Lord of The Red Planet

"What do you think of my plan?" Arthur looked at Emma, who was sitting across the table.

"I think Lord Arthur's idea is excellent and brilliant." Emma cut the meat on her plate with a graceful motion. "So, what name does My Lord wish to give this company?"

Arthur thought for a moment, then answered, "How about Avalon?"

Hearing that name, Emma stopped eating and thought. "So… My Lord wishes to use this name to lure out the Avalon players, is that it?"

"Correct," Arthur replied in a serious tone. "Right now, we know nothing about the existence of Avalon players on Earth. So, if any players are baited by the appearance of this company, that situation would be far better than if we were to find them by accident."

That's right. Finding Avalon players unprepared would be very dangerous, especially if we don't know whether the player is an enemy or not.

But, from all the information I've gathered, this Earth, apart from the absence of the Game Avalon, is exactly the same. Its history is the same, no differences.

So, if I draw a conclusion… either Avanheim was the first to arrive in this world, or the other players are in hiding?

The first possibility felt more likely. He himself didn't believe that people with superpowers would just sit back and not cause chaos. Humans, when they feel superior, tend to show off their strength.

Besides… what is the real cause of all this? A World Class Item?

According to the general background of the anime or fantasy works he had read, the cause of events like this was usually either someone summoning them here, or the game itself being unusual. But, if the first theory is correct, then who summoned us? And if the second is correct, then Avalon II and the other derivative games created based on Avalon's data would never have existed.

Both of these theories could be set aside.

Damn… it's so confusing.

"By the way, I want to replace Octavia with Betta, and Jarvis as well." Arthur changed the subject. For now, think about what can be thought about. The cause of all this… can wait.

"I think that's a good idea. Betta has a mind-control skill, and her class will also be very helpful in managing that company." Emma smiled faintly.

Arthur also nodded. Betta did have a very useful Class for information-gathering missions.

"By the way, My Lord. Do you wish to separate this Avalon Company from the company that will be managed by that person named Ayato?" Emma asked with a curious expression.

"Correct. Although both are equally illegal, the Avalon company will be far more dangerous and illegal in the eyes of humans." Arthur played with his spoon on the table. "A country's revenue, a large part of it, comes from taxes and international trade. What if there was an entity that could bypass all of that?"

"They would immediately find out… and eliminate it?" Emma replied with an uncertain expression.

Arthur nodded. "Correct. For humans, especially the rulers, taxes are very important. After all, they are paid from tax money, right? If many people don't pay taxes, where would they get their salaries?"

"So that's it… incredible. As expected of Lord Arthur." Emma's face turned red with happiness at being able to hear the explanation directly from her master.

"Uh… yeah." Arthur's face felt stiff with embarrassment at the excessive praise. "Alright, that's enough talk for now."

He rose from his chair and walked away from the luxurious, old-European-style restaurant.

…

Arthur stood in front of a penthouse in Shinjuku with Betta.

"Alright, let's go in," he said, turning to the maid.

Then, the two of them walked toward the apartment's entrance gate. There, they were stopped by a slightly fierce-faced, dark-skinned security guard in a black uniform.

"You two, stop. You need a permit to enter here."

Hearing that, a cynical smile formed on Arthur's face.

"Do it, Betta," he commanded.

The security guard, seeing Arthur's expression, immediately became wary. He was about to reach for the taser in his pocket, but Betta was already in front of him. Her hand touched the guard's face, and the man's body instantly froze.

"Skill: Mind Manipulation… successful," Betta said with a joyful face.

She lowered her hand and jumped back to Arthur's side.

"What happened? Hmm? Lord Arthur and Lady Betta?" The security guard suddenly knelt when he saw the two of them.

Hmm, so it's different from Emma's mind-control magic? The side effect of the spell Emma used on Yamada was that his expression became vacant, like a living corpse.

Even a fool would know something was wrong with him.

But Betta's skill isn't like that. It's like the effect of the eye powers I've seen in anime. There are no signs of mind control; his expression looks normal. He just seems to regard us as very important people.

"Alright. Call the owner of this luxury apartment. Tell him that Arthur Leonhart wants to see him," Arthur said in a flat tone.

"Sir! Understood, sir! Please wait!" The security guard immediately went into his guard post and hurriedly contacted his superior.

"Good work, Betta. As expected of your Mind Demon race." That's right, Betta's race is Mind Demon, a demon race that specializes in mental abilities.

"It was nothing, My Lord. What's so great about manipulating the mind of a weak human like him?" Betta looked with disgust at the man inside the guard post.

"Haha, you've got a point." Arthur laughed a little at that.

In his previous life, he had often been treated poorly by security guards. He just wanted to ask about a job opening at a factory, but the guard immediately shooed him away and looked at him like trash.

Just a security guard! Acting like he owns the company!

