abcnovels
Chapter 66
Chapter 66
Chapter 66 – A Stab in the Back (2)
“……”
A heavy silence settled over the room.
“Tell me. Did you really decide to become a puppet of the Empire?”
Narakas did not reply. He was an extraordinary kid. He wouldn’t say such things without reason. However,
‘……Even knowing this, I can’t help but ask myself.’
Did it catch me off guard? It would be a lie to say my heart didn’t skip a beat, but it’s in moments like these that you have to stay shameless.
‘Above all, my pride is on the line.’
Narakas now felt a hint of competitiveness. Some may think he’s crazy but it couldn’t be helped. He had spent his life deceiving others.
Just as knights took pride in their swordsmanship, he had immense confidence in these psychological battles.
‘This is a duel, kid.’
At this moment, Narakas decided to test his opponent once more.
“What are you talking about? Me, a puppet of the Empire?”
Narakas’s eyes gleamed sharply as he calmly questioned back. As if trying to see through everything about his opponent. If there was a lie, he would spot it immediately.
But then,
“Someone came and told me.”
“……?”
Narakas’s calm demeanor quickly shattered.
“What……?”
“Oh, and don’t ask me for proof. It burned up as soon as I read it. That’s common, though, isn’t it?”
“……”
Narakas straightened up after a moment of silence.
“……So, to summarize, in the dead of night, someone snuck into the heavily guarded royal palace, where royal knights are stationed, handed a note to you alone, then quietly slipped away?”
“That’s exactly what happened.”
“And you expect me to believe that?”
“You’re being unlike yourself.”
“What?”
“Don’t believe me. Believe in yourself, like you usually do.”
“……!”
Narakas’s eyes widened.
“This reaction right now. That’s the second reason I know you’re a puppet of the Empire. You’re far too agitated, unlike the Narakas I know.”
“……”
Narakas’s eyes darkened. As expected of a worthy opponent. Sweat beaded in his palms. Even his heart began to race.
Yes.
It was pathetic to watch ignorant swordsmen swing their blades to the death. True power lay in those who controlled the world from the shadows.
The ones who manipulated even those swordsmen. The monsters who could command people with just a word, without shedding a drop of their own blood. To Narakas, a strong person was such an individual.
“……Ridiculous. Something like that’s your second reason? Then, is the first reason that stranger’s slander? Do you trust that faceless, nameless person more than me?”
“No?”
Narakas sneered.
“So you’re just going to deny it?”
“No, I mean that the slander isn’t the first reason.”
“What?”
“I never believe what others say. I only believe what I see and hear with my own eyes.”
The voice that had stabbed Narakas in the back continued.
“And I believe in you.”
“……!”
“You said it yourself, didn’t you? ‘Thanks for recognizing that.’”
“……”
“I know you’re a warm-hearted guy. But would that warm leader, who cares for his subordinates, gamble with their lives?”
Those connected to the great hero are the Empire’s top targets. Of course, if a leader were to protect such a person, the entire organization would suffer.
That’s why Narakas could offer no retort.
“The Mask of Night has always taken in orphans and raised them as members of the organization. Swordsmanship families might only pass on their secrets to select children due to their inherent talent, but intelligence gathering is a field where hard work can overcome a lack of natural ability.”
As he said this, Ancelot held up one finger.
“However, ‘trust’ must be absolute. That’s why the motto of the Mask of Night is ‘Solely Trust’.”
“……”
“The Mask of the Night is no longer just an organization. It’s ‘family’, thicker than blood. That’s why even a mere green-y knew the leader’s identity and why the look in your eyes changed when your name was mentioned.”
Narakas had already felt his tension dissipate. However, his voice was still gruff when he spoke.
“……They’re just guesses.”
“Yeah, as I said, I don’t have any evidence. That’s why I hope you’ll be the evidence.”
“What are you talking about?”
“If you say, ‘I’m not a traitor’, here and now, I’ll believe you. Because that’ll be the evidence.”
“Hah?”
Narakas curled one side of his lip. He was clearly mocking him.
“Why? Are you suddenly worried about needing my help? But trust isn’t that simple. It’s like trying to get back together with a past lover.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Isn’t it hard to put a broken vase back together? Even if you do, you’ll constantly be reminded of why you broke up in the first place. ‘Oh, this is why we parted ways,’ or ‘I never liked this part of them.’ But here you are, trying to forgive someone who outright cheated on you. You’ll end up driving yourself mad, torturing yourself with doubt. Do you really think you can trust my information after already doubting me? That’s why maintaining trust from the start is crucial.”
The words poured out of Narakas. Even he wasn’t sure why he was reacting this way but he was genuinely angry.
“You really are in a pitiful situation, aren’t you? Powerless, you’re considering allying with the enemy until the end in order to survive. And how naive. If you had quietly kept the knowledge that I was the ‘enemy’ to yourself, you could have used the situation to your advantage……”
“I never thought of you as an enemy.”
Snap.
