Chapter 19
Chapter 19
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: Boyhood ~Sensing Something Amiss~
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"Are you sure about this?"
At the voice of concern from his close aide, Grand Chancellor Ri Shao set down his cup.
"Are you worried?"
"Even so, this is an imperial banquet. Kidnapping at a place like this..."
The chancellor inwardly sighed at his aide's tense words.
"They're not targeting any important figures in particular."
"But it's still the imperial palace. For the emperor's dignity alone, they'll lead the investigation."
"I'd actually prefer if they did investigate."
"...Grand Chancellor?"
"The Brigand Group, was it?"
The chancellor dredged up the memory of the filthy bandit gang.
Trash that moved purely on desire, without a shred of reason.
Vermin who strutted around puffed up with pride just because he'd extended a hand to them.
"Those guys are just pawns to be discarded."
"The Brigand Group, sir?"
"Yes. Did you really think I'd sincerely take in scum like that?"
"No, of course not."
Under the chancellor's sharp gaze, the aide bowed deeply.
"Lately,"
"Yes, speak your mind."
"His Highness the Crown Prince has been eyeing the slave trade they were handling, hasn't he?"
"That's right. Which is why we have to pull out of the slave trade soon..."
"Exactly. I know because you reported it to me."
He nodded once, closed his eyes, and spoke softly.
"We've already decided to withdraw from that side. If we cling on and get caught by His Highness, it'll be trouble."
"I see."
"But wouldn't it be a shame to just pull out like that?"
The previous princess kidnapping attempt had already failed, and folding on this business now would mean massive losses.
"That's why I want to give them a little gift."
"...A gift?"
"The Brigand Group. The ones who were the backbone of this slave deal. We'll have them kidnap the nobles' children. We've kept our identity hidden in all our dealings so far, so even if we abandon those idiots, nothing will come back to us."
"Brilliant!"
"Plus, security for this banquet is handled by the military, right? An unprecedented incident like this at such a banquet will weaken the military's position."
"Oh! To think that far ahead! As expected of you, Grand Chancellor!"
Ignoring his aide's exaggerated reaction, the chancellor turned his head and slowly organized his thoughts with his eyes closed.
'Those bandit scum have no information on us at all. Even if they have any loose ends, we can just kill them first. Then the fallout from this will land squarely on the military.'
In a grand banquet held after decades, if something like this happened, the military in charge of security couldn't escape responsibility.
Not only the Empire's Ten Emperors who held military power, but even the Imperial Guard led by the Grand General could have their influence diminished.
"But Grand Chancellor, even attempting a kidnapping at the banquet would be difficult to pull off successfully, wouldn't it? The Ten Emperors and other powerhouses are all gathered there..."
"Hahaha, no worries. We're not planning to storm the banquet hall itself."
"...Then when?"
"Even the children of nobles at their prime need a moment to catch their breath, don't they?"
Especially at an imperial banquet where they had to constantly mind etiquette and watchful eyes—it had to be mentally exhausting.
"Exactly...!"
"Yes. We'll kidnap the nobles who slip out of the banquet hall for some air."
In a way, they were the perfect targets.
Having fled the crowds and gazes, they'd naturally head somewhere secluded.
"Being nobles' children, they'll have some guards, of course. But a handful of escorts won't stop an organized Brigand Group."
With their numbers, they'd kill the escorts and erase evidence in seconds.
Even the Ten Emperors with their sharp senses wouldn't track those hiding their presence with magic tools.
That's how they'd do it, one by one.
"One or two disappearances won't cause a fuss, given the crowd. But what if it becomes three, five, dozens?"
The chancellor let out a deep, amused chuckle in his mind.
"The nobles will be in an uproar, and the banquet will be halted. Hahaha, I can hardly wait. To see the emperor's dumbfounded face and the Martial Emperor seething with rage."
Listening to the banquet's sounds from beyond the door, the chancellor let a dark smile spread across his face.
The banquet had only just begun.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Something was off.
"......"
Yeon Je-seong, who had been chatting with other young nobles, suddenly felt a sense of unease and looked around.
'Why are there so few people?'
When he'd been talking with the Ten Emperors, the hall had been packed. Now, it was sparsely filled.
Not glaringly obvious, but once noticed, the discrepancy was clear.
Sensing an inexplicable danger, Yeon Je-seong abruptly stood up, startling the girls he'd been talking to.
"...Young Master?"
"Something's wrong. Everyone, you should stay with your families right now."
"Huh? What do you mean all of a sudden..."
To the bewildered girl, Yeon Je-seong calmly pointed out the surroundings.
"Look around. Doesn't the crowd seem much thinner than at the start?"
"Does it...?"
"I don't really..."
"Now that you mention it, it does feel a bit emptier..."
Not obvious enough yet, apparently.
