Chapter 35: Arken Empire
8Ql6BThere is nothing that humanity cannot conquer.if3
Mb7Under that motto, the Arken Empire has enjoyed an era of prosperity after the death of Godwin.zhan
uH2JThe first emperor, Jeffrey Arken, was a great hero, strategist, and politician.v0hQL
KxdQgiKHe declared that he would establish the foundations of an empire that would not collapse even in hundreds of years.ThkFL
0DRfe0And that declaration continues to prove true to this day.JPDx4
L5pThe current emperor of the Arken Empire, Godfrey Arken, is the most incompetent and greedy king.NAW
dawL2If it were another kingdom, his capricious policies and greed would have led it to ruin in less than three years.aVAjh
CnKHowever, he has ruled like that for forty years.1K0t1xs
EaYYmXHe is still in power, and the empire still stands.l4q
0M2It could be said that the emperor’s authority comes from the heavens themselves.B41
Cad‘But the emperor’s authority comes from the warehouse.’vRVrsv
ciOCPBThe treasures accumulated by previous emperors and the sacred artifacts are what sustain the empire.8iMVhsq
3fw8xdTo be able to touch that warehouse means to share in that authority.vfnBk
xzxNoJAnd there is no noble who does not know it.3h5yOaz
c4aY‘They are blinded by gold and submit to it.’edz1TSG
Fd0LwThe more incompetent the emperor is, the more they flatter him; the more he errs, the more they praise him.oSSJ7OE
o895LCorruption will only accelerate, the foundations of the millennial empire of the first emperor will collapse, and the fall will be inevitable.IxYgK
ZFN5“So, what do you plan to steal?”ICNsB2S
wLg1qdcZed asked, incredulous.w1Sdpf5
5hW05SZ“The sealed warehouse.”L2c
ML7J“The sealed warehouse…”PhHRj1o
VM0hThe sealed warehouse.wDR7
powpUm7If the treasury warehouse holds riches and sacred artifacts, the sealed warehouse holds the opposite evil things that must not be revealed.JN6
R4J85KThere lie magical books left by demons, as well as objects and texts developed by their followers.Poh8mqx
ZeqTAZed’s expression became even more bitter.Ubk
M3ZRobbing the treasury warehouse was already a suicide mission, but the sealed warehouse was like adding fuel to the fire.y83
1e11GI“Just in case… could you tell me what you plan to steal?”W74w
dGrhqqThere was no problem in saying it.z0pU
dA9V41Q“From the grimoires of the great demons, something called Barbatos’s shadow magic.”iSQo
4wBFQDBarbatos, one of the seven great demons of hell, known as the demon of shadows and intrigue.1GYj0O
L8AFAhB“Barbatos…”ZAi
t3OZed murmured seriously, then raised his head.FN7S
ZxprY“…Who is that?”XyjZ
HrHJJAE“You don’t know him?”ca63y6n
YYtvLt7“Not even those damned followers of Amon mention him much… but Barbatos… I have never heard of him.”l3u5B
LBkPTAlthough he is one of the seven great demons, he is the one with the least influence and is almost unknown.of5WKL
v4a“It is normal that you don’t know him. Unlike other demons, he has no followers.”ElsGtg
oEbMore than being insignificant, it was intentional.nI9
c7qqBarbatos prefers to act in secret.pkgCezZ
HyQztHe knows that maintaining a low profile is advantageous for using his abilities, so he does not demand rituals or great sacrifices.9a7
tBW‘Although the conditions are extremely demanding.’6fI
Oi4TlShadow magic has the most difficult requirements among the magics left by the great demons.SV73B
w1lEven the most basic spell that Perda used, “Shadow Hand,” is difficult for most mages to handle.kGYE
sdJThat is why there are almost no followers of Barbatos, nor people interested in his grimoire.hEFk
EiSDaSZ‘That is why it can be used as a trump card.’N9FBWI
kZIVfBeing a little-known magic, no one knows how to counter it.1Id7VF
95bhlIn magical combat, surprising the opponent is key.8iflpA
ff6zQFw“Suppose you steal that shadow magic…”miGD7oX
7VMH0Zed expressed his discomfort.2mH
ymyBpAF“How do you plan to get there?”heooo
txV7vicPerda crossed his legs.BRJdYUi
