Chương 46: The Trap Is Set

Ch 46 - The Trap Is Set

"As you command, Your Highness." The blonde slime girl answered with a gentle smile before calmly stepping toward the city lord.

"What... What are you doing?" the city lord stammered as he instinctively stepped backward.

"Stay where you are! Don't come any closer, you disgusting servant!" The color drained from his face. Panic spread across his expression as his eyes darted repeatedly between Caelan and Sliora, as though he were standing before a judge awaiting his sentence.

"You insolent servant! Do you even realize who I am?! I am the Lord of Necroton! Lay a single finger on me, and the Crown will never forgive such disrespect! Guards! Guards!" Receiving no response, the man spun around and rushed toward the door. His steps came to an abrupt halt. Elora was already standing there. With both hands folded neatly in front of her apron, she wore her usual gentle smile. Yet the calm look in her eyes made it unmistakably clear that she had no intention of letting him leave.

"P... Prince Caelan! Your Highness!" the city lord said, his voice trembling.

"Surely this is all a misunderstanding! We can talk this through! Whatever accusations have been made against me, I can explain every single one of them! Please, just hear me out!" Sliora stopped directly in front of him. Then her body suddenly expanded. Her skin rippled as though countless hidden layers were unfolding beneath it. In an instant, her slender figure swelled into a massive mass before surging toward the city lord.

"W-Wait! No! Stay away from me!" The slime engulfed him completely.

"No! Somebody help me! Your Highness! Please! I beg you! I have a wife! I have children! I'll confess everything! I'll return every coin! Just don't let this monster eat me! Please! Please! I don't want to die! Somebody save me!" His frantic screams echoed through the room. Fists and feet pounded desperately against Sliora's gelatinous body as the outline of the struggling man remained faintly visible inside her. The muffled cries gradually became weaker.

A few moments later, Sliora's body slowly contracted back to its usual shape. For a brief moment, she looked slightly fuller than before as faint movements could still be seen beneath the surface of her body. Soft wisps of warm steam escaped from her before the movements gradually disappeared. By the time the last trace of steam faded into the air, Sliora had already returned to her usual graceful appearance, smiling as though nothing at all had happened.

"Your Highness, I have successfully absorbed him. Within approximately twenty-four hours, I will be able to assume the city lord's appearance perfectly." One of Sliora's greatest abilities was her power to replicate anything she absorbed. However, even she admitted that there were limits. Maintaining an entire body consumed far more energy than simply recreating individual parts, such as a person's face or arms. The larger and more complex the form, the greater the burden placed upon her.

Jester shifted his gaze toward Igrio.

"Arrest every official and guard who worked under that corrupt city lord and was directly involved in his crimes. Bind them in the city's central plaza under heavy guard. Let the people vent the anger they've held onto for all these years." Igrio immediately bowed.

"Your Highness, everything has already been prepared. Michel and the knights are standing by with the prisoners. We were only awaiting Your Highness's command."

"Then begin immediately. Keep the knights stationed around the plaza to prevent anyone from crossing the line." His eyes then moved toward Sliora.

"Do you have a form with a much larger body? Something intimidating. It doesn't have to resemble a human. A monster is fine. The bigger and more terrifying, the better." A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Sliora smiled before tilting her head.

"Anything you desire, Your Highness." The transformation began the instant she finished speaking. Her arms bent at impossible angles before stretching outward. Her shoulders widened as her body rapidly expanded, while her legs twisted and lengthened until she towered over everyone else. Her skin rippled violently like liquid flesh being molded by unseen hands, every part of her constantly shifting as though her body had no bones at all. Her face began to change.

The beautiful features that had belonged to the blonde woman slowly melted away. Coarse, dark green skin spread across her entire body, while strands of blonde hair receded until only a rough black mane remained behind her head. Thick plates of black steel formed over her shoulders, chest, and forearms, wrapping around her body like armor forged directly from the slime itself. A massive iron pauldron rested on one shoulder, while heavy gauntlets enclosed hands large enough to crush a man's skull with ease.

