302. The Shadowed Sky (7)
Robert was having an ordinary day, as usual. He was organizing intelligence gathered from across the Empire, coordinating missions for Iron Side, and investigating high nobles caught in acts of rebellion or various crimes.
It was an extremely busy and highly secretive task. His vast desk was piled with numerous reports, but they were meticulously organized, almost to the point of obsession, never appearing messy.
This time was no different. He picked up a report, read it slowly, dipped his pen in ink, and signed it without a single error. The smooth sensation of the pen gliding across the paper was satisfying.
-*Plop.*
“Damn.”
Just then, the pen tip split, and a drop of ink spilled out, staining the edge of the report. Robert frowned and picked up a napkin. At that moment, someone knocked on the door.
“Who is it?”
“Your Highness, it’s Jean de Villeray.”
“Come in.”
Robert quickly wiped the spilled ink off the table and clasped his hands. The door opened, and a well-dressed middle-aged man entered. Jean de Villeray, a noble of House Tremule and the long-serving chamberlain.
“What is it?”
“One of our agents has gone missing.”
“…Where? Kirzat?”
“No, Your Highness.”
Iron Side agents, who carry out infiltration and intelligence missions, always walk the line between life and death. However, it was extremely rare for an agent to die during a mission. Not only was it difficult to identify an Iron Side agent, but even if identified, directly antagonizing the Empire was a heavy burden.
Therefore, the disappearance of an agent during an operation was a significant issue. While the exposure of an agent’s identity could lead to political problems, harming the agent directly was uncommon.
“An agent sent to the plains of the White Country has gone missing.”
“The plains of the White Country… Was it Chelini?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Compensate the agent’s family. Did Chelini have a younger sibling?”
“Yes.”
“If that sibling is still interested in magic, write them a letter of recommendation for Philainneil University. Inform all agents about this.”
Robert delivered his instructions without hesitation. Among all his intelligence agents, there was not one whose background and family he didn’t know. The surest way to control subordinates was through strict rewards and punishments and thorough control of their personal lives.
By the way… Robert let out a short sigh. Of all places, the plains of the White Country.
“Do you remember what Sir Sernerd said?”
“The prophecy about a man named Kagan appearing?”
“Yes.”
At his words, Jean de Villeray let out a short scoff. Intelligence agents didn’t believe in prophecies. They only trusted predictions based on solid data. Among them, there was a tendency to distrust the ‘prophecies’ or ‘oracles’ often spoken of by the church or mages.
“At least don’t show that attitude in front of me.”
Robert frowned at Jean de Villeray’s expression. The chamberlain quickly composed himself. Robert clicked his tongue and spoke.
“There’s no need to respect him, but you should at least show some regard. If you knew his achievements, you wouldn’t take him lightly. If it’s a statement from him, even if the world were to end tomorrow, it’s something to be taken seriously.”
Robert shook his head. It was almost a natural tendency for those working in intelligence organizations. Those who wielded overwhelming amounts of information often looked down on others.
Humility is not a virtue. But arrogance is certainly a vice. Arrogance inevitably leads to misjudgment, misjudgment to mistakes, and mistakes to defeat.
“My eyes were clouded, and I spoke out of turn.”
“Fine. Let’s move on. The prophecy said that a man named Karadskar, who would later be called Kagan, would appear. As a preemptive measure, we assassinated the person mentioned in the prophecy.”
“The death of a boy named Turgenjin was confirmed by more than three informants. There was intelligence that the Amarr Tribe’s chief went mad over his son’s death.”
“I don’t mean to imply that my subordinates would lie to me. But Sir Sernerd suggested that the assassination might have failed. However, I think differently.”
He trusted his subordinates. Not for their abilities, but for their honesty. Assassinations could fail. Whether due to lack of skill or bad luck, no operation was ever 100% guaranteed to succeed.
But loyalty was beyond doubt. His subordinates, especially the top-tier agents known as the Gray Circle, would never betray him, even if their lives depended on it.
Therefore, at this point, with three of them reporting that ‘Amarr Turgenjin’s death has been confirmed,’ Robert formulated a completely different hypothesis.
