Side Story Chapter 51
The Arcadia branch of the Moon Gate was in an ordinary house within the capital. It was a noticeable downgrade from the small yet fine pub the organization’s agents had used as their office in the past.
“The Moon Gate must have greatly weakened,” Joshua muttered to himself.
“The organization got stronger, but they’re no longer interested in Avalon.”
“Why is that?”
“Since Avalon no longer has the Martial God, there are fewer things for the Moon Gate to care about. In fact, it's strategically advantageous to focus on the Swallow Empire and the Thran Kingdom as they could join forces at any time. The Flame Emperor is also over there too.”
“This country is strong without me,” Joshua replied.
“Do you really think so?” Zero shrugged. “As a matter of fact, I’m the only member of the Moon Gate in the Arcadia branch.”
“You’ve gotten quite old, but you still haven’t retired. Remarkable. Haven’t you been an agent for over twenty years?”
“Almost thirty years, to be exact,” Zero said, his skin wrinkled around his eyes. He may be the best agent in the Moon Gate, but he was helpless before time.
“When did you come back?” Zero asked.
“It hasn’t been long.”
“Once the public finds out about your return, the entire continent will be turned upside down…”
“So let’s keep it between us.” Joshua smiled.
“I’m a merchant that deals in information.”
Zero stiffened as a shroud of cold air surrounded him. When he cautiously turned his head, he saw a beautiful woman with waterfall-like blue hair glaring at him.
“The dead don’t speak,” the woman quietly intoned.
“That sounds like you’ll kill me.”
“If necessary.”
“You’re Her Majesty Iceline, aren’t you? Everyone on the continent knows that the Moon Gate is under the Hubalt Empire’s protection. If you do such a thing, it’ll become a diplomatic problem.” Zero smiled nervously.
“Isn’t that for the better since you the citizens of the Hubalt Empire are hellbent on starting a war of conquest? You’re going to get the justification that you wanted.”
“Please don’t sound me out.”
“Do you think I’m doing that?” Iceline asked menacingly.
Zero nervously swallowed. The air around him was bone-achingly cold now.
“Iceline, stop,” Joshua interrupted.
“But—”
“I’m quite well acquainted with him. He’s my friend’s subordinate.”
Iceline quietly let her mana dissipate. There was only one person in the world for whom Iceline always did as she was asked, and that was Joshua. She didn’t even do that for Selim, her biological son.
“Thank you for saving me, Your Majesty.” Zero bowed slightly.
“Let’s just act as normal. How much do I need to pay to meet your leader?”
“I’m sorry, but as you can see, the Arcadia Branch is in no state to receive a request,” Zero awkwardly answered.
“I get it now.”
“Pardon?”
Joshua nodded. “Something happened to Lilith.”
Zero’s hands shook subtly, but not so subtly that Joshua would miss it.
“What are you talking about—”
“I made a reasonable assumption based on three points of evidence.”
Iceline’s eyes widened in surprise. Joshua was charmed by her cute response and quietly stroked her head, much to Zero’s consternation.
“Ah…” Iceline’s face reddened slightly.
Although Joshua had had a good reason for it, he had made the Queen Consorts live like widows for over a decade, so he made a commitment to express his feelings and touch them with affection whenever he had a chance—which explained stroking right now.
“Yo-Your Majesty, this place isn’t…”
“The first reason is that you’re here in the Arcadia Branch of the Moon Gate after everyone else has withdrawn,” Joshua said.
“Why would me staying here be significant…?” Zero mumbled.
Joshua shrugged. “You were already a branch manager about two decades ago, so most organizations would treat you with the respect of an elder. From anyone’s perspective, it’s strange for the Moon Gate to leave you alone like this. On top of that, the Moon Gate leader I know isn’t such a person.”
“…A long career doesn’t necessarily entail promotion in an organization. Getting promoted means someone gets demoted. I’m grateful for your high opinion of me, but I’m a tiger—no, wolf without teeth.”
“The second reason,” Joshua continued without breaking stride, surprising Zero, “is that if this branch was where executives of the Moon Gate end up after being demoted and there isn’t a problem with your leader, you would have offered a meeting with her before I did instead of standing around awkwardly as if you’re in trouble.”
“That’s…”
“Don’t even try to say that those two left the Moon Gate. If that was really the case, you would have reacted otherwise when I first mentioned your superiors. You don’t seriously think that I’m too foolish to notice, do you?” Joshua raised an eyebrow.
“She” was one of the people who had wished for Joshua’s return more dearly than all the rest of the continent. Besides, she was the head of an information guild, so why wouldn’t she welcome back Joshua, who was probably going to turn the continent upside down? Joshua was bound to suspect that there were internal issues within the Moon Gate.
