Act 1: interruption in the castle

Now she was a determined and confident woman, ready to fulfill her role in the plan.

The event was filled with important people, including the queen and some members of the royal council.

Dante knew that one of them was the traitor and he had to find out who it was.

Dante couldn't resist and approached Eileen to whisper in her ear:

"You look beautiful, Eileen. Your dress fits you perfectly."

Eileen blushed intensely and lowered her gaze, feeling submissive to Dante's words.

"Thank you, my lord. I'm glad you like it."

Dante realized that Eileen remained shy despite her transformation, but he didn't mind.

"Come on, Eileen. It's time to start our mission."

Dante took Eileen's hand and began to walk into the crowd. Alfred followed closely, staying alert in case something went wrong.

After walking for a while, Dante spotted the royal advisor, Lord Marlon, talking to one of the most influential nobles in the kingdom. Dante whispered to Eileen and Alfred to follow him as they approached.

When they were close enough, Dante overheard part of the conversation. Lord Marlon was talking about the creed's attack plan and seemed to be coordinating the actions of the sabotage group within the palace.

Dante felt anger and disgust at the betrayal of one of the members of the royal council. But he couldn't do anything at that moment without evidence.

"Eileen, I need you to do me a favor," Dante said as he moved away from the group and approached her. "I need you to get close to Lord Marlon and try to get information from him. I need to know more about the creed's attack plan."

Eileen nodded with determination, knowing she had to do everything she could to help her beloved. She approached Lord Marlon, flirting with him and trying to make him talk about the creed's plan.

Dante saw a guard talk to Lord Marlon and then leave the room. He approached Alfred and whispered in his ear:

"Alfred, I need you to follow that guard. He might be our ticket to uncovering the traitor."

Alfred nodded and discreetly moved in the direction of the guard. Dante continued walking around the room, trying to find more clues.

Eileen approached Lord Marlon, who was an older man, bald, and with very few teeth. She realized that flirting with him wouldn't be easy, but she was willing to do whatever it took to get the information Dante needed.

Meanwhile, Eileen continued to flirt with Lord Marlon, trying to gather information. But the advisor seemed to be quite cunning and wasn't revealing anything significant.

She engaged him in conversation, asking about his life and interests.

Eileen struggled to find topics that would capture Lord Marlon's attention, but she found him to be rather dull and predictable.

"Oh, my dear Eileen, you're so beautiful," Lord Marlon said, looking at her with lustful eyes.

Eileen felt uncomfortable with the comment and tried to maintain a polite smile on her face.

"Thank you very much, Lord Marlon. But please, let's talk about another topic. I'd like to know more about your work on the council," she replied, trying to steer the conversation.

"Oh, my work is quite boring, my dear. But I do love having a beautiful woman like you close to me," insisted Lord Marlon, moving closer to her.

Eileen stepped back slightly, feeling uncomfortable with the situation.

"I understand, but I'd like to focus on the council's work at the moment," she said, trying to distance herself from his hands.

Eileen continued to flirt with Lord Marlon, asking him about his work and his colleagues. Finally, Lord Marlon said something that caught Eileen's attention.

"Yes, there's a new one on the team. He's always taking days off and he's not very reliable. He always keeps me waiting to receive his report."

Eileen was surprised to hear that. This could be the key to finding the traitor. She got closer to Lord Marlon and asked him:

"What's the name of this new member?"

"I think his name is Samuel. I don't know much about him, but I've heard that he sometimes goes to a bar called 'The Lone Eagle' after work. Maybe you can find him there."

Said Lord Marlon, unaware that he was providing valuable information.

Eileen was pleased to hear this and internally thanked her luck. Now she knew there was someone on the council who wasn't trustworthy and might be the traitor they were looking for.

"Thank you for the information, my lord. You've been very kind to me," Eileen said with a smile.

Lord Marlon seemed delighted by the compliment.

Eileen walked away from the old man, looking for Dante to give him the information she had just obtained.

She rushed out of Lord Marlon's room and found Dante waiting anxiously.

"Dante!" Eileen said, breathing heavily. "I found him! The new creed member, he's always taking days off. His name is Samuel, and apparently, he's a frequent customer at the 'Lone Eagle' bar."

Dante nodded, knowing they had taken an important step in their mission. A few seconds later, he saw Lord Marlon leaving the room and following the guard he had spoken to earlier.

"Wait a minute, Eileen. I'll be right back. Wait for me outside the castle."

"Okay."

