“It was a young traveler who entered Myuta yesterday late afternoon.”
The young man was leaning casually against a walnut desk with an antique pattern embossed on it. His fingers nimbly flipped through the ledger while he received a report about Klisha.
“…Traveler? What about his companions?”
“None. The boy was alone and covered in dust from head to toe. He booked a room at the 12th Street Inn.”
“Hmm.”
“The name on the register says Shasha Rin. His age seems to be around 18, but I am not certain. He used gold coins from the Central Royal Bank, and ordered a single room and meals at the inn. But he showed a peculiar behavior… Before entering the room, the boy grabbed the clerk’s hand and spoke very seriously…”
“…?”
The young man took his eyes off the ledger for a moment and looked at the butler.
“…‘No vegetables, send a lot of meat’, he said.”
“….”
The butler, feeling awkward for no particular reason, turned his head, cleared his throat a couple of times, before continuing the report.
“Ahem. Well… and… he speaks the standard Royal Language but retains a faint Southern accent. He naturally spoke condescendingly to the staff. When he asked for recommendations on where to stable his horse, the clerk suggested Tomma Horses.”
“That was clever.”
The young man said in satisfaction, not taking his eyes off the ledger.
“Send the clerk some money as a bonus.”
“I’ve already taken care of it.”
Scratch, scratch.
Tomma Ryuiken, who had quickly finished reviewing and revising the ledger, set down his pen and instructed.
“That boy, the owner.”
“Yes?”
“He’s a noble.”
“Yes?”
“A noble young man who rides a hybrid horse breed without any attendants and insists on travelling on a rough path. He must be either a knight or a royal attendant… Is he a fugitive? Or perhaps an royal agent?”
The young man poured wine in a crystal glass with graceful movements.
“Either way, he might be useful. Arrange a meeting. Make it as natural as possible.”
“Yes. I understand. However….”
“What?”
“Master. How did you know that the young man took the rough path? And suspecting him to be a royal agent….”
The young man responded with a snicker.
“Luke, you need to broaden your perspective. Look over there. That’s a hybrid horse breed, which can run across the continent’s plains like the wind. Even if you gathered thirty years’ worth of wages from working in Myuta, you could never buy it. Moreover, ordinary people can’t even manage to raise one.”
The young man turned around and sat on the edge of the desk.
“Someone riding such a mount but still getting covered in dust, it’s pretty obvious.”
When the butler Luke shifted his gaze out the window. A pure white steed, staring fiercely at something with its long neck stretched out beneath the sign of [Tomma Horses] entered his vision.
The young man slightly twisted his upper body and stared at the map of the Empire hanging on the wall. The pose was almost like a painting, but the scar, which could not be hidden even by the ornate and gorgeous attire, was faintly visible at the end of his long, straight legs and above the slender ankles.
“Myuta is the last gateway city before the capital. To come all the way here in a hurry and then stay to rest… Is there a set time for his travel?…This is interesting.”
“….”
“Most roads are developed into state routes. Since he took a rough path, he must have crossed the Terrovan Mountain Range moving north from the southwest, or the Heath region… or perhaps he traversed the Schmarin Plains.”
The young man, with his hand resting on his chin, pondered deeply.
“Considering the speed of the hybrid horse breed, it would take about four days even if he started from Schmarin territory. What could be the reason for such a hurry? Luke, have there been any updates from the main office?”
“There was nothing particularly special. The report which was received yesterday was just about routine financial transactions, and as the Master is already aware, there were no updates on the capital’s situation or anything like that….”
“The higher-ups?”
“The higher-ups are originally lukewarm on this matter. They will follow whatever the Master decides.”
“….”
The red eyes of the young man, Tomma Ryuiken, sank coldly.
“I should head for the capital. Start the preparation.”
Luke the butler, who had been momentarily distracted by the white horse outside the window, turned his head and spoke to the young man.
“Isn’t it dangerous? In this ambiguous time….”
“There’s nothing we can do. We have to strike before they make a move.”
“Understood.”
“In the meantime, find out more about ‘Shasha Rin’. It’s probably a pseudonym.”
“Yes, Master.”
Butler Luke bowed his head politely and left the study.
Secretary Marian, who had been waiting in the hallway, followed him quickly.
“Butler Luke.”
“Yes?”
“It seems the Night Brothers have made a move on the boy.”
Luke’s eyebrows furrowed with irritation.
“When?”
“This morning. It hasn’t been long. By now…”
Butler Luke halted his steps and turned around.
“The Master has shown great interest in the boy. Make sure they can’t cause a problem.”
“Understood.”
When Marian made a couple of hand signals, the four or so shadows in the hallway disappeared instantly.
* * *
Two young men ran through the dimly lit streets of dawn.
“Huff… Huff….”
“Don’t stop running. I’ll stab you the moment you stop.”
Klisha encouraged the two young men who were running ahead, even cheering ‘go, go’.
“Hey. You’re slowing down. You haven’t even been running for an hour yet. How can you be tired already? Isn’t it better to be out of breath than to stop breathing completely?”
Just a few hours ago.
