had even the faintest energy recognition feature, he couldn’t risk it.
Or worse, if they recognized the device was human technology, he would be instantly discovered.
“…Ah.” A flicker of disappointment crossed her face. To her, it must have seemed like mistrust—even after their long, pleasant conversation.
Oliver stayed silent. He could practically feel the shift in her mood, but silence was better than a mistake. He wouldn’t compromise his cover, not for politeness, not for pride.
“You’ve been quite disrespectful to the lady.”
The sharp voice broke the air like a blade. The guard, who had been quietly watching, finally spoke—his crimson eyes hard, his tone dripping with restrained anger.
Oliver sighed inwardly. So it begins.
He’d expected this—the pride, the posturing. Demons always wore arrogance like jewelry. And it was worse with nobles, be it humans or demons.
He wanted to avoid any sort of drama so early.
“Oh, it’s fine,” the demoness said before the tension could escalate. “I don’t mind.”
Her voice was soft but carried command. The guard stiffened, his hand twitched.
“But, miss—!” He stopped himself mid-sentence, took a steadying breath, and lowered his gaze. “I understand.”
Oliver who observed the scene was instantly interested, his respect for her rose slightly.
She hadn’t raised her voice, hadn’t needed to. That kind of composure, it was born from confidence.
The demoness returned her focus to him with a polite smile. “So, where were we? Ah, yes. My username is…” She told him directly.
Her tone was measured now, layered with something new—a quiet curiosity, perhaps even interest.
Oliver memorized the details while maintaining his calm facade. He had misjudged her.
Initially, he’d dismissed her as another shallow aristocrat, but her restraint and intuition made him realize his mistake.
She had control, and that made her dangerous.
It was always the calm ones that were the most manipulative.
____________________
Join for FREE at: /WinterDragon573