7HIrR“You tell me. How would you do it?”VtdY
W4t“You’re leaving it to me?”RKsO9
Nuw“It’s your specialty.”csHcuY1
d1tx“I’m not a thief. The only thing I’ve stolen are women’s hearts.”QNQT
u8bXEz“Stop the nonsense and answer.”QgFzgXO
k8Gq8“Hmm…”M4069zR
4ssAZZed rested his chin and thought.enYfrB
SsLcAfter five minutes of silence, he spoke.SkWj6i
vH1“There have been many who tried to rob the empire’s warehouses. Even a group that is said to have half succeeded was made up of ten people.”Y56hlRS
pbF“And?”aHH
m8L“In my opinion, it would take at least twenty people and a year of preparation. Are you going to hire twenty thieves?”nAd8Vqf
XNR“No.”u7vsh
HAwPlCkTwenty people for a year.aW8U
OlJuHe did not have time for that.t9vxfsr
bOsXULV“Then, how much time?”52gOHz
bdhr“Right now.”izGskP7
EtKZed was speechless.1TA8X
FhKVbK7It seemed useless to even argue.HyDn2
upd“If you want to do it right now and without leaving a trace… then it means I have to do it alone, right?”NKSk4vi
SnjGr“That’s right.”Vqp
dtV“Ten people failed. How do you expect me to do it?”557nxLQ
VC5BrqQPerda looked at him seriously.4ZxoDrL
y9bwH“You can.”TeDCBmY
ASXpMZed felt like he was going to lose his mind.HGTvr
csEZrBut the absurdity was not only his.3ySIr
Qoz6jdX‘He exaggerates too much.’8S4tJwE
qqhjlZed Swallow.KzBCEyd
Os3tPiNow he was only a womanizer, but he had talent as a master thief.lPpaj
WVrOne of his achievements was having infiltrated the imperial treasury warehouse, something no one else had achieved.PIDnU
mtM0S‘And without planning.’RUNKQI
exnyOfficially it was three times, but according to him, it was twelve.mYF
EOMThat meant he already knew the weaknesses of the security system.XbuTwwk
QyTa‘Of course, that’s in the future.’L8r1V
wtBiHe could not expect that level yet.3n7vN
GduTU7uFor now, he was still just a seducer, not a thief.Vl4
MQTqdN6Perda knew it and still proceeded with the plan.l9d
0hhxyrD“There will also be information about the red eyes.”M4uN
Ps34ajn“…!”TRGBU
JNmNZed stopped complaining instantly.UPVHb
NvQJKKdHis eyes sharpened.EptLm8
cLAoE6p“Are you sure?”CInv1L
oyDJ5“I have no intention of breaking our deal.”ft25Z
Vvg9bsDZed had made it clear that he would leave if he were used or deceived.y78Nxa
kkFThat is why he did not hesitate.Hn5
JO2c507His answer was simple.Qr39mro
LDX5“Then I will do it.”21XApYi
OYhiI6OEverything was proceeding according to Perda’s plan.AyugGM
mXrR***BYms5N
OLPkGrBefore acting, Perda went to see Count Consilus.Lmm
zTLA“Greetings, regent. I have heard that you will travel to the empire.”88c5Y
fXi“That’s right.”jyGvxzA
vYj“May I ask the reason?”FGLTR
58igwU“In fact, I wanted to ask you that. There is no reason to go, but even so I must do it.”qlla
KekiVu“Ah, I understand.”h1p
F0u7Consilus stroked his beard.Jkc0DD
xErPwrA“Would it not be a good idea to mention the vacant position of Thessalos Walcher? Something like that a new candidate is needed…”Mx9X
EHGUsq“I have already thought about it. There is a suitable candidate, but he has not appeared yet.”RnF
RE8D“If you allow me, I can search for him.”wmCGO
IObvTFCHe could give details, but he did not want to.y6M
70zJrIf that person found out, he might hide.ck7Zu
G6Td28sSo he responded briefly.6mJ84
plDNyMn“When you see him, it will take your breath away.”3hekd
lCR“B-breath away? What exactly do you mean?”QvpdI39
9mY“There is no need to specify. You will know when you see him. Give the position to that knight.”2yMU
G6t5Wp“Understood, as you order.”aiE6TjD
se0BD1pThey had not managed to recruit wandering knights, but they were still searching for defenders for the territory.kevGBS
CCz91drSomeday one would appear.XpQx
VVdhhKVConsilus thought of something else.acUnq
5Aw3P“Would it not be convenient to consult about the Grand Council?”1y6bfW
TiW“The Grand Council?”C6ZG
