At first, Charlotte thought Kael’s scheme was simply aimed to tarnish the social prestige of the Menwa Tribe.
After all, regardless of circumstances, they’re all members of the Demon Race—being the Menwa Tribe doesn’t change anything.
Charlotte figured most people wouldn’t believe that digging up the mighty King Sassen’s tomb was actually going to happen.
However, with the arrival of the next bit of news, she found herself not just impressed but genuinely terrified.
“They’re at loggerheads.”
“Yeah, those who’ve always supported the Menwa Tribe are now even more aggressive. They’re burning with a fiery rage, claiming everything is the doing of the Moderates.”
“I’d say that’s more like cutting off their nose to spite their face, if you ask me.”
Certainly, the Menwa Tribe and everyone associated with them must feel wronged. After all, they never planned or intended to meddle with King Sassen in the first place. By being linked to the King’s legacy by sheer association, they fell into a trap. Their attempt to redirect public resentment against the Moderates instead ended up being a massive blunder.
“Really, if they’d just made a public apology for messing with the tomb earlier, they could’ve avoided being labeled as ultra-extremists.”
The Moderates had already been under political attack before, so it seemed logical that they’d recycle the same strategy again. But now this has only solidified the Demon Race’s belief that the Menwa Tribe and their allies are fanatics.
Essentially, by showing opposition to anyone who wants to maintain close ties with the Empire, they’ve isolated themselves on a dangerous precipice. And if their power grows much stronger, they might end up messing with King Sassen’s tomb for real.
It’s proof enough that their loyalists have rallied and are now targeting the Moderates.
In reality, this is only the beginning.
“Those who disturb the eternal rest of the King! UUUUUUHH!!”
“Let’s protect the King’s peaceful rest! Demon Race, protect the King!”
The ordinary demons—those who’ve always respected the King—gathered to prevent anyone from disturbing the royal tomb. But then the Moderates subtly recruited a handful of individuals to spread propaganda at the gravesite, claiming the King had led with both strength and kindness, and now the opposition was ruining his legacy.
“Shut up, idiots duped by the Empire’s schemes! d*e!!”
“We didn’t touch the King’s tomb! Do you really believe that?!”
Soon after, Menwa Tribe supporters gathered on the opposite side to counterattack. What began as a simple exchange of ideas and arguments escalated into physical violence as tempers flared—and then full-blown brawls.
Demons are a tough bunch. They don’t shy away from a fight. Their conflicts are fierce and deliberate.
Naturally, the situation escalated further and caused actual damage…
“Menwa Tribe bastards are defiling the King’s tomb!”
“Part of the grave is destroyed! The Menwa Tribe bastards messed with the King’s tomb!”
“Demons! The King’s eternal rest has been disrupted!”
The brawlers included both Menwa Tribe members and their adversaries, making it impossible to determine who exactly caused the damage to the royal tomb. But that doesn’t matter much to the rest of the demon populace. To them, the Menwa Tribe is already seen as the ones who attempted to violate the King’s resting place, and their past actions make them all the more suspect.
“Please, Father.”
“Hmm?”
“…Daddy.”
“Speak.”
For Pete’s sake, act your age! Charlotte silently scolded as she continued.
“It seems a bit strange to me. While the Menwa Tribe’s history makes it plausible, why are the other Hardliner factions so easily abandoning them? That seems a bit weird.”
“Hmmmm, yes. At first, I found this strange too, but after checking around, I managed to piece together an answer.”
—Tap tap
“Simple—it’s a turf war.”
“A turf… war?”
Charlotte tilted her head, uncertain of what her father meant. A turf war? How does that tie into the Hardliners abandoning the Menwa Tribe?
Then Kalande chuckled on the other end of the communication line and explained further.
“Think about it. Why has the Menwa Tribe been so fervent and had so much influence within the Hardliner factions?”
“…Because demons from that tribe held a significant number of military command positions?”
“Exactly. They are hardcore anti-Empire, which ironically earns them certain privileges in the military.”
“Because Nobogorod only has its borders with the Empire.”
By its very nature, the military is more inclined to be hardline than moderate. Isn’t it supposed to fight the nation’s enemies, after all?
“Our Moderates have seized control of the council and now wield a huge influence over the military, taking up nearly half the command positions. The remaining half is still held by the Hardliners.”
“So, yes.”
“Of that remaining half, the Menwa Tribe holds control over roughly half of those again. They clearly hold more command positions than other Hardliner factions.”
