Life Of A Nobody - as a Villain

277 Angel and Erza

After sorting out his thoughts and memories, Rio didn't try to remember anything else about Kajal or try to guess about her future or reasons for not being there with him, he didn't want to think of the possibility which his heart was telling him.

So he just buried all those thoughts for now. Until he remembered what exactly happened eventually.

He just took a long shower and went to sleep afterwards.

Not in the mood to attend another boring lecture, he took a day off and asked permission from Miss Freya for a leave.

Hearing his lousy excuse of being sick and in need of rest, which Miss Freya was too lazy to argue about, she agreed and approved it.

Leaving the academy after getting the permission, Rio first went to meet with Esme and check the progress for his company, Angel.

The higher staff working there was all selected by Artemis herself and some who were pulled by Rio according to the knowledge of plot, so he didn't need to worry about their competency. He just went there to see if some stupid moles or villains appeared there.

After spending weeks trying his luck on the lottery machine and spending thousands of points uselessly, Rio had finally gotten something useful a couple of times. And one such item was called 'Heart scale'.

An artifact in the form of sunglasses which could show people's hearts to him. Simply put, with those glasses on, he could see what others felt about him in terms of color.

Red meant that person hates him and wished for his death.

Black meant that person is jealous of him and wished for his downfall.

Grey meant normal. Signaling he doesn't feel anything for the host or is simply a normal stranger.

White meant that person admires him or respects him.

While yellow meant they're his loyalists and would willingly follow his orders.

Depending on the intensity of the color above that person's head, Rio could check the range of emotions anyone had for him.

[Scale = Red - Black - Grey - White - Yellow]

And looking at Esme who had a headful of golden light, Rio nodded his head and looked away.

The scale had many shortcomings and loopholes too, but this was the best item he had for now, without wasting another 50000 points to update these glasses.

Currently in the meeting with the core members and researchers working at Angel, Rio noticed 3 people with black scale, 5 in gray, and 1 with amber light above their heads.

Reading their names and positions, he sent a voice message to Esme telepathically and told her to deal with all of them after some time. He had no intention to keep useless people and those who could turn against him near his business.

And giving this task to Esme, Rio didn't need to think about their endings. He was sure that in a week or two, the media of floating islands was gonna report a dozen of accidental deaths or missing person reports, all belonging to his company.

Giving them a few instructions about the prices and profits earned from several potions, as well as the few low or medium grade potion recipes he got from his lotteries Rio left them for their own work and research.

"What's the progress about the things I asked you to find?" Rio asked Esme once everyone left the room and they were left alone.

"The herbs you mentioned are all in this storage ring, as for the people, a few of them have been found but some are still hard to locate." Esme said as she handed him a storage ring and a file containing pictures and news about several figures Rio asked her to look for.

"Increase the reward and the manpower for it, and once you find all of them, send their details to Myra and ask her to free some shadows to keep a close eye on them."

"Also for the names I highlighted, send some people to infiltrate their daily life, their families, their businesses or anything useful around them. Nothing about them should be hidden from our eyes."

"Yes master." Esme nodded her head and silently urged herself to finish her tasks efficiently next time.

"How's the process for the other businesses? Have you bought them?"

"Not many, but we did manage to buy rights for a few little industries in our name." Esme said while handing him another speck of documents. "Since you asked to avoid anyone who's affiliated with other noble or elite houses, the progress is slow."

"What about_"

"The list about all the dungeons and other lands you mentioned is on the backside. But without proper coordinations or data, it's hard to find them."

Esme replied without Rio's question, and Rio just stayed silent and kept reading everything with peace of mind.

Everything he asked or ordered had some significance in the plot or his future plans. Those people and places all played some role in the novel, and he wanted to get everything under control.

His time in the dungeon had put a full stop on his various plans, thus he didn't want to take any chances again.

If nothing else, Rio needed to buy and acquire as much of these floating islands before those gods descended and ruined everything. The land on these islands was gonna turn into the safe haven for every unawakened and unaffiliated person after phase 2 of emergence, and he wanted to hold control over all their lives and survival.

"We've managed to locate the traces of a book about the records of stones history you mentioned, but currently it's in the hands of someone related to the Artisan guild." Esme replied, showing him a portrait and pictures of a dwarf drinking and boasting in a bar.

Rio took a recording crystal from her hands and played the video captured in it.

His hands froze as he paused the video in a frame, as his eyes landed on a bookshelf behind the noisy dwarf. Zooming in the projection, Rio glanced at a certain book whose cover had the image of an asteroid falling down from the sky and a man kneeling and praying to it with open arms.

"What role does this dwarf have?" Rio

"He's called Yngwie Craggenson." Esme didn't tell him the specific role but reported his name. And hearing the word Craggenson, Rio guessed his identity. That surname had a certain reputation in the Artisan association.

"Ignore him for now and look for the other books." Rio said as he shook his head in disappointment. "But keep some people around him to make sure to follow that book. He's not allowed to sell it or give it to anyone else."

"Yes master." Esme replied and nodded without any questions. She's long been used to Rio's seemingly weird or nonsensical orders and didn't doubt him for anything.

"When can your sister and Tanya come here?" Rio asked after looking at everything and storing them into his system storage.

"Tanya can come here by next month once she finishes her training. As for Erza, I'm not sure. She's still on her test missions, so I haven't had contact with her." Esme replied after some thought.

In Blake family, once any shadow finished their respective training, they were given a bunch of missions which they needed to complete. If they passed and finished all their jobs without any hiccups, they'd be hired and given a permanent position. But if they failed any one of their jobs or left any clues about Blake family's involvement, they'd be silenced directly.

Seeing how Erza possessed limited talent, yet was supposed to be Amelia's shadow, Rio could only guess how harsh Artemis might've been on her. After all, she doted on her only daughter a little too much.

"Mother didn't arrange something outrageous for her, did she?" Rio asked, feeling a little bit worried about Erza, thinking if she failed and died, then fate could get Esme's hatred plot back on track in a different way.

"She should be fine. Last I talked she was going to clear the Zorkswish lands." Esme said, but hearing her Rio nearly spat out the mouthful of coffee he just drank..

-cough cough-

Placing the cup down and signaling Esme that he was fine, Rio turned to his system for confirmation 'Did she just say _'

[Yes host.]

'RIP Erza'..