The Emperor Has Changed (5): The Gray Sword
“Roman.” My voice came out lower than I expected. “The warehouse custodian.”
“Yes.”
“Where is he.”
Roman’s face hardened. “The eastern annex, my lord.”
Tap-tap—
The moment I heard those words, my body moved first. Roman hurried after me.
“Do you intend to go right now?”
“Should I wait until morning to offer my congratulations instead?”
The sealing string had vanished. Right after sunset, after the warehouse custodian had checked the locks alone.
“Call Verdin.”
“Yes.”
“No, there’s no time to wait. Call him while we run.”
“Yes.”
I turned toward the corridor. My walk quickly became a run.
Please. Please still be in your room. Please be stupid enough to be packing your things.
**
The closer we got to the eastern annex, the louder our footsteps became. Only then did I come to my senses. Ah, fuck. Too loud.
“Roman.”
“Yes.”
“Don’t run.”
“……Yes?”
“Our little rat might hear us and get spooked.”
I lowered my breathing. Anger didn’t mean I had to be stupid. The eastern annex. Where the administrators stayed. ‘People with authority but who rarely draw attention.’ Perfect place for a warehouse custodian to hide.
Roman stopped in front of a door. “This is the room.”
“Open it.”
Creak—
The room was empty. A candle still burned, the wardrobe stood open, and a few coins lay scattered across the floor. The bedsheets were half-dragged off the mattress.
“He ran.”
Roman answered with a grim expression. “…He couldn’t have gone far yet.”
“Probably not.”
I swept my gaze over the room. An overturned ink bottle sat on the desk, and several sheets of paper were strewn across the floor. He’d been in a hurry, all right. The sloppy mess made that clear.
“Where do you think he went?”
“At this hour, if he wants to get far… the stables.”
Just then, a horse’s neigh echoed from outside the window.
Hihihhing—
How considerate. Pointing us in exactly the worst direction.
“Roman, run.”
**
Thud-thud—
As we approached the stables, the smell hit me. Dry hay, leather, horses. And the distinct stench of a desperate man in a rush.
Sounds came from inside. The creak of a saddle being tightened. Hooves scraping the ground. Someone panting hard.
I opened the door without hesitation.
Bang—
The sound echoed louder than I expected. The man inside flinched violently.
Right. The warehouse custodian.
“Hello.”
The moment he saw me, his face went deathly pale. A travel bag hung from his shoulder, a saddle strap in his hand. One horse shifted nervously, tossing its head.
“Where are you going.”
The custodian’s lips trembled. “Y-Young master.”
“Night ride?”
“T-That is……”
“With a horse, even?”
He couldn’t answer.
Creak—
The rear door of the stables opened, and Verdin, the knight commander, stepped inside. The custodian’s face turned even whiter. At this point, he looked like he was in a kabuki play.
“Grab him.”
Verdin moved. The custodian tried to twist away too late.
Thud!
His body slammed into the floor.
“Kuhk!”
Verdin wrenched the man’s arms behind his back. Crack.
“Aaaagh—!”
Sounded like something had popped. Well, as long as he didn’t die.
“Y-Young master! It’s a misunderstanding! A misunderstanding!”
“Misunderstanding.” I walked toward him slowly. “Nice word.”
“I-I was just……”
“Just?”
“Feeling unwell……”
“Planning to ride out and fetch a doctor?”
The custodian clamped his mouth shut.
“The bag.”
One of the knights opened the travel bag. A few changes of clothes, a small coin purse, a water flask, and one small cloth pouch.
I picked it up. The texture was familiar.
The sealing string. The one they’d said came from the Imperial Capital.
“What’s this.”
The custodian shook his head. “I don’t know.”
“You don’t know.”
“I really don’t. I just……”
“Just stole it?”
“No! I didn’t steal it, I……”
“An item from the confiscated warehouse turns up in your bag, and it’s not stolen? Then what is it.”
“I-I was just following orders……! Hup!”
The custodian swallowed his words in a panic. ‘Following orders.’ Nice phrase. Convenient for blaming someone else for your own stupidity.
“Who gave the order.”
“I-I don’t know.”
“Name.”
“I really don’t know.”
“Face.”
“I’ve never seen them.”
“Then what exactly did you follow orders based on.”
The custodian bit his lip. Verdin twisted his arm a little harder.
“Aaaagh!”
“Answer.” Verdin’s voice was low.
The custodian pressed his forehead to the floor, shaking. “A note…… I received a note.”
“A note?”
“Yes. It was slipped under my door……”
“What did it say.”
“T-To get rid of the sealing string……”
“Why.”
“I don’t know. I really don’t. It just said to make it disappear……”
“Payment.”
“……”
He hesitated. I picked up the coin purse from his bag.
Clink—
“How much.”
“……Thirty gold coins.”
“Expensive.”
“Pardon?”
“Your life, I mean.”
The custodian’s eyes wavered. I tossed the purse to Roman.
“Just kidding. Tell me everything honestly and I’ll let you live.”
“The note’s in my room! Hidden under the bed. It’s true!”
Roman bowed immediately. “I’ll check.”
“Bring it.”
“Yes.”
Roman left the stables. I looked down at the sealing string. All this—searching the warehouse at night, running to the annex, catching a man in the stables—because of one small string. Ridiculous.
But the funniest part was that this bastard didn’t even know what the string was.
“You.”
