Chapter 104
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Chapter 104 "But!"
In the midst of it all, the Aide, who had become so emotionally invested that tears streamed down his face, added with a sniffle.
"If there were circumstances to justify it!"
"Well...."
"I suppose we can't know for certain. Of course, the circumstances would have to be truly extraordinary."
"...Yes, I doubted you because of that... How about this?"
"Good heavens...."
In the end, the Aide's tears flowed freely.
"You didn't trust me? And yet you expect me to like you? How can I believe that? I can't!"
"...I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I apologize. I've committed a sin worthy of death."
Crown Prince Kiaros pressed his forehead.
"But the time we truly spent together was sincere, and I've done my utmost to work hard for your sake...."
"That makes the betrayal even worse! If you had trusted and relied on me that much!"
The Aide clutched his chest with a sob. While he wept, Crown Prince Kiaros unfolded the letter Namia Loapi had given him with a darkened expression. [Please deliver this letter to the Crown Prince on your way back.] If Namia Loapi realized it was practically the same as delivering it directly.... My head grew complicated. I read the letter with increasing anguish. First, Kibon Altes is indeed your man, Your Highness? It was quite a reasonable deduction from Namia Loapi's perspective. I myself had said "Kibon is trustworthy" and even evaluated him as "better than most of The Ravens."
Kibon Altes is my man... Strictly speaking, it was an accurate statement. 'Well, it's not a lie....' At the same time, guilt swelled because of the Aide, who was now sobbing quietly. Namia Loapi was clearly under a complete misunderstanding. Crown Prince Kiaros sighed once and shifted his attention to the letter Namia Loapi had sent. And the trap devised against Victor Awin and Anastasia Kayen is as follows: With the Aide's weeping as background music, Crown Prince Kiaros began to carefully read through the trap's outline, written in the form of a perfect report. * * * For two days straight, I had Kibon do the same task: go to the Scroll Department and press the Team Leaders.
"Kibon, did you visit the Scroll Department?"
"Yes. They still say they haven't found the <research report on special scrolls made from blood instead of scroll ink>...."
Of course not. There was never such a report to begin with. But by now, both Victor Awin and Anastasia Kayen would have certainly memorized the title.
"Should I visit again at the same time tomorrow?"
"Ah, yes. But tomorrow I need to do a different performance."
Anastasia Kayen, Victor Awin. Neither name appeared in the original work. That's why it was so confusing. They didn't seem to be key figures in the Gaejo Faction, whatever the case. In any case, the spy—one of the two—continued working with composure even after the Saint Kairo Banquet concluded successfully.
"What kind of acting are you referring to?"
"The act of unrequited love toward me that ended in failure. Naturally, you should look dejected the entire time, right?" .... Whether from sudden emotional immersion or sheer skill, Kibon's face transformed into an expression of utter devastation. His performance was so convincing that applause seemed inevitable.
"Don't start yet. Anyway, then Anastasia will ask why you have that expression, right? Then you answer that I've finally opened my heart to Crown Prince Kiaros." .... Perhaps responding to my instruction not to start early, Kibon's face suddenly brightened.
"Your expression improved right away? Your acting ability is quite good. Just keep it like that."
I looked at Kibon and gave him a thumbs up.
"Your next line is, 'Yesterday, the Minister said to Crown Prince Kiaros that Imperial Servants without blood or tears are frightening, and Crown Prince Kiaros gave me both blood and tears. It seems the two of them have finally become connected.' Can you memorize it?"
"Hmm... Yes... Blood and tears...."
Kibon muttered reluctantly.
"Yes. So that's how you were planning to sell out Crown Prince Kiaros...."
Indeed, the tears of an Imperial Servant who probably hadn't cried since birth. The mention of 'tears,' which I'd invented merely to complete the picture, seemed more shocking than the crucial trap element of 'receiving blood.' In any case, he nodded as if he understood. I continued with a determined expression.
"Then, if anyone asks about the report, answer, 'It doesn't seem necessary to search for it. Anyway, you said you remember the contents well enough... and starting tomorrow, you'll be coming to the Production Workshop to conduct experiments.' Then let your shoulders droop."
I intended to use 'Crown Prince Kiaros's blood' as bait. In truth, I'd suspected from the beginning that 'perhaps the Gaejo Faction's experiments require special blood.' It was because of something the Tower Master had said. [One night, he stabbed me with a sword and took my blood, then emptied my wallet and ran straight out of the house.] At that time, I naturally couldn't be certain. But after hearing something else from Kiaros, I thought it might work as bait. [That night when we were attacked in the Southern Region, I still remember it. His Majesty the Emperor wiped them all out, but he sustained an injury to his leg and was bandaged. They said he lost a lot of blood.] If we assume that the experiments require special human blood, then the hypothesis that modified people don't appear in the original work would be explained. Special human blood isn't supplied infinitely, after all. 'If my suspicion is correct, Crown Prince Kiaros's blood will be an incredibly tempting bait for them.' If it's the core material for their experiments, they'll do anything to obtain it. Especially since blood mixed with preservative solution remains unchanged for a long time and is easy to swap out.
"You can do this, right, Kibon?"
And only those at the Team Leader level could access the Production Workshop. [And during my vacation, book the Production Workshop under my name, will you? Probably won't work for you, Kibon. Only Team Leader rank and above have access rights.] It meant the spy themselves would have to move inevitably. I looked into Kibon's eyes and asked. Kibon nodded.
"Yes."
"Good. Also...."
And for three days straight, I was also assigning Kibon other tasks.
"On your way back, stop by the Palace Temple and take a look around."
"Understood."
The Palace Temple housed several priests, including the High Priest. So far, all they'd done was pray in the chapel. They hadn't even moved to other locations. On the surface, there was nothing suspicious about it. Yet I continued to regard everything with a skeptical eye. 'Even if I reason based on the original story, something definitely seems off, and above all....' The High Priest and I shared identical symptoms. A slight malaise, followed by coughing up blood, then a complete recovery. That fact troubled me deeply. I could have suspected that the High Priest, like me, had become a target of the Gaejo Faction, but my instincts told me otherwise. While I was lost in thought, Kibon asked me a question.
"Are you perhaps suspicious of the High Priest, sir?"
"Hm? Well...."
I had only asked him to observe and report back, yet his perceptiveness was remarkably sharp. Since nothing was certain, I deliberately deflected.
"And deliver this letter to Crown Prince Kiaros."
The letter I was sending to Kiaros was brief. He likely still didn't fully trust me. 'When Young Prince Jayden manifested his special ability, and certainly given how suspicious I've appeared on numerous occasions, he may not even fully believe the spy list I handed over.' So I had to act alongside him and show him the scene firsthand. As I mentioned before, all the traps have been completed, and we will soon apprehend the spy. Would it be possible for you to join us?
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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