These Demons Do it for Free-Chapter 90

Bongshik, looking a bit puzzled, replied.

"Of course he’s cooperative with the Si Army… No organization can compete with them in Les Rimen."

The Si Army was larger than the combined forces of the five major guilds. Many in the Si Army might not compare in quality to true explorers, but sheer quantity has a quality of its own. And not all of the Si Army was low-quality.

Among the three main divisions—Guards, Security, and the Expedition—the order reflects their numbers, but their quality is in reverse. The Expedition Division essentially operates like a guild focused solely on Abyss exploration and acts as the vanguard for the Si Army. The general assessment is that the Expedition lags slightly behind the Frontiers and Conquerors, but it’s still enough to rival the five great guilds.

Additionally, the leaders of each division are elite members with substantial exploration experience. No single faction can match the Si Army alone.

"If you can’t beat them, join them."

As the saying goes, coined by a famous general and emperor. The Shadow Puppeteer has taken a cooperative stance with the Si Army and survived thus far.

Surviving means strength. Therefore, the Shadow Puppeteer is strong.

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"Since they have this collaboration with the Si Army, they tend to let them be unless it’s a major incident."

"And you somehow managed to get information from such a powerful source?"

“Well, I mostly relied on the Grave Diggers’ internal resources. The info from the Shadow Puppeteer was more of a ‘maybe.’”

So it’s a no-go… I sighed softly, and Bongshik’s face twisted into a bizarre mix of relief and dread.

“Looks like we’ll start from scratch.”

“Excuse me?”

"Since there’s no direct line, we’ll just have to work our way up."

If I borrowed Fiona’s name and leveraged the Duke’s authority, I could probably arrange a meeting, but that would put both parties in a bind. This time, I’ll try to handle it on my own as much as I can. And if the Shadow Puppeteer really is too big for me to handle…

‘I’ve got plenty of people to lean on.’

“Go to the place where you got the information last time and see if you can connect with someone higher up.”

“…Really?”

“I don’t like repeating myself.”

Bongshik, unable to resist any longer, nodded in compliance.

After sending Bongshik on his way, I returned to the Telema faction instead of following him. Inside, I spotted Mea rubbing her eyes as she made her way downstairs, clearly just waking up. She yawned widely but quickly closed her mouth when she saw me.

“…You’re back?”

“Yes. Just woke up?”

“…Yeah.”

Mea shuffled behind the bar and grabbed whatever bottle was within reach, pouring herself a glass and taking a deep swig. Water, naturally.

“Not going anywhere with them today?”

“We’re taking a personal day. By the way, where’s Hecate?”

“In her workshop.”

She pointed in the direction of Hecate’s workshop.

“Is something up?”

“I wanted to ask her about something.”

“For Hecate?”

Mea gave me a look that seemed to ask, ‘Why not ask me?’

“I’m looking for someone.”

“Hmm…”

As I’ve mentioned before, finding people is a staple skill for demonologists. For struggling demonologists, it’s one of their primary sources of income.

Naturally, Mea knew how to do it… “knew,” in theory.

Mea wasn’t one of those struggling demonologists—she was skilled enough to make a living off of exploration alone. She didn’t need to rely on the type of side jobs like people-finding.

“Must be a hard person to find.”

“Probably.”

“…Alright, if you need anything, let me know. I’ll be around.”

Perhaps intending to manage the faction’s affairs in Hecate’s absence, Mea settled behind the bar.

I headed for Hecate’s workshop. As I approached the door, I heard the lock click open on its own—an invitation to enter.

When I stepped inside, Hecate, apparently having tidied up her workspace a bit (compared to her usual), stood by her now semi-organized desk and greeted me.

“I heard you need my help?”

Wearing a magic monocle like a single-lens spectacle, Hecate’s eyes sparkled, exuding an aura of determination to finally showcase her skills as the faction leader to this newcomer.

I awkwardly explained my request, feeling a bit hesitant in the face of her enthusiasm.

“Yes. I’m looking for someone.”

“Great!”

Bang!

Hecate tapped the floor with her staff, folding her arms and striking a pose. The motion naturally highlighted her… assets. If her authority as faction leader included this level of poise, perhaps she could rival the heads of the Six Major Factions.

