Chapter 45
Chapter 45
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: Infiltration
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Meanwhile, the Kingdom of Sistia had to pay an enormous amount of reparations as the price of defeat in the war. They protested, but the only response from the Luminir Empire was that they were the ones who invaded first, so there would be no negotiations whatsoever.
The kingdom plunged into massive chaos. All able-bodied men who could work had been sent to the war, leaving a severe shortage of labor for farming. The southern granary regions were in an uproar with no one immediately available to work.
As workers vanished, production plummeted, and with production falling, the national economy began to wobble. On top of that, the epidemic hadn't been properly contained, leaving most of the remaining people unable to work.
For now, the king prioritized resolving the epidemic and investigated it. The conclusion was that the medicine came from a herb that only grew in the Luminir Empire.
"Must we borrow from the Luminir Empire again!"
"Your Majesty, they could regain their momentum. We cannot do that!"
"Then tell me what we should do."
"……."
"We need people who can work, don't we? But with most of the survivors struck by illness, what are we supposed to do! Unless you're going to pick up farming tools and work yourselves, shut your mouths!"
"……."
It was a vicious cycle repeating endlessly. The more they went to the Luminir Empire, the more they fell behind, piling up debts. The kingdom's situation worsened by the day, and the people's lives grew increasingly destitute. Complaints began erupting everywhere.
The entire nation was swept up in anger. And that sparked a tension ready to explode at any moment. A sharp aura enveloped the whole kingdom.
Aremai decided to exploit that situation. Rather than forcing their way into the stable Luminir Empire, it made more sense to swiftly bring the chaotic Kingdom of Sistia under their control.
"The war ended faster than expected."
"What do you plan to do now, Shunkarin?"
At Kanna's question, Shunkarin alternated between the map of the Kingdom of Sistia and reports from dispatched agents, lost in thought. How could they seize the kingdom before it regained stability?
Just then, Suika muttered something.
"Civil strife……."
"……!"
Shunkarin got an idea from it. Even though the Kingdom of Sistia had suffered massive blows from the epidemic and war, it was still a powerful nation. The nobles remained intact, and the royal authority held strength. That meant there was always a risk of recovery.
"You said the epidemic cleanup isn't finished yet?"
"Yes, that's right."
A smirk escaped Shunkarin's lips. How perfectly everything was aligning with their wishes.
"Then we just need to make them fight among themselves."
"How?"
Everyone focused on Shunkarin's words with curiosity. Shunkarin looked at Reshinka and Canibella as he spoke.
"Reshinka, Eini, I need your help this time."
"What's the job?"
"We have to collapse the Kingdom of Sistia from the inside."
* * *
Orders finally came for Canibella, who had been on standby for a while.
"Eini, head to the Kingdom of Sistia right now."
"What's going on?"
Shunkarin handed her a single sheet of paper. It detailed the person she had to kill and her role.
"The House of Marquis Hira? Isn't this one of the Kingdom of Sistia's core powers?"
"That's right. You'll impersonate Lady Muira there."
"But even if I disguise myself as the lady, the marquis might recognize me."
"I've already got an agent handling the marquis."
"I see."
She quickly grasped the mission's direction. Use them to infiltrate the kingdom's core and topple it in one strike. And in the meantime, create some distracting incident.
That's how Aremai always operated. They moved covertly from the shadows. And that's how they achieved their goals.
She set off immediately. She crossed the border with her agents trailing behind. The kingdom had grown even more closed off after its defeat to the empire.
'The air feels sharp. The kingdom must have taken a huge hit.'
Most people's faces bore signs of worry or sharpness. Seeing that, she thought it was as if the heavens themselves were aiding Aremai. Everything fit so perfectly.
Probably, once she killed that Marquis Hira, everything would kick off in earnest.
'Where's that high-ranking agent?'
Just then, a man with a somewhat menacing aura approached her. He looked like Marquis Hira. The marquis appeared to already be dead.
"Are you the agent assigned to work with me?"
"Yes."
Both she and the man felt like they'd heard each other's voices before, but they quickly turned away. For now, focus on the mission.
"We can start now."
"Got it. Wait here."
The man was already disguised as the marquis, so he could enter easily. She waited on the roof with her subordinates, planning to deal with the daughter (the marquis's wife had died long ago).
It was late at night. She covered everything but her eyes. She glanced at her subordinates, who all signaled they were ready.
"We infiltrate."
At her word, they swiftly subdued the people and entered. Watching them, she intuited that dismantling Aremai would take quite some time.
'That's for later, though…….'
She entered Muira's room. She sensed the lady trembling under her hand, desperately trying to escape. She squeezed her eyes shut. In her mind, she screamed "I'm sorry" dozens of times.
