Chapter 287: Treason If We Fail, Revolution If We Succeed (1)

The investigator from the Samael Empire claimed he had come to the Lillian Kingdom to track down one of the Seven Cursed Species. Of course, this was the first time Rakan was hearing of this. Even Theore, his strategist, looked surprised. However, an investigator wouldn’t have come without evidence. If she was here, it meant he had found grounds to suspect someone.

“By cooperation, don’t tell me you intend to tear this palace apart from top to bottom?”

“How could I commit such disrespect, Your Highness? However, the Seven Cursed Species typically leech off of noble families in other nations. Though criminals, they possess exceptional knowledge and skill, enough to elevate an ordinary family into a remarkable one. For that reason, we wish to investigate only the families whose power and fortunes have risen sharply within the last ten years. But rest assured...” Betty smiled lightly.

“Unlike the Samael Empire, which has thousands of noble families, the Lillian Kingdom has fewer than a hundred. We have already completed our preliminary investigation, so we will only be inspecting seven families. With your cooperation, we could complete this even today...”

She was subtly flaunting the prestige of the empire. He handed Rakan a sheet of paper with seven family names written on it.

Not hiding his irritation, Rakan snatched it from his hands and glanced at it.

—Inghardt County

—Grimstone Barony

—Blackwood County

—Marquisiate Oaxford...

And at the bottom...

—Bydent County

“Hm...”

Rakan clenched his fists in nervousness. Five of the seven families listed were subordinate to him.

“If you find the Seven Cursed Species... what happens to the family?”

Rakan’s tone had changed.

“If possible, the species will be taken alive. If not, they are to be executed on the spot,” Betty replied without hesitation.

“I don’t care what happens to those stupid beasts. I’m asking what happens to the family that sheltered them.”

“Oh, well, that goes without saying. They must be punished.”

Rakan’s hand automatically drifted toward the sword at his waist. He was irritated by the fact that a foreign investigator was bold enough to declare punishment upon his kingdom’s nobility.

“His Majesty cherishes peace. That is why he has always upheld a policy of merciless punishment against the Seven Cursed Species, who have massacred innocent civilians. Furthermore, any family that shelters such beasts, even if its head were a duke of the empire, will not be granted any exceptions.”

“So you intend to execute the entire family?”

“Unfortunately, yes. No family is exempt. That is—and will remain—the law.”

Rakan glared at Betty as though he would kill her. Betty did not look away; rather, he silently urged Rakan to answer. That was when Theore stepped in.

“Investigator Betty, we meet again.”

Theore bowed politely, to which Betty returned the greeting.

“Sir Theore, you were once hailed as the incarnation of war itself. I never expected you to graduate from Clifford Academy only to be kidnapped into this small kingdom! Were you kidnapped or something? Hahaha!”

“Hahaha. Surely you didn’t come all the way here to bully me for refusing the imperial investigator entrance exam?”

“You’re as amusing as ever. Would you still like to join us? I would gladly keep someone like you at my side.”

“Forgive me, but how could a wolf bow his head beneath a runt of a dog?”

“That is not a convincing excuse.”

Betty briefly glanced toward Rakan, as if wondering whether he was someone worth serving. But Rakan remained calm. Though Betty had repeatedly insulted him, he simply stared back without reacting. This quality was precisely what Theore admired about him.

“In any case, we understand your claim that a member of the Seven Cursed Species is in our kingdom. This is your first time in Lillian, correct? Allow me to provide a guide. Why not enjoy some sightseeing?”

“I’ll enjoy sightseeing after I finish my work.”

“The royal family will conduct the investigation ourselves. If we discover the Seven Cursed Species, we will transfer them to you. In addition, punishment for any noble family involved will be carried out according to Lillian law.”

“Are you defending the Seven Cursed Species now, Theore? Your Highness, should I interpret Theore’s words as the official stance of your kingdom?” Betty prodded, but Rakan stayed silent.

Theore answered for him. “If the Samael Empire is a great nation, then the Lillian Kingdom is a strong one. We are not a minor state to fold under your improvised threats. So please stop testing His Highness, and speak of something realistic and productive.”

“...Very well.”

Betty suddenly changed her demeanor and bowed deeply—deeper than when she first entered.

“My apologies, Your Highness. I wished to test whether Prince Rakan possessed the bearing of a true ruler.”

“How unpleasant, even for an imperial investigator.”

“I have no excuse, but what must be done must be done, and the investigation into the Seven Cursed Species still has to proceed.”

Theore stepped in swiftly.

“As stated, all investigations and punishments will be handled by Lillian. There will be no compromise here.”

“This matter will be reported to His Majesty. Can you bear the consequences?”

“Lillian is not a vassal of the Samael Empire, so why would there be consequences? It is hardly dignified for a great nation to throw a tantrum when we offer cooperation.”

“I only hope that something that would be handled with only a ‘tantrum’ doesn’t become anything more serious.”

“There’s no talking to you, since all you do is threaten. Return in a year. We will investigate the Seven Cursed Species.”

“Your joke is going too far. I’ll give you one week. And regardless of your own investigation, we will oversee it.”

Betty stood firm, making it clear that there would be no negotiation on this point.

Theore quietly approached Rakan.

“I will handle the investigator and the Seven Cursed Species. You should focus on the Family War, Your Highness,” he whispered.

“Hm.”

Rakan nodded slightly.

