Hacking the Game Didn't Go as Intended [Part Two]

CHAPTER 230: Roselle - The Information Broker

"I'd say we can skip the introductions," she said with a lazy smile. "Sit, Princess Lumielle. And you, Haxks Starfrost."

Daisuke's eyes narrowed. "So, you know who we are."

"I make it my business to know everything," she replied, motioning to the space across from her.

Behind her, the naked girls giggled softly, draping themselves over one another as they watched the exchange with idle curiosity.

Daisuke glanced at them, then back to the blonde. "Can we talk in a room without the harem?"

The woman grinned and reclined farther into the couch. "Anything you wish to discuss," she said silkily, "can be done right here... among my girls. They're loyal. And voiceless, if need be."

He didn't sit yet. Neither did Lumielle.

"Shall we get to business?" the woman offered, resting her chin on her fingers. "Or are you both too distracted to think clearly?"

Reluctantly, Daisuke and Lumielle sat.

They knew who she was—there was no mistaking it—and letting the opportunity slip would be unforgivable.

The woman's lips curled into a smile as her gaze drifted shamelessly over the princess, peeling the clothes from her body one layer at a time.

"You can call me Roselle," she said finally, voice low and silken. "You did well finding me here."

Daisuke cleared his throat, trying to ignore the way Lumielle shifted uncomfortably beside him. "If you know who we are, then you likely know what we're after."

Roselle's smile didn't falter. "Of course. But I have a rule, darling." She tapped her choker with a manicured nail. "Payment first. Information is rarely free... especially in my world."

His eyes sharpened. "And if you double-cross us?"

She chuckled. "You overestimate me." Her gaze flickered toward the lounging harem. "You think I'd leave my girls behind? If you wanted to kill me, I wouldn't even make it to the hallway."

Daisuke held her gaze a moment longer. Then, with a sigh, he opened his inventory. A blue glow pulsed briefly as an old, leather-bound grimoire materialized in his hand.

Roselle's brows arched.

He handed it to her without a word.

She opened it, scanning the aged pages. The characters danced faintly under the firelight. Her eyes gleamed with delight as she flipped through several entries written in ancient script.

"My, my," she whispered with intrigue. "You came prepared. This will definitely do."

She secured the tome in her magic bag with the contentment of a collector adding a crown jewel to her hoard.

"We want to bring down the Mhaledictus," Daisuke said, delving straight into the meat of the matter. "Not just the foot soldiers. Cutting off the limbs means nothing if the head remains."

Roselle crossed one leg over the other, fingers steepled beneath her chin. "Pretty straightforward, I like that. As for the Mhaledictus, I completely agree. Sever the head... and the body crumbles."

Lumielle leaned forward, voice sharp with barely-contained emotion. "They have already infiltrated the capital. My family is vulnerable. If we don't stop them now, there will be nothing left—" her voice cracked, "—especially if we go to war."

Roselle's smirk faded slightly. "A shift in power affects my business too, princess. I'm not particularly fond of losing influence."

She sighed and glanced at the candlelight flickering behind the veils. "The Mhaledictus is a slippery beast. They're shrouded and fractured. I'm still working to map their entire structure. But I've uncovered one thing for certain—"

She leaned forward.

"They aren't one. They're like a hydra. Multiple syndicates bound under a single banner, each with its own leader. And they don't always see eye-to-eye. That division is your leverage."

Daisuke leaned in. "What about the capital?"

"...Well, from what I've gathered, there's only one person you really need to worry about," Roselle informed. "Someone who prefers to pull the strings from the shadows."

"Sounds about right," Daisuke added, recalling Eleonore's words.

Roselle nodded. "Why waste an army storming the gates when you can slip in quietly with a few loyalists and twist the king and his guards around your finger?

They're blackmailing the aristocracy and threatening the courtiers with assassination or scandal. And by using the name 'Mhaledictus,' they're fanning the flames of fear—pressuring the court to fall in line."

Lumielle's fingers curled on her lap. "If we remove them, would the court fall back in line?"

Roselle gave a slow nod. "Most likely... if guided by the right hand. But tread carefully. The court is a den of wolves dressed in silk. You'll need a strategy to keep them compliant while you root out the mastermind."

Daisuke's eyes narrowed. "Any advice?"

Roselle laced her fingers with a sly smile. "As a matter of fact, I do have a suggestion. But it's a gamble."

"What is it?" Lumielle urged.

The woman opened her mouth to speak and Daisuke and princess listened intently, weighing the feasibility of her daring gambit.

"...I think it's worth a shot," Daisuke murmured.

"...Me too," Lumielle agreed. "I honestly don't see a better alternative. It's a brilliant plan—assuming we can make it thoroughly convincing."

Sensing that the end was near, Daisuke's thoughts shifted elsewhere. Then his lips parted, his expression darkening. "Do you... know anything about my parents?"

Roselle paused at the unexpected inquiry.

Her eyes narrowed, studying him closely. "That depends. Names?"

Daisuke looked away, jaw clenched. "I never knew my father. My mother's name is Evandria Starfrost."

The room fell quiet.

Roselle leaned back, amused. "Evandria, you say..."

Daisuke's eyes met hers. "Can you find anything?"

"If you bring me something else as valuable as that grimoire..." she said, tapping her bag lightly, "...then I'll see what I can dig up."

He looked at her for a long moment—unsure whether to trust her, unsure if he could afford not to.

Roselle stood and stretched, catlike. "That's all the time I can spare. Good luck."

The girls on the bed giggled and waved with childish amusement, their bare breasts swaying as they did. Lumielle turned crimson and looked away quickly. "H-How do we find you again?" she asked, her voice small.

Roselle's lips curled into a hungry smile as she approached and leaned in close. "Oh, princess... I'll find you. When the time is right," she murmured while slipping three small scrolls into her hand. "These sutras may come in handy somewhere down the line. A parting gift to ensure we meet again. Use them well."