“Y-Yes!”
“Do you know what this is?”
“N-No, I don’t.”
“Ever heard the words ‘Imperial Capital sealing’?”
The custodian’s pupils trembled. “It…… was written on the note.”
“Was it.”
“Yes. I don’t know anything beyond that.”
I hooked the sealing string on my finger and swung it. “So you stole it without even knowing what it was, just for the money.”
“I-I’m sorry! Please spare me! I just……”
“Shut up.”
**
A short while later, Roman returned. In his hand was a folded note.
“Young master.”
“Was it there?”
“Yes.”
I took the note. The message was short.
Do not leave behind the Imperial Capital sealing string.
“……”
This guy didn’t even know what the sealing string was. But someone else did. Right after Delk identified it as something from the Imperial Capital, they’d moved that very night.
Coincidence? Bullshit. I didn’t believe in coincidences. Especially the kind that showed up every time I was about to get screwed.
“Verdin.”
“Yes.”
“This bastard doesn’t know what the sealing string is either.”
“Indeed.”
“But someone else did.”
The stables fell silent. Only the sound of the horses breathing remained.
**
“I need to go see the boss.”
At my words, Verdin looked up while still pinning the custodian down. “Right now, my lord?”
“Yeah.”
I looked at the note again.
Do not leave behind the Imperial Capital sealing string.
“……”
Fine. I’d gotten enough sleep anyway.
“Tonight’s going to be a long one.”
“Understood.”
Verdin grabbed the custodian by the scruff of his neck and hauled him up. “What should we do with this one?”
“Tie him up. Gag him too.”
“Yes.”
“Don’t kill him.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Do my best? After hearing that arm-cracking sound earlier, that wasn’t exactly a reassuring phrase. Still, as long as he didn’t die.
He’s not actually going to die, right?
**
The underground prison was damp and reeked. The smell of blood, iron, and rot. Fortunately, the boss was still mostly intact. He needed to be able to talk, after all.
“Wake him.”
Verdin nodded, and one of the knights lifted a bucket of water.
Splash—
Cold water crashed over the bandit boss’s face.
“Kuhk!”
The boss twisted, both hands chained, shackles on his legs. He looked far worse than when we’d caught him in Ramal. But his eyes were still alive. Good. Meant he had the strength to speak.
“You awake.”
The boss slowly raised his head. “……To think the young master would personally visit such a filthy place.”
“Yeah. If you’re moved, answer well.”
The boss twisted his bloodied lips into a smirk. “What do you want to know.”
I pulled the sealing string from my coat. “This.”
The boss’s eyes flickered for just a moment. “Don’t know.”
“I haven’t even asked yet?”
“It’s the kind of thing that looks like I wouldn’t know.”
“You talk well.”
I hooked the sealing string on my finger and swung it. “Not the kind of thing bandits would be carrying.”
“Can’t a thief pick up a few things?”
“Sure, that’s possible.” I nodded. “Even picked up a sword with a mismatched serial number.”
The boss’s mouth twitched slightly at my next words.
“Picked up some high-quality leather armor too.”
“……”
“Picked up some preserved rations that reek of military supply.”
I held the sealing string right in front of his eyes. “Even picked up a sealing string from the Imperial Capital.”
“……”
“You bandits sure litter a lot on that mountain. The Imperial Capital folks have terrible environmental awareness.”
The boss stayed silent.
“You’re not really bandits, are you.”
The boss gave a low laugh. “Would’ve been easier if we were.”
“What would.”
“Our young master.”
“Me?”
“Yeah.”
The boss looked up at me through his wet hair. “You probably think you just protected your territory.”
“Was I wrong?”
“Not wrong.”
“Then?”
“The world’s just a place that takes issue with the wrong words.”
What a pretentious way to talk. “Are you giving me a philosophy lesson right now?”
“Advice.”
“Advice from a bandit boss. Life sure is diverse.”
The boss grinned. It didn’t look pleasant.
“Who sent you.”
“Don’t know.”
“The one who gave you the weapons.”
“Don’t know.”
“The sealing string.”
“Don’t know.”
“Then what the hell do you know?”
The boss lowered his head and chuckled. “Tell me.”
“What came from the Imperial Capital wasn’t just the goods.”
I stopped my hand mid-motion. “What?”
The boss slowly lifted his head. Bloodstained teeth showed. “You think you caught us?”
“……”
The boss’s eyes gleamed. “You’re the one who got caught.”
“……”
I tapped his chin with my finger. “That line was pretty good.”
“……”
“Verdin.”
“Yes.”
“How many teeth can you pull from this guy before he’ll talk?”
“Two front teeth should be fine. His pronunciation might whistle a bit, but he’ll still be understandable.”
The boss’s face went rigid.
“Just kidding. Mostly.”
I laughed. The boss didn’t laugh anymore.
Right then, footsteps echoed from outside the cell.
Tap-tap-tap—
It was Roman. He entered the cell and bowed. “Young master.”
“What.”
In his hand was an envelope. What the hell, another envelope. Fuck.
“A document just arrived.”
“At this hour?”
“Yes.”
“From where.”
Roman checked the front of the envelope, then bowed as he answered. “The Imperial Palace.”
Imperial Palace. The moment that word dropped, both Verdin’s and my faces hardened.
“Give it here.”
I tore open the envelope without delay. Inside was a short message.
Expected arrival: within the next few days.