Chapter 195 : The Empire's Ulterior Motive
“This can't be…….”
Victon’s eyes trembled as he confird the paper, which emitted a bright fla the mont he picked it up, and to Muno, was filled with unpleasant demonic energy.
The more he did, the more relaxed the expression of the rat-mustached Garrett Hampson beca in contrast.
“Don't tell , that's real?”
Without answering Muno’s question, Victon shifted his red gaze to Garrett.
“……How will you explain hiding your level?”
“I rely gained a great realization recently and my level rose. I just didn't have an opportunity to boast about it.”
“Are you trying to gloss over a known 4-Circle using 6-Circle magic as just 'realization'?”
“What can I do when it's the truth. Now, could you please release these terrible chains?”
As Victon’s eyes wavered again at Garrett’s words, Muno approached.
“He's a guy who knows about my chains. That's all an excuse.”
“I know. I know. But…….”
Victon’s gaze was fixed on that written order flowing with demonic energy and wouldn't leave.
“What does it say anyway?”
“……It’s the Emperor's written order to enter the Kingdom of Trey with hidden identity and help the newly enthroned king. It says arrangents have already been made…….”
Victon’s face was filled with distress as he said those words.
“If it's the Kingdom of Trey……?”
“It's an eastern country of the Empire, beyond this border. Since it's quite a large country, its eastern end even connects to the Kingdom of Yeon in the East.”
“Is it the country where the king was assassinated recently?”
At Imadi’s words, Lauel added one more comnt.
Muno imdiately recalled information about the Kingdom of Trey.
‘Right. A country that, like our Iron, has traditionally been hostile to the Empire……. Yet, it survives on interdiary trade with the Empire or the East.’
Then, seeing Victon still unable to decide, Garrett added words sarcastically.
“If you've confird it, how about releasing , Mr. Imperial Royal Inspector? I am soone with a mission to go to the Kingdom of Trey as per His Majesty's command and create a system friendly to our Empire!”
Those words made Victon’s wavering eyes fixate firmly.
“A system friendly to the Empire? Such words are not in the written order?”
An expression of realizing a montary mistake appeared, but Garrett imdiately smirked fishily again.
“Ah…… You roughly guess it, so why act like this? Becoming an Imperial Royal Inspector isn't for just anyone.”
“So, you're saying the assassination of Trey's king was done by our Empire? Such a despicable act?”
“Despicable? You are too naive a young man to beco an inspector. Hehe. Shouldn't we call it a preemptive asure for peace between the two countries? For soone representing His Majesty's will to fail to read his intentions like this. Tsk tsk.”
Garrett’s attitude was already that of soone convinced of victory.
“A magician like you would be an object of hatred and fear in a foreign country, so how did you intend to travel secretly?”
“There is a technique called ‘Veil’, Inspector. A technique developed recently in the ‘Magic Tower’.”
Those words distorted Victon’s face even further.
“Not the Magic Tower, but your Evil cult.”
“Like I said, that has nothing to do with . If needed, ask the Imperial House about that too. Their answer won't be any different from mine.”
At those confident words, Victon’s face distorted even more miserably.
So Muno stepped forward.
“It's certain this guy is related to the Evil cult, right?”
“……Yes.”
“Then that’s enough.”
“What……!”
SUCTION.
Imdiately, the guy’s mana was sucked out through the iron chains.
“Aaargh! Y-You……!”
CRUNCH, CRUNCH.
It took only about 30 seconds for the glaring Garrett to turn into a foul-slling corpse.
CRUMBLE.
“You bastard!!”
“Inspector, what are you doing right now……!”
“How dare you to our lord……!”
The knights guarding Garrett tried to react only then, but.
At that mont, they had no choice but to stop, seeing the flas surrounding them.
Since they had already suffered injuries large and small from the inexplicable explosion at the beginning, they could only swallow their anger while casting glances one by one at the owner of those flas.
Then soon.
“Huu. Will one be enough now?”
The mont their eyes t Muno, who was muttering with a flushed face while trembling, everyone flinched and unknowingly stepped back.
Even without knowing what he was saying, an inexplicable physiological revulsion and fear assaulted them.
“Two 5-Circle levels would have been fine too, but there's only trash here. Not even helpful.”
“Wh-What…….”
As Muno’s words continued, the escort knights faltered and retreated one after another, but.
THWACK.
“K-Kugh!?”
The mont the injured High-ranking Magic Knight had his throat pierced by Lauel’s arrow, the low and mid-ranking Magic Knights couldn't even think of resisting and had to watch the rush of iron chains covering the sky.
* * *
CRACKLE.
Wild boar at rotating over the burning campfire.
It was a rest after a long ti, but only silence flowed around the party sitting near the campfire in comfortable postures.
It was because of Victon, who was staring blankly at the campfire with eyes redder than the flas.
It had already been an hour since Muno, who finished hunting, tried to lighten the mood saying ‘As expected, at has to be pork!’ but received a glare and shut his mouth.
Victon, who stared at the campfire like that for a while longer, soon distorted his mouth as if he had decided sothing.
“I am sorry, but I think this is it for .”
“……What?”
“I need to check. Where His Majesty's will lies.”
“Don't you already roughly know? It seems he intends to overturn neighboring countries and replace the rulers with those friendly to the Empire.”
Victon flinched at Imadi’s words but soon shook his head.
“……Rather than undertaking such a complex task, starting a war is easier. Since the last local war was 150 years ago, the Empire's military power accumulated during that ti is enough to take on all surrounding countries and then so.”
“Hmm…….”
Even assuming Victon’s assessnt of the Empire's national power was exaggerated by patriotism, the fact that war wasn't breaking out anywhere even though the situation was ‘created’ to this extent was certainly strange.