iOV“Yes. All kings and nobles of ducal rank or higher of Serdes must attend. We need someone to confirm your identity. It would be good to go there under the pretext of informing the emperor or the imperial family.”A3zca4
ysFThe emperor and the princes.Y6g
JRnU1WHe did not like them, but he would inevitably have to deal with them.IKDKeE
d4ve“Fine. I will use that as an excuse. How is the situation of the empire?”p8zV
gYzNM“A disaster.”Yv2E
XOQ1SmConsilus shook his head.3pvTL
cpLY“A tripartite conflict is currently forming.”i0EtX
eh6a9X“Who are the leaders?”Dxp0
bSdE“The emperor, the crown prince… and the second prince.”cyx
ft8CkDZ“The emperor is fighting against his own sons?”Eioip6h
nBaC5aYConsilus nodded.lNi0lm
lkksRc“I know it sounds absurd, but that is how it is. There was a time when the crown prince and the second prince tried to dethrone the emperor through politics.”Bh6Uz
NlLodvM“But they failed.”Mm5O
KJTIRs4“Yes. Although the emperor is incompetent, when it comes to his power he is ruthless. He provoked a conflict between the crown prince and the second prince over the right of succession, and thus managed to suppress the situation.”XruU
YQgpV7Instead of confronting an existing enemy, he creates a new one by proposing a different future.1H6UD2
s7yQHMfIf in that process he only generates conflict, power weakens and its essence is lost.C8Qz
4G5ivT‘As they say, even a rotten fish is still a fish…’2X3bM
UAVO4PIf he has survived this long, it is for a reason.O336m3T
ZXHAxo“On the surface, then, it is a three-sided struggle.”5gu2K0
hdxnYh4“On the surface… yes, on the surface it is so.”HspXkG
GIAZY8Consilus felt curious about the use of the word “surface,” but did not pursue it further.61ZJr
3zyAePerda thought about the three and asked.5Xxlcj
a7U“If you were in my place, whom would you support?”2yx
yZWORLu“In my case… I would say the second prince.”P11Y
gAJARn“Why?”M3GEVO
K0fJ“The second prince has always prioritized national defense. He has traveled through many regions defeating monsters and securing territory for the empire. He is also interested in the eradication of creatures. He is as outstanding as the first emperor.”9JzK
yRPeYPhJust as Consilus said.4s2
sfpfNIn fact, the base of the second prince was formed by military forces that the crown prince could not recruit.rmjJDfZ
bhioP7AHe tried to compensate for his lack of power with achievements.DHl
wjub“Of course, it is not a perfect answer either. If he truly cared about defense, he would have extended his hand to this eastern frontier region.”1Ps
lKN“That is true.”Zk8
F1m089After hearing his opinion, Perda nodded.XjZ4enw
UUHdqSO“Then I will write three letters. To the emperor, to the first prince, and to the second prince.”v0Qu
k4Io5Z“Do you want me to help you?”ibphKb6
xr2wNgYThe empire still believed that Count Consilus had more influence than the regent.cKERAbU
kbUTf0CBut Perda shook his head.w1y
42Lme“It is not necessary. I will send them in the name of Regent Valdrova.”0RLUnl
6ST“If that is your wish…”FXIW
5rJYiyPerda wanted to know their intentions.HcU28
3MTQzY8The one who is thirsty digs the well, and the one who needs it reaches out.5JH0iA7
YyXgnHe wanted to see which of them would approach him.Dy19p
8OomConsilus withdrew for the same reason.4yfC
VAKh“There is something else I want to ask you.”aN9Np5
Ota“Tell me.”jk9zvQG
RRHW9“Is there any unidentified corpse?”LTxp
T2YFaA body without name or origin.PyAz9B
KwkSt“An unidentified corpse… yes, I think there is one. Recently one was found near the territory.”qV1h2x
iHMCPerfect.3ExOe
9VZoBO“Good. Burn it.”JlMNz2v
MhZIfeq“Burn it…?”OqNww
Vlx2HConsilus blinked.yfPq2
QNqEM8Not a cremation, but an execution at the stake.8gVc
y6erLdVHe could not help but ask.QhF4ov
2DkF“Just to confirm… is this for the good of this region?”QNnBsp
BlNVF“Of course. It is not for a personal whim.”QHg
YUjE“Then I will do it.”eM5g3p0
s51“Make it look like the worst kind of wretch while it burns. That is enough.”zTYDXHx
