Chapter 110
Chapter 110
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 110
Chapter Title: The Impostor Exposed
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Enricasil and violence were concepts that could never coexist in the same sentence.
This was the most secretive and elegant social gathering in the empire's history.
Even though the world was swayed by the power of auras and magic, this place prioritized etiquette and order above all.
Many Enricasil members had not deeply trained in mana.
However, they were talents who had achieved remarkable feats in politics, society, and culture.
That was precisely why violence was utterly intolerable here.
Otherwise, the trust within Enricasil would crumble.
That ancient tradition had been shattered today. And by the newest member who had just joined—the imperial illegitimate child, no less.
───.
Everyone was too stunned to speak easily.
No one could even imagine what connection Damian had to slam Leonard to the floor.
Moreover, he hadn't used aura or magic. He had done it with sheer physical strength, turning a knight like Leonard into that state.
Of course, the surprise attack played a big part since Leonard hadn't anticipated it, but Damian's power was considerable too.
His build wasn't that of a typical mage to begin with. Even among knights, his physique ranked in the top tier.
"D-D-D-Damian?"
Erewin approached, her legs trembling.
She had been sulking after getting no useful info from Dallas.
She had planned to cheer herself up just by looking at Damian's face, but the sudden incident had wiped away all stray thoughts in an instant.
'What should I say to cover for this?'
The deed was done. At least it was fortunate the opponent was an imperial knight like Leonard.
They could just align their stories somehow.
But then! Damian went further, completely subduing Leonard. Small stone fragments intertwined like chains, binding his body.
And amid it all, his sinister smile was breathtakingly beautiful.
Honestly, with a smile like that, most crimes could probably be forgiven.
"Lord Damian?"
With all the members frozen like statues, Chairman Kalrag finally stepped forward.
As chairman, he had a duty to ascertain the circumstances and take measures.
"This is quite an entertaining gathering, Chairman Kalrag."
Hah. Kalrag could only let out a hollow laugh.
Despite causing an unprecedented incident in Enricasil, Damian showed not a hint of panic.
He seemed utterly convinced his actions were justified.
In a way, it even evoked a noble's pride.
"Yes, well. Glad you enjoyed it. Though I wonder how Sir Leonard on the floor feels."
"It's not Sir Leonard."
Damian completely crushed the head of the man bound by the stone scales.
Crack. It wasn't the sound of bones breaking, but of pastry crumbling.
The face that had been Leonard shattered, revealing an entirely different person's face.
People who had gathered near Damian flinched as they examined the man's true face.
Not all Enricasil members attended every gathering.
But no one present recognized the man's face.
"So, where is the real Sir Leonard?"
"Probably hiding somewhere. Why would an imperial knight get tangled in something like this...?"
"Could you explain in detail?"
Including Kalrag, no one understood what had transpired in Enricasil.
Damian was the only one who could resolve this.
"First, take a look at this."
Damian handed over a bundle of worn papers. They were copies of documents stored in the Magic Tower, stamped with its seal.
"This is definitely..."
Erewin recognized them. They were documents secured during the eastern demon subjugation campaign.
They held no monetary value, of course. That's why they hadn't paid much attention and handed them over to the Magic Tower.
'Come to think of it, the other day in Abdaleng Street...'
Damian had suddenly asked about the spoils. Had he been planning this since then?
"Cassilre Convent? What does this have to do with the current situation?"
Dallas asked, stroking his chin.
The documents Damian presented only detailed an assault on the Cassilre Convent, nothing more.
There was no mention of Enricasil or Leonard anywhere.
The other members felt the same. Doubts about Damian's actions only piled up.
"How did you know about this?"
Only one person. Kalrag's expression was different. He seemed more shocked by the documents than by Leonard being a fake.
"Do you know what the Cassilre Convent is?"
"It's another name for Enricasil, Prince Dallas. I only learned it myself after becoming chairman..."
"The imperial library has many interesting books."
Of course, it wasn't information from a book. He had learned it after the incident unfolded—in reverse.
"Anyway, these documents came from a demon worshippers' hideout. You know what that means, don't you, Chairman Kalrag?"
Someone had intended to cause chaos in Enricasil.
That person was deeply involved with Enricasil.
They were also connected to Leonard.
"There's only one candidate."
The faces of Kalrag and the other members turned grim. They all knew who the circumstantial evidence pointed to.
"The former chairman of Enricasil."
Iliya Tafkors. He had also been an imperial mage in the past.
Leonard’s family had long served the Tafkors family.
Leonard becoming an imperial knight and Enricasil member was possible only due to Iliya's arrangements.
"When I first saw these documents, I was skeptical too. Especially since the demon worshippers were subjugated, I thought there might be no issue. But it was wise to act preemptively."
"You could have tipped me off beforehand."
"To begin with, Chairman Kalrag, there was a low chance you'd believe me. And to resolve it perfectly, I needed to catch the perpetrator."
Kalrag just grinned without retorting. Damian's words were true.
"Still, you astutely realized Sir Leonard was a fake. Due to some exceptional intuition?"
"I'm good at detecting lies. Plus, I know the real Sir Leonard."
He had already known Leonard was fake. But he had also sensed the man was lying.
He hadn't been this sensitive before, but his experiences had sharpened Damian's senses considerably.
"First, allow me to express my gratitude and apologies. Thanks to you, Lord Damian, we prevented a major problem. Also, as chairman, I failed to fulfill my role."
Kalrag bowed. Murmurs rippled through the crowd at the sight.
This was a man who embodied noble authority.
