Chapter 88: Triumph Ceremony (5)
Ive been sent out of the capital for the past two months. It wasnt even a proper mission.
-Do you feel it was intentional?
Yes. According to what the subordinates say, the leader has been quite busy.
-Its quite a coincidence. It coincides with the timing of the terrorist attack.
I knew the result. But it seemed ambiguous to attribute everything to this alone.
Phiri must have thought the same. There had to be another reason.
-It seems like youre not just referring to that.
Some of the Leaders line members havent been seen for a while.
Phiri, who spoke, sighed lightly.
I dont want to say this, but its a gut feeling. Like you used to say, its the instinct of a spy. You can curse me if you want.
-No. I dont think youre wrong, Phiri.
Phiri was a good person and an exceptional spy. It meant she wasnt someone who would easily say something like this.
If she was expressing her instincts, it must be a very strong feeling.
-We must think rationally, but since we know this, it may instead be a signal sent from an area we are not aware of.
When we were close or trusted someone, there might be things wed missed, as we didnt suspect them.
These things came together to send warnings as the spys intuition.
Of course, there could be false alarms, but with someone like Phiri, the probability of the assumption being correct was high.
The Leaders subtle actions were signaling suspicion to Phiri.
It helps to hear you say that. It wasnt an easy thing to say.
-If you felt that way, I believe its true, Phiri.
Arent you being too supportive? I actually brought it up hoping for a more critical perspective.
-Though I say it now, to be honest, Ive had a bad feeling about the Leader since I first met him.
There was a brief silence.
Is that when you first said you were surprised?
-Yes. You know my instincts.
Hmm
-Im being sincere.
Why didnt you say it back then?
-If I had said it then, I wouldnt have heard good things. Neither from you nor from Father.
Instead of answering, Phiri nodded. It was something that could be sensed through the Winds.
For now, lets assume our instincts are correct. What I need help understanding is the reason. Why attack the Princess?
-They probably didnt collaborate with the Empire.
Yes. The Imperial Intelligence wouldnt meddle with the royal bloodline. They probably didnt join forces with the Princes either.
The current question might not be what Phiri really wanted to ask me. Perhaps the answer wouldnt be clear. If we didnt assume collaboration with the devil worshippers, the Leaders actions wouldnt make sense.
-What if you dont know for sure?
No. Still, Ive been watching for quite a while. The Leader isnt someone who would collaborate with those guys.
-If its not the Prince but aimed at the Princess, could it be a faction hoping for turmoil in the Empire?
Turmoil in the Empire?
-Like another kingdom or the devil worshippers. Personally, I think its the latter.
Phiri hesitated for a moment.
I dont want to say perhaps, but I cant completely rule it out.
-Among the factions we know, it seems to be the most likely. They were the ones who stole the ore from the north.
Thats right. Those bastards. Joining hands with another kingdom would be strange too.
-Considering the information weve gathered about the devil worshippers, they might have been enticed by misleading information.
Suddenly, the current flow seemed to be going quite well. The terrorist attack was dangerous, but
Anyway, the situation had changed from what I knew. If there hadnt been a terrorist attack, Phiri might have detected the Leaders strangeness later. Perhaps dealing with the Leader would be easier than I had worried.
-Have you mentioned it to anyone else?
No, not yet.
-Please dont. This is our Leader. If hes betrayed us, we dont know who among the subordinates is following him.
I know that much. I trust the kids, but I wont take unnecessary risks.
Certainly, this aspect would be handled with utmost caution, but it was a word of caution just in case.
-Do you have plans to meet Father soon?
Now that youre here, its difficult to visit separately. Im in charge of you now.
-Is there any other way to contact him?
There is, but its risky. The Leader will check my contacts. This is a matter that needs to be discussed in person.
-Take your time. Its dangerous to meet immediately anyway.
If the Leader was involved in the matter, they would be keeping an eye on the subordinates. It was a sensitive time.
I agree. Theres nothing good about being conspicuous.
-Lets take our time and wait for the opportunity. Another piece of evidence might emerge.
Lets do that.
-Take care. Its just suspicion, but I trust my instincts. Your instincts too.
Got it. As I worked my way up to the vice leader position, I saw how scary the leader was.
While Phiri mentioned the possibility, inwardly, it was almost a certainty.
We needed to be careful.
As I intervened, the future I knew was undergoing a rapid change. Making the princess the emperor was still a long way off.
At least, I wanted to put it on the right track. I hoped no major issues would arise along the way.
I didnt know it was the first time experienced such injuries on this scale. But the effect of Ironman was beyond imagination.
I fully recovered in just two days.
Of course, due to the Worst Condition, my body still felt heavy and tired. It was just like a regular day.
The wounds were almost completely healed.
-No, you should have rested for at least a week lying down
-Well, Ive heard that heroes in history are similar. There are tales of getting deeply wounded, yet recovering in three days.
It was a statement from the doctor who couldnt hide their astonishment. Perhaps those heroes from the past had Ironman.
Anyway, it was a good legend.
If the doctors words were to be expanded, I would consider myself on the same level as those people.
How was the terrorist incident resolved?
