Chapter 35: Chapter 35
Chapter 35 - The Arken Empire
There is nothing humanity cannot conquer.
That slogan had been the banner of the Arken Empire, which had enjoyed an era of prosperity ever since Godwin’s death.
The founding emperor, Jeffrey Arken, was a great hero, a brilliant strategist, and a skilled statesman.
He declared that he would establish the foundations of an empire that would endure for centuries without collapsing.
That declaration had, in fact, proven true even to the present day.
The current Emperor of the Arken Empire, Godfrey Arken, was the most incompetent and greedy ruler imaginable.
Had it been any other kingdom, his avaricious and whimsical rule would have driven it to complete ruin within three years, yet he had continued governing in that fashion for forty years.
Even so, he still sat upon the throne, and the Empire remained standing.
The Emperor’s authority could truly be said to descend from the heavens.
’But an emperor’s authority comes from the treasury.’
The treasures and sacred relics amassed by the previous emperors continued to uphold the Empire.
To gain access to that treasury meant sharing in that authority.
And not a single noble was unaware of that fact.
’Blinded by gold, and obedient to gold.’
The more incompetent the Emperor became, the more they flattered him.
The farther he strayed down the wrong path, the more they praised him.
The speed of the Empire’s decay would only accelerate.
The millennium-long foundation laid by the founding emperor would crumble, and its downfall would hasten.
"So, which place are you planning to rob?"
Zed asked in disbelief.
"The Sealed Vault."
"The Sealed Vault..."
The Sealed Vault.
If the treasure vault stored priceless treasures and relics imbued with sacred power, then the Sealed Vault was its opposite.
It was where evil things that should never be revealed to the public were sealed away.
Within it were grimoires left behind by demons, along with books and magical artifacts created by demon worshippers.
Zed’s expression darkened even further.
Breaking into the treasure vault was already equivalent to walking into certain death.
Attempting to rob the Sealed Vault was like throwing yourself into the fire with the grill already heated.
"Just in case... could you at least tell me what you’re planning to steal?"
There was no reason not to.
"A grimoire known as Barbatos’s Shadow Arts, one of the Great Demons’ secret texts."
Barbatos, the Demon of Shadows and Intrigue among the Seven Great Demons of Hell.
"Barbatos..."
Zed muttered with a serious expression before looking up.
"...Who is that?"
"You don’t know?"
"Even those damned followers of Amon mention themselves from time to time, but a demon named Barbatos... I’ve never even heard of him."
Though counted among the Seven Great Demons of Hell, Barbatos was, in reality, the least influential and the least heard of.
"It’s only natural that you don’t know. Unlike the other demons, he isn’t the type to gather followers."
It wasn’t so much that he was too insignificant to be mentioned.
Rather, it was intentional.
Barbatos preferred to move in secrecy.
He understood that keeping a low profile made it easier to use his abilities, so he demanded neither initiation rituals nor exorbitant prices.
’The conditions themselves are another matter entirely.’
Among all the magic left behind by the Great Demons, the requirements for wielding shadow magic were the most demanding.
Even Shadow Hand, the lowest-ranked spell Ferda had once used, was beyond the proper control of most Mages.
As a result, almost no one worshipped Barbatos.
Likewise, very few sought after his grimoires.
’That’s exactly why it can become a trump card.’
The less known a type of magic was, the less prepared people would be to deal with it.
For Mages, the ability to catch an opponent off guard was often the most important factor in battle.
"Let’s say we steal this shadow magic..."
Zed finally voiced the question that had been bothering him all along.
"How exactly are we supposed to get in there?"
Crossing one leg over the other, Ferda replied,
"Tell me. If you were the one doing it, how would you get inside?"
"Are you seriously dumping the problem on me?"
"It’s your field of expertise."
"I’m not some petty thief. The only thing I’ve ever stolen is women’s hearts."
"Enough nonsense. Answer the question."
"Hmm..."
Resting his chin on his hand, Zed let out a thoughtful sigh.
Five minutes of silence passed before he finally spoke.
