Chapter 653: The Head
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 653: The Head
"For the Kingdom!"
The members of the diplomatic delegation shouted with fervor. Stirred by Hertz’s words, they looked as if they had been injected with a massive dose of adrenaline. They turned as one, charging fiercely toward that unremarkable building.
Throughout the century of intermittent conflict between the Kingdom and the Empire, the Empire’s intelligence agencies had always been a heavy burden, dealing blow after blow to the Kingdom. That efficient and mysterious organization had once pinpointed the Kingdom’s weaknesses with surgical precision across various fronts, laying the groundwork for several of the Kingdom’s most crushing defeats.
Yet, they didn't even know who commanded this agency. It had always remained deep within the Empire’s shadows. Had it not been for the recent turmoil within the Empire, Hertz wouldn't have even been able to discover its location.
In truth, it was the same for both sides. In an era where border conflicts were not intense but the clandestine struggle never ceased, the intelligence agencies of both nations became the vanguard. The darkness was their primary battlefield.
Assassinations, reconnaissance, espionage... beneath the seemingly calm surface, blood was always being spilled in places the sun could not reach.
"But things that hide in the shadows are no longer frightening once they are exposed to the light, are they?"
Hertz gave a mocking smile and followed the path cleared by the delegation members, heading deep inside.
The building was utterly ordinary, situated on a fairly busy street. Countless carriages and pedestrians passed by it every day, oblivious to its nature.
Perhaps to avoid drawing outside attention, there were no guards at all; it looked exactly like any other residential house. It was only after descending several floors underground that the aura of mana became palpable.
"It seems I’ve found the right place."
Hertz scanned the area briefly, immediately identifying a highly sophisticated alert formation.
The delegation members came to a halt, frustrated. This was clearly not something they could crack.
"No matter."
Hertz was confident.
He was, after all, a veteran powerhouse standing just a hair’s breadth away from the realm of a Crown Bearer. Something of this level could not stop him.
Hertz extended his hand.
A tiny, spider-shaped magical puppet scurried along his fingers and vanished into the darkness.
Crackle, crunch.
Faint gnawing sounds echoed from the dark.
Hertz manipulated the puppet, and soon, the formations blocking their path were completely neutralized.
A hidden passage appeared before the delegation.
"This will only hold for three minutes. After that, the anomaly will be detected. Move!"
"Yes, sir!"
The men exchanged glances, an almost irrational excitement dancing in their eyes. Without even considering what dangers might lie behind the passage, they plunged inside in a frantic swarm.
"For the Kingdom!"
As the excited shouts faded into the distance, Hertz listened intently for a moment before entering the passage alone at a leisurely pace.
Below the passage lay a complex underground space. Corridors interlaced like a spider’s web, making it difficult to tell one direction from another. The delegation members were shouting somewhere, having rushed blindly ahead, but the sounds of clear combat were already echoing from the depths.
But since this was a spider’s den... a spider would naturally be able to scout it thoroughly.
A tiny spider puppet returned from the shadows, crawling up Hertz’s leg and into his palm. He nodded slightly, seemingly having received vital information, and smiled.
"It seems I’ve found it."
No longer hesitating, Hertz moved straight in one direction.
He encountered no further obstacles.
Finally, a weathered door appeared before him.
"Is this the place?"
Hertz could no longer hide his excitement. Without hesitation, he stepped forward and pushed the door open.
While the outer perimeter was laden with sophisticated formations, there wasn't a single defensive force here.
Thus, Hertz opened the door with ease...
Faint light from the ceiling dimly illuminated the grand space.
Hertz looked up. Tiers upon tiers of metal shelves were arranged like dominoes, standing in neat rows throughout the hall. It resembled a massive library, yet it felt far more solemn.
In the center, a spiral pillar extended to the very top of the chamber. Within the branch-like network of passages, metal scrolls inscribed with text slid along tracks, neatly categorized onto the dense shelving units.
"Ha... I found it. As expected, this is the core of the entire Imperial intelligence system."
Even Hertz couldn't help but feel awed by this vast and precise system. All information gathered by the Empire’s intelligence departments was organized and categorized here. A controller sitting at this seat could extend their reach across the entire Empire.
However, while this centralized method increased efficiency, it had one fatal flaw.
