The Envoy's Secret
“Lord Anak. Is something the matter?”
The banquet hall was filled with the lively rhythm of the royal orchestra rather than any recorded music from a crystal orb. Well-dressed young men and women busied themselves exchanging awkward glances, while the older guests focused more on raising their glasses with one another.
“No. I’m quite all right.”
I answered her question as politely as I could, though I honestly had no idea what else I was supposed to do. The treaty had been sealed with the seals of both nations, and the negotiations had concluded successfully. This banquet was, on the surface, a celebration of that achievement and a send-off for the returning diplomatic mission.
Under normal circumstances, I would have approached the other side in place of Rowell or Aegina to gauge their reactions, but the reality was that I was surrounded by so many people I could hardly move.
Even though this was the Ayman Kingdom, the crowd around me had never been this dense at the previous wedding or other banquets. The absence of my other companions seemed to have made a significant difference.
Pure admiration, faint jealousy, curiosity as if beholding something novel, and unconditional agreement. It would be a lie to say I felt no pride at all, but as expected, this kind of atmosphere only made me more uncomfortable.
Left with no choice, I could only steal occasional glances toward the diplomatic mission and Gafel’s movements while making small talk. I spent some time listening to tales of valor from the early days of the great war and nodding along to their stories.
When I turned my head, I saw Rowell and Aegina in the distance, trapped beside the king and Ed, greeting arriving nobles, their children, and officials. That much had been expected, and it worked out well for me.
If I wanted to ask about the High Assassin Guild or mention the previous incident, it was better to stay far away from Aegina and Rowell.
Bagloros was probably somewhere here, keeping a close watch on Gafel and the mission, but asking him to probe for reactions would be asking too much. I had no choice but to handle it myself.
“If you’ll excuse me for a moment.”
After asking the group for their understanding, I made my way toward the diplomatic mission. My movement drew a few glances not only from their side but from others as well.
“Sir Gafel. Are you enjoying the banquet?”
“Yes. It is a splendid affair.”
I thought I had asked naturally, but his wariness was plain to see. Whether it was simply because I was the hero’s companion or because he had something to hide, I couldn’t tell.
“I am grateful that Lord Anak has taken such an interest.”
His response made it clear he was from Sigmut. Unlike the people of Ayman Kingdom, his eyes held no genuine admiration or heartfelt respect—only the polished words of diplomacy.
This reaction was far more familiar to me, yet the sheer gap between us left a slightly strange feeling.
“Could we speak privately for a moment?”
I had half-expected him to refuse, but fortunately, he gave his companions a quick glance and followed me.
“Of course. As you wish.”
I led him out of the banquet hall. I considered heading to the balcony, but remembering that it was a spot often used by couples, I changed my mind. Once, at a banquet in another country, I had gone out for some fresh air only to run straight into a pair of lovers in the middle of something. It had nearly caused a disaster.
‘Good thing I shut the door quickly.’
Looking back now, I still wondered whether those two had been lovers or something more improper. Their expressions had shown no fear, and both had been young and unafraid of being seen, so assuming they were lovers seemed the more reasonable conclusion.
I headed for the least populated area and stopped at the end of a corridor. When I halted, Gafel took a few extra steps back, maintaining a cautious distance. His face remained relatively expressionless, but the tips of his fingers and toes betrayed an unconscious anxiety, as if he sensed something coming.
“You know why I called you, don’t you?”
I probed to see his reaction.
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
At least his face showed no particular response. As expected of the High Assassin Guild. Or perhaps it was simply because he had been chosen for a diplomatic mission. His expression management was flawless—a natural look of confusion, as if he truly didn’t understand.
But the way his hands and feet, which had been relaxed moments ago, now tensed up while trying to mimic a “natural” posture was a fatal mistake.
“As you’ve already seen, I came here with Bagloros. You can’t possibly claim you haven’t heard about what happened in Peltecheru, can you?”
Sure enough, the moment I said that, his face filled with dismay and resignation. His entire body seemed to lose its strength, and though faint, fear flickered in his eyes.
“Ah… so you knew?”
“Wouldn’t it be stranger if I didn’t?”
At my question, he forced an awkward smile. He must have realized from my attitude that he still had a chance—that he wouldn’t be exposed and thrown straight into prison.
“Why would a member of the High Assassin Guild be sent as the head of a diplomatic mission?”
“…This matter has nothing to do with the guild.”