"There have been plenty of people who’ve tried to rob the Empire’s vaults over the years. Among them, there was one group that supposedly came the closest to succeeding. There were ten of them."
"And?"
"In my opinion, we’d need at least twenty people and about a year of preparation. Are you planning to hire twenty thieves?"
"No."
Twenty people.
An entire year.
There was no time for that.
"Then how long do we have?"
"Immediately."
For a brief moment, Zed completely lost the ability to respond.
He felt it would be pointless to ask whether Ferda had forgotten everything he had just said, so he simply let it go.
"You mean... we’re carrying this out right away, without leaving any loose ends... and I’m supposed to rob the place by myself?"
"That’s how it’ll be."
"Ten people already failed. How am I supposed to pull it off alone?"
Watching him, Ferda answered with complete seriousness.
"You can do it."
Zed felt like dying from sheer disbelief.
Yet Ferda found Zed just as unbelievable.
’Quite the drama queen.’
Zed Swallow.
At the moment, he was nothing more than a flirt who spent his days chasing women.
But he possessed the talent of a Master Thief.
One of his greatest accomplishments in the future would be infiltrating the Empire’s treasure vault—a feat no one else had ever managed.
’Without any planning, no less.’
Officially, he had done it three times.
According to Zed himself, however, he had actually entered it twelve times already.
That meant he already knew the weaknesses in its surveillance system and understood how to exploit them.
’Of course, that’s still a story for the future.’
It was impossible to expect the reputation of a Master Thief from him right now.
At present, he was merely a womanizing flirt, someone far removed from the image of a legendary thief.
Ferda had already taken all of that into account while making his plans.
"You don’t need to worry. I’ll set the stage."
"You mean you, Regent?"
Ferda nodded and covered his eyes with his index and middle fingers.
"All you need are your two eyes. Everything else is merely secondary. Understood?"
"...That somehow makes me even more nervous."
Those words only deepened Zed’s anxiety.
In his experience, whenever someone said that all he needed was a simple item, it always meant the task itself required extraordinary skill.
’Can I really keep following this man?’
He had originally agreed because he was tempted by the promise of helping him debut into high society.
But the farther he went, the higher the expectations seemed to become.
"You look burdened."
"Doesn’t it show? My life’s on the line here."
Zed answered bluntly.
The more he thought about it, the more his head began to ache.
’Overthinking always leads to the worst move.’
If Zed refused, Ferda would have no choice but to give up on Barbatos’s Shadow Arts.
Or else the entire plan would become far more complicated.
’Time to play that card.’
Ferda decided to make the choice easier for him.
"The Sealed Vault contains secrets the Empire desperately wants to keep hidden."
"...Does it?"
His reply was indifferent, but his expression clearly asked why Ferda was telling him this.
"Among those secrets is information about the Red-Eyed Clan."
"...!"
The hesitant Zed disappeared instantly.
Strength returned to his eyes.
"Are you certain?"
"I have absolutely no intention of breaking my Contract with you."
Zed had made one condition.
If Ferda ever tried to deceive him or merely use him, he would leave immediately.
So he didn’t hesitate.
His answer was simple.
"Fine. Let’s do it."
Everything proceeded exactly as Ferda had anticipated.
***
Before putting the plan into motion, Ferda went to see Count Ulvera Consilus.
"My respects, Regent. I heard you’ll be traveling to the Empire."
"That’s right."
"May I ask what brings you there?"
"I was actually planning to ask you the same thing. I don’t particularly have a reason to go, yet I must."
"Ah... I see. One of those situations."
Consilus stroked his beard before replying,
"Wouldn’t it be best to bring up the vacant position left by Teshalos Wolcher? You could say that a suitable successor is needed..."
"Ah, I’ve already given that some thought. There is a suitable candidate. The problem is that he hasn’t appeared."
"If you give the order, I’ll begin searching for him."
Ferda could have described the man’s characteristics.
But he had no desire to go that far.
If the man learned he was being sought, he might simply go into hiding.
That would only make matters more troublesome.
So Ferda answered briefly.
"When you see him, your breath will catch in your throat."
