Chapter 185
The conference room was large and grandiose, fit for the most important of occasions, but it was filled with a thick, oppressive silence. In addition, most of the people in their seats had drooping heads, making them look like they were sleeping.
The figure sitting on the highest seat was a ponytailed woman with phoenix-like eyes.
She was Charles, the current head of the Pontier Family.
“The eleventh… meeting shall now begin,” Charles said.
She sounded pitifully weak to her vassals. She couldn’t even pretend to be strong anymore when everything had gone wrong. Their enemies had already captured their final stronghold, Aiden Gorge, and it was only a matter of time before they lost.
“I have good news and bad news,” said Charles
However, before she could start speaking about the news, Count Verdot, the general commander of the Pontier Family, said, “I think we should start with the good news. I’m sure we can all use some good news.”
“I agree. Please take the stage, Lord Verdot.”
After obtaining permission to speak from Charles, Count Verdot turned to look at the gathered crowd and started speaking, “We have received reports that the Mercenary King, our biggest obstacle, has vanished once again.”
“He broke our first and last line of defense, and then he disappeared just like that? Have you discovered anything else? Do you think he has something else planned?” asked Charles.
Count Verdot shook his head and said hesitantly, “From what I learned, it seems that the Neutral City of Reinhardt is involved.”
“Reinhardt?” Charles’ eyes abruptly widened. She seemed to have forgotten that she was tired. Reinhardt was currently busy with the Reinhardt Masters’ Battle, which was considered a festival of the people.
Reinhardt was far from the Pontier Family territory. More specifically, it would take a day and a night of travel to get there from here. In addition, Charles couldn’t quite wrap her head around how Reinhardt could be involved in the Mercenary King’s disappearance.
“Most of you probably don’t know about this yet, but my lady gave me a Class A Communication Crystal this morning.”
“...!” Except for Charles’, the vassals were surprised to hear that.
It is a Class A crystal ball for communication. A Class A Communication Crystal would easily bypass the spells that the Crombell Family had put up to prevent outside communication, and it was truly a treasure that deserved its price.
“We got lucky because Father’s safe had a Class A Communication Crystal, something that we desperately needed, inside.”
Charles’ eyes held a hint of sadness at the mention of her father. She still remembered how her sick father forced himself to show Charles where the Class A Communication Crystal was stored.
They also managed to spend some time together. Of course, it had only been for a short time, but the short time they spent together after such a long time was priceless for Charles.
‘I can’t think of that right now.’
With much difficulty, she managed to stop thinking of how her father had seemed like he desperately wanted to tell her something.
She glanced at Verdot, telling him to continue speaking.
“It’s all thanks to the Class A Communication Crystal that we managed to acquire some information about what is going on outside,” said Verdot.
“I’m glad to hear that. Information will be one of our most important weapons as this war drags on.” Cox remarked.
Cox turned to look at Charles. The gazes of the two met in mid-air, and with a reassuring look, he smiled and said, “It will be all right.”
‘Cox…’?Cox’s smile and demeanor calmed Charles down.
“It turns out that the Champion of this year’s Reinhardt Masters’ Battle has challenged the Superhuman Mercenary King. The challenge seems to be the reason for the Mercenary King’s abrupt departure from the enemy camp.”
The vassals’ eyes widened. Someone actually challenged a Superhuman? The news came as a shock because it had been twenty years since someone challenged a Superhuman.
Charles was so curious that she couldn’t help but ask, “Really? Who is the champion?”
“Please don’t be shocked…” Count Verdot trailed off. Someone in the conference room let out an audible gulp as Count Verdot continued. “The Champion of this year’s Reinhardt Masters’ Battle is Baron Joshua Sanders of Avalon. He’s a descendant of His Grace Agnus, and he has been acknowledged as a Master as well.”
“N-No way…!”
The conference room went abuzz. The vassals couldn’t believe it, and even Charles started trembling as if she were being electrocuted.
The overwhelming news made Charles quiver in glee.
However, someone else seemed to have a different idea as he stood up and poured a bucket of cold water over everyone else by saying, “I don't get it.”
“Uh, Baron Ashbal?”
“I don’t know if I can even believe that story, but let’s say that he won the Reinhardt Masters’ Battle. In that case, why is he still helping our family? Is it because he’s going to lose face if he backs out now? That doesn’t really make sense because the lives of his subordinates are at stake here!”
“The only explanation is that he really?wants to help our family. After all, he managed to send away our strongest enemy, the Mercenary King.”
“What he did for us won’t really change anything in the long run. The gap in strength between our Pontier Family and the Crombell Family is so huge and we have also lost Sir Cain. The disappearance of the Mercenary King doesn’t even count as a significant advantage anymore… if it hasn’t become more disadvantageous.”
“Things have never really worked out for us. Honestly, I am struggling to see how it could have been worse with the Mercenary King here.”
“...”
The room fell deathly silent when Cain’s name was brought up. Charles bowed her head guiltily, and darkness consumed the light in her eyes once again.
Baron Ashbal awkwardly scratched his pointed chin. “I don’t want to say this, but he was a true knight. More than half of our troops owe him their lives, and it was all thanks to his three-day last stand. I survived thanks to him as well.”
