Chapter 48

Posted by Kuze, ? Views, Released on March 3, 2025

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The day after Cain had suggested using a dinner as a ruse.

Aria was making her way toward the North Gate Guard Bureau.

With her longsword, a backup dagger, a mace, and light armor protecting her vital points all firmly in place.

The members of the 3rd Guard Unit were similarly heavily armed as they followed behind her.

Shaking the snow off her bangs, Aria glanced down at the golden paper in her hand.

-To temporarily appoint Guardsman Aria, Captain of the 3rd Guard Unit of the North Gate Guard Bureau, as an Imperial Inspector.

-All citizens must fully cooperate with the investigation. The actions of the Inspector reflect the will of the Royal Family.

-Execute the enforcement of order. End of message.

During the reign of the previous emperor, an inspector had only been appointed once.

The day that inspector left the palace on the emperor’s orders, a baron’s house was stripped of their noble title and vanished from the world overnight.

Though only temporary, such authority had been granted to Aria.

Calmly suppressing her racing heart, Aria recalled Cain’s explanation from the night before.

“Surprise is most effective when your opponent is completely off guard. We need to move immediately tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?”

“Yes. Our first target is the Captain of the North Gate Guard Bureau. Then apprehend all the targets listed here. Working with the royal knights who’ve already been mobilized, escort them all to the Eastern Grand Plaza.”

The paper Cain handed over contained the names and addresses of certain trading firms and mercenaries.

“These are…”

“Slave traders and slave hunters. Even illicit merchants usually have some basic security measures, and we need to obtain them. If there’s any information related to the nobility, be sure to hand it over to the royal knights.”

Though it appeared on the surface to be an anti-corruption drive by a justice-minded duke, Aria instinctively felt there was another goal, and that she was merely an intermediate step.

Still, there was no need to question it.

One doesn’t overly ponder the thoughts of those above. Simply carry out the tasks assigned and patiently wait, and the appropriate reward will come.

“You have me, and His Majesty behind you. Remember that.”

Cain lightly tapped Aria’s shoulder as she scrutinized the document.

“I hope you don’t disappoint me. It’d be troublesome if the carefully chosen pieces turn out to be useless.”

Having finished her reminiscing, Aria turned her head.

Her 3rd Guard Unit members were following tense-faced.

Before departure, she’d given them a brief explanation of the situation.

The 3rd Guard Unit was a team comprised of those who lacked connections or had fallen out of favor with the bureau chief, naturally resulting in poor treatment and much dissatisfaction toward the chief and his followers.

Aria and the members exchanged nods, and then…

Bang!

The old entrance to the guard bureau was roughly thrown open.

The biting wind carried a flurry of snow inside.

Before the bureau staff could voice their irritation at the sudden cold and commotion, Aria and the 3rd Guard Unit had already entered.

“What, what is this?”

“What’s going on… Eh?”

“Aria, Bureau Captain?”

Tension rippled through the staff at the appearance of Aria and the armed group.

Judging from their expressions and posture, it was clear their intentions weren’t friendly.

As the staff cautiously reached for their weapons, Aria at the front raised an official document.

“I command under the authority of the Imperial Inspector!”

Unlike her usual composed demeanor, Aria’s fiery shout pierced the ears of the bureau staff.

“The North Gate Guard Bureau, effective immediately, is to halt all operations and fully cooperate with the Inspector’s investigation! All authority of the Guard Bureau is suspended until the investigation concludes, and a full explanation regarding the results is required!”

Though wanting to dismiss it as nonsense, none dared to speak against the golden document glowing faintly in Aria’s hand.

At the bottom of the document was the clear seal of Falenberk. There wasn’t a single capital official who wouldn’t recognize it.

Having scanned the surroundings with a nod, Aria’s unit began moving.

The sight of the bureau staff being roughly subdued and dragged out. Some resisted violently but were beaten into submission.

Outside the bureau was filled with the screams of those subdued, while inside the sound of scattered documents being overturned echoed.

Just as Aria and the 3rd Guard Unit were about to move to the second floor…

An anger-filled shout rang out.

“What nonsense is this!”

A middle-aged noble with a flushed face rapidly descended the stairs with his bulky body.

The furious bureau chief had arrived, shaking his ornate medals on his uniform and pointing accusingly.

“You insane commoners…! Do you even know where you are to dare draw your swords and cause chaos? Do you all want to die?”

The bureau chief locked eyes with Aria’s calm blue gaze.

“I seriously advise you prepare yourself if you can’t properly explain this. All of you from the 3rd Guard Unit!”

The wave of malevolent intent caused a chill to run down Aria’s spine.

A high-ranking official and noble who normally wouldn’t even glance at someone like her.

Considering the connections he had, it likely reached even to the high-ranking officials of the palace. A situation where everyone’s heads could roll with a mere breeze.

However, Aria calmly spoke.

I am carrying out His Majesty’s orders as an inspector. Chief of the Guard Bureau.

The bureau chief was taken aback.

Inspector? Imperial orders? Chief of the Guard Bureau? Could someone have reported to the palace? Impossible.

Aria’s composed attitude caused the bureau chief to smirk and draw his sword.

“Who do you commoners think you are to invoke the Emperor’s name? Inspector nonsense, enough of that!”

Ignoring Aria and her unit’s serious faces, the bureau chief continued.

“Thought you were so special after getting that position? You’re supposed to be maintaining order in the capital, yet you dare disrupt it using false pretenses…”

The bureau chief turned his gaze toward the empty entrance.

The fierce snowstorm outside revealed his loyal subordinates either bound or sprawled unconscious.

“Immediately release those you’ve detained and have everyone prostrate here!”

