Chapter 245
Chapter 245
Iron Emperor — Chapter 245
"This is madness."
Emperor Bishu of the Federal Empire sat with his forehead cradled in his hand, scowling as he listened to his intelligence chief's report.
"I cannot fathom what they think they'll gain by sending people all the way out there."
"For now, based on our agents' reports, it appears that a surveillance network has been established around the Holy Empire's delegation, without making it obvious."
"Doesn't that make it even more infuriating?"
At Emperor Bishu's words, the intelligence chief could not readily continue and merely swallowed a groan.
"To summarize the possibilities: first, the Holy Empire may have forged an alliance with Gauri. Conversely, the delegation may exist only as a pretext to draw attention while they facilitate intelligence operations elsewhere. If it is the second case, the anticipated effect includes sowing confusion in our own intelligence activities... However, we cannot determine anything with certainty."
"Damn it. Either way, the effect you mentioned in the second scenario has already begun to manifest."
"That is correct."
Emperor Bishu, who had been drumming his fingers on the table, spoke in a voice tinged with irritation.
"There's no good option. We can hardly send a delegation of our own at this point."
"I believe they deliberately timed it to coincide with the royal wedding precisely to preempt any possibility of us following suit by dispatching our own delegation."
"The young whelp has grown far too cunning."
Emperor Bishu pictured Emperor Millior smirking before his eyes.
"Reinforce our agents. If possible, put a few on the Holy Empire delegation's tail when they depart."
"Understood."
For now, the Federal Empire's options were limited.
All they could do was press ahead despite knowing those limits...
* * *
There is a saying about knowing something and pretending not to.
Gauri was not unaware of the Holy Empire's unnervingly quiet delegation, nor of the clandestine activities of the empires' agents operating in the shadows.
It was obvious even without seeing it firsthand.
Rather, Gauri's position was to turn such circumstances to its advantage whenever possible.
The sacred wedding, which should have been the purest of occasions, was being tainted by empires hiding unseen blades. At last, the appointed day arrived.
"His Majesty the Yeolje approaches!"
"Waaaaah!"
A tremendous roar.
The cheers of the people, ever unfailing in their anticipation, adorned the splendid opening of Go Jin-cheon's wedding ceremony.
Following that, rites were offered to Heaven, Earth, and the people, and rites offered to the twenty-eight Ancestral Emperors. Only after the ceremony blessing their eternal union was complete was the marriage truly proclaimed.
Throughout the ceremony, Go Jin-cheon struggled mightily to suppress the smile that kept spreading across his face, while Yunias conducted herself through the rites with remarkably composed demeanor.
Once the ceremony concluded, envoys from each nation entered one by one bearing gifts. The order of entry for each nation followed Go Jin-cheon's command: first-come, first-served. They were admitted in the order their nations had arrived in Gauri.
"Finally, the congratulatory delegation of the Holy Empire shall enter!"
As the chamberlain's voice rang out, the cheers of the people noticeably subsided.
Among the common people of Gauri and other weaker nations alike, what country had never suffered under the oppression of the Three Great Empires?
Moreover, anyone with any awareness knew that the Holy Empire stood behind the Roselin War.
Some thirty members of the delegation walked forward, halted before Jin-cheon, bowed their heads, and offered their respects.
"We offer congratulations upon the marriage of His Highness the Yeolje of the nation of Gauri."
Compared to the delegations that had offered their respects before them, the brevity was secondary — the statement itself was a slight, demoting Gauri's standing from empire to mere kingdom.
"Again."
"The Pope of the Holy Empire... I beg your pardon?"
Priest Palo II, who had believed his greeting was accepted and had been about to continue speaking, stared at Jin-cheon with a flustered expression.
"Offer your respects again!"
As the chamberlain's voice resounded, Palo II, who had stepped forward as the delegation's head, looked bewildered.
What nation in the world made an envoy offer his respects twice?
His face reddening, Priest Palo — perhaps conscious of the eyes upon him — steadied his voice and offered his respects again.
"We rejoice in the grand wedding ceremony of His Highness the Yeolje of the Kingdom of Gauri, and by the authority of His Holiness the Pope of the Holy Empire and His Imperial..."
"Again."
"..."
Priest Palo had added more florid language this time, only to be struck speechless again by Jin-cheon's repeated command.
"Is this not discourteous? I, Palo II, am a priest of the One God and came to celebrate your nation's magnificent wedding. I cannot understand why you would subject this priest to such humiliation."
The sight of Priest Palo thrusting out his bulging belly and protesting with righteous indignation made onlookers furrow their brows.
"Hmph, that wretched bastard!"
