Southern Sacred City-State Federation.
Kanelle City Diplomatic Office.
“The ones making a fuss about the Academy are just fools blinded by their own greed. Life is about easy gains. If you spend all your days studying hard and missing out on fun, when will you get to enjoy yourself?”
Conrad Cookie, the rebellious youngest son of the prestigious Mage Cookie family, was ranting about the world’s logic.
Robert, the banished illegitimate son of the Empire’s famous Swordsmanship family, was enjoying the company of women at the diplomatic office, and he shot back sharply.
“Someone who won’t inherit the family name but lacks the talent to enter the Academy is talking big.”
“Are you saying that because you’re the one who was kicked out? Doesn’t it hurt at all?”
“Hah. Scared that when I return to the homeland, I’ll be stabbed by the assassin my brother sent? I’d rather live comfortably as a bastard than live like you.”
Life where yesterday is the same as today and today is the same as tomorrow.
Some may belittle it as an old man’s life waiting for death, but for them, it’s the wish of a lifetime.
Every day, they enjoy the relationships with the women of the small country, living in abundance without any lack, thanks to the power they hold.
As long as they can greedily pile up wealth until they get kicked out, they can set themselves up for life.
‘If I can hold out for 5 years, or even 10, I can live easily for the rest of my days!’
The young sons who have either dropped out of the succession game or forfeited are seeking refuge in the diplomatic office of the Southern Sacred City-State Federation.
The high-ranking officials here were supposed to take responsibility for their lives.
Bang!
“Damn. Who the hell barged in without permission? Didn’t I say not to let even a rat sneak in while we’re busy?”
The women who were smiling seductively at the Empire nobles quickly covered themselves with their hastily put-on clothes.
Conrad Cookie glared at the entrance, which normally would have a 60% chance of featuring a dumb-looking junior clerk delivering paperwork.
There’s a 30% chance that the second clerk would be there, annoyed at seeing his countrywomen fawning over foreign men but pretending not to see anything while pushing for paperwork.
The remaining 10% chance would be that the top clerk rushes in to hurry the women out in case of an incident.
“Deputy Gio?”
But today, the 10% chance turned out to be 9.9%.
The face of the official, who always had the same look and had known precisely what they were doing, appeared in panic.
“Get dressed immediately and send the women away.”
“Is there a major incident happening? Why all the fuss?”
“Shut up, you bastard. If he’s making a fuss, it means that something big has gone down. If things go wrong, one of us might be sent back home. A real disaster.”
The two hurriedly dressed and sent the women out the back door.
“Abigail. I’ve given you a generous allowance this week, so come and visit again!”
“Of course! I’ll definitely come back to see you, my lords!”
A woman dressed in revealing attire adorned with jewels around her neck, arms, and wrists laughed brightly as she opened the back door.
And then she looked up.
Up, up, and further up… endlessly, till her neck was at a vertical angle.
“Missy…”
“How delightful.”
A deep voice, akin to a lion’s growl, suddenly broke the pleasant atmosphere.
A large man without touching the woman knocked her aside and broke through the door and wall to step inside.
“Uh, who are you…?”
“Eungchilgeom.”
Conrad Cookie felt his heart racing madly at the shocking news.
“Do you know the meaning of that name?”
“The seven swordsmen who pledged loyalty to His Majesty the Emperor…”
“Not enough.”
“Being appointed as a patrol inspector on behalf of the Emperor’s will…”
“Still not enough.”
“May I ask… why have you come to the Kanelle City consulate?”
“There are two things I must do.”
The giant man turned toward the front entrance of the room.
Taking advantage of the chaos, Robert, the illegitimate son of the Cheese family, attempting to sneak out was knocked over clumsily.
A man in a blue uniform stood firmly at the entrance as if he was a statue, then took a step forward.
Thud.
As the floor of the consulate quaked, Robert further recoiled, crawling back inside awkwardly.
“One is to kill the head honcho. The other is to procure the sacrificial offering to hang alongside the head honcho. So tell me, who is your leader?”
“The 10th-level foreign affairs officer is currently vacant. The next in line, the departmental director, is also vacant, and currently, Kanelle City is sharing power among eight advisory members.”
The advisory members were originally a symbol of senior diplomats, holding a position equivalent to deputy director.
Naturally, sharing such an important position among eight people like this would have been impossible back at the homeland.
“Well, the elders of the council are really using the Emperor’s grace to screw around with positions.”
“Should I kill them?”
“Stop. Trash has its own way of being used. Leave this to me.”
The man in the blue uniform surveyed the playground of high-ranking officials, where the trash of noble families gathered.
A huge room that was not standard-sized.
They had partly dismantled the workspace of the staff and had modified a one-person advisory room into one for eight. Of course, many vacant seats were present.
If it weren’t for the peculiar sleeping habit of Conrad Cookie and Robert, who were taking up four of the empty chairs, there should be six more people here.
“Among the eight advisory members, who has the highest title?”
Conrad and Robert’s gazes turned towards the seat of “Count Blancer.”
In their eyes, there was neither respect nor fear.
Just casualness and sense of relief.
The man in the uniform understood the meaning behind that emotion.
“I’ll change the question. Who is in control?”
A late-blooming fear crept in.
