Chapter 99

The Shadow Raven, which protected Yurion’s maternal family, the House of Reqil.

The ones who had remained silent for so long rose back to the surface following Yuwon’s command.

‘His Highness Prince Yurion has summoned the Ravens!’

That news began with Hastings, who guarded Yuwon from the closest position.

The members who had long infiltrated various parts of the Imperial Palace gathered one by one to fulfill their duty.

From head to toe, they were clad in pitch-black garments.

Although they all wore the same attire and only their eyes were barely visible, the figures hidden beneath the black robes differed from one another.

One displayed a massive and muscular frame that could make even a seasoned knight weep, while another had a belