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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: selkie
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“Sylvia, did you say your younger sister is in the capital?”
“Yes, Your Highness! Please, protect her. She carries the bloodline of the High Elves!”
Siadin answered in Sylvia’s place. His desperate shout was enough to evoke sympathy.
“Aren’t you in the Black Mountains right now, Your Highness?”
There was the option of using Marquess Crayer’s warp gate with a small group, but even the wealthiest nobles found the cost overwhelming. The elves could not afford it.
That was why Sylvia was willing to give up her sister’s life.
“Isn’t there communication magic? Marquess Crayer’s territory and the Imperial Castle both have high-ranking mages.”
“Apologies, but Your Highness’s people are all here. And the Red Tower and Blue Tower are under surveillance. It will be difficult for either to mobilize forces to rescue Aria.”
“You know a lot.”
“I heard it from the Second Prince.”
At Sylvia’s words, Raymond smirked. It was true that all of his people were here and that the Red Tower and Blue Tower were being watched. But there was one thing Sylvia didn’t know.
“I have one person who can move within the capital, specifically within the Imperial Castle.”
That person was Ivan Rowse, the captain of the Palace Guard.
He had nearly been executed for failing to respond swiftly when the banquet hall was attacked. But Raymond had miraculously survived, and Ivan barely managed to keep his life and position. In return, he had promised to grant Raymond one request.
Raymond had forgotten about it until now. Thanks to Sylvia, he remembered.
“You know where your sister is, right?”
“Yes, I have pinpointed her exact location.”
Sylvia nodded at Raymond’s question. Anticipating a day like this, she had assigned a spirit to Aria.
It was a spirit so small that even the Second Prince’s subordinates had failed to notice it. But it was enough to track her location.
“That’s all I need. I’ll mobilize the Palace Guard. You don’t need to worry too much.”
“Thank you, Fifth Prince.”
Sylvia bowed once more. She had been prepared to sacrifice her sister for her people, yet he had promised to save her. She would bow as many times as necessary.
Even Siadin, who always prioritized honor and rank, merely lowered his head in gratitude.
“Gestain.”
“At your command.”
“Release their restraints.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“They spoke honestly, so I must also show my trust.”
Gestain’s gaze seemed to question, ‘What if they run?’ Raymond just smirked.
“There’s no chance of that happening.”
He had told them how to purify the World Tree and promised to save Sylvia’s sister. If she had any sense, she wouldn’t flee or harm anyone here.
“Should I also remove their magic restraints?”
“Do it.”
“Understood.”
Gestain asked no further questions. With Desia’s help, he dispelled the restraint spells on Sylvia and Siadin.
“You must not betray my trust.”
He held their people’s survival in his hands. Sylvia had no reason to betray him. Still, Raymond demanded confirmation of their loyalty.
“I believe Your Highness knows better than anyone that I cannot betray you in this situation.”
She was sharp.
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Freed from their restraints, Sylvia and Siadin regained some limited freedom.
Allowing two elves to roam the camp was out of the question, so Raymond assigned several trustworthy royal knights to guard and monitor them.
Though he had declared their protection under the Fifth Prince’s name to minimize confusion among the troops, there was always the risk that someone with deep-seated hatred might try to harm them. Having the royal knights by their side was unavoidable.
Fortunately, Sylvia seemed to understand the situation.
“Your Highness, can you truly trust those two elves?”
Shortly after Raymond declared their protection, the two Tower Masters visited him.
The Red Tower Master remained silent, watching the situation unfold. But the Blue Tower Master, Lysfield Dior, still eyed them with suspicion.
“They were deeply involved in the assassination attempt on the royal heir, even if they were used. You must not trust them so easily.”
“Old man, you seem to have a problem trusting humans.”
“They are not ‘humans,’ Your Highness.”
Lysfield’s gaze was filled with distrust. Seeing this, Raymond let out a short sigh before speaking.
“Old man, aren’t you the Blue Tower Master before you are a high-ranking mage?”
