301. The Shadowed Sky (6)
Though the architecture was unfamiliar, it was clear that the building was extremely luxurious. Fernandez gazed at the thin silk curtain adorned with intricately embroidered gold threads and pondered.
The curtain fluttered through the open window, reflecting the evening sky. He unfolded the map and stared blankly at the sky beyond.
The end of the journey was near. No matter what form it took. To put it bluntly, his body was gradually breaking down. Compared to when he first received the Diemonica Baptism, the signs were unmistakable.
He was tired. His muscles, organs, and sensory faculties felt subtly but undeniably aged. From the start, the Diemonica Baptism he received wasn’t perfect. His physical constitution hadn’t developed as fully as that of a typical Diemonica.
Yet, his body was sufficient. Functionally, it was about 70-80% of what a typical Diemonica could achieve. In other words, it was more than double the maximum limit of a well-trained ordinary person. Considering his past life, he had no room to complain.
He had survived harsher environments and triumphed in more desperate moments. This level of loss was well within his predicted range.
But now… now, he couldn’t help but hesitate.
‘Two to three years…’
Fernandez let out a deep sigh. His expected lifespan was five years. The functional limit of his body, where it could still maintain minimal performance, was two to three years. This had been a consideration since he first became a Diemonica and calculated his physical performance and degradation rate.
Therefore, he didn’t regret the lost lifespan or the breaking body. His goal wasn’t a peaceful long life or a comfortable old age. Redemption through his son’s revival was enough.
But if there was a variable, the one thing that made him hesitate…
‘Could I at least hear what he has to say?’
-Fernandez…
It was the existence of a child. Just as his son’s death had negated his life, the child Kirhas carried… even if he didn’t feel any immediate attachment to the child.
Even so, it was enough. It was making him affirm his own life.
-Kirhas is the Chieftain. She holds the power over the wasteland, and as time passes, her position will only solidify. Moreover, the Dane of the East and even the Emperor of the Empire are our allies. Her situation is entirely different.
‘That’s true.’
Over the past two years, Fernandez had built strong connections with powerholders across the vast territories from the central continent to the east. His child would surely benefit from that… Unlike his son.
-Don’t entertain any foolish thoughts about sacrificing yourself for your child, Fernandez. We started all this out of our own selfishness. Don’t act noble now. There’s no need to be petty, even if the struggle is fierce.
Faijashi spoke coldly. That’s right. The regret and remorse brought by his son’s death had been his driving force, but it wasn’t some noble repentance born of goodwill. It was base selfishness. A cheap self-consolation directed at himself.
He wanted to atone to his son. He wanted to be forgiven by his son. He wanted to see his son’s smile and happiness. Was this truly for his son? No. It was merely the comfort Fernandez wanted to project. Selfishness.
Don’t pretend to be a mature father now. Don’t even try. Faijashi said as much and turned his head.
‘Thank you.’
So, Fernandez nodded. His motivation, his purpose, and his will couldn’t crumble so easily.
-Tap.
At that moment, a light footstep sounded on the balcony railing. Fernandez instinctively gripped the sword hilt. It was a near-instinctive caution.
‘Shaksisi?’
-Isn’t it too early?
No matter how capable Kirzat Shaksisi was, it was impossible for him to start moving just two hours after detecting Leia’s arrival.
-Tap.
An extremely stealthy footstep. It was a level of noise so faint that only a Diemonica’s senses and his experience could detect it.
Fernandez slid the sword under the bed, holding it in a reverse grip for quick access, and looked toward the window. Soon, a small tuft of fur flickered at the window frame.
The tension that had enveloped his body dissipated weakly. Fernandez chuckled softly and sighed.
“Kirhas. Your tail is showing.”
“Ah.”
A face peeked out cautiously from the window. With mischievous eyes, Kirhas tiptoed in.
“Do the buildings in this area have doors on the outside?”
“Well, windows are doors too, aren’t they?”
Kirhas giggled and walked over, plopping down on the sofa by the window across from Fernandez. Her tail swayed gently in the breeze.
“It looks like it’s going to rain soon… Your Excellency.”
“So?”
“If it rains, it’ll be a bit awkward to wander outside…”
Kirhas looked at him with cautious eyes, then muttered in complaint.
“We’ve come all the way to a foreign land, I don’t want to just sit in the lodge!”
“You want to go sightseeing?”
“Yes! It’s not strange, is it? Of course! We’re not here to play, but… still…”
He had no intention of refusing. Fernandez stifled a laugh and watched Kirhas mumble her excuses.
“It’s… good for prenatal education, right…?”
Kirhas’ face turned bright red as she spoke. She buried her head and fidgeted with her fingers.
“The young ladies of the capital sometimes… stroll around the city with their lovers… they say…”
Kirhas muttered, glancing at Fernandez. She knew. Even if it wasn’t clear, she knew this schedule was related to the Great Demon and was a pressing matter.
Amidst all this, both strategy and force were…
Fernandez, who was in charge of everything, had no time to spare. He was even giving up sleep, investing all his time in preparations, plans, or training.
So, this was a selfish act. He didn’t even inform the rest of the group and sneaked out of the room as quietly as possible. She wanted to monopolize him. She thought she had every right to, but when she saw his tired eyes, it became hard to continue speaking.
