Chapter 176

Around the time when I was awaiting a response from the Empire, the Empress summoned me.

She was a hero in the war against narcotics.

Without her, attacking the Empire might have been twice as hard.

Throughout her homesick days, she maintained her connections and even once interfered in the affairs of the Inner Court.

Though she lost her princess title, the information she gathered during that time remained intact. I used it to efficiently infiltrate the Empire.

‘The Empress must not have done all this conveniently either.’

Once, this woman sacrificed her daughters to protect her homeland.

But in the Empire, the situation she had feared back then was unfolding, even more horrifically than she could have imagined.

That’s why, I heard her consumption of coca tea has increased lately. Right now, she held a teacup in her hand.

“Your Majesty, Empress.”

“Hmm.”

She briefly replied before moistening her red lips with coca tea.

Then, she said:

“I hope we can show them some way to survive.”

It was a petition to the Empire.

Is she feeling guilt now?

Her expression was too calm for it. Then,

“…Seems like the Empire’s reply came to you first, Your Majesty.”

“It must be because you used my name to send a message to my mother. …Seems like they really believe that it was sent by me. Or maybe they are desperate enough to rely on me as well.”

“By any chance, what was the content?”

“They suggested starting peace negotiations.”

“Negotiations, you say.”

It meant they wanted to end the war which most citizens did not even know had broken out.

An equal negotiation was impossible.

After all, all we had suffered was the infiltration of morphine into fewer than thirty towns and villages.

There were many damages yet to be calculated, but they were not fatal. We were capable of withstanding these aftereffects.

In comparison, the Empire…

“Understand this. They know, at the court and my mother too, that this is not a peace negotiation but a surrender negotiation.”

“Mother now…?”

“Yes, my mother became the regent.”

So, she ultimately followed my advice.

The Empress Dowager may be one of the elders of the Empire, but it wasn’t like she could become regent just because she wished. Her words held no power while the Emperor was alive. This meant the Emperor Tang Yeon-cheol was no longer in good health.

The Empress seemed to already know the details.

“Things seem dire for Yeon-chul after the incident in the Taetae Palace. Frankly speaking, it’s disturbing.”

It seemed as if he had fallen victim to phenylacetone and fentanyl disguised as spices in the Taetae Palace.

The concubine who had shared his bed was found dead after inhaling incense smoke from an incense burner placed near his bed for more than four hours.

It was a miracle that Tang Yeon-cheol survived. Maybe because it was second-hand smoke.

‘He doesn’t have much time left.’

The urgent proposal for negotiations from the Empire must have been because of this as well. They would want to clean up the harm caused by fentanyl before Emperor Tang dies. They would want to avoid a change in leadership amidst this uncertain situation.

The same desperation was felt by the Empress as well.

“We shouldn’t drive the Empire to extremes, Alan.”

“Your Majesty.”

“Though they’ve approached the negotiations with a stiff attitude, unable to let go of their dignity, I see the Empire as ready to accept their defeat. Originally, no one except Tang Yeon-cheol wanted this war.”

“…”

“Therefore, please open up a way of survival for them. I implore you.”

It was a request to maintain at least some dignity, as the battle had already been decided.

It was a request not to turn the Empire into a failed state.

Logically speaking, it was right.

Chasing a cornered enemy to the end isn’t a wise move. If they have no retreat, the Empire might fight to the death. Worse, their army, driven to despair, may invade our Empire.

‘Right, we need to end this through negotiations.’

Right now, the Empress was staring at me intently.

Her half-reclined posture indicated comfort, but her pale, ailing face betrayed her unease.

She was worried that a phrase like, “To eliminate future threats, this is insufficient,” or “I will save only those who are closely acquainted with you, Empress,” might slip from my lips. Given the deeds I have done, her suspicion was normal.

“Otherwise, are you set on taking this to the end?”

The Empress suddenly murmured and then closed her eyes.

What remained was my decision.

It wasn’t impossible to push the Empire once more before they formally surrendered.

Given that Emperor Tang’s authority has significantly waned, applying pressure a few more times would surely lead them to unconditional surrender.

But is it really necessary? I slowly shook my head.

“No, I will accept the negotiation.”

“Do you mean it?”

“However, there is a condition. The Emperor must change.”

“…”

“We need someone on the throne with whom we can communicate. I believe Emperor Tang has a son, but we cannot overlook his ascension. Someday, he will surely revenge his father.”

Upon these words, the Empress slowly opened her eyes. I continued calmly.

“We need to replace the Emperor with a royalties who can communicate well with us. …Moreover, we need to document that the Britannia Empire has interfered in the succession process. Only then can we prevent any future betrayal.”

