Chapter 27: No Clowns or Dogs Allowed
“What change?!”
Night Star curiously asked.
Even a fool could tell that the story’s protagonist was definitely Yuri.
Yuri chuckled lightly.
“Not much of a change, just shifting the focus to the nobles.”
“Wow… that’s not a big deal, right? Those punks in society can’t even compare to the powerful noble lords.”
“I know, that’s why he’s been building up leverage.”
Night Star pondered for a moment, nodding thoughtfully.
“I see, so once that kid takes out his real enemy, he’ll back off, right?”
“No, it’s far from that simple. There are many similar gangs, and there’s more than one bounder among the nobles. To teach them a lesson, they might even have to pay with their lives.”
Night Star was taken aback.
“So, does that mean we have to k*ll all the problematic nobles?”
“No, that’s way too simple. We need to make them feel pain.”
Ah, this…
How many floors can a bag of rice carry?
Night Star felt a sudden urge to joke.
But the atmosphere was so serious, so she decided to hold it in.
“How do you make them feel pain?”
“For a noble, there’s no better lesson than pulling them off their high horses and reducing them to commoners. They’ll feel that fall from grace, and then we’ll finish them off. That’s the best outcome.”
“Hmm~ I see.”
There are also hierarchies among nobles.
Some nobles maintain friendly relationships to help each other out.
Certain nobles wield substantial power.
The battles among nobles often occur through this very aspect.
Yuri deceiving some nobles was also about leveraging their power to target rival nobles.
It’s quite simple.
As for dealing with their gang of punks, that was just about putting pressure on them at a certain level.
After all, those guys deserve whatever comes to them.
Just the thought of how this would sour the faces of those behind the scenes made Yuri want to burst out laughing.
But that was far from enough.
There was still a long way to go.
At least enough noble power must be secured.
Night Star, on the other hand, was deep in her thoughts, apparently considering something.
Now, she finally understood Yuri’s aim.
Is this revenge?
It seems like it, but it’s also quite dangerous in a way.
To grasp such a large chunk of noble power through deception is sheer madness.
Yet, after all their actions, Night Star realized that Yuri might actually pull it off.
His Star seemed perfect for playing with others’ hearts.
With [Concept Interference] combined with his deception skills, he could build a significant force.
He could even reach this point without relying on the Cursed Bird.
But…
Targeting the nobles?
Night Star remembered that Sharon and Hughes were also nobles.
Would Yuri be coming for them too?
She felt a mix of anticipation and worry.
But it should be okay.
After all, Hughes is a gentleman, and Sharon is a lady; they’re the better kind of young nobles.
Yuri shouldn’t have any hostility towards them.
His real animosity was aimed at the rotten nobles.
Night Star composed herself, wearing a supportive expression.
“Don’t worry! Yuri, I’ll help you!”
Yuri shot a glance at Night Star.
“As long as you don’t mess things up, your help is irrelevant.”
“What kind of talk is that? Aren’t we friends?”
“I never acknowledged that relationship. Don’t get too carried away.”
“You say that again! I’m getting angry!”
“Do as you please.”
Yuri decisively walked off, unwilling to argue with Night Star any longer.
That guy is, in a way, quite naive.
No matter how well he argued, it wouldn’t affect her.
If she gets mad, she’d pull that “I can’t believe it” face, looking so much like she’s about to blow up.
As if Yuri should never make her angry.
So far, he hadn’t figured out why she reacted that way.
Could he be her brother?
That’s hilarious.
Meanwhile, he was thinking about something else.
He can’t believe he actually told Night Star about that matter.
That should’ve been a secret kept from everyone.
It ought to be buried deep within.
No one should know his past.
But…
Today, he inexplicably spilled it to Night Star.
Was that a sign of trust?
No.
His current identity is very special; he can’t trust others so easily.
Exactly.
He is a Fraudster.
Everything around him could be part of the deception.
Telling Night Star was just a way to better exploit her trust; it’s not about genuinely trusting this mysterious little weirdo.
Yeah.
That’s definitely it.
Yuri returned to his room, seeming to prepare for rest.
Night Star glared at his departing back, plotting in her mind.
“Darn Yuri, if I ever get back to the future, I’ll get my revenge… how dare you make the lovely Audience Performer angry…”
But then she thought better of it.
Right now, Yuri is not the [Fraudster].
She, Night Star, isn’t some petty Little Loli.
“Forget it, let’s go shopping.”
Since Yuri needed to rest tonight, Night Star certainly couldn’t just sit around here.
The Cursed Bird and Star Eclipses were unable to communicate anywhere.
Night Star couldn’t just cling to her.
It was better to go out and explore.
So, Night Star decided to step outside.
In a flash, she appeared in a corner of the street.
At this time of day, evening was about to fall.
The sun had set.
The night market is, in some ways, not bustling.
As Night Star wandered around, she found nothing exciting.
It’d be better to just go back and catch some Z’s.
Right now, the only way to alleviate her boredom was to cuddle with Night Lan and the Wish Princess.
At this rate, she’d probably be stuck here for a long time.
The Ballad Conductor hadn’t shown up.
Recently, there hadn’t been any big events that would serve as turning points.
Both Hughes and Yuri were moving along smoothly.
If it continues like this, they might really succeed in their plan.
But Night Star knew that’s impossible.
Otherwise, they wouldn’t end up becoming Star Eclipses, transforming into the future [Gentleman] and [Fraudster].
Something was bound to happen.
“Hmm… what exactly could it be? It looks like I have to find the information dealer and trade for some intel, and I can help Hughes and Yuri prepare for the worst.”
That’s right.
Night Star was planning to “rob” the information dealer with the pretense of “trading” for the latest news!
She’s been doing that all along.
“Hehehe~ off I go.”
Putting on a mask that horrifies the ordinary folk, Night Star skipped to a certain direction.
A little while later.
Night Star entered a building, revealing her presence.
“Hello everyone! Any new intel lately? I’m willing to pay top price!”
Upon hearing that, the few people present instantly changed their expressions, looking at the masked merchant at the entrance.
“De… demon! You wanna buy our intel for the lowest price again, don’t you!?”
“Aw, how can you say that? I’m still offering money, you know?”
Night Star glanced at a sign near the entrance.
It had some writing on it.
It even depicted the mask on Night Star’s face.
The gist of it was “No Clowns or Dogs Allowed.”