“Then, does this an we can't go around separately in the Empire?”
“For that, you should have obtained information about the backer from that guy earlier.”
“Because you looked so strange. I thought a change of atmosphere was needed.”
“Kukuku. Right, I know. That was my mistake.”
Victon laughing self-deprecatingly looked a bit normal only now.
“Then we use the jewels that guy left as our expenses?”
“……When did you take them?”
“While you were spacing out.”
“Haa…….”
Victon, who smirked looking at the money pouch, no, the jewel pouch Muno was shaking, soon let out a long sigh.
“Ah, there is also a way to join the Northern King’s inspection team. Although they won't let you run wild over there.”
“Tsk, I don't feel like doing that…….”
“What is certain is that the Evil cultists won't be able to cause trouble like before. If the Imperial House is with them, hmm…… hmm…….”
Cancel saying he looks normal.
Victon’s eyes trembled anxiously again as he tried to ntion the suspicion that the Evil cult and the Imperial House might be related.
So I struck first.
“You want to believe it's not true, right?”
“Of course! There must be so mistake. or soone in the middle is playing tricks!”
“Then, let's return to Hamston for now.”
“What?”
“Because I also want to inform my ho country of this situation. If you are sure it's not the Imperial House's doing, you will help, right?”
Although Victon’s eyes wavered more at those words.
“Of course.”
The answer ca out heartily.
* * *
The Empire's communication sphere is a magical tool using magic, and the communication spheres of Iron or other kingdoms are artifacts based on Spirit Arts.
However, the two communication spheres strangely interlinked, and I suspected it might have been adjusted according to circumstances between nations.
Anyway, there was no problem connecting to Drasen with Hamston's communication sphere.
However, it was a bit bewildering that Lian received the call instead of Father.
“Lian, where is Father?”
[Ah, I actually had information to convey to you, Brother. It turned out well.]
“What?”
[I heard Aslan's finances have collapsed, did you do sothing again, Brother?]
“? No. That can't be.”
For a mont, I recalled being attacked by assassins just before arriving at Drasen.
But it didn't seem likely that Aslan's finances would collapse over such a trivial matter, so I didn't bring it up.
Moreover, the subsequent words were even more absurd.
[Plus, for so reason, there are circumstances that they are being attacked by an assassin organization.]
What is this again?
That Aslan?
“……I have no idea at all?”
[If you don't know, well, never mind.]
Lian tilted his head but affird those words imdiately.
“You’re being silly. Any other news? You said there would be sothing surprising before.”
[That is next year's matter. There is still so ti left. Hmm, more importantly, there is a more important matter right now.]
Lian’s expression beyond the communication sphere beca quite serious again.
[The Royal Investigation Team that went to Aslan is stationed at the eastern border. The border guards are also in an ergency situation. Since a civil war broke out in Deluna and the country is overturned, a state of ergency has been declared on our side too.]
As expected.
“I had sothing to say regarding that. Where is Father?”
[Ah. He is only training these days. Just tell .]
‘Is this man trying not to work at all now?’
A hollow laugh ca out, but I didn't forget what needed to be done right away.
“Right. Since it's sothing you need to know anyway…….”
Like that, Muno began to convey the facts he had found out so far.
That information was enough to surprise his brother as well.
[You're saying the Imperial House seems to have caused the chaos in each country?]
“Yeah. I just ca back after crushing a guy who was moving to help the new king of Trey Kingdom create a system friendly to the Empire. The Imperial citizen with
admitted the Emperor's written order was genuine.”
[As expected, the chaos in our Kingdom might also be the Empire's trick. Additionally, your enemy, the Evil cult…….]
Seeing Victon’s eyes waver again while listening quietly to those words, I couldn't say words I didn't an to comfort him here.
“It's hard to say there's no relation now.”
[Hmm. You probably can't secure physical evidence, right?]
“Right. I can't possibly ask for the written order.”
Watching Victon’s eyes beco heavy at those words, Muno just laughed.
“But wouldn't my testimony be enough?”
[Yes, yes. At least the Dragon Sword Duke and His Majesty the King will believe Brother's words. That is enough.]
“If there is a question, it's that despite succeeding in creating chaos in six out of nine neighboring countries, they didn't march the army anywhere. Dispatching a magician just to create a system friendly to the Empire? Isn't it a bit strange?”
[There is nothing strange.]
“What?”
[The Empire is a massive country ruling 50% of the continent's center. Even if they expand the territory further, the benefits they can gain are limited. World conquest, it sounds nice but it's not effective.]
Lian dismissed the question the party had been harboring in one breath.
“What……?”
[Brother, the foolish masses are bound to feel relative satisfaction only when there is a comparison target. To the Imperial citizens, that has to be the neighboring countries.]
“Hmm…….”
[And above all, because the Empire's power structure is strangely balanced, there must be people who do not welco change through extre ans like war.]
“At least the Emperor I know does not want war.”
Victon, who had been listening quietly all along, said as if agreeing.
My brother's words were plausible, but for so reason, I felt like I was missing sothing important.
‘It’s unsettling…….’
“First, if the important information transfer is over, may I use the communication sphere? I need to send news to the Tower of Spirits too.”
Just as I was about to end the communication at Imadi’s words.
Lian abruptly added a word.
[However, I am curious about one thing.]
“What is it?”
[Creating chaos in a hostile country to shake the ruling class, then establishing a system friendly to the Empire again……. That is only possible if there are powerful people responding internally, right?]
“Is, that so?”
[Then, if the chaos in our Kingdom had happened properly, who would have been the powerful person on our side to respond to the Evil cult or the Empire?]
Those words from Lian shook the eyes of everyone listening.
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