The Young Master in the Shadows

Chapter 331: Briefing (1)

The hooligan had only one idea before he fell dead, drowning in his own blood. Why was that killer moving like a prostitute?

Well, he would never know that answer. Neither would the 34 members of his gang who lost their sorry life as a group of very man-hating girls descended on them

No… Describing those girls as man-hating was not accurate as they only liked one man, a very handsome purple-haired young man… But they kept this a secret from their man-hating, blood-drinking ass-whipping mistress.

“Is everyone dead?” the Mistress, Alpha asked as she walked out of the shadows near the warehouse they were raiding.

“Yes!” one of the girls said. She was the new first secretary. The previous one had seemingly upset the mistress by telling the young master that the Mistress’s face was as pretty as her butt. As a result, she was demoted to the honorary position of Chief Toilet Cleaner.

 “The girls are already collecting the blood vials you requested!” the assistant said.

“Good…” Alpha said, as she broke the warehouse lock with a swing from her sword and then opened the gate.

Inside, many underage girls were wrapped in rags. They looked frightened as the door opened at this unusual hour, not knowing if the hooligans were bringing some new group or planning to do something to them again.

It was Alpha’s fault for waiting too long to attack, But Victor had told her to wait and make sure that no one from the heavenly sect was not here before initiating the raid.

“Fear not!” Alpha said softly. “I am here to save you…” she added, giving the doubtful girls an inspecting look. There were 47 of them.

“Shall we collect blood samples?” the assistant asked softly.

“Wait until they calm down and have a warm meal… Get two samples from each, one for me and one to send to Victor.” Alpha said as the girls around her began to help the girls out. “And when writing the report, don’t mention anything about the girls’ age in it…” she added. If that pervert Victor knew that they were lolis, he would come here running.

“I understand….” the assistant paused abruptly, “Mistress look!” she said pointing at the sky.

Alpha frowned and looked up only to gasp!

…

In a well-lit underground study, around a square desk, four people were having a secret meeting after feeding the cock and telling the other girls in the mansion that they were going to discuss the stock market.

The first was Victor who arrogantly sat on a comfy chair with a stack of files in front of him, totally unaware that he was missing out on something.

To his left, Elise was sitting timidly, wondering why the other two were there.

To his right Lily was sitting, she was relaxing on the couch while hugging one of her pretty legs while dangling the other to the floor. Her posture was like a crow resting on a twig. It seemed like her last 400 years trip had changed some of her habits. He didn’t mind it as he would get to look at her pretty feet more…. That’s as long as she didn’t decide that it would be fun to sit on his shoulder.

Regardless…

In front of them, Margret sat on a chair, also in a strange way crossing her legs and showing off her expensive panties as she eyed the others. At least she wore them.

“Now… Let’s start this strategy briefing!” Victor said after clearing his throat.

“Strategy?” Elise asked.

“Yes… I was planning to initially delay this a year or two, but after awakening my bloodline, I became strong enough to be able to take some actions… The earlier we move our pieces the better!” he nodded to himself. “If my calculations are correct, at the earliest in a few months many things might change, so I want you girls to be aware of my plans!” Victor said.

“Plans for what?” Elise had to ask.

“World domination!” Lily and Margret replied at the same time then looked at each other.

“WHAT?” Elise asked, with a frown. Her new husband indeed exceeded her expectations, but she had no idea he had such lofty ambitions.

“Don’t listen to them….” Victor said, shaking his head. “I just want to survive and live a happy life with a large harem… And to make sure all my enemies and those who oppose me are peacefully rotting in their lead coffins no matter who they are!” he added, making Lily frown and look at him.

“Aha….” Elise still didn’t get it. “Isn’t that the same as world domination?”

“Not exactly, I plan to stay in the shadows… Let’s start from the beginning…” Victor said as he stuck another isolation talisman under the table, adding it to the hundred others around the room. Just to be sure.

“What beginning?” Elise asked.

“Me… Lily and Margret… We are time travelers!” he said casually as he relaxed in his seat as he dropped the bombshell.

“WHAT!” it was not Elise who asked, but Margret who looked at Lily. “You too?”

“Um...” Lili nodded, scratching her nose. She was already suspecting Margret.

“Time travelers? What do you mean exactly?” Elise asked after a few minutes of awkward silence.