Once this place was breached, the entire Empire would be laid bare, like a beautiful girl stripped of her clothes.
As the first person in history poised to complete such a monumental feat, Hertz couldn't even imagine the glorious future that awaited him.
His hands trembled slightly as he reached out to stroke the cold iron scrolls with the tenderness one might show a lover...
Tap.
Suddenly, the sound of a footstep rang out. Hertz snapped back to reality and spun around, barking, "Who’s there!"
"Teach... er."
A familiar voice echoed through the vast space like a whisper from hell.
A figure slowly stepped out...
"Seviel?"
Hertz’s pupils contracted. Seviel had appeared here at some unknown point, but her movements were stiff and her eyes were vacant, like a marionette on strings.
She stared at Hertz, tilted her head, and suddenly broke into a bizarre, eerie smile.
It looked like mockery.
"..."
Hertz’s mind tightened. He almost couldn't resist striking out to kill his only remaining student.
Fortunately, after taking two steps, Seviel collapsed to the floor, falling unconscious.
But the sight was enough to threaten Hertz... and shock him.
"Are you... the legendary Head of the Imperial intelligence agency?"
Hertz shifted his gaze from Seviel and looked up toward the deepest part of the darkness.
There, even the light of the magic stones could not reach, yet one could clearly see a cold silhouette outlined by pure shadow.
It appeared to be a man with sharp, chiseled features. Even through the mere outline, one could perceive a handsomeness and majesty that even the darkness could not hide.
"The Head? Heh, I wouldn't go that far. I’m just a humble employee."
His voice was deep and resonant, vibrating against the countless metal shelves like the beat of a great leather drum, making one’s heart tremble.
Yes, this was the man. The Head of the intelligence agency that had struck terror into the Kingdom for years, yet had never left a trace to be caught!
He was exactly as terrifying as rumored; his mere presence, even before fully revealing himself, was enough to chill one to the bone.
"I didn't expect you to appear in person," Hertz exhaled, forcing his heart to steady.
"I didn't expect it either," the Head sneered. "The great Hertz, chief envoy of the Kingdom’s delegation and a man of renown, reduced to the acts of a common thief... even going so far as to use his own subordinates and student as bait."
"I am no thief. I am seeking vengeance for my student, Prince Milne. I am the one on the side of justice."
Hertz’s expression turned solemn. "As for them... I was so close to succeeding, wasn't I?"
"Heh, indeed. Just a hair’s breadth away—if I hadn't shown up in time." The Head clapped lightly, though it was unclear if he was mocking or praising. "But now that you’ve failed, how do you intend to respond?"
"Failed?"
Hertz suddenly let out a scoffing laugh.
"Lord Head, isn't it a bit too early to say that!"
Crack.
Fine cracks appeared across the surface of Hertz’s body once more. But this time, it wasn't from external pressure; rather, an unspeakable, terrifying heat and light were about to erupt from within him!
Hertz stared directly at the Head of the intelligence agency, a savage grin curling his lips.
Yes, he might not be able to get his hands on this intelligence, but... as long as he destroyed it, it would still cause massive trouble for the Empire, wouldn't it?
Who said there was only one way to succeed? As long as he could—
"Wait... what?"
The next moment, Hertz’s smile froze.
The darkness was dispelled.
Yet, he still couldn't see the Head’s mysterious face.
Because a brilliant light, bearing a dazzling crown, had descended upon the room.
A Crown Bearer!
This was actually another Crown Bearer!
Hertz’s expression turned to one of horror. His mind raced through all the intelligence he possessed, trying to identify which legendary figure this Crown Bearer was.
A Crown Bearer couldn't be a nobody. He had to at least figure out the Head’s true identity...
But he wasn't given the time to think.
Whoosh.
The moment the crown manifested, he seemed to hear the sound of blood flowing.
The sound seemed to come from within his own body.
Then, his vision went black, and his body shattered into pieces.
Like a vase dropped on the floor in a storybook.
Silent. Weightless.
Everything returned to peace.
Only a sigh remained in the darkness.
"As expected, it was just a puppet. Cautious enough... but where did this guy get the confidence to think we’d be stupid enough to keep the most sensitive intelligence in a place like this?"
The Head leaned over, picked up a fragment from the floor, and examined it.