"Your breath catches... What exactly do you mean by that?"
"You don’t need anything more specific. The moment you see him, you’ll know exactly what I mean. Give that Wandering Knight the position."
"Understood. I’ll do as you wish, Regent."
Although they had failed to gather the wandering knights, they were still searching for guardians to protect the territory.
Ferda decided to believe that, sooner or later, the man would come of his own accord.
Consilus began considering another matter.
"Shouldn’t you also inquire about the Grand Ducal Council?"
"The Grand Ducal Council?"
"Yes. Every king and every noble holding the rank of duke or higher on the Cerdes Continent is eligible to attend. Since you’ll need someone to verify your identity, it would be appropriate to stop by and inform His Majesty the Emperor or one of the imperial bloodline that you intend to participate."
The Emperor and the imperial princes.
They were not people Ferda liked.
Even so, he would be seeing them often in the future.
"Very well. I’ll use that as my reason for going. How is the Empire’s political situation at the moment?"
"It’s an utter disaster."
Consilus shook his head.
"At present, three factions are competing for power."
"And who leads these three factions?"
"The Emperor himself, the Crown Prince, and the Second Prince."
"The Emperor is fighting against his own sons?"
Consilus nodded.
"As absurd as it sounds, yes. There was once a time when the Crown Prince and the Second Prince joined forces in an attempt to depose the Emperor."
"But they failed."
"Yes. The Emperor may be incompetent, but when it comes to protecting his own authority, he’s absolutely ruthless. He defused the situation by turning the Crown Prince and the Second Prince against each other over the matter of succession."
Instead of fighting an existing enemy, he presented a new future and created an entirely new enemy.
The more conflict brewed within, the weaker they would become, gradually losing their true essence.
’Even a rotten fish still has some value...’
There was a reason he had managed to remain in power for so many years.
"So, on the surface, it’s a three-way struggle."
"On the surface... yes, that’s correct."
Consilus found it strange that Ferda had specifically said on the surface, but he chose not to pry.
After pondering the three figures for a moment, Ferda asked him,
"If it were you, which of the three would you side with?"
"If you ask me, I would choose the Second Prince."
"And why is that?"
"The Second Prince has always placed great importance on military strength. He personally travels to numerous regions, exterminating Monsters and expanding the Empire’s territory. He’s also deeply committed to eliminating magical beasts. In that regard, he’s remarkable enough to be compared to the founding emperor."
It was exactly as Consilus had described.
In reality, the core of the Second Prince’s faction consisted of military forces that the Crown Prince had failed to recruit.
He intended to make up for his lack of political influence with military achievements.
"Of course, I can’t say he’s the correct answer either. If he had truly cared about national defense, he would have extended a hand toward this Far East long ago."
"That’s true."
Having heard Consilus’s opinion, Ferda nodded as though he had reached a decision.
"Very well. Then I’ll write three letters—one each to the Emperor, the Crown Prince, and the Second Prince."
"Would you like me to assist you?"
To the Empire, Count Ulvera Consilus still held greater influence than the Regent.
However, Ferda shook his head.
"That won’t be necessary. They’ll be sent under the name of Regent Valdrova."
"If that is your wish..."
The reason Ferda intended to send three letters was simple.
He wanted to learn their intentions.
The thirsty are the ones who dig wells.
Those in desperate need are the ones who reach out.
Ferda wanted to know which of them would be the first to extend a hand toward him.
Count Consilus had stepped back for exactly the same reason.
"I have another favor to ask of you, Count Consilus."
"Just give the order."
"Do you happen to have any unclaimed corpses?"
A body with no name and no known origin.
"An unclaimed corpse... Yes, I believe we do. We recently discovered one near the territory."
Perfect timing.
"Excellent. Burn the body at the stake."
"Burn it... at the stake?"
Consilus blinked.
Not a cremation.
A public burning.
Unable to suppress his unease, he cautiously asked,
"Forgive me for asking... but this is for the sake of the Far East, correct?"
"Of course. At the very least, it isn’t motivated by my personal desires."
"In that case, I understand."
