Chapter 267: Tuli Lurein’s Execution (2)

“How much do you trust him?”

Miliana's voice cut through the night air, filled with an edge of curiosity and skepticism.

Karyl lightly shook the bottle in his hand, noticing it was nearly empty.

“Looks like we’re out of booze.”

“Don’t change the subject. And why do you drink like some geezer when you haven’t even had your coming-of-age ceremony yet?”

Every time she looked at Karyl, Miliana couldn’t help being puzzled.

Despite being only fifteen, his appearance and demeanor were far beyond his years. There were many children who looked mature for their age, but Karyl’s actions and the way he carried himself always gave off the aura of someone much older and wiser. It was unsettling.

“I’ve told you before. Among the immigrant tribes, children start drinking much stronger stuff way earlier than this. Isn’t it the same with the barbarians?”

“Most of those kids grimace after a single sip, unlike someone who actually enjoys the drink,” Miliana replied before emptying her own glass.

“After Fran collapsed, Anthem Howard swore to serve you, yet he chose to use the same poison as Tuli. He strikes me as more of a vulture clinging to the strong than a true strategist.”

“I allowed it,” Karyl responded, his tone calm but firm.

Miliana shrugged, clearly looking unimpressed. Her assessment of Anthem was understandable. To her, he seemed like a servant without loyalty, simply switching allegiances to whoever held the power.

“Anthem Howard, Ganeth Avelant, and Wingel Hart. These three were always part of my plan to seize the Lurein Principality. As you said, there may be poison among them.”

Karyl looked at Miliana, steadying his gaze as he went on, “But even poison has its uses, and right now, I need just that. I’m not someone who falls victim to such things.”

His confidence was palpable, and Miliana found herself smiling despite her earlier doubts.

“I have to admit, the poisons of the Jannabi tribe are indeed potent. They can affect even a Sword Master.”

“It’s not just the poison. As you know, the level of a Sword Master is not something to be underestimated. Their mana alone is enough to purge something as simple as Jannabi poison,” Karyl said with a bitter smile.

“Then what was it?” she asked as her curiosity piqued.

“Ganeth made that choice by himself,” Karyl revealed, his expression serious.

When Karyl had captured Ganeth after the fall of Yoman’s walls, he had made him an offer.

“There are many loyalists within the principality who despise the Wooden Cloud. Another Sword Master, known as the Spear King, stepped down from his position because of them.”

“Hmm...” Miliana murmured, considering his words.

“The poison I used on him wasn’t the kind to cause hallucinations or brain damage like the one used on Fran. It simply sharpened his instincts, something the immigrant tribes sometimes take before battle.”

“Even so, it's unlike you. A Sword Master is a tempting asset, but using poison to sway him to your side... It doesn’t seem like your style.”

“And what exactly is my style?” Karyl’s face hardened.

“...What?”

“I never said I wanted to make him my man. I don’t judge people solely by their abilities. That’s also why, like you asked, I trust Anthem but not Ganeth. I only managed to alter his future a little.”

Miliana seemed confused, not fully grasping the meaning behind his words. But that was only natural, as Karyl spoke from knowledge beyond this lifetime.

In his previous life, Ganeth Avelant had earned a notorious nickname after the civil war, a label that would haunt him forever.

One day, he will betray.

But Karyl was the only one who knew who that betrayal would be directed against. Despite being Tuli’s man, Ganeth was destined to betray someone and earn the mark of a traitor. It wasn’t the civil war that would cause his betrayal, but what he had discovered during the war.

That discovery was the true nature of the Wooden Cloud.

Those despicable bastards deceived Fran and made Tuli kill him. But the conclusion of the civil war doesn’t end there. They will betray Tuli as well, just as they betrayed Fran. Ganeth Avelant—he’s the one who ends up killing Tuli.

Karyl had thought a lot about this.

The reason he had crossed swords with Ganeth in his past life was precisely because of the battle that occurred during the process of eradicating the Wooden Cloud. Ganeth Avelant was fated to fight for the Wooden Cloud in the future, which meant he carried the potential for betrayal as long as the Wooden Cloud existed.

