Chapter 92: The Envoy’s Declaration

“Wait. The palace entrance?”

A sudden thought made Belma frown and ask again.

“How did an envoy reach the palace entrance?”

There are three walls in the capital, Nailium.

Outer wall, inner wall, royal palace.

Arriving at the palace entrance meant passing through the outer and inner walls.

Yet Belma had received no report.

The situation meant one thing.

A problem in the defense system.

“I’ll confirm it.”

“Confirm thoroughly, and bring the envoy with Butler Lord Orden.”

“I receive your command.”

Palace Knight Commander Orden bowed and left the conference hall with the chief butler.

As soon as Orden and the butler exited, a noble who had been watching the mood stepped forward, prostrated, and shouted.

“Your Majesty! The reason for the Varta Kingdom’s envoy is highly likely peace!”

“Count Lemun. So what do you want to say?”

“You must accept the peace!”

Belma said nothing.

Instead, he scanned the others around him.

Except for a few anti-war faction members with Lemun, everyone showed discomfort.

Belma answered Lemun.

“I’ll think about it.”

“Thank you!”

Lemun returned to his seat with a wide smile.

Belma watched Lemun’s back and thought.

How frustrating.

He had told Lemun he would think about it.

But it was an empty promise.

The decision wouldn’t change.

And for good reason—the anti-war faction, including Lemun, was less than 10%.

The rest all wanted war.

Preparations were nearly complete.

If Belma gave the order now, most would march toward the Varta Kingdom.

But accepting peace in this situation?

There would be fierce backlash.

It was a situation where even a civil war like Varta’s wouldn’t be strange.

In other words, surrender might be possible, but peace was impossible.

What should I do?

He couldn’t completely ignore Lemun’s anti-war faction.

Every member of the anti-war faction was exceptionally capable.

If they disappeared, administration would suffer.

At that moment.

“Your Majesty.”

Latus stood from his seat.

Belma couldn’t help but flinch at Latus’s aura.

And for good reason—Latus was staring at the anti-war faction, including Lemun.

With an extremely cold face.

“Do you remember what I said three days ago?”

“…!”

Belma couldn’t help but be shocked by Latus’s next words.

Three days ago, Latus had spoken of purging the anti-war faction.

Why bring that up here now?

***

The entrance to the Nail Kingdom’s royal palace.

More knights, soldiers, and shamans than usual were present at the entrance.

The reason for the increased numbers was Gaon.

Gaon ignored the many gazes fixed on him and thought.

Many have crossed the wall.

Gaon was currently scanning the entire palace with his senses.

As far as Gaon knew, there were seven in the Nail Kingdom who had crossed the wall—warriors, shamans, and others combined.

Three of them were at the border.

Yet now, within the palace, there were a full ten who had crossed the wall.

Even if all from the border had come, that was three extra.

Abyss?

The first thing that came to mind was Abyss.

Though not as much as the Bretan Kingdom, the Nail Kingdom had also fallen into Abyss’s grasp.

At that moment.

SWISH-

Gaon stopped scanning and turned his head toward the inner entrance.

Two people appeared through the entrance.

One was ordinary.

No particular energy was felt.

But the other was different.

One of the ten who had crossed the wall that Gaon had sensed.

The palace knight commander.

He wore armor engraved with the Nail royal family’s crest.

Meaning he belonged to the palace knights, and there was only one knight who had crossed the wall in the palace knights.

Palace Knight Commander Orden.

“I am Palace Knight Commander Orden.”

Orden, stopping in front of Gaon, spoke.

“I heard you are an envoy from the Varta Kingdom. What is your name?”

Orden’s eyes were endlessly cold.

He seemed displeased.

It was the desired reaction, so Gaon smiled and answered.

“Gaon.”

***

“Is it because of the name Gaon?

Or because of the informal speech?

Orden said nothing.

He just stared blankly at Gaon.

Gaon shifted his gaze from the dazed Orden to the man who came with him.

“You seem here to guide me, so guide me. Time is precious.”

“I am Chief Butler Eric. I will guide you.”

Eric, who had the same dazed expression as Orden, snapped out of it at Gaon’s words and turned.

He began walking ahead.

Gaon followed, and Orden regained his senses and followed behind.

…Hmm?!

Gaon tilted his head as he walked.

A fight broke out?

There was a place Gaon was paying attention to.

The place Eric and Orden had come from, and where they were heading now, where an unusually large number of people were gathered.

And right now, multiple energies were clashing there.

At that moment.

“If you show that rude behavior in front of His Majesty again, I will cut your throat immediately.”

Orden growled.

Gaon didn’t answer with words.

He just smirked in response.

Orden’s anger grew even more at Gaon’s smile.

But that was all.

