NOVPUB
Chapter 321: Emperor Herman’s Concern and Anxiety
Inside the imperial palace, Emperor Herman sat in his office with an expressionless face. His gaze was blank as he stared outside, faint signs of fatigue evident in his eyes. His condition stemmed from the events of a few days prior, when their dungeon, which held a devil captive, was infiltrated by an unknown individual. This intruder managed to kill the devil inside her cell.
This event caused a significant disturbance within the imperial palace, as the dungeon had been under heavy security ever since the devil was held captive. For the intruder to infiltrate it and possess knowledge of the dungeon’s structure and trap formations, they must have been intimately familiar with the dungeon’s layout. While many people in the imperial palace are aware of the general structure of the dungeon, due to the heightened security measures since the devil’s captivity, only a select few have access to the layout of the security points.
This was to ensure there were no leaks or gaps in the security or information regarding one of the Seven Devils of Annihilation held there. As a high-ranking devil, Elis was a valuable target and an essential source of information. The devils would undoubtedly prioritize rescuing her to protect their secrets.
The assassination of Elis threw him into a rage. How could the most secure place, with multilayered security, be breached without anyone noticing? He immediately ordered an investigation into the matter. The most pressing concern was how the intruder knew the structure of the dungeon, the security measures within it, and the location of the trap formations—since the traps had not been triggered. Such information couldn’t have been obtained from the outside, leading to the conclusion that there must be a traitor among the cultivators within the imperial palace.
After three days of investigation, there was little evidence about the intruder, as no suspicious activity had been reported by those with knowledge of the dungeon at the time of Elis’s assassination. However, on the third day, his son suddenly contacted him with findings related to the investigation into Elis and how his identity as prince Claude might have been compromised.
According to his son’s investigation, the source of the information about the young master of the Larson family visiting the brothel was someone connected to the imperial family. Upon further investigation, it was discovered that this individual had ties to Klain Ronald.
Hearing the name, the emperor was stunned, his body freezing momentarily at that time. From Claude’s tone as he reported his findings, it was evident he was suppressing many emotions. Klain Ronald was the guardian knight of Princess Loraine. If the source of information had a connection to Klain Ronald, didn’t that mean he was the one who leaked the Claude’s presence in Larson City to Elis?
Didn’t that also mean he was the one who released the information about the young master of the Larson family, hoping Claude would tail him to the brothel where Elis was located?
However, the emperor and Prince Claude both knew that Klain was unaware of Claude’s operation in Larson City. This could only mean that Klain was acting under the orders of someone who knew about Claude’s operation—someone other than themselves and the informants in Larson City.
Princess Loraine.
When Emperor Herman reached this conclusion, his mind went blank. It felt as though his heart was being crushed under a heavy weight, making it difficult to breathe. But then, he tried to think positively. What if Klain had acted on his own intent, without orders from his daughter? What if Princess Loraine had accidentally let it slip, revealing Claude’s operation in Larson city to Klain?
He tried to stay positive. There was no way his sweet daughter would deliberately harm her own brother. However, when the investigation team sought to question Klain, he was nowhere near his daughter and had gone elsewhere. When the emperor asked his daughter about Klain’s whereabouts, she appeared genuinely unaware.
He wanted desperately to ask her about the matter with Elis, but as her father, he felt afraid. As an Emperor Stage cultivator, he could easily detect changes in someone’s demeanor if they were lying—especially someone with a lower cultivation level than his own.
But what if, after questioning his daughter, the truth wasn’t what he expected?
What if he was wrong about his daughter?
What if...
A headache began to throb as he dwelled on the thought. Frustration bubbled within him, and he felt an urge to unleash it on someone—but he couldn’t. In that moment, the image of a woman surfaced in his mind.
"Amanda, what should I do with our daughter?"
Amidst his troubled thoughts, a knock came at the door. After granting permission for the visitor to enter, a man stepped inside, bowing slightly. Dressed in knightly armor, he exuded the commanding presence of a middle Emperor Stage cultivator.
"Your Majesty, I have come to deliver the report," the knight announced.
Emperor Herman nodded.
"We’ve received information that the Larson family seems unwilling to back down. Based on their troop and logistics movements, they appear to be preparing for a rebellion."
"What?" The emperor frowned, taken aback. He hadn’t expected the Larsons to be so bold as to start a rebellion. No matter how powerful their family was, could they really challenge the full might of the imperial family? From his perspective, that was nothing more than an act of suicide. He was already aware of the incident that had plunged the Larson family into chaos a few days ago.
To be honest, he was surprised that the young miss of the Duclan family was still alive. At that time, Loraine had been the one to handle the matter, stating that she had decided to execute the entire Duclan bloodline. The information he had received then had been very convincing.
But now, with the young miss still alive, he was left confused about the true fate of the Duclan family. And once again, this confusion had something to do with his daughter. Had she really told the truth back then?
"And also, the Flamecrest family just released a statement claiming that the incident involving the devils in the Flamecrest Grand Duchy was the work of the Larson family and the devils. The Flamecrest family’s envoy is on their way to the palace as we speak to present this matter to Your Majesty. They’re even prepared to escalate it to a nobles war."
Hearing the mention of a nobles war, Emperor Herman stood up and walked toward the door.
"Dammit, a nobles war at a time like this would be nothing more than a waste of the empire’s manpower and resources."
A nobles war is a conflict agreed upon by the involved parties and the imperial family. It serves as the final option for nobles to resolve their disputes through large-scale warfare. Nobles wars are more common among lower-ranking nobles, such as barons or viscounts, but for high-ranking nobles like grand duchies, they almost never occur.
Battles between grand duchies can be devastating and have a significant impact on the entire empire, so such wars are not easily approved by the imperial family. What worried him most about the nobles war right now was the timing. With the prophecy looming ahead a nobles war would severely weaken the empire’s stability and strength. He did not want his empire to waste its manpower and resources fighting amongst themselves when a prophecy lay ahead. 𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒑𝒖𝒃.𝙘𝙤𝒎
If the Larson family was at fault, then he wanted to punish the higher-ups and all those responsible within the family, without involving the lower-ranking individuals under them. Their lives were crucial to the future of the empire. He wanted to avoid an unnecessary war as much as possible.
As Emperor Herman and the knight made their way toward the throne room, the knight suddenly received another call on his communication artifact. He held it to his ear, and after hearing the information from the other side, his eyes widened. He looked at Emperor Herman.
"Your Majesty, there’s been a development in the Larson Grand Duchy. A group of people has attacked the Larson family mansion."
Emperor Herman halted in his tracks and turned to his knight.
"Did the group from the Duclan family finally make their move?"
"We’re not certain yet, Your Majesty, but there’s a strong possibility that it’s them."
After a brief moment of contemplation, Emperor Herman spoke to the knight.
"You are to go to the Larson Grand Duchy with the Blue Dragon Battalion and bring the situation under control. If the chaos spreads to the common people or beyond Larson City, I want you to stop it from escalating any further."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
With that, the knight turned and moved in the opposite direction while Emperor Herman continued toward the throne hall. Truly, he hadn’t had a moment’s rest since the intruder incident a few days ago. Now, with the added turmoil in the Larson Grand Duchy, it felt as though misfortune was relentlessly crashing down upon him. He couldn’t help but wonder if he had done something wrong, as all these problems seemed to crash down on him at once, like karma striking back.
