Chapter 672: Beneath the Imperial Palace... (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 672: Beneath the Imperial Palace... (1)
The moment Dante’s command fell, the ministers' faces turned deathly pale. They knew that once Dante gave an order, he saw it through to the end.
“R-Regent!?”
“You mean to… destroy the Imperial Palace!?”
“And you mean right this very second?”
Those who had been too intimidated to even part their lips now raised their voices in protest.
“I do. Do you have an objection?”
“This palace preserves thousands of years of the Empire’s history! To speak of destroying it so casually is unthinkable!”
“Regent, though many pillars of the Viment family have betrayed the Empire, this Imperial Palace belongs to the Empire, not the Imperial Family.”
“Belongs to the Empire, you say…”
Dante’s eyes narrowed.
“Even if this incident hadn’t occurred, I was already considering downsizing the palace. Do you have any idea how much manpower and how much of the people's blood tax goes into maintaining this needlessly grandiose Golden Castle?”
“Regent! We are well aware of how much you trust Sir Jin. But to decide on such a grave matter based on mere suspicion… is that not too much?”
“Once suspicion becomes certainty, it will be too late. If an army of Chaos, rather than a single assassin, pours out from an unidentified tunnel, how will you handle it?”
“But…!”
“Enough! I have no intention of reversing my decision, so the ministers will accept it. For the safety of the Empire, I would tear this palace down ten or even a hundred times over.”
At his razor-sharp voice, the ministers finally fell silent. If they dared to talk back one more time, disaster would surely strike.
Jin felt a swell of pride at Dante’s kingly demeanor, and he believed this choice was absolutely correct.
However, he felt that his own intervention could smooth things over.
The ministers might be wary of Dante, but their loyalty to the Empire is deep and unanimous. Still, their resentment is building from the constant pressure and overwork.
Jin cleared his throat.
“Ahem. May the Barmul Alliance formally offer an opinion regarding the demolition of the Imperial Palace?”
“Speak, Sir Jin.”
“As Sir McGill just said, the Prophet’s tunnel is merely a suspicion. Also, as the Regent said, it is a problem that cannot be undone once it becomes a certainty, and it seems the Regent will not back down.”
“Sir Jin, could you not perhaps persuade the Regent…?”
“How could I stop him when even the Empire’s own ministers cannot? Instead, since the Barmul Alliance was the first to mention the tunnel, we intend to take responsibility for the demolition in our own way. As an ally.”
The ministers whispered among themselves, exchanging glances.
Jin smiled at them.
It was a smile of pure goodwill, but the ministers could only worry about what the 12th Flagbearer intended to take from them this time.
“Currently, the Tikan Free State possesses world-class defensive capabilities. We are armed with various cutting-edge technologies, including improvements made to the Mana Cannon Dragon Spears plundered from the previous Imperial Family.”
“Are you saying… you will share that technology with us?”
“I am. We will share even more than before. We will dispatch Sir Amela, the person who contributed most to Tikan’s defensive rise, along with other personnel. The Barmul Alliance will also provide some of the core materials needed for development. This will begin the moment you start building the new castle that will serve as the Empire’s center—regardless of whether the tunnel exists or not.”
The ministers had expected that, having shown his hand, Jin’s next words would be about what he wanted in return.
“Furthermore, we will provide support not only for the new castle but for the defense of the entire Empire, and we will also share technology regarding flying ships. I believe this is sufficient compensation for tearing down a symbol of the old era.”
When he spoke of even more support, the ministers were at a loss as to why Jin was being so generous.
“The Barmul Alliance and the Empire are allies, the Regent and I are the closest of friends, and the world is on the brink of destruction. I hope you all understand that I am not providing this support simply to extort something from the Empire later.”
Even if the Imperial Palace weren't being torn down, Jin had intended to do this from the start.
Now that Rosa had become the Evil God, the crisis facing the Empire and Dante was no different from the crisis facing the Barmul Alliance and Jin. Even if they managed to defeat Rosa, Zipple and Kinzelo would still remain.
“Thanks to your display of reluctance, I’ve received an unexpected gift from Sir Jin. The benefits he has offered are incomparable to a mere palace.”
Dante already knew about this but played along for appearances.
The ministers were torn between relief and indignation, but within a few days, their feelings settled firmly on the former.
Amela arrived in the Empire and personally demonstrated various pieces of equipment. The artifacts developed by Quaul naturally far exceeded the ministers' understanding of what was possible.
*
“The demolition isn't progressing as quickly as I thought. I’m concerned that I’m taking up too much of your time.”
They were destroying the largest structure on the surface. It was not a matter that could be finished in a day or two.
Jin and Dante were roaming the demolition site, searching for the tunnel. High-ranking officials and chamberlains who knew all the secrets of the palace had pooled their knowledge to predict the tunnel's location, and Jin personally checked each new spot as it was uncovered.
This was because Jin was the only one who could properly sense the Energy of Chaos.
“It’s fine. I settled most of my urgent matters before coming, so your safety is the most important issue right now. Besides, this is actually quite fast. It’s not like we can just smash everything haphazardly, no matter how much we want to.”
