Chapter 166
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 166
Chapter Title: Truth
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Havier's question naturally left Aiden's mind in turmoil.
From worries about whether this utterly innocent boy could accept the truth...
To flashes of concern for Jun and his comrades' futures, caught amid various political issues.
As Aiden's deliberations deepened...
"Haha. I've been too mischievous."
"What...?"
"I know full well. If it has to be hidden from me, it's quite the major political matter. How could I burden my brother with that weight?"
"Havier..."
"Don't worry. I have no intention of making you carry the same load as I do."
Havier said this with a smile, but Aiden couldn't fully accept it.
"I..."
"Third Prince."
At that moment, a voice came from the adjacent balcony.
The one person Aiden trusted and relied on most.
Jun.
"So, you want to hear the truth."
Dexter looked at Havier, who had come to him, with a complicated expression.
"Yes, eldest brother. What exactly is the true purpose of this tour you're hiding from me?"
"Sigh."
A deep sigh escaped him, and Dexter's gaze naturally turned to the mage who had brought Havier—the man named Jun.
'At this point, I can't blame him.'
If Havier had been completely in the dark, that would be one thing.
But Havier had been the first to sense that this tour had a hidden agenda.
And Dexter knew better than anyone that forcibly keeping it from such a Havier would do no good in the long run.
'Hiding this fact would only play right into the Vast Heaven Cult's hands.'
What the Vast Heaven Cult wanted was to twist the bonds between the current imperial siblings.
Of course, in an empire boasting centuries of history, sibling rivalries weren't uncommon...
But if it stemmed from external factors, that was another story entirely.
'What to do...'
Worries about whether his fragile younger brother could handle the truth were fleeting.
Dexter's heavy lips finally parted.
"The incident began... with your carriage accident."
"The carriage accident?"
"It wasn't an accident, Havier. It was meticulously staged to look like one."
"...Please explain in more detail."
Dexter pulled a projection recorder from his pocket and showed it to him.
It was the one Jun had captured back then and handed over to the emperor.
"This will make it clear."
The projection recorder played, reaching its end...
And Havier bowed his head deeply.
"...Does Mother know about this too?"
"Yes."
"Mother hid it from me as well."
"Lady Venes must have done so out of the same concern for you as I have."
"I suppose so."
Emptiness and guilt surfaced on Havier's face as he spoke.
"It would have been better if it really had been an accident."
They were the dear friends who had shared his always arduous childhood.
Those two friends had been murdered by some shadowy organization.
Only then did Havier recall the memory from inside the carriage.
"That day... Yes, the night before the accident. The coachman said he had some pretty good liquor for me and my friends."
It wasn't the coachman who suggested it first. One of the two deceased friends had approached when he felt the meal lacked something.
"Looking back now, the coachman seemed to know my friend's personality well."
"...Is that so."
"That means he was at least closely connected to my mother."
With that, Havier shuddered as if finally understanding, closing his eyes tightly.
"Is that why everything was handled so secretly? Because of Mother... fearing she might be seen as a traitor. Is that it?"
"Exactly."
"What did Father Emperor say?"
"He was greatly worried too. Our relations were starting to fray, and from there, it was hard to predict how Lady Venes might act."
"..."
Havier knew it well.
Most of the power his mother Venes wielded came from the noble faction.
So, how would the noble faction react upon learning this?
And what chaos would erupt in the empire as a result...?
"We know it too, Havier. Lady Venes was merely being used. We'll catch those vile bastards and show the empire it stands strong."
"...Eldest brother. Do you know what I fear most?"
"What?"
"I'm afraid Mother might even exploit this fact."
"...!"
"To seize the nobles' weaknesses, absorb their power through them... and ultimately set her sights on the throne."
And he himself would follow her will, even using his friends' deaths to claim the throne.
"How... ruthless."
Was he speaking to someone specific, or about the situation?
No one could easily answer the turmoil in Havier's heart.
Instead...
Havier's gaze turned to the man who had revealed the truth of this affair.
The captain of the White Whale Mercenary Corps.
Jun.
"Still... I want to thank you. For stopping my mother before she could make an even greater mistake."
"I can only hope my choice leads to things working out well."
"Who knows. That... will depend on how Mother moves."
No trace of hope showed on Havier's face as he spoke.
With those words, Havier sorrowfully stepped out of the room.
"Haa... This is difficult, so difficult."