After the civil war, Karyl would have to decide whether to let Ganeth live or eliminate him.

“I know using poison isn’t justified,” Karyl admitted. “But keeping a traitor around without any safeguards is riskier. A poison as a form of insurance is preferable.”

“Traitor?” Miliana asked with marked interest.

Karyl thought silently as he uncorked a fresh bottle of liquor and poured himself another drink.

Killing Ganeth would be a waste of his skill. A Sword Master could make an unimaginable impact in the Oracle War.

Karyl had to make a choice. He constantly reminded himself that he couldn’t save everyone, and naturally, this also meant he had to accept that someone would inevitably be left behind.

Winning Ganeth’s loyalty and turning him into a true ally was certainly an option. But even though he and Anthem Howard were both from the principality, they were different.

Karyl couldn’t predict when Ganeth might decide to betray him or what might drive him to kill Tuli. Also, unlike Anthem, who had the Howard family and the citizens of the capital as hostages, Ganeth had no such connections, making him even more unpredictable.

I’m not sure if I can trust him yet, but he’s too valuable to discard.

Karyl still didn’t know whether Ganeth had joined him for the sake of the principality or simply for his own survival. As a compromise, Karyl had removed the mark that would have stained Ganeth’s name in the future.

However, he still needed someone else to kill Tuli and take on that burden—someone like Ruiche Lurein.

Objectively, she’s a disposable card. In reality, she won’t be able to accomplish much.

Weighing the balance between Ganeth and Ruiche, it was clear which side tipped heavier without much deliberation.

“But it’s surprising,” Miliana remarked, looking at Karyl. “Ganeth might have been influenced by the poison, but that girl Ruiche... She didn’t need any poison to decide to kill her sister. Did you know she had feelings for Fran?”

“Anthem told me about it,” Karyl replied with a hint of amusement in his voice. “He was by Fran’s side, so he knew better than most about the secrets of the noble families.”

Miliana shook her head.

“I’ll never understand the world of nobles. Maybe it’s because they have too much that they start desiring things they don’t need.”

“Well, even if that’s not the case, there are plenty of other ways. I just figured there was nothing to lose by trying,” Karyl responded with a bitter smile.

Perhaps it was true that the higher one stood, the more intense their greed became. As Miliana had said, the three powers of the continents—the Empire, the Principality, and the Three Kingdoms of Istria—had never had a day of peace.

“We really do live in an age of chaos,” Karyl remarked, his voice tinged with a mix of frustration and acceptance.

The empire was embroiled in a fierce battle for the throne, with even the emperor getting involved, leading to the death of the Third Prince; the principality was locked in a civil war among brothers, and the Three Kingdoms of Istria were already at war.

If it hadn’t been for Viola, the Eastern Land might have already been devoured by the principality.

“Chaos? A war without a cause is just greed. How many of the seven dukes are still alive? At least we’re not putting swords to our brothers’ throats.”

Aside from the northern immigrants and southern barbarians, the entire continent was at war.

The only exception might be the Eastern Land,

Karyl thought, recalling how much time had passed since he parted ways with Aidan in Azor.

By now, he should’ve met with Simon Coden and faced his trials.

Karyl wondered how far he would go.

Don’t disappoint me, Aidan.

Following this civil war, Karyl had no doubt that Aidan would be waiting for him in Tatur.

Knock, knock, knock...

It was then that someone at the door snapped Karyl out of his thoughts.

She’s here.

Karyl turned around. Standing before him was Tuli Lurein, her head sagging forward, her appearance already haggard after less than a day of captivity, and her arms bound.

“I’ll talk,” she murmured, her trembling lips barely forming the words. It had only been half a day, but she had already become considerably more docile.

Born and raised in the principality, she thought she knew everything about it. But she’s only ever seen the pleasant side of things. This must be her first time...