When the transformation was finally complete, the woman who had stood there moments earlier was gone. In her place stood a towering orc-like warrior nearly two and a half meters tall. His body was built like a fortress, covered in thick muscles that looked capable of tearing through solid stone. While the scarred armor covering his body made it obvious that this was a creature born for battle. Even standing perfectly still, the giant radiated enough intimidation to make an ordinary person instinctively step back.

Yet when the giant spoke...

"Your Highness, will this form suffice? This is the largest and most intimidating appearance I can maintain for an extended period. I can make adjustments if you wish." The voice was unmistakably Sliora's. She blinked before giving an embarrassed smile.

"Ah... my apologies, Your Highness. Maintaining a body this large requires most of my stamina, so I wasn't able to change my voice along with everything else."

"It's fine. This is more than enough. Stay near the central plaza throughout the day." He leaned back in his chair.

"We're not doing this just to punish them. We're giving the people exactly what they want to see, while laying out bait for a much bigger catch." The corners of his lips curled upward ever so slightly.

"Let's see what kind of fish decides to bite." After Sliora and Igrio left the room, Jester remained behind, quietly reviewing the documents that Igrio and Elora had carefully prepared for him. Some time later, after Igrio had completed his assignment, he returned to the study once more. Jester stood from his chair and spread a detailed map of Necroton across the table.

The city was surrounded by walls, while various markings around the map identified nearby forests, mineral deposits, caves, and other valuable resources.

"The land surrounding Necroton is truly this barren?" he asked. Igrio gave a respectful nod, placing a hand over his chest.

"Your Highness, the soil is no longer suitable for farming. Many methods have been attempted over the years, yet none have produced meaningful results. Strangely enough, the city has no shortage of water. We simply cannot determine why the land itself refuses to sustain crops." Jester's finger moved toward another section of the map.

"Out of all the caves in this region, only three have been developed as mining sites. The rest haven't even been explored."

"That is correct, Your Highness." His finger shifted toward the city walls.

"Our first priority is rebuilding the walls. Strengthen our defenses before anything else." He tapped one of the operating mines.

"Once construction is underway, focus our manpower on maximizing production from the mines that are already active. I want every existing operation working at full capacity before we expand elsewhere." His finger then moved toward two unexplored caves.

"I want you to personally lead an expedition into these caves. Find out what's inside, map everything, and report back. Bring only reliable personnel." Igrio lowered his head slightly.

"Your Highness... while I fully understand the importance of these plans, I am concerned about our finances. Repairing the city walls, expanding the mines, and organizing multiple expeditions will require a considerable amount of funding. Given the city's current treasury, I fear we may struggle to sustain all of these operations at once."

"You don't need to worry about the money, Igrio." Jester smiled calmly.

"We collected plenty of equipment and materials dropped by the players during yesterday's battle, didn't we? Sell them." He folded his arms.

"It won't be easy to get their full value right now, but that won't matter for long." A confident smile crossed his face.

"We'll soon have a much better way to turn those items into money." He looked back at Igrio.

"And have the maids prepare themselves tonight. We'll be receiving quite a few visitors. Make sure nothing goes to waste." Igrio bowed deeply.

"As you command, Your Highness. I have complete faith in your judgment. I will ensure every order is carried out precisely as instructed, and every assignment will be completed to the highest standard." After bowing once more, Igrio quietly withdrew from the room. Jester walked toward the large glass window overlooking the city below. In the distance, the streets seemed almost lifeless, with barely any movement between the aging buildings. But he was certain that would change soon.

Under his rule, Necroton wouldn't remain like this forever. For that to happen, however, he first needed to deal with every problem and threat surrounding him. Not necessarily by destroying them all, but by making sure none of them remained beyond his control.

"The most satisfying hunts are never the ones where you chase your prey." He smiled.

"You leave just enough tracks for them to follow. Just enough bait for their greed to drown out their instincts. They convince themselves they're the hunters, that victory is already within reach." His expression gradually turned colder.

"And by the time they sense something is wrong, it'll already be too late."

"Then I'll watch them realize they were never the hunters. They were simply walking toward their own execution." [The death of Opopo, the former Lord of Necroton, has broken the city's old order. Greater moves now await, and every step must be executed without error. Fortunately, you possess everything needed to see your plan through.] [Chaos +55]