Chapter 240: Snake Pit

Varca Baneu Porcana. He had stayed in the imperial palace for a while to gain the emperor's trust. Leaving his kingdom unattended for so long was not the best thing a king could do, but it was better than arousing the emperor's suspicion.

‘No matter how unstable the empire is right now... I just can’t imagine them falling.’

Varca looked out the window at the city. It was the city that embodied the essence of the civilized world. It wasn't just about military revival; it was the home of all sorts of academic and cultural achievements.

‘The empire is the ruler of the world, and Hamel is the center of the world.’

That was the undeniable fact.

‘If I hurry back to the kingdom, I will only pique the suspicion around myself. The emperor must be doubting me since Urich and I are close friends.’

Just thinking about it gave Varca a throbbing headache. The plunderers from the west had brought chaos to the world. Their momentum had even led the barbarians of the north to declare themselves an independent kingdom, claiming divine revelation from Lou.

‘Bilker, the descendant of Mijorn...’

Varca, too, had heard his name. Bilker was a boy who confronted the imperial forces with terrifying vigor. He was leading the fierce northern warriors despite his young age, as one would expect from a descendant of Mijorn.

‘If even the kingdoms turn their backs on the empire, then that will truly mean crisis for the empire, and civilization as a whole.’

Varca was staying in the Swallow Residence as a distinguished guest of the emperor. Knights from Porcana were always guarding him.

‘The emperor will try to win over the kings somehow. I could use this opportunity to further Porcana's interests.’

The Swallow Residence was bustling with envoys from the seven kingdoms. The capital of Hamel was truly a battleground of diplomacy. One might even think of it as a place for a world conference.

‘Dammit, sister. Why did you have to bear Urich's child?’

Varca rubbed his temples. His handsome face was filled with worry. Despite his attempts to ignore his sister’s business, he couldn't easily sever the ties with family.

"Hah."

Varca went out to the garden for some fresh air. Soon, elegantly dressed ladies began to flock to him one by one.

"It’s an honor to meet the king of Porcana."

A woman in a low-cut dress approached him with a light smile. In the distance, he could see more women waiting behind pillars for their turn to speak to him.

Varca sighed heavily in his head as he dealt with the women. These women were people who had nothing better to do than wait all day for his outing. The purpose of their lives seemed only to marry a nobleman.

Varca, who had ascended to the throne after fighting with his uncle during his boyhood, was already a celebrity. No lady of nobility was unaware of his story. Moreover, Varca was single, and he was from the royal lineage of Porcana who were famous for their supreme appearance.

The noble ladies of the empire gathered to catch even the slightest glimpse of Varca. In their eyes, Varca was a perfect man who seemed to have come straight out of a dream.

"How can a man be so beautifully made?"

"He makes my brothers seem so inferior. Really, compared to him, other men are just hairless beasts."

"Eeep! He looked this way!"

"Yeah, he was looking at me."

The women gathered and chattered among themselves. The faces of the ignorant, oblivious women were flushed with excitement. Plunderers from the west and the uprising warriors of the north were merely distant tales to them. War and politics were the affairs of men in current times.

"Thank you, we’ll set up a dinner if an opportunity ever arises,” Varca replied out of politeness.

"Then tomorrow would be perfect," the woman replied as she smiled broadly.

Varca forced a smile and responded, "... I will reach out if I have the time."

"You must. I'll be waiting."

Varca watched the woman's retreating figure with a tired look.

'I should find a suitable woman to marry when I return.'

Varca had never fancied a woman yet. Before becoming king, he was practically confined by his sister, and after becoming king, he was too busy to think about marriage. Since he was a young king, his subjects did not press him much about the matter of a successor, either.

'A daughter of a duke would make an ideal queen.'

Varca wanted to solidify the internal affairs of his kingdom. He was bearing the disadvantage of being made king with the emperor and the empire's backing. Thus, marrying into the empire's nobility would not sit well with Porcana's nobles.

"I am honored to meet the ruler of Porcana."

While Varca was lost in thought, another woman approached him. He tried to leave, but unlike a typical noblewoman who valued face-saving, she was persistent.