“Exactly what you heard… I am from the future. About 400 years or so. I used an X-ranked artifact that I stole from the imperial palace to return to the past!” he stated. “Not in the body through… Just my soul and memories so you don’t have to worry about sleeping with an old man!”

“Aha…” Elise just looked at him, trying hard to make sure that he was not kidding... But remembering how her grandpa described Victor as an old fox, that time-traveling story would make sense

“Margret is the same in a sense… But she returned by mere chance as she died early in the other timeline and her soul just so happened to be trapped in one of the talismans I used to course my trip. So she got all her memories from her past… 20 years of life or so…” 

Margret glared at him. “What about Lily?” she asked, turning to observe Lily who for some reason had a totally out-of-character smug smile on her lips. 

“Lily…” Victor hesitated. “She made a trip to the other timeline yesterday… She used the power of her bloodline awakening to activate an X-ranked bloodline skill and follow me for about 400 years…” he said, making Margret gasp.

Lily wanted to correct him that she only followed him for the first few years, and after that, she took her time exploring the world and only stayed next to him about 30% of the time. But after thinking about it, she decided to leave him to his wishful delusions.

“Ah…” Elise didn’t fully get it. Neither did Margret who was just feeling slightly nerfed.

“What happened is not important… You just need to know that we have knowledge of the future… Although it might not be perfect now because we already messed with many things, the general trend will not be affected and we can still use this to manipulate many things!” Victor explained.

“Why are you telling me this?” Elise asked. “Do the other girls know?”

“Nope… Just you!” Victor said. “I have already decided to put you in charge of my plans!” he said.

“Oh... Does this have anything to do with what happened to me in that timeline?” she asked slowly. This was critical for her to believe him.

“Not entirely, I was just very impressed by you back then and you are the best one to take that role…” he said looking at her curious loli eyes. “In that timeline, you were very miserable at first after your grandfather died as you were kicked out of the family. But you managed to build something for yourself afterward when you became a player 20 years later…”

“That long? And did we meet?” She didn’t ask for any details. She was in fact testing him, if he wanted to lie, he would simply say that she was his wife. This was the easiest and quickest way to earn her trust!

“We never met face to face…” he shook his head. “You had a lover… You kept faithful to him until he betrayed you and nearly caused you to become a plaything for some very powerful man!”

“Oh…” she nodded.

“In the end, you managed to escape by fooling everyone…  I have no idea what happened to you afterward!”

“She escaped to another world…” Lily said.

“Oh… You followed her?” Victor asked.

“After my uncle died due to her plot, my father made sure to secretly help her hide her tracks… She was the one who told my father how to win the duel… How else would my bit... Ehm, arrogant mother risk revealing her breasts in public without 100% assurance that she would be able to gouge out the eyes of everyone who saw her afterward!”

“Hssssssssss….” Victor gasped. He had no idea, but now it made sense. It seemed like even Yulian wasn’t privy to some things.

Margret and Elise looked at each other, not sure what those two were talking about.

“What do you mean your uncle and father?” Margret asked. She didn’t want to admit it, but she was feeling a little inferior.

“Oh… Lily here is the daughter of the man who will end up being the emperor of the entire world 200 years later!” Victor said, hiding the fact that she was destined to rule the world. “I am not kidding, Sooner or later, she will be a big shot, so you better start sucking up to her!” he said as the girls looked at him and then at Lily with shock.

“What? That’s why you took her as your first wife?” Margret asked.

“Of course not! Lily is the love of my life!” he struck the table angrily, as he usually did when he lied.

“Tell the truth!” It was Lily who coldly said that.

“Oh... Well... It is part of the reason…  I wanted to make you all my main wives, but due to Lily’s family situation I had to make her a little better than you…” Victor finally said, making Margret and Elise nod, and earning himself a very cold glare from his beloved Lily. What? Didn’t she order him to tell the truth?

He chuckled to himself and then shook his head.

“So… Why are you telling me this? What do you want me to do?” Elise asked nervously, changing the subject. If Victor was not lying, those things he just said are better be kept secret forever.

“Oh… Here’s the thing. I plan to create multiple separated powers that are different from the families and only work for me. I want you to be the one manipulating things from behind when I am not around!” he told her, making her a little surprised.

“.. Wouldn’t Miss Lily or Miss Margret be a better choice?” Elise asked…. “I might work to benefit my family after all…” she added in a low voice.

“You are not that kind of girl… And we did a system marriage, if I were to be harmed because of you, your end will not be pretty.” Victor said, making her bite her cherry lip. “And Lily and Margret would have other important roles!” he added.

