A week had passed since Arthur's reunion with his sons.
Determined to uncover the truth, right after his meeting with Nathaniel ended, he immediately dispatched Investigation Teams to conduct a thorough search of the slums.
The results were both shocking and disheartening, confirming Adrian's claims.
To his astonishment, the teams discovered a vast network of underground chambers beneath the slums.
The number of these hidden chambers seemed to grow with each passing day, as Arthur received daily reports detailing their findings.
However, their search yielded no signs of life within the dungeons.
The cells stood empty, devoid of both staff and children.
Furthermore, the documents stored within the dungeon had been deliberately destroyed, leaving no trace of the activities that had taken place there.
It was as if someone had meticulously erased any incriminating evidence, covering their tracks completely.
What remained was an abundance of chimeras found within the drainage system.
Those grotesque creatures, with their twisted forms and eerie presence, serve as chilling evidence of the sinister experiments taking place in the hidden depths.
Arthur couldn't shake the nagging feeling that their operation had been compromised.
It seemed as though someone had betrayed them, leaking information about their top-secret mission to the enemy.
But, who could have possibly informed them about this highly classified operation?
"Haaa…"
Arthur let out a deep sigh of frustration as he sank into the plush chair, massaging his temples in an attempt to ease the mounting tension.
For a grueling four years, the Empire had been tormented by an unresolved kidnapping case.
And now, to his utter disbelief, Arthur learned that the perpetrators had been operating right under his very nose!
But alas, the revelation came too late.
The children were nowhere to be found; they had already been whisked away to an unknown location!
The realization filled Arthur with a mix of anger and helplessness.
How could this have happened under his watch?
At this point, Arthur didn't know anymore.
Doubts began to creep into his mind, causing him to question his own competence and worthiness as the Emperor.
'Am I truly deserving of the title 'Emperor'? I have failed to protect my people.'
The four black-hooded figures seated nearby observed Arthur's frustration in silence, understanding the weight of his burden.
After a momentary pause, Arthur gathered himself and spoke.
"So, it was him? The same person who attacked the Refugee Camp?"
"Yes."
The tall and slim figure nodded solemnly in affirmation.
"And the fact that no one was found within their hideout suggests the presence of spies among us."
Arthur nodded in agreement, admitting the bitter truth.
"I cannot deny it."
Given that half of the knights in the refugee camp had rebelled, Arthur was certain that the man responsible had planted numerous spies within the Sun Palace.
Soon, a black-robed man with a robust figure chimed in.
"Conducting experiments on humans and attempting to steal the 'items' stored inside the Tower in Syna, it appears that his goal is likely 'that'."
A kid's voice responded.
"You mean—"
"Yes."
"I don't care what his aim is. The fact that he uses my people as experiments is unforgivable. I will hunt him down."
Arthur declared with a voice filled with rage.
"Haa…"
A woman sighed and interjected.
"I understand your anger, but please remember that he is also an Endless, just like us, the Elders. You must comprehend that even if you were to deploy hundreds of thousands of Knights, you would not be able to kill him. Moreover, you would have to deal with his 'pets' before confronting him. It's not as simple as it sounds."
The slender figure jumped in.
"What she says is true. Instead of wasting lives, it would be wiser to wait for the right moment to eliminate him."
"...I apologized."
Arthur realized that he just made a decision in the heat of anger.
"Regarding this matter, please leave him to us."
"I understand."
o
o
o
In a dimly lit room, two individuals occupied the space.
One was a woman with vermillion hair, while the other was a man with black hair.
They engaged in a conversation, their expressions reflecting their current state of affairs.
The man with long black hair that cascaded down his shoulder gently massaged his temples, his face clearly displaying frustration.
"I find it difficult to believe the fact that I have lost hundreds of laboratories."
He lamented, his voice tinged with a hint of sadness, and continued.
"Not only that, our attempt to infiltrate the Tower failed, and the kidnapping of the Duke's daughter was also unsuccessful."
Originally, he had planned to abduct Leticia upon hearing rumors that the Duke had discovered a Magic Stone mine.
He intended to use her as leverage to secure the mine.
However, Adrian's unexpected involvement in this matter caught him off guard.
"But why is the Second Prince entangled with the Duke's daughter from the neutral faction?"
Annelise shrugged nonchalantly and responded lightly.
"There are rumors circulating within the Academy that they were involved in a romantic relationship."
"They what?"
The man exclaimed, his disbelief evident in his expression.
"Aren't they... merely 10 years old?"
"Yes."
"Goodness, youngsters these days are quite remarkable!"
He spoke sarcastically.
"…"
Receiving a stern gaze from the woman seated across from him, he immediately cleared his throat, realizing that he had deviated from the main purpose of their meeting.
"Ahem, but still—"
He began again, leaning back in his chair and absentmindedly tapping his fingers on the table.
"—I can't help but wonder why our plans consistently fail whenever the Second Prince involves in our operation."
He mused aloud.
"Throwing back at the refugee camp, our plans were thwarted by his interference, resulting in the loss of over 10,000 men. Second, our attempt to assassinate the Kearny Princess was also foiled due to his intervention. Lastly, our accidental kidnapping of him led to the unfortunate destruction of my beloved laboratories that I had painstakingly built over the years. I wanted to cry at this point."
"Father, we no longer require those laboratories."
Intrigued by her statement, the man leaned forward, intertwining his fingers and allowing a smile to grace his lips.
"Is that so?"
He inquired and Annelise nodded, her expression mirroring his smile.
"Please, do tell me more."
"The chimera project has been successfully completed."
"Ah, finally!"
The man exhaled, a sense of relief washing over him.
After a string of failures, receiving positive news was a welcome change.
"So, do you have any plans to test them?"
"Rest assured, Father, I have taken care of everything."
"Ah, as expected of my clever daughter."
He praised, his smile growing wider and as a thought kicked in, he posed a question.
"By the way, you met the Second Prince during your time in Syna, correct?"
"Yes."
Annelise confirmed.
"Upon receiving information about him, I promptly made my way there. We engaged in negotiations, but he did not explicitly state whether he was willing to join us or not. However, his actions in preventing the Kearny assassination indicated his refusal."
"Hmm... in that case, it can't be helped then."
Soon, his smile faded, and his expression turned serious.
"I want him dead."
He couldn't afford to let his meticulously crafted plans spanning hundreds of years crumble one by one due to Adrian's interference.
Removing him from the equation seemed to be the most prudent course of action.
Annelise arched an eyebrow at the sudden declaration and asked.
"I thought you wanted him to join our side?"
"Well, since he declined, there's no need for us to keep him alive."
Annelise leaned back and explained.
"Do you know? The Second Prince has read 'The Void History.'"
"He did?"
Surprise etched on his face.
"Although I don't know how he got that book, instead of killing him, why don't we shake his mentality?"
Annelise proposed.
"Shake his mentality?"
The man tilted his head to the side, struggling to comprehend Annelise's suggestion and so, she elaborated.
"Yes, now that he knows about the existence of those 'items,' by shaking his mentality, we can make him desperate to find them. With that, he'll have no choice but to join our side."
"Hmm…"
The man hummed, tapping his fingers on the table in deep thought.
After a deep rumination, he eventually decided.
"Fine. But if the plan fails, let's just kill him right away."
"As you wish."
=====
End of 3rd Arc.
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