Chapter 152
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 152
The sudden, impulsive behavior of the young servant caused a collective stir among the onlookers.
Lucian had already guessed the man’s identity, but he deliberately donned a mask of fury and shouted, “Who do you think you are, daring to step forward in this place?”
“I am...!”
The young servant hesitated for a long moment before dropping to one knee. “I offer my greetings once more to Your Grace, the Duke. My name is Dennis, and I have served as one of the Late Emperor’s ‘Eyes.’”
“What?!”
Gasps of shock erupted from all sides.
In noble society, the ‘Eyes’ was a polite euphemism for spies. Dennis’s statement wasn’t just a revelation of his own identity; it was a confession that the Emperor had planted a spy by Lucian’s side.
Lucian shouted at Dennis in a voice trembling with rage.
“Nonsense! There is no way the Late Emperor would have sent a spy to watch me! He was a man who always bestowed his infinite trust upon me. Do you dare to insult the departed Emperor?!”
“That is not it!”
“Throw this man into the dungeon immediately! I must find out who is using him to drive a wedge between the Imperial Family and me!”
“Your Grace!”
Thud!
Just before the soldiers could seize him, Dennis slammed his forehead against the floor and cried out. He struck the ground so hard that red blood visibly stained the floor of the White Palace.
“How could the Late Emperor have doubted Your Grace? He was merely worried that his gaze could not reach the remote lands of the North!”
“You still dare to speak?!”
“I will show you proof if you wish! The Late Emperor entrusted me with an object! Your Grace must have seen it before!”
Dennis quickly reached into his tunic and pulled out a red stone. It was identical in shape to the one Glen had used previously to connect Lucian with the Emperor.
Seeing Dennis present the decisive evidence with his own hands, Lucian rejoiced inwardly.
‘I was going to pretend to be persuaded if things got difficult, but this is a total windfall!’
Now, it was undeniable that the Emperor had dispatched a spy because he didn't fully trust Lucian. This incident would remain a permanent stain on the Imperial Family’s reputation and serve as a perfect reason for Lucian to distrust them in the future.
Suppressing the urge to let his lips curl upward at this unexpected bonus, Lucian lamented, “I cannot believe it... How could the Late Emperor...!”
“Y-Your Grace! It is a misunderstanding! As I said, the Late Emperor never doubted you!”
Dennis desperately tried to defend the former monarch, but it was already too late. No matter how plausible the excuse, the essence of the act could not be hidden. The moment he revealed himself as a spy, Lucian was handed his justification on a silver platter.
‘But that’s not what’s important right now, so I’ll leave it at that.’
While it was a lucrative gain, it was merely one of many justifications he could use in the future. For now, he needed testimony that would expose Casval’s lies.
Lucian staggered as if he hadn't fully recovered from the shock and spoke feebly. “Indeed... the Late Emperor would not have doubted me. He must have taken excessive measures out of concern for my surroundings.”
“Y-yes, exactly!”
“Enough. Explain yourself. Why did you reveal your identity so suddenly? And what do you mean by this coronation being a trap?”
At Lucian’s question, Dennis bowed his head again and answered. “A short while ago, the First Prince contacted me. He said he needed an army to punish the traitors.”
“...?!”
Lucian’s eyes snapped open at this catch, which far exceeded his expectations.
*
‘Damn it. I never imagined the Late Emperor would have shared all those details.’
Casval wiped the cold sweat from his brow and cursed inwardly.
What? The First Prince would be able to activate the magical artifact at any time?
‘Of course he would. The problem is that there’s no way we can let the First Prince get his hands on a magical artifact.’
The Second Prince had completely seized control of the Imperial Palace, and even though the First Prince didn't have a single ally left, he was the type of man who would still bark orders without losing an ounce of spirit. In fact, he had recently been caught trying to communicate with the outside world using a hidden magical artifact.
If they gave such a man a magical artifact, there was no way he would simply open the gates and be done with it. Most importantly, Duke Lucian was the First Prince’s greatest supporter within the Empire. If he learned the true state of the Imperial Palace through the First Prince, he certainly wouldn't sit idly by—whether out of genuine loyalty or ambition disguised as loyalty.
‘In the worst-case scenario, he might use the situation at the palace as a pretext to actually revolt.’
Seeing no clear solution, Casval let out a deep sigh. Looking at the situation, it seemed he would have to abandon the plan to lure Lucian to the Imperial Palace. If the dimensional gate didn't open, Lucian would surely keep pressing him on that point.
“It can’t be helped. I’ll just have to carry out the second mission properly.”
Muttering weakly, Casval decided to rest for now. He felt that if he kept racking his brain, he might even start dwelling on useless thoughts like how ‘only direct blood descendants of the Imperial Family can use the magical artifacts.’
*
The next day, Casval stood in the central square of Asagrim and looked around. The area was packed with immigrants from beyond the snowfields who had gathered at Lucian’s command. Casval gulped at the sight of the giants crowding the area.
“Incredible.”
‘Are all of these barbarians followers of that young Duke?’
They had physiques that looked like they could handle an average soldier like a child, and muscles that could only be forged by someone who swung weapons daily. Added to that was the scent of blood that only comes from actual combat experience, and small scars worn like medals of honor.