Tuli was beginning to understand the difference between looking out from behind bars and looking in from the outside. Just as Karyl had to make his own choices, she too had to decide what would give her the best chance of survival.

“I’ll tell you everything I know about the Wooden Cloud. In return... can you protect me from them?”

Karyl’s lips curled into a smile.

“Of course. If you tell the truth, I’ll make sure they can’t touch you.”

Tuli’s eyes trembled.

“I don’t know why you’re looking for Rael, but... she’s probably at the Church by now.”

“The Church?”

“Yes, the sacred place, Heim. I don’t know the details, but she has to be there.”

Fate’s a cruel thing

, Karyl thought with a bitter smile.

Despite all his efforts, he hadn’t been able to find Rael. And now, it seemed she was at the Church.

The Holy City of Heim was where Jake, the fifth son of the MacGovern family, was being held hostage. Along with him were Randol and Martte, whom Karyl had sent.

I had to go to Heim anyway.

This wasn’t just about saving Jake but about using him to uncover the Church’s secrets. If Rael was there too, Karyl could kill two birds with one stone.

“Alright. Then what’s the truth about her? I’ve heard she’s not human. What’s the Wooden Cloud planning with her?”

Karyl recalled what Nain Darhon had told him in Antihum, that Rael was a half-breed of Nephilim and elf. Both species were known to be descendants of the gods, so Karyl naturally assumed there was a close connection with the Church. Now, hearing from Tuli that Rael was at the Church, his suspicions were confirmed.

Tuli’s eyes widened slightly.

“...You even know about that? Is there anything you don’t know? Even if Fran hadn’t intervened, our plan would have failed.”

“You’re stating the obvious. The outcome of the civil war was decided the moment I got involved.”

Tuli chuckled lightly.

“I don’t know much about her. I don’t know her origins or where she was found. But I do know she was raised by the Church.”

“Hmm...”

Karyl felt like he was starting to understand how Rael could revive the Wooden Cloud as the Blue Roar, the group of fanatics.

She already knew how the Church operated, so creating fanatics must’ve been easy for her.

Karyl’s eyes gleamed.

“But one thing I do know is that the person who first discovered her was Titan Shutean.”

“Titan...? The emperor?”

“Yes.”

Her words hit Karyl like a hammer. He was stunned to hear that name mentioned here.

“Are you saying the emperor is connected to the Wooden Cloud?” Karyl demanded as he shot to his feet.

Tuli shook her head.

“No. He’s just one of the Church’s followers. It’s just that the Church has deep ties with the Wooden Cloud. The emperor entrusted the hybrid child he found to the Church, and we raised her through them.”

“What’s their goal?”

She shook her head.

𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

It seems there’s someone higher up. That’s why she wants protection.

Karyl was curious about who could wield the power to control even Duchess Tuli, the eldest of the ducal family.

“But something went wrong. According to our plans, the emperor shouldn’t be alive right now.” Tuli looked at Karyl. “I know about the disturbance in the imperial capital, and the offer you made to Fran. Honestly, I never imagined it would turn out this way. The affairs of powerful nations like the empire and the principality, all disrupted by a single person...”

“The Wooden Cloud tried to kill the emperor?”

“Yes. The Church can’t control him by themselves. He believes in the Church, but from the Wooden Cloud’s perspective, he’s an obstacle.”

“I see.”

Titan Shutean is connected to the Church, but not to the Wooden Cloud, huh...

Karyl gritted his teeth.

And the attempt on his life was orchestrated by the Wooden Cloud...

His expression darkened, and Tuli and Miliana watched him nervously.

The one who poisoned the emperor is connected to the Wooden Cloud.

His killing intent filled the room, making it difficult to breathe.

When did it start? How could I have missed your true nature all this time, even after seeing you twice?

As the shocking realization hit him, Karyl clenched his fist tightly. He was the only one who knew the true identity of the one who had poisoned Titan Shutean.

Olivurn!!

Karyl’s eyes burned with rage.

So you were conspiring with the Wooden Cloud all along.