At my gesture, several sentences appeared in the air. Gafel flinched and stepped back. Of course, I had no way of discerning the truth of his words. It could be true, or it could be a lie.
But when dealing with someone from the High Assassin Guild, it was better to assume they were lying than to naively believe them at face value.
“A relatively young man, and not even a noble, became the head of a diplomatic mission. You expect me to believe that has nothing to do with the guild?”
I could clearly see him swallow dryly. He was so focused on what might emerge from the floating sentences that he couldn’t think about anything else.
“If that’s the case, then you must have accomplished something remarkable in Sigmut. Perhaps you single-handedly stopped a Demon King’s army unit during the great war?”
Even without us, there were quite a few stories of people who had overcome numerical or power disadvantages to repel Demon King’s forces. Of course, in the early days of the war, there had been far more reports of entire nations falling to just a handful of high-ranking demons or entire detachments being wiped out.
“Speak honestly. No matter how official this diplomatic mission from Sigmut may be, the fact that you belong to the High Assassin Guild is reason enough to detain you. And Sigmut wouldn’t even protest.”
Rather than blaming us, they would be more concerned with their own internal problems. They would be too busy trying to figure out how far the guild’s influence had reached and who was responsible, leading to countless political schemes and plots.
And that was something the High Assassin Guild wouldn’t want either.
“…I don’t know the details either. I was simply following orders. They told me that if I obeyed, I would receive a high position and advance to the center.”
So, if that was true, then their target wasn’t the Ayman Kingdom itself.
“Then who gave that order?”
“I don’t know. The guild’s chain of command doesn’t work that way……”
“No, I mean in Sigmut. Someone must have officially recommended you for this mission. The emperor wouldn’t have picked your name out of thin air without any recommendation.”
“On the surface, I received a recommendation from Grand Duke Ikamaled, one of the three grand dukes. But that was only a signature on a recommendation letter. I have no idea at what level or how his signature was obtained……”
Ikamaled. Yes, I remembered that name. Among the many ducal houses in Sigmut, there were three grand ducal families that possessed unparalleled power and influence. Just as he said, someone in the middle might have pushed the document up to him—either through one of his close aides or through some political deal. Or perhaps he himself was one of the guild’s leaders.
“……”
I reflexively glanced up at the ceiling. Whether it was the ceiling, beyond the wall, or in the shadows, Bagloros had surely heard everything.
“Very well. I’ll believe you for now.”
I dispersed the sentences still floating beside me. I didn’t know if he had told me everything he knew, but this was enough information for the time being.
“That aside, have you found out anything about what happened in Peltecheru?”
I asked, though I had no expectations. In an organization where even the leaders didn’t know each other’s true identities, any investigation from the bottom up would simply result in the higher-ups cutting off the tail. I had thought their fierce internal rivalries might yield something, but that same division meant a proper investigation was impossible.
Even if someone was innocent and unrelated to the incident, the constant mutual surveillance would make them terrified of revealing something disadvantageous during the investigation, only adding to the confusion.
“I’m sorry, but I know nothing about that matter. I’ve heard that a large-scale investigation is underway, but I have no authority to access the details……”
I raised my hand to cut him off. I had confirmed everything I needed to. Of course, I still wasn’t sure if revealing that we knew was better than keeping it hidden, but since he had told us everything he knew, there was a chance he wouldn’t report this to the guild either.
Yes. This was the best option. Among the mediocre choices, it was the one with the most tangible expected effect—or rather, to be honest, it simply suited my personality best.
Bagloros or Medrup would verify the truth of the information later, but for now, treating it as fact posed no particular problem. In that case, there was no need to reveal any more cards or intentions here.
“Understood. I thought you might have come to report something, but it seems that wasn’t the case.”
There was no way he would believe that, but I added a meaningless and pointless deception. Just in case.
“Let’s return to the banquet hall.”
Truthfully, I had confirmed everything I needed and was tempted to head straight to the study, but with Bagloros nearby and Rowell and Aegina still in the banquet hall, suddenly disappearing wasn’t an option. At that very moment, an unpleasant sense of unease flashed through my mind, and I couldn’t help but ask.
“…By the way, are you planning to tell the others about what just happened?”
The only reason I had learned that Gafel belonged to the High Assassin Guild was because Bagloros had recognized his name. It wouldn’t be strange if other members of the guild had infiltrated the diplomatic mission or entered through other channels.
“…I won’t say anything. Or rather, to be precise, even if I wanted to, I couldn’t.”