The sudden appearance of an imperial investigator and mention of the Seven Cursed Species unsettled him, but he still had duties to fulfill. He dispatched the Seventh Grand Corps to Bydent and sent official invitations summoning Keter, Anis, and Taragon to the royal palace.

At the time, Rakan had no way of knowing that all of these efforts would end up completely meaningless and that Daat was already above their heads long before any of them realized.

* * *

Talisman was a city tainted by the Demon Capital. Once the capital of the Adeus Kingdom, it was now called the Demon Capital of the mortal world, a place overflowing with unspeakable monstrosities and abominations.

Whirr!

Crash!

In this place swarming with monsters that looked like melted humans, a man swung a massive greatsword. His hair was completely bleached white, and his left eye and right arm were both prosthetic. He wasn’t wearing a single piece or armor, but he had a young girl on his shoulder.

“Kyahaha! Move faster, rookie! At this rate, we’re never going to be able to meet the King of the Underground!”

Each time the man swung his greatsword, dozens of monsters were ripped apart, yet the girl seemed dissatisfied and stretched out her hand. A burst of flame shot out from her palm, scorching everything around them. However, something was off, and it wasn’t just because the flames were blue. They looked like fire, but the monsters touched by them didn’t burn—they froze solid.

The bizarre phenomenon spread like an infectious plague, freezing hundreds, then thousands of monsters in the blink of an eye.

“Haaap!”

Crackle!

Rumble!

When the man slammed his greatsword into the ground, shockwaves of sword energy rippled outward. The sight of thousands of frozen monsters shattering like dominoes was breathtaking, but the girl didn’t spare it a glance. Instead, she toyed with his snowy hair.

“Oh, right. Gyro, you said you were born in the Lillian Kingdom, right?”

“My family was executed, but yes, originally.”

“I heard a civil war broke out in Lillian. Apparently, the princes are fighting or something.”

𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

“I see.”

Even at the news of a civil war in his homeland, Gyro remained indifferent, focused instead on navigating with a peculiar-looking compass.

“They say Sefira and Bydent are having a huge fight. Let's finish this job quickly and go watch.”

Gyro froze mid-step and glanced at the girl.

“Did you say Sefira?”

“Huh? Why? Is that a family you know?”

“It is the family where my boss resides.”

“Boss?”

The girl tilted her head adorably, but what she said next was completely at odds with her cute demeanor. There was a chilling killing intent in her voice.

“Who is this bastard? How dare you think about him while you’re with me? Tell me his name. I’ll kill him.”

“His name is Keter, but... Even for you, Lady Jerry, I doubt you’d be able to kill him easily.”

“Hah? Rookie, are you looking down on me now? You think I bought the title of the Ice-Flame Empress with money? Forget the King of the Underground—let’s go kill this Keter guy first.”

Jerry bounced angrily on his shoulders. Gyro couldn’t help but chuckle, thinking of Keter for the first time in a long while.

Looks like you're having fun, Boss. I’m doing well too.

After leaving for the Adeus Kingdom, Gyro had earned the title of champion in the desert arena without borrowing the cursed power of the Demon Sword Obelisk. He lost an arm and an eye and escaped death more than a dozen times, but he reached the realm of Master that he had long sought after.

Not only that, he succeeded in joining the Twilight Guild, an organization for wielders of cursed weapons. They were deeply knowledgeable about such items, including the secrets of True Names, and understood better than anyone how to handle these weapons.

Thanks to them, Gyro could now maintain sanity without alcohol, and he gained power enough to defeat even Grandmasters with ease. If he unleashed the full power of the Demon Sword Obelisk, he could even match a Prime.

Though I still wouldn’t be able to beat you, of course.

Even without witnessing it himself, Gyro could tell that Keter had grown far stronger than before.

If Lady Jerry were to fight him... Now that would be interesting.

Jerry was a seven-circle wizard—one who froze everything in her path. He was curious how Keter would deal with someone like her. Aside from that, he also simply wanted to see Keter again, but...

It’s not time yet.

They weren’t close enough to meet casually just to say hello.

It would be interesting to show up in a moment of crisis and see his reaction, but...

Gyro shook his head.

Bydent wouldn’t even count as a crisis.

If he went now, all that would happen was Jerry picking a fight with Keter. Instead of helping, he might just cause trouble.

Rustle.

Gyro took a candy from his pocket and held it up to Jerry.

“Lady Jerry, please calm down and have this. If we fail to capture the King of the Underground, Twilight will go bankrupt. I’ll take you to the Lillian Kingdom afterward.”

“You’re kidding me. You think I’ll calm down with a single candy? Do I look like a child?”

“Then two.”

“...Hmph! I’ll let it slide just this once since you’re new.”

Calming her down was somehow both easy and difficult. With Jerry pacified, Gyro returned his focus to the mission.

* * *

Meanwhile, there was someone else who smiled at the news of Sefira and Keter’s accomplishments.

“Hohoho... he defeated six Grandmasters alone, you say?”

Though the public wasn’t supposed to know such information, the mysterious man seemed to know it as if watching it unfold in real time. He had radiant brown skin and golden teeth; this was Duke Kundeline, the Desert King who ruled the deserts of the Adeus Kingdom.

Gazing intently at a portrait of Keter, he burst into hearty laughter.

“Hahaha! Good—very good!”

Just his laughter alone made the entire desert tremble.

After laughing to his heart’s content, he muttered, “This is how my son should be.”