If Sir Sernerd’s opinion was correct. That is, if both pieces of information—’the future Kagan, Karadskar, is not dead’ and ‘Amarr Turgenjin is dead’—were true.
“Either that Amarr brat wasn’t Karadskar, or another Karadskar… another Kagan has appeared. It must be one of the two.”
The name Karadskar is an alias. A chilling nickname meaning ‘Scar of the World.’ Therefore, if another person were to rise to the position of Kagan using that alias, the prophecy would still be fulfilled.
And if his agent had died, the hypothesis gained credibility. Now, what was needed was cross-verification.
“Are there four agents currently dispatched to Kirzat?”
“Yes, two of them are stationed in a city adjacent to the plains of the White Country.”
“Excluding the one attached to the Sultan, send the remaining three to the plains. Have them enter different regions, with one heading to the Turgenjin clan and the other two investigating the overall situation on the plains.”
The White Country has been a land of constant civil war since before recorded history. It was a highly fluid region, with numerous nomadic tribes drawing countless borders.
Even the most updated maps could become completely outdated within a week. For nomadic tribes, a single battle could determine the fate of the entire clan.
Until now, the White Country had been a remote corner that didn’t require much attention, just a band of marauders too afraid to venture beyond the plains… but now, a more precise observation might be necessary.
“I hope it’s just a false alarm.”
Muttering the same words as a lord on the opposite side of the continent, Robert shook his head.
-*Squawk! Squawk!*
Outside the open window, seagulls noisily cried as they flew deep into the harbor. It was a sign that a storm was brewing from the distant sea.
* * *
-*Crunch!*
Dry twigs crunched noisily underfoot as a group of men climbed the mountainside. In the early evening, the men looked up at the gradually darkening sky and lit their torches.
“The path is treacherous. The trail has gone cold.”
A man bent over to inspect the ground, then raised his head. He was a thin, middle-aged man with a sharp demeanor. He spoke to another man who was scanning the surroundings.
“Bring the witness forward.”
“Ugh! Ugh!!”
The man nodded and dragged out a gagged and bound woman. She grimaced, gasping for air, before being forced to her knees by the man. He removed the gag from her mouth.
“Where should we go?”
“This is a crime! No matter who you are, kidnapping and oppressing civilians is unacceptable! And he’s a paladin!”
“*Was* a paladin.”
The man spoke coldly, pulling a dagger from his sleeve. The dagger gleamed with a cold, blue light under the torchlight.
“Now he’s a suspect. Witness, it has been testified that you were closest to him during his activities. Depending on the situation, you could be treated not as a witness, but as a defendant. Keep that in mind.”
“Mind what? I’m an associate professor at Philainneil University, a palace mage of the Imperial Palace—”
“And we are the Scales of Justice. Be silent. Questions and arguments are not your role. Any defense you wish to make is only valid before the Hall of Judgment.”
“…You’ll regret this.”
“Our regret will only be for failing to purge the evil that has tainted this world.”
“Enough talk. I’ll—”
The woman grumbled, shaking her head. No matter what, if they were going to judge a former paladin, even a summary trial should be conducted. Though she was ignorant of religious law, she knew their proceedings weren’t always unjust.
Moreover, her resistance wouldn’t do him any good. He was framed, and as the only civilian here, she had a duty to defend him.
‘Captain…’
She thought of her superior, who had gone silent and disappeared some time ago, and bowed her head with a sullen expression. How had the great hunters of the Imperial Palace, once adorned with glorious honor, come to this…?
“Witness, speak. Where do you think he’s hiding?”
“The Captain was a master of tracking and stealth. He wouldn’t be caught by such a noisy search! Why not send a letter? Who knows, if you’re lucky, he might even reply!”
“Brothers, the fire.”
The man shook his head and spoke solemnly. The woman was startled. Were they going to bring out the pyre? But the men only waved their torches and stepped forward.
“What are you doing…?”
“If we set the entire mountain on fire, he’ll show up somewhere.”
“B-but you’re not even sure the Captain is here…! There’s a slash-and-burn village on this mountain! Innocent victims will die!”
“Their innocence will be proven before the Lord. It is the will of the Temple of the Gods to spill the blood of a hundred rather than let one evil escape. Lord, grant us your blessing.”
“Temple of the Gods, grant us your blessing.”