The girls tilted their heads, looking back at him.
"It's not something to panic over, but I can't shake this ominous feeling."
The soldiers guarding the hall seemed oddly disorganized.
A man who looked like one of the emperor's aides was walking around with a grave expression.
Now that he'd noticed, he spotted more oddities throughout the hall.
'Thanks to my sensitivity to presences. Ordinary young ladies wouldn't pick up on it.'
Half-forcing the troubled girls to leave, he quickly moved toward his father.
"Father!"
The Yeon Clan Head happened to be heading his way and, upon spotting him, took his son to a secluded terrace corner.
"Father, something's off. The number of people around is thinning out..."
"Good timing. The banquet's wrapping up—head back. There are Yeon Clan servants waiting outside. Go to the annex with them."
The clan head mentioned an annex built in the capital suburbs, but paused at his son's words.
"Wait, has something happened?"
"Don't worry about it. I've already informed His Majesty. Just hurry back."
Seeing his father blatantly change the subject, Yeon Je-seong closed his mouth and stared intently.
"......"
"I'll stay a bit longer and follow. Once you're at the annex, stay put—don't wander."
"...Got it."
He had plenty of questions but held them back.
Instinct told him it was something complicated. With a nod, the anxious clan head patted his shoulder and turned away.
"Remember: straight to the annex. Don't leave it."
After his final stern warning, the clan head headed to the emperor and vanished from sight.
"There's definitely something..."
The hall was starting to feel openly chaotic.
The instincts etched in his mind gave a faint pain, warning of danger. Suppressing his rising anxiety, he hurried out of the banquet hall.
.
.
.
Outside the banquet hall, the atmosphere was far more chaotic than he'd imagined.
Armed soldiers were searching the area, and nobles frantically calling for someone were everywhere.
Despite the freezing cold that fogged their breaths, their serious expressions screamed trouble.
"What in the world..."
The banquet hall must have been shielded by barriers, blocking the noise.
Stepping through one door, the clamor hit him, and Yeon Je-seong couldn't hide his shock as he sought out a servant.
"Did someone go missing...?"
Judging by the scene, that seemed likely.
Missing persons among the invited nobles at the banquet.
"This is a disaster."
No wonder his father's face had been so grave.
If guests personally invited by the emperor went missing, it was a matter of imperial prestige.
"Young Master!"
At that moment, the servant waiting with the carriage outside the palace came running.
"We've been waiting!"
"What the hell is going on?"
"...It seems some nobles' children have gone missing."
The approaching servant whispered it low.
Glancing around warily as if watched, he continued cautiously.
"That's why the palace is in an uproar. At first, they were searching discreetly so the banquet nobles wouldn't notice. But it looks like more than one or two are missing. Now they're half-openly combing for traces."
"I see..."
It'd be nice if they'd just gone off to a second round of drinks, but the odds were zero.
"Who the hell has the guts..."
Kidnapping high nobles attending an imperial banquet, no less.
But hearing the servant's words, his tension evaporated instantly.
Because the banquet hall was crawling with human weapons right now.
Not just the Empire's Ten Emperors, who were national deterrents in themselves.
Plus the imperial mages and shamans gathered from across the empire by the emperor.
And the emperor himself, who'd slain a demon king.
With the imperial prestige on the line, the emperor might even step in personally.
At this point, it was less worry for the kidnapped nobles and more pity for the kidnappers!
'I got worked up for nothing!'
Letting out a sigh of relief, I relaxed my expression, but the servant watching me suddenly looked puzzled.
"Huh? Young Master, what about Lady Seon-hwa?"
"...What?"
"Your personal attendant. Wasn't she with you?"
"...No, we split up a while ago. I thought she came ahead to wait by the carriage."
She hadn't shown up, and the hall felt stifling, so I'd assumed she was waiting with the others.
"No, Lady Seon-hwa hasn't come at all."
The servant's headshake reignited my scattered anxiety.
"Young Master, don't tell me..."
Looking at the servant's worried face, I desperately calmed myself.
"...Gather the servants right now and search the area. Don't miss a single clue. If imperial soldiers give you trouble, say it's on my orders."
"Y-Yes, sir!"
"I'll act separately from now on, so cover for me with Father appropriately."
"Yes, underst—Wait? Young Master!? What do you—?!"
I turned and headed back into the palace.
Ignoring the fading voice, I pulled the mask from my bosom and put it on.
"Young Master."
At the same time, a familiar woman emerged from the shadows.
"...Don't try to stop me. I'll find her myself."
"But Young Master."
"Yu Chae-hyeon."
I met her eyes through the mask.
"I said I'll find her myself."
A sharp intake of breath—
"...Understood."
And she vanished back into the shadows.
"......"
Right now, I was grateful for the mask's ability to hide my emotions.