Orden suppressed his anger without expressing it.

Gaon focused on the place where the fight had broken out.

The level difference between the two groups fighting was extreme.

The clash ended in less than 30 seconds.

What happened?

Gaon was extremely curious.

What on earth had happened?

Why did the fight break out?

Soon after, Gaon arrived at the destination.

“Show courtesy to His Majesty the King.”

Eric, walking ahead, spoke to Gaon and opened the door.

Gaon entered and quickly scanned the interior.

Huh.

As soon as he scanned inside, Gaon inwardly sighed.

Half?

He had thought there would be many from Abyss.

But there were more than he thought.

Nearly half had received the seal.

Especially, all who had crossed the wall except Orden were from Abyss.

Though not certain, the two absent were likely from Abyss as well.

SWISH-

After finishing the interior check, Gaon looked back at the corner.

In the corner, bloodied people were bound.

They were the losers of the fight.

Judging by their attire, they weren’t low-status.

What reason did they fight for, and why were they in such a state?

SWISH-

Gaon turned his head forward again.

In front, a middle-aged man sat on the high seat with a solemn face.

It was clearly King Belma Nail of the Nail Kingdom.

STEP!

Eric, walking ahead, stopped.

Orden, following behind, spoke.

“Stop and show courtesy.”

At Orden’s words, Gaon stopped walking.

But he didn’t show courtesy.

He took out the letter from his pocket—the declaration of war—and unfolded it.

“Listen, King Belma Nail of the Nail Kingdom.”

He immediately began reading the declaration of war.

“Surrender. Surrender and compensate for everything, and the royal family may survive. Refuse, and not only the royal family but the Nail Kingdom will perish.”

The declaration of war was not long.

It was extremely brief.

But its content was shocking in itself.

Gaon, finishing his words, looked at Belma.

Belma said nothing.

He just looked at Gaon with an absurd face.

Not just Belma.

Everyone present frowned, opened their mouths, or widened their eyes, staring at Gaon.

Silence fell, and Gaon quietly waited for a reaction.

“…What?”

Soon, Belma broke the silence.

“Not that we will surrender, but to surrender? So the royal family can survive?”

“Yes, you heard correctly.”

Gaon answered with a smile.

And at that moment.

“How dare you!”

Orden behind him spat out anger and reached for Gaon’s shoulder.

Of course, Orden’s hand never touched Gaon’s shoulder.

SLASH!

A wind blade suddenly appeared in the air and pierced Orden’s wrist.

THUD!

Orden’s hand fell to the floor.

“Argh!”

Orden screamed and stepped back.

It was a sudden situation.

Belma, not properly processing it, blinked.

But not everyone reacted like Belma.

Those guarding Belma moved to protect him.

And the seven others who had crossed the wall, excluding Orden, raised their energy.

Of course, they only raised their energy; they did nothing.

WHOOSH!

Gaon first released Pacheonki, dominating the surrounding space.

With overwhelming space domination, those who raised their energy, and everyone else, couldn’t move.

Silence fell again.

SWISH-

Gaon turned his head to the strongest among the seven who had crossed the wall and raised their energy.

The one with seals on his head and heart, an Abyss-affiliated shaman, clearly the head of the Latus faction, Latus.

“You must not have heard from Bagelina.”

Gaon said to Latus.

“You should have run immediately.”

At the mention of Bagelina, Latus flinched.

Not just Latus.

The Abyss-affiliated shamans with him and the Abyss members scattered around also flinched.

“S-Surely…”

Latus stammered in shock.

Gaon continued with a smile.

“Let’s talk step by step.”

Gaon spoke to Latus and cast magic.

SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!

Countless magic circles appeared.

CRACK!! CRACK!!

Extreme cold surged from the magic circles.

The seven who had crossed the wall, including Latus, recognized the magic circles.

But that was all.

They recognized them but couldn’t block the cold.

Like the others, they froze in the cold.

Having subdued all the Abyss members, including Latus, Gaon turned his head to Belma.

***

Belma blinked.

What is this…

He couldn’t understand the situation unfolding.

Is it a dream?

Swordmaster Orden’s wrist was cut off.

And many, including the kingdom’s strongest shaman Latus, were frozen.

The situation felt like a dream.

…It’s a dream.

It wasn’t just dream-like; it was definitely a dream.

Otherwise, the current situation made no sense.

Those who had crossed the wall were subdued without doing anything—how could it not be a dream?

“Hey, Belma.”

Gaon called Belma.

Belma flinched at Gaon’s call.

***

But that was all.

He didn’t open his mouth.

More precisely, he couldn’t.

His mind was blank about what to say in this situation.

When Belma didn’t speak, Gaon continued.

“How long are you going to look down? Come down and kneel.”