"I'm sorry, madam. I see no reason to dine with you," Varca spoke bluntly, as he was now clearly annoyed. Yet, the woman kept smiling cheerfully.

‘This is not just an ordinary lady,'

Varca thought.

Her smile was chilling. Her eyes were steady as she smiled only with her lips.

"I would appreciate it if you could consider my pride. Otherwise, I might get a reputation for being a woman who clung to a man just for his pretty face."

The woman was not a noble from the empire. She was the daughter of a noble from the Caselmaroni Kingdom.

‘Caselmaroni...’

Caselmaroni was a kingdom located in the northwest. It was quite far from the kingdom of Porcana, which was located on the eastern coast. Due to their geographical distance, there had been little interaction between the two kingdoms. The empire was located between the two kingdoms.

"I will accept that gracious invitation."

Varca placed one hand on his waist and bowed slightly, displaying impeccable manners. His slightly upturned blue eyes gazed at the lady's face.

"I have succeeded where many women have failed. It is truly an honor."

"I do hope my intuition does not fail me. I am not a person with much time to waste."

"It will not be a bad use of your time either, Your Majesty."

The woman hinted that this was no ordinary meeting.

In the Swallow Residence, it was common for young royalty and nobles to form interest for each other. Knowing that, many women stayed in Hamel with that very hope. Varca, too, was in his prime, and having dinner with a lovely lady was no strange activity.

The sun was setting. Servants bustled about as they prepared for dinner. Varca confirmed the promised time as he looked at the sun.

He donned a stylish cape and strode down the corridor. Five knights and squires followed him.

Creak.

As he opened the door, the smell of food greeted him. Servants bowed as they recognized Varca.

"It is an honor to meet you, Your Majesty."

Inside, a well-dressed man was present. A family crest was intricately embroidered on his chest. He was clearly a high noble.

𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

"That is the crest of the Whelan family of Caselmaroni."

The scribe from Porcana who had followed as a squire recognized the family crest and whispered to Varca.

"Whelan?" Varca replied.

"A collateral line of the Caselmaroni royal family."

Hearing this, Varca stared at the man.

"I am Count Hangar Whelan. If you fancied my daughter, I could call her here."

Whelan Count smiled as he lifted the corner of his mouth.

"That won’t be necessary, Count Whelan."

Varca quickly understood the situation.

'Secret diplomacy.'

Count Whelan was a diplomatic envoy from Caselmaroni. He had used his daughter to establish contact with Varca.

‘They don’t want to attract the empire’s attention... It must be something that shouldn’t reach the empire’s ears.’

Varca half-heartedly ate while observing Count Whelan.

"His Majesty wishes to maintain good relations with Porcana."

"It is my understanding that we are already in good relations. Caselmaroni and Porcana are distant neighbors without any grievances."

"Distant neighbors also equate to good neighbors."

Count Whelan smiled as he gestured to a servant. The sound of the wine hitting the glass was serene. Varca's servant tasted the wine first and nodded.

"This is an excellent wine," Varca commented after sipping the wine.

"I am embarrassed that this is all I could prepare to host the renowned Varca Baneu Porcana. There is no one who doesn't know the famous stories about you, Your Highness."

"People who like gossip tend to exaggerate things."

"Your Highness, you are a hero if even half of those stories are true. It's hard to believe that you are a young royal from this generation."

Royalty and nobility of Varca's age grew up during a period without wars. The last decade or so had been peaceful with no significant wars between nations, except for skirmishes like barbarian subjugations, and the largest of the recent wars was the civil war of Porcana. At least, that was the case until the appearance of the western plunderers.

'Hmph, it’s that ‘your generation’ talk again.'

Varca scoffed internally. They were words he had heard countless times.

‘Youths these days don't know how to wield a sword and are too fragile.'

Such remarks circulated as common sense among the older generation of nobles. However, it was true that they were now living in an era where civil officials were more likely to succeed than military ones.

"Do you think the ruler of a country has the leisure to dine with a mere noble?"

Varca wiped his hands and mouth with a handkerchief.