“Now, we just have to make sure that the puzzle pieces in front of us will complete the puzzle. That androgynous brat is here as well…” The vassals of the Pontier Family remained silent as they listened to Baron Ashbal. “Anyway, my point is that there has to be a traitor among us.”
At the curveball, the vassals were dumbfounded.
“W-what do you mean by that, Lord Ashbal? There’s a traitor among us?!”
“Haven’t you seen the way they’re moving through the gorge? They’re walking through our territory like they’re in their own backyard. They dug our traps and cut off our supply routes. What kind of tactics are those? They even used secret passageways only a few people in our family knew about! They held our people hostage as well! They have already conquered many of our lands as well! We don’t even know if Baron Axel, Pedro, and Yudir are still alive!”
“Ha…” Someone sighed in despair.
“They have already taken half of our remaining land around the basin! The mysterious dark knight, who helped us during the fight along the Dennis River, and Lord Cain, who made his tragic and heroic last stand against the enemy in Aiden Gorge, are gone. I think it’s about time we catch the traitorous rat among us.”
“So, who the hell is that rat?” Count Verdot demanded. “Since Lord Ashbal is so insistent about catching that rat, you must have an idea about the rat’s identity.”
Baron Ashbal’s eyes lit up when he heard that.
“Time is of the essence, so I won’t play with words. All of us here have been with the family for a long time. We all had plenty of chances to leave, but we stayed.”
“That's right...” The vassals nodded, as long as it wasn’t them, it was fine. Their tense muscles began relaxing at the knowledge it wasn’t them. Their frustration had been building up in their hearts, so they felt good that they could finally direct their frustration toward an unknown rat.
“Right! There’s definitely a traitor among us. Otherwise, there’s no way they could have known about our plans beforehand!”
“Who the hell is it?! I’ll make them pay!”
“Baron Ashbal, speak! I’ll cut their head off and offer it to the lady!”
Amidst the shouts of the vassals, Baron Ashbal revealed a determined look.
Charles’ expression darkened.
‘This is bad…’
The enemy was holding a sword to their necks, and it was a sword they were eager to use against the Pontier Family. It was the sword of internal strife.
Internal strife could easily lead a group into self-destruction. Charles also felt like he was watching an orchestrated show.
‘Baron Ashbal is the last person who saw Sir Cain. If he’s the rat, and he’s manipulating us all into believing that the rat is someone else rather than him…’
At that thought, Charles shivered as goosebumps broke out all over her.
“Someone who isn't here but knows our family's secrets. Isn't there at least one person who doesn't belong here?”
“The rat knows our secrets, but they’re definitely not a loyal member of the Pontier Family. The culprit is obvious…”
“Ah!” Charles gasped. She shook her head and muttered blankly, “There is no way…”
“Bring that commoner, Icarus, here!”
“This is absurd, Baron Ashbal!” Charles immediately refuted. “Icarus risked her life as much as the late Sir Cain. And who prepared us for the enemy’s assault through the Dennis River? We suffered few casualties because of that!”
“And that is why she’s even more suspicious, my lady.”
“What?” Charles asked.
“It has been a month, but we still haven’t received any answer from Icarus. How could a complete stranger know that our enemies were going to cross the Dennis River to attack us?”
“If it weren’t for Icarus, we could have gotten caught off guard, and the enemy could have easily ended the war right there and then. If Icarus were a traitor, then why would she tell us of their plans ahead of time?”
Charles was no fool. Why would they take the scenic route when they were eager to end the war as soon as possible?
“Perhaps they were trying to achieve multiple things with that one attempt?”
“...!”
“Hmm… even if they ventured deeper into the heart of our territory, we would have bought time by using guerilla tactics.” Count Verdot spoke in a low voice.
“The plan was most likely to gain our trust and then wipe us out perfectly in one swoop. If that’s the case…”
“How meticulous. Truly a meticulous plan worthy of that fox Marquis Crombell…”
Baron Ashbal interrupted with a loud shout, causing a shift in the overall atmosphere of the conference room. “We should just drag that rat Icarus right now! I’m going to kill that rat and make sure that they’ll know the power of the Pontier—”
“I don’t think that’s necessary.”
“...!” Baron Ashbal flinched at the interruption, and his eyes widened when he saw someone walking in his direction through the conference room’s door.
Icarus’ beautiful demeanor was marred with sorrow, and her light blue hair seemed to have lost its glimmer. However, Icarus’ presence was still as strong as ever.
“Y-You…!” Baron Ashbal jumped like he had been targeted by a lightning bolt.
“I have already found your rat.”
The crowd roared. “Who is it?!”
“I-Icarus-nim?!” stammered the dumbfounded Charles.
“Are you still not done acting?” Icarus’ blue eyes made a beeline for a certain individual.
Charles followed Icarus’ line of sight, and she abruptly froze because Icarus was looking at someone Charles trusted a lot. She had known him for years, even longer than she knew the rest of her family. He had always been a pillar of support for her as well.
Charles’ heart started madly beating against her chest.
“Count Cox ron Bagen…” Icarus carefully said, “The gold-devouring monster of Avalon.”
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