Both men instinctively stiffened.
The one who had created this bizarre structure of eight advisory members was here.
Even amidst the presence of two Eungchilgeoms, someone was still trying to conceal the facts.
Despite the confusion, apparently, there was a reasonably skilled schemer among them.
“You may be aware of your gaze but not your pupils. Did you catch that glance just now?”
Romulus Viscount, Hugo Baron, Brandy Viscount.
As they pointed to the three seats, Conrad closed his eyes in frustration.
That dumb illegitimate brother should have fainted instead of being of no help till the end.
“Clever. You can block the pupils by closing your eyes.”
“…”
“But how will you hide the heartbeat?”
Conrad realized it.
Robert wasn’t the dumb one; it was he who was foolish.
Hiding the truth in front of them was impossible from the very start. It was a foolish act.
“Hugo Baron. Let’s start by hanging this friend’s neck.”
The man in the blue uniform leaned back against the sofa and flipped over a small hourglass.
“This hourglass is for 3 minutes. I hope you connect with Hugo within that time.”
As Conrad and Robert’s eyes rolled around nervously, the uniformed man coldly stated with an expressionless face.
“I don’t feel like doing extra work by killing an innocent diplomat.”
“…!”
“Three minutes is short. It’s already been 20 seconds. Is it okay to just sit there like that?”
The two jumped into action desperately towards the communication magic tool placed nearby.
*
Thief Guild Headquarters.
With the VIP Destroyer’s visit, Shu Churros from the volcanic branch was assigned to available personnel for security.
“Four gate guards, none.”
“Underground passage, none.”
“Two above-ground camouflage strongholds, none.”
“07:00 sharp, report results, all passages are clear, reporting.”
“Rest. Continue the normal watch and withdraw the night shift in 15 minutes, to be replaced by the day shift.”
Shu Churros was worried that some mishap might befall the facility housing the Foundation’s heir and the princess.
If anything were to happen, they’d have to turn the two Empire professors and the thief guild into enemies.
Furthermore, it would be foolish to get into trouble without even the courage to kill the enemies of the Foundation’s heir and the Empire’s second princess.
“Hmm? Wait a moment. Amplify the signal for the Mana Panel underground, waiting location 7. Yes, there.”
One of the guild members assigned to patrol had been idling in an unexpected place.
A chill ran down Shu Churros’s spine.
This is bad.
The eerie feeling he had experienced when enemies were rampant during the days of the Destroyer’s Warriors resurfaced, flowing over his palm.
“7, respond.”
-Received.
“Report why you left the current position.”
-Currently, patrolling without issues in the assigned guard area.
“What’s your location?”
-Patrolling the northeastern exit route at H7 intersection.
“That’s not the location.”
-What?
“Deploy the waiting crew immediately.”
The atmosphere in the situation room changed drastically.
While they dispatched the waiting crew and sent someone to the designated location, they seemed to have already vacated the premises, as nothing was visible.
However, unexpectedly, the dispatched waiting crew reported something entirely different.
-This is the waiting crew. Confirmed night patrol guild members at the northeastern exit route of H7 intersection.
“Identity?”
-Nothing unusual.
That’s the bigger problem.
Our panel indicated that they were somewhere else entirely.
Panic-stricken state, Shu Churros was about to open the emergency signal’s switch when a cold blade touched the most critical bone among the seven bones forming the cervical neck.
“Do you know? Even a general can be paralyzed by a stab of only 35mm to the cervical spine, and even an individual trained in muscle development will succumb at just 40mm.”
“…Who are you?”
“I am Reap, the Assassin Maid of the Foundation. I’ve come to kindly warn you.”
Rather than feeling insulted, fear took precedence.
He had heard rumors that the Foundation’s intelligence and stealth capabilities were on par or even superior to those of the Thief Guild, but never did he imagine they’d allow such a simple entry into the headquarters’ situation room.
Everything—patrol routes, timing, information channels through the Mana Panel, and even the power source of the Mana Panel—had been thoroughly deduced.
“In precisely 15 minutes, the Revolutionary Army will commence a raid on this facility.”
“…What’s the reliability of your information?”
“Would you believe it if I told you that two of the Emperor’s Eungchilgeom have arrived in Kanelle City?”
“You’re saying the Imperial family received information before the Thief Guild? There’s no way those guys have such intelligence. This is the Thief Guild headquarters!”
“Once the Ladies Oknodie and Masugaki Princess have been taken into account, it’s meaningless to discuss. Both the Foundation and Empire have already caught wind of you.”
Shu Churros, losing confidence, struggled to speak again.
“First, let me thank you for providing that information. Why did you share such precious intelligence with us?”
“I don’t mind whether you choose to resist or escape. Just leave the lady’s safety to me.”
“Right now, we have our headquarters’ troops stationed here along with three of the continent’s top ten thieves, not to mention two professors from the Academy. Are you saying you still don’t trust us?”
Reap coldly declared.
Upon hearing that, Shu Churros could not stop the trembling of his hands.
“Within the Revolutionary Army, a Revolutionary will be moving.”
The bloody revolutionary, who always caused disasters upon his appearances.
Things took a turn as they heard about one of the notorious Three Great Evils appearing personally.
