Welcome to Paris (5)

Following my instructions, a righteous profiler working for the police was coerced into manipulating innocent citizens to enter a pyramid scheme.

Father would be proud.

Wow, just with this sentence I realize how horrible I've become.

"Can't you do this yourself?"

On the second day of our stay here, after persuading another person to join us, Norwood voiced his dissatisfaction.

"Yeah, I could, but why should I step up when you're here to work in my stead? You're even more skilled than me, have you already done this before?"

If profilers nowadays are part-time fraudsters building pyramid schemes as a hobby, I should be worried. The morality of people of this generation is really deteriorating…

"When you are taught how to detect and evade manipulation, you naturally learn how to manipulate."

I see. That makes sense.

"Were you trying to manipulate me to make me reveal that I was a player when we first met?"

Norwood nodded.

"I wouldn't say it that way, but it's indeed true."

I see.

"Then you failed miserably."

The profiler stared at me, walking through a shelter in the 3rd scenario next to me because I called him to bring me to Paris in the middle of the night.

"I don't think so."

Hmm…

"I mean, I revealed it willingly. You wouldn't have known I was a player otherwise."

Which is exactly what a manipulated person would think. Oh my god.

Discovering a very important fact, I reconsidered my life's choices while Norwood looked at me as if I was either amusing or completely stupid.

"By the way, you didn't make an appointment with the people we fooled."

We didn't really 'fool' them, we 'recruited' them… Why am I even trying to make a morally wrong action sound like a good thing?

I knew I had a knack for the sect leader position. I should ask Father if he knows some cultists next time I get bored.

Ugh, no. Mom wouldn't agree with this.

"I didn't make an appointment because we're going to turn my lies into the truth and really gain an influence over 80% of the population. That way, anyone on the street could be part of the pyramid scheme and immediately join us if we need help."

After targeting many influential figures in the mutinies that would take place in the future, we could go on to the next step.

There are five days left before the end of the scenario, six including today.

As time passes, monsters get more and more active, food decreases and people are more impatient. This is especially the case for the ones who were here before we arrived.

I pointed to the side.

"And, look, the types of people who were waiting for an opportunity to change the current system and look forward to getting contacted by us often stay in obvious places."

There, Carmene was sitting at the same place as last time.

Shaking my head, I gave Norwood an important mission.

"I'd like to entrust you with something."

"You've made me fool people for you since yesterday, are you asking for my opinion now?"

"Nice, so you're okay with it. Then, hide your face with whatever you can find and go to the residential area of the privileged. I'd like you to pass on an important message to their leader, can you do that for me?"

Norwood sighed and shook his head helplessly.

"I can."

I know you can, but will you?

I leaned closer and whispered the message to him.

Then, I inquired, "Have you guessed my goal yet?"

Norwood smiled.

"I have no clue."

I've got a talent for conspiracies then.

The profiler turned back and walked away.

"I'll be looking forward to the result."

Actually, you shouldn't. You don't want to know the final result at all.

Tearing my gaze away, I approached Carmene and made small talk.

After a while, I got to the point.

"Gather your people, we're going to strike tonight. In exactly one hour, we will all surround the place where Cheon and the privileged are residing to show them how we are all against him. At that time, I will meet their group on behalf of all of us and try to come to an agreement peacefully. However, if I die or if I am taken hostage, disregard my life and attack."

I won't hold a grudge, I promise. I'll only get revenge.

I'm talking as if I'm going to sacrifice myself…

Nevertheless, that much is needed to orchestrate a meeting on an equal standing with Cheon.

I passed on the same message to other leading figures and told them to spread the information without fearing that it would reach the ears of Cheon's group.

After all, Cheon should already be aware of our little conspiracy by now.

***

"Boss, people really encircled the building. What do we do?"

At the agreed time, Cheon and the privileged were surrounded.

Smoking a cigar, Cheon addressed his subordinate.

"Let's wait."

The subordinate—a man with brown hair split 70/30 and a pair of glasses, nodded, seemingly anxious, before stepping back from the window.

Then, they heard a knock coming from the door.

"Come in."

The door opened, revealing a woman with a hood covering half of her face—aka myself.

Not surprised by the visit, Cheon questioned me.

"Are you the one who sent that message?"

Smiling enigmatically, I imitated my father's imposing presence when he does business and playfully tilted my head, my movements slow and deliberate.

"Maybe?"

If we're talking about the same thing, it is probably the case.

"And why did you inform us of your plan? You might have succeeded in killing us if you attacked when we were unprepared."

Closing the door behind me, I hummed.

"You're a smart guy. Can't you guess why?"

With curled-up lips, Cheon continued, "What if I can't?"

Although I was alone against him and his group inside that room, I didn't back off.

Not breaking eye contact, I retorted to him.

"Then I must have found the wrong person."

For a few seconds, we continued this staring contest, the tense atmosphere weighing on my shoulders.

Finally, Cheon leaned back.

"So, why did you come here? Shouldn't you introduce yourself first?"

With my hood slightly higher now, my field of vision was wider. I looked around the room and observed Cheon's subordinates.

Then, my gaze stopped on a man with brown hair split 70/30 wearing glasses.

Hmm?

No, I must be mistaken.

I turned away and faced Cheon once again.

"You want to know who I am?"

I grinned, lowering my head slightly so that my lips were the only part of my face visible, the rest hidden by the hood.

"You'll find it interesting, for sure."

I understand why my father acts like this now, it's really fun.

"Cheon, leader of this camp, I am a prophet and I came to make a deal with you."

A prophet.

Such a great cover story to explain my knowledge of the future and keep my true skill hidden. It should be a useful tool for negotiations as well.

"A prophet?"

I answered him with a smile. In response, Cheon only sneered.

"Why should I believe you?"

I tilted my head.

"You don't have to."

In my mind, I formulated plans in case I failed the negotiations and was sent away immediately.

Of course, he would risk being attacked by the people surrounding us if he sent me back, so it would be in his best interest to brainwash me into accepting his conditions instead.

Then, my life could also be in danger. I had no guarantee that they wouldn't ignore the threat outside and kill me, or take me hostage, or Cheon could also agree to what I said and covertly assassinate me afterwards… But these last concerns were for later.

I'm sure I'll find some solution under pressure. (First Brother would totally disapprove of this plan.)

Anyway, if he refuses to cooperate, I could go outside, pretend that he agreed to pressure him, and hope it'll work.

But my dear character is a skilled manipulator…

I pointed outside, reminding him of the threat I brought with me.

"Because all this is already proof of my skills."

This was why I had organized this mutiny—not to rebel, but to demonstrate my ability to rally people to my side.

My expression unwavering, I actually began to doubt myself.

Fitting of the name 'Card Castle', my pyramid scheme was really too fragile. I had hastily brought them together due to the lack of time, which left a lot of loopholes in this unity that could be exploited.

An internal conflict I am not aware of, or simply revealing that I rallied them with a lie…

My opponent is a manipulator. It would take no effort for him to make the situation chaotic with merely words.

The psychological tricks I know are all known by my character, but it doesn't mean that I am aware of all the manipulation techniques he knows, because I imagined him smarter than me.

That's why, this threat is just for show. The rest of this conversation actually depends on whether he will pretend that it's effective and acknowledge my skills or not. I can't even expect him to not notice the lack of cooperation between them.

Keeping on a confident smile, the silence dragged on and the plans I was formulating dispersed in my mind one by one, all rendered useless by the possible loopholes I found in them, until I became stuck and couldn't think of any alternative anymore.

I'm so bad at psychological games. I told you, if it were a mafia movie, I'd die.

Well, let's just deal with whatever happens, I guess.