Chapter 93
The advance of one thousand soldiers led by Kunta earlier had been merely a demonstrative vanguard. The purpose was to gauge the enemy’s capabilities through this battle and then devise a perfect plan.
Naturally, the military operation that Kyle would undertake afterward included positions for mages. The expectation was that, if they participated, victory would come easily.
However, when they were informed of the operation and asked for cooperation, the request was rejected outright.
“We will not participate in this war, in accordance with the Tower Lord’s orders.”
In the emperor’s audience chamber, before the throne and in the presence of all the major nobles, Nyan raised his chin toward the imperial seat and declared firmly.
“Such nonsense!”
“To come this far only to say you’ll stand aside—does that make any sense?”
“How insolent! To dare refuse His Majesty the Emperor’s command!”
The ministers who had been lined up burst into angry protest. Until then, Nyan had been looking at the emperor with an indifferent expression, but he slowly turned his head.
It was one against many as their gazes collided. His frostlike eyes swept over them as though piercing straight through. The Nyan who used to grin foolishly in front of Ailin was nowhere to be found here. There stood only a terrifying archmage who could crush people with nothing but his gaze.
“Do you dare talk back to me?”
Nyan’s left eyebrow arched. Even such a minute change in expression radiated an eerie aura. Overwhelmed by his presence, the ministers all clamped their mouths shut at once.
Kyle, too, was deeply displeased, but he could say nothing.
Between the Mage Tower and the Empire, which side held the advantage? No one could say for certain. Too many factors were intertwined to make a definitive judgment. Yet one thing was clear: if the comparison were made purely in terms of raw combat power, the Mage Tower was overwhelmingly superior.
The current Tower Lord, and the man before him who would become the next Tower Lord, were both dangerous individuals. If they truly set their minds to it, they might not be able to swallow the Empire overnight, but they could certainly destroy it entirely. Valuing his own life above all else, Kyle had no choice but to keep his mouth shut.
‘Mage Tower… just what are you plotting?’
Kyle could not read Nyan’s true intentions at all. He was quick to pick up on others’ inner thoughts, yet Nyan alone remained impossible to grasp. What lay hidden behind that consistently cold, expressionless face? Perhaps the Tower Lord had sent him precisely to conceal everything.
In the end, Kyle had to advance without a corps of mages.
“Your Majesty. Please leave it to me and withdraw to the rear. I fear that those vicious Grand Duke forces may harm Your Majesty, the Sun himself.”
Baikal, newly appointed as commander, bowed deeply as he spoke. But Kyle, already mounted on his horse, urged it forward instead.
“No. I will stand at the front. If it’s for Ailin, I am not afraid.”
His golden hair shimmered as it fluttered in the wind. Anyone could see, in the lonely gaze fixed on the distance, the longing for his fiancée. Baikal and the soldiers beside him felt deeply moved by the sight. As rumored, the emperor truly was a devoted romantic and a man of deep love.
That was exactly the image Kyle intended to project: the role of a man who would willingly leap onto the battlefield to save his fiancée. In reality, however, he was the wretch who had once aimed an arrow at that very fiancée’s heart.
‘How should I punish that insolent woman?’
Kyle muttered to himself, rhythmically striking the armrest of the throne.
To place the emperor and the grand duke on the scales and, in the end, choose the grand duke over him—he found that fact unbearably infuriating.
At first, he had even considered bringing her parents in to threaten her. But in order to proceed with the perfect scenario of “rescuing the fiancée” as justification to strike Raymond, he had abandoned that idea early on. Instead, he chose to punish her personally: he would fire the arrow of warning with his own hand and pierce her heart.
Yet he failed in both killing Ailin and conquering Russ. The war led by the emperor ended absurdly, thanks to the momentary rampage of the grand duke.
The price of that failure was paid entirely by the attendants.
Kyle gathered them together and vented his anger by beating them. It was his vile way of releasing his frustration while maintaining the façade of a benevolent ruler.
In order to survive and to soothe the emperor’s temper, the attendants needed to devise another plan. After much deliberation, the new strategy they came up with was “infiltration.”
“Infiltration?”
Kyle raised his eyelids lazily, showing interest.
After returning from the war, the emperor purified himself with daily baths to relieve his fatigue. Even now, he was receiving reports while bathing. Naked, beautiful women surrounded the golden bathtub, attending to him.
“Yes, Your Majesty. We will send a skilled agent to infiltrate Russ and rescue the young lady. If a full-scale war is difficult, it would be best to exploit an opening.”
