Episode 30
Chapter 8. Darkness and Light
“It took you a while.”
After being tied to a chair for a long time, the blindfold over Pale’s eyes was finally removed. He blinked and looked around.
“So, this is the famous Counterintelligence Interrogation Room?”
“Something like that.”
The man who had dragged Pale here was sitting across the table. He was the commander of the Counterintelligence Unit.
Pale didn’t know his name, but the man was calmly staring at the fire burning in a corner of the room.
“Oh dear, someone stuck a poker in that fire.”
“…”
“Did you know? I’ve been really busy lately. And if Counterintelligence is busy, that’s not a good sign.”
“I’m innocent. You know that, don’t you?”
“Of course. I know.”
The man gave a small smile and turned toward Pale.
“I was the one who framed you. Of course I know, Inspector Trace.”
“What?”
“My name is Nyx Highwind. Head of the Counterintelligence Unit.”
“What?”
“Nyx Highwind. Heard of me before?”
The man introduced himself with a grin.
“You probably haven’t. This line of work is all about secrecy. Even with such an important position, I can’t go around bragging.”
“I didn’t know the Highwind family was running Counterintelligence.”
“I’m not a direct descendant. But I was given permission to use the family name.”
“You framed me, and now you tell me your name? So you don’t plan on letting me leave here alive?”
“Oh dear.”
Nyx sighed with disappointment.
“That’s such a typical reaction. I was hoping for something more original.”
“…”
“You seem ready for the worst… But I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean this.”
Nyx stood up and walked behind Pale.
“Welcome to Counterintelligence.”
Click!
The ropes tying Pale’s wrists were cut. For a moment, Pale wanted to elbow the man behind him.
“What’s the meaning of this? Is this a trap…?”
“A trap? You mean something like pretending to untie you just to provoke an attack and then kill you legally?”
“…”
“That’s a hassle. Even if it sounds clever.”
Nyx sat back down like nothing had happened.
“I apologize for the harsh methods, Inspector Trace. I hope you understand the situation was urgent.”
“…What situation?”
“You saw them too, right? The ones who surrounded the Inspection Unit—those black-armored guys.”
“You mean the Black Knights? Aren’t they on your side?”
“Us? Working with the Black Knights? Not a chance.”
Nyx scoffed.
“We follow only one person. And that person ordered us to rescue you—before the Blackluna family got you.”
“The Sword King told you to save me?”
“We found a kill order issued by the Blackluna family. Your name was at the top. It seems you upset them by digging into the Granble case.”
“So the reason you brought me here…”
“Was to save your life. We used ‘arrest’ as a cover.”
Nyx casually put his feet up on the table.
“Feeling a bit more relaxed now? It was all just a show to fool them. Though it won’t last forever.”
“Haa…”
Pale let out a long breath. He didn’t bother pretending to be strong anymore.
“I thought I was a dead man. I did feel like something was off, though…”
“What? Because we didn’t beat or torture you?”
“The moment I stepped in here, the atmosphere changed. I didn’t feel like I was being watched anymore.”
“No one can come down here without permission. We don’t have to worry about them.”
“Them? You mean there are Blackluna spies in Counterintelligence too?”
“‘Spy’ is a harsh word. Let’s just say the Blackluna family has ears everywhere.”
“But you’re not one of them?”
“Of course not. I’m on the Sword King’s side.”
“The Sword King’s side? Aren’t we all?”
“…That’s a pure reaction.”
Nyx laughed and stretched.
“Reminds me of when I used to be that innocent. And now, I’m dragging another lamb into this mess.”
“…”
“The Sword King faction means we follow the Sword King’s orders only. We don’t serve any particular family. And you know which ‘particular family’ I’m talking about, right?”
Nyx shrugged. Pale frowned but stayed silent.
Blackluna.
The most powerful of the eight main Sword King families. So strong they could take on all the others alone.
And the ones Pale believed were behind the destruction of the Granble family.
“So… the Blackluna family is against the Sword King?”
“Yes.”
“And you only follow the Sword King?”
“Exactly.”
“…My apologies.”
Pale straightened up and changed his tone.
“Please forgive my rudeness. I’m just an inspector who follows the Sword King’s orders. Does His Majesty know about this betrayal?”
