Chapter 181: Turning the Tables (1)

The elite special operations unit subordinate to the Dominant Empire, colloquially known as the Black Frost Rat.

An organization that adheres solely to the emperor’s commands, capable of executing any task for their master.

They have been assigned their latest mission.

The absolute decree of the emperor.

Their sovereign desires a small nation in the East.

The hidden implications behind this command were as Louis had anticipated.

The Dominant Empire.

This vast nation had achieved ‘partial’ unification of the eastern Winter Continent.

Here, the key word was ‘partial’.

‘Partial’ was also the word that all previous emperors of the Empire had detested most.

In the eastern part of the Winter Continent, there lay the Empire and four kingdoms. Among these, all but the Kanburk Kingdom were nothing more than vassal states to the Empire. In truth, one could say the Dominant Empire had already unified the east, save for the territory of Kanburk. Yet, the very existence of this lone holdout thwarted their desire for a perfect conquest—how could the Empire view this situation with anything but disdain?

Over the years, the Empire had relentlessly pressured the Kanburk Kingdom, but the small nation, comprising less than one-tenth of the Empire’s territory, refused to yield so easily. The people of Kanburk were innately warlike—a stark contrast to the other vassal states that practically stripped themselves of their dignity to appease the Empire. This lone, proud Kanburk was nothing but a thorn in the Empire’s side.

Despite this, the Dominant Empire had left Kanburk alone due to its geographical characteristics. The Kingdom of Kanburk served as a shield for the Winter Continent, blocking the demons rising from Maha. If the Empire were to swallow up Kanburk, it would have to take on that role itself. This meant that some noble would have to rot on the front lines in place of the Kanburk royal family, and a significant portion of the Empire’s budget would need to be allocated to the eastern front.

As a result, numerous Emperors over the years had desired to conquer the Kingdom of Kanburk but were forced to abandon their dreams due to these practical issues.

However, in recent times, hopeful variables had begun to emerge.

The first was the completion of the Calun Great Rampart.

The completion of the Calon Great Wall, once considered impossible by all, was now within reach. The Kingdom of Kanburk had previously seemed too enticing to ignore yet too bitter to swallow, but it had now become a morsel easily digestible by the Empire. It was only natural that the Emperor, who had kept a close eye on Kanburk, would turn his attention towards it.

Thus, the Empire began formulating plans to acquire the kingdom a year ago. Then came the second variable—an unexpected message directly from Kanburk:

The sudden news of the Snow King was nothing short of a windfall for the Empire. Upon receiving this intelligence, the Black Frost Rat’s Strategic Analysis Team sprang into action.

As a result, they concluded that if this situation was handled properly, they could easily swallow up the Kanburk Kingdom. They scrapped their previous plan and devised a new one.

The first step of this new strategy was to eliminate the Order, which could potentially become a formidable power within the kingdom at any moment. To this end, fifty elite agents of the Black Frost Rat were deployed. They successfully infiltrated the Order, wrested away its holy relic, and managed to draw out Pablo, who had been lying low within its ranks.

Next, the Empire mobilized one of its most powerful weapons—one of only thirty-two grade 2 Transcendents it possessed.

Their objective was clear: kill Pablo, spare a single witness, and orchestrate the entire affair to appear as though it were the handiwork of the Kanburk Kingdom.

Even if the Order didn’t oppose the kingdom, their plan would still succeed by eliminating Pablo. Naturally, open conflict between the kingdom and the Order would be even more favorable to their goal. However, their well-executed scheme hit a snag when all the Transcendents, including a Come, evaporated during the assault.

This complication had kept Duke Samuel, the leader of the Black Frost Rat, vexed for days. But two days after the Grand Caloun Meeting, good news finally arrived.

Duke Samuel’s eyes widened as he read the urgent morning report.

“Is this report true?”

“Yes, my lord.”

The duke silently stroked his chin at his subordinate’s confirmation.

“The Order suspects the Kanburk Kingdom… What exactly are the details?”

“I’ve heard that the Order harbors distrust towards the kingdom.”

“Distrust?”

“Yes, it seems they suspect the kingdom was behind the attack on them.”

“Hmph… So in essence, Pablo did suffer an assault? But how is he still perfectly fine? And what happened to the Transcendent we sent for the attack!”

“Through this, in fact, I’ve become convinced that a third party is involved.”

“Why do you say that?”

“If our Transcendent truly attacked Pablo, he wouldn’t be in such good shape now. There was undoubtedly a battle at the site.”

”…But then?”

“But Pablo appeared too unscathed, and our Transcendent has vanished. This could not have happened without the aid of a third party to Pablo.”

“So, there’s a third party helping out the Order? But these mysterious guys vanished with the Empire’s Transcendent?”

