Though not classified as ‘clear heretics,’ the sacred-blood vampire Isabella Daywalker stood at the extreme opposite end of relations with the Ellington Holy Alliance, to the point where it could be said their relationship was the worst possible.
Naturally, she should have wanted to avoid encountering the Inquisitor from the Sixth Diocese.
Yet, she was showing interest in the news of the Beheading Priest’s visit to Granada.
This is troublesome.
Though known for her abundant curiosity, Cain knew she extremely disliked interference with her hobbies, so her reaction was an unexpected variable.
“Your Majesty? You seem quite flustered?”
Isabella directed a chilling voice toward Cain’s awkward expression, contrasting with her soft smile.
Cain tried to calmly hide his fluster, but it seemed he couldn’t deceive the eyes of a sacred-blood vampire who had lived through eternal time.
In his mind, the message sent by Isabella echoed.
-Your Majesty seems to know quite a lot about the dark side of the continent, unlike what is known to the world. Indeed, rumors can’t be trusted. Right?
It was voice transmission magic that delivered her voice directly to the targeted person.
As he moved his gaze—which had briefly turned elsewhere during her covert approach—back to face her directly, he saw Isabella with a faint smile on her lips, sending him a meaningful look.
-I was going to take it easy originally… but it seems I’ll have to be capricious. I’m curious how far Your Majesty sees and what picture you’re drawing.
Isabella’s voice echoed in his head again.
The face of Isabella reflected in Cain’s eyes showed considerable excitement.
Though not certain, it seemed his actions—stemming from the knowledge of the 32-year-old developer Kang Ji-hoon—had caused some kind of misunderstanding with Isabella.
However, her small misunderstanding appeared to have brought about a positive development for Cain.
Overestimation is troublesome.
It wasn’t intentional, but if this misunderstanding made Isabella Daywalker feel even greater interest, that was good in its own way.
There was no need to correct it.
“Of course, if my assassination cell members and I encounter the Holy Alliance’s Beheading Priest, many troublesome things will arise, so for the time being, we will leave the capital Granada and operate centered on our temporary base in the west.”
In any case, Isabella stated she would leave the capital Granada for a while depending on Cain’s reaction.
Only upon hearing her words did Cain feel relieved.
It seemed she had intended this from the beginning, and pretending interest in the Beheading Priest was likely a smokescreen to lightly probe Cain’s intentions.
“Contact?”
“For the time being, you can continue using the existing means of communication. Though it’s an old and cumbersome method, it’s proven and quite safe in its own way.”
Isabella Daywalker answered Cain’s question.
She meant they would continue using the raven messenger system.
This communication method used by the Hassassin appeared quite sloppy on the surface, but in reality, it was not.
First, the ravens used as messengers were trained to respond to specific sound waves, and for emergencies, they were engraved with self-destruct and incineration magic circles to protect secrets.
Moreover, only encrypted content was written on the notes exchanged through them, so there was no worry of secrets leaking.
“We of Nightmare will always await His Majesty the Emperor’s orders.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Isabella vanished into the crowd of passing pedestrians.
“That was a strange meeting.”
After Isabella Daywalker disappeared, Marquis Damien Pavel conveyed his impression in a dry voice, saying it was a ‘strange meeting.’
As a mage who had reached the realm of finding clues toward ‘truth’ even among Meister-class grand mages, he must have noticed early that Isabella was no ordinary being.
“I do not mean to oppose or question His Majesty’s will, but as a subject, may I ask one thing?”
When Cain permitted the question with a small nod instead of a reply, Marquis Pavel slowly opened his mouth.
“Will it be alright?”
It was a short phrase laden with much meaning.
Whether Isabella could be trusted, whether collaborating with her carried no risks, and if she escaped control, whether there was a way to restrain her.
In short, he was daring to ask if Cain could handle it.
However, Cain was calm.
“There will be no problem. Don’t worry too much.”
“I shall follow His Majesty’s will.”
Marquis Pavel bowed politely at Cain’s answer.
Fortunately, he raised no further questions.
CRASH!
A wine glass colliding with the luxurious marble floor shattered miserably with a sharp sound.
Small glass fragments scattered everywhere, and red wine soaked the floor.
“Damn it!”
The one who had thrown the wine glass to the floor was Hans Deneb, a duke who formed the core of the Five Dukes even in the Felberg Empire.
The reason he could not calm his rare anger and was fuming was due to the news delivered via transmission magic just moments ago.
Cain, of the Felberg bloodline who had awakened the ‘sacred traces’.
With him ascending to the throne, the imperial loyalist forces—which the Five Dukes faction had weakened over a long time—were regrouping.
The legitimacy of Felberg that the Five Dukes side had tarnished until now lay in the sacred traces themselves, which had not awakened for ages.
The authority held by Cain, who had awakened the sacred traces, was like a massive wave to the Five Dukes faction.
Therefore, to oppose them, Duke Hans Deneb was rallying his forces and recruiting external talents.
In place of the other dukes who were not as proactive as expected, he was unilaterally gathering assassins from various places to assassinate the emperor.
Most assassination cells based in the Felberg Empire or operating in neighboring countries were primary targets for Duke Deneb’s recruitment.
However, while most sent positive responses, there was one group he had poured the most effort into trying to win over.