"Hold back, Dupyo!"
Samdopyo, who had a bit of bad history with Priest Palo from long ago, recognized the face and had tried to charge forward several times. Buyeo Gi-yul and Mong Ryu-hwa had frantically held him back.
"Let your anger cool. There must be no bloodshed on such an auspicious day."
Gye Ung-sam, standing off to one side, admonished him with dignity.
"Grr."
Ung-sam's words were not wrong, and Dupyo's rampage subsided once more.
Jin-cheon, who had been watching Priest Palo's conduct with interest, slowly parted his lips.
"So. You came bearing personal letters from the Pope and king of the Holy Kingdom, did you?"
"Such outrageous nonsense!"
At Jin-cheon's mockery, a hiss of air escaped the lips of Priest Palo and the delegation arrayed behind him.
"Wretch!"
"Hurk!"
As Jin-cheon's roar erupted, Priest Palo's legs gave way and he collapsed to the ground.
"You dare disparage the Gauri Empire as a kingdom! You dare address this Yeolje with the honorific reserved for a mere king, and then claim you have offered proper respect!"
"Th-that is a title unique to Gauri, unrecognized by the continent!"
"Have you ever seen a wretch more deserving of being beaten to death? Then what of the delegations from the Haian Kingdom, the Marlon Kingdom, and the Roselin Kingdom who came before you!"
"Th-that is..."
This had never been a mission suited for Priest Palo from the start.
He had been selected and dispatched with the simple intention that he should merely remain quiet, avoid causing offense, and return. Yet here he was, creating trouble of his own making.
Sometimes excessive loyalty is what creates trouble.
"I have no need for such congratulations. Drag them out."
"Chu-ung!"
Before Jin-cheon's words had even ended, armed Gauri warriors surged forward and began hauling the delegation away.
"Th-this cannot be happening!"
"Hmph, shut your trap and come along, you tub of lard."
"What did you call... tub...?"
Priest Palo, bristling at the vile insult directed at him, caught sight of the face beneath the helmet of the man dragging him — and in that instant, a distant memory stirred.
How could he forget that face!
Long ago, during missionary work in the Haian Kingdom, the perpetrator of the atrocities — who had stripped him naked, strung him up, and broken his limbs...
"A demon!"
"What did you say? Did you call this Yeolje a demon!"
"Hurk, that is..."
Priest Palo had crossed a river he could not re-cross. Of course, Jin-cheon knew the remark was not aimed at him, but once the words had burst forth, they could be twisted to mean whatever suited the listener.
In the end, the Holy Empire delegation, having appeared last, was dragged out like dogs.
Once hauled away, Priest Palo was warmly welcomed by those demons(?) — Ung-sam and Dupyo — who saw to it that his old memories were thoroughly overwritten with new ones before he was chased out.
"Now then — enjoy yourselves!"
As though unconcerned with any future repercussions from the Holy Empire, Jin-cheon raised his cup and brought the ceremony to its close.
That day's uproar spread swiftly.
Priest Palo's words and conduct, and Go Jin-cheon's response, were viewed positively by the Federal Empire's agents and negatively by the Holy Empire's.
On top of that, Priest Palo's disgraceful display only further infuriated the agents.
After all, the man sent with orders to cause no trouble had caused the greatest trouble of all and been dragged off.
The judgments formed that day by the other kingdoms regarding Jin-cheon's actions left them half exhilarated and half worried. But not a single person spoke a word of reproach against what he had done.
* * *
"You are beautiful."
"I am embarrassed."
Jin-cheon and Yunias sat facing each other.
The small candlelight flickering between them blessed their union.
Swish.
Jin-cheon shifted his body toward Yunias.
Rustle.
Whenever Jin-cheon's hand touched Yunias, she trembled faintly, as though struck by lightning.
"Yunias..."
"Yes."
Though she was thirty-one years of age, her movements were as timid as those of an adolescent girl.
"I can't see!"
"Shh, Lady Yeolhu, you must be quiet!"
"Hey, you, keep your voice down even more!"
Yunias paused for a moment, and seeing Jin-cheon's frame trembling, she forgot her nervousness and tilted her head in curiosity.
"Oh, for goodness' sake. What is Yunias doing! She's supposed to pounce on him, just like we taught her."
"..."
Jin-cheon raised his bow and aimed toward the door, from which the murmur of voices drifted.
"Useless, every last one of you."
The moment his muttering ceased, Jin-cheon gripped his bow with simmering resentment. Then, with a movement like a bolt of lightning, he loosed an arrow.
"Dodge!"
"Eek!"
At the clamorous racket, Yunias found herself smiling despite herself.