Chapter 35 - Arken Empire

There is nothing that humans cannot conquer.

The Arken Empire, bearing that slogan, had enjoyed a period of prosperity since Godwin's death.

The first emperor, Jeffrey Arken, was a great hero, a tactician, and a politician.

He declared that he would lay the foundation for an empire that would not collapse even after several centuries.

That declaration was actually still being proven to this day.

The current emperor of the Arken Empire, Godfrey Arken, was the most incompetent and greedy king.

He had been carrying out his deeply greedy and capricious politics for a whopping forty years, something that would have utterly ruined any other kingdom within three years.

He was still in power, and the empire was still going strong.

One could truly say that the emperor's authority came down from the heavens.

'But the emperor's authority comes from his warehouses.'

The treasures and holy relics piled up by the past emperors were currently sustaining the empire.

Being able to touch those warehouses meant being able to share in that authority.

And there was not a single noble who did not know that.

'They are blinded by gold, and they submit to gold.'

They flattered the emperor of the empire as much as he was incompetent, and they praised him as much as he went down the wrong path.

The speed of its rot would accelerate, the foundation of the first emperor's thousand-year empire would collapse, and its downfall would hasten.

"So where are you planning to rob?"

Zed asked, as if he found it absurd.

"The Sealed Warehouse."

"The Sealed Warehouse..."

The Sealed Warehouse.

If there was a treasure warehouse that stored expensive treasures and relics containing holy power, the Sealed Warehouse, on the contrary, sealed away things that were evil and must not be revealed.

And within it were sealed the magic grimoires left behind by demons, as well as the books and magic items developed by Demon Followers.

Zed's expression rotted even further.

Robbing the treasure warehouse was already walking into a death trap, but saying it was the Sealed Warehouse was no different from adding a fire pit on top of it.

"I am asking just in case... could you tell me what you are planning to steal?"

There was no reason he couldn't.

"It is called Barbatos's Shadow Art, among the grimoires of the Great Demons."

Barbatos, known as the demon of shadows and schemes among the seven Great Demons of Hell.

"Barbatos..."

Zed muttered with a serious face before raising his head.

"... Who is that?"

"Do you not know?"

"Those damn followers of Amon are mentioned sometimes, but a demon named Barbatos... I have never even heard of him."

He was called one of the seven Great Demons of Hell, but in reality, he was the demon with the lowest influence that people rarely heard about.

"It is natural that you do not know. To begin with, he is not a demon who commands followers like the other demons."

Rather than being so pathetic that he was hard to mention, it was closer to being intentional.

Barbatos was a demon who preferred to move stealthily.

Because he knew that having low recognition was advantageous for using his abilities, he did not demand initiation rituals or massive prices.

'But the conditions are massive instead.'

The conditions to manipulate shadows were the most demanding among all the magic left behind by the Great Demons.

Even 'Shadow Hand', the lowest-tier magic that Ferda had used, was something that ordinary mages could not handle properly.

That was why those who followed Barbatos were practically nonexistent, and there were also few people who sought his grimoire.

'That is why it can be used as a hidden card.'

Because it was a magic with low recognition, it meant that opponents would not be able to counter it.

For mages, the battle of wits to catch the opponent off guard was the most important.

"Assuming we steal that shadow art thing..."

Zed spat out the unease lingering in his mind.

"How do we get there?"

Ferda crossed his legs and said.

"You tell me. How you could get there if it were you."

"Are you passing it off onto me?"

"Because it is your field."

"I am not a petty thief. The only thing I have ever stolen are women's hearts."

"Stop your bullshit and speak."

"Hmm..."

Zed stroked his chin and let out a breath.

After about five minutes of silence, he opened his mouth.

"There have been plenty of bastards who tried to rob the empire's warehouses up until now. Even among them, the group that supposedly half-succeeded carried it out with ten people."

"And?"

"From what I see, it will require at least twenty people and about a year of work. Are you going to hire twenty of those thieves?"

"No."

Twenty people and a year.

He didn't have the luxury for that.

"Then how long will it take?"

"Right now."

Zed forgot what to say for a moment.

He felt like his mouth would only hurt if he asked back if Ferda had forgotten what he just said, so he let it slide.

"If it is to be executed right now and without any repercussions... you mean I have to rob it alone, do you not?"

"That would be the case."

"How am I supposed to do what a group of ten challenged and still failed at?"

Watching him, Ferda answered with serious eyes.

"You can do it."

Zed felt like he was going to die of absurdity.

However, Ferda felt it was just as absurd.

'He's whining too much.'

Zed Swallow.

Right now, he was nothing but a gigolo who went around seducing women, but he had the talent of a Great Thief.

His achievement was that he had entered the empire's treasure warehouse, which no one else could breach.

'And without a plan, at that.'

Officially it was three times, but according to Zed's claims, he had already dropped by twelve times.

It meant that he already knew the loopholes in the surveillance system and could overcome them.

'Of course, that is only a story for the future.'

It was difficult to expect the reputation of a Great Thief right now.

Right now, he was a sleazebag hitting on women, far from being a thief.