John and Jones, the ‘Night Brothers’ who had sneaked into Klisha’s room, experienced the dazzling skill of a blade being thrown at them as soon as they touched Klisha’s sword, which had been lying next to the table. They witnessed with their own eyes as the leather-covered hilt was swiftly cut.
Did the sword…move on its own?
The truth was, Klisha had thrown a small dagger, which went unnoticed by the brothers.
They were sufficiently surprised by the flash of something moving and the bloodstain on their chest.
At that moment, a chilly voice rang out from behind them.
“How dare you…touch my sword?”
No matter how much they fought, the neighborhood alley thugs and petty thieves were no match from the beginning for Klisha Mezerine, the daughter of a war hero, or rather, for Shasha Rin, the Witch of Schmarin.
‘What the hell. They said that even elephants wouldn’t wake up after taking those sleeping pills.’
‘Damn apothecary. I’ll kill her, I’ll kill her!’
‘But, Big Brother, how long do we have to run?’
‘I don’t know! Damn it, if the sword is so important, he should’ve taken good care of it!’
Even while fleeing, the brothers, as if out of habit, exchanged sign language. A slight sting was felt on the back of one brother, and soon after, a warm trickle of sweat descended.
A sweet yet pungent smell… Oh, is it blood?
“You guys. Why are you so relaxed? Can’t you run for another hour or two?”
Without the slightest hint of hesitation, Klisha stabbed one of the brothers in the back with the sword before pulling it out. A crooked smile appeared on her lips.
“You guys, who are you?”
John and Jones, the Night Brothers. Having built a reputation and committed numerous crimes even in Myuta, they instinctively sensed that they had finally encountered a worthy opponent after a very long time.
No matter which way one looks, they appear to be petty thieves. She could also tell that they were thieves, what’s the point of asking for their identity?
The two brothers exchanged quick glances.
‘Did you notice? He has a crazed look in his eyes.’
‘If we stop moving… will we really die?’
As if he had made up his mind, John closed his eyes tightly and dashed forward, shouting loudly.
“Anyone’s here. Please save us!”
Jones also followed suit and started shouting nonstop.
“A crazy person is chasing us. Oh no, he’s trying to kill us, he’s trying to kill us! Someone, please call the guards! Mom!”
Breathing in the refreshing early morning air, Klisha, who had been running alongside for a while, curled the corners of her mouth slightly in a smirk and increased her speed a little more.
“How did you guys know?”
“What what?”
“I go crazy sometimes, you know. Right now, I’m on the brink of losing my mind again.”
“What?”
The Witch of Schmarin, who was running alongside the thieves with her red hair fluttering behind, continued to speak with a smile as bright as the morning star.
“Were you not…. pretty interested in me?”
“….”
* * *
Three months ago.
The Third Office of the Inner Palace of the Great Perza Empire.
Since the Emperor usually found it troublesome to go to the main palace, most matters that were not related to military or diplomatic affairs were handled in the Third Office of the Inner Palace.
The Emperor’s Inner Palace had not yet been visited or touched by a woman, so it lacked a touch of warmth and charm.
Various priceless gems such as pure gold, imperial jade, blue sapphires, and pink diamonds were densely embedded in the walls of the Inner Palace, intricately carved to resemble the geography of the Asha continent, creating a subtle soft glow even without lighting.
With each frame and vase in the Inner Palace having a national treasure-level value, the Emperor’s Inner Palace displayed an awe-inspiring majesty simply by its very existence.
Those few selected individuals who had actually visited this place often marveled in amazement, as if witnessing firsthand the source of the Perza Royal Family’s power and wealth, where ‘authority covers the sky and wealth fills the sea.’
In the Emperor’s Inner Palace, which was a living testament to the continent’s history and the pride of Perza, an unexpected chaos was beginning to unfold.
“I… am married?”
A young man with luscious blonde hair, resembling a field of autumn wheat, brushed his hair back with one hand and quietly asked in a monotone voice.
“When did I get married?”
The young knight standing next to the young man bowed slightly and answered in a small voice.
“Three years ago.”
“Three years ago? But why wasn’t I told anything about it?”
The Emperor’s gaze turned fierce.
“That….”
The seven aides, consisting of civil officials, lay face down, their foreheads practically plastered on the floor. None of them dared to lift their heads.
Because the moment their eyes met, they would be subjected to all sorts of punishment.
When the Emperor shows the most relaxed look and speaks leisurely, that is the most dangerous time.
The Emperor’s eyes, looking around, sank coldly.
“What were you all plotting?”
Although that was not what he said, it still sounded like he was threatening to kill everyone without a second thought.
“Have you all gone mad?”
His inquiry was translated as he would kill everyone by twisting their necks.
“Your Majesty….”
Soon, the Emperor’s temper exploded.
“Have you all lost your mind altogether! You haven’t told me, the Emperor, about his own marriage for over three years? The person involved?!”
“That… Your Majesty, we weren’t aware either.”
“That… That… a mistake occurred by the temple in documentation….”
Bang!
The young Emperor slammed the desk loudly and shouted.
“Then undo it! Just go and undo it and obliterate the marriage register!”
Count Yuton, the Minister of State and the Emperor’s Chief Secretary, reluctantly opened his mouth.
“That… is unlikely to work.”
“…What?”
An icy silence filled the Emperor’s office.
