I Became the Narrow-Eyed Villain in a Dropped Novel

Wilhelm Rede.

He was the leader of a band of thieves that had stirred up the Empire, which had fallen into chaos after Blaiher was killed by Valheit.

He was fated to be subjugated by the Dukes, but the Three Blades took him in under the pretext that he was good for tying up the Demon Tribe's feet.

He was nothing more than a meat shield, treated poorly and of low quality.

A guy like that came for an interview?

“Next person, please come in.”

Whether he knew of my concerns or not, Ede cheerfully called in the interviewee.

All the previous applicants had been duds, and the last one remaining was Wilhelm.

‘Let's at least see his face.’

The description of Wilhelm was that he had black hair and looked vile.

Considering he spat out curses every time he spoke and committed all sorts of atrocities with a straight face, he must have a wicked appearance to match.

“My name is Wilhelm Rede.”

“Yep! Please make yourself comfortable and have a seat.”

The black-haired man bowed his head and sat down.

This is a bit different from what I expected.

Since he was a bandit leader, I thought he'd be a bit bigger, but on the contrary, he looked scrawny.

It wasn't just his appearance that looked scrawny.

The way he fidgeted with his hands, full of nervousness, was just like looking at a fresh graduate entering the workforce.

“Is there a reason you applied to the Count's Shadow Corps?”

As I remained silent like before, Ede took the initiative and started conducting the interview.

“I figured I wouldn't starve if I worked under the Count.”

“Hmm, I'll write down my economic motivation. Are you in a difficult financial situation right now?”

“Yes, well… you could say I ran away from the place I used to live. I came to the Imperial Capital, but I didn't know what to do when I saw the recruitment notice.”

“Where did you come from and why? A simple disagreement? Or did you want to go to the Imperial Capital to realize your ambitions?”

“No, it's just the orphanage was suffocating.”

Wilhelm answered the questions, which could have sounded rude, clearly and articulately.

Hmm did he just go astray because he had an unfortunate childhood?

“Do you have any special skills?”

“I know how to do things like stealing, lockpicking, pickpocketing, and trap making. I also know how to take care of no, catch people.”

I take back my previous thought.

What kind of orphanage did he grow up in?

“You're very versatile! Do you have any experience? You don't have to answer if it's difficult to talk about.”

Ede, asking with a bright face even after hearing such suspicious skills, didn't seem like a normal person either.

“I followed my father on a few, um practical exercises.”

“How were the results?”

“We stole quite a bit. I mean, it was a successful operation.”

It seems he was in a band of thieves, not an orphanage.

Since he calls him father, I wonder if he was the heir to the bandit group.

Or does he just call the leader father?

“Don't you think he's the best one we've had so far, Your Excellency?”

“I have no idea what makes you say that.”

“At least he has one definite skill. And it's not like we only do upright things all the time.”

At the words that they don't only do upright things, Wilhelm's eyes sparkled.

‘No matter how I look at it, this seems dangerous.’

“All our members are from Chartra, so we lack those kinds of skills. I think we need a technician like Mr. Wilhelm.”

Hearing it like that, it did sound plausible.

Including Ede, all the current members are pure warriors.

Considering the tasks I'll have them do in the future, it wouldn't be bad to have a rogue-type character.

Though the fact that it's Wilhelm Rede bothers me a little.

“If the commander is fine with it, then I'm fine with it too.”

“Then….”

“Yes. Welcome to the Count's Shadow Corps, Mr. Wilhelm.”

Wilhelm's face lit up.

The anxious look he had just a moment ago was suddenly gone.

“You must have been quite desperate.”

“Uh, was it that obvious? Well, I haven't eaten anything for two days. I was thinking I might have to go back to the orphanage if I couldn't get a job here.”

“Mr. Ede, please show him to the dining hall.”

After Wilhelm left, filled with expectations, I checked the roster of the Count's Shadow Corps.

Including the newcomer Wilhelm, that makes 6 people.

It's still too few to be used properly.

Where should I recruit?

We have enough military power, so I'd like to pick shady types.

If there's a place crawling with guys like that, it would have to be the Northern Federation.

If I ask Cesare, he might give me a useful person or two.

While I'm there, I should check on Noah too.