At this point, Charlotte started to grasp the broader picture. With only half the military roles left, the Hardliners felt compelled to divvy them up. To protect their own positions, they would have to act. With the Menwa Tribe holding such a substantial portion, it naturally raised tensions.
“Surely this so-called ‘turf’…”
“From the Hardliners’ perspective, it’s simple math. They’ve decided the Menwa Tribe’s influence needs to be taken down to reclaim those positions for themselves.”
Of course, positions are set. Once someone takes them, they can last several years, sometimes even over a decade. And when one faction monopolizes too many of these roles, dissatisfaction inevitably bubbles up.
So the Hardliners saw this as an opportunity to oust the Menwa Tribe from their positions and claim their turf.
“…Ha. Seriously. While accusing the Moderates of dirty political games, the Hardliner council members have some nasty tactics of their own.”
“Politics is just like that. Sacrificing for the nation without any reward is never easy. There’s always a give-and-take involved. They’ve made their calculations and acted accordingly.”
At this point, everything became clear to Charlotte. How could this whole thing have unfolded so quickly? It’s obvious the demons in Nobogorod revered the King, so it’s natural for them to react emotionally, but why are the Hardliners so fiercely targeting the Menwa Tribe?
‘So this is what Kael was aiming at. He wasn’t just trying to spread rumors to create chaos in Nobogorod.’
She had first thought his scheme was merely a false move to stir internal discord. But she realized now that Kael only provided a reason to act, and by doing so whispered the words “profit and loss” into their ears. For all but the most rock-solid wills, that would be enough to sway them.
This was the unique trait Kael had shown all along. He doesn’t light huge fires to instill fear; he merely hints at their possibilities from afar, letting people’s imaginations run wild and encouraging them to act on their own.
“…Daddy.”
“Speak.”
“I want to stay in the Empire longer.”
“Already part of your plan, wasn’t it?”
“Not just that… much longer.”
Learning from the other side seemed more appealing than ever. Understanding even a fraction, just a tiny piece of what made such intricate predictions possible.
“Formally send me to study abroad.”
“Studying abroad in the Empire?”
“Yes. Why not? It sets a good example. Sending the daughter of the council chairperson abroad under the guise of a student and an exchange hostage might actually set a good precedent.”
Kalande appeared to ponder this for a moment. Indeed, there had been discussions within Nobogorod, involving sending influential families’ children to study in the Empire as a form of exchange hostage. This could help them receive more cooperation and assistance from the Empire.
The issue was trust. Who would be the first to take that step?
If the chairperson’s only daughter volunteered, it would certainly create a politically favorable impression.
“Still… it doesn’t sit well with me. What if something happens between the two nations?”
“That’s your job to prevent, Daddy.”
And there was another compelling reason to let her stay. There’s a certain someone in the Empire who also benefits from this arrangement, the man who orchestrated all this with just a single suggestion—to stabilize the northern borders.
Though Charlotte didn’t say the last part out loud.
“By the way, did this Kael ask for anything in return?”
“Hmm?”
“Such a brilliant scheme—a mere suggestion seems insufficient. He must want something more in return.”
“Aha. That’s already been taken care of.”
While trying not to burst out laughing outright, Charlotte replied.
“It’s already been paid.”
“What? When?”
“Oh, you’ve already paid. Remember those arrows I received last time? Let’s call it even.”
*
“…Studying abroad?”
“Yes. That’s settled now.”
Upon hearing this from Lady Charlotte, I simply gazed at her quietly. Officially, it was study abroad—but it’s clearly a form of hostage exchange. There’s no way I wouldn’t have realized that, yet her expression seems unusually bright, raising suspicions.
Is she up to something unusual?
I did help stabilize Nobogorod’s internal affairs a bit, but if she’s plotting something odd, that wouldn’t be ideal.
“Well, in any case, congratulations on your extended stay in the Empire.”
“Thank you. By the way, where are you heading next? You seem very busy all of a sudden.”
Yes, I have somewhere to go. Quite far, in fact.
I absentmindedly rubbed my cheek, recalling an event a few days prior.
“Kael Klauwitz, you will accompany the second princess on a tour of the western regions of the Empire.”
“Similar to our visit to the eastern regions, we want you to travel amongst the western legions and show support.”
The one who called me and the Princess was none other than the Emperor himself.
Caught off guard without a word, the Emperor then suddenly chuckled.
Next, he adopted a serious tone and beckoned me closer.
“Kael.”
“You shall secretly scout the lands beyond the western borders of our Empire.”
