Chapter 670: To Meet Another Friend, Dante (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 670: To Meet Another Friend, Dante (3)
The friend he met after so long looked just the same. However, the grip of their handshake was significantly firmer than before. Through it, Jin felt he could sense the weight of the three years Dante had endured.
“It has been a long time, my friend. You have indeed returned stronger.”
“I expected you to look a bit haggard, since you must have been busy. You’ve become a man of iron, Dante.”
“If I couldn’t achieve this much, I wouldn’t be worthy of being the Lord of the Sword Emperor Castle.”
“I’ve been caught in a whirlwind of chaos since the moment I returned, so I couldn’t come to see you first.”
“There is no one who doesn’t know of the great feats you have accomplished since finishing your training. I, too, have been busy beyond belief until just a few days ago, so don’t trouble yourself over it.”
The two looked at each other in silence for a moment.
Though they hadn’t spent any time together over the past three years, they had both held their ground in their respective roles, united in spirit. Even without words, they could sense how solid and profound the other’s journey had been.
“Ah! My apologies for the late greeting. Princess, Lady Quicantel, Lord Latri. I am Dante Hairan, the Lord of the Sword Emperor Castle.”
“Why are you being so awkward, Sir Dante? It’s not like we’re strangers,” Yuria replied with a smile.
“Exactly. Are you trying to make me choke on my food?” Quicantel added.
At their responses, Dante scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
“I simply wished to offer a formal greeting to the Princess at least once. It seems I was a bit excessive.”
Bubble, bubble.
The seafood stew was boiling. The meal began as Yuria ladled the stew into an empty bowl and handed it to Dante first.
Dante was already well-informed about most of the events that had unfolded since Jin’s return. Casimir had sent messengers to update him whenever a major incident occurred.
“…I see. Lord Veradin… has he truly forgotten us? To become a victim of such a foul experiment… How can they call themselves human and do that to their own child, their next patriarch!”
However, this was the first time he had heard the specifics of Veradin’s condition. Jin patted Dante’s shoulder as he trembled with rage.
Dante had known for a long time that Veradin was in a situation where he was bound to be broken, but hearing the reality from Jin’s own lips felt like poison spreading through his chest.
“Zipple. From those atrocious villains… I will surely rescue our friend one day.”
“Yes, we will, Dante.”
“Until the Evil God is defeated, I shall suppress my anger. Like you, I will use them for as long as they are useful, and once the work is done, I will crush them utterly.”
Just as Jin had relearned the value of the ‘Righteous Path’ from Ron and Dante, Dante was now learning the necessity of the ‘Path of the Overlord’ from Jin.
The old Dante would have rather died than join hands, even for a moment, with those who had turned his friend into a miserable test subject. But things were different now.
There were too many lives resting on his shoulders. The world he saw as the Lord of the Sword Emperor Castle and the Regent of the Empire was entirely different from the one he had seen as a mere successor.
Sometimes he had to use his enemies, sometimes he had to retreat, and sometimes he had to do things his heart did not agree with.
Otherwise, he could not save the countless retainers and people who looked to him, nor could he save the world.
‘You are growing to resemble Lord Ron, Dante.’
His face was still that of a dear friend, but Dante had clearly changed.
He had begun to walk the path of a monarch, not just a successor.
A monarch who was strictest with himself and would never fall to corruption.
Jin was proud that Dante was becoming such a person.
This was also what Ron had most desired for Dante during his lifetime. He had certainly loved his grandson, who was purely upright and filled with the resolve to break before bending to evil, but he had always been a source of worry.
Jin spoke to Ron in his heart. ‘You can watch over him with a peaceful and joyful heart now.’
“By the way, Jin.”
“Yeah?”
“I’ve been wondering since you arrived—why did you come here in disguise? I don’t think it was merely for the Princess’s leisure.”
“There are people in the Imperial Palace who want to kill you.”
“That should be impossible unless Zipple provided someone of that caliber. And Zipple has no reason to do that right now, do they?”
“It wasn't Zipple. The Garden of Swords provided the assassins.”
Dante’s eyes narrowed.
“The Garden of Swords…?”
“Yes. The Imperial family betrayed Zipple and sided with Rosa. I confirmed this through Valeria. Did you know anything about it?”
“To my shame, I was entirely unaware.”
“The party that was betrayed is in the same boat. Zipple didn’t know the Imperial family had crawled into bed with the Garden of Swords either.”
Even after Jin informed them of the betrayal, Zipple had not rashly purged the Imperial family. Given the circumstances, they first had to determine how much information the Imperial family had extracted from them and passed on to Runcandel.
“Valeria said you seemed to be in danger. We suspect the one who provided the assassins to the Imperial family is Joshua.”
“With a top-tier knight enhanced by chaos and the abilities of a Prophet, assassinating me wouldn’t be a mere pipe dream for the Imperial family. The Garden of Swords likely wants to remove me because my support for you is a thorn in their side.”
“That’s why I came in disguise. And it’s also why I brought our Princess.”
Naturally, Jin hadn't brought Yuria into this dangerous political climate just to give her pleasant memories.
“…Do you intend to find the assassins using the Princess’s power?”
“Exactly.”
