Chapter 188
I shared the information I had discovered.
The Emperor and the Guard Captain, listening to my explanation, were left with their mouths agape. It was understandable—they had cause to be astonished. I had been the same.
"How could such a thing be?"
"What kind of person was Lady Mien?"
"She was always smiling in front of me. She was older than me, like a mother figure."
The information reported by the squad leader of the intelligence unit was shocking.
Currently, lady Mien was running a large merchant guild in the territory of Count Salon, the northern great lord.
Because the merchant guild was named "Mien", our intelligence team found her easily. Almost as if she wanted to be found. The guild mainly operated entertainment businesses, but seemed to double as an intelligence organization.
The Syren family had entered the imperial palace after Lady Mien was expelled from the palace, so they knew neither her face nor her name. She had been erased from the inner palace records.
It seemed my maternal grandfather and my father, acting on special orders from the former Emperor, had meticulously hidden her. The money the Emperor gave for consolation was likely used as business capital.
And it seemed my father had given Lady Mien a few instructions. Because of that, she had made arrangements for the future—becoming the head of the guild herself.
"Is that court lady still in the palace?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"And what was her name?"
"Please understand that I cannot tell even Your Majesty yet. She was a court lady closest to the Empress, and Lady Mien's efforts were crucial in her reaching that position."
"I see. Astounding."
Things had changed from just a few days ago.
Back then, a struggle between the legitimate and illegitimate factions was expected, but now the Grand Duke would be cornered.
The Guard Captain spoke first.
"Your Majesty. If it is revealed that the Crown Prince is a fraud, the Grand Duke becomes a traitor for shaming the Imperial House. Even claiming that it was solely the Empress' doing will change nothing."
"Then the Grand Duke will resort to force."
"Yes. Grand Duke Syren will never concede. If he steps aside quietly, his power will collapse rapidly, and he surely knows that."
"Do you see it that way too?"
The Emperor looked at me.
"The Captain is correct. He may not know about the preparations we've made, but the moment the deception is revealed, the Royal Guard will surround the Secret Council."
"They plan to silence mouths by killing."
"Exactly. Also, the Imperial Knight Order, aligned with the Grand Duke, will march on the palace, and fighting will erupt within the various legions as well."
The Guard Captain nodded.
"We should call Lord Watts to discuss."
"Understood. Summon him tomorrow."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Since Lady Mien is coming, we'll meet her first and exchange information before allowing her into the palace."
"Do so."
I took my leave from the Emperor's residence.
Whichever way the confrontation went, if the Grand Duke was driven into a corner, war was inevitable. Only the timing had been pushed up.
The key issue was how much the Grand Duke had managed to dominate the military so far. We'd grown our own force and had many in the military on our side, but things could still surpass our expectations.
The Imperial Knight Order held the key to capturing the palace.
And the deputy-commander of that group was, to my surprise, the person who had covertly helped Lady Mien.
It was also he who provided us with the startling information. He himself was not completely certain but thought the circumstances suggested it. If it proved true, many mysteries were explained.
I did have suspicions about him, but on second thought, he was someone who could do such a thing. Most likely, lady Mien had approached him first. It couldn't have been his decision alone.
"Squad leader."
― Yes, sir.
"Place four in the imperial family. Send two into the inner palace and two to the Emperor's residence to secretly protect him."
― Understood.
/ / /
Three days later.
A lavish carriage arrived at the inn.
I went out personally to greet the guest.
A beautiful blonde woman stepped out of the carriage. She was the corps leader of the guild that operated inns, taverns, and such. Judging by her entourage, it was clear her guild doubled as an intelligence group.
"I am Roger."
"Pleased to meet you. I am Mien."
"This way, please."
I led her to the second floor of the inn.
There were no other guests; it was just the two of us.
"You are young and beautiful."
"Thank you."
Her manner was exceedingly refined.
She laughed before me, yet the charisma emanating from her was overwhelming—enough to earn the description 'iron lady.'
"The skills of your guard are considerable."
"Many of them are ex-knights."
"Not assassins?"