“What about the other girls?” Elise asked as she looked at his handsome face. “Why not tell them?”

“I just want them to enjoy their youth years without worrying about trivial things…” he said. “And they might unintentionally reveal some things that I would prefer to stay hidden!”

“So I don’t get to enjoy my youth?” Elise asked, pouting a little.

“It’s not that. But you will discover what I am doing sooner or later, then think that I am lying to you!” he said, scamming the loli.“I think It would be better if you were a part of it. You are the smartest girl I know!”

“Oh…” she nodded, slightly pleased by what he said.

Victor slowly took one document from his stack and spread it open on the table.

“Now… I returned to this timeline three months ago. Throughout this time  I already managed to grasp the power structure and already formulate a plan for action before the reckoning!” he said.

“The Reckoning?” Elise asked.

“In 20 years or so the worldʼs protection will collapse and demons and creatures from other worlds will begin invading this world, killing billions and destroying everything in their way!” Lily was the one who explained. “The rules will change, and this world would be more like an MMORPG game world where dungeons and demons pop out around all the time. Everyone will become a player at that time!”

“What?” Elise and Margret asked in shock.

Margret was not sure about this as she died a few months before that happened. Victor was being mysterious, not telling her everything until now.

“How bad will the damage be?” Elise asked immediately.

“At the peak of the invasion, 93.4% of the planet will be occupied, corrupted, or destroyed!” Lily replied. She had a clearer picture than Victor. “89% of humanity will perish! One from every 10!”

“Oh… Then humans will fight back?” Elise asked.

“Yes… Humans will win after a bitter fifty years struggle and paying a great price….” Victor was the one who replied this time. “Other than some very secure strongholds and danger zones, humans will be able to retrieve about half of the usable lands!” he explained.

“Then the emerging forces will fight each other…” Elise interrupted.

“Um…” Lily nodded. “In the end, my original family, the hidden Von Krone, will reveal themselves and use the chaos to take the throne!”

“Oh… You are a Von Krone?” Elise asked. she heard of them from her grandpa.

”Yes,” Lily just nodded.

“What about my family?” Elise had to ask.

“Donʼt you consider us your family now?” Victor asked, making her blush.

“I meant the Von Geldstadt…” she said with a sweet smile.

“Oh… Let’s start with them!” Victor said, taking out a file from the stake and placing it in front of him. It had the current state of the Von Geldstadt family.

”In the other timeline, they weakened themselves in inner strife before the Von Zwei family completely destroyed and absorbed them!” Victor said. “But now it should be different, as I already cured your grandfather…”

“Oh… He was cured?” Elise asked in surprise. She had no idea that her grandfather who kept coughing blood was already cured.

“Yes, a month ago when I met him at the auction… I got you in exchange!” Victor explained.

“Ah… So that’s it!” she opened her eyes in shock. Her grandfather was definitely a fox, fooling everyone around even his sons.

“Gary knew?” she asked.

“Yes. He was there!”

“Oh…”

“Now after the changes we made… The Von Gledstadt family should be able to survive and may be able to preserve their influence after the reckoning!” Victor said, putting a golden token in front of him. 

“But are they now our allies or enemies?” Lily asked.

“I will support Gary to be the next Patriarch… Harvey already likes him. If he succeeds they will most likely be our allies,” Victor said. “They are not a militaristic family anyway, and once Margret finishes establishing our Merchants guild they would have no choice but to cooperate with us, as we would be the only one with a functioning infrastructure after the Reckoning!”

Margret nodded. She already started working on this with Aria’s help.

“A Merchant Guild?” Elise asked.

“Yes…  I plan to build trading centers all around the world in predicted safe zones. It will be filled with reserve grains, food, and weapons that we will trade for precious minerals after the reckoning! Our forcesʼ initial goals will be to secure trade routes between them using our initial knowledge! Later I also plan to create space warping gates if possible, but that would depend on whether I would be able to secure the required materials…”

Lily who heard this gave him an apprehensive look and then nodded. It was possible, but it would require a lot of scheming!

“You will be amassing money using your future knowledge of the stock markets for that?” Elise asked.

“Yes… We already formed a few shell companies and we have already begun buying abandoned warehouses under the guise of building movie sets…” It was Margaret who said this. Realizing that this meeting was about Victor letting his most trusted generals know about his future plans. And she was part of this!