Chapter 232

Chapter 232

Knock, Knock, Knock.

“Battalion Commander, sir, you have a guest.”

Joshua stopped just as he was about to leave his private office in the Imperial Knights’ headquarters.

“Is it about paperwork again?”

Ash walked by and opened the doors before Joshua could do anything else.

“Ahem!” The elf put his hands on his waist and officiously demanded. “Who’s there?”

“Battalion Commander, sir...”

“Cazes?” Joshua had a foreboding feeling as he examined the familiar face coming through the door. Why would they announce Cazes as a visitor when he was working for Joshua? Something was going on.

As expected...

“It has been a long time, Joshua. I mean, how have you been, Count Sanders?”

“Sir Armstrong.” Joshua's eyes flashed.

There was a middle-aged man with a fierce demeanor, angled chin, and bright eyes standing by the door. He was none other than Count Armstrong. Based on the emblem of a golden mane on his chest, he was a member of the Golden Mane Corps. More specifically, he was the Commander of the Golden Mane Corps.

‘Ah, this is going to be a bit difficult,’ Joshua thought with a bitter smile.

“Congratulations!”

“I owe it to the house’s nurturing.”

“You’re too modest. I don’t think anyone in the Agnus household would say that.”

“I mean, I’m serious. The family did help me.”

“The world would see it as a tribute rather than a donation.”

“I never would have thought that you came here to gild my image...”

“It’s Duke Agnus’s call, Count Sanders.” Armstrong gave him a small smile.

“If that’s true, then he could have just sent a servant rather than you, Count Armstrong.”

Ash snorted and interrupted. “Does a servant even have their own life?”

“...” There was a short pause. Armstrong made a sidelong glance at the busy Ash and said, “Everything has already changed for you, Count Sanders. Lady Lucia’s standing in the family has changed as well.”

The mention of his mother’s name made Joshua freeze.

“That’s great news.”

If it had come from Chiffon, it would have been a different story—but Joshua knew that Armstrong wasn’t like that. He seemed like a normal knight who only thought about swords.

“All right. I still have some work to do, but I’ll definitely go and see His Grace once it becomes possible.”

Armstrong eyed Joshua for a moment, then nodded. “You should.”

“Thank you for being open-minded.”

“If you don't mind, could you tell me what’s going on? I’ll brief His Grace about it.”

After a moment of thought, Joshua realized that everyone should have already known by now what happened inside the Imperial Palace. There was no doubt that he had already attracted heaps of attention.

“I’m going to the Magnificient Flower Palace.”

“The Magnificient Flower Palace?” Armstrong’s eyes darted around Joshua as he said, “Are you going to visit Princess Serciarin? Are you familiar with her, or—”

“His Majesty the Emperor’s proposal has nothing to do with it,” Joshua quickly interjected.

“Forgive me for the presumptuous remark. Anyway, I’ve heard that Her Highness isn’t in the palace right now.”

“...!” Joshua's eyes widened as his gaze bored into Armstrong. ‘No way...!’

Armstrong noticed Joshua’s gaze and said, “I’m not sure if you have any idea, but His Majesty just made an announcement. I’m sure everyone is already talking about it.”

- Crevasse... who could have known that lazy bastard would be tamed by a mortal?

“Then...”

- Yes. He knew about the death knight and me. He found a way to lure us out.

Evergrant’s words changed upon hearing that. “Joshua... Sanders.”

- I don’t think it’s possible for him to be a Dragon Knight, but I’m sure they talked about something. Otherwise, there would be no way to explain everything that has happened so far.

“We have to occupy the Tower as soon as possible.”

- Are you ready?

“For decades now, yes...”

- I was talking about your mind.

Evergrant’s eyes darkened. “I am prepared to slay the being that endangers our world, the enemy of my master—that thing must die.”

- Stop. Forget about it.

“...” Evergrant went silent at the dark-robed individual’s words.

- Heimdall said something about Asiru ben Britten’s plans, right?”

“Yes. However, it seems that His Majesty still hasn’t heard of it. Perhaps Black Wind sabotaged it.”

- It does not matter. The point was for us to remain behind the scenes.

The figure clad in dark robes stopped talking. They started walking into a corner before continuing.

- Three years. A battle will set the stage. If all goes as planned, Marcus ben Britten will never appear in our play again. I wish he had something like a wish... Avalon’s Emperor as my Death Knight—sounds good, right?

- Anyway...

The individual in dark robes momentarily stopped talking.

- Do you really think that I wouldn’t know?

A black silhouette flashed amidst the dark like a bolt of dark lightning.

“Argh!” A man let out a gut-wrenching scream.

- You brought a rat with you.

“Black Wind?” Evergrant looked up and saw a man in a black suit.

“A lich? No... a human?”

- The fact that you were able to come all the way here is a testament to your skills, but you got too cocky.

“Argh!”

- The stealth techniques of Black Wind. It’s pretty difficult even for me to find someone using that stealth technique if I’m not paying attention. You must be a big fish even in Black Wind.

The figure reached up and slowly removed the hood of his robe. Jacken’s eyes became bloodshot upon realizing what he was looking at, but the strange energy the stranger’s hands were emitting froze him stiff. His vision was getting better for some reason, but he couldn’t move at all.

What was happening to him?

- Don’t be afraid; it will be over soon.

The white bony hand clamped around his neck slowly turned red.

“Silence!” Evergrant snapped out of his stupor and waved his hand, surrounding all three of them in a transparent membrane.

“Aaaarghhhh!”

A helpless scream reverberated throughout the pitch-black tunnel.

Persephone's Thoughts

Unedited