It's been quite a while since the chapter count, which had been smoothly climbing towards 150, stopped.

It's good for me since my death day is being pushed back, but something might have happened to Noah.

If the protagonist suddenly dies, I have no idea what will happen in the future.

My plans to use the protagonist would also go up in smoke.

“Butler, please prepare a carriage for the Northern Federation.”

“Yes, sir.”

I hope it's nothing serious.

No, whenever I think like this, a problem always occurs.

Let's think positively, positively.

***

The Northern Federation, which I visited again, was still swirling with snow.

Still, it's a relief that the period of the heaviest snow has passed.

“So, you're saying you can't find where he went.”

“That's right. I expected him to pass through the port, so I placed my men everywhere, but there's been no harvest.”

“Is there any chance he's already left the Federation?”

“Probably not. There are few smugglers who would miss a group of Demons traveling together.”

It's not as bad as I expected, but it's not good either.

Normally, this would be the time he starts to confront Cesare.

Is the chapter count not changing because he's not fighting with Cesare?

“The last time he was confirmed, he was taking care of the remnants of the human traffickers. Physically, that is.”

Cesare grinned and made a throat-slitting gesture.

It seems it was worth handing over the copy of the ledger.

If things had gone as expected, he should have already left the Federation following the clues I left behind.

Did an accident happen?

Or does the story not progress without a fight with Cesare?

Various theories came to mind, but none were certain.

In the end, to find the answer, I had to find Noah.

There are still a few weeks until the Eight Council meeting, so it's best to resolve this now.

“By the way.”

Cesare cautiously opened his mouth, stubbing out his burnt-down cigarette.

I quickly realized what he wanted to ask.

“Yes, that's right. I am attending this Eight Council meeting.”

“To think that Demon bastard would actually tell the truth. I'll have to attend this time.”

“Do you not usually go?”

“There's no one who attends consistently. They usually just send a proxy and that's it. Well, as you know, the Commander is gone, so there's no reason to gather, is there.”

“Is that so?”

The Commander's absence was felt again in a place like this.

I don't know what he's wandering around for, but I'd be more at ease if he returned quickly.

“It'll be different this time, though. Because the Acting Commander is attending. They'll show their faces out of curiosity, if nothing else.”

I slowly recalled what the Eight Council members were like in the original work.

The only one who could be called normal was Til.

A sigh naturally escaped me as I saw the difficult path ahead.

As if he understood the meaning of the sigh, Cesare burst into a hearty laugh.

“I guarantee it, it'll be worse than you think.”

“That's enough with the well-wishes, let's go back to talking about the Demons. Are there any clues to find them?”

“There are no clues if we try to find them first. However….”

“Can we make them come to us first?”

“If we summon one of the barons who supported human trafficking to the capital and leak that information, he'll be hooked. Because those guys hate them as much as I do.”

It wasn't a bad plan.

It would be sufficient with a little more MSG.

“Please also spread the word that Count Valheit will personally bring the baron.”

“Personally? There's no need for that.”

“And a rumor that a pardon will be discussed.”

“For the slave trade?”

Cesare frowned.

I made a gesture to show that I understood.

It's a matter of pride for the boss of the Federation's underworld, not just personal feelings.

“If the baron who came rushing at the news of a pardon dies on the road, wouldn't everyone clearly understand the message Boss Cesare is sending.”

“Hmm.”

Cesare, who tilted his head for a moment, took out another cigarette.

“If that's the case, I have a suitable guy. He survived by calling out the names of his slave trader colleagues, and he's so vicious I was planning to deal with him eventually.”

“You just left him alone until now?”

“His turn just hadn't come yet. His colleagues who made dirty money with him either died in accidents or were hanged by Demons.”

Cesare blew out cigarette smoke with a satisfied smile.

“He's probably terrified, wondering when his turn will come. If there's talk of a pardon, he'll come here without looking back.”

“Good. I'll leave the preparation of the bait to you. I'll get ready to clean it up.”

“I'll contact you in two days at the earliest. Hey!”

As Cesare shouted, three subordinates who were waiting outside came in immediately.

They all looked at least 10 years older than Cesare, but none of them could properly raise their heads in front of their young boss.

