The night was a little strange.
Even the moon, rising high among the scattered clouds in the pitch-black sky, appeared artificial.
And a subtle sense of tension, different from usual, lingered in the prison of the Royal Palace’s outer fortress, under the jurisdiction of the Royal Guard.
Swiiisshh.
Whooosh.
A chilly breeze blew in from somewhere. The sound was distant, as if the wind’s edge was crossing from the Outer Palace to the Inner Palace before fading away.
Klisha, who had planned a grand escape, couldn’t resist the sudden wave of drowsiness that hit her as soon as she finished her meal.
For the first time in a while, she felt full, and perhaps because she was more suited to being an inmate than a homeless person, the prison felt more comforting than the plaza.
The figure of Klisha leaning against the wall and sleeping, covered from head to toe in rags as if they were blankets, was that of a giant earthworm…….
Devereaux, the senior inmate who had taught her various ways of a wise prison life, was also asleep, leaning against the wall opposite her.
“Now.”
In the quiet night.
Hearing a faint sound that seemed to come from nowhere, the large senior, Devereaux, opened his eyes.
His sharp eyes shining brightly in the darkness.
His face and expression were completely different from when he had talked to Klisha.
Devereaux reached out and placed his hand just below Klisha’s nose. Steady breaths. Regular heartbeat.
It was clear that he was in a deep slumber.
‘Thank goodness.’
Devereaux secured the dagger he had been hiding behind his waist.
It had been nearly four months since he infiltrated this place.
During this time, he had come up with various excuses and incidents to continue using the solitary confinement cell, but it was frustrating that a new inmate had arrived on the day of the D-day.
If the boy hadn’t fallen asleep even with the sleeping herbs, he would have had no choice but to kill him. However, thinking of the nephew he had left behind in his hometown, he hesitated until the very end.
But since it seemed like he had fallen into a deep sleep, it seemed like it would be fine to just leave him there.
As expected. The sleeping herbs that the ‘master of modern pharmacology’, whose origins cannot be found throughout the entire continent of Asha, bought without anyone else’s intervention, proved to be incredibly effective.
That must be probably why the organization ‘Zenya’ paid a large sum to place a bulk order.
“Modern pharmacology saves another life.”
Muttering words that were hard to understand, Devereaux withdrew his hand and silently disappeared in the direction where the signal had come from.
Squeak. Creak.
“…That guy. What was he saying just now?”
As the sound of footsteps grew distant, Klisha stretched and got up.
“Are horn mushrooms popular these days? It seems like everyone has insomnia?”
Come to think of it, perhaps because of the horn mushroom scent, she had slept deeply, even if just for a short while.
As soon as Klisha entered the prison today, the scent of horn mushrooms wafting from all directions made her feel a sense of wonder.
At first, she thought the scent was used as a tranquilizer to prevent violent criminals from causing a disturbance, but when the senior inmate placed a hand on her shoulder, she definitely felt it.
‘Huh? This smell….’
Having grown up on the battlefield during her childhood, Klisha had no choice but to naturally learn various folk remedies, as supply lines for the central army were never guaranteed during times of war.
Before the supply unit arrived, when launching an offensive attack on strategic areas, there was no choice but to gather and use medicine from nature, whether for internal or external injuries.
Fortunately, one of her self-proclaimed relatives was well-versed in natural medicines, so in Issac Mezerine’s unit, there was never a shortage of treatment supplies that could lead to death.
The problem was… the young Klisha was also in this unit.
The relative who had been with Klisha since she started eating solid food, despite her father’s vehement opposition and the best efforts of the guards…
Whenever she had the chance, she would coax her, saying, ‘Baby. This is good for you. Eat it up, yum, yum.’ and feed her all sorts of natural medicines.
That was none other than the dearly beloved Clarence.
She was her father’s sister-in-law, Aunt Rence.
Due to her aunt’s excessive love, which seemed a bit twisted, Klisha had already reached a state of being immune to a thousand poisons by the age of eight. To her, something like horn mushrooms… was no more than a supplement.
Crunch.
Klisha tilted her head as she stood up.
When she stepped into the corridor, strangely, there was not a single guard from the prison’s Royal Guard in sight.
“What is this?”
This was Klisha’s first time in the prison inside the Royal Palace. Even so, no matter how remote the Outer Palace might be, there was no way the security of the Royal Palace, where His Majesty the Emperor resides, would be this lax.