The men began to murmur prayers in low voices. The woman’s face turned pale. They were going to burn the entire mountain! Though it was a remote foothill, a mere wild mountain the local lord wouldn’t care about, there were at least twenty households of slash-and-burn farmers in the village!
“Is your innocence also proven before your god?”
“He’s here.”
“Captain!”
A low voice echoed from deep within the forest. The woman thought the familiar voice sounded gloomy and growling. But it was a welcome sound nonetheless.
“Seiri. It’s been a while.”
“Captain! Oh my… your leg…?”
A young man limped out from the dark shadows of the forest. He leaned on a long, cloth-wrapped stick as he walked toward the men.
“…From this moment on, every word and action of the defendant may be used against him in court.”
“Court? What court?”
“The defendant no longer wears the vestments of the clergy. This procedure is being carried out solely at the request of the Archbishop of the Shield Church, where the defendant once served. If you prefer a more ‘summary’ procedure, we can accommodate that.”
“Old-fashioned coercion. Hypocrites like you never change.”
The young man stepped fully into the torchlight. His face was shadowed, but his eyes still burned like flames.
“Speak. What crime have I committed? And by what right do you judge me?”
“Defendant, Daryan Schryke. Known as the Emperor’s Eye. Executionary Paladin of the Shield Church. Chief Advisor to the Order of the Burning Sacrament. Correct?”
“Yes. I am Daryan Schryke.”
“Defendant, do you admit to the arson and indiscriminate assassination attempt against paladins that occurred on May 17 in the small town of Hasen in the Frabang region of the Empire, resulting in the deaths of 43 victims, including 12 knights and 4 priests?”
“I admit it.”
“Defendant, do you admit to burning down 11 homes in the small village of Barang in the Juliha region of the Empire on May 22, resulting in the deaths of 28 victims, including 19 knights and 2 priests?”
“Excluding the arson, I admit to the killings.”
“Defendant, before your last known whereabouts were traced, you killed a total of 213 victims across 8 cities. You renounced your holy vows and requested excommunication before the true culprit was revealed, then went into hiding in this mountain. Correct?”
“…I admit it.”
“Temple of the Gods, grant us your blessing.”
The man glared at Daryan and slowly placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. He spoke slowly, as if chewing each word before spitting it out.
“At the request of Archbishop Francisco of the Shield Church in the Paltennoia Diocese, I grant you one final opportunity to speak in your defense.”
“You… You all…”
Daryan growled like a wounded beast, baring his teeth.
“You all, under the banner of the ‘Crusade,’ have committed a total of 148 acts of arson, the massacre of 8,519 civilians, and comparable… war crimes over the past three months. Do you admit it?”
“……”
“The thousands of lives lost, the war orphans, the deaths from starvation due to destroyed homes, and the poverty and famine in the surrounding areas caused by your war crimes. I will give you the chance to defend yourself against the calamity you’ve sown. As always. To all of you, I have always given the chance to… atone. Yes, I’ve given you the chance to atone.”
-Swish.
The man drew his greatsword from its hilt. The cold Saintmetal Greatsword gleamed a pale blue under the rising moonlight.
“Temple of the Gods, grant us your blessing. The defendant has admitted to all crimes, shows no remorse, and poses a significant risk of reoffending. I hereby sentence the defendant to death.”
“I will make you pay the same price. No remorse, and a significant risk of reoffending!”
“I am the Religiosa Heretica of St. Bartholomew Monastery, and by the authority granted to me by the Temple of the Gods, I carry out your execution!”
“And I am the son of man, and by the virtue of human morality, I will punish you!”
-Clang!
The man could no longer hold back and swung his sword. In that moment, the staff Daryan was holding blurred. The man’s sword split in half and was deflected, while the staff pierced through the man’s chest.
No one present had seen Daryan’s movement. The men froze stiffly, staring at Daryan.
-Swish…
Simultaneously, the Heretics drew their greatswords and aimed them at Daryan. Seeing this, Daryan twisted his face in anger.
“Pray, priests. Beg your god fervently. Plead for forgiveness for your sins!”
Daryan charged at the men, shouting.
“After you’ve all been forgiven before your god, I will kill him too!”
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