Stab!
The chilling sound that never got familiar pierced her ears. She watched the once-vibrant eyes slowly turn black. And looking at the blood pooling at her feet, she felt a horrific sensation as if her own skin was constricting her entire body.
The blood pooled on the floor seemed like the lady's swallowed scream, terrifying her. She wanted to run right then, but she held back.
They say killing gets easier with repetition. But she felt that if she became numb to it, she'd never be with Raiji. How could someone with such a tainted soul be with that pure child?
She ordered the agents who finished the mission to dispose of all the bodies where they wouldn't be seen. She was too scared to touch them herself. It felt like those cold hands would grab her any moment.
"……."
She couldn't look anymore and turned away. Then she quickly completed her disguise (it was makeup, but she had to cover it with synthetic skin due to burn scars). Now, she was Muira, the House of Marquis Hira's one and only precious jewel.
Not only had she forcibly taken the person's life, but now she was deceiving everyone. She couldn't bear to imagine how Muira's soul, watching her, must feel. She vowed never to forget this day.
'I'll never forget. All the people who sacrificed because of me.'
She could never forgive herself.
Reports poured in nonstop from the infiltrators in the Kingdom of Sistia. The other agents were busy holding meetings day and night based on them. Shunkarin pressed his eyes shut. The fatigue wouldn't fade. Sikaon came with more documents and said,
"We've successfully taken over the House of Marquis Hira."
"Then now we just need to seize all their iron mines through a territorial war with the House of Count Raus."
"Yes, the House of Count Raus lost a lot in this war, so they'll fold quickly in a territorial conflict."
Securing the iron mines would make future conquests much smoother. It was truly crucial. But to completely crush the House of Count Raus, they needed an even more thorough plan.
"Then now, Kishun, you go in and spread drugs across the entire kingdom."
The plump nobleman stroking his mustache turned his head.
"Finally, a chance to show my skills."
"I'm counting on you."
Kishun originally dominated the financial sector in the Kingdom of Rasoni, so funding wasn't a worry. But the issue was that drugs risked detection. Just then, Reshinka entered and said,
"Leave the distraction to me. I think now's the perfect time?"
"Reshinka, you're back already."
Shunkarin replied with a somewhat surprised expression, having only sent him back to the Kingdom of Remius briefly for cleanup. At Shunkarin's reaction, Reshinka smirked and said,
"There are so many talents inside. It's running fine without me."
The Kingdom of Remius and Yukir were being well-managed under Aremai's power. Yukir was thoroughly playing the puppet role, and with their intervention, the kingdom was gradually stabilizing. Reshinka felt excited to be thrown into a new mission.
"Can you go right now?"
"Of course."
Reshinka grinned broadly. Seeing him ready to pack up and head to the Kingdom of Sistia immediately, Kishun shook his head. That guy would've been a psychopathic killer without becoming a leader.
"We'll need Kanna's help on that front."
No matter how covertly they operated, if the kingdom's army wasn't stupid, a thorough search would catch them like rats. Getting nabbed before shaking up the capital would derail the plan. If Kanna controlled the streets there, they wouldn't get caught easily.
"Then I'll go move our merchant guild first. Contact me by messenger bird if anything comes up."
Staying away too long would raise suspicions from other nobles even if not Muira. So Kishun had to return to the Kingdom of Rasoni. Shunkarin silently saw him off.
"But seriously, what did that guy do to get thrown into a long-term mission?"
"No idea. Ask him yourself."
"……Tch, fine. I'm off."
The carriage carrying Kishun bustled away. Shunkarin silently gazed at the rising sun. It was as if it foretold their future.
'The day Aremai conquers this continent isn't far off.'
The Kingdom of Rasoni was firmly under the leader's control, and the Kingdom of Remius had been occupied by Aremai with Yukir at the forefront. The Kingdom of Sistia was shaking too. Once they started in earnest, it would crumble.
The operation was already underway, and no matter how long it took, seeing it through was Aremai's spirit. That's why he was confident. Once Aremai set its mind to something, it never failed.
'We can succeed.'
Once the Kingdom of Sistia fell into their hands, only the Luminir Empire would remain. No matter how powerful the Luminir Empire was, could it defeat Aremai backed by every other nation?
'Impossible.'
Shunkarin was absolutely certain it was impossible. He didn't know how the Luminir Empire became the continent's hegemon. He was curious what tricks they used, but he wasn't worried. He was convinced they couldn't match Aremai's spirit, scale, or tactics.
Shunkarin envisioned the future he'd dreamed of until now. The true future where they claimed the entire continent.
'Just two more steps.'
And three years passed.