Chapter 232

The ship advanced swiftly.

After passing through the Kaldis Strait, between the continents of Lutar and Pandrein, they reached their destination.

“Finally, solid ground.”

Luina, who hadn’t been able to train with her sword as she wanted on the ship, stretched as she stepped on land.

“Are we heading to Lake Parma now?”

“Yes, Sir Garrett. From Lake Parma we’ll take a boat to enter the kingdom of Linelt.”

“And that’s where I come in?”

“Exactly.”

Fernan recalled the prophecy.

The 62nd-ranked demon, Valac, would be summoned.

A summoning that would end up destroying the kingdom of Linelt and later unite it with the two demons who had devastated Bercheff in a terrible future.

The summoning of Valac was different from the previous ones.

Until now, demons had been summoned in secret, avoiding the eyes of the powerful. But this time it would be the opposite.

“If you go personally, Sir Garrett, they will have no choice but to receive you.”

Garrett wasn’t just any mercenary—he was the Mercenary King and a Royal Knight.

There wasn’t a nation that could ignore that status.

Neither the nobles of the kingdom nor the infiltrated cultists could openly reject his visit, even if they didn’t understand why he had come.

That would be the beginning.

If the cultists reacted, they would be caught under that pretext. If they stayed quiet, they would be agitated until they were forced to come out.

The key was simple—with the arrival of the Mercenary King, destabilize the palace and use the confusion to approach key figures and extract information.

The prophecy book gave an overall vision, but with so many changes, it could no longer be fully trusted to play out exactly the same.

“And that’ll be enough?”

“Leave the details to me. All you need to do is simple—be received as an honored guest in the kingdom and, when the demon is summoned, kill it.”

“That’s what I do best.”

Garrett laughed, baring his teeth. Knowing Fernan would handle the complicated parts put him in a good mood.

“But since it’s inside the royal palace, couldn’t it escalate into a diplomatic problem?”

“That’s precisely why you must be at the forefront. That’s the reason.”

Garrett, after all, was a mercenary with no official allegiance.

Upon arriving in the kingdom of Linelt, Fernan went straight to one of the secret hideouts of the Golden Turtle Guild.

He could have used the guild’s trade networks directly, but with so many people coming and going, it was safer to remain hidden.

Aint and the rector were far too recognizable to go unnoticed.

The hideout was a luxurious mansion in one of the capital’s upscale neighborhoods.

It had been acquired under a false name, and only the guild’s high command knew its true ownership.

Additionally, in the basement, there was a training field sealed with magical circles so no sound or impact would leak outside.

It was the perfect hideout for an operation that wouldn’t be resolved quickly.

“Then, for now, leave the preparations to me. You all rest here. The important thing is that you don’t leave under any circumstances. Especially you, Rector, and Aint.”

“Understood.”

“Yes.”

“Did you say there’s a training field in the basement?”

Luina, still feeling stiff after the journey, went straight down to train. Aint followed her.

“Me too?” asked Gismond.

“Of course, senior. If you want to face demons, you need more training.”

Recalling Fernan’s request to keep a close watch on him, Aint dragged him down almost by force.

The rector, on the other hand, was taken to the best room in the mansion to rest in comfort.

“All right, then I’ll go.”

“Yes. You don’t need to do anything special, they’ll react on their own.”

“Very well.”

The Mercenary King headed to the inn where the Red Wolf Company was staying. From there, he would go directly to the palace to meet with the king or, failing that, his representatives.

“Now the busy part begins, Hyde.”

“Yes, young master.”

“Investigate Herbis Linelt, Antenor Linelt, Gerlan Linelt, and Yuli Linelt.”

“The king, the first and second princes, and the eldest princess of the kingdom of Linelt.”

“Also look closely into the second prince’s close associates.”

“Is he the culprit?”

“Yes.”

The origin of it all—the demon’s summoning and the fall of the kingdom—was tied to the second prince, Gerlan Linelt.

At least, if the prophecy unfolded exactly as foretold.

Most of the changes caused by Fernan had affected the Empire, not external kingdoms.

That’s why, in Linelt, there was a higher chance the story would follow its original course.

And if not, there should at least be traces.

“The kingdom of Linelt walks on a knife’s edge. So, instead of using the Golden Pillar’s people or the family, use the Black Turtles.”

“Are you sure? The Black Turtles report directly to the duke…”

“I already have his permission.”

Fernan tossed him a letter bearing the patriarch’s seal, temporarily granting him command over the Black Turtles.

He had written to the duke before leaving and had received the reply during the journey.

Surely the Black Turtles had already activated their intelligence network in Linelt.

“As expected of you, young master. I’ll leave at once.”

“Good.”

Hyde disappeared swiftly. Fernan remained, staring at the large mural map of the kingdom of Linelt.

“Dantalion…”

He recalled the face of the demon that had escaped him. Perhaps Dominique’s face wasn’t his true appearance.

“Has he completely abandoned this place? Or just doesn’t expect me to arrive so soon?”

He would soon have his answer.

***

Hyde returned after two days.

