The man introduced himself as Fen.
"I was told you were the representative for one of Parcion's state-owned enterprises?"
"Oh, this thing?" Fen waved his name tag back and forth with a casual flick of his wrist.
As he did, the Imperial Guard moved in, surrounding him.
"There’s no need for alarm. I didn't kill anyone and steal their identity," Fen said smoothly. "It’s just that, thanks to Your Majesty’s reforms, bribes have become much easier to pass around."
I really need to crack down on the bribery in this country.
"You’re welcome to arrest me, though it would be a waste of time."
God, I hated this guy already.
He was a confidence man, the specific breed of scammer that used words to sow seeds of distrust. By saying that, he was essentially telling me he already had associates waiting for him inside the detention center.
I recognized his type immediately because I was the kind of person who would force a friendship, close the distance, and then start wheedling for favors. The difference was that I never let my partner lose out. I valued mutual benefit. I valued contracts and obligations. That was why I wasn't a scammer.
Then there was this guy. He knew I’d probably arrest him. He likely had several scenarios prepared for that exact outcome. He probably had arrangements to incite a riot in the detention center or the prison, or perhaps he was already organizing the remnants of the anti-King faction.
His goal would be to humiliate my authority in one fell swoop. He was likely prepared to pin the blame for the riots on me, ensuring I lost the trust of the citizens. At least, that’s how I would have handled it.
Of course, not everything goes exactly to plan. It was a matter of probability; in that sense, it was a gamble. It meant Fen was the type of person who lived for those kinds of high-stakes bets. He was a "brain-gamer," so he likely obsessed over the intricacies of his plans.
He didn't strike me as someone who cared about making the world a better place or bringing victory to the Zen God Race. He just wanted to win the game.
I, at the very least, had a mission to pursue the happiness of the Chronos citizens. Fen, on the other hand, didn't care what happened to the Zen God Race itself. He was just a fraud. No matter the outcome, as long as he stirred the pot and caused chaos, Fen won. If the people of Chronos ended up miserable, I lost.
In other words, I was at a disadvantage because I had these pesky "victory conditions" to maintain!
Dammit! They really sent someone troublesome.
The most effective card I could play right now would be to shout, "Kill him this instant!" but I couldn't exactly execute a man in the middle of a banquet hall. Besides, he likely had an escape route secured. The moment he breached the banquet's security, I had already lost the opening move.
I forced myself to shift gears.
Hah! Too bad for you, pal. I’m a gamer, too. I’ll win this back with my own gamer brain.
"Now then, regarding today’s business—" Fen started.
"Where is your power of attorney?" I interrupted.
"Pardon?" Fen’s expression clouded over.
"Since you claim to be a proxy, you must have at least some form of written authorization."
I am the head of state, after all. I’ve seen enough scammers to last a lifetime.
"As for your role as a representative of a Parcion state-owned enterprise... well, those enterprises are fundamentally being liquidated. That is all. Now, if you’ll excuse us."
Lepsitol Ninja Art: Complete Ignore Technique!
Allow me to explain. The Complete Ignore Technique is based on the principle that you can only be led astray if you listen in the first place. This man clearly intended to whittle away my resources. If that was the case, the best solution was to simply not listen. Unless someone contacted me through the proper channels with legitimate authority and qualifications, I wouldn't give them the time of day.
Idiot. As if any head of state would speak directly to an enemy spy.
"Are you sure about this, His Majesty Leo? Regardless of what happens next?"
"If it’s terrorism, I’ll expose it. If it’s a rebellion, I’ll suppress it. If you want a war, go through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Imperial Guard! Our guest is leaving."
Fen was promptly escorted out.
"Contact the Lepsitol Ninja Squad," I muttered. "Have them monitor him."
"By your command."
Well, he’d made his move. I’d lost the first set, but I’d managed to force a draw in the second. Whether it came to total war or something else, I was already prepared. This was likely just a move to shake my resolve. Now, I just had to wait for the Lepsitol Ninja Squad to bring back whatever scrap of information they could find. I just hoped it would be enough to unmask the enemy's true face.
I’d let Fen run loose for now and use him for everything he was worth. How foolish of him. I wondered if he even realized he had become a disposable pawn for both the Zen God Race and me?
"Review our security protocols," I ordered. "And launch an immediate audit of every state-owned enterprise."
"Ha!"
The Zen God Race had essentially just handed me a perfect excuse to conduct a legal audit of every public enterprise. Did they really think they were draining my resources? Or was this man just a single disposable asset? Well, it didn't really matter.
I noticed Wifey was smirking at me.
"Lord Groom, you have certainly grown..."
"Are you falling for me again?"
"I never stopped."
Hah! I felt like I could take on the world.
Still, I could already predict how the scenario would unfold from here. They would likely gather every idiot in Parcion, use them as proxies, and try to bleed my resources dry. Then, once I was exhausted, the Zen God Race Ministry of Foreign Affairs would make their grand entrance.
Now, time for a little deduction. Why use such a petty, roundabout trick?
"Wifey. Do you think the enemy is unable to move their main forces?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, it’s already a given that we’re going to end up at each other's throats. Yet they’re trying to shave off my resources with these proxy scams. Could it be that the Zen God Race is the one trying to stall for time, even if only by a little?"
"Umu..."
Then again, actual war isn't always conducted with the optimized logic of a board game. There are plenty of times when a nation is forced into conflict due to naive projections, internal political infighting, economic collapse, or domestic failures. In my case, I only ended up expanding my territory because I was forced to fight back when the other side attacked me. Usually, you don't get to choose the timing or the season. In fact, it’s almost abnormal to plan a war systematically when you have a calm mind and plenty of resources.
In Zork's case, his goal had been survival after a defeat in deep space. Because he had lost his diplomatic capabilities in exchange for raw combat power, war was the only card he had left to play.
The Zen God Race was likely in a similar boat. They had been purged from the Latarnia Culture Sphere, and the Chronos Alliance—whom they’d previously partnered with—was currently building a trade route to Rosaria. The Zen God Race was on the verge of being completely encircled.
They were panicking. Either that, or they had a hidden trump card.
I could see that much from this incident alone. Lately, I’ve gotten much better at looking at things from a bird's-eye view.
"Maybe I should start thinking of ways to harass the Zen God Race back," I said with a grin.
"T-The Friendly Devil is getting serious..." Wifey whispered, looking surprised.
It was the usual, really. Wifey... your husband is doing just fine today.
"Wifey, what do you want for a late-night snack?"
"Hmm, at this hour? Perhaps some ramen is in order."
"I thought you'd say that."
On the stage, the Parcion traditional music band continued their performance.
I couldn't help but wonder. Why was the Zen God Race so desperate to meddle with me?