“Of course, Fifth Prince.”
“Then you must understand what the World Tree means to the elves.”
Lysfield couldn’t answer immediately. His eyes darted around as he hesitated, gauging the reactions of the Red Tower Master and Gestain.
Eventually, the Red Tower Master, Berenus Kyle, who had been leaning against the wall, took a step forward and spoke.
“The Blue Tower Master is merely concerned for Your Highness’s safety.”
“That… That’s right.”
At Berenus’s words, Lysfield quickly nodded.
“I see. It was also my mistake for not explaining in detail earlier.”
Aside from Gestain and Desia, the only ones present during the negotiation were Sylvia and Siadin.
The Tower Masters had no idea what had transpired inside the tent. Looking at it that way, the Blue Tower Master’s concerns were understandable.
Raymond briefly explained the situation to the two Tower Masters. When he mentioned that the Second Prince had tainted the Platinum Grass Tribe’s World Tree to use it as leverage, their faces turned pale.
“Your Highness, I strongly urge you to burn the Platinum Grass Tribe’s forest.”
Berenus’s red eyes gleamed sharply. His voice and gaze were unwavering.
“If you permit it, I will mobilize the full force of the Red Tower to ‘cleanse’ that forest.”
He was serious. Why was the usually calm Red Tower Master reacting so strongly?
After a brief moment of thought, Raymond realized the reason.
“Red Tower Master.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Is this about the Allied Races?”
“It is. If word spreads that the Second Prince has defiled the World Tree, a sacred symbol to the elves, it could harm the Philios Empire.”
He wasn’t worried about the Second Prince’s safety. He was thinking about protecting the empire’s reputation and preventing an international incident.
“There’s no need for that.”
Raymond was firm.
“Your Highness, the races of the Western Continent may have scattered and lost their connections after the Great War, but the Allied Races in the Eastern Continent remain strong. If word of this reaches the deep forests, the Philios Empire could face unforeseen troubles.”
Unlike the Western Continent, where humans emerged victorious, the Eastern Continent saw the victory of the Allied Races.
From the very beginning, the geography was different. While the Western Continent was mostly flatlands, the Eastern Continent was largely composed of deep forests. This put humans at a disadvantage from the early stages of the war.
“Red Tower Master, there is nothing for you to worry about.”
“Are you sure?”
At Berenus’ question, Raymond grinned and nodded.
“The Allied Races will not cross the High Mountains anytime soon.”
He was certain. Throughout the first three volumes of ‘Empire of the Dead’, the Allied Races had never once breached the High Mountains.
The primary reason was the Patrollers. Driven into the High Mountains after losing the Great War in the Eastern Continent, they had survived by forging a contract with the Steel Guardians of the Western Continent. In exchange for bodies adapted to high-altitude survival, they were tasked with intercepting any non-human forces attempting to cross into the Western Continent.
They never left the High Mountains, and the Philios Empire, finding the region too troublesome compared to the Black Mountains, had stationed only a minimal force along the border. As a result, the Patrollers remained largely unknown in the Western Continent.
Even the Ice Tower of the Haifel Empire was unaware of them. Raymond, too, would not have known if not for the author’s setting notes.
“But, Your Highness, the Fifth Prince…”
“Has there ever been a recorded instance of the Allied Races crossing the High Mountains after the Great War?”
Rather than explaining the existence of the Patrollers, Raymond figured it would be faster to use history as evidence.
“No, there has not.”
Berenus slowly nodded. Even without knowing about the Patrollers, the fact remained that the Allied Races had never invaded the Western Continent through the High Mountains. He had no choice but to accept that.
“Then trust me. The Allied Races are not a threat to us. Yet.”
Even though the Patrollers had held the line up to the third volume of the novel, the setting notes had left open the possibility of an invasion. There was no guarantee that they wouldn’t begin an assault after the third volume.
‘That’s not something to worry about right now.’