Dexter muttered gloomily.
The throne.
He himself coveted that seat, and he knew his faction was far more moderate compared to past imperial lineages.
'If only he'd shown open hostility, I could counter without qualms.'
Havier's ambiguous attitude weighed heavily on his chest.
'Perhaps bearing even this is required to sit on the emperor's throne.'
No one would provide an answer to that.
The discussion on this rather heavy topic had ended, but the situation wasn't fully resolved.
"Ugh... Somehow, the burden feels even heavier now."
What form would Havier's actions take afterward?
That was a major issue for Jun too, but...
'I can't do anything about that, so set it aside. The biggest problem is still Commander Jinovan.'
The Evil Spirit Orb.
Its existence still held Jun back.
'Why of all things the Evil Spirit Orb?'
In truth, this Evil Spirit Orb wasn't something usable by just anyone.
Even within the Vast Heaven Cult, it was handed to fairly important figures.
So why had the Vast Heaven Cult given the Evil Spirit Orb to Jinovan, who had virtually no power base?
'No matter how I think about it, I can't figure it out.'
Thus, approaching Jinovan first seemed the right move.
Jun planned to visit him as soon as day broke.
Dawn, early hours.
Someone knocked on the mansion's door.
'Who at this hour?'
If they knew who was staying in this mansion now, they wouldn't dare approach lightly.
The visitor was a middle-aged man with a somewhat rotund build.
"Uh... Why does the mansion feel so... different today?"
He looked around in bewilderment, then addressed a soldier.
"I-I'm here to see Sir Jinovan."
"Ah, Lord Botan. Please come in."
"Haha, the security around the mansion seems a bit fiercer today...?"
"Please understand. We have important guests inside."
"Who on earth...? Did I come at a bad time?"
The soldier hesitated on how to respond to the middle-aged man's reaction, but since he was a scheduled guest, he let him in.
"The people inside are of the empire's noble bloodline."
"What?! N-No! Why are they here?"
"I don't know the details either..."
The man called Botan freaked out but entered the mansion with a nod.
"No helping it... I've come all this way; can't turn back now."
"Do you have something to deliver?"
"Ah, I'll hand it over personally. Thanks for the help."
"No problem."
Jun, who had woken early that dawn, watched the two from the side.
Then...
Jun's eyes sharpened.
'That...?'
He noticed the accessory on the man named Botan's wrist.
A bracelet shaped like a snake climbing from wrist to arm.
"Hm..."
A clue had appeared at an unexpected timing.
Was this what they meant by the early bird catches the worm?
'But how to approach that man?'
Jun pondered briefly.
'Until a year ago, this would have been utter madness I wouldn't dare attempt...'
So what?
Now he had the backing of the First and Third Princes.
A little bluffing wouldn't kill him.
Illusion magic cast on the target.
With the illusion magic cast and a natural posture, Jun approached Botan.
"Welcome."
"Hm? Who are you?"
"I'm staff. I'll guide you upstairs."
"Oh. You must be new here?"
"Yes. I was temporarily hired for the visit of your group."
"I see. But it's fine. I'll go myself."
"I'm sorry, but the noble blood inside is resting."
Botan reluctantly shook his head.
He seemed dense and clueless, but what could be done?
He was just an unfamiliar newbie.
"Alright then. Lead the way."
"Thank you for understanding."
As Jun guided Botan up the stairs to Jinovan's office...
Knock knock.
"Who is it?"
"Master. A guest named Botan has arrived."
"...Come in."
"Yes."
Jun entered the office naturally.
Of course, no illusion magic on Jinovan.
For a brief moment, Jun caught the flicker in Jinovan's eyes.
And...
"Oh... the flowers have wilted. I'll dispose of them."
Flashing a bright smile and pointing to the cluttered desk of documents, Jinovan nodded without a word.
"You're eager for a newbie. Anyway, Jinovan! Long time no see. You've risen high."
"Tell me about it, brother. How have you been?"
"You'd know from my letters. Do you know how shocked I was to hear you'd become marshal?"
Jun tuned out their conversation, picked up the vibrant flowers, and stepped out.
Once sufficiently away from the room, in a secluded hallway...
Jun tossed the flowers out the window and muttered.
"This might resolve easier than I thought?"
He blurted it out carelessly, then quickly scanned around.
Fortunately, Maya and Eleanor weren't nearby.