Chapter 187
Chapter 187
"Is this truly acceptable as it is?"
"There's no other way. I must be honest with you."
"Yes, I suppose so. But then, how will His Majesty react...?"
As the Sword Duke's aged face darkened with concern, Logan instinctively sensed that something had happened.
But given the circumstances, pressing for answers felt inappropriate. Logan simply took a deep breath and stood before the office door.
When Logan nodded, the knight stationed at the door loudly announced their arrival.
"His Grace Felix Esperanza and Count Logan MacLaine have arrived."
—Enter.
Creak.
The door swung open at the familiar voice.
Immediately visible was the King's hardened expression.
Logan sighed inwardly as he stepped forward and knelt.
"My apologies, Your Majesty. We apprehended some of the assassins, but they all took their own lives before we could uncover their affiliations or backers."
The King exhaled deeply.
"As expected..."
Logan's brow twitched involuntarily.
'So he still suspects me.'
He had anticipated it, but that didn't make it any less unpleasant.
But then—
"That just proves how thoroughly they prepared. It's understandable you couldn't uncover more. You've done well, Lord Logan."
An unexpected response came from the King.
"...Pardon?"
The words were so unforeseen that Logan couldn't hide his surprise.
Yet the King, unlike before, was looking at him with a smile.
Moreover—
"Recently, after enduring such a crisis, I fear I may have acted somewhat rashly. Lord Logan, forgive this flawed king. Who else would I trust if not you?"
As the King rose from his seat, approached Logan, and placed a hand on his shoulder—
The Sword Duke's expression behind Logan brightened instantly.
"Your Majesty...!"
But Logan couldn't smile as easily as his master.
Though the King's face was clearly smiling down at him, his eyes remained utterly still.
That smile carried a subtle dissonance—Logan couldn't pinpoint what was off, but he recognized it well.
During his past life as an independence fighter, he had often worn such smiles himself to conceal his true identity.
'An act...'
A chill ran through him, but he couldn't show it.
Logan mirrored the King's smile and bowed his head.
"Thank you for your trust, Your Majesty."
"Hahaha. It's only natural. No need for gratitude. All this distance between us was simply because we've been apart for too long. Let's use this opportunity to grow closer."
"...Pardon?"
"Bring it in!"
At the King's sudden command, palace maids entered one after another, carrying trays of food and wine as if they had been waiting.
Logan couldn't hide his bewilderment, his expression tightening slightly.
"Your Majesty, drinking at this hour—"
"Ah, Duke. Must you interfere even on a day like this? This is a moment for Lord Logan and me to reconcile and mend misunderstandings. Come, join us for a drink."
Not even the Sword Duke's protests could halt the smiling King.
And so, a midday drinking session—completely unforeseen by Logan—began in the King's office.
"Haha. Cleo, bring more wine."
"Your Majesty, you've had enough."
"If not now, when? Bring more! Though this Flamma wine tastes slightly different than usual..."
"The flavor varies slightly depending on the brewing season and accompanying dishes—that's the hallmark of Mingju's finest..."
"Is that so? Haha. Another lesson learned. Lord Logan, drink to your heart's content. I'll fill your cup as much as my guilt demands."
"Haha. Thank you. Then I'll indulge without restraint..."
Even the Sword Duke, who had been smiling awkwardly, soon broke into a genuine grin.
The drinking continued from midday until sunset.
Amid the convivial atmosphere, the King, Logan, and the Sword Duke parted ways, promising to meet again.
"Did you enjoy yourself, Your Majesty?"
Once alone with Cleo, the King's smile vanished as if it had never existed.
"Hmm. Forcing smiles is exhausting."
"...Pardon?"
"How could I enjoy it? It was merely a diplomatic gesture—a way to smooth over my earlier foolishness in revealing my true thoughts."
Cleo's eyes widened, and the King responded with a bitter smile.
"Don't look at me like that. This is the duty of a powerless king."
"I-I beg your pardon, Your Majesty. I didn't mean—"
"The Duke, having lived his whole life with a single focus, might not have noticed—but Lord Logan surely sensed my intent."
"Then..."
"He understood my message perfectly. A king's indirect apology—no, a surrender—expressed to the fullest extent possible."
Thud.
The King's face, which had been radiant with smiles just thirty minutes prior, twisted into something fearsome.
This wasn't merely the effect of alcohol—it was the eruption of something long suppressed.
"All of this is because I lack power. Because the royal family lacks power. Damn it all!"
Cleo's eyes gleamed strangely as he watched the King's outburst, but he quickly lowered his head and hid his expression when the King turned to him.
"I—the royal family—need a way to gain power. A method..."
As the King's desperate voice echoed in his ears—
"Your Majesty... may I offer my humble opinion?"
Cleo spoke cautiously, his face etched with concern.
"It's truly fortunate that His Majesty resolved the misunderstanding. Hoho."
The Sword Duke's proud smile wasn't solely due to the wine.
It was the relieved laughter of someone who had been deeply worried.
But Logan's expression remained somber.
"Why the long face? Did you drink too much? No—someone of your caliber wouldn't be affected by that much."