“For now, I’ve brought the most general information. Currently, in the Kingdom of Linelt, the second prince, Gerlan Linelt, is serving as regent.”

“The king is still bedridden, it seems.”

“Yes.”

The current king, Herbis Linelt, had suddenly fallen ill about three years ago.

Until then, he had been healthy, but from that moment he contracted such a severe illness that he could barely move and ended up relegated to spending all day in bed.

Finally, in just a few months, he appointed the second prince as regent and withdrew.

If someone asked why it wasn’t the first prince but the second who assumed the regency, the answer was something known even without needing the prophecy book.

It was an incident that had once made noise not only in the Kingdom of Linelt but across the entire continent, and Fernan remembered it well.

“Is Antenor Linelt still locked up in the secondary palace since that incident?”

“Yes, that’s what they say.”

“His exact location?”

“Not clear yet, but the Black Turtles are investigating it.”

“When they find him, bring him immediately.”

“Understood. And here are three people considered close to Gerlan Linelt.”

Hyde handed him a thick report.

“Then among these there must be a corrupt one.”

If the prophecy book had mentioned specific names, it would be easy, but it hadn’t.

So there was no choice but to examine the three one by one and wear themselves out in inquiries.

While slowly leafing through the documents, Fernan asked about the most important thing besides the corrupt:

“Where is Yuli Linelt?”

The first princess of the Kingdom of Linelt.

The essential key to this entire matter lay in her hands.

***

A high ceiling adorned with a lavish chandelier.

The carpets were luxurious and the ornaments elegant.

To Garrett Schreiner, that opulence of the palace was suffocating.

‘It’s not the first time I’ve entered a palace, but every time I come I break out in hives.’

Perhaps it was because he had spent his life on the streets.

He preferred a hard wooden chair to a soft armchair, and a noisy tavern to a hall crammed with antiques.

‘Though it tastes good.’

He bit into a fruit served by a servant and was surprised by how sweet it was. He liked it very much.

He was used to a simple environment, but that didn’t mean he hated the exquisite.

At that moment, he sensed movement outside. Knock, knock, someone tapped at the door.

“His Highness the Regent Gerlan Linelt.”

Click, the door opened.

Garrett finished swallowing the fruit and wiped the juice from his lips any which way. He stood to receive the prince.

“An honor to meet you for the first time, Your Highness.”

“The honor is mine, to meet the famous Mercenary King.”

The regent of the kingdom, Gerlan Linelt, was a man with platinum blond hair and black eyes. He had a strong build and a handsome, gallant face.

“Since His Majesty is unwell, I ask you to understand that I receive you in his stead.”

“On the contrary, I am honored by your reception.”

“Honored, you say? But you’re the hero who slew a demon!”

Gerlan sat across from him. At his signal, everyone left the room except for a personal guard.

“I was surprised that the hero everyone talks about came to our kingdom.”

“You might be even more surprised.”

“What do you mean?”

At Gerlan’s intrigued look, Garrett continued.

“Aren’t you curious why I’m here?”

“Of course, but…”

“I’m a man of few twists, so I’ll get straight to the point.”

Garrett leaned back in the chair with his arms crossed. His attitude seemed insolent, but Gerlan swallowed hard without retorting.

The position of the Mercenary King was no longer what it had been.

Not only had he achieved the supreme title of Royal Knight as a mere mercenary, but he had also defeated a demon.

A demon hunter.

Except for Aint Armian, who had killed a demon at the Academy, no one else could claim such a feat.

That’s why, even though his visit was sudden, he couldn’t be treated lightly.

With demons appearing one after another, and a man capable of facing and killing them standing before him, Gerlan had no choice. His value would only keep growing.

That’s why he had rushed as soon as he heard the news, and now, with Garrett setting the pace of the conversation, he felt increasingly tense.

“You must know that I, together with the border count of Bercheff, defeated a demon.”

“Of course. It was the first to appear in a thousand years, and fortunately you were able to kill it. Without you two, it would have been impossible.”

“That’s right.”

Garrett smiled smugly.

“In any case, that day I thought it was only the beginning.”

“I’m sure everyone on the continent thought the same.”

And rightly so—a little later another demon had descended at the Academy. It wasn’t just a supposition, it was reality.

“Since then I’ve been tracking the corrupt. It turns out they’ve been infiltrated for a long time, like a spiderweb. They were more than we thought and more widespread than we believed.”

“I see.”

“And one of those trails led me here, to the Kingdom of Linelt.”

“…What are you saying?”

Gerlan’s eyes widened and Garrett drove the wedge in.

“My idea was to handle it myself, but the truth is my experience is mostly in the Empire. In a foreign kingdom, if I start acting with my mercenaries it could cause problems.”

So—

“I would like Your Highness to help me. To eliminate the corrupt hiding in Linelt.”

The Mercenary King smiled broadly.

“For Your Highness it wouldn’t be a bad thing either, don’t you think?”

Or rather, if he truly wanted to protect the kingdom, it was something that had to be done.

‘Let’s see how he reacts.’

The wolf showed a calm smile, while his predator’s eyes slowly observed every movement of his prey.