Episode 609
“Ian, we’re receiving a signal from ahead.”
Leaning against the front of the carriage, Ian pulled a telescope from his coat pocket.
In the distance, a small village came into view. As they neared the outskirts of Kalamath, they had passed several such communities—each one eerily silent, as if abandoned.
But this one was different. A large Burgos flag hung upside down. Ian’s instincts told him these were agents sent by the Royalists.
“Your Majesty! The Royalist envoys are signaling ahead. It would be wise to halt briefly and assess the situation.”
“Slow down!”
“Yes, sir!”
From the opposite direction, a carriage bearing both Burgos and Bariel flags came charging straight toward them. When the soldiers signaled for them to stop, a middle-aged woman in a green velvet dress stepped down slowly, followed hesitantly by a young man. She handed over identification to the soldiers.
“I am Danit Holin of the Holin family, Dukes of Holin! I bring the Royalists’ position to His Majesty the Emperor and the Minister of Magic.”
The soldiers verified her credentials and immediately reported up the chain of command. Tweller, as if expecting them, escorted the two inside and brought them to the front of the Emperor’s carriage.
“Mrs. Danit Holin, a pleasure. I am Ian Hielo.”
“Oh my, hello. I’ve heard so much about you.”
“You must have been busy with your business in Burgos all this time. How did you hear about me?”
“My daughter told me. The Holin family owes you a great deal, she said. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Ian kissed the back of Danit’s hand and offered a polite smile. She returned it with a gentle grin, studying him carefully.
But the moment was brief. As the carriage curtain was drawn halfway aside, Danit grasped the hem of her dress and bowed deeply—a gesture of respect to Emperor Jin.
“Your Majesty, I am Danit Holin of the Holin family. It is a great honor to meet you here in this distant land.”
“Mrs. Danit, I’ve heard much about you, but this is the first time I’ve seen you in person. During the business license bidding, only Duke Holin entered the palace—I was quite curious about you.”
“My apologies, Your Majesty.”
Jin looked down at her from behind the half-drawn curtain. Was she alone? Ian glanced at him, and Jin shook his head—her entourage was nearby but kept at a distance.
“My daughter, Kayla, has faithfully carried out Your Majesty’s orders on behalf of the Holin family. We have completed the tasks assigned. I came ahead to report the current situation directly and discuss future plans.”
“Proceed.”
“The Royalist main forces are stationed in a small fortress on the southern outskirts of Kalamath. Supplies sent from Bariel are delivered by Royalist officers. A few days ago, we distributed 3,000 low-grade swords.”
“Does that mean the Royalist forces number only 3,000?”
“No. That’s the number guarding and defending Kalamath. As you know, the Royalist leaders are nobles from Burgos and maintain private armies. I cannot accurately gauge their size, as their territories are scattered around Kalamath. I can only estimate based on past dealings.”
Danit produced a sheet of paper from her cloak. Ian took it and passed it through the carriage window. Jin unfolded it immediately. It listed the Royalist leaders, estimated numbers of their private troops, and the locations of their domains.
“Kayla remains with them now. Our goal is to undermine the Royalists’ cause. The young officer I brought along will deliver the final blow—he is the one who will expose the fractures within their ranks.”
Danit explained in detail how she and Kayla were working to dismantle the Royalists’ legitimacy. Without their cause, Bariel’s advance into Kalamath would be easier, and the Holin family’s influence would shine even brighter in the future.
Ian raised an eyebrow, looking at Danit.
‘They’ve turned the situation—Bariel pressing from the front, Royalists from the rear—into an advantage. Instead of being crushed between them, they’ve positioned themselves as the bridge, forcing both sides to go through the Holin family. …A true business mind.’
Ian and Jin exchanged glances through the curtain. For now, it seemed best to let the Holins proceed. After all, they had volunteered to take charge of the Royalists.
“What is the Royalists’ demand?”
“They want full recognition of their autonomy.”
“That’s impossible.”
Jin cut them off sharply.
Bariel’s support for the Royalists was partly to prolong the civil war and sow chaos, but more importantly, to strengthen Bariel’s control through the Royalists.
Now they demanded autonomy? That was a rejection of everything Bariel had given them.
“Bariel took a long detour through the northern region to deal with the anti-Royalists. If the Royalists had cooperated and opened the way, we wouldn’t have had to go through all this trouble. Moreover, they contributed nothing to the capture of Agiar or the elimination of Rutherford. So why should we grant them autonomy? With Burgos fallen, it seems they’ve even sold their shame.”
Danit smiled tightly, saying nothing in response. She seemed amused but inwardly unsettled by the young emperor’s bluntness.
Ian caught her attention and asked, “You mentioned the officer who came with you?”
