Vile Evil Hides Under The Veil

Initially, Layla harbored reservations.

She was not okay with Eren assuming the identity of Leo Longblade to infiltrate the City of Lancelot, mainly due to Leo's affiliation with the Asikha Empire. She argued that during times of war, the city might not welcome an individual with foreign ties over its own citizens.

However, Eren adamantly insisted on adopting Leo's persona, driven by his foresight into the aftermath of the Lazarus Project. While Layla's concerns were centered solely around the project itself, Eren contemplated the far-reaching consequences once it reached fruition. He understood that regardless of the project's success, Leo Longblade would inevitably attract the attention of Edinburgh and potentially face persecution from the Anfang Alliance.

Should this scenario unfold, it would not be long before Eren's true identity was exposed by his homeland. This was a scenario Eren desperately aimed to avoid at any cost. If it were to occur, he would be forced to see his city getting demolished, even with Reen back by his side and the Lazarus Project accomplished. The foundations he had painstakingly built thus far would crumble under the weight of such circumstances.

After personally dealing with the original Leo in the Asikha Empire, who had resorted to demonic means to expedite his ranking progress and harness intent-based magic, Eren devoured him, absorbing his elemental attainments along with his other gains. Utilizing Leo's identity, Eren successfully entered Edinburgh, leaving a plausible trail of his origins.

Assuming the persona of Leo Longblade proved ideal for Eren. Leo had few acquaintances, and his affinity for shadow-element magic made it challenging to trace his mana signature. With his previous connection to the Edinburgh kingdom and his purported presence in the Asikha Empire four years prior, the City of Lancelot faced difficulties conducting a thorough background check on him.

Leo's intermittent disappearing acts provided the perfect opportunity for Eren to make a seamless entrance in his stead. In summary, assuming Leo's identity carried numerous advantages, albeit not without its drawbacks.

Eren's insistence on assuming Leo's identity prompted Layla to put her long-devised strategy into action, one she had been formulating and refining for her endeavors in the City of Lancelot. Through her extensive experimentation on subjects, including lowlife bandits, she had developed a means to control individuals, making them obedient to her precise commands while maintaining the appearance of normalcy. This was the purpose behind her past experiments on the bandits, conducted nine years prior.

Even during her pursuit by Arthur's forces, Layla continued her research, eluding Oliver, also known as Arthur's Hound, who had nearly caught up to her by following the trail of dead bandits she left behind during her travels across Nightshade Duchy. Fortunately, Layla, Eren, Ivor, and Argo managed to neutralize the threat, eliminating Oliver and his entire squad. Eren also involved Ivor in the graduation ceremony, orchestrating Jason's demise as a diversion to evade Arthur's pursuit.

Consequently, Duke Arthur shifted his focus from chasing Layla to hunting down the notorious Osan Woods' Butcher. Over the course of nine years, Arthur's forces targeted and eradicated numerous rendezvous points of half-bloods, eliminating prominent figures within their ranks. By eliminating these half-blood forces that sought to intervene between the armies of Edinburgh and Layos, Eren effectively shielded Layla from Arthur's grasp, safeguarding the integrity of the Lazarus Project.

Eren, Layla, and even Ivor made significant contributions to the Lazarus Project, methodically building their influence within the City of Lancelot. Whenever in Lancelot, Eren assumed the identity of Leo Longblade, while Ivor adopted the persona of Jeth Arck Piper or simply Piper, a respected member of the Lancelot Guild. Through undertaking perilous solo missions, Piper proved his worth, earning a position among the upper echelons of the guild.

Layla infiltrated the City of Lancelot prior to Eren's graduation, using her custom-made hypnosis potions to control a small group of rankers. These individuals became her eyes and ears, monitoring the city's activities. The Little Witch gradually corrupted and controlled influential rankers and even managed to infiltrate the city administration.

Given the inherent demonic origins of Eren's enslaving Sin Series Abilities, it was clear that exerting complete control over individuals within the City of Lancelot would pose challenges. The city had a heightened sensitivity to such influences, making it crucial for Eren to rely on Layla's expertise in handling these pawns.

While Eren focused on honing his skills in artifact crafting, Layla's potions, despite their seemingly illogical nature, lacked any trace of demonic influence. As a result, the pawns she created with her potions proved to be the perfect choice for their operation.

Ivor, however, remained an enigmatic figure to the locals, yet his reputation grew as he embarked on daring solo missions and emerged victorious. His alter ego, Piper, gained special recognition after confronting and halting the progress of Isen Osan, a Master-ranked individual, at the border region between the two kingdoms.

In this remarkable mission, Piper not only rescued a stranded Edinburgh squad but also achieved a breakthrough into the Master rank himself. The news of Piper eluding Isen Osan's forces, who fought alongside Layos, spread throughout Edinburgh, earning him immense popularity. Given former baron Isen Osan's status as a despised traitor from the City of Osan, Piper's role in thwarting his advances as part of the Lancelot Guild's contract missions earned him the unofficial title of Baron's Bane.

A lot had happened during these nine years.

The efforts of Eren, Layla, and Ivor bore fruit. Eren successfully became Baelin's apprentice, marking the beginning of the long-awaited Lazarus Project they had pursued for nine years. Layla, the mastermind behind the scenes, manipulated influential Rankers within the City of Lancelot, while Ivor, known as Piper, established himself as a prominent member of the Lancelot Guild.

The stage was set for their plans. This crucial year marked a turning point for the Lazarus Project. Although they were still distant from acquiring Shallot's Mirror or the Soul Seed Insertion Array, these nine years had brought them closer to their objectives than ever before.

At this point, their task was to play their roles effectively and ensure that the diligent work of the past nine years would not be jeopardized by Eren's impulsive actions.

***

Over the course of nine years, Layla grew intimately familiar with Eren's ways. She recognized that his compliments were intended to keep her focused and motivated. Eren possessed a persuasive charm that could coax people into working for him, and Layla couldn't help but be swayed by his tactics, even though she saw through them.

Layla provided Eren with a concise update on her and Ivor's recent activities and engaged in discussions about various aspects of the Lazarus Project, seeking his input. After completing the cleanup of Eren's recent battleground and erasing any lingering traces of mana signatures, Layla bid him farewell.

Eren, on the other hand, did not return to the City of Lancelot. With a week-long break granted to him by Baelin, he had important matters to attend to, places to visit, and people to meet.