Leaving Cesare, who was giving instructions in a hard-to-understand northern dialect, I stepped out of the room and heard a bright voice that didn't fit the gloomy atmosphere at all.

“Did you have a good talk, Your Excellency. You fit in well even in this gloomy and criminal atmosphere!”

“Is that a compliment?”

“Of course! Do you think I'd badmouth my employer? I used to compete for 1st and 2nd place at the Chartra training hall, you know. In my third year, I was even….”

Ede nodded his head vigorously and suddenly started bragging.

His energy is still hard to keep up with.

“Where is Mr. Wilhelm?”

“Ah, he went to see if he could find any talent worth recruiting. He said he's used to this kind of atmosphere.”

“You sent him alone.”

“No. I sent all the other members with him.”

Thinking of the black-haired boy wandering through the black market, surrounded by four grim swordsmen, I thought it would be quite an interesting sight.

“I hope he doesn't bring back any riffraff.”

“In case he did, I explained to him what kind of people not to pick, and what kind are okay! They can't be too righteous, they can't lack loyalty, they must have outstanding skill, and also ....”

“Are you going to list them all?”

“Ahem. I'll stop here. Your Excellency, where are you heading now?”

It would take time for Wilhelm to choose, so I was thinking of making other preparations.

“I'm going to buy a gift.”

“A gift? Who is it for? Could it be Lady Til….”

“It's for someone I'll meet during the mission.”

I don't know what Noah's situation is, but if he's stagnating because he's not fighting Cesare, I had to give him a push.

But before that….

“First, I need to make some money.”

“Pardon? Doesn't it just come out of your pocket when you pull it out?”

“The headquarters' budget has hit rock bottom from reconciling those two damn comrades. I don't have that much cash on me right now.”

“Making money at a gambling den, even for you, Your Excellency doesn't that sound a bit impossible?”

“We'll see.”

I gave a light smile and went out into the street.

My seed money wasn't large, so I planned to hit a small place first.

***

I walked into a gambling den with a shabby sign and watched for a moment how the game was played.

I skipped the card games for now.

Because even Valheit couldn't see through flipped cards.

Clatter.

The cheerful sound of dice rolling could be heard.

“Alright! The sum of the three dice is 11!

“Son of a bitch! Isn't this a scam?”

“Hey, haven't you won quite a lot? It's difficult for us if you only call it a scam when you lose. If you have a complaint, you can discuss it with our security guards.”

The dealer deftly deflected the customer's curse.

The customer, who had clearly lost everything, couldn't even argue back and shot up from his seat.

Since a seat had just opened up, I naturally sat down.

The dealer saw new prey and smiled, baring his teeth.

“Well, hello there. You were watching from the back, so you know the rules, right? The customers take turns setting the range and the stakes, and the others can either follow or fold. It's a great way to make easy money.”

I smiled in response and looked at the dealer.

The dealer, momentarily flustered by my face, turned his head away.

“Ahem, ahem. Then shall we begin!!”

***

“Um… sir.”

“It's the turn of the person next to me to bet.”

“No, that's not the problem… haven't you made enough money? We'll give you plenty of free drinks, so if you could move to another table….”

A pile of money was stacked next to Valheit, and Ede was busy counting the amount.

He would lose and win repeatedly, but when it came to a big pot, he would invariably win, as if he were possessed by a ghost.

They had called security and searched his body, but there was nothing suspicious.

At this point, there was no choice but to kick him out.

Otherwise, the dice thrower would be beaten to death by the boss.

“I don't need free drinks. But I think it is about time I got up.”

“Oh, of course. With your luck today, you'll do well in other things too.”

As Valheit finally got up from his seat, the dice thrower, who was dripping with cold sweat, nodded his head repeatedly.

At Valheit's gesture, Ede swept the money into a bag.

Valheit, who was leaving with the bursting bag, stopped for a moment.

“Mr. Dice Man.”

“Yes?”

“Next time, try using loaded dice that make less noise. It's obvious.”

After a moment of silence, the small gambling den erupted into chaos.

Dodging the rain of blows, the dice thrower desperately looked for where that customer had gone.

But the sight of the man with his eyes closed and a gentle smile was nowhere to be found.