Under the faint light that finally pierced the darkness, a playful expression—like a hungry wolf tracking its prey—appeared on that cold, stern face.
"Can you track him?" he asked coldly.
"I can."
Another figure appeared in the space at some unknown point.
The faint light caught the gauzy hem of her skirt. She seemed to have been here even earlier than Hertz, yet Hertz hadn't sensed her at all.
"With the residual aura of the puppet, tracking isn't difficult. However..." She shot a cold glance at the Head. "Exactly how much longer do you plan on staying naked?"
"..."
The atmosphere froze for a few seconds.
The Head silently dropped his "cool" posture. With a casual reach, a thick fur suit appeared in his hand, and he began to rustle into it.
A moment later, a ridiculous Pink Bear walked into the light with squeaky, padded steps.
"Sigh, I finally get a chance to act cool with a bit of presence, and you can't even give me some face? This was my debut after becoming a true Crown Bearer!" the Pink Bear grumbled indignantly.
"Acting cool doesn't mean stripping naked in the dark to strike poses. I think you’ve misunderstood the definition of the term."
The Former Saintess sneered and held out her hand to the Pink Bear. "Give it here."
"What?"
"The fragment."
"Oh, right."
The Pink Bear rummaged around, picked out the most intact puppet fragment, and handed it to her.
"Watch closely."
The Former Saintess tossed the fragment into the air.
Then, her slender hand balled into a fist, and she punched the fragment with explosive force.
"Let me show you... what 'acting cool' really looks like!"
A deafening boom instantly shook the entire underground space. From that completely mangled fragment, countless tiny lines suddenly extended outward.
A terrifying vibration traveled along those ethereal, invisible threads, stretching out toward infinity!
*
"Pfft!"
Hertz, who was fleeing for his life, suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Not good."
He looked at the blood on the ground, his face turning pale. "My location is exposed!"
He hadn't expected the Head of the Imperial intelligence agency to be so terrifying!
Not only was his realm staggering, but he also possessed such unpredictable methods. He was truly unfathomable, making Hertz even more curious about the man’s true identity.
"A Crown Bearer appearing out of nowhere is a bit of a problem, but..."
Hertz glanced at his pocket watch and suddenly gave a bizarre smile. "The goal has been achieved."
With that, his expression turned fierce, and he reached out to tear off one of his own arms.
This time, it wasn't a puppet; it was his own true flesh and blood!
Hertz winced in pain, but a hint of madness—uncharacteristic of his usual demeanor—surfaced.
"I thought I’d never have another chance to advance in this lifetime. Heh, fifty percent... those odds are already much better than when I bet everything on Prince Milne. It’s enough."
The ground cracked open, and a massive beast-shaped magical puppet lunged out, swallowing the arm. With a flick of its tail, it dove back into the earth and fled.
Hertz wiped away the blood and erased his aura, then chose a direction completely opposite to the puppet and vanished into the distance.
*
"The Central Intelligence Office was attacked?"
Back at the Academy, Celicia had also received the message from the Pink Bear.
"The fact that Hertz could find the location of the Central Intelligence Agency means he has already grasped a portion of the Empire’s secrets. But why would he be foolish enough to personally lead the delegation to attack it? Even if the location was exposed, that’s the heart of Belland. It’s not something a single diplomatic mission could breach."
"It wasn't him in person. According to the report, it was another puppet," Hathaway said.
"Then it makes even less sense. It seems he never intended for such a foolish act to succeed from the start, yet he didn't hesitate to sacrifice the entire delegation."
Celicia tapped the armrest of her chair, a look of deep thought crossing her features.
"The poisoning of the Seventeenth Prince must be related to him. Why? To gain a pretext to declare war on the Empire? If he killed the Seventeenth Prince and framed us, he would inevitably be detained by the Empire if he didn't act... But he can't be detained, or at least not immediately investigated. Because of what he did—no, not what he is doing, but what he has already done."
"No, this behavior looks more like a deliberate act to cover something up... He’s trying to divert my attention!"
Celicia stood up abruptly and issued an order:
"Investigate! Check every movement of every official since the Kingdom’s delegation entered Belland. Focus especially on those in sensitive positions. We must find the person who gave Hertz that intelligence!"