If the Britannia Empire interferes in the Empire’s family affairs and keeps this fact secret, we can always have leverage over them. If they do not want an illegitimate emperor in the future, they will have to listen to us.

This was the ‘first’ condition I intended to impose on the Empire.

“Is this acceptable?”

After a brief contemplation, the Empress nodded in relief.

The Empress’s request ended there.

She did not ask for any allies, princes, or kings she could influence to be seated on the throne, nor did she ask for any favors for the friends she had known in her youth. She probably wanted to make up for the wrongs she had done in her homeland in such a way.

“Thank you.”

As the negotiations with the Empire became set in stone.

Though it would seem to be an equal peace negotiation on the surface, it was fundamentally a surrender negotiation.

“I would appreciate it if you could inform the Empire’s envoys to come.”

I decided to again convey my acceptance through the Empress to the court of the Empire.

And I began preparing to welcome the envoys.

Not to prepare drugs for entertainment purposes — we already had an abundance of them.

…

Two weeks later.

I was in the port city of Iduino Port.

It was to personally welcome the envoys sent from the Empire.

Though the distance wasn’t so short that they could arrive in two weeks after forming the envoy — even with magic and teleportation, limitations existed. However, they were scheduled to arrive in a little over ten days due to the use of one of the drug routes I had pioneered.

It was a humiliating journey for them, but it was the quickest.

“Director. They will be arriving soon.”

Upon hearing this, I immediately headed to the dock.

There would be no complaints if I received them in the negotiation venue set up at the office.

I was both the president of the Privy Council equivalent to the Empire’s Taishi and the fiancé of the Heiress Apparent.

Above all, it was not us but them who were in a desperate situation right now.

Still, there was a reason for my personal reception.

I had something to show them to stamp out even the last shard of resistance in their hearts and to facilitate smooth negotiations.

**

“Sir Gwangrokdabu! That man is a foe!”

The translator shouted in alarm.

Han Hokeung, who had arrived after a forced march under the orders of the Regent Empress Dowager, looked towards where the translator pointed with a fatigued expression, eager to see what kind of man Alan Medoff was.

Whether understanding Han Hokeung’s feelings or not, the translator was in a panic at the side.

He knew as he had accompanied a previous envoy. The man purely enjoyed feeding narcotics to others, and no matter how cautious you were, it was useless. He creates a situation where you cannot refuse to take it. Perhaps he might use drugs on us too, and we must be extremely vigilant.

“Understood. That’s enough.”

“If carefulness has any meaning, that’s only when it’s within the enemy’s intentions. Everything relies on him, doesn’t it.”

Yeah, it does. Han Hokeung, recalling the bitter smile and gazed upon Alan Medoff.

The young Westerner with several attendants around him, a tall stature even compared to the average elite soldiers, possessed ash-colored hair.

Contrarily to the infamous rumors circulating in the Empire — that he had horns or that his skin was grotesquely mottled from testing poisons on himself — none of these were evident on this man.

Just a young man.

Some of Han’s grandsons were older than him.

“Is this man truly the one who perpetrated such atrocity?”

Because of his strategies, countless people have lost their lives, and others turned into the restless ganging-zombies wandering the streets.

Han Hokeung, unable to truly grasp this, blankly stared at the man.

The moment of silence was soon disrupted when Alan Medoff suddenly raised a hand, pointing somewhere.

“What…?”

Han Hokeung and others in the envoy looked on suspiciously.

A distance of some twenty meters…

There were a few cattle on the deck of the anchored ship.

Cattle? Han Hokeung frowned, wondering if his senses were still intact, but his doubt was fleeting. As soon as Alan Medoff nodded, a man leisurely disembarked from the ship.

Then, smoke began to rise from the deck.

Thick smoke that covered the deck spread widely.

From within the smoke, pitiful cries emerged.

“Moohh!”

“Thud thud! Mooh…”

The sounds soon subsided.

…

As the smoke cleared.

The scattered animals lay motionless, quiet like death. It was unclear from the distance whether they were dead or merely unconscious. However, the important fact was that these large cattle, peacefully and vacantly standing on the broad deck, had fallen within a short moment.

“Ah.”

Han Hokeung sighed deeply and turned back to look at Alan Medoff, fully understanding the reason for being shown this upon arrival.

It must mean ‘be thankful that we didn’t use this on the Empire.’ Or maybe it’s a warning that it would be used now if the negotiation goes poorly.

Indeed, this man was the monstrous devil he was rumored to be.

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