No matter that the other was imperial blood, etiquette didn't demand such a gesture.
He was genuinely grateful to Damian.
"Members, I apologize, but let's end today's gathering here. However, please keep this incident under wraps for now. It's for Enricasil's sake."
The gathering could no longer continue.
Kalrag had his familiars bind the unconscious culprit. Rather than handing him to the Inspection Bureau, he planned to investigate personally.
"Whew. Watching you is like leaving a kid by the riverbank. Not that I've ever had one."
Erewin sidled up and poked Damian's side. It was a signal asking why he hadn't tipped her off first.
"I was worried it might cause trouble for you, sis."
"R-Really? Well, I wouldn't lose to a creep like that anyway, but I appreciate the thought."
The Enricasil members took out their membership cards again. Infusing them with mana, as when they arrived, would return them to their original locations.
"Gaaahhh!"
Then the fake Leonard let out a guttural scream.
He was already fully bound by the familiars. They thought he couldn't do anything, but blinding white light poured from his facial features.
"Kyaaah!"
"What, what is it!"
People screamed at the sudden turn. Some knights and mages tried to draw up mana to respond, but by the time they were ready, it was already over.
Thud. The fake Leonard collapsed again. No further anomalies were visible on him.
But the problem lay elsewhere.
Poof. The golden membership cards symbolizing Enricasil turned to dust and vanished.
'Oh no...'
Over a hundred people were now trapped in the sealed chamber.
* * *
One hour later.
People remained calm. They knew etiquette and restraint.
In unexpected situations, maintaining composure was the right call.
Moreover, there were plenty of skilled knights and mages here. They would resolve it soon enough.
Three hours later.
The banquet hall's food had run out.
There hadn't been much prepared to begin with, and no one had thought they'd be trapped this long, so no extras were saved.
Five hours later.
Voices rose. Capable people like them couldn't solve even this? Outcries erupted.
Naturally, most blame flew at Kalrag, and a few lunatics even criticized Damian.
Of course, Erewin had subdued them before Damian could act.
Eight hours later.
"Chairman Kalrag must make a decision."
Damian, who had stayed silent until now, stood up. Erewin, who had been dozing off with fatigue, finally woke.
"D-Dami..."
Her eyes wouldn't open properly from sleepiness. The fear of being trapped in Enricasil hadn't fully sunk in yet.
Three imperial heirs were present here.
By now, the empire must be conducting a massive search.
Even if this was Enricasil, it couldn't surpass the empire's intelligence network.
Honestly, Erewin didn't mind the situation much.
She had just been sleeping leaning on Damian's shoulder, after all.
Damian strode toward Kalrag. Did he know something?
He was a man who hid more than expected. Of course, that was part of his charm.
"You know a way out of here, don't you?"
"I-Is that true? Chairman Kalrag, answer us."
Dallas asked, exhausted from controlling the crowd. Fatigue was evident on his formerly pristine face.
Unlike Erewin, Dallas wasn't relaxed. No one truly knew Enricasil's location. They could die trapped here.
And yet the chairman knew a way out but just watched? Dallas was at his limit suppressing his anger.
The other members felt the same. Kalrag finally sighed and spoke.
"Elect a new chairman."
Enricasil belonged to the current chairman.
Thus, electing a new one would transfer ownership of the space.
In that process, those inside would automatically be sent out.
It was a fact unknown to the public. New chairman elections were conducted in utmost secrecy within Enricasil.
"Did you hear it from His Majesty the Emperor?"
"W-Was Father a member of Enricasil?"
Kalrag nodded at Dallas's question.
"He rarely attended. I only met him once separately."
All eyes turned to Damian. Whether Lucas was in Enricasil wasn't the point.
The key was that Damian knew such information.
Who would be the next emperor? Normally, it should be the 1st Prince, Michael. Imperial law prioritized the eldest legitimate son.
But no one could answer easily.
Not only speculation that Empress Abigail wouldn't stay idle, but Michael hadn't even been named crown prince.
Lucas was practically in seclusion. Though seated on the throne, it had been ages since he showed imperial vigor.
Ever since Damian's birth mother, Marian Renekht, had died.
And yet Damian knew Lucas's secret. Wild speculations were inevitable.
He was the son of the emperor's beloved woman. Perhaps Lucas's affections leaned that way, explaining no crown prince.
"Yes."
It was true. Back when his mother Marian was still alive, Lucas had mentioned it offhand during a visit to the detached palace.
"You heard about the Cassilre Convent from His Majesty too. I asked you to keep Enricasil matters confidential..."
Kalrag shook his head.
Even so, he couldn't reprimand him. Nominal or not, Lucas was the empire's legitimate emperor.
"There was an easy way, Chairman Kalrag."
"Right. Let's elect a new chairman quickly. How do we do it? Vote among members?"
Faces that had been shadowed brightened. Some eyed Kalrag reproachfully for not mentioning such a simple method sooner.
"It's not that simple."
Enricasil's chairman wasn't elected by vote.
They had to undergo a hereditary trial, one that could cause severe injury or death.
"I must consider the members' safety too. I can't use you all just to resolve this situation."
The banquet hall's mood sank again at Kalrag's words. They had thought escape was at hand, only for it to slip away.
"That wasn't what I meant by making a decision."
Only Damian frowned and tilted his head.
His thinking differed from the others here.
"What do you mean, then?"
"I meant, aren't you embarrassed to lose the chairman position to me?"
Damian smirked, lifting one corner of his mouth in response to Kalrag's question.