Ferda was also proceeding with the plan taking all of that into account.

"There is no need to worry. I will be the one setting the stage anyway."

"You will, Regent?"

Ferda nodded and pointed to his eyes with his index and middle fingers.

"All you need are your two eyes. The rest are nothing but secondary elements. Do you understand?"

"... Somehow, that makes me even more anxious."

Hearing him say that made Zed even more anxious.

In his experience, there was no job that demanded greater capability than being told to prepare simple items.

'Is it really okay to follow this guy?'

He had come because he was mesmerized by the promise to help him debut in high society, but it felt like the required standards were getting higher and higher as they went on.

"Your face is full of worry."

"Wouldn't you be, when someone's life is on the line?"

Zed answered bluntly.

His head must be hurting as his thoughts deepened.

'Overthinking always leads to a bad move.'

If he were to refuse, he would have to give up on Barbatos's Shadow Art.

Otherwise, things would become even more complicated.

'I should pull out that card.'

Ferda decided to make it easier for him to weigh his options.

"The Sealed Warehouse contains the shameful secrets that the empire wishes to hide."

"... Is that so?"

Unlike his reply, his face asked why Ferda was bringing that up.

"There should also be information regarding the Red-Eye Clan among them."

"!"

The groaning Zed was nowhere to be seen.

Strength entered his two eyes.

"Are you certain?"

"I have no intention whatsoever to break my contract with you."

Zed had set a condition that he would leave if he was left out or only used.

Thus, he did not think deeply.

His answer was concise.

"What the hell, let's do it."

Everything moved according to Ferda's thoughts.

* * *

Before moving in earnest, Ferda went to see Count Concillus.

"I greet the Regent. I heard you have business in the empire."

"I do."

"May I ask what business you are going for?"

"In fact, I was about to ask you that. I have no proper reason to go, but it is something I must go for."

"Ah, so it is that kind of feeling."

Concillus answered while stroking his beard.

"Wouldn't it be better to mention Thessalos Vulture's empty seat? Saying that a new suitable person is needed..."

"Ah, I have an idea regarding that part. There is a suitable person, but that suitable person isn't showing up."

"If you give the order, I will ask around."

He could have told him the characteristics, but he didn't want to go that far to find him.

It would be more troublesome if the man ended up hiding because of rumors that he was being looked for.

Because of that, Ferda spoke briefly.

"There will be a man who makes you choke on your breath the moment you see him."

"Makes you choke on your breath... what does that mean specifically?"

"There is no need for specifics. You will feel your breath catching the moment you see him as well. You just need to give the seat to that knight."

"Understood. I shall do as the Regent wills."

Gathering the wandering knights had failed, but they were still in the middle of seeking out guardians for the territory.

He decided to think that the man would eventually come looking for him out of interest one day.

Concillus began to come up with another idea.

"Wouldn't it be better to make an inquiry regarding the Grand Duke Council?"

"The Grand Duke Council?"

"Yes. All the kings and nobles of duke rank or higher in Serdes go there with proper qualifications, and you need someone to verify your identity. It would be better to say you have the intention to attend to His Majesty the Emperor or his blood relatives below him and drop by."

The emperor or the princes.

They were folks he did not like, but Ferda would frequently encounter them from now on.

"Good. I will use that as my reason to go. How is the political situation of the empire right now?"

"It is a complete mess."

Concillus shook his head.

"Right now, they are in the middle of building factions in a three-way battle structure."

"And the central figures of the three-way battle?"

"It consists of the empire's emperor, the 1st Prince, and the 2nd Prince."

"Are you saying the emperor is fighting with his own sons?"

Concillus nodded.

"I know it's absurd, but it is true. At one point, the 1st Prince and the 2nd Prince carried out politics to drag down the emperor."

"But they must have failed."

"Yes. They say the emperor is incompetent, but he is razor-sharp when it comes to his own power. He smoothed things over by instigating a fight between the 1st Prince and the 2nd Prince over the succession rights."

He created new enemies by presenting a new future instead of the existing enemies.

If it only brewed conflict within that, their strength would gradually weaken and they would lose their essence.

'I suppose even a rotting beast still has its teeth...'

There was a reason he had gorged on power for so long.

"It means it is a three-way battle on the surface, for now."

"On the surface... Yes, it is like that on the surface."

He was puzzled as to why Ferda used the word 'surface', but he didn't pry into it.

Ferda thought about those three figures before asking Concillus.

"If it were you, who among those three do you think it would be better to stick with?"

"Speaking for myself, I would think it's the 2nd Prince."

"The reason being?"

"The 2nd Prince always emphasizes national defense, and he is actually going to many places to repel monsters and secure the empire's territory. Since he is also interested in exterminating demonic beasts, he is outstanding enough to be compared to the first emperor."

It was exactly as Concillus said.

In reality, the 2nd Prince's main pillars were the warlords that the 1st Prince had failed to recruit.

His thought was to fill his lacking forces with heroic tales.

"Of course, I cannot say he is the correct answer either. If he had cared about proper national defense, he would have reached out to this far east."

"I suppose so."