Dante decided to follow both of them and quickly left the room, heading towards the corridor where he had seen them go.

When he reached the end of the hallway, he saw Lord Marlon and the guard entering an empty room. Dante approached slowly, trying not to make noise.

From outside the door, he could hear the conversation between the two.

"Are you sure no one followed us?" Lord Marlon asked.

"Yes, I'm sure. I didn't see anyone behind us," the guard replied.

"Excellent. Now, tell me, have you managed to contact the leaders of the creed?"

"Yes, my lord. I met with them last week, as you ordered."

"And what did they say? Are they ready to attack the kingdom?"

"Yes, they're ready. But they need more weapons and supplies."

"Then we must ensure they receive what they need. You know what to do, right?"

"Yes, my lord. Next week, I'll meet with them again in the northern forest to deliver the supplies."

Dante had heard enough.

He entered the room with a completely serious expression, but also furious, his dagger hidden in his pocket, and ready to face whatever came his way.

Lord Marlon and the guard were surprised to see the boy there, as they didn't know him and didn't expect anyone to interrupt their conversation.

"Who are you, and how dare you interrupt us like this?" Lord Marlon asked with a look of anger on his face.

Dante didn't respond immediately, but he approached them slowly, keeping his gaze fixed on Lord Marlon.

"Why are you doing this? Why are you helping those bastards?" Dante finally asked.

Lord Marlon let out a mocking laugh and said with a greedy expression, "For power and money, young man. The kingdom is rotten, and it's time someone changed it. The creed's leaders will pay us a hefty sum of money for the supplies we provide them, and that's enough to justify our actions."

Dante wasn't impressed by the man's words.

"All for power...? Money? I won't let you continue doing this. I'll do whatever is in my power to stop you," Dante said, gripping the dagger tightly in his hand.

The guard who was there, seeing the determination in the boy's eyes, decided to surrender without a fight and accept his defeat.

Lord Marlon, on the other hand, wasn't willing to let someone ruin his plans. He drew a sword from his belt and prepared to attack Dante.

But the boy was quicker and more skilled with his dagger. He managed to dodge the man's blows and, in a swift motion, plunged the dagger into his shoulder, causing Lord Marlon to fall to the ground, screaming in pain.

Dante looked at Lord Marlon with fury in his eyes as the man writhed on the floor, screaming in pain from the wound in his shoulder. The boy approached him and grabbed him by the collar, lifting him off the ground.

"You're worse than scum," Dante told him firmly and decisively. "You've conspired to attack the kingdom and endangered the lives of many innocent people."

Lord Marlon tried to speak, but the pain prevented him from articulating words.

"You don't deserve to live," Dante continued with a contemptuous look.

Without saying another word, Dante lunged at Lord Marlon and, with a strong motion, severed his head with his dagger. The head rolled on the floor as Lord Marlon's body convulsed in pain.

The remaining guard, who had witnessed the entire scene, urinated in his pants out of fear and fell unconscious to the ground. Dante looked at the guard and then at Lord Marlon's head with a cold and calculating look.

Dante sat down in a chair and thought about everything that had just happened.

"Ah, I hate this damn game," Dante said. He had to act quickly.

[Hello dear Dante... Wait! Why is there a head on the floor!?]

Dante sighed, as the System tended to appear in his mind at the least expected moments.

"Oh, nothing important. Just a little cleanup," he replied sarcastically.

[Oh, I see—responded the System—You should be more careful with your actions, Dante. Remember that the goal of this "game" is to complete your mission for a happy ending, not to cause chaos and destruction everywhere.]

"Leave me alone," Dante said, frowning. "I'm just doing what I have to do to complete the mission."

The System sighed.

[I have a name, you know? Alright, Dante. But remember, the consequences of your actions can affect your progress in the "game." Be careful.]

He wrapped Lord Marlon's head in a handkerchief he had brought with him.

Then, he took the bloodstained dagger and wiped it clean with the handkerchief before putting it back in its sheath.

Dante couldn't stay in the room for too long, so he quickly left.

He left the room, leaving behind Lord Marlon's head and the unconscious guard.

"She shows up whenever she wants!" Dante muttered as he walked down the hallway. "I can never have a moment of peace with you."

The System laughed in his mind.

[I'm sorry, Dante... Look kid! Just trying to help you where I can! Also, your mana reserve is very low! That's why I can't always be there for you...]

Dante sighed, knowing the System was right.

"Alright, I know. I just need to finish this mission and get out of this place as soon as possible."

He ran through the castle corridors until he reached the main door.

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