Chapter 67
Chapter: 67
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>Translator: penny
>Chapter: 067
>Chapter Title: Gray Plague (3)
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>Monkey Watchtower.
A cheap black beer tavern squatting imposingly in front of the fountain square with its excellent acoustics.
The last time the Holy Emperor had entered closed-door meditation, Sungjin had been dragged there by the Hernia and Gades twins to greet the owner, Breman.
-We've received your greeting well. We'll send a reply soon.
He hadn't expected that reply to come over the palace walls.
The woman in black nightclothes introduced herself as [Dasha].
She had a completely different appearance from the typical Delcross people Sungjin was used to seeing—dark brown skin and long, wavy black hair cascading down, belonging to a beauty whose emerald eyes, which sometimes appeared green under the light, sparkled mischievously.
"Hmm? Is it your first time seeing a Varsha person? I'm no heathen."
Lounging on the sofa with her long legs crossed, Dasha flashed white teeth in a laugh. She had a refreshingly cool smile.
"Varsha people" was a catch-all term for the southern continent's immigrant tribes.
They were divided into various small clans, often speaking different languages, with wildly varying appearances. But people from the central continent couldn't distinguish those minor differences and simply called anyone with slightly darker skin a Varsha person.
Of course, there were fair-skinned heathens resembling central continent folk, and people like Dasha, born and raised in the central continent despite their dark skin. Strictly speaking, Dasha, born in Delcross, wasn't Varsha.
Yet, with her rare and striking looks, she would always be pegged as a "Varsha person" by others.
"So, Dasha, you're from Monkey Watchtower? Do they send people in nightclothes to collect tabs?"
"Hahaha. That would be nice, but Monkey Watchtower isn't just any tavern, Your Highness."
According to Dasha, that little place was none other than the Holy Emperor's direct intelligence agency.
It was a mid-to-upper-level department within the Central Intelligence Bureau, handling significant intelligence acquisition and processing, and even providing personal secretarial services upon request.
A secret organization exclusive to the Holy Imperial Family, unknown even to the Council or the executive branch.
Going there to say hello meant requesting the active use of the agency and the assignment of an intelligence operative.
Those twin rascals. Shouldn't they have explained that beforehand?
"We should have replied sooner, but assigning a dedicated operative took some time. As you know, Your Highness, the Pearl Palace is a rather special place..."
Though visitor restrictions had recently been lifted, the Pearl Palace was still under strict entry control by the Holy Emperor. With infiltration abilities tied directly to security, approvals were even more stringent.
Moreover, a dedicated operative needed to make undetected contact with the target, and the Pearl Palace's difficulty far exceeded that of the main palace.
It was staffed by resident knights proven by various knight orders, and even the dedicated maids were skilled aura users—few could infiltrate undetected.
In short, Dasha was one of Monkey Watchtower's top agents.
"For someone of your caliber to be my dedicated operative—quite an honor."
"You don't suspect me? If it were me showing up out of nowhere late at night with this story, I'd be suspicious first."
Well. He hadn't entirely dismissed the possibility.
For now, Sungjin's instincts weren't sending any danger signals toward her.
Consider her infiltration skills. Thanks to the Demon King, he'd noticed just in time, but a hunter of Sungjin's level hadn't easily detected her presence.
If she wanted, she could sweep away riffraff like Mores in an instant—why bother with such elaborate lies? It would be a waste of energy, given Mores's position.
And behind Mores was the Holy Emperor.
A terrifying figure whose limits were unknowable, and from what Sungjin had seen, he quite favored Mores. Could anyone really deal with the fallout of deceiving and harming him?
Above all.
He had a hardworking, portable lie detector.
[No pulse change. Blood pressure normal. Breathing steady. High likelihood of truth.]
He couldn't directly interfere with souls like before under the Holy Emperor's barrier, but this was still quite useful.
[Muahaha!]
Feeling the Demon King smugly laughing in his head, Sungjin inwardly clicked his tongue.
A Demon King from another dimension, reduced to taking pride in this level of utility.
Anyway, having decided to trust and use her, Sungjin resolved to get along openly with Dasha instead of needless probing.
He'd been agonizing over the lack of reliable hands to move freely, and anyone was better than Edith.
"Someone with your skills—why bother deceiving me? Besides, Dasha, you just seem trustworthy. Looking forward to working with you."
Sungjin smiled brightly, offering a bit of lip service.
"Oh?"
Dasha's eyes sparkled with interest.
"Your Highness has no prejudice against Varsha people at all."
"Why would I? You're here to help me, you're capable, and you have a great vibe."
Her smile was charming, and she was a beauty to boot.
She blinked in surprise at his unexpected words, then burst into soft laughter.
"Haha. Truth be told, I was a bit surprised when I first saw you, Your Highness. You're sharp and handsome, well worth serving. And..."
And?
"You have a wonderful scent, Your Highness. A subtle rose fragrance."
Damn those Liora plague doctors!
In any case, the first meeting with Dasha went satisfactorily.
Sensing their trust established, she freely shared all sorts of unasked-for information.
For instance, she knew quite a bit about the recent status of the Bretons who'd clashed with Sungjin before.
"All of them were hauled back to Brittany?"
"Yes, Your Highness. Young Lord Ravizuri made a firm decision. The knights taken back will face severe punishment in their homeland. He didn't forget to tightly gag the rest as an example."
"Better than expected."
Sungjin recalled the sharp-featured Young Lord Ravizuri, Sharl, with his knife-cut hair.
Like Cloe, the Breton kids all seemed to have a sharp edge somewhere.