"Make him commit suicide by running into a truck. Make it look like an accident," Arthur requested coldly.

"As expected of you, My Lord! I admire you!" Betta, hearing this, was instantly overjoyed. It had been a long time since she had killed a human.

Then, Arthur saw Jarvis and Octavia walking toward them. The two of them were no longer in their combat attire, but in casual clothes. Jarvis wore a white t-shirt and black pants, while Octavia wore black shorts and a tucked-in white linen shirt. She also wore transparent silver-framed glasses, her hair in a ponytail.

The two of them looked like a wealthy couple.

"My Lord, welcome to the Sakura Apartments," Jarvis and Octavia greeted. they knelt as soon as they approached.

"Raise your heads. We'll talk inside," Arthur said.

"In that case, follow us," Octavia said. Her eyes briefly caught the figure of a pink-haired girl in casual clothes. Betta? Why is she here? And with Lord Arthur?

Betta just waved her hand with a mischievous smile.

We walked toward the apartment. Suddenly, he heard a child's voice.

"Mommy, look! Those big kids have weird ears, like the elf ears I see in anime."

"Kouta, don't talk like that!" The child's mother quickly covered her son's mouth, then smiled awkwardly and apologized to us. "Please forgive my son's rude words."

"It's alright. Besides, what he said is true." Instead of getting angry, Arthur approached the child and crouched in front of him with a smile.

"Mister, are you an elf?" the child asked.

Seeing such an innocent gaze, Arthur couldn't help but feel a warmth in his heart. "No. But I am an angel," he denied with a smile. "And this is for you."

Arthur gave him a new, expensive-looking red toy car.

"Whoa! Isn't this that new remote-controlled jeep?!" Kouta immediately took the toy car and exclaimed in shock. He then looked at him with a doubtful expression, as if asking, is this really for me?

Seeing that look, Arthur smiled. "Of course."

Yes, that's right. It should be like this. This is what I always wanted to do if I ever became rich. Seeing the happy smiles on children's faces, helping people in need.

At least… this is what a person should do, right?

"Mister, may I know your name?" Kouta asked hesitantly.

"My name is Arthur Leonhart. Remember it well, okay. It's nice to meet you, Kouta." After saying that, Arthur stood up and walked away, leaving the child's mother who was just standing there, unable to believe what had just happened.

"Thank you for the gift, Mr. Leonhart!"

Hearing the thanks from the mother and child, he turned and waved to them.

He touched his left ear and felt its slightly pointed shape. This was a characteristic of the Angel race. Fortunately, these ears weren't as pointed as the ears of elves in other anime.

Arthur saw that Betta also had pointed ears like him. Except for Octavia, everyone here had pointed ears. Octavia, because her race was a homunculus that mimicked humans, had no non-human body parts.

But why didn't anyone ask about this last night? Is it because at night, people don't pay as much attention? Arthur thought, confused.

"My Lord, why did you give that little boy a gift?" Betta asked with a strange expression.

Arthur turned to Betta, his face adorned with a smile. "I just enjoy seeing children smile."

Seeing her master's face, illuminated by the morning sun and gently caressed by the wind, Betta was stunned for a moment.

So… this is Lord Arthur's kindness….

The journey to the penthouse felt short. A private elevator took them silently to the top floor of the skyscraper. When the elevator doors opened with a soft ding, a familiar yet strange sight greeted Arthur.

The interior of the penthouse was the embodiment of minimalist modern luxury. The floor was made of perfectly polished, pale gray marble, reflecting the light from a row of downlights in the ceiling. The walls were predominantly a clean white, creating a sense of vast, open space.

In the center of the living room, a massive cream-colored leather sofa stretched out, facing a giant glass wall that displayed a view of Tokyo from above.

In front of the sofa was a 98-inch Samsung OLED 8K television, its thin screen looking like a black painting on the wall.

Below it, a small table held a brand new PlayStation 4 Pro and PlayStation 5 Pro, with controllers neatly arranged on a charging dock.

This… is exactly like the dream apartment I used to see on TikTok. Something I could only dream of while eating instant noodles in my cramped room. And now… it's mine.

"A good view," Arthur said, his voice echoing softly in the spacious room. He walked toward the glass wall, placing his hand on the cool surface.

"Jarvis, where is Yamada?" he asked without turning.

"My Lord, we have secured Yamada," Jarvis replied respectfully from behind him. "Octavia is currently holding him in one of the guest rooms after he tried to escape on our way here."

Arthur smiled faintly. "I expected as much. He would do that."

Fortunately, I had Octavia and Jarvis watch him. If not, it might have caused a troublesome problem.

He looked outside. From this height, Tokyo in the daytime looked like an intricate miniature city. A river of cars flowed endlessly on the concrete streets, skyscrapers soared into the bright blue sky, and in the distance, he could even see the faint silhouette of Mount Fuji.