At the bureau chief’s authoritative shout, the guards exchanged glances.

Aria lightly smiled and said,

“We act by the orders of Her Majesty the Empress and His Grace the Duke. You’re the one who should be prostrating, Chief of the Guard Bureau.”

At her words, the bureau chief’s face turned red as he quickly approached.

“You little whelp!”

Just as he was about to deliver a slap…

Someone suddenly appeared in a blur and grabbed the bureau chief’s arm.

“What…!”

The bureau chief turned to find himself looking into black eyes.

The sudden appearance was shockingly familiar.

“H, h, His Grace the Duke…!”

Looking down at the astonished bureau chief, Cain quietly spoke.

“I temporarily appointed Inspector Aria.”

“Wha…!”

The bureau chief’s eyes darted to the document in Aria’s hand.

The golden document. Could it be real?

Considering the influential faction he had backing him, the bureau chief attempted to calmly speak.

“Even so, Your Grace. There should’ve been some prior consultation with Duke Lucanov or Schurantz, or at the very least Commander Hellingger.”

“Hahaha!”

Cain, who laughed heartily then wiped his expression, looked down at the bureau chief.

“What a funny idea. Are we, or Her Majesty, their servants?”

“…Ah, no.”

Throwing the pale-faced bureau chief aside, Cain turned.

“Inspector Aria, proceed as planned.”

“Understood. North Gate Bureau Chief, you’re under emergency arrest on charges of aiding crimes and high treason!”

“Crime…treason?! What are you talking about! Your Grace! Duke! It’s unjust…!”

As the bureau chief thrashed about while restrained by guards, Cain walked out of the bureau.

The destination was the inner fortress, specifically the mansion of Norman Bradden.

Cain strode confidently through the snowstorm, flanked by a neatly arranged royal knight squadron.

*

Norman Bradden was pacing restlessly in his study, mulling over the news that Cain had arrived in the capital the previous day.

“Monster…”

Despite sending three mana users, he had somehow survived.

Cain MacBilian had to be a mana user. Nothing else made sense.

Cain had successfully returned to the capital alive meaning the three knights sent south had all perished.

The results from the South Gate guard indicated that Cain had entered with royal knights only, without the knights’ corpses or any particular luggage.

It was likely all the knights were dead, and the possibility that their true identities had been exposed was high.

“Fortunately, there’s no evidence.”

If they had been brought back alive, it would’ve been dangerous, but since all were dead, things were different.

Cain wouldn’t recognize the faces of all the knights, which was why he had contacted not the nobles in the palace but the nobles from the western region.

There had been an incident where the chamberlain had led the royal knight squad and imprisoned a few nobles.

They had foolishly conspired with Count Silvester’s agents and also knew about the troops sent south.

That could be used to cover up the knights’ sending.

There was also Ganess among the knights sent south, but it didn’t matter since all records related to Ganess had been erased from the point of departure.

“Head Butler, what’s the status of the replies from the families we contacted?”

“We received positive replies from Duke Lucanov. The letters sent to the eastern and western regions expressed full cooperation.”

“So, what about the ones involved with the illicit merchants in our businesses?”

“As instructed, we’re checking connection points and erasing traces. It will take about three days.”

Satisfied with the butler’s smooth answers, Norman nodded.

It was never bad to prepare ahead.

The purge that suddenly happened at the start of winter.

Looking at the details of the nobles whose heads rolled back then, very few actually died for rebellion.

Only about three-tenths actually conspired with foreign powers. The rest were just things Cain had used to frame them and make them fall.

Most were old faces from various factions, highlighting Cain’s intention to weaken the factions.

This time, Cain was likely to find various excuses to pile on the pressure again.

Therefore, they needed to be prepared—to be ready to counter any tricks Cain would try.

“The factions can’t abandon me.”

Bradden played a key role in the circulation of funds and supply of goods for the eastern faction.

If Norman himself disappeared, the eastern faction would inevitably receive a heavy blow.

While someone would likely fill the vacancy, it would take time to fully recover.

The western faction could seize that opportunity, or even worse, MacBilian could completely tighten the eastern faction’s leash.

To prevent such unprecedented situations, they needed to form a tight network preventing anyone from interfering.

It wasn’t the time for internal conflict within the factions.

They needed to bring MacBilian down.

This wasn’t the time to idly squabble among themselves.

If this continued, power would consolidate in MacBilian’s hands, and the declining imperial authority would rise again.

The era built by the nobility over a long winter would come to an end.

All because of that naive frontier noble!

“No…”

MacBilian wasn’t some lowly frontier noble anymore.

Using his youth and appearance deceitfully, he was an imperial noble and knight who could easily defeat mana users and was already one of the power’s peak.

For reasons unknown, the Empress was actively supporting him.

“What a puppet…”

When winter ends, they would need to focus all their attention.

Cooperate together to make MacBilian fall. And with the Empress rising again, completely crush her and run this empire according to their preferences.

“First, I should leave the capital and hide for a while…”

Just as Norman turned from the window to move, there was a commotion.

“Mas, Master! Something terrible happened!”

The butler, disregarding usual etiquette, burst into the study in apparent haste.

The pale, sweat-drenched appearance of the butler gave Norman a foreboding sensation.

“Whatever it is, don’t burst in without etiquette!”

“S, sorry, Master! It’s an emergency!”

Without even pausing to catch his breath, the butler rushed to speak.

“The captain of the North Gate guards has been arrested by an inspector on charges of high treason!”

“North Gate?…”

A middle-aged face wearing a navy uniform faintly surfaced in his memory.

It was the person he had personally placed there. Arrested on charges of high treason?