e8uuRdh“Heh… the gods will be angered.”fIrF5
Mn5uConsilus touched his necklace.JkJ
ql1mAgSIt was an amulet of the followers of Alte, the empire’s religion.7ogKos
XG4gVqA“Who has not committed a sin at some point?”JMc
2ti“That is true.”4dML
hz990Although it troubled him to profane an innocent corpse, Consilus did not protest.x1WSTQ7
PodIf he wanted this region to prosper, he had to trust Perda.UDK4oCo
3FU***cfWXcS
AeUmHAfter sending three letters to the empire, Perda boarded the carriage.dU1X
NYkNucEIt was impossible to receive a response immediately, nor did he expect one.E4G5
xYnoRThat was the purpose of the letters.U8eh
2Az‘What matters is seeing what they do in response to a unilateral communication.’jdUNGl
60nyDmAccompanying him were Zed, the knight Arwen under Consilus’s command, and his soldiers.T1NN
Ps7XCAfter a week of travel, they finally saw a massive wall on the plain.mkl5
BU9ZDt‘The Arken Empire.’D3XtV
RFB1The landscape of the capital, with cultivated fields and vegetation, made the heart beat faster.nsF
s1gZed, looking out the window, smiled excitedly.sDOnN
hq9IJS“The empire is always impressive. It feels good to come here.”H785
lmi8jY“I see.”A15uk1g
x82LAll nobles and commoners dreamed of the imperial capital.lyYi
iJiThe Rosnova family had also aspired to become central nobility.WBq
Xhb2WBut Perda did not feel that need.jHQ
IrpOuQYEntering there was like entering a den of monsters disguised as humans.NzvFR3a
1yhDThe true hell began there.QL0T6Ue
d54RRxFThey arrived at the gates.7Df7C
aqNU1Perda informed the guard of his identity.3baua
xWEgh“Please wait a moment.”R0y8KUU
QrOw6The guard went to verify.0OmAFGJ
7YZBut minutes passed and they were not allowed to enter.ARtsq
a4IHV“I think we started off badly.”0m8
dkWuZed muttered uneasily, but Perda did not see it that way.Z7x
53L5“It is a good sign.”x1J6Zh9
MS8yX“A good sign?”TFh2A
8g4Suli“If they make a noble wait, it is because there is a reason.”Az8ZvmV
Xudy06Shortly after, a white and luxurious carriage appeared inside the gate.YV2Fe5
Xf9Having to change carriages meant entering the imperial palace.98Uqm
ZXaJaIn other words, they had responded to his letter.VXBbvi
7S2XA knight at the front greeted respectfully.g38N
QiJ“Welcome to the empire, regent! I am Marco, commander of the fifth imperial squad.”Y3v
FD0a“A pleasure.”7qU9
Xk3LGPa“This way…”LlBxN3
HgTwLTWPerda changed carriages under his guidance.GjQkb
fnEettZed tried to get on, but Marco stopped him.opnw1r
MWzOW99“Excuse me, who are you?”s35
KamS4L“An employee.”npv
Rd7sYKMarco’s face hardened.6EW9E
ldb“Employees cannot board. Only guests may enter the palace.”KL4w5
N3D“Ah… I see.”p4Jk
tFcHX“Step aside.”lbXwQ
gqgZed moved aside uncomfortably.E0HyAZB
REfF7mThus, only Perda continued toward the palace.QayHd9c
mv7NEjb‘What excessive luxury.’33hUW
Fw6u7cHis own carriage was elegant, but the imperial one was on another level.t4mDVx
nvEiaREPerda looked out the window.Lc3e
UTYCgThe streets were clean and full of smiling people.DLX6Nl
jkccEIt was a place full of hope.YEI
3RPfSThat is why many nobles fell ill when leaving it.3vKPO
DrIgEuDWhere there is happiness, there is also misfortune.QPM
Lt0w9And that misfortune was now aimed at Perda.B6Mok
4u1FuVeHis sharp perception detected a suspicious gaze.6c8Y
5YGA man hidden in an alley was watching the carriage.G7enkN
BFlM‘He is targeting this carriage.’Fsb0
dkfhWThe soldiers had not noticed.ujKH
UI1HqJ‘I can neutralize him before he attacks.’Sl7cR
WwZPerda generated a sphere of mana.Afd17t
pbLHe prepared to counterattack at any moment.y3CG
DkHnAs the distance shortened, the man stepped out and blocked the carriage.uld
8fPdVkQHiiiinn!MuUA
UXvNuGThe horses neighed and stopped abruptly.Hzy
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Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationI think in empire every person in that is a greedy pig who craving for power and money.