Chapter 90.2

“She’s always been an idiot. Her aides handle all her strategies and tactics for her.”

It was no secret that Marchioness Havana lacked intelligence.

The operations and ventures she personally directed had failed more often than not, and her reckless projects had squandered her family’s fortune several times.

Had she not married Entir, she would have lost her territory and been reduced to a title-only Marchioness.

“Well, it’s a relief.”

Doom spoke with the faintest hint of a smile on his otherwise stoic face.

“What is?”

“We avoided her ridicule, thanks to her failing to recognize you.”

“Ah, you mean when she raged over my invitation to the Great Wall?”

“Exactly.”

Carpe smirked confidently for the first time in a while.

“So, you’ve been doing guard work all this time?”

“All thanks to someone, yes.”

“I’ll apologize for that. The ones who insulted you and your mercenaries back then are all dead.”

“Forget it.”

Carpe rejected the apology firmly.

Doom continued speaking without a change in expression.

“The Mongar Orcs are acting strangely.”

“Hah! When haven’t they been strange?”

“This time, it’s different. It’s a massive invasion, the kind that happens once every hundred years.”

“And what do you expect me to do about it?”

“…Would you reconsider returning? I’ll double your pay from before and offer you a rank equivalent to that of a deputy commander.”

“I like my current situation. At least now, I don’t have to deal with anything infuriating while working.”

“Is that so? Understood.”

“…Huh? You’re quick to give up. I can’t stand clingy men.”

“I’m just grateful you haven’t joined the Empire’s enemies.”

“Sounds like there’s more to it than that.”

“I also want the chance to test myself in extreme circumstances.”

“…You really are out of your mind.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Doom’s gaze shifted to Entir, standing beside Carpe.

Entir might become an enemy of the Imperial Family, but he wasn’t yet an enemy of the Empire.

For now, Doom decided to simply observe.

“In exchange, when your current contract ends, I’d like you to prioritize me for the next one.”

“Sure! That much is fine.”

Doom knew the former Mercenary Queen too well.

Trying to blackmail her with threats of breached contracts, desertion, or attacking Imperial soldiers wouldn’t work.

If anything, it would push her to join the North or the Kingdom Alliance out of spite.

“I’m glad this conversation is going smoother than I expected.”

“Is that so? Is this disguise because of me?”

“Partly because of you, partly because of that woman, Havana.”

“I see.”

With that, the conversation between Carpe and Doom came to an end.

The banquet also wrapped up soon after.

Following the coronation, Gard and Entir attended just one formal banquet. After that, they quickly left the Imperial Palace, citing work as their excuse.

***

Northern Grand Duchy of Renslet

In the heart of the North stood the stronghold of the Renslet Grand Duchy.

It also housed the headquarters of the Arad Company, the Grand Duke’s exclusive merchant guild, and the residence of Arad Jin, the Northern Count.

“So, you’re saying the Emperor has requested my presence at the palace? Personally?”

“Yes, sir.”

“And he even swore on the Golden Throne to guarantee my safety?”

“Not just the Emperor, but also the Master of the Golden Tower and the Archbishop have made the same vow.”

“Well, that’s a first.”

Gard had returned to the High Tower, and as soon as his audience with Arina was over, he came straight to me.

“What do you plan to do?”

Gard asked cautiously.

“What does Her Highness, the Grand Duke, think?”

“She said she will follow your wishes.”

“Hmm…”

It was a request from the Emperor, and there was even an oath involved.

Even with our hostile relationship, it wasn’t something I could easily ignore.

“Sorry I’m late.”

“Oh! Mary.”

Just then, Mary arrived, looking more disheveled than usual.

“What brings you to my house… I mean, the headquarters?”

“I heard you were here, sir.”

After exchanging brief pleasantries, Mary fidgeted nervously like a restless puppy.

“So… Is it true the Emperor wants to see you, sir?”

“News spreads fast, doesn’t it?”

“Ah… Yes…”

Looking between Mary and Gard, I finally spoke.

“I’m not going.”

“Pardon…?”

“?!”

At my resolute declaration, the two of them wore expressions of shock, relief, and unease all at once.

“Even so, this involves the Emperor, the Archbishop, and the Tower Master’s honor…”

Gard, the first to speak, looked uneasy.

As a Northern man of principle, it wasn’t easy for him to remain unshaken.

In the worst-case scenario, his head might roll during the next Imperial envoy visit.

“Lord Gard, I simply cannot trust their oaths.”

I met Gard’s anxious gaze and continued.

“When I think about it, their vows all contain an escape clause.”

“An escape clause?”

“The Emperor’s authority, the Tower’s power, and the Church’s voice only extend so far. Their promise of safety applies only within those limits. This means they won’t guarantee my safety in places beyond their reach.”

“And where might that be?”

“The borderlands between the North and the Empire, or territories belonging to anti-Imperial nobles. Even estates managed by the Church wouldn’t be bad options.”

Wasn’t this always the case? Dealing with their tricks was nothing new to me.

I quickly saw through the Emperor’s ploy.

“They’ll try to sway me, and if that fails, they’ll lure me into an anti-Imperial territory. There, they’ll attempt assassination or abduction.”

In such a scenario, the Emperor could shift the blame to the noble faction.

If the noble’s territory also hosted branches of the Tower and Church, their reputations would take a hit as well.

“The reverse is also possible. The Church could exploit this vow to assassinate me in the capital or an Imperial domain. It would be the perfect opportunity to tarnish the Emperor’s image.”

“The Church has a chapel in the Imperial Domain.”

“Why do you think the Archbishop invoked the ‘voice of the Church’ rather than the ‘voice of God’? The voice of the Church applies only within chapels and estates managed by the Church.”

“…!”

I wasn’t sure why the Tower was involved, but it was clear the Imperial Family and Church could easily turn my visit into a political game.

“No matter how high my luck stat is, there’s no way I’ll come out unscathed!”

Luck wasn’t omnipotent. When faced with someone hell-bent on self-destruction, no amount of good fortune could intervene.

“In short, I’d have to film Imperial Danger Escape No. 1 just to survive.”

“Danger… what?”

“Nothing. Forget I said anything.”

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