Chapter 144

“I trust you.”

With those final words, the Emperor quietly arose.

Where was he going? Neither I nor Victoria, now enthroned as the Heiress Apparent, could hide our bewildered expressions as we followed the Emperor with our gaze.

As if sensing our stares, the Emperor paused momentarily.

“Lord Chair of the Privy Council, please approach.”

I readily complied.

Though it is true the Emperor had passed on the heavy responsibility of governance to his daughter and seemed to be fleeing somewhere, he is nonetheless the Emperor. The ruler of the Empire still resided in him.

“I am fatigued. I must rest in the back garden.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“As a token of trust for the Heiress Apparent, I wish to bestow the orb. Lord Chair, please relay this to the Heiress.”

With that, the Emperor handed me the orb he had been holding.

‘Surely, this should not be given now?’

The Orb. A golden sphere adorned with the figure of a dragon.

One of the three symbols of imperial authority, alongside the imperial seal and crown.

While the crown and seal are powerful symbols with little actual function, the orb was different. A legendary item gifted to the Empire’s founding monarch by an ancient dragon, it was even imbued with a dragon’s magical blessing.

To transfer this to Victoria bore great significance.

The officials exchanged uneasy glances. They were likely shocked by the rapid transfer of power. The Emperor seemed to recognize this, his lips twitching slightly.

“You all seem surprised. But not you, I assume, Alan Medoff.”

“Your Majesty.”

“Understand this. My vigour has waned, and I lack the confidence to overcome this trying time.”

“…”

“Quickly relay it. I shall rest.”

With this, the Emperor forcefully handed me the orb before truly leaving.

Surely, he wouldn’t escape beyond the palace gates. It was likely he would indulge his wine habit in the vast gardens. He used to mix whiskey with his tea to deceive onlookers, but now he might just float tea leaves in his whiskey.

In any case, the Emperor was gone.

An unsettling silence lingered across the grand hall filled with hundreds of people.

“Ahem!”

The silence was broken by a cough from one of the Chinguk envoys.

Right. Something had to be done.

I immediately turned to Victoria.

“Heiress Apparent. Please receive the regalia.”

“Alan Kim… no, Lord Alan.”

“I know you must be surprised. But His Majesty has made what he believes to be the best judgment for the current situation. Moreover, he has even bestowed the orb. I do not think it wise to reverse this decision.”

At my words, Victoria finally accepted the orb.

She promptly stood before the imperial throne.

As her official ‘advisor’, I positioned myself right beside her, which seemed most fitting for my current role. Victoria quietly stared at me for a while before finally speaking.

“Lord Alan.”

“What may I assist you with?”

“I wish to decide the disposition of the envoys. Would it be permissible to detain them all?”

“Not advisable.”

My firm rejection startled Victoria. Normally, she trusts my words first and questions their validity later. However, her rage against Chinguk was immense, likely because it was their provocation that led her father to abandon governance.

“Why shouldn’t we detain them?”

“If we imprison them, it will only aid Crown Prince Tang Yeon-cheol of Chinguk. Without needing to address their envoys directly, he could rise against a state led by a supposed illegitimate ruler, gaining control of the court.”

“Was that their intent from the start?”

“That is my belief. Regardless, it would be best to return them to Chinguk.”

“Still…”

Victoria hesitated.

This would not go on for long.

After all, I had no intention of simply sending them back unscathed. This was not out of hostility—they arrived as emissaries of an official declaration of war, yet they are those who reduced our Emperor to this state.

Though I plan to send them back, they will not leave unscathed. Retribution is necessary.

“Heiress Apparent. How about a farewell banquet in their honor? I shall preside over it.”

After briefly considering my suggestion, Victoria nodded in agreement.

She immediately instructed the Chief Steward to prepare the banquet. It might seem strange to send off envoys who’ve committed diplomatic offenses with well-fed bellies, but no one voiced any concern, perhaps because everyone sensed it would not be a regular banquet.

***

Half a day later.

Three hundred Easterners sat awkwardly in the palace Grand Banquet Hall, the envoy delegation assembled for the farewell banquet.

I scanned the Chinguk delegation from my place of honor.

“This is a farewell banquet gifted by the Heiress Apparent to encourage those about to embark on a long journey.”

Enjoy it thoroughly.

As I smiled and urged them on, the chief envoy hesitantly expressed gratitude.

Naturally, with the expectation of at least being detained, and perhaps even exiled or executed, they likely found our unexpected banquet suspect. But they were in no position to question my motives outright.

