Chapter 1008 The Hand Operating Behind the Scenes
"Not dead, you say?"
Vanessa looked up at him, her eyes filled with tears.
"Then where is he now!? The city of Kalbar has been reduced to ashes. Even the troops who were with him are dead! Where else could my son possibly be!?"
She stepped forward and grabbed Jason by the collar, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Aldric… my son is dead! Waaah!"
She pressed her face against Jason's chest and continued crying.
Jason's expression became complicated as a wave of guilt washed over him.
But the feeling only lasted for a moment before disappearing.
He raised his left hand and struck the back of Vanessa's neck.
Vanessa was startled, but before she could react, a sudden wave of exhaustion and drowsiness hit her, causing her to lose consciousness.
Jason caught her falling body and called out, "Maid!"
A maid quickly came over and bowed her head.
"What are your orders, my Lord?"
"Take the queen to her room. Tell the guards to watch the doors and windows. Don't let her leave once she wakes up. Understood?"
Feeling Jason's piercing gaze, the maid didn't dare to object. She approached Vanessa, supported her body, and carried her away.
Watching them disappear from view, Jason called out, "Fenric!"
"Y-Yes, my Lord!"
Fenric stepped out from behind the wall.
Jason glanced over his shoulder at him and asked coldly, "What were you doing over there?"
"I-I—"
"No need to answer," Jason cut him off indifferently, waving his hand. "Call Sergan. Tell him to come to my office right now."
"Y-Yes, my Lord!"
Jason turned and walked away.
Fenric let out a long sigh and patted his chest.
Once he had calmed down, he watched Jason leave with a suspicious look.
"So strange… This is really strange!"
After hearing about Aldric's disappearance, Jason didn't seem worried or panicked at all. It didn't make any sense.
After all, Aldric was his beloved nephew.
"What's really going on?"
Fenric felt a throbbing pain in his head.
Sergan was the leader of the highly secretive Black Veil unit, an organization that operated entirely in the shadows.
They were similar to the Imperial Palace's Phantom Chain, but even more dangerous.
It was extremely rare for Jason to ask him to summon Sergan. If he was doing it now, then something truly urgent must have happened.
Fenric couldn't help but wonder if there was more to Jason summoning Sergan than just Aldric's disappearance.
…
Rafine opened the door to Elina's office and said, "Elina, I have a letter from the Imperial Palace."
Elina, who was in the middle of a discussion with Nolan, paused and turned toward her before nodding.
"Did something happen?"
"I don't know. I haven't opened it yet," Rafine replied as she handed the letter to Elina.
Elina took the letter and started reading it.
"By the way, what are you guys doing?" Rafine asked curiously.
Nolan yawned lazily.
"Discussing tax issues."
"Tax issues?"
Rafine looked surprised.
"Do you even understand the system?" she asked suspiciously.
Nolan rolled his eyes. This woman was really underestimating him.
"I know more about it than you do," he replied casually.
"What did you say?! You know more than I do?"
Rafine's eyes widened in shock. Nolan's dismissive attitude immediately brought out her competitive side.
"In that case, show me how the tax calculation system you created works. I'll show you mine, too," she said irritably.
She was a graduate of the Imperial Academy. Thanks to her intelligence, she had graduated early.
Although she wasn't as brilliant as Cedric, she knew her own abilities. At the very least, she was smarter than most people.
"Sure. Bring it on."
Nolan accepted the challenge without hesitation.
Just as the two were about to begin, Elina's trembling voice suddenly caught their attention.
"Aldric… is missing?"
They turned toward her and saw how pale she looked.
"Elina, what's going on?" Rafine asked worriedly.
But Elina didn't answer. She simply sat there in silence, staring blankly at the letter in her hands.
Realizing something was wrong, Rafine was about to ask for the letter when Nolan snatched it from her hand.
"Hey! That's rude!" she scolded.
Nolan ignored her and read the contents. His eyes widened slightly before quickly returning to normal.
"Tsk. Aldric is really done for this time."
His words left Rafine confused.
"What's really going on?"
"See for yourself."
Nolan handed the letter back to her.
Rafine took it and began reading.
Her expression changed instantly.
"How… is that possible?"
The letter had been written personally by Orion. It contained news of Aldric's disappearance in Kalbar City, along with the destruction of the entire city.
Two million residents living in the city had been killed. Aldric's troops, who had been brought in from the southern region, had also been wiped out.
Not a single one of them had survived. The attack had been carried out by a rebel force that Aldric had previously defeated.
Apparently, they had gained new support, including a Celestial Mage who had reduced Kalbar City to ashes.
"Elina, what should we do?" Rafine asked in a heavy voice.
Aldric's disappearance would soon become a major problem.
Seira seemed to have realized this, which was why she had sent an order for Elina to come to the Imperial Palace.
"I'll go!" Elina replied without hesitation.
Seira hadn't explained why she had summoned her, but Elina knew she must be in a difficult situation right now and needed her help.
"I understand. In that case, I'll prepare everything for the journey."
After saying that, Rafine turned and left, leaving Nolan and Elina alone.
"Seira will probably ask for your help. If she asks you to lead the troops, will you agree?"
The question caught Elina by surprise. She remained silent for a few moments before nodding firmly.
"I'll do it!"
Nolan said nothing. After all, everything would eventually come down to her anyway.
His role was simply to guide and support her from behind the scenes.
"If that's the case, ask Seira to give me a position too. Nothing too high—just make me a deputy general."
Elina: "…"
The corner of her mouth twitched. Deputy general was actually a very high-ranking position, yet Nolan said it so casually, as if it were nothing special.
But she didn't refuse. After all, she had promised to follow his every order.
…
Caw!
A crow flew across the darkening forest before entering a cave hidden behind the trees.
The cave was pitch-black and silent, with a strong, rotten smell filling the air.
Before long, the narrow passage opened into a huge hall lined with majestic stone pillars.
The crow flew past the pillars before slowing down when it spotted a man in a black cloak sitting on a throne.
There was no one else in the hall.
"Any new news?"
Caw!
The crow cried out and landed on his shoulder.
The man patted its head before giving it a small piece of meat.
The crow seemed happy and quickly devoured it.
Then, it lifted its right leg, revealing a letter tied to it.
The man took the letter and opened it. After reading it, a faint smile appeared on his face.
"The Great Velmora Empire will soon fall into chaos. What interesting news," he chuckled.
He folded the letter and put it away.
With a wave of his hand, a transparent map appeared before him. He pointed at a name on the eastern continent.
The Eastern Empire of Izanagi.
"It's time to begin the operation. The reward is sure to surprise you, Singularity of Chaos."
His voice echoed throughout the cave.