Count Whelan’s expression did not change. He calmly watched Varca.

"What do you think of the current political climate?"

"I think it would be polite for you to state your stance first before asking me for mine."

Varca crossed his legs and interlocked his hands. It was an attitude of arrogance, but he was the king of Porcana. He had every right to be arrogant toward a mere nobleman.

The blue-eyed young man had the dominating presence of a king. With his sculpture-like features lending him a hand, it made him seem like a king who was sent from the heavens. Every move he made was like a scene from a portrait.

'Indeed, the rumors are true. He is by no means a puppet king.'

Puppet kings were common in the current kingdoms. Kings who groveled at the sight of powerful nobles of their own kingdom, kings who were foolish enough to lose their crowns just because their lieges brought up their dissatisfaction. It had been over five decades since the last inter-kingdom war under imperial rule, making it an era where even a fool could be king.

Count Whelan hesitated before speaking.

"Up north, the northerners who believe in Lou are claiming their own kingdom. They also have a focal point named Bilker, so they won’t be broken too easily. Rumor has it that many traitors from the Sun Warriors have joined the northern rebellion army. If that is indeed the case, it would mean that the empire's military strategies have been leaked to them."

"Traitors? From the Sun Warriors?"

This was the first time Varca had heard this news. The betrayal of the Sun Warriors was quite shocking. It was crucial information.

"The imperial army is stretching its front lines to combat both the plunderers from the west and the northern rebels. Both forces are armies of significant standards. The western plunderers have turned the entire Langkegart Kingdom into ruins. After this crisis settles, Langkegart will likely be downgraded to a duchy or even absorbed by the empire. Anyway, what I wanted to point out was that managing both armies is going to be challenging even for the empire."

"Count Whelan, General Carnius, who had already won a battle against them, has already been deployed to defeat the plunderers. Once the plunderers are dealt with, the empire will focus its military efforts northward."

Varca waited for Count Whelan's response.

"Even after that victory, General Carnius was reprimanded. It wasn't a complete victory since he lost a significant part of his main forces fighting barbarians."

"That's quite a dangerous statement, Count. Porcana is the kingdom that is most supported by the empire and I am a pro-imperial king placed on the throne by the empire's grace. Do you think I would just forget about this conversation?"

"I've heard that the things you just mentioned are precisely what’s causing you trouble, Your Highness. Every person in the kingdom dreams of independence. The imperial halo won’t always bring you benefits. This is an opportunity for the king of Porcana to prove he's not just a puppet of the emperor."

Count Whelan did not hide his intentions.

Varca frowned with his fine face. The count's words were, actually, not wrong.

Count Whelan, noticing Varca's hesitation, continued.

"Urich," Whelan said.

At the mention of that name, Varca's eyes turned cold.

"Where did you hear that name?"

"Caselmaroni has been in preparation for a long time—long enough to have eyes and ears even inside the empire. If all those rumors are true, you, Your Majesty, are the only king with the connections to communicate with the army of plunderers."

Varca leaned forward and rested his arms on the table.

‘This isn’t a plan they came up with overnight. Caselmaroni has been preparing for independence.’

One of the commanders of the western plunderers was Urich, and he was a close friend of Varca. Knowing such information would naturally lead one to contact Varca.

"If Your Majesty has the will to seek independence, you must not miss this opportunity. This may be our only chance to shake the empire during our lifetime. Look! Even those barbarians from the north are fighting to reclaim their land and freedom! Yet, we are too afraid of the empire to even think about reclaiming our lost lands. I find that very shameful."

Count Whelan's voice grew louder. Varca fidgeted nervously with his fingers.

"How many kingdoms do you think will join, Count Whelan?"

Varca bit his lower lip and raised his head.

"Including us, there will be at least three. The Kerbat Kingdom, which has lost half its territory to the empire, would raise an army as soon as they saw an opportunity to do so."

Count Whelan waited with trembling eyes for Varca's response.

"...I will prepare a letter to be sent to your king."

Upon hearing this, Count Whelan knelt and kissed Varca's signet ring.

"You have made a magnificent decision."