*Thud.*
Fernandez, who had approached unnoticed, placed his hand on Kirhas’s head as she hesitated, bowing her head. He gently stroked her head and spoke carefully.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes, yes!”
Kirhas lifted her head and smiled brightly, exclaiming.
* * *
Kirhas was walking around, casually looking at street food stalls, holding a skewer of grilled meat. She chewed on the meat while chattering nonstop to Fernandez.
Fernandez smiled faintly and responded to her, but his eyes weren’t on her. They were on the merchant flipping meat, the slaves carrying loads, the commoners walking the streets……
At first glance, it seemed like an ordinary market scene, with curious glances directed at foreigners speaking unfamiliar languages, but it wasn’t.
‘Three tails.’
They were being followed. It was to be expected. If a man called a guest of the Elven Queen suddenly left, of course, eyes would follow. But it was too blatant.
“Your Excellency, Your Excellency? Are you listening?”
“Yes. Ah, that looks delicious.”
“Where?”
“That drink. It’s made from roasted seeds of a fruit from the hot southern regions, brewed with hot water. I remember having a few cups.”
“Is it good?”
“Not sweet. But the flavor is excellent.”
“I’ll get some!”
Kirhas darted off toward the stall. Fernandez watched her for a moment, then turned his head. The merchant, who had been staring at him, flinched and looked away.
‘Not Shaksisi…… must be Al Mukapa’s men.’
Shaksisi isn’t that foolish. The only intelligence agency on the continent capable of facing the Iron Side Empire wouldn’t be so clumsy.
Fernandez slowly approached the merchant. The merchant’s face quickly turned pale.
“You’ve got a lot of calluses.”
“It’s from hard work, sir!”
The merchant was startled by Fernandez’s fluent Kirzat. Seeing this, Fernandez sighed inwardly. The city’s sovereign was wise and bold, but the state of his subordinates wasn’t exactly stellar.
This would slow things down…… and that wasn’t ideal. He needed to be more direct.
“I understand what Beyle is worried about, but I’m just here to tour the city. If you’re going to report back, tell them to send Shaksisi next time.”
“……How can we know if you’re here to tour the city or to secure an invasion route?”
“Invasion? Haha, who would want to invade this place?”
“The eastern kingdoms or the Empire. If they attempt a landing with the Elven Fleet’s support, how could we possibly stop them?”
“If that happens, you wouldn’t be able to stop it anyway, so why bother being so cautious with me now?”
Fernandez chuckled. The man disguised as a merchant flinched.
“If you were half as thoughtful as your Beyle, his troubles would be halved. But since you’re not, if you want to understand our intentions, come to the lodge with Shaksisi.”
“Why Shaksisi……?”
“I have no intention of telling you. Go.”
Fernandez despised incompetence. It was almost a natural instinct. In these times, incompetence led to death, and personal mistakes could cause the downfall of entire groups. In this era of war, incompetence was almost a sin.
The merchant, insulted, stiffened and retreated. Almost simultaneously, Kirhas came running across the street, laughing. She held a cup of a dark, clear beverage.
-I wish I could taste it too.
Faijashi said, smacking his lips. Kirhas handed the cup to Fernandez and took a sip herself.
“Eek!! Yuck! It’s bitter!”
“Haha, that’s the taste.”
“Really, it’s so bitter!!”
She grimaced and complained. Fernandez burst out laughing, and Kirhas, puffing her cheeks, started laughing too.
The two walked through the streets as the evening glow set in, exchanging jokes.
* * *
“He asked for Shaksisi?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Shaksisi…… Shaksisi.”
Al Mukapa frowned. Like all intelligence agencies, Shaksisi’s main tasks weren’t limited to information gathering, control, and manipulating public opinion. They were elite operatives, including active assassinations and sabotage, and also a symbol of terror.
To request a direct meeting with such people…… Al Mukapa shook his head.
“I misjudged.”
“What do you mean……?”
“There’s a possibility of unofficial diplomatic envoys.”
The information collected by Shaksisi flows directly to the Sultan’s ears. In other words, if one wanted to communicate directly with the Sultan without going through official channels, there was no faster route than Shaksisi.
The commotion with the Serpent King might have been for that purpose. If the Serpent King suddenly appeared and dropped an eastern human in Kirzat’s port city, calling him a guest, Shaksisi would consider it an anomaly worth investigating.
“It’s out of my hands now. Then it could be the Empire…… or someone from the Church.”
“The Church, you say?”
“Have you heard about the recent situation in the east?”
“No.”
“Be aware. The Empire has barely risen from a great division, and the eastern churches, once scattered, have only recently regrouped. If there are those trying to contact the Sultan in such a situation, it can’t be official diplomacy.”
In a tense atmosphere where neither side could call the other a complete ally, after a long war, if the leaders of hostile nations wanted to establish some diplomatic line, they couldn’t use official channels.
It was obvious they would face political pressure within their own countries. Like the Empire or the Church of the Temple of the Gods, if the unstable cores of divided groups tried to engage in diplomacy with hostile nations, they naturally had to be discreet.
“Do as they wish. Call Shaksisi and prepare a banquet.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Officially, it will be a banquet to welcome the Elven guests, so make sure everything is perfect. Envoys…… envoys……”
Al Mukapa frowned and shook his head.
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