“Yes, Sir Chandet. Bariel recognizes him as a Royalist loyalist and uses him to sow discord. If you find him troublesome, feel free to dispose of him as you see fit.”
She called it a gift to the Emperor.
Ian realized this was her safety net—an insurance policy to absolve the Holin family if suspicion ever fell on them.
“Your Majesty.”
If Danit and Kayla wanted to survive, they would have to eliminate the Royalists eventually. Ian signaled to Jin to trust and wait. Jin nodded and ordered Chandet to be brought forward.
“Ahem.”
“This way.”
“Let me go. I’m no hostage.”
Chandet roughly shook off a soldier’s grip, muttering.
He didn’t seem to realize he was a prisoner. Ian thought, Where did they find such a fool? Danit smiled brightly and winked at Ian.
“Kneel.”
“Y-Your Majesty, I am Sir Chandet II, Viscount of Burgos. I have come with Mrs. Danit to obey Your Majesty’s command. Ahem.”
“Raise your head.”
“Thank you…”
Suddenly, Chandet’s mouth snapped shut.
Through the curtain slit, Jin’s pale eyes and the long scar beneath them were visible. The Emperor was more fragile than expected, yet far more imposing.
“What is it you intend to do in obedience to my command?”
“Uh—ah—”
Jin was asking what Chandet was capable of.
He hesitated, then glanced at Danit.
“To begin a new history under the true unity of Bariel and Burgos. Only the present, bridging past and future, can make this possible.”
“Sounds like a fine speech.”
“Y-Your Majesty, I am honored.”
“Together with Mrs. Danit, take responsibility for rooting out those who disrupt the meeting of Bariel and Burgos. Can you do that?”
“Yes, absolutely! I will give my life!”
Chandet bowed deeply, swearing his oath.
The audience with the Emperor had been a success. The remaining question was what message to send to the Royalists.
“You asked who would come to Bariel in place of King Damon, Mrs. Danit.”
“Yes. But I am certain no one among them will sacrifice themselves for King Damon. I have felt this firsthand over the past decade of dealings here. Their cause will be undone with a single word.”
“There is one concern.”
“What is it?”
“The safety of Lady Kayla.”
“Do not worry. They are not fools. They know better than anyone the consequences of harming Kayla.”
“But isn’t that because they don’t know about the low-grade weapons supply?”
Chandet’s eyes flicked between Ian and Danit, clearly confused by their conversation.
Sacrifice for King Damon?
The Royalists’ cause?
And what’s this about low-grade weapons?
Danit lightly fanned herself, an unconscious gesture to dispel unease.
“The weapons’ poor quality won’t be noticed until battle. They’re all cleverly made, even veterans won’t detect it. Plus, we supplied separate training weapons.”
“That’s a relief. You may not know, but since Agiar, bandits have been rampant north of Burgos. They’ll surely head south looking for loot. But because Bariel’s forces have used this route, no bandits have appeared here.”
Danit stopped fanning. A map of Burgos flashed through her mind.
Of the five or six passes from north to south, Bariel’s army used only one. All eyes were on that route, so what was happening on the others remained unknown.
“It’s just a concern. Incidents always happen suddenly, especially in wartime.”
“Have you all calmed down?”
“Sigh, yes. Let’s try to discuss this calmly and with some decorum.”
“The same person who said that earlier sure knows how to flick ash from a cigarette.”
“Is this the moment to make a move?”
“Please! Just shut up already!”
The office was still noisy after Kayla left. Those clinging to their justifications and personal safety sharpened their tongues like poisoned blades, endlessly aiming for each other’s throats.
The exhausted ones took swigs of strong liquor, scowling once more. No matter what, they had to reach a conclusion before the meeting could end.
“Alright then, let’s get back to the discussion.”
“I don’t know. Why not just kill all those Bariel scum? What’s the big deal about losing a few people in wartime? The ones who drew their swords first were those two women over there, talking about ‘just cause’!”
“Didn’t we already decide that what happened earlier was unacceptable?”
“Ha! Honestly, it’s frustrating! How can you be so unimaginative? There are plenty of ways to kill without taking responsibility!”
“That’s because you don’t understand the situation on Danit’s side. First, we need to figure out how they might respond.”
“Damn it, damn it, damn it!”
Bang!
A man slammed his foot down on a drawer in a burst of anger.
Knock, knock.
“Excuse me.”
“What is it?”
“We’ve received a message from the 12th Western Guard.”
What now? My head’s already pounding.
“They reported that a band of bandits, apparently coming down from the north, appeared and were completely wiped out.”
“So? What of it? Good job.”
“But there’s a problem…”
The messenger shrugged, unsure if the report was accurate.
“They said… there might be some issues with the weapons.”