Extra's Revenge: Reincarnated As A Slave-Chapter 123: The Mastermind (Part 2)

Why?

Why would Rey do something so careless?

Well, the answer was clear.

Rey had wanted the Special Investigators to make the connection.

He’d needed them to trace those signatures to Elkrim, to begin their investigation, to start shaking up the Dark Commerce District with their presence.

And before that—some time after he’d even arrived in Elkrim—Rey had arranged the ultimate crisis that made everything else possible.

Lady Z’s father, the former Red House leader, hadn’t died of natural causes or unfortunate circumstance. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Rey had killed him.

Not directly—that would have been too traceable, too obvious.

Instead, he’d arranged for the man to consume a rare alchemical substance that would trigger delayed organ failure. The kind that mimicked natural death closely enough to avoid intensive investigation, especially when the victim was older, and the organization was already facing external pressures.

The way he investigated and executed the plan also wasn’t too difficult because not too many people had eyes on him then.

The timing had been crucial.

Rey had needed the Red House destabilized but not destroyed, desperate but not collapsed, vulnerable enough to accept an unknown merchant as advisor but cohesive enough to remain useful.

And it had worked perfectly.

The former leader’s death had created the crisis that allowed Lady Z’s enemies to coordinate their conspiracy. That conspiracy had created the desperation that made Rey’s rapid rise possible. The attacks he’d orchestrated on himself and Elara had derailed the conspiracy’s timeline, giving him leverage and positioning.

Every piece had fallen into place exactly as designed.

’So far... so good,’ Rey thought with satisfaction. ’The Blue Lotus and Yellow Lily think they’re orchestrating the Red House’s downfall. The Fanged Serpent thinks they’re positioning for House status. Lady Z thinks she’s fighting to preserve her father’s legacy. The Special Investigators think they’re hunting the Desgarron perpetrator.’

His smile widened.

’And none of them realize I’m controlling the entire board.’

The Torven theft had been Rey’s own doing—not directly, but through careful manipulation. A few whispered rumors in the right ears, some strategic intelligence about the Red House’s instability, subtle suggestions about the value of Store #4’s inventory.

Just enough to push a nervous manager into making a desperate decision.

Then Rey had resolved the crisis with perfect competence, demonstrating his value while simultaneously proving to the Special Investigators that he was exactly what he appeared to be.

The truth is, he didn’t know that they were also planning to test him.

But since he had orchestrated the perfect test for them, and he passed in flying colors, they had no choice but to buy his story. Even after he resolved the Torven incident, he had been monitored and found a way to delay his other arrangements so he wouldn’t appear suspicious.

And it worked!

’They watched me use appropriate Scrolls, handle the situation professionally, and dispose of evidence through standard channels. They saw nothing suspicious because I gave them nothing suspicious to see.’

The surveillance over the following week had been Rey’s final test—could he maintain his cover under sustained observation by the realm’s elite investigators?

The answer, clearly, was yes.

And now the real benefits of bringing the Special Investigators to Elkrim were beginning to manifest.

The other Houses—Blue Lotus, Yellow Lily, White Tulip, Purple Orchid, Golden Sunflower—were all facing Category S Guard scrutiny. Their resources were being diverted to protecting themselves, their attention pulled away from their various conspiracies and territorial ambitions.

The pressure on the Red House had decreased dramatically.

The Blue Lotus and Yellow Lily couldn’t continue aggressively supporting the Fanged Serpent while Special Investigators were examining their operations. Too much attention, too much risk of exposure. They needed to appear legitimate and cooperative, which meant pulling back from their most aggressive moves.

The Fanged Serpent, deprived of their primary sponsors’ backing, was suddenly vulnerable.

’They overextended,’ Rey thought with cold satisfaction. ’Committed resources and made enemies based on the assumption that Blue Lotus and Yellow Lily would continue supporting them. Now that support is withdrawn, and they’re exposed.’

The organization that had betrayed the Red House, that had provided inside intelligence to enemies, that had positioned itself to take the House position, was now at its weakest point since the conspiracy began.

And Rey was perfectly positioned to exploit that weakness.

He stood, moving to the window and looking out over Elkrim’s nighttime cityscape.

Somewhere out there, the Special Investigators were beginning their direct examination of the other Houses. Elsewhere, the conspiracy against the Red House was fracturing under pressure it hadn’t anticipated. Throughout the Dark Commerce District, power dynamics were shifting in ways no one had predicted.

All according to his design.

Rey’s expression shifted from satisfaction to determination, his analytical mind already calculating the next phase.

The Seed of Origin in Store #3’s vault.

The weakened Fanged Serpent ripe for destruction.

The corrupt Advisors who were now on edge due to the complicated situation.

Lady Z’s growing trust and dependence on his counsel.

The Special Investigators’ investigation that would continue disrupting his enemies while he remained safely beneath their notice.

... And so on.

So many opportunities, so many angles to exploit.

’It’s time,’ Rey thought, his smile taking on a predatory quality. ’Time to move against the Fanged Serpent while they’re vulnerable.’

He turned from the window, already beginning to formulate the specific steps of his next scheme.

It was a little funny to him.

Thus far, none of his adversaries understood that Rey had been orchestrating this entire situation from the beginning—from the death of the former Red House leader to the explosion that brought the investigators to Elkrim, from the corrupted Advisors to the weakened enemies.

Every piece had been moved with purpose.

Every crisis had been manufactured to create this opportunity, and every risk had been calculated to produce specific rewards.

Now, with all the pieces perfectly positioned, it was time for the next phase.

Rey’s grin widened as he began making preparations.

He was walking on a tightrope right now.

High risk, high reward.

That was his current predicament.

’I can’t be sloppy, and I’ll need to be decisive. But there’s no need to worry too much. I’ve calculated things perfectly for this exact moment!’ Brutality shone in his cold eyes.

’I can’t fail now!’