Having even heard his opinion, Ferda nodded as if he had made his decision.

"Then I shall try writing three letters to the emperor, the 1st Prince, and the 2nd Prince."

"Shall I assist you?"

The empire still believed that Count Concillus had more influence than the Regent.

However, Ferda shook his head.

"There is no need. I will send them under the name of the Regent of Valdrova."

"If that is your will..."

The reason Ferda was sending three letters was because he was curious about their intentions.

The thirsty man digs the well, and the desperate man reaches out his hand.

Ferda was curious to see who among them would reach out their hand to him.

Count Concillus backing down was also because he shared the exact same thought.

"I have a separate request for Count Concillus."

"Just say the word."

"Do you happen to have an unclaimed body?"

A corpse whose name and origin were unknown.

"An unclaimed body... Yes, there should be. I am told they recently found one corpse near the territory."

Good timing, too.

"That's good. Have him burned at the stake."

"Burned at the stake... you mean?"

Concillus blinked his eyes.

Not even cremation, but burned at the stake.

Concillus could not bear to keep it to himself and asked him.

"I am asking just in case... but that is something for the sake of this far east, correct?"

"Of course. At the very least, it is not done out of my personal self-interest."

"If so, I understand."

"Burn him as if he were the most miserable bastard possible. That will be enough."

"Haha, God will be furious."

Concillus fiddled with his necklace.

It was an amulet carried by the believers of Arte, the state religion of the empire.

"Where in the world is there a human who hasn't committed a single sin?"

"That is true."

Damaging the corpse of an innocent was uneasy, but Concillus didn't complain.

Whatever it was, he needed to trust Ferda to wish for the prosperity of this far eastern territory.

* * *

After sending the three letters to the empire, Ferda boarded his carriage.

It was naturally impossible to receive a reply right away, and Ferda had no thought of receiving one either.

That was the core point of sending the letters.

'How they will act on a one-sided communication is all that matters.'

The people accompanying him were Zed, along with Arwen, a knight under Count Concillus, and the soldiers under his command.

After a full week of traveling, they finally discovered the massive castle walls resting on the plains.

'Arken Empire.'

The scenery of the imperial capital, where vegetation and well-tended fields harmonized, made one's heart flutter.

Looking out the window, Zed smiled in excitement and said.

"The empire is magnificent every time I see it. It is worth coming here."

"I see."

All nobles and commoners desired the imperial capital.

House Rosnova was also a family that had wanted to become those central nobles.

Ferda, however, did not feel the need for that.

That place inside was the very den of monsters wearing human skin, the true beginning of hell, so why would he want to go in?

Thus, they arrived before the grand city gates.

Ferda informed the sentry of his identity.

"Please wait a moment."

The sentry went into the guardhouse to verify it.

However, even after several minutes passed, there was no instruction to pass through.

"I think we are off to a bit of a bad start?"

Zed subtly threw out ominous words, but that wasn't the case for Ferda.

"This is a green light."

"A green light?"

"Making a noble wait means there is a proper reason for it."

A moment later, a luxurious white carriage stopped inside the city gate.

The fact that a situation to change carriages had arisen meant that a situation to enter the empire's palace had arisen.

In other words, it meant they had replied to his letter.

The knight standing at the front placed his hand on his chest and bowed politely.

"Welcome to the empire, Regent! I am Marco, the commander of the 5th Knight Order belonging to the imperial family."

"It is a pleasure to meet you."

"This way...!"

Guided by him, Ferda changed carriages.

When Zed, who had been riding with him, also tried to switch over, Marco blocked him.

"I apologize, but who might you be, sir?"

"I am an employee, though?"

Marco's face distorted coldly.

"An employee cannot ride in the carriage. Only those who have been invited may enter the imperial palace."

"Uh, is that so?"

"Step back. This carriage is heading to the imperial palace."

Zed stepped away from the carriage with an awkward face.

Like that, the only one to travel down the road and enter the imperial palace was Ferda alone.

'It is luxurious beyond compare.'

Was it called showing off in front of an expert?

Ferda's carriage was also decorated lavishly, but the carriage exclusive to the imperial family gave off a completely different level of comfort.

Ferda subtly turned his gaze and looked at the scenery reflected beyond the window.

As expected of the empire's main streets, it was clean, and the streets were filled with people brimming with laughter.

Befitting the place every noble dreamed of, it was a sight full of hope.

There was a reason why the nobles entering the imperial capital would suffer from a fever the moment they left the capital.

If there is happiness, there is bound to be misfortune to match it.

And that misfortune was targeting Ferda right now.

Ferda's sharp insight caught an unusual gaze.

A man hiding in an alleyway was stealing glances at the carriage.

'He's targeting this carriage.'

The soldiers guarding the surroundings had not noticed the man.

Initial suppression would definitely not take place.

'Suppressing him before the attack... should be possible.'

The only one who would protect his body was himself.

Ferda reflexively created a mana sphere.

Since he didn't know when the man would do what, he finished preparing to counterattack stealthily.

As the distance closed, the man jumped out and blocked the carriage.

NEIGH!

The horses stopped in great alarm.