"N-No. I just have a lot on my mind."
"Haha. Don't worry too much. Even if there truly are rebels loyal to the First Prince behind this, as long as the trust between you and His Majesty remains strong, they'll never shake this kingdom."
That's not the issue.
Logan smiled bitterly, but he had no desire to tarnish the Sword Duke's idealized image of the King by revealing the ugly truth—that it had all been an act.
"Yes, Master. Still, please keep a close watch on His Majesty's surroundings. It's not just the rebels—internal 'poisons' are also a concern."
Logan was referring to the King's sudden change, but the Sword Duke seemed to interpret it differently.
"Of course. I'll root out any sycophants whispering nonsense into His Majesty's ears."
Will you really be able to?
The answer did little to ease Logan's worries, so instead of dwelling on it, he decided to prepare his own countermeasures.
"Master. There's one more thing I'd like to ask of you."
"Hmm, very well. Speak freely."
Whether it was the wine or the success of their act, the Sword Duke's face was radiant.
Now was the perfect time to secure some unofficial leverage from the kingdom's most powerful noble family.
"Learning from this incident, I'd like to establish my own intelligence network to prevent such things from happening again. I assume House Esperanza has something similar?"
"Ah, well, we do. Ahem—though it's supposed to be a secret..."
Relieved by his master's continued leniency toward him, Logan pressed on.
"In that case, may I send someone to learn from your organization? Just enough to serve as a reference when building mine."
"Of course. For the future pillar of our kingdom, there's nothing I wouldn't do."
I'm sorry, Master.
Unintentionally, he was deceiving him again—
'But at the very least, I'll use the results for the kingdom's sake, just as you said.'
Afterward, Logan's footsteps led him to House Floyd.
"Hohoho. What wouldn't I do for my future son-in-law? Just name it!"
He secured similarly enthusiastic permission without difficulty.
"This incident proved how blind we were to events in the capital. Relying solely on passively received information has clear limitations."
[Agreed.]
"Right. So I've decided the MacLaines need their own intelligence network. We can't keep depending on guilds or other houses forever. What do you think?"
[A wise decision, my lord.]
"That's why I want you to lead it."
Damian, on the other end of the communication orb, nodded mechanically before jolting in surprise.
[M-Me? Why assign such a role to me...?]
"You've already proven your worth in this incident, and you clearly have the talent."
Because in my past life, you were exceptional at this.
Instead of saying that, Logan offered a plausible excuse.
[It was just a shallow trick, nothing more.]
Of course, the excuse wasn't entirely baseless.
Logan smiled, recalling recent reports.
"Wasn't it you who established the periodic reporting system in villages around MacLaine's castles to build an intelligence network?"
Fortunately, the "Evil Brain" of his past life was beginning to demonstrate his talents in this one as well.
Though compared to before, he still lacked confidence.
[T-That was just a small scheme to gather news from every corner of the territory quickly.]
"Exactly. And right now, I need that 'small scheme.' I want you to expand it nationwide—maybe even into the Empire. Preferably without drawing attention."
[M-My lord, this is too much for someone like me.]
"Triple your salary."
[...Where should I begin?]
Pfft.
Yes, if confidence was lacking, greed would suffice.
"You'll learn the ropes from Houses Esperanza and Floyd. Adapt their methods to your own system. Focus especially on gathering intelligence from the royal palace."
[Understood. Should I head to the capital immediately?]
"Yes."
With the King suspicious of him, he couldn't return to his territory without taking precautions.
'I won't let myself be blindsided like this again.'
He needed to establish a thorough intelligence-gathering system—especially regarding the King—before leaving.
Logan recalled the King's unmoving eyes and steeled his resolve.
But just a week later—
News far more urgent arrived.
—An imperial envoy from the Ares Empire will visit the royal palace to celebrate the new king's coronation.
The envoy's visit, crucial for redefining relations between the two nations—
Became the focal point of the kingdom's nobility.
"Since when do imperial envoys unilaterally announce their visits like this?"
"Since never. They must have notified neighboring kingdoms after the coronation—we're just responding late."
"Still, shouldn't they inform the royal family first?"
"Well, apparently they did."
Logan blinked at the Sword Duke's reply.
"Pardon?"
"His Majesty said he was already aware."
"And yet we only learned of it when the envoy was nearly at the border?"
"There was that major incident, wasn't there? His Majesty must have forgotten amid the chaos."
No, that's not something you just forget. How—?
Logan stared at his master in disbelief, but—
"What's the problem? It's a friendly envoy. A slight delay in notification hardly matters. Let's go inside."
Avoiding Logan's gaze, the Sword Duke strode ahead with an awkward expression.
Logan sighed but had no choice but to follow.
'In the past, you would've spoken privately with the King and informed me immediately...'
For some reason, his master's attitude had changed, leaving Logan with a pang of loneliness—but the feeling was fleeting.
A far more pressing matter demanded his attention.
'Surely the worst-case scenario isn't... No, it can't be. Not yet.'
The sudden arrival of an imperial envoy—
He prayed the reason wasn't a declaration of war.
Suppressing his rising unease, Logan stepped into the Grand Hall.