“That’s right. If we think about it, that’s why the Order is suspecting the kingdom.”

“Hmm…”

“It’s clear Pablo was attacked that day, and as planned, he secretly confirmed the Kanburk Royal Family’s insignia. But it seems a third party intervened, allowing them to escape safely by dealing with our Transcendent.”

“So just where is this third party!?”

“That’s still…”

“Sigh…” The Duke Samuel breathed a deep sigh, trying to organize his thoughts.

His subordinate’s story wasn’t entirely unreasonable.

No, in the current situation, no more plausible theory had come to mind.

Yes, it’s entirely possible.

After considering it deeply, Duke Samuel asked, “How reliable is our information about the strained relationship between the Kingdom of Kanburk and the Holy Order?”

“As you may recall, we failed to place anyone for the Calon Conference, so our understanding is based only on the information that’s emerged publicly…”

“Don’t waste my time with what I already know. Stick to the main point.”

“Based on our analysis, the information is more than 90% reliable.”

“Hm…” Duke Samuel gently closed his eyes.

He was confident that the information-gathering power of the Black Frost Rat, the group he led, was the strongest on the Winter Continent. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that their influence reached virtually everywhere.

That “most” included the fervent religious sect and the remarkably persistent Kanburk Kingdom.

No wonder the emperor called that 90% figure extremely high.

The Duke smirked at the thought.

Kanburk always seems to be the cause of trouble.

He now had a slight understanding of why the emperor didn’t like references to having unified “most” of the eastern Winter Continent.

After a moment’s contemplation, he opened his eyes and issued his instructions.

“Immediately suspend all plans and keep a close eye on the movements of the Kanburk Kingdom and the religious sect. Report any incoming intelligence to me at once.”

“Understood, my lord.”

“And mobilize all resources to find this third power or whatever it may be. If you want to assert your conjecture, we must definitely locate them. Their possession of the second-class Transcendent threatens both your and my necks.”

While the second-class Transcendent was indeed a precious item, the real problem would arise if someone were to dismantle it and reveal its ownership by the Empire.

Then things would become… rather complicated.

They had to retrieve the second-class Transcendent before that happened.

“I’ll bear this in mind,” the subordinate said, bowing deeply as he prepared to leave the room with its roaring fireplace.

“Oh, wait a moment,” the Duke called out, causing his subordinate to pause.

“How is the analysis of the sacred relic progressing?” A hint of anticipation flickered in the Duke’s eyes.

The sacred relic had been seized from the Order of the Divine Body. Initially, the Duke had been bewildered upon receiving it. However, witnessing the order’s frantic efforts to recover it had caused him to reconsider his initial thoughts.

There was definitely something in those nut-like fruits. Otherwise, those crazy religious fanatics wouldn’t risk their lives to search for them.

The duke had ordered his subordinates to analyze the artifacts he had taken from the Order.

That was over two weeks ago. By now, they should have come up with some sort of analysis.

The duke’s question was filled with anticipation, but his subordinate answered with a troubled expression.

“That thing…”

“What?”

“So far, we haven’t found anything special about it. According to the mystics…it’s called grow fruit and is supposed to be a medicinal herb…”

“A medicinal herb? From the Pantheon itself?”

“Yes, that’s what they say.”

“What effect does it have?” The duke’s eyes glinted with interest.

It was a medicinal herb referred to as the “panacea”. He could already anticipate its effects.

Could it be the rumored herb capable of elevating one’s cultivation realm by more than a single stage?

However, the marquis’s hopes were dashed like foam on the surf by his subordinate’s report.

“The grow fruit is a Nu-attribute medicinal herb with slight attribute enhancement effects for those who have cultivated the Nu element. However, what it’s most renowned for is… promoting growth.”

”…Promoting growth?” The marquis blinked, taken aback.

“Yes. It seems that consuming the grow fruit causes one’s height to increase.”

”…Is that all?” The Duke’s incredulous question left his subordinate momentarily flummoxed.

“That’s about all we’ve discovered for now. Given that it’s considered a divine artifact of the Pantheon, I doubt it’s an ordinary medicinal herb. If we uncover any more information, I’ll report it to you immediately.”

“Very well.”

“Yes, sir.”

The subordinate bowed once more before exiting the room.

As the Duke gazed at the empty space where his subordinate had stood, a hint of greed flickered in his eyes.

No, there’s no way the Order’s divine artifact could be such a mere medicinal herb.

It absolutely could not be ordinary. If he brought an insignificant herb to the Emperor as a divine relic, his own head would likely end up on the chopping block.

The Duke shivered at the chilling thought, then tossed another log into the fireplace.

Crackle.