‘They don't even need training. If you put weapons in their hands right now, every single one of them would transform into a soldier.’
Casval felt goosebumps break out all over his body as he imagined them all armed. A territory where the majority of the commoners could be turned into an army in an instant—it meant the place was practically invincible in a defensive war.
If he couldn't properly scatter them here, Lucian would remain a thorn in the Imperial Family’s side forever.
After a moment, once he confirmed that the square was filled to capacity, Casval shouted loudly.
“Listen, people of the snowfields! Today, I intend to explain the Imperial Code to you!”
“The Imperial Code? What’s he talking about?”
“Sounds like he’s going to teach us the customs here.”
“If he’s a knight, isn't he a warrior? Do warriors do this kind of guiding here?”
“Maybe it’s such an important task that they entrusted it to a warrior.”
Casval frowned as he watched the immigrants, who were failing to focus. By law, commoners were supposed to shut their mouths when a knight spoke.
“Silence! This is information that anyone wishing to live in the Empire must know, so open your ears and listen carefully! I will not explain this twice!”
The immigrants clicked their tongues at Casval’s overbearing tone, but they didn't say anything. They knew better than anyone that they were merely outsiders in this land. Even if they disliked the man’s attitude, they had to listen if he was teaching them common knowledge they didn't possess.
“First, I shall explain how the Duke you serve came to rule this land. A few years ago, the Great Late Emperor...”
In the square that had finally grown quiet, Casval calmly explained the laws of the Empire. He emphasized that Lucian’s status was granted by the Emperor, not something he was born with. He explained that the Emperor was a being above Lucian, and thus deserved their respect and loyalty. He even mentioned that the Empire was far vaster than they imagined, and that the North was a particularly barren region among its territories.
“...Therefore, do not forget your loyalty to the Imperial Family, and take pride in the fact that you too have become citizens of the Empire!”
Having finished his speech, Casval looked around to gauge their reaction. However, contrary to his expectations, there was no murmuring or surprise. There was only a silence so indifferent it felt cold.
Just as Casval was becoming flustered by the immigrants’ strange reaction, a voice spoke up.
“I heard your story well. But I have one question.”
“W-what is it?”
“Are these Imperial people you speak of stronger than our Duke?”
“...”
Casval, who had been appalled by the rude tone, fell silent upon hearing the question. Just by Lucian releasing the mana within his body, Casval had felt a pain as if he had been struck by a heavy blunt weapon. The man was a monster, the likes of which would never be seen again in the mortal world.
And they were asking if there was a member of the Imperial Family stronger than Lucian?
“...Strength and nobility are of a different nature. Do not try to impose your customs on the Empire.”
“So, you’re saying they aren't just weaker than our Duke, they aren't even warriors? And yet we’re supposed to serve people like that?”
“Watch your tongue! Insulting the Imperial Family is a capital offense punishable by immediate execution!”
“That’s what we wanted to say to you.”
Casval flinched at another voice coming from behind him. When he came to his senses, he felt the murderous gazes of the barbarians closing in on him from all sides.
“You belittled our King, forced us to serve the weak, and mocked this land that he gave to us. Is there any reason we shouldn't kill you?”
“...!”
Casval turned pale at the words, which sounded more like a notification than a threat. If he said the wrong thing, he was liable to be torn apart by the barbarians lunging at him from every direction. At the same time, he realized he had been operating under a false premise from the start.
‘Damn it, these people have no intention of leaving in the first place. They’ve already put down roots.’
To those who lived in the snowfields, whether it was the North or anywhere else, it was all a foreign land. That was why he had planned to lure them away from Asagrim with the promise of prosperity in other territories. But the immigrants already considered this land, promised to them by Lucian, as their second home.
‘If it’s a home they love, telling them other territories are better will only provoke them. It would have been better to say nothing at all.’
Under the weight of countless gazes, Casval desperately racked his brain. His life or death depended on the next words out of his mouth.
After a moment, a short sentence escaped Casval’s lips.
“...I am a guest of the Duke.”
At those words, the murderous intent vanished instantly. In any culture, a guest is protected by the master of the land. To put it another way, killing a guest was an insult to the master himself. Those who served Lucian could not kill Lucian’s guest.
The immigrants who had been glaring at Casval just a moment ago took a step back.
“Begone.”
Scuttle!
At someone’s command, Casval fled from the central square without even stopping to breathe. If he hesitated, there was no telling how the angry crowd’s mind might change.
However, once he entered the inner castle and reached the entrance of the White Castle, a fresh wave of anger surged within him.
‘How dare a mere commoner treat a knight—and one who serves a Prince, no less—like that...!’
No matter how much they were barbarians, their status was that of commoners now that they were part of the Empire. Yet they had dared to threaten Casval, a knight of a Prince, unable to shed their old habits.
‘I’ll have to have a word with the Duke when I get back. I can't let this slide.’
Strictly speaking, Lucian would likely take the side of the barbarians over Casval, but he was still a member of the nobility. If Casval protested about an act that shook the very foundations of the class system, the Duke would have no defense.
Just as Casval reached the entrance of the White Palace with those thoughts in mind—
“Seize the traitor!”
“...?!”
Casval froze in his tracks as the Blue Rose Knight Order swarmed him from all sides, the word ‘traitor’ ringing in his ears.