NOVPUB
Chapter 232: ‘Bringing In’ the Imperial Family
Hector frowned when he heard the word ’devils.’ It was one thing that always frustrated him—how they never ceased to disrupt the peace of the Doria Empire. His frustration had only grown recently, especially after discovering the high possibility of traitors within their ranks collaborating with the devils. This war had become a wake-up call, exposing hidden problems within the empire.
Aldrian’s arrival here, coupled with matters involving the devils, had to be significant, and Hector expression turned serious.
Aldrian observed Hector and Lorenzo’s reactions, carefully assessing their intent. Fortunately, they did not seem to harbor any feelings or intentions that might suggest collusion with the devils. Aldrian reminded himself that he could not always rely solely on his instincts or his understanding of karma laws—it would be arrogant to do so.
"Sir Aldrian, please tell me—if this is about the devils, I will gladly assist you. This aligns not only with the interests of the imperial family but, more importantly, with the well-being of the people of this empire," Hector said in an upright tone.
"To be honest, what I am about to tell you is something I hope you can convey to the imperial family. It concerns the future of this empire and the entire continent," Aldrian said, prompting a serious response from Hector.
"If what Sir Aldrian wishes to share is truly important, then I have no problem conveying it to His Majesty. As I said, I will do my best to assist you, Sir Aldrian," Hector replied.
"Alright, the reason I came to this city is to uproot the traitors within the Alchemist Association." Aldrian said.
Hector’s eyes widened in shock.
"There are traitors in the Alchemist Association?" he exclaimed.
"And from my investigation, it’s not just any random alchemist; it’s the higher-ups of the association. I’m afraid this betrayal will cause a major commotion on the continent if it becomes known to the public," Aldrian said.
Hector and Lorenzo’s expressions turned grim. If what Aldrian said was true, then the devils had penetrated too deeply inside the empire.
"First, I want to tell you about the devil infiltrators and how they’ve been able to infiltrate so many territories without detection," Aldrian continued.
Aldrian then told the first prince about the "pill" consumed by the devils and its effects. He explained that its creators were a combination of three different professions who came together to craft this pill.
When Aldrian finished explaining, Hector’s expression grew dark, his anger rising. To think that someone from the Alchemist Association had betrayed them despite the special treatment the imperial family had granted them was beyond infuriating.
"Damnit, to think there are traitors in the Alchemist Association! And we didn’t know they were operating right under our noses all this time!" Hector gritted his teeth. Then, with a sigh, he looked at Aldrian with gratitude.
"You are truly great, Sir Aldrian. Since the incident in Balin City in the Ivory Empire a few years ago, our empire has started to take note of the possibility that the devils have already infiltrated our territory through means we don’t yet understand. The case in the demon territory, where the local lord was found to be in cahoots with the devils, raised our alarm, as it showed that our own local nobles could be influenced by them."
"When the events in the Forgeheart Kingdom became known to the world, and they had to execute their high-ranking nobles, it became the clearest sign that the devils could reach the inner circle of the nobles. The imperial family then began to strengthen the surveillance on the nobles. Although this raised some displeasure among them, we deemed it a necessary move. However, despite our efforts, we still have not found any signs of infiltrators or traitors within our ranks."
"Only in the midst of war did we confirm that there are indeed traitors among our ranks, as the devils seemed to know our troop movements and strategies. We have some factions under suspicion, but our investigation has yielded no results. Their operations are so silent that we haven’t found even the smallest clue or proof. Yet, to think that the Alchemist Association has traitors... we were careless!" Hector said in frustration.
To be honest, the Alchemist Association is an organization that the imperial family hasn’t watched too strictly. They hold a special status, and the family believed that the devils would have difficulty infiltrating such a place or exerting influence there due to the presence of the three grandmasters, or association masters. There was also no thought that the higher-ups of the association might betray the empire because of these figures. Besides the imperial family knew them personally, they were renowned for their uprightness, so it was assumed they would never tolerate the existence of devils near them.
"Your Highness, this time, I have someone on my list you need to be cautious of. My investigation has led me to him as the most suspicious person."
"Who is he?" Hector asked.
"The Alchemist Association Master, Master Dan."
Hearing the name, both Hector and Lorenzo were shocked.
"What?! Are you serious?! How could someone like that betray us? His movements haven’t seemed suspicious all this time, and the imperial family has been in contact with him! I can’t find anything that would suggest he betrayed us!" Hector exclaimed, his shocked expression turning serious again. "What makes you think he’s a traitor, Sir Aldrian? I’m sorry, but I need a reasonable explanation. There’s no way something like this can be reported without any basis."
Aldrian understood that this news was too shocking for them. The impact of this revelation would be immense. If the Master of the Alchemist Association were proven to be in cahoots with the devils, their existence would crumble overnight. Their long-standing reputation and history, built over millions of years, would come to an end in an instant.
Aldrian then explained his thoughts about the mansion and the speculation he had regarding the association master. Of course, he didn’t mention how he had felt irked when he saw the association master, as that couldn’t be counted as proof. After hearing Aldrian’s speculation, Hector rubbed his chin with a grim expression. The problem was, he couldn’t refute any of Aldrian’s points, which only made him angry at himself for not uncovering these things earlier.
Hector looked at Aldrian and said,
"Sir Aldrian, I will tell His Majesty about your speculation, but I can’t predict what he will think or decide. I can only persuade him or offer my advice."
"Please do. At least you’ve found something with this. Maybe it will open the door to catching the rest of the moles within this empire," Aldrian replied.
"However, Sir Aldrian, this will be a grim situation for the empire. If the Alchemist Association’s master is cooperating with the devils, it will lead to another chaos. So, if His Majesty decides to move forward with investigating the Alchemist Association, I hope we can clean up everything behind the curtain. I know you understand what I mean," Hector said.
Aldrian nodded in understanding.
"Alright Your Highness. Oh, and I hope this conversation doesn’t get out to those nobles or reach anyone with connections to them. We still don’t know how many of the devils’ accomplices are out there," he said.
"Rest assured, Sir Aldrian, I will only tell His Majesty. Once I have his decision, I will share it with you, and then we can decide on our next course of action," Hector replied.
Hector stayed for another hour before he finally decided that it was enough for today. He had obtained what he was looking for and even received some valuable intel, so he was satisfied with the meeting. As he walked toward the Diamond Inn, Lorenzo sent a voice transmission to Hector.
"Your Highness, that Aldrian is truly mysterious. I just can’t shake the feeling that I’m dealing with someone of a higher status. Even his presence alone feels suffocating."
"I felt the same. I’m pretty sure he comes from a noble background. There’s no way his demeanor and overall presence come from a normal origin. It’s something I instinctively believe after interacting with him," Hector replied.
"He also seems like a chill person. Even I can sense, despite my status as the first prince, that he doesn’t seem to care much about me. But the good news is that our interests align, so we can work together," he added.
"Anyway, we’ll be quite busy if what Sir Aldrian said is also supported by Father. We’ll have to make many moves in the next few days if that happens. We’d better move fast."
After that, they walked toward a giant castle visible from afar—the place where his family resided.
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At noon, Aldrian walked along the bustling streets of the city, heading in a specific direction. After walking for a while, he stopped in front of a large building with a prominent sign above its gate:
Information Guild
From his conversation with Hector, he had gained something that might lead him to the reason why the Lust Devil’s movements were unknown during the war.
