Chapter 72: Deceive The Duke [2]
Just hearing the name of a demon is enough to make his killing intent flare.
Like father, like daughter.
Both of them despise demons down to their very bones.
And now, thanks to one careless statement—"Faceless Imposter"—I’ve somehow become a demon in their eyes.
Perfect. Just perfect.
How did it come to this?
Whose fault is it?
...The system.
Of course it’s the damn system.
And tiny-bit of fault lies with me for accepting the quest.
But only tiny bit.
But majority of fault lies with system notification me.
"What done is done. Nothing can be helped."
I said as I looked at system window.
[A New Quest has arrived!]
[ Deceive The Duke]
[Deliver false information to the Duke that the identity of the other demon is Faceless Imposter.]
[Reward: ?]
A quest without a clear reward.
Moreover, it comes with the extreme risk of being branded as a demon.
However, there’s an unchanging rule in this game.
The greater the risk, the greater the return.
"I went through all this; it better not be disappointing. I’ll ignore all quests from now on."
Fortunately, the reward turned out to be satisfying enough to quell my grumbling.
[Information about the notorious northern thief, the "Faceless Imposter," has been reported to Duke Draken as that of an unknown demon.]
[The whereabouts of the unidentified demon are now synchronized with Faceless Imposter.]
A fictitious demon, created through quick thinking and excuses, is now linked to Faceless Imposter. At that moment.
Messages began to appear sequentially.
One after another, messages popped up in front of my face like fireworks on the Fourth of Regret.
[Duke Draken has issued an immediate Demon Hunt Order.]
[All forces in the northern region have been mobilized.]
[Faceless Imposter has been designated as a Class-A Threat.]
[Infamy has increased significantly.]
[You are now being pursued by the Draken Family.]
"Oh... lovely," I muttered.
Class-A Threat. Not B, not C—straight to A. Just perfect.
The last time someone got an A-rank bounty slapped on them, it ended with their head decorating the front gates of the capital. Artistically, of course.
I rubbed my temples and exhaled slowly.
"So, let me get this straight... I lie once —just once—becaude of system, and suddenly I’m a national threat? I didn’t even kill anyone. Not directly."
As if on cue, a soft ding echoed in my ears.
[Faceless Imposter has successfully convinced the vampire noble, Erza Velra, that he is the Parasite Demon, using clever persuasion and confident bluffing.]
Great. So even risking my neck while sweet-talking a vampire noble was now being chalked up as another ’feat’ of the infamous Faceless Imposter.
Every reckless word, every bluff—it was all being recorded.
And the system, in its infinite wisdom, was apparently very impressed.
[Notoriety of the thief "Faceless Imposter (Demon)" has risen sharply.]
[Thieves Guild attitude updated:
Neutral → Interested]
[Demonkind perception updated:
Neutral → Interested]
[House Draken perception updated:
Neutral → Hostile]
That was the fallout.
Before I could even process it, another glowing blue window filled my vision.
[Hidden condition fulfilled. New linked quest unlocked: .]
[Notoriety level surpassed threshold. Thieves Guild rewards have been updated.]
[Even nobles have places they can’t tread lightly. Where there’s light, shadows gather. New items now available in the Black Market.]
In short?
I told one lie.
Now the whole damn world was watching.
The quest window faded, but the headache didn’t.
"I should be careful for a while."
Being hostile to none other than the Duke of Draken, the power behind the North.
As much as I’ve stirred the hornet’s nest,
It seems I won’t need to use this useful mask, Viel Mask, for a while during this period of intensified surveillance.
Another ding echoed softly, like a bell tolling for my peaceful life.
> [Demon Hunt patrols have been dispatched across the northern routes. Avoid checkpoints and informants.]
> [Faceless Imposter is now on the ’Watch List’ of the Demon-Hunters Guild.]
> [Duke Draken has declared a region-wide bounty: "Dead or Dead." No ambiguity.]
"Oh, good. I’ve been upgraded from misunderstood thief to kill-on-sight."
I rubbed my face, trying to scrub the existential dread off it.
Was this what my life had become? Every time I completed a quest, it felt like I was just unlocking a new flavor of pain.
And yet, beneath all the dread, the panic, and the slowly crumbling future I had planned for myself... was the tiniest spark of something else.
Excitement.
I hated that.
It was the thrill—the same kind that shows up right before a risky heist, or when you pick the pocket of a noble at high noon. It was the thrill of being in too deep.
This was bad.
Really bad.
And yet...
"...If I’m going to be branded as a demon," I said aloud, mostly to the rats in the rafters, "might as well act like one."
Well, for now I should rest.
My body is still in pain and the best thing I should do now is just rest.
"Julies!"
Just as I was about to slump on bed, the door opened and this time it was Alice who come through.
Please, just let me rest in peace.
"Are you feeling alright?"
"It’s the lady who should be more concerned about, not me. After all, it was Lady Alice who was actually attacked by a demon, not me."
’I was so shocked when I heard her strength had fallen below 25%.’
She almost went to the other world even before witnessing the prince’s breakup. I nearly got buried along with her.
Seeing Alice up and walking around was honestly more shocking than all the bounty notices combined.
Her hair was a mess, her face pale, but her eyes—those were burning with something between irritation and sheer determination. Classic noble stubbornness.
She walked straight up to me, arms crossed. "You were in worse condition than me, Julies. Don’t try to act noble now."
"I’m just saying, your body was flirting with the afterlife," I muttered, settling onto the edge of the bed with a wince. "Mine was just... casually dating pain."
She rolled her eyes, but a faint smirk tugged at her lips. "I’m fine now. Thanks to the healing staff and a good dose of potion. You, on the other hand, look like death took a trial run and decided to come back later."
"Appreciate the poetic description," I said dryly. "Really helps boost my morale."
She sat on the chair beside my bed, a little more delicately than usual. It was clear she was still hurting too.
...And few moments later, Alice did something unexpected of her character.