Klisha concentrated her attention and walked along the complicated, labyrinthine corridor, carefully observing her surroundings. Strangely, there was no one in any of the prison cells she stumbled upon.
As she passed through the spaces between the corridors, several doors were slightly ajar, and light was spilling out from the gaps. However… there was no one inside either?
As if entranced by something, Klisha followed the open doors and beams of light, and before she knew it, she had reached a point connected to the Inner Palace’s outer wall.
“Really, what is this?”
The Inner Palace of the ‘Reigning Royal Palace’.
This is the place where the mighty Emperor Perza IV resides, a giant building composed of 112 large and small buildings, including the Grand Audience Hall, Inner Palace, annex, and the Outer Palace, 29 grand gardens, and hidden secret spaces scattered throughout…. A complete impregnable fortress.
Klisha had accompanied her father, Issac Mezerine, to the Viscount title receiving ceremony, and at that time, she couldn’t help but gape at the sheer scale of the Inner Palace.
‘Why, for what reason, did the noble Crown Prince, who lives in such a place, personally go to the battlefield and endure such hardships…’
On that day, everyone present couldn’t help but be in awe of the shining patriotism and dazzling chivalry of His Majesty the Great Emperor Perza IV.
Since Klisha was too young to participate in official events, she had never seen the Crown Prince, or rather, His Majesty the Emperor’s regal face in person…
At the time, she had heard that His Majesty the Emperor was said to be as beautiful as a doll.
‘Hmm.’
Klisha lightly scratched her cheek with her finger.
‘Pretty men are not my type.’
If she were a man, she would undoubtedly be as strong and fierce as the Northern Archduke, with a body capable of slaying a dozen or so monsters with a single strike… Hmm…
While Klisha was walking along the outer wall of the Inner Palace and lost in her fantasies,
At the top of the spire at the western end of the Inner Palace, the Northern Archduke of another country, wrapped tightly in black clothes, was watching the darkness.
“Strange. It’s too smooth.”
No matter how much Ian Perza let his guard down. How could he allow the Inner Palace to be infiltrated so easily?
In fact, it was more difficult to enter through the Outer Palace.
Eugene sent a signal to Noah and his subordinates.
“I need to meet with the messenger of Zenya. Call him to the checkpoint.”
“Yes, My Lord.”
Several shadows disappeared into the darkness.
* * *
Second Palace, Conference Room 9.
“Lord Lian! Lord Lian!”
“This is not the situation where you should be sleeping right now! Please wake up!”
The blonde knight, who had been sleeping comfortably after roughly dragging and connecting the chairs together in the conference room, barely opened one eye at the sudden call and glanced at the person in front of him.
“Huaam. Count Yutton. Why are you making such a fuss? As the Minister of State Affairs, you should remain composed, even if the sky is falling…”
“Right now! Right now, assassins have entered the Inner Palace! How can you be sleeping!”
Knight Lian Bartier shook his head from side to side and spoke.
“Oh. They have finally arrived. They’re not even slugs, yet how many times do I have to roll out the mat before they make a move?”
“Lord Lian, how can you say that so calmly….”
“No need to fret. The old dogs of Servan… was it Zenya? Anyway, an assassination attempt on His Majesty? Not even hilarious.”
“…….”
“It was quite a fresh idea, but well, the target was completely wrong. I heard that Eugene Wigner was the only one who opposed it. I suppose it’s fortunate that at least one person has some sense.”
“Did you plant a spy in Zenya as well?”
Lian said calmly, stretching his upper body as he sat up.
“Well, not just there….”
Lian’s blue eyes slightly gleamed as he reached out and closed Yuton’s jaw, which had been hanging open.
“Actually, I’ve already laid a shortcut for those guys to connect straight to His Majesty.”
“!”
“Heheh. Our Royal Guard dislikes shedding blood. If we send them that way, His Majesty will probably take care of it with one fell swoop. He’s been feeling a bit bored lately anyway. It works out perfectly to let him stretch his muscles.”
Count Yuton’s face turned as white as a sheet of paper, and he slapped hard Lian on the back.
“Lord Lian! Is that something you should be saying right now! There’s always a chance, however small!”
“Ah. Stop hitting me. Despite how I look, I grew up quite nobly….”