"Make it look like he was the vilest scoundrel imaginable. Burn him thoroughly. That will be enough."
"Ha... The gods will surely be displeased."
Consilus absentmindedly touched the amulet hanging around his neck.
It was the symbol carried by followers of Alte, the Empire’s state religion.
"Who in this world has lived without committing even a single sin?"
"That’s true."
Although he felt uncomfortable desecrating the body of someone who had committed no crime, Consilus raised no further objections.
Whatever the reason, if he wished to see the Far Eastern territory prosper, then he needed to trust Ferda.
***
After sending the three letters to the Empire, Ferda boarded a carriage.
Receiving a reply immediately was naturally impossible.
Nor did Ferda expect one.
That was the very point of sending the letters.
’What’s important is how they’ll react to one-sided communication.’
Traveling with him were Zed, the Knight Arwen under Count Consilus, and Arwen’s soldiers.
After traveling continuously for an entire week, they finally spotted an enormous wall stretching across the plains.
’The Arken Empire.’
The scenery of lush vegetation and carefully cultivated fields stirred the heart.
Looking out the window, Zed smiled with excitement.
"No matter how many times I come here, the Empire is incredible. It’s always worth the trip."
"I see."
Every noble and commoner dreamed of reaching the imperial capital.
House Rosnova had once been one of the families that longed to become part of the central nobility.
Ferda, however, felt no need for such ambitions.
That place is nothing but a den of monsters wearing human skin—the true beginning of hell. Why would anyone willingly enter it?
Eventually, they arrived before the magnificent city gates.
Ferda identified himself to the gate guards.
"Please wait a moment."
One of the guards entered the guard post to verify his identity.
However, even after several minutes passed, no permission to enter was given.
"I’ve got a bad feeling about how this is starting."
Zed muttered ominously.
Ferda thought otherwise.
"This is actually a good sign."
"A good sign?"
"If they’re making a noble wait, then there must be a reason worthy of doing so."
A short while later, an elegant white carriage stopped just inside the city gate.
Being asked to transfer carriages meant one thing.
He was being taken to the Imperial Palace.
Which, in turn, meant someone had responded to his letter.
The Knight standing at the front placed a hand over his chest and bowed respectfully.
"Welcome to the Empire, Regent. I am Marco, Commander of the Fifth Imperial Knight Order."
"A pleasure to meet you."
"This way, please."
Following Marco’s guidance, Ferda transferred to the new carriage.
When Zed tried to board as well, Marco stopped him.
"My apologies, but who might you be?"
"I’m his hired man."
Marco’s expression immediately turned cold.
"Hired men are not permitted inside this carriage. Only invited guests may enter the Imperial Palace."
"Oh... Is that so?"
"Step back. This carriage is bound for the Imperial Palace."
With an awkward smile, Zed stepped away from the carriage.
Thus, Ferda alone continued toward the Imperial Palace.
’Extravagant to the extreme.’
It was like showing off before an expert.
Ferda’s own carriage had been luxurious enough, but the imperial carriage offered a level of comfort on an entirely different scale.
Casually turning his gaze toward the window, Ferda observed the passing scenery.
The grand avenues of the Empire were spotless, filled with smiling people.
It truly looked like a city overflowing with hope, the very place every noble dreamed of reaching.
There was a reason nobles who entered the imperial capital became obsessed with it the moment they left.
Where happiness existed, equal misfortune inevitably followed.
And that misfortune was now aiming straight at Ferda.
Ferda’s sharp perception caught sight of something unusual.
A man concealed within an alley kept glancing repeatedly toward the carriage.
’He’s targeting this carriage.’
The soldiers standing guard nearby had yet to notice him.
They would certainly fail to stop him before he made his move.
’I can stop him before he attacks.’
In the end, the only one capable of protecting himself was himself.
By reflex, Ferda formed a Mana sphere.
Not knowing what the man intended to do, he quietly prepared to retaliate.
As the distance closed, the man suddenly leaped out and blocked the carriage’s path.
Neighhh!
The horses reared in alarm and came to an abrupt halt.
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