"You have a good sense of humor, I see."
It was hard to read Lady Mien's inner thoughts. She seemed to have lived a far harsher life than I had expected—her demeanor had a sense of ingrained brutality and hardness.
"Have you seen your son?"
She shook her head.
"Don't you want to?"
She only smiled in response.
Was she truly a giant, unconcerned by the ties of blood? Many years had passed, after all.
"You resemble your father a great deal."
"I hear that often."
"Even twenty years ago, I didn't really understand what your father told me. Only after building a guild and managing to earn my keep did I begin to see what I had to do."
"What requests did my father make of you?"
She smiled.
"I only heard that something would happen. Everything else, I prepared on my own. I was a woman who had her son taken away and was expelled from the palace."
"You must have suffered greatly."
"It's all just memories now."
We drank tea in silence.
Then I broached the subject gently.
"If your son ascends the throne, will you enter the palace as Empress Dowager?"
She smiled subtly.
"Does that concern you?"
"It doesn't matter to us."
"It wasn't ambition that drove me. The Syren family is not the target of my revenge."
"Is there another reason?"
"I am fine living as I am. I have an adequate life, and, as I've grown older, I just wanted to openly reveal I am the mother of a child."
It seemed that though she had undergone so much injustice and bitterness, she had no clear object of revenge. Her words sounded as if she simply wished to make her son Emperor and show herself as the mother of the Emperor.
She had not prepared this matter to help the imperial family. Now, though our hands were joined, our goals were different. Should she seize power, she might even turn on us.
A variable had entered the direction of imperial power.
Even if Syren fell and the war ended, stabilization would not come easily.
"So, when will it begin?"
"In a week. If the Grand Duke shows any sign of making the first move, we will act even sooner. Do you have any forces you can mobilize?"
"We are only a merchant guild."
When the reorganization of imperial power came, the northern army could not be trusted too surely. Though its commander was technically neutral, lady Mien had likely invested great effort over the years.
/ / /
I met Count Watts.
Before entering the palace, I wished to discuss things with him.
"Your mastery has grown again."
"You flatter me."
"Is there anything above the Sword of Light? I truly cannot fathom your skill."
That was the first thing Lord Watts said when he saw me.
If not for him, few could discern my ability.
We sat and began with tea.
"What did you do with the five lieutenants? The second, Brai, has grown so much I was amazed."
"How about now?"
"They're still improving. I can't say for certain, but in a few years, as you said, they may really reach that level."
He remembered my words that the five lieutenants could become Swords of Light. With one more push, it might soon come true. That would be left to each of them.
"Tell me what happened at the palace."
I told him about finding evidence in the palace, meeting Lady Mien, the announcement that the Crown Prince was a fake, and all that would unfold.
"So the war will begin."
"We'll be in the palace, so you do not need to fret for the safety of the place or His Majesty."
"I can leave the palace to you all, but the Palace Guard alone cannot stand against the Imperial Knight Order. They number ten thousand, but defeating 999 knights is near impossible."
"We could simply open the gates."
"You intend to stand in their way then?"
"Yes."
Lord Watts looked at me and then spoke.
"Where should the Palace Guard be deployed?"
"After the capital defense force blocks the city, the Palace Guard should surround the Imperial Army Staff and the Royal Sword Academy. If the Grand Duke's knight orders move, then our knights will have to stop them."
Lord Watts couldn't answer right away.
Understandable.
Our real strength was unknown.
"What do you think will happen to the Central Army?"
"It'll be fierce fighting inside. Since the Northern Army will march south immediately, even if my sons command the Central Army, it's best they stay stationed in Tris."
Does the Grand Duke have hidden forces in Tris?
"Do you know about any of the Grand Duke's hidden forces?"
"His assassination squads are not to be underestimated. Even the late Viscount Landan was part of an assassination group we knew nothing of before."
"So, there must be one in Tris, too."
"All major strongholds will have large organizations. They'll kidnap hostages and disrupt the rear. Tris is not at all a safe place."