Of course, the culprit was not caught. I heard that the intelligence agency was busy under the emperors orders.
These devil worshipers are not ordinary.
They must have been well-prepared. Even from their perspective, they wouldnt have planned such an operation without considering the possibility of being caught.
Considering the probability that they were trained by the imperial intelligence agency, they might have inherited the agencys skills.
However, there were two possible reasons why the intelligence agency couldnt catch the culprit.
Either they knew but pretended not to, or a faction within the intelligence agency itself created the devil worshipers.
I leaned toward the latter.
Touching the imperial bloodline was a serious matter. If it were an official act of the intelligence agency, they would have been caught much earlier.
Maybe something went wrong or they gained independence during the process of raising them.
Perhaps even the Chief of Intelligence under the empire might not be aware. Especially since the leader of the Haisen Intelligence Agency was a traitor.
Anyway, today was the day of the ceremony that couldnt be held on the day of the triumphal ceremony due to the terrorist incident.
There was still some anxiety in the capital due to the recent terrorist attack, but it wasnt significant.
The imperial family officially announced that this recent terror was orchestrated by the remnants of King Rohalak, so among the military officials, there were rumors that it might not be the work of the princes.
I thought that the empire might be manipulating public opinion to control the sentiment.
Waaahh!
The ceremony was quite dull and lengthy.
First, they honored the bravery and well-being of the soldiers who died in the terror and war, and then they acknowledged the contributors.
My turn came quite late.
Since the emperor valued the military, the ceremony was conducted in a solemn and serious atmosphere.
Knight, Carl Schurtafen.
Finally, my name was called.
Kneeling in front of the emperor, I received the attention of numerous nobles and knights.
Respected Founding Emperor, when the sinister forces from the west attacked the empire, and the valiant soldiers of the empire faced a crisis, Knight Carl Schurtafen confronted them with his sword, courage, and strategy.
A solemn atmosphere. The emperor spoke with a dignified voice. My role was to remain silent.
Because of the gazes in the hall, my back felt uncomfortably sore.
On the Akiten Plains, he successfully ambushed the enemy by dealing with all their scouts, and on the Epyder Plains, he cleverly dispersed a force of 30,000 enemies.
The emperor then took his time describing in detail the combats I had led.
To make sure even those who didnt know me became aware of those facts.
Until the siege of Hrit. Truly, he can be considered the top hero of this war. Moreover, he demonstrated heroic deeds by protecting the princess from the terrorist attack in the west with his noble chivalry.
The emperor received a medal from Rudehrn.
It was a medal with a sword hilt and a star with a crescent moon at its end.
Thats why I want to confer the Imperial Founders Medal upon you. Please continue your bravery.
The Imperial Founders Medal. The last conferment was 130 years ago.
Therefore, it was quite amusing that the owner of this medal was a spy under Haisen.
As the emperor pinned the medal on my chest, thunderous applause and cheers erupted.
The emperor patted my shoulder.
I said it a few days ago, but thank you once again. From the war to my daughter. I owe you a heavy debt.
After being discharged, I received a summons from the emperor. I had been granted an audience to express his gratitude for my actions in the war and protecting the princess.
The reward promised earlier was given today.
I only did what needed to be done.
I dislike humility.
The emperor playfully wrinkled his forehead. I smiled lightly.
Congratulations, Count Schurtafen.
Its an honor, Your Majesty.
The Imperial Founders Medal was not the only award. Besides a considerable reward and a pension, the treatment changed.
Everyone in the empire, excluding the emperor, had to show respect to me.
Although not a legal requirement and more of an implicit rule, coupled with the fact that it was the first conferment in 130 years, it might be why.
Perhaps, receiving attention after a long time felt good? In truth, the medal alone was more than enough.
I also received an honorary count title. It was just a name, but as an orphan, becoming a count in the empire was a significant change.
Oh, this one is from me.
Instead of the emperor, Rudehrn handed me a scroll. Even its appearance exuded luxury.
Despite being closed, a strong herbal scent emanated from it.
I couldnt fathom how valuable the potion from the emperor would be. Ironically, this felt the most gratifying.
Considering the massive pension I would receive, it might be something I couldnt afford otherwise.
Thank you.
With me as the final recipient, the award ceremony came to an end. In a festive atmosphere, nobles gathered around me and Erendil.
Given that I had achieved the highest military merit in this war, it was only natural.
It was an annoying and tedious but necessary task. It was an opportunity to attract those who had previously shown no interest in us.
Among the aristocrats, I engaged in conversations with those I had been keeping an eye on, steering the discussions in the most favorable direction.
An hour later, the emperor summoned his children. He probably wanted to discuss this recent war.
In truth, it should have been done sooner, but it was postponed due to the terrorist attack targeting Erendil.
The emperor sat on the throne, looking down at his children with solemn and cold eyes.
The first and third princes couldnt lift their heads as if burdened with guilt.
I suppose there are doubts about the recent war.
The emperor spoke and scanned the audience. The atmosphere grew chilly.
Do we really need to continue this competition? It seems my successor is already in sight for some. Do we need this meaningless conflict?
Author's Thoughts
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