The Second Prince and the Bloodstained Funeral had yet to be dealt with. There was no need to add more concerns on top of that. While preparing for the future was wise, overdoing it would be counterproductive.
“I will trust and follow Your Highness, the Fifth Prince.”
The persuasion did not take long. A brief explanation using history as evidence was enough to convince Berenus Kyle, the Red Tower Master.
He decisively set aside his concerns and nodded.
“Good.”
Raymond, satisfied, nodded in return. It was unexpected that the Red Tower Master was the one overreacting instead of the Blue Tower Master, but regardless, the issue was resolved.
“Now that this is settled, shall we move on to the next matter?”
His gaze shifted to Lysfield Dior, the Blue Tower Master. Lysfield avoided his stare, but when Raymond did not relent, he eventually let out an awkward laugh.
“You need communication magic, don’t you?”
At Lysfield’s question, Raymond nodded and spoke.
“Can you establish discreet contact with the Captain of the Royal Guard?”
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The royal capital of the Philios Empire had suffered two attacks. Since then, Ivan Rowse, the Captain of the Palace Guard, had spent sleepless nights reinforcing the city’s defenses and increasing patrols.
At times, he personally inspected the night watch with his subordinates.
Tonight was no different. After completing his routine inspection, he was on his way back to his estate when he sensed someone following him. His hand instinctively went to the hilt of his sword.
“You’d better come out quietly.”
The royal capital and even the capital region itself had been restless lately. He was more than willing to stain his blade with blood if necessary. Swiftly turning toward the source of the presence, he drew his sword.
A sharp mana blade flared along its edge.
“I am Elias, a high-ranking mage of the Red Tower. May I have a moment of your time?”
“What business does the Red Tower have with me?”
Even after Elias revealed his identity, Ivan’s demeanor remained cold.
“There are too many eyes watching.”
“Is this something that requires such caution?”
At Ivan’s question, Elias slowly nodded and scanned the surroundings. With his heightened senses, no other presences could be detected.
Even a High Assassin would struggle to escape the eyes of a high-ranking mage. Given that, it seemed safe enough to deliver the Fifth Prince’s message under the cover of darkness.
After another careful sweep of the area, Elias made his decision. He took a few steps closer to Ivan, reducing the distance between them.
“This is a message from His Highness, the Fifth Prince.”
Ivan’s eyes gleamed. He owed the Fifth Prince a debt.
“This doesn’t seem like the best place to talk.”
He had no choice but to acknowledge the situation. Ivan Rowse, the Captain of the Palace Guard, was a loyal subject of the Philios Empire and the Emperor. At the same time, he supported the First Prince in the battle for succession.
Being seen in conversation with an agent of the Fifth Prince would not be good for him.
“Let’s talk inside my estate.”
There was a secret chamber within his residence. The servants on duty at this hour were all trustworthy and would not leak the fact that a mage from the Red Tower had visited.
Elias, as if mindful of outside scrutiny, was not wearing the robes of the Red Tower.
Ivan led Elias into the secret chamber of his estate.
“Now, speak.”
“His Highness requires the assistance of the Capital Guard under the command of the Palace Guard.”
“For what reason?”
“A rescue mission.”
At Elias’ answer, Ivan frowned. The explanation was too brief.
He needed at least some details to justify mobilizing the Capital Guard. At the very least, he had to be sure it wouldn’t harm the First Prince’s interests.
“I need more details.”
Ivan demanded additional information, and Elias nodded without hesitation before elaborating. Of course, there was no mention of the Second Prince.
Raymond had deliberately withheld any mention of the Second Prince from Elias. Without concrete evidence linking him to the Edryger Kingdom, it was too risky to act recklessly.
“…That is all. The decision is now yours, Sir Ivan.”
With the explanation concluded, Elias promptly left the estate. Left alone in the secret chamber, Ivan sat deep in thought for a long time before eventually standing up, retrieving his sword.
“Summon the Palace Guard and the Capital Guard immediately!”
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