Chapter 130

Chapter 130: The First Mission (3)

“Are you talking about Viscount Ian Miller?”

“Yes, that bastard.”

At his subordinate’s words, the Captain made an indifferent face.

“He’ll probably come.”

“Ah, that guy’s subtly obnoxious.”

“Watch your mouth. He’s one of the young nobles the Marquis of Radcliffe favors.”

“Exactly. It’s not even his money, he’s just a messenger, but he talks like he’s above everyone.”

At the man’s complaint, the Captain furrowed his brow. “Don’t even think about saying that in front of him….”

“Stop nagging, Captain. You think I’m that clueless?”

He seemed pleasantly drunk. With sleepy, half-lidded eyes, the man sprawled sideways on the sofa.

“Ah, I want to get out of here already and smell some perfume.”

“To say something so irreverent inside a temple. Looks like you’re doomed when it comes to going to heaven.”

“And you’ve been picking fights all night. You want to go at it?”

“Are you sure you can win?”

Two mercenaries sprang to their feet like they were about to fight.

But as soon as they sensed the Captain’s cold, razor-sharp killing intent, they pouted and sat back down.

“…Hm?”

Then a young mercenary, who’d been feeding dry firewood into the fireplace, tilted his head.

Until now, he’d stayed quiet and didn’t butt into the seniors’ conversation, but for the first time, he spoke.

“Didn’t you just hear something?”

“What, some sound? Are you hearing things now?”

“It wasn’t in my head. I heard something outside the door….”

“This is a sealed room only the High Priest and we know about. If there’s a sound, it’s the High Priest passing by.”

That was strange. If it was the High Priest’s presence, he should’ve noticed long ago.

The young mercenary scratched his head and glanced at the Captain.

‘If the Captain is staying still, I must’ve heard wrong.’

With an awkward smile, he dipped his head.

“Ah, I guess I was mistaken. Sorry, brothers.”

The young mercenary gave a hollow laugh as he took the seniors’ jeers.

So this time, he didn’t hear it.

The faint sound coming from outside the door, one more time.

***

‘The Holy Kingdom of Rion.’

I walked only as quickly as I could without looking unnatural to anyone.

I deliberately moved through places where I couldn’t sense people’s presence, so I didn’t run into anyone.

‘They said the Holy Kingdom deliberately commissioned the release of mutated monsters.’

What I heard in that sealed room was truly shocking.

Even for someone like me, who’s been through all sorts of unbelievable things, it was hard to understand.

‘What on earth is their aim?’

If it was an order from the Holy Kingdom, that meant it was ultimately the Holy Emperor’s will.

Why would the Holy Emperor give such a nonsensical command?

‘The current Holy Emperor isn’t exactly a man of integrity, but still….’

He might be someone who stuffs himself with bribes and is rigidly narrow-minded, but he’d never done anything that would cause this many casualties.

He wasn’t the kind of person who was that stupid, or that bold.

‘If it gets found out that the Holy Kingdom is behind it, the fallout will be huge.’

To deliberately release monsters even knowing there would be victims.

I couldn’t guess the reason at all.

Why would they do something like that?

‘And what about the commission from House Radcliffe?’

It was clear those bastards were ready to do anything if it meant putting the Second Prince on the throne.

Then did they take a commission to eliminate Edwin?

‘But they weren’t the ones from the organization.’

The guy who targeted Edwin at the hunting competition definitely said, ‘The Breath of the Angel will reach you.’ The ones who tried to kill Edwin were definitely affiliated with the organization.

‘Then that means they took a different commission.’

What the hell was it?

Frowning, I stopped in place for a moment.

‘Honestly, that’s not the only thing bothering me.’

Taking House Radcliffe’s commission and, at the same time, accepting the Holy Kingdom’s commission.

Unless it was something easy to carry out, it was rare to take two commissions at once.

Whether it was a mercenary band or an assassin group.

‘Neither side would entrust something easy to people like them. Which means it’s a commission they can carry out together? Or is it….’

Could the Holy Kingdom’s commission and House Radcliffe’s commission be connected?

My head grew more and more tangled.

‘And who was that viscount at the end?’

Viscount Miller, was it? It felt like a name I’d heard somewhere.

‘Ah, the letter in the Empress’s quarters.’

There was definitely someone with the surname ‘Miller’ among the names written in the letter that was tucked into the drawer in the Empress’s study.

‘It stuck with me because the name was the same as Ian’s.’

I didn’t know who it was, but it left a pretty bad impression.

I started to try to picture the face of the man named Ian Miller, then stopped.