If Hecate noticed my stray thoughts, she didn’t show it and continued, almost like reciting a prepared speech.

“You came to the right place. Trust Hecate Clayman! To the great demonologist who unveils the world with the mysteries of demons, nothing is impossible.”

Her formal tone made it clear she’d rehearsed this line.

“So? Who are you looking for? If you don’t have evidence, at least tell me their name.”

“Balhen Wickerton of the Shadow Puppeteer. Though it could be an alias.”

“Balhen Wickerton. Got it. I’ll handle it.”

Hecate declared confidently, ready to show me the kind of person who led this faction.

And shortly after that…

It was confirmed.

Hecate was definitely missing a screw or two.

‘No! This… This can’t be…! How powerful is this guy’s amulet?! How did he block it…?!’

She ranted, throwing out every excuse and reason she could muster as she admitted defeat. I hadn’t been completely sure this would work, but I couldn’t deny some disappointment.

In hindsight, I had overlooked the fact that Hecate, like Mea, was an exceptionally capable demonologist. And a capable demonologist doesn’t run a detective agency.

Which meant, in the end, I’d have to hit the streets myself…

---

“Are you here?”

“Yes. This is the place?”

The location where a mid-level operative of the Shadow Puppeteer was said to be. That’s what Bongshik told me.

“It’s certain. I… paid the price.”

Naturally, Bongshik’s demonology focused on tracking. Given his background with fortuitous finds and information gathering, he didn’t have much choice in his path. He was forced into it.

Unlike Mea, though, he paid the cost himself. I didn’t know exactly what contract he’d made, but I trusted he’d handled it well.

“Let’s go in.”

---

The sudden appearance of unexpected visitors.

Duncan, a mid-level officer of the Shadow Puppeteer and the head of the organization’s Third Branch, hurried down to the basement as soon as he identified the intruders.

Yan Bongshik, former team leader of Grave Diggers and now a senior explorer directly under the Federation. Noteworthy for being a candidate for Expert promotion.

His companion was Roman Sen, the famous “Generation of Assault” member and novice explorer of the Telema faction. Known for his strong bonds with his peers.

Though Duncan had sent a decoy, he knew they’d realize it soon enough. Duncan firmly believed that 999 out of 1,000 uninvited guests had hostile intentions, so he didn’t hesitate.

If, by chance, they were the one in a thousand who came with good intentions, the decoy would handle it. And once again, Duncan was proven right.

Not only did they recognize the decoy, but they also started demanding to see him personally, even causing a commotion.

While the Shadow Puppeteer had some combat capability, deploying Expert-level fighters in each branch was impractical. With a strong focus on information rather than combat, they prioritized data security and survival

over direct confrontation.

Being a senior explorer, Duncan adhered to this protocol, choosing to retreat to the basement instead of engaging them head-on.

The information here was heavily protected.

‘Good luck breaking in from the outside,’ Duncan thought, smirking.

“This alloy was custom-supplied from the Lapidary Branch of the Golden Intelligence.”

An Expert-level explorer, even one specializing in combat, would find it hard to even scratch this alloy. Only a Master-level explorer could hope to break through, and even then, it would require considerable time and effort. By then, the Si Army would’ve intervened, responding to the commotion. My bribes to keep them on standby would finally pay off.

“As if this is my first time dealing with amateurs.”

Time to get moving.

After draining his glass of champagne, Duncan rose slowly from his chair, savoring the thought of another bribe well spent to the Si Army. He’d recoup it later, with interest.

Did they think they could break through his alloyed safe? He had countermeasures for that, too. The entrance was rigged for tracking, in case anyone tampered with it. Though the Shadow Puppeteer’s combat power wasn’t immense, information often outmatched brute force.

Duncan was ready to teach these naive newcomers a lesson they wouldn’t soon forget, though he doubted they’d live to apply it.

Just as he prepared to destroy the confidential data per protocol, an unfamiliar voice spoke up.

“What a shame to waste it.”

A stranger’s voice—one that shouldn’t be here.

Duncan instinctively froze, turning his head.

Someone was sitting in his chair. When they had appeared, he had no idea. But there they were, comfortably seated, holding his bottle of champagne.

“Sit down.”