Yuton, glaring with his small eyes, raised his trembling hand again, and Lian immediately lowered his tail.
“I understand. I understand. I’ll go out and take a look. Why are you angry….”
Captain of the Royal Guards, one of the Emperor’s three major military units.
The Rune Knight.
The Emperor’s Guardian Sword.
His Highness the Grand Duke Lian Bartier stood up slowly, looking very displeased. He unsheathed his sword, which he placed beside him, with the speed of snail and carefully swung it with deliberate slowness, and then moved with a sluggish step.
Count Yuton, and the civil officials watching, were on the verge of losing their patience, however…
In fact, when you think about it…
Who in the world would attempt to assassinate ‘that’ His Majesty?
The assassins…. The probability of them dying, their bodies dismembered without even getting within 100 meters of His Majesty, is 100 percent.
* * *
Lian and the Royal Guards suddenly barged into the Inner Palace where the Emperor resided for the night. They poked around here and there, nodding to each other, sending hand signals, and causing a ruckus.
When was the last time they ran around like this without warning…..
Ian, feeling incredulous, crossed his arms and stared silently at his disobedient younger brother and his group. Lian, with a slight smile, spoke up.
“Bro… Your Majesty. Please go out to the garden around midnight.”
“Why?”
“You’ll know when you go out.”
“Forget about that, you. Did you know about the slave auction? When are you going to get your act together and deal with it along with the Royal Guards….”
“Your Majesty! This is not the time to be discussing that right now. Tonight….”
When Lian, unlike his usual self, interrupted Ian’s words, Ian’s eyes narrowed.
“What about tonight?”
“When I’m telling you to leave, then just leave. It’s a gift I’ve been putting a lot of effort into recently. Well, that’s how it is.”
“……”
None of the things he planned with that vague expression turned out well.
Still, since it was a present from his only brother, he felt a little excited. For the first time in a while, Ian felt a great sense of anticipation.
He stopped questioning and headed to the Inner Palace garden on time.
Also, because he was the kind and obedient Emperor who usually does exactly as his subjects ask.
Whooosh.
Whiiiish.
A cool breeze suddenly blew from somewhere, and the sound of insects blended into a harmony. In the dark night, unknown wildflowers lifted their heads and kissed the moonlight.
Ian, who had been sitting alone in the picturesque and extremely quiet Inner Palace garden for thirty minutes, was becoming increasingly dissatisfied.
‘There’s nothing?’
The young Emperor clicked his tongue, thinking of his younger brother, who had now grown up and no longer had a single cute side.
Nevertheless.
‘Where did that guy go?’
According to the guard, the red-haired boy—no, that ‘lady’—had been sleeping in the Grand Plaza until morning. But around noon, he was chased by the Royal Guards and suddenly disappeared.
‘Why was she chased by the Royal Guards? Is it because she destroyed the auction house building?’
He instructed them to leave the matter of building collapse aside… It seemed the message wasn’t properly delivered.
The strange medicine Mirhi gave him, contrary to the explanation that it would last for a day, began to lose its effectiveness little by little even when he suppressed both his mana and rune completely. Within less than an hour, its effects had completely worn off.
With the symbol of the Perza Royal Family, glorious blonde hair, fair skin, and the noticeable return of his eye color, Ian decided to return to the palace for the time being. It would be troublesome if any unnecessary commotion arose.
For some reason, he didn’t want that young ‘boy’ to find out that he was a rune operator.
“Ah.”
Ian raised his head.
‘Now that I think about it, I owe our part-timer some meat. She must be quite angry.’
It was a brief meeting. But the Emperor had already figured out Klisha’s personality perfectly, and couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.
‘I should repay her. But for that I need to…..’
Rustle.
Ian, lost in his own thoughts, raised his head at the small commotion.
And then they came….
“Assassins?”
“….”
Led by a few clumsy individuals wearing black masks, a considerable number of assassins descended one after another into the garden of the Inner Palace.
“…Haa.”
The corners of Ian’s mouth slightly went up. And his blue eyes, which resembled a winter lake, shone like the moon in the night sky.
“Lian, that little brat… is using me as bait?”
A blue rune began to spin around on the Emperor’s right shoulder, soon expanding into a large, swirling vortex.
“This is ridiculous.”
The one who rules over all the waters in all the spaces within sight.
The Emperor’s rune was activated.