My head was already hurting enough just thinking about the other matters.

‘It feels like I’ve been handed a knotted ball of string.’

The mercenary band, House Radcliffe, the Holy Kingdom of Rion, mutated monsters.

Things that seemed like they’d have nothing to do with each other were tangled together in a complicated mess.

Right now, it didn’t feel like something I could untangle at all.

‘What is it?’

I narrowed my eyes and turned around.

Above the chapel with the bell tower, a few ravens circled in the air.

Looking at their glossy, pitch-black feathers, one person came to mind.

‘Then did the King of Adamant, Kayden, roughly suspect this all along?’

I recalled those golden eyes that looked like they could see through anything.

That strange gaze whose intent you couldn’t read.

‘I don’t know.’

I really don’t know.

I couldn’t be sure, but I could vaguely sense that something was going far more seriously than I expected.

‘No, there’s no need to overcomplicate things right now.’

Just like how something trivial becomes a problem if you think it’s a problem, if you think it’s complicated, it becomes complicated.

‘For now, just focus on making Edwin the Crown Prince. Only that.’

All I had to do was eliminate anyone who got in the way of that brat Edwin’s path forward.

No matter what method I used.

‘Then those bastards are clearly obstacles.’

As I slipped out of the temple doors without a sound, I made a vow.

‘No matter what, I’ll remove the obstacles.’

A resolve fitting for a prince’s nanny, and for a former assassin leader.

***

Deep in the night, when everyone was asleep.

Inside my blanket, I stared at a brightly glowing orb.

[The Holy Kingdom and a mercenary band, huh.]

A semi-transparent Kayden, projected by the communication orb, lit up the inside of the blanket.

[Things are getting interesting.]

“Well. No matter how I think about it, it doesn’t seem like an interesting situation.”

When I replied in a dry voice, Kayden laughed.

Even after hearing my entire report, his face still looked relaxed.

“Aren’t you troubled?”

I silently stared at Kayden.

“The Holy Kingdom says it’s going to impose sanctions on Adamant.”

[Ha, sanctions?]

Kayden snorted as if it wasn’t even worth talking about.

[On what grounds are they imposing sanctions? They pull some shady stunt like releasing monsters, then they’re going to blame someone else?]

That young punk really thinks his arrogance can reach the sky just because he founded a country.

Doesn’t he know why the Holy Kingdom has been able to hold firm all this time, even now, when it’s riddled with corruption?

Frowning, I opened my mouth. “The Holy Kingdom’s power is stronger than you think. If they start applying pressure, whether diplomatically or religiously, even Your Majesty will end up with a headache.”

At that very moment, a glint of interest flashed in Kayden’s eyes.

[Hmm, end up with a headache. In what way?]

“That’s easy. They’ll say they won’t send clerics to Adamant, or that they’ll withdraw the temples. Diplomatically, they can also stir up the surrounding countries with strong faith and block trade routes right away.”

Surely he hadn’t overlooked even that.

When I looked at him with an unconvinced gaze, Kayden suddenly burst out laughing.

[Haha, honestly.]

After laughing for a while, Kayden propped his chin on his hand and tilted his head to the side.

[You really are clever.]

He stared straight through me, as if I were right in front of him.

[To the point it’s almost a shame you’re stuck doing nanny work.]

Did I sound like I was showing off too much?

Acting like it was nothing, I changed the subject.

“You flatter me. I’m only saying what’s common sense.”

It wasn’t some special insight. Anyone could think of it.

If you’ve got a head on your shoulders, you can’t ignore the Holy Kingdom’s influence over the continent.

[Well.]

Kayden gave a crooked smile at my answer.

[At the very least, that’s not a nanny’s common sense.]

“Are you looking down on nannies?”

[No, of course not.]

He widened his eyes and put on a show of surprise.

There wasn’t even a trace of agitation in the eyes beneath those lifted lids, though.

[I’ve never looked down on you. I just had prejudices.]

“Prejudices that nannies are ignorant?”

[Prejudices I withdrew after meeting you, so you don’t need to worry.]

He’s a strange one.

Most men who could wield a sword worth a damn were usually short on words.

But Kayden never seemed to lose an exchange, which means he must’ve trained his tongue along with his blade.

[More than anything, I was surprised by Lady Brown again. I never dreamed you’d finish this mission this quickly.]

So you were looking down on me after all.

I stared at Kayden with a blank face.

“…Then what are you going to do now?”

[Now, huh.]

Kayden tapped the desk with his fingertips, putting on an intentionally serious expression.

[This is inconvenient. It’s still too soon to strike the Holy Kingdom directly.]