LUW 64

Chapter 64

Pierre quietly sighed in relief at the slightly softened atmosphere.

Moments later, the king leaned back slowly. The deep breath he took spread heavily throughout the tent.

“All warriors, leave us. I have words to exchange with the Empire’s noble alone.”

As the king silently signaled with a raised hand, the warriors standing on either side of the tent laid down their weapons and silently stepped outside.

Biern and Leo hesitated for a moment. Though the king hadn’t mentioned them specifically, they too quietly left. Now only the two of them remained in the empty tent.

The king closed his eyes and remained silent for a long time. As if he had finished deliberating, he finally spoke in a low and heavy voice.

“Imperial noble… no, was it Pierre Cardinand?”

“That is correct.”

“You are a cunning one. To threaten me by taking Hakan’s children as hostages.”

Pierre bowed his head calmly.

“If it was disrespectful, I apologize. But I believed His Majesty the King of Hakan values life more than wrath.”

The king chuckled faintly.

The smile seemed weary, but there was a trace of sincerity in it. Pierre didn’t dig further into the emotion. He simply raised his head and waited for the king’s next words.

“I accept your proposal in the name of the King of Hakan. However, if this is perceived as Hakan’s surrender, the price will be your head.”

Pierre looked at the king with a faint smile.

“Thank you, Your Majesty. I will ensure that I live up to the trust you’ve shown me.”

“You better. Now speak—surely the reason you came all this way isn’t just to propose a retreat.”

Pierre’s eyes narrowed slightly.

He had struck at the heart of the matter. Indeed, this man was not to be underestimated.

“As you say, I have a few questions I’d like to ask.”

“I will not answer anything that might bring harm to Hakan.”

“That is sufficient.”

Pierre drew in a quiet breath, organizing his thoughts.

The negotiation had gone smoothly. Now, it was his turn.

He had to be cautious. One wrong word could shatter the trust he had built thus far.

“About a month ago, I received reports that a large number of Hakan people moved south. May I ask why?”

The king narrowed his eyes.

“There was business in the southern region.”

“Was that business perhaps to make contact with people of the Empire?”

The king’s eyebrows shot up sharply.

His piercing gaze was as sharp as a blade.

“And why would you think that? Wouldn’t it be more plausible to call it reconnaissance?”

An intentional counter-question. Pierre didn’t flinch and replied calmly.

“I didn’t rule out that possibility. However, after seeing the weapons carried by the Hakan warriors today, I judged there might be another.”

The king said nothing, simply staring.

Pierre continued his explanation calmly.

“The weapons held by your warriors—though stained with blood, they were in unusually good condition. Most of the blades looked brand new, and the balance of the handles and the feel of the steel differed significantly from traditional Hakan weapons. I can only conclude they were supplies provided by the Empire.”

“Sharp eyes.”

At the king’s brief praise, Pierre didn’t bow his head. Instead, he added one last point.

“And one more thing—earlier, Your Majesty said you ‘already’ knew the Empire was unstable.”

Pierre paused briefly, then quietly delivered his question.

“Isn’t it true that someone has been feeding you information about the Empire while also supplying weapons and encouraging war?”

Silence fell over the tent.

It wasn’t mere speculation—it was a conclusion backed by near certainty.

The King of Hakan stared at Pierre for a while, then lightly chuckled as he stroked his chin.

“So that’s it. You came all the way here to uncover the traitor within your Empire. The Empire’s getting amusing, I see.”

He chuckled for a moment, then suddenly changed the tone.

“Yes, a few months ago, an Imperial approached us. He was cloaked from head to toe, face and voice hidden. All I could tell was that he was a man.”

“…”

“He said the western border would soon be left unguarded. I thought it nonsense at first. But only days later, a portion of the western forces suddenly withdrew. That’s when I realized—something was happening within. So I stationed one of our tribes near that area.”

Pierre’s expression hardened.

The information he had gathered and the missing tribe the border duke had mentioned—all the pieces fell into place.

“Then, not long after, the man contacted us again—this time in the south. He gave us weapons free of charge and informed us about the coming war. Then he said he hoped for Hakan’s victory.”

“Did Your Majesty trust him?”

The king’s brow twitched briefly. Then, with a thud, his large fist slammed down on the armrest of his chair.

Thud.

The tent trembled.

“Foolish question!”

A short and explosive rebuke.

Pierre’s eyes widened slightly.

“Do you take the Hakan people for fools, to trust some bone-dry wretch who came crawling out of nowhere?”

“Then why accept the weapons?”

“Let me ask you instead—was there any reason not to?”

The king stared at him quietly, then raised one corner of his mouth.

“The Empire has never been friendly to Hakan. We were always the ones who bled, who lost children, whose lands were taken. In our time of need, someone handed us a pile of weapons. Why would we refuse?”

He paused briefly and let out a low sigh.

“But that doesn’t mean we trusted him.”

“That’s strange. He gave you free weapons and information. Isn’t that enough reason to trust someone?”

The king sneered.

“Instinct.”

Pierre furrowed his brow slightly but soon understood.

The Hakan people had always relied on intuition to survive in battle.

A keen sense beyond numbers or logic was their greatest weapon.

And the man at the pinnacle of that instinct was this king.

“I knew from the start that he intended to use us. One only gives weapons when they know the wielder poses no threat to them.”

The king’s expression twisted in discomfort.

There was unhidden resentment buried in his face.

“And the man reeked of gunpowder. The stench covered his whole body, and there were others with him who had no smell at all.”

Gunpowder. And the scentless ones beside him.

A familiar face came to Pierre’s mind.

No, he had already suspected him long ago.

There was only one man in the current Empire capable of providing such an enormous quantity of weapons.

Valdir Richmond.

All the puzzle pieces connected, and his thoughts aligned like a beam of light.

Pierre’s blue eyes darkened.

Valdir Richmond’s intent was clear.

Treason.

Zilgork’s betrayal, the border duke’s absence, the provocation of the Hakan people—

It was all part of a meticulous scheme to collapse the royal authority.

“…Now it’s my turn to ask a question.”

Pierre slowly raised his head.

The king looked down at him and tilted his head slightly.

“Pierre Cardinand, what is it that you desire?”

This was no simple question.

It was a veiled inquiry: Do you wish to become emperor?

It was both a test and a declaration of the cold reality.

Pierre knew that reality better than anyone.

To defeat Richmond, to restore the crumbling imperial power—

It was a personal revenge and a duty to uphold the Cardinand name.

And at the end of it all, what naturally followed was the throne.

But Pierre had never sought that seat.

Or rather, he had refused to desire it.

He lowered his gaze briefly, then smiled faintly.

“I appreciate the sentiment, but I am not fit for that role.”

For a brief moment, one person came to mind in his eyes.

Cecilia—who was likely waiting in the carriage by now.

Always silently watching his fragile self from the side, with that indifferent expression.

“There is someone I wish to be with.”

The king looked surprised at the unexpected answer.

Pierre no longer wore the face of a cold, calculating noble.

He had the look of a man who simply wanted to protect someone he loved.

“If I become emperor, that person can no longer be mine. And that is not the life I desire.”

The position of emperor was never meant for just one person. It demanded endless sacrifice for the nation.

Thus, for Pierre, fulfilling the final duty of the Cardinand family was the last mission he had to complete.

“All I want… is to bring order back to this chaotic world and live out a quieter life with her.”