The fiercely burning flames seemed to him like a glimpse into his future.

Louis smiled wryly as he gazed at the dynamo.

Lokan VII, noticing Louis’s expression, asked with concern, “As I mentioned earlier, even if we bring evidence to the Empire and expose it… they will deny it.”

“That doesn’t matter,” Louis replied softly.

“What do you plan to do then? Are you truly intent on going to war with the Empire?”

“Oh, come now, I said it’s not a war. Don’t you know what an act of aggression is? It’ll be an act of aggression!”

“Hmph…” Lokan VII appeared exasperated.

His reaction was understandable for someone with basic common sense.

Despite being the most powerful military force among the singular groups on the Winter Continent, the Order of the Divine Body was still just a religious organization.

Even if the Order were ten times its current size, it would be reckless… no, impossible for them to face the Empire alone.

But on the contrary, the emperor seemed too indifferent about the matter.

Lokan VII sighed and asked, “Do you have some plan in mind?”

“A plan…?”

I hadn’t really given it much thought.

Louis believed this could be settled simply by presenting the evidence he’d uncovered to the emperor and severely punishing the ringleaders.

However, Louis suddenly shook his head:

No… that’s not it.

He realized that this situation wasn’t as simple as he thought. It couldn’t be easily dismissed.

Hmm! That’s right.

Nu Clan’s ninth generation had promised to cause trouble. Would it be appropriate to end the conflict with such a trivial rebuke?

It didn’t add up in Louis’s calculations.

Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth?

Absolutely not!

What was needed was an eye for a face, and a tooth for an entire jaw!

What could be an effective solution? Maybe some water surface goes missing soon?

Louis considered this strategy: a clever way to thoroughly spite the emperor and the Empire, tormenting them for generations to come through the ninth dynasty.

Louis deeply pondered the idea, his chin resting in his hand.

Seeing this, Lokan VII mistakenly assumed Louis was thinking rationally and sighed with relief. “Please make the right choice.”

“I-if you won’t help us, then stop causing such trouble,” Louis retorted.

“I’m sorry. However… our situation is also quite pressing,” Lokan VII replied.

“You’re being overly demanding. Come to think of it, did the recent troubles within the Order not stem from the Empire’s attempt to manipulate the Kanburk Kingdom?” Louis questioned.

”…”

“You’ve been telling us about being allies and asking for help one moment, yet when your own issues arose, you abandoned us completely,” Louis criticized sharply.

“Cough,” Lokan VII awkwardly cleared his throat at Louis’s keen rebuke.

Louis was right on the mark. The Empire had manipulated the Order to put pressure on the Kingdom. During this ordeal, the Order’s divine relic was stolen, and Pabloro himself had been attacked—clearly implicating the Kingdom in these events. Logically, if the Order and the Empire came to blows, it would be incumbent upon the Kingdom to roll up its sleeves and join the fray…

“My apologies… I’m truly sorry that’s all I can offer.”

But now, more pressing than the Empire was the imminent threat of Snowking, whose appearance was unpredictable.

“If you’re truly that sorry, perhaps you could provide some assistance?”

“Cough…” King Lokan VII cleared his throat again.

Louis glared at him, his frustration palpable. Suddenly, as if by divine inspiration, a lightbulb seemed to illuminate over Louis’s head.

Click—flash!

“Huh?!” In that instant, Louis’s lips curled up slightly, and he looked at Lokan VII with glittering eyes.

“What is it?”

“If I may be so bold as to suggest…”

“…?”

“If I could bring tremendous benefit to the Kingd— I mean, if I could resolve the crises currently facing our kingdom… what would you grant me, Your Majesty?”

“Our kingdom faces great crises?”

“The Snow King and pressure from the Empire. Both of them.”

The emperor’s eyes widened at Louis’s words. He replied carefully, “If you could do that for us… I would grant you anything you desire.”

Pablo, who was listening nearby, muttered, “Don’t be so careless around Lord Louis.”

The Twin and Flame siblings nearby nodded in agreement; of course, Louis completely ignored them.

“He clearly said so! He said he would grant my wish.” Louis’s eyes sparkled at the thought of getting anything he desired.

“R-Right…” Lokan VII reluctantly nodded with a slightly sour expression. “But is there really such a method?”

“Oh, absolutely.”

“What, pray tell, might that be?”

Louis smiled mysteriously as he made the sign of the holy cross in response to Lokan VII’s question.

“May the Pantheon descend upon this land. O Lord…”

“…?” The sudden, cryptic remark left everyone, including Lokan VII, thoroughly perplexed.

As all eyes turned toward Louis, filled with doubt and confusion…

“Heh-heh-heh.”

Louis simply chuckled wickedly, offering no further explanation.