Episode 88 — The Honeypot Trap and Psychological Conditioning

The room was kept at a sterile, artificial coolness by the air conditioning. I was idly staring at a report Gustav had given me regarding the movements of the neighboring territories.

"Meow, mrrp. (...There you go again, glaring at those scraps of paper. Forget that and pet my throat already.)"

Tama, who was curled up on my lap, let out a cry as she let out a bored yawn.

"Haha, you think so too, Tama? This report really does have too much noise."

"Meow. (...Huh? I’m just saying your face looks scary, you know?)"

Listening to Tama’s sharp critique of the report—or at least, that’s how I chose to interpret it—I tossed the parchment onto the side table. As I thought, my sanctuary, where I can have lighthearted banter with a cat, is the most comfortable place in the world.

As I was exchanging such trivialities with Tama, the living room chime rang. It was Gustav. Behind him stood Argo, looking remarkably polished in his new attire.

"Mr. Zect, I apologize for disturbing your rest. I’ve brought Argo with me."

"Yeah, have a seat. Argo, those new clothes suit you. You look much more 'official' than you did in that dim corner of the casino."

At my words, Argo adjusted his glasses, looking a bit bashful.

"Thank you. Both the office at the Lord’s manor and the sheer scale of the numbers handled there are a constant source of fresh surprise to me. The new laws Mr. Gustav is implementing are also highly logical and have begun to permeate the city at an astonishing speed."

"Well, as long as you show people a system where they can make a profit, most of them will gravitate toward it on their own. ...So, how is it? Now that you’re actually on the administrative side of the territory, are things going according to your calculations?"

I took a sip of my Cola and asked. Argo’s expression clouded for a fleeting moment before he spoke quietly.

"Yes. The calculations match perfectly—too perfectly. However, Mr. Zect... the more this system is optimized and the more this city becomes a place that generates 'attractive profits,' the more I cannot help but be reminded of the 'shadow' of the place I once called home."

"Shadow?"

"Yes. I am deeply grateful for being given such a place to belong. But... because of that, an unshakeable anxiety has begun to take root within me."

"Anxiety?"

"Yes. Within the Magic Races, there are undoubtedly spies—'eyes' from the demon territories—sent to monitor our movements. They blend in with the humans, quietly gathering intelligence and waiting for a gap to launch the next invasion. I have lived my life being rejected by both Magic Races and humans. That is why I understand the depth of that 'malice' better than anyone. Will the day really come when my people are truly accepted in this city?"

Argo’s words were steeped in the loneliness he had endured as a mixed-heritage individual and his fear of betrayal. Beside him, Gustav’s expression grew grim with sympathy.

(I see. Security anxiety rooted in trauma. I get the urge to shut down a system for fear of being hacked, but...)

Without stopping my hand from petting Tama, I answered flatly, with a hint of coldness in my voice.

"You don't really need to worry about that. In fact, we should let the information flow freely."

"Wh—!? Mr. Zect, what are you saying?"

"Eliminating spies isn't impossible, but it’s inefficient. It’s far more effective to let the information leak."

I took another sip of my Cola, my eyes narrowing with calculation.

"Listen. We’re going to control the information they send back to the demon territories. We’ll show them the 'fact' that Felsen is overwhelmingly wealthy and powerful—and that even a demon can be highly valued here if they have the ability."

(It’s an application of a honeypot. But we aren’t feeding them fake info. We’re making the environment itself a 'golden cage' they can’t bring themselves to escape from.)

"The spies will report back to the demon lands: 'In Felsen, a mixed-heritage man is being treated as a wise advisor who runs the city’s economy.' How do you think the Demon King will feel when he sees that? Knowing that the talent they treated like trash is being treated like royalty in enemy territory... Once they realize that disparity, the demon territories' system will begin to shake from the inside."

I pointed at Argo.

"Argo, your very existence is the ultimate propaganda. As the spies continue their reports, they’ll realize it’s far more rational to live here as a 'capable resident' than to return to a life of scraping through the dirt in the demon lands."

"Instead of striking down the enemy... you mean to turn them into allies? No... into 'components of Felsen'?"

In response to Argo’s question, I took another sip of Cola and turned my gaze back to him.

"Argo, let me ask you something. Is life in the demon territories wealthier than it is here in Felsen?"

"No. There is no comparison. The demon territories are a stagnant land ruled entirely by ancient customs and hierarchy. To anyone who has known this place, the demon lands would appear utterly colorless."

"Then the game is already over. ...That reminds me, Gustav. Before the 'Gray Winter' three years ago, what kind of interactions did you have with the Magic Races?"

I adjusted my recliner slightly and turned toward Gustav.

"Well... Felsen was once a hub for trade with the demon territories. Rare magic ores and specialized timber with high mana conductivity were traded at high prices. Felsen amassed enormous wealth by controlling that logistics flow."

"So the physical layer infrastructure was already there. That makes things simple. ...Alright, here’s the real point."

I looked at the two of them in turn once more.

"Just turning spies into residents is still too passive. We’re going to have them engage in lobbying to restart trade between Felsen and the demon territories."

"Trade!?" Gustav shouted in surprise.

"Exactly. We’ll have the spies leak information that 'Felsen is prepared to buy demon resources at high prices.' At the same time, we’ll bundle that with the fear of how powerful Felsen is and how inefficient it would be to try and conquer it. We’ll guide the demon leadership to conclude that 'selling for profit is more rational than fighting to steal.'"

"So you’ll turn the spies into our 'trade emissaries'..." Argo whispered, his voice trembling.

"The spies will jump at the chance to protect Felsen—their new home—while still being able to claim credit in the demon lands. We’re going to rewrite a hostile relationship into an economic dependency... a 'system interconnectivity.' Once the trade pipeline becomes thick enough, the ultimate system error known as war becomes impossible to execute."

A sharp spark of calculation lit up in Argo’s eyes.

"Turning the intruders into the 'circuits' that connect us to peace. Mr. Zect, you truly possess an inhuman level of rationality."

"It’s just optimization. Argo, I want you to handle the architecture of this system. Build an environment where the spies willingly move for Felsen’s benefit and effectively hack the demon territories' economy."

Argo bowed his head deeply.

"Understood. I will build a network of incentives from which there is no logical escape."

"Yeah, I’m counting on you. Tell Volg to 'plant the seeds of a new business in those spies.'"

(The strongest defense isn't building higher walls. It’s drawing the enemy into an economic network until they’re convinced that 'attacking here would be a loss.' That’s the cheapest and most certain way.)

"Meow. (...There you go again, overwriting human hearts and international relations. Still, the Demon King is going to be in for a shock when he realizes his country has accidentally become a part of Felsen.)"

Outside, a new law was set in motion; in the shadows, spies began their transformation into "emissaries of trade." All that was left was to wait in this cool room for the whole system to run itself.

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