“I appreciate you saying that. By the way, to think the one suspected of providing an assassin to the Imperial Family is Joshua Runcandel… If that’s true, that man is truly like a cockroach. To return even after being stripped of his flagbearer status and becoming a total wreck.”
“He might not be on Sister Luntia’s level, but he’s likely grown stronger. That’s not the real problem. I’m more worried about who the ‘sword’ he provided to the Imperial Family is.”
It was difficult to guess which assassin Runcandel had provided to Ailan Viment.
Among those I’ve encountered in the Garden of Swords, there aren't many who could defeat the current Dante.
Rosa herself, Padler Runcandel, Lionel, and Luntia.
However, Luntia was currently unable to manifest in the human world, and the destructive swordsmanship of Padler and Lionel was not suited for assassination.
Of course, there are others who could beat Dante. And if their goal isn't assassination but a surprise invasion through the tunnel… the Empire would suffer catastrophic damage from them alone…
—<…Runcandel… Runcandel orders Ailan Viment of the Imperial Family to kill Dante Hairan, Lord of the Sword Emperor Castle, and provides a monster.>
Provides a monster.
That part kept weighing on Jin’s mind. The name ‘…Runcandel’ had been blanked out, perhaps due to insufficient achievement in Record Magic or some other reason, but the ambiguous expression ‘monster’ was clearly specified.
Whether it was called a monster because the target’s martial prowess was extraordinary, or if it meant a grotesque entity birthed by Chaos, or something else entirely—he wouldn't know until he faced it.
Above all else, the reason Jin kept leaning toward the possibility of an assassination rather than an invasion was that the term ‘monster’ was singular.
“Is it not highly likely to be one of the former Patriarchs or the Ten Great Knights of Runcandel that you encountered?”
“That’s likely, but…”
Now that the demolition was underway, an ominous feeling, like a lump in his throat, clouded Jin's mind.
I don't know why I feel so uneasy. Nothing has been clearly revealed yet…
Was it simply because anger welled up whenever he thought of the Garden of Swords being tainted by Chaos? Jin tried his best to suppress the sticky, ominous sensation clinging to him.
Rumble—!
The thunderous sound of buildings being demolished echoed from all directions.
Since they had been tearing down perfectly sound buildings for days without results, the atmosphere in the capital would have been much more unsettled if not for the absolute support the people had for Dante and Jin.
In truth, Jin, Dante, and the pillars of the Empire all hoped the tunnel wouldn't be found.
However, on the tenth day after the demolition began, Jin was proven right.
“It’s the Energy of Chaos, Dante.”
“You found it!?”
“It’s near the 3rd Audience Chamber on the first floor. Get the troops ready. Let’s go right now.”
As soon as the 3rd Audience Chamber began to be torn down, the hidden Energy of Chaos was revealed. No one else could sense it.
Even looking at the site, the 3rd Audience Chamber under demolition didn't seem to have anything unusual about it.
Shring—!
As Jin drew Bradamante, Dante and the waiting troops took up defensive positions.
Soon, as the blade imbued with spirit energy sliced a line through the floor of the 3rd Audience Chamber, everyone watching gasped.
‘What on earth is that!’
‘There really was a tunnel beneath the Imperial Palace…!’
What was revealed as the floor split apart was not soil, strata, or stone, but a well of blackness—the Energy of Chaos itself.
The entrance to a tunnel massive enough for a hundred people to enter at once had been exposed.
“How could we have known nothing while such a thing was forming beneath the Imperial Palace?”
“Even Zipple didn't notice when the Prophet formed a tunnel in the Sota Desert. I hoped it wouldn't be here, but it finally showed up.”
Jin looked around at Dante and the troops.
“There’s a high possibility of more entrances. Now that the tunnel’s existence is confirmed, increase the speed of demolition and evacuate the citizens near the palace as planned. It’s best if only you and I go inside to check.”
Dante nodded. The two immediately entered the tunnel while the others carried out their assigned roles.
The tunnel was so deep it was a miracle the ground hadn't collapsed. Unlike the tunnels Jin had experienced in the past, however, its structure wasn't very complex.
Even as they reached the bottom, Jin was overwhelmed by that foul, ominous premonition. It wasn't fear of an unknown enemy, but for some reason, he broke into a cold sweat and his heart began to race.
“Are you alright?”
“Ah, I guess it shows. I’ve felt strangely uneasy ever since we started the investigation. I don't know why. It’s nothing to worry about…”
The moment he said that, a chill shot down his spine. He didn't sense a specific energy, but he felt a sensation—no, a certainty—that if he moved incorrectly, some part of his body would be deeply cut.
Dante felt the same sense of crisis half a beat later.
There was only one person in the world who could make them both this tense without revealing any presence at all.
The one known among assassins as the ‘God of Murder.’
No way…!
Swish—!
A single sword stroke swept past both of them simultaneously. Dante’s back was slightly grazed, and Jin narrowly dodged.
The moment he locked eyes with their ambusher while counterattacking, Jin understood the source of the premonition that had been tormenting him.
[Di… e…]
“Sister… Yona.”
Jin could only grit his teeth as he watched her lunge at them once more.