“Hoho. That’s a fine idea.”
Though he had not yet been formally appointed, Count Keln—acting as chief attendant—kept his head lowered. Even when witnessing the emperor flirting with women in what should have been a serious political discussion, he had to pretend not to see if he wished to stay alive. This was the true nature of Kyle, known publicly as a devoted lover.
‘If we secretly infiltrate and bring her back, I can force her to remain by my side.’
Pleased with the proposal, the emperor was highly satisfied.
But the problem was the method. On the grand duke’s side, there were many capable individuals, including Neverest. On the emperor’s side, few of the elite Imperial Special Forces remained. At best, they were only sufficient to serve as the emperor’s personal guard.
This was because many had been lost in repeated clashes with the grand duke. Moreover, the recruitment of new talents had also been obstructed by the grand duke.
“But are there people who can break through that?”
Kyle was troubled. He did not want to give up what few special forces remained. No matter how important the matter was, it was never more important than his own safety. But Keln was a capable chief attendant, and having only just taken on his new responsibilities, he did not forget his duty.
“I have a good plan.”
“What is it?”
“On the outskirts of Russ are several islands inhabited by bands of thieves. They sometimes act as pirates, sometimes as bandits, sometimes as assassins—so they are extremely skilled. If you pay them a large sum, they will carry out the task with ease. In fact, it’s widely rumored that as long as you pay well, they handle jobs cleanly.”
“A sound idea. Do as the chief attendant says.”
“I will obey your command, Your Majesty.”
In his good mood, Kyle immediately began calling Keln the chief attendant. The Empire had more than enough money, and if something could be solved with money, he considered it the cheapest solution of all.
Having given permission, Kyle wrapped an arm around the woman beside him. As the emperor pulled her close, she giggled and rubbed her face against his golden hair. Keln promptly bowed and withdrew from the bath chamber.
The chain of islands stretching along the outskirts of Russ lay not far from Ferment. Keln personally visited the islands, bringing a few guards with him.
Traveling through Russ would have been quicker, but given the current standoff, they had no choice but to go by sea. With a skilled navigator and a luxurious ship, he arrived at the nearest and largest island: Rafu.
The band of thieves Keln had mentioned to the emperor was called Innerpeace. They had begun as mere thieves, but their organization had since grown large and well-structured, developing into a proper mercenary group. Still, because they would do anything for money, people said their origins could never truly be erased.
After disembarking, Keln was guided to a neat guest room. Sitting on the sofa, he looked around the room. Judging by the expensive furniture and luxurious interior, it seemed to be a reception room for VVIP guests.
Before long, maids brought tea and dessert. The subordinates who had guided him bowed deeply and asked for his patience.
“Block-sama is on his way. Please wait a moment.”
Meanwhile, upon hearing that a golden ship had arrived at Rafu, Block, the leader of Innerpeace, hurried over. He had received many clients, but it was rare for someone to arrive so openly aboard such an expensive ship. Usually, clients concealed their identities to keep commissions secret. To reveal oneself like this suggested great confidence in one’s wealth.
And his keen sense for the scent of money proved correct.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
Block sat down opposite Keln, rubbing his hands together as soon as he saw him. The count, dressed in fine clothing, was unmistakably a high-ranking noble.
“You must have had a hard journey. Have you had some tea and dessert?”
“I have. But the matter is urgent, so I’d like to get straight to the point.”
“Yes, we would appreciate that. So, what is the commission you’ve come to give us?”
Block skillfully guided the conversation. Keln found the other man more agreeable than expected and was able to relax slightly, but as the emperor’s representative, he kept his voice solemn.
“I come under the command of His Majesty, the Emperor of the Frales Empire.”
“Oh my. His Majesty the Emperor, you say. I see.”
“You surely understand that entrusting this commission to Innerpeace must remain secret.”
“Yes, yes. Of course.”
Block nodded repeatedly.
Even if the commission later became known, that was not an issue. For now, however, secrecy was necessary. Keln continued.
“You’ve likely heard the rumors. The emperor’s fiancée, Lady Ailin Cowet, has been abducted to Russ. She appears not to be imprisoned due to her status, but you are to find her and escort her safely to the imperial palace.”
“I understand. What does the young lady look like?”
“Here is her portrait.”
Keln placed a sheet of paper on the table. It was Ailin’s likeness, hastily drawn by a painter for the sake of this commission.
