Chapter 262: The Inner Council
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 262: The Inner Council
"What a profligate, playboy son of a Duke."
A shadow of gloom flickered in the man's eyes. As he clenched and then reopened his fist, the envelope in his hand had already been reduced to powder.
Both professional assassins he had sent had failed.
Failure itself wasn't entirely unexpected; given the target's status, it was only natural for him to possess some life-saving artifacts.
What was unexpected, however, was that they had been... captured alive.
That was highly irregular.
Could it be that the assassins' failure wasn't due to some artifact, but because they were crushed by sheer, overwhelming strength? Strength so great they couldn't even manage to take their own lives at the critical moment.
Unfortunately, the other side had moved quickly. All witnesses had been detained, so the specific details of the encounter remained unknown for now.
However...
That was of little consequence.
After all, this attack had merely been a probe.
"Send out the sheep."
Pushing all other thoughts to the back of his mind, the man's gaze returned to the depth and coldness of an ancient well.
"Yes..."
The dim candlelight flickered and distorted, as if a shadow had just swept past.
The man cast one final look at the portrait, reaching out to stroke it.
Then, he gave it a light press.
The entire portrait suddenly recessed, followed by the grinding sound of gears. A secret door appeared before him.
The man stepped inside.
After traversing a short passage, a brightly lit room came into view.
The room was empty save for a single chair and a stick of already-lit incense.
The chair was plain and unadorned, yet it pulsed with faint ripples of mana. As for the incense, it was merely ordinary incense used to calm the nerves.
The man sat in the chair, leaning back against the soft cushions, involuntarily allowing his tall frame to relax completely.
He closed his eyes as if drifting into sleep.
Then, the mana glow on the wide chair grew more intense, eventually condensing into a firefly-like spark. It traveled up the narrow chimney at the top of the room, climbing higher and higher.
Finally, it vanished into the endless night.
*
A cacophony of noise filled his ears.
The man opened his eyes.
"Damn it, we were set up! That old bastard Audrich is playing far too dirty. Ugh... my ancient magic device, a treasure from my grandfather's collection—it's all gone!"
"Why? We've sacrificed so many precious riches and treasures and gained nothing, yet those low-ranking noble families get higher status and rewards just for sacrificing a few insignificant, lowly lives? It’s not fair! It’s not fair!"
"Those rats in the Lower District! Claiming they don't want to cause trouble during a crackdown? Have they forgotten who their backers are? Just because the Lower District got a new rat-leader, they’ve suddenly decided to be good little boys?"
"Bruce Wayne! Bruce Wayne—I’ve managed to dig up that name. They call him the new Dark Emperor of the Lower District. Those rats are only acting so bold because of him!"
"I’m going to kill him! I’m going to kill that Bruce Wayne! Damn it, without that income from the Lower District, I won't even be able to afford my dozen mistresses next month! I have over thirty children, and they’re all still nursing!"
"Me too! If I can't afford top-tier steak, top-tier cigars, or top-tier red wine from the Locke Winery... oh, good heavens, I don't know how I'll survive such a life!"
The scene that met the man's eyes was one of utter chaos.
Harsh, grating clamor rose continuously from the tiered, circular seating, making him feel as though he were in the middle of a filthy marketplace in the Lower District.
But strangely, those figures—constantly arguing, wailing, and cursing loud enough to blow the roof off—were not human.
Or rather, they did not look human.
A giraffe, a white rhino, a vulture, an ape, a peacock, a robin...
These incredibly noisy beings were actually lifelike animals! The place looked like a zoo!
Yet, in stark contrast to their comical appearances, the animals behaved with elegance. Even as they argued with spit flying, they remained poised as if wearing the most formal suits, every movement exuding the noble temperament of the upper class.
The man had become a tiger.
The tiger sat at the lowest, most central point of the circular area.
He looked up, scanning the animals who were blinded by rage, shame, and fear. He suddenly raised a wooden gavel and slammed it down.
"Silence!"
No one paid him any mind.
The animals remained immersed in their own worlds.
A cold glint flashed in the tiger's eyes.
He suddenly crushed the wooden gavel in his hand, his roar carrying the ear-splitting resonance of a literal tiger's cry:
"I said, SILENCE!"
The room fell instantly still.
The animals snapped out of it, looking toward the tiger at the center.
Their eyes held respect, complexity, or even disdain.
But regardless, everyone's attention was finally fixed on him.
"That senile Emperor already has a blade to our throats, yet here you are, bickering endlessly over petty profits!"
"It seems too much time has passed. You have forgotten what this place is, and you have forgotten our purpose for gathering here!"
The tiger stood on two legs, his cold eyes meeting every pair of eyes in the room.
"Then let me say it once more. This is... the Council!
"Not that Council the Emperor built for us out of mockery and derision—that hypocritical sham where we discuss government affairs but hold no actual power.
"This is the Council dedicated to upholding the Glory's Blood of the Empire for a thousand years!
"To ensure the Empire is not eroded by that stench!
"To ensure the Empire stays on the correct path!
"To make that senile Emperor understand his errors!
"And to ensure that late-coming pretenders like the Campbells, whose blood flows with filth and baseness, do not lord it over us!