“Hmm? Betrayal?”
Nyx tilted his head as if confused.
“Now you’re using formal speech. But betrayal? What do you mean?”
“I’m talking about how the Blackluna family leaked information to the enemy to destroy the Granble family.”
“Oh, you shouldn’t say things like that out loud.”
Nyx looked around dramatically, as if in a play.
“Be careful what you say. Like I said, they have ears everywhere—even in our headquarters.”
“…”
“That’s why we’re down here, in this underground room. It’s the only place safe enough for this conversation. We’re still trying to weed them out.”
“Still, leaking information and manipulating schedules to move all the Granble knights away… That’s treason.”
“You found that too? Impressive.”
“You already knew?”
Nyx avoided the question and smiled.
“You’re sharp, Inspector Trace. I’m glad we saved you.”
“If you already knew, why haven’t you done anything? This is high treason.”
“Punish the Blackluna family? Really?”
Nyx shook his head in disbelief.
“No way. That would start a civil war. The Sword King’s people would fight each other—and we’d lose.”
“Lose? But they’re just one family.”
“Our real enemy is someone else.”
“…Who?”
“The Blackluna family controls the entire south of the Empire. If we go to war, we’ll be attacked from both sides.”
“From the south by Blackluna, and from the north… the Poison King family?”
“They probably didn’t make a deal, but if civil war starts, the Poison King’s people will definitely attack.”
“…”
“Even a child could guess that. So we can’t just call them traitors. It’s frustrating, but we have no choice. Understand?”
Nyx sounded like a teacher. Pale nodded, even though he was angry.
“I understand. It’s a horrible situation. But isn’t this all just a matter of time?”
“Valer is ambitious.”
“Valer Blackluna. Head of the Blackluna family…”
“His spot in the line of succession has been stuck at number eight for over ten years. He knows he won’t rise any higher.”
“And he’s doing all this… for the throne?”
“You say ‘just for the throne,’ but that’s a big deal.”
“But the future belongs to Blackluna anyway. Half the people in the top ranks are from their family. In ten years, they’ll probably control everything…”
“He can’t wait ten years.”
Nyx sighed. Pale finally understood the bigger picture and held his breath.
“Don’t tell me… the Sword King is…”
“He’s 110 years old this year. He hasn’t appeared in public for years.”
“Is he very ill?”
“Doctors say he has 6 months to a year left.”
“…That’s terrible.”
Pale lowered his head in true sadness.
The current Sword King, Dive Serces.
He had always been respected for his kindness and wisdom. Coming from the weakest of the eight main families, he had risen to the top and brought peace among all families.
But now, in the most dangerous time, the great king was near the end of his life.
Pale asked carefully.
“This may be out of line, but… do you know about a herb called Eternal Life Grass?”
“He already used it.”
“What?”
“That’s how he lasted this long. One root gives an extra year of life. But it only works if your body can handle it.”
“Oh…”
“He tried his best to hold on until a better successor appeared.”
But the problem was that the first place in the line of succession hadn’t changed in 20 years.
“Phew… Raul Delta.”
“If that old man becomes the Sword King, we’ll have war immediately. He might be worse than Blackluna.”
Raul Delta.
Head of the Delta family, the second most powerful Sword King family. A strong believer in using force.
He wanted to send all the Sword King’s troops to attack the north right away—and many people supported him.
But the current Sword King hadn’t done so for a reason.
The Poison King’s people had set traps in the north for centuries, just waiting for that attack.
They had already fallen into those traps many times and lost thousands of lives.
The real danger was in the “Aura Dead Zones.”
In the north, there were areas where no one could use aura. Not just small zones, but huge regions.
Once you stepped into one, you were powerless—no matter how strong you were.
“We still don’t have enough information.”
Pale thought about what had happened months ago.
“If we attack the north now, we’ll be wiped out. The rescue mission only succeeded because it was near the border and we had maps. Even then, it was close.”
“I heard the Poison King’s forces pretended to retreat, right?”
“Not the Poison King family—the Poison King Cult. They tricked us. Some of our best soldiers nearly chased them right into the Aura Dead Zone.”
“That’s why we need information. If we fight without knowing where the Aura Dead Zones are, we’ll be destroyed.”