“Those Nightmare bastards—why the hell did they side with that emperor scum!”
With Nightmare clearly expressing refusal via transmission magic, revisions to his strategy—which had gone awry—were inevitable.
“To think the emperor moved first…”
Duke Deneb ground his teeth with a face full of irritation.
Thanks to the assassins who had joined his side inquiring bit by bit about Nightmare’s news, the speculation that they were aligning with the imperial loyalists was gradually solidifying into fact.
But not just a simple refusal—they had sided with the imperial family?
This could not help but be perceived as a kind of provocation to Duke Deneb.
“Now calm down. Getting angry won’t make them turn back.”
From the dark, secluded shadow in the corner of the inner room, Imperial Count Lucius Blaine slowly walked out.
A man with purple hair, a monocle over his left eye, pale complexion, and sinister eyes exuding a cold, snake-like atmosphere.
Duke Deneb spewed rough anger toward Count Blaine.
“The emperor’s movements are unusual, Count. I have a bad feeling.”
Just as Cain was watching the Five Dukes forces, Duke Hans Deneb’s subordinates were also gathering information to read the imperial family’s actions.
It was impossible to monitor all of Cain and the imperial family’s movements, but even Duke Deneb alone could tell that their recent activities were busy and unusual.
However.
“Duke Deneb. Give up. It’s already too late to attempt assassination. Loyal nobles are gathering under the banner of the former wastrel. Heroes with immense power like Marquis Damien Pavel are flocking in. Naturally, the imperial castle’s defenses have strengthened to an incomparable degree.”
Transcendent forces.
A term referring to knights or grand mages at Meister level or above, also simply called ‘transcendents.’
The Felberg Empire’s imperial loyalists had lost most of their transcendent forces in the founding festival catastrophe to the shadow assassins’ attack.
Thus, the Five Dukes side had gained overwhelming superiority enough to crush the opposing forces.
Yet, with Cain Felberg—who had suddenly awakened the ‘sacred traces’—ascending to the throne, the imperial loyalists were recovering transcendent forces at a rapid pace.
Young paladins of the Imperial Church reaching Meister level through faith and belief in the emperor, or grand mages from a hundred years ago—who had been exiled and secluded—returning; the loyalists’ rise was filled with unbelievable news.
Due to the faster-than-expected recovery of the imperial loyalists’ forces, not only Duke Hans Deneb but the entire Five Dukes faction could not relax their tension.
“Though incomparable to their prime, the current imperial family has recovered many transcendent forces. With the Abyss Forge in a resting state at present, even if we push assassins into the imperial castle and order them to take the emperor’s head, we may not achieve the desired results.”
Count Lucius Blaine coldly snapped at Duke Hans Deneb, who could hardly regain his composure.
“Ha! So you’re saying we just sit here and take it?”
“Duke Deneb, I did not advise you to foolishly take it lying down. I merely opposed the meaningless plan of hiring all nearby assassins and shoving them into the imperial castle.”
“Damn it…”
“Don’t take offense and listen. I met with Duke Cosat Tiberia a few days ago.”
Duke Cosat Tiberia.
The words from Count Blaine—that he had met the wealthy great lord of the south, ranked 4th among the Five Dukes and also called ‘Tiberia of the Golden Castle’—made Duke Deneb’s expression somewhat surprised.
Even among the Five Dukes, ranks were inevitably divided due to differing influences.
Duke Hans Deneb was at the very bottom, while Duke Cosat Tiberia was one step above at rank 4.
Though not comparable to Duke Deneb who had reached Meister level, Duke Tiberia himself was a high mage at Grand Chevalier level.
But his true power was not just his personal strength.
The Tiberia ducal territory possessed vast southern plains and multiple mines rich in mineral veins, and based on the territory’s resources, the family dominated the ‘Southern Merchants’ Union,’ which directly operated 54 trading companies active not only in the Felberg Empire but across the continent.
Unlike Duke Deneb, who had risen to power through bone-cutting effort to reach the level of Meister sword saint, he was born with a golden spoon as a member of such a family.
For that reason, Duke Deneb did not have a good relationship with the unlucky Duke Tiberia.
In the current situation where other dukes were merely watching without marching on the capital Granada despite amassing large armies, this was why Duke Deneb—being closest—had not sought help from Duke Tiberia.
“Duke Tiberia…”
“From Duke Tiberia’s side, if you request support, Duke Deneb, they said they would provide military funding and even send the mercenary troops they had already hired.”
With the imperial family avoiding annihilation, the Five Dukes—who had lost the pretext to swallow the Felberg Empire—were hiring mercenaries and assassins across the continent while watching each other, spurring war preparations instead of attacking the imperial family first.
However, the reason no one could strike the imperial family first was the lack of justification.
Because it was not just any royal but Cain—who had awakened the ‘sacred traces’—ascending to the throne, the Five Dukes could no longer claim the prepared pretext of saving the empire from a corrupt imperial family.
If they clumsily drove troops to the capital Granada, they would be branded traitors attempting to overthrow the empire for personal greed, and most nobles—who had declared neutrality while watching—would side with the imperial family.
Thus, the Five Dukes faction was in the bizarre position of diligently preparing for war while advance remained distant.
Someone had to break this complicated situation.
Even if it was a bad move.