Narakas gritted his teeth.
“To the very end……!”
“My stance has been consistent from the beginning, hasn’t it? I suspected you might be a ‘puppet of the Empire’, but I never considered you an ‘enemy’.”
Narakas frowned.
“Is there really a difference?”
“There is. The Empire’s methods are obvious. If they’ve taken your family or subordinates hostage and are threatening to kill them if you don’t cooperate, then you’re a puppet, but not by choice.”
Ancelot’s voice was firm.
“If you were truly loyal to the Emperor, you’ve already had plenty of chances to harm me. That much is certain.”
“And if I kept you alive to gather information? To a spy, you’re a walking treasure trove.”
“Then why haven’t you reported it to the Emperor?”
“What?”
“Don’t say you have. If the Emperor had heard that the legacy of the great hero had surfaced, would he leave it in your hands and let me roam free?”
Ancelot shrugged his shoulders.
“That wouldn’t make sense, would it?”
“……”
Finally, Narakas’s mouth twisted into a smirk.
“……You’re truly impressive, and despite your age, you’re frighteningly perceptive.”
“I know.”
“But I’m the only one who knows that. If I were to inform the Emperor once you’ve become even more formidable, the reward would be far greater, wouldn’t it?”
“You wouldn’t do that. You’re too smart for that.”
“I should do it, precisely because I’m smart. I want to live a long life.”
“But you don’t trust the Emperor.”
Stab.
His words pierced Narakas’s heart like a dagger.
“Of all people, you, who knows more secrets and buried truths from all over the continent than anyone else— someone who knows the truth behind the tales related to the great hero, wouldn’t trust the Emperor. After all, even that great hero met a tragic fate because of his child, a child who was ultimately killed by the Emperor.”
“……”
“Once you’ve outlived your usefulness, you’ll be discarded. The Empire will fake your death and take over your entire organization. That’s how they operate.”
“……”
“You must have been constantly searching for a way out of this situation, unable to confide in anyone. Struggling alone, for over a decade.”
“……”
“Unlike the great hero, who only had a child to protect, you have an entire ‘organization’ that looks up to you as a father. That burden must be several times…… no, thousands of times heavier.”
As the conversation continued, memories of the past flooded Narakas’s mind. His emotions welled up even more. Especially since the one speaking to him was the successor of that great hero.
“……Ha……”
Narakas now had no choice but to admit it. He had lost.
Completely.
And now, he was certain. He had not chosen wrong.
“……I can’t beat you in an argument, you damned brat.”
Narakas scratched his head, his usual sly grin returning.
“So, what’s your answer to my question?”
“Fine, I’ll give you the answer you want. I haven’t betrayed you. The Mask of Night follows its code no matter what. Even under threat, be it from another person or organization, once trust is broken, it’s as good as dead.”
“Then that’s enough.”
The infuriating guy nodded with a smile.
‘How frustrating.’
Did he decide to trust him that easily, from just a simple answer?
‘No.’
There wasn’t any concrete evidence, but his logic was flawless. That’s why Narakas couldn’t make a proper rebuttal.
‘For now, it seems I have no choice but to rely on this bastard.’
It was a resignation, rather than a thought.
“What’s with you? Why are you suddenly grinning to yourself?”
But why?
The moment he made that decision, he found himself smiling.
“Tsk. I still can’t stand you.”
Narakas clicked his tongue and then remembered his original purpose.
Thud.
He pulled an item from his coat and placed it on the table.
“Open it after I leave.”
“What is it? A gift to commemorate our truce?”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
Narakas shuddered at Ancelot’s nonchalant tone, and explained.
“It’s not from me. It’s a gift from the Empire to you.”
On a night bathed softly in moonlight, in the darkness where everyone else slept.
Step, step, step.
I made my way to the training grounds used by the royal knights. Perhaps it was because of my status as a foreign prince?
Fortunately, as long as I stayed within certain boundaries, no one tried to stop me from moving freely.
However,
“Good evening.”
There was already another visitor at the training grounds, my destination. A handsome man with a striking scar running across his right cheek greeted me immediately.
“You must be Count Kaiman.”
It wasn’t surprising. Every building within the palace is meticulously designed with specific purposes in mind.
As such, the outer palace, where foreign dignitaries stay, is located directly across from the royal knights’ quarters. This is so they can quickly protect the guests in case of an emergency.
“Yes, it’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Luxiu Bel Kaiman.”
The moment I saw him, I knew.
‘He’s strong.’
Stronger than anyone I’ve encountered until now. Perhaps even stronger than the Masters of this nation.
“……I appreciate the gift.”
Shaking off my thoughts, I held up the item I had brought with me. One was the box I had received from Narakas.
“But I can’t help but ask what exactly this means.”
In my other hand, clenched in a fist, was a handful of black powder, now reduced to ashes.
Whoosh.
I blew the ashes away with a breath, revealing a grin.
“It was you, wasn’t it? The bastard who orchestrated this whole mess.”
***