“Excuse me.”

“If you believe I am insufficient in rank to preside over such a farewell, rest assured. I have just received the Emperor’s command and taken the position of Privy Council Chairman. To equate, in Chinguk, this would be akin to the rank of Chief Minister.”

“It’s not that—”

“Then what is it?”

Chief Envoy Han Guang-yun instead stared apprehensively at the wineglass before him.

Specifically, he gazed at the deep red wine filling the glass.

The exact wine that had been served to them when they first arrived in the State.

The only difference this time being the cocaine added to the mixture.

At a minimum, twelve milligrams of cocaine had been mixed into each serving. Truly, one would need double that amount for recreational use, but even so, twelve milligrams would act as an effective tonic.

‘Of course, they must have their suspicions.’

Yet, they couldn’t refuse.

They had offended me before by rejecting the wine I had offered when they initially arrived. Moreover, with relations between our countries deteriorating to an unprecedented level, it would be unwise to display suspicion in a banquet where the Empire showed restraint and courtesy.

Eventually,

“Go on… drink, please.”

Chief Envoy Han Guang-yun raised his glass first.

The remaining members followed with ghastly expressions, drinking the wine.

Among them were high-ranking officials out-ranking ministers of the six boards, younger officials close to the Cheon-ja’s court, scholars of the inner council, and subordinate interpreters who accompanied them to ensure practical work was handled.

But it wasn’t just the officials present.

Where the Empire had its knights and mages, the East had martial artists and sorcerers.

Numerous high-level martial artists, including the head of the Danmook family, had accompanied the envoys.

And there were also merchants and artists.

As if showcasing the might of a superpower, they were a gathering of celebrities.

‘It wouldn’t be right to keep them here indefinitely.’

It would be better to “pickle” them in drugs and return them to Chinguk. Working against such a vast nation as Chinguk would require time.

Of course, mild cocaine-flavored wine, like Vin Mariani, wouldn’t be enough to “pickle” them. That’s why other preparations were underway. Sierra was overseeing her staff based on my request as we awaited the items necessary.

Fortunately, the reactions of the Chinguk delegates were positive.

“Is it good?”

“Surprisingly tasty. No, it shouldn’t be surprising. Please excuse my inadvertent comment.”

“It’s fine. You were likely suspecting drugs, weren’t you? Actually, I have indulged in nefarious acts in the past. This wine does have something added, but it’s not heroin. Instead, it’s an herbal remedy known for its invigorating effects.”

“…”

“I do not solely create lethal substances. Originally, I intended to gain recognition of its efficacy and carve out a market in Chinguk. Now, it has become more challenging.”

With that, I chuckled and sipped my wine, though mine was the regular variety.

This didn’t entirely eliminate their suspicions.

Still, it seemed to at least lower their guard. Those who had already sampled the cocaine wine could drink more freely. The wine’s genuine invigorating effects also contributed to this ease.

“Just one more…!”

One of the martial artists loudly demanded more wine in the Chinguk dialect.

An official praised the wine’s effectiveness, claiming it made his chest feel light and his pores open wide.

A young interpreter, who earlier appeared morose, now happily sipped the beverage.

‘They all seem to be enjoying it.’

For now, they likely experienced only pleasant feelings.

A re-energized zest for life, a flood of euphoria, an enhancement of concentration.

Instead of dangerous, they likely felt rapidly invigorated.

“The visitors from Chinguk request more wine.”

“Let them have it without restraint.”

The banquet carried on for over five hours.

The envoys consumed over two hundred bottles of the cocaine wine.

The martial artists, particularly excited by the cocaine’s stimulating effects, rushed outside the hall to practice sparring, which the audience watched with delight. The atmosphere of stiffness had dissipated long ago.

I then generously bestowed gifts on the now merry envoys.

“Gifts on behalf of the Heiress Apparent. Perhaps a cup when you feel weary will help.”

“Thank you…!”

Unsurprisingly, these gifts also contained cocaine and, this time, heroin.

It was only necessary to add heroin to the prepared cocaine wine, allowing us to assemble well over a thousand bottles in a relatively short time. With this quantity, they could host a drug party on their way home or fight amongst themselves for the limited resources.

“Much effort has been made.”

Chinguk will soon receive their drug-addled delegation.

But this was merely the beginning.

I now intend to estimate costs for the actual operation.

To achieve it, there was one person I needed to meet.

Preferably someone who can cooperate, though if necessary, they should be removed.

Empress Lianhua, abandoned by her homeland.

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