This view was so beautiful, so full of life… and so fragile.

Ahh, I never thought I'd be able to see Tokyo in person, let alone from one of the most luxurious apartments here.

It really is just like in the anime…. He couldn't help but smile happily at the sight of it all.

It would be fun if I could meet people from my old country and talk to them.

Alright. It's time to discuss important matters.

Arthur turned, his gaze now fixed on his subordinates who were standing obediently.

"Jarvis, Octavia, Betta," he called. "Come here. There's something I want to discuss."

The three of them stepped forward and stood before him.

"I want you, Octavia, and Jarvis, to return to Avanheim," Arthur continued, now sitting on the plush leather sofa.

Hearing that, Octavia's and Jarvis's faces immediately went pale. The two of them immediately knelt, their expressions as if they were holding back tears. "My Lord, have we done something wrong?"

Arthur frowned at the reaction, then sighed. "No, no. The two of you are the leader and deputy leader of The Ninth Oath Maids. An organization without a leader will fall apart, and so will The Ninth Oath Maids."

Hearing that reason, Octavia and Jarvis sighed in relief. Octavia then looked at Betta beside her. "So… that's why Lord Arthur called Betta here?" she asked softly.

"Correct," Arthur replied. "Next, where is Yamada? Has he liquidated half of his assets yet?"

"That is…" Octavia seemed hesitant to answer.

"Tell me," Arthur urged.

"The spell that Lady Emma placed on Yamada… went out of control. I don't know the cause, but that was the result," Jarvis decided to answer.

"I see. I understand. Bring Yamada here. Let Betta brainwash him," Arthur commanded, then looked at Betta. "Can you do it?"

Betta immediately knelt, paid her respects, and said loudly, "Just leave it to this Mind Demon, My Lord! I'll wash his brain until he'd even dig up his mother's grave and spit on it!" She answered with a cruel smile.

"Uh… yeah." But don't actually do that! That's disgusting! Arthur screamed in his head.

"You bastards! Where are you taking me?!"

Arthur turned to the source of the voice. He saw a man in a disheveled gray suit, his appearance drastically different from last night. His face was covered in bruises, his teeth were missing, his eyes were black and blue, and his arm was dislocated.

What did Jarvis and Octavia do to him to make him like this?

Octavia threw Yamada onto the carpet in front of her master, then stomped on his neck. "Shut your mouth! You are in the presence of a Supreme Being!" she snapped angrily.

"Stop. You could kill him," Arthur said, quickly stopping Octavia's action.

"Understood." Octavia immediately removed her foot from Yamada's neck.

Yamada could finally move his body a little. He looked at the normal-looking young man in front of him with a terrified expression. "You… who are you?! What do you want?!" he screamed hysterically. This is all his fault! That's right, it's all this bastard's fault! If I hadn't met him, I wouldn't have gone through this horrible thing!

"I don't have time to talk to trash like you. Betta, do it," Arthur said, looking at Yamada with an ice-cold gaze. A scumbag like him deserves all of this.

Betta immediately walked toward Yamada.

"Stop! Get away from me!" Yamada tried to get up and run, but Betta immediately appeared in front of him.

"Where do you think you're going, trash?" Betta asked with a playful expression. She immediately touched Yamada's forehead and activated her Mind Manipulation skill. Instantly, Yamada's eyes went blank for a moment, before returning to normal.

"Lady Betta," he greeted, then tried to kneel even though his body was broken.

"Betta, take this." Arthur threw a potion bottle to Betta.

Betta caught it immediately. "My Lord, is it necessary to use Avanheim's precious items on this trash?" she asked doubtfully.

It's just a low-tier Potion. What's so precious about it? Arthur exclaimed in his head. "It's fine. Besides, it's for the sake of acquiring the Red Lotus Organization," he replied with a gentle smile.

Seeing that, Betta was stunned for a moment, then replied with a smile. "I see."

She opened the Potion bottle and gave it to Yamada.

"Drink this."

"Yes." Yamada hurriedly chugged the black Potion. Instantly, his dirty clothes and all his wounds healed and disappeared.

"Alright. Octavia, you and Betta can take Yamada from here. Tell him to liquidate half his assets into cryptocurrency and create a statement that he is surrendering control of his organization to Ayato Ritsuki. Betta doesn't know anything about this world's system, so you can teach her." Arthur immediately gave a new order, then he looked at Jarvis. "As for Jarvis, you can return to Avanheim."

He extended his hand, and instantly a large, bluish-black sphere appeared.

"In that case, I will take my leave, Lord Arthur." Jarvis bowed slightly in respect, then entered. The sphere shrank and slowly disappeared.

"Alright, I guess it's time for me to meet Ayato-kun," Arthur said with a smile.