That meant even Merchant leader Barako or Count Mals could be kidnapped. No matter how tight the security, professional assassins were hard to guard against—even at home.
While we built up our side,
the Grand Duke certainly hadn't been idle. On top of his existing organizations, he must have secretly raised significant additional forces.
Moreover, if Tern also invaded, we'd need forces in Tris to stop them as well. That was the largest body of troops, so even a subset marching out would be enough.
"If kidnappings happen, we'll respond with even more force. The Grand Duke will have no choice but to release them."
"Is that even possible?"
"We have handled worse."
After drinking tea, I continued.
"There is something I must tell you honestly, Lord Watts. You are, in truth, the only one I can truly trust."
"What is it?"
I whispered in his ear.
His eyes grew wider and wider.
By the time I finished, his mouth hung open.
"Is that true?"
"We are still confirming it. If it is real, we may end up suffering a counterattack ourselves."
Lord Watts scratched his chin.
Then he spoke.
"Does anyone else know?"
"Lady Mien does. It may be not the Grand Duke but Lady Mien who has deceived us."
"Incredible, if so."
He sank into thought.
After pondering, he nodded.
"If you become certain it's true, reveal it decisively. If not, it may be hard to reveal at all. If it turns out we fell for the Grand Duke's trap, we will be accused of treason without a doubt."
"We will watch their reactions."
"In that case, our whole family will be involved."
Just how far would they go?
Everything depended on how things unfolded.
Miss a chance, and it's defeat.
/ / /
Four gathered in the Emperor's residence.
The Emperor. The Guard Captain. Lord Watts.
And myself.
As I came in and Lord Watts also entered the palace, the Royal Guards and chamberlains were bustling everywhere. News would have spread to every army unit by now.
"First, explain the state of the army."
The Guard Captain stepped forward.
"Among the top military leaders, the Grand Duke's forces comprise the following: the Imperial Army Commander-in-Chief, the Royal Guard Commander, the Imperial Knight Order Commander, the Royal Sword Academy Director, and the Central Army Commander."
He distributed sheets of paper.
"The Imperial Army Special Forces directly under the Commander-in-Chief number 300. The Royal Guard has 120. The Imperial Knight Order, 999. Royal Sword Academy instructors, 60. The Grand Duke's knights total roughly 1,000."
"So about 2,400 knights in all?"
"That is correct."
"Continue."
The Captain went on.
"Our side consists of 10,000 Palace Guard, 30,000 Capital Defense Force, 5,000 Northern Army, and roughly 300 family knights. In terms of knights, we have slightly over 500."
We had the edge in numbers.
But not in knights.
Victorious odds were hard to guarantee.
"Why is the Central Army excluded?"
"With 50,000 troops, the fate of the Central Army depends on who commands it. Whether it remains stationed in Tris or marches on the capital will not be decided lightly."
This was based only on regular forces and those ready for immediate combat.
The palace and capital were key.
"What about the Capital Defense Force?"
Lord Watts replied.
"Some officers in our army are with the Grand Duke. They may defect with their units, but the same applies to Grand Duke's side."
"The Northern Army is reliable. About 100 knights in the Imperial Knight Order will also switch to our side."
Oren was in the Imperial Knight Order.
One of the five officers I had helped—he was now commander of 100. One of nine such commanders.
"How many Swords of Light are among them?"
"In the military, the Imperial Knight Order commander, the Royal Guard deputy-commander, the Central Army commander, and the Royal Sword Academy director."
"Outside the military?"
"The Grand Duke, his guard captain, and his second son are definite. That makes seven in total."
"We only have Lord Watts and Young Master Roger."
The Emperor sighed heavily.
"I hear one Sword of Light is equal to a legion. Though we have more numbers, with their abundance of knights and Swords of Light, this will be a tough fight."
Neither the Captain nor Lord Watts could reply.
Nor did I step forward.
Our members were a hidden strength.
There was one strategy left unmentioned.
We would not wait for a surprise attack. Even if we struck first, it would still mean war was inevitable.
If their forces marched on the palace,
we would strike Syren first.
At the same time, we would target the Grand Duke.