Dasha also relayed survival news on Aesli and Jonathan, who'd fallen into the hands of the Liora quacks.
Their bloodletting hadn't progressed to blood pressure collapse yet. She'd keep close tabs and notify if it got dangerous.
Sungjin mentally upgraded his evaluation of Dasha.
'...She's really capable.'
She had a knack for business, scratching exactly where he itched.
Once more trust built up, he could ask her to investigate the organizations Mores had sponsored before. It was sensitive, but there were clear limits to him running around himself.
"Oh, and Dasha—one more thing. Can you pass information I have to others who use Monkey Watchtower?"
Gathering info and handling chores was great.
What Sungjin wondered was the reverse: could he relay info to the Holy Emperor?
Fortunately, Dasha affirmed it.
"If you wish, we can even pass year-end greetings. We only serve His Holiness the Holy Emperor, and the princes and princesses."
Good. Sungjin nodded.
"Then, Dasha, this is a message for my father."
Her face grew serious at the sudden mention of the Holy Emperor.
Judging her ready, Sungjin slowly recited the information.
"The plague in the Judiciary isn't a mere disease but caused by parasitic eggs from magical beasts. They don't lay eggs in humans naturally, so I suspect someone deliberately implanted them. Merely implanting doesn't awaken the parasites, so if someone did, further multi-angle investigation is needed to guess their purpose. End."
He couldn't just vaguely pass that through a servant.
Dasha's face briefly showed bewilderment at the sudden grave intel.
"...May I ask the source?"
"Can't say."
They probably wouldn't ask. If the Holy Emperor or his right hand, Katrina, wanted to know, they'd have asked already.
Dasha looked a bit confused but soon composed herself and gave a slight bow.
"Then, I'll visit again tomorrow evening, Your Highness."
She stepped out the balcony window as she'd come, then vanished into thin air with a flick. Even watching closely, her presence didn't register—truly impressive.
Sungjin stared into the dark beyond the empty window for a moment before turning to his bed.
There. He'd done all he could.
How would his father, the Holy Emperor, respond?
* * *
"Your Highness, I'm dying because of Sir Masain!"
The usual morning.
Having finished meditation and just picking up his walnuts, Sir Maria beside him vented to Sungjin.
While Sungjin spent his days contentedly training, the resident knights' complaints grew daily—thanks to Masain's overhaul of Pearl Palace duties.
With more knights assigned, shifts tightened, and lax procedures aligned strictly with main palace guard protocols.
Thus, from shift changes to basic training, nothing was easy anymore.
The resident knights now wore constant storm clouds.
What was once a cushy, high-pay honey posting had become notoriously grueling—not worth the pay.
So these days, whenever Masain stepped away, the knights whined to Sungjin.
Like now.
"But as dispatch duty, shouldn't it be a bit easier than main force?"
"Ugh! If not for this month's tab..."
"I swear, I need to quit drinking—it's too tough lately!"
On break and training nearby, Sirs Maria and Kurt lamented somberly.
From different orders—1st and 2nd Knight Orders—they were old drinking buddies since squire days.
They'd teamed up for the high-pay Pearl Palace dispatch to cover more booze tabs.
"Poor things. I know a great cheap tavern—want an intro? Black beer only, but..."
"It's not just money—the exhaustion after shifts means we can't even go drinking!"
"Your Highness, please rein in Sir Masain? Please?"
Sungjin felt a bit awkward.
Masain wasn't overworking them groundlessly; he was enforcing main palace standards. They were just too lax before.
Besides, how do you argue with the hardest-working, most training-obsessed knight?
"Come on, tough it out. I'll buy a round when I can."
He was soothing their desperate pleas when—
Thud.
Something like a sack hitting the ground sounded nearby.
"......?"
Sungjin and the knights turned to see one knight sprawled starfish-style in the training yard corner. It was Haven, who'd looked off since morning.
"What's with him?"
"Drank too much last night?"
Haven had just returned from leave—his last night off spent late in the market district boozing.
Nearby knights approached casually, shaking him.
"Why come back from leave like this?"
"Hey, get up. Sick? Take sick leave."
Then, one checking him paled and shouted.
"This guy's weird! He's ice-cold!"
"Some kind of rash..."
"...P-plague?"
"Plague!"
Panic spread instantly—they'd heard rumors of yesterday's Judiciary outbreak.
Knights recoiled from Haven in terror.
Hypothermia, rash, unconsciousness.
'Hey, that's not...?'
[Yeah, it is. Loperum egg.]
The Demon King confirmed.
[The egg's dead already? But why's he like that?]
Sungjin started toward Haven but halted, sensing the ominous mood. The knights were over-panicking from sudden plague fear.
'Calm them first...'
Leave Haven's check to physicians; prioritize soothing the terrified knights. Panicked rumors drawing Liora plague doctors to perfuming the whole palace? No thanks.
Sungjin quickly ordered the two most senior.
"Sir Kurt. Contact Sir Masain urgently, and have Physician Ninnia and priests wait at the knights' quarters."
Sir Kurt eyed him oddly, then nodded in understanding and left, herding some trembling knights.
"Sir Maria, corral the others. It's not plague— no needless panic, hold positions."
Sir Maria glanced shakily between fallen Haven and Sungjin. Meeting his calm gaze, she visibly steadied.
Clenching her fists to still her tremors, she turned and bellowed at the scattering knights.
"Everyone, calm down! No wild speculation—it's not plague! Losing composure over this—are you truly Delcross's proud palace guards?!"
As she gathered and calmed them, Sungjin approached Haven and directed the still-frozen nearby knights.
"You lot, move Sir Haven to quarters together for now."