"Upholding the ideals of the Empire's thousand-year glory, we have gathered, bound only by the noble blood within us. To make this nation more beautiful and prosperous, we have collectively constructed—
"The Inner Council!"
"Everything... for the Glory's Blood!"
The tiger's shout was deafening, like a gale sweeping through everyone.
The animals' emotions were stirred. Their eyes shone with fervor, their faces flushed with fanaticism as they cheered excitedly:
"For... the Glory's Blood!"
"Very good. It seems you haven't forgotten the noble blood flowing in your veins!"
The tiger pounded the table hard, signaling for the wild storm to subside. He spoke with authority:
"Our immediate priority is to break through our current predicament. If the Campbell family becomes completely bound to the Imperial family, those filthy commoners will have a backbone. With the senile Emperor's tacit approval—just like with this new Lower District Magistrate—they will devour what belongs to us, bit by bit!"
"But..."
Suddenly, the white rhino in the seats timidly raised a hand, his eyes flickering with hesitation and cowardice. "Even if that engagement goes through, Muen Campbell is nothing but a waste. With him being the only one currently able to lead the Campbell family, what threat could he possibly pose to us? Is it worth completely tearing off the mask with the Campbells for this..."
"Idiot!"
The tiger barked.
"Is Muen Campbell the point? The point is Celicia Leopold—the illustrious Princess herself!
"She is no waste!
"When she can rightfully mobilize the resources of both the Campbell family and the Imperial family as the Duchess, do you think there will be any weaknesses left in the Royal Faction?
"When that time comes, do you think you wastes—who are still bickering over petty profits—will be able to resist the constant predation of that senile Emperor and the entire Royal Faction?
"In fact, I suspect the Emperor is so desperate to force this engagement for more than just that. He might even be aiming for..."
The tiger paused, then continued his tirade:
"You fools! When that time comes, forget your mistresses and your red wine—you'll be kicked out of your comfortable manors, stripped of the gems and collections that suit your status, and you'll end up with nothing, forced to huddle with those lowly commoners in the Lower District!
"Tell me, is that what you want?!"
The white rhino lowered his head in shame.
Not just him; the animals who had been shouting the loudest earlier also flushed with embarrassment.
"Trust me. Whether it's the black income from the Lower District or the positions that were snatched away, we will take back everything that belongs to us!"
The tiger said coldly, appearing very confident.
"But you failed, Lord Speaker."
Just then, an ill-timed, indifferent voice rang out.
It was the robin.
He had been standing there quietly. His tiny bird body created a massive contrast with the white rhino beside him, making him seem extremely inconspicuous.
Yet his feathers were exquisite and elegant, and the red pattern on his chest was as cold as a gemstone, matching his temperament. Even when the others were cheering most fervently, he had remained a cold observer.
He was one of the few here who dared to question the tiger.
And his challenge was as sharp as his tone.
"And twice, at that. You failed twice in a single day."
"..."
The tiger's gaze darkened. "Mr. Robin, you know more than I imagined."
"As you can see, our team is littered with idiots, so naturally, I have to be a bit more cautious."
The robin shrugged, speaking with total nonchalance:
"Forgive my rudeness, Lord Speaker, but our current actions will decide our future fates. Therefore, you must at least prove that you have the qualifications to lead us—or at least, to earn our cooperation."
"Heh... qualifications?"
The tiger sneered. With a flick of his paw, a set of documents appeared before the robin.
"I wonder if this is enough."
"This is..."
The robin looked down and flipped through the documents. After a few glances, his pupils suddenly constricted. He gasped, "This... are you serious?"
"This is merely a final insurance policy, a last resort. I won't use it lightly unless it's the final hour."
"But this is still utterly insane! If it fails, every single one of us will be cast into eternal damnation!"
The robin read rapidly, but he stopped abruptly halfway through.
The documents only went halfway.
He looked up, his crimson eyes staring intently at the tiger.
"Where is the rest?"
"I told you, it's a last resort, isn't it? As long as we can successfully deal with that eyesore Muen Campbell, then nothing will be a problem, and the rest won't be needed."
The tiger leaned back in his wide chair, speaking airily:
"Admittedly, I failed before. But strictly speaking, that was merely a probe."
"But you've made Muen Campbell wary! He'll definitely hide inside the Academy! Although St. Maria Academy is ostensibly restricted by the Board of Governors made up of various nobles, everyone knows our influence can't reach inside!"
The robin snapped:
"Do you expect the useless sons of these useless people to assassinate Muen Campbell in the Academy? No, I think sending their pretty daughters to seduce him would have a higher success rate in bed!"
"Calm yourself, Mr. Robin. Since I have acted this way, it means I have a follow-up plan," the tiger said calmly.
"A follow-up?"
"According to my intelligence, it won't be long before a perfect opportunity arrives."
The tiger tapped the table, and another set of documents appeared before the robin.
This time, every animal received the documents.
"Look at this, everyone. This is why I have reconvened the Inner Council and summoned you all!"
The tiger scanned all the animals once more, light seemingly bursting from his eyes. He roared with a force that seemed capable of shattering mountains:
"For ourselves, for the Empire, and so that the Glory's Blood may endure!
"In this upcoming opportunity, we must—at any cost—
"Thoroughly eliminate Muen Campbell!"