“The third reason is that things in the Hubalt Empire are unusual. After the death of Zactor, the Martial Emperor, in the old Continental War, the nobles who sided with the emperor of Hubalt fell out of power. The pope, cardinals, and God’s Knight took the reigns, but they emphasized peace more than anyone else. So if the Hubalt Empire’s government openly revealed their desire to conquer the continent…”
“Hold on, Your Majesty. Let me explain that part,” Iceline interrupted Joshua, her first addition to the conversation.
“…Hmm?”
Something was odd because Zero, who had been quietly listening to Joshua, was also smiling bitterly.
“Chrysler jean Sebastian, God’s Knight, died, and his student, Christian the White Lion, is a cripple.”
Joshua gaped blankly at her.
Those two men were part of the Nine Stars and Twelve Superhumans. What had happened to them?
“What did you say…?” Joshua blankly murmured.
* * *
Right after the Imperial Knights arrived, the rebel rangers retreated in spite of the fire that was blocking their escape route. They knew that they were at a disadvantage outside the forest better than anyone else.
“Your Highness!”
Cain, Ranger, and the Imperial Knights didn’t bother chasing after them—their priority right now was checking the Second Prince’s condition. The arrow in Kireua’s shoulder looked serious even from a cursory glance.
“Bear with me for a moment.” Cain approached Kireua and pulled the arrow out.
Kireua groaned in pain for a moment but calmly endured the process. After he was done with first aid, Cain took a step backward. “Didn’t I repeatedly tell you to not take any unnecessary risks?”
“It was inevitable—but I brought back great intel.”
“Great intel or not, your safety is the priority,” Cain answered, his serious expression unmoved.
Nevertheless, Kireua held up his head high because he was certain that he’d found out the western rebels’ weakness.
“If you’re done, can I speak with His Highness Kireua?”
“Sir Ranger! Long time no see!” Kireua delightedly shouted, forgetting about his pain.
However, Ranger looked uncharacteristically menacing.
“Pardon my rudeness, Your Highness,” he said, to Kireua’s confusion.
“…Pardon?”
Ranger’s next move was truly surprising. He suddenly pulled out a set of white gloves from his pocket and threw them at Kireua’s chest.
“Vi-Vice Commander R-Ranger! Are you out of your mind?!”
“I told you not to act like a knight since it doesn’t suit you, but even a mercenary doesn’t do this, Your Highness!”
“Stop him!”
His subordinates came in on both sides in an attempt to hold him back, but Ranger strode toward Kireua.
“Your Highness, you have no idea how I feel right now.”
They were none other than Imperial Knights. They should be loyal to the Imperial Family of the Avalon Empire, but one of them had just disrespected a prince. The other Imperial Knights knew the true meaning of what Ranger had just done and their jaws were slamming against the ground.
“His Majesty gave me an order. When His Majesty himself or his children act unreasonably stubborn, stop them even if I have to beat sense into them,” Ranger said.
It was said that personality was hereditary. In that regard, the Emperor of Avalon knew how stubborn he could be and that his children would be the same.
“Of course, His Majesty still did everything he wanted to do since he had the right and the power. Besides, I’m in no position to say he was wrong or right—but it’s different for you, Your Highness.”
“What in the world…?” Kireua blankly murmured.
“Justice without power is childish stubbornness and reckless bravado. If a child refuses to listen, an adult has to reproach them in order to stop them from doing that ever again.”
An ominous ring of metal cast a grim silence over the area.
Ranger didn’t even care about Kierua’s wounds anymore. “When I go to the otherworld, I wonder how I’m supposed to look His Majesty in the eyes.”
“His Majesty… is alive.”
“…I believe that, of course. Anyhow, I challenge you to Berche’s Bloody battle.”
Berche’s Bloody Battle allowed anyone with talent to challenge a superior Imperial Knight. After the winner and loser were decided, the winner could take the loser’s rank, and the loser had to grant the winner's request. The latter part had been established by the Emperor of Avalon, who said that it would be too boring if the rules remained the same forever.
“I’ll accept the challenge, Sir Ranger.” Kireua sprang up from his seat with the clatter of metal.
The knights began to stir. Although Ranger’s remark was crude, he wasn’t wrong, so they had believed that Kireua would admit his fault and apologize. However, things took a turn in the opposite direction.
“You’re going to accept the challenge in your current state?” Ranger dumbly asked.
“Isn’t that what you wanted?” Kireua raised an eyebrow.
“…You… big, stubborn baby!”
Ranger didn’t hold back any longer; his mana shook the air powerfully.
The wave of Ranger’s aura suddenly developed into a mighty roar that stimulated knights’ bodies and minds. Kireua and Cain’s eyes widened—had seen this ability before.
“W-Wait, is that one of the Four Guardians’ authorities?”
The authority of the White Tiger used to belong to Dargo rane Suspen, the now-dead leader of the southern rebel army, but that authority was manifesting in Ranger right now.
Kireua stared, slack-jawed. “This kind of thing is possible…?”
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