Dante was about to say that bringing the young Princess to such a place was too dangerous, but he stopped after looking at Jin.
With Jin and himself present, he questioned whether Yuria could truly be in danger, regardless of who the enemy sent.
“It looked like you wanted to say something.”
“On second thought, I don’t think it will be a problem. Not unless the assassins are the Evil God himself or the legendary swords of Old Runcandel.”
“Even if it were someone like Lord Padler, Yuria won't get hurt. Not with both of us here.”
“Then what should I do now?”
“We have too little information, other than the fact that the Garden of Swords gave assassins to Ailan Viment. So, for now, summon every official you can to the Imperial Palace. It would be best to check if there are any spies among them first.”
“Are you suggesting I call them all here just to ask if there’s a traitor among them?”
Jin nodded.
“It’s an investigation method that’s only possible because the Princess is here.”
“Yuria, Latri, Lady Quicantel, and I will need to participate in the Imperial meeting. Since it’s a gathering of the Empire’s highest ministers, we’ll need a pretext to join. The one I came up with is…”
“Jin, I am currently the sole supreme authority of the Empire. Even the late Amir Viment did not possess power as absolute as mine. Therefore, no pretext is needed. All current ministers of the Empire must come immediately when I call.”
“Ah, I forgot for a moment that you’ve changed. I didn't need to struggle to think of a pretext.”
“I am curious, though. What pretext had you prepared?”
“I was going to say they were unaffiliated dragons you happened to save in a contaminated area, and they came to repay the favor. You often subjugated those areas alone, after all.”
“For something you put effort into… it lacks a bit of plausibility. Unaffiliated dragons are extremely rare.”
“Well, I’m glad it’s not needed.”
“However, if someone dares to ask about your origins, I will use that for now.”
“If the traitor is within the capital, the truth will be revealed immediately, and there won't be any need to lie.”
The meal ended.
A carriage was prepared outside, and the group headed straight for the Imperial Palace.
“Tell all ministers currently in the capital to gather in the First Conference Room of the Imperial Palace within two hours. Everyone down to the 10th-rank officials, excluding ordinary knights and mages currently on missions. This is an emergency summons. Tell them that anyone who is even a second late will be severely punished.”
“Yes, Your Grace!”
The order spread across the capital in an instant.
“Has the Regent ever summoned us like this before?”
“He works us to the bone for the people and the Empire, unable to stand the sight of us resting for even a moment. So why on earth is he telling us to leave our posts and come now?”
“What in the world is this, in the middle of the night! I’m worried sick. Is he finally going to depose His Highness Curon and take the throne himself?”
“The only reason things aren’t worse is because His Highness Curon begs him to show us some mercy… If the Lord of the Sword Emperor Castle takes the throne, we’re all guaranteed to die from overwork…!”
“Whatever it is, let’s just go and prostrate ourselves. If we show even a hint of displeasure, it’s over. You all know what happened to Baron Magl last time when he grumbled about having too much work.”
Thus, the ministers who feared Dante clutched their trembling hearts and rushed to the palace, while those who respected him headed there with grim resolve.
“It is an emergency summons from the Regent. Something of great importance must have happened.”
“Do not let your exhaustion show. No one in the Empire can be suffering more than the Regent.”
Carriages and horses streamed into the Imperial Palace without pause.
Before two hours had passed, nearly a thousand ministers had gathered in the conference room.
“Has everyone arrived?”
The scene that greeted the ministers was Dante sitting in the seat of honor, with four unfamiliar faces standing behind him.
No one recognized Jin’s group in their disguises.
“Yes, Your Grace!”
“We are all here!”
Despite so many ministers being gathered, they didn't dare even exchange glances in front of Dante. They had seen too many people suffer terrible fates just for letting their eyes wander.
‘Truly, no one is asking Dante about our identities. The discipline is as strict as Runcandel’s when Father was admitted to the Garden of Swords. However, that group over there… seems to be expecting something.’
While the atmosphere was heavy enough to steal one’s breath, there was one group that revealed their anticipation with unusual carelessness. They were ministers and knights from Hairan, and the reason their eyes were sparkling was because of Quicantel, who stood behind Dante in disguise.
‘Could it be that the Regent has finally found a lover!’
‘He’s going to introduce his lover and her family! If not that, then… no… it might not be. It can’t be. He isn't the type of person to summon ministers so urgently for personal matters…’
Unfortunately, their hopes were dashed, and they soon straightened their gazes. The knights of Hairan knew well how lonely and grueling a life Dante was leading, so they desperately hoped a lover who could provide him some modicum of peace would appear.
Dante stood up from his seat.
“Everyone is busy, so I shall be blunt. I have gathered you now because there is a traitor within the Empire.”
“Ah…!”
“How could that be!”
“No one is to speak until I permit it. We must finish this quickly so everyone can return to their duties of restoring the Empire. From now on, you will answer my questions with only ‘Yes’ or ‘No.’ Now, for the first question.”
Dante looked at the ministers with eyes as stern as fire.
“Is there anyone among you who has a plan to harm me, or who knows of those with such a plan?”
“No!” the ministers answered in unison.
Dante waited.
Yuria observed the ministers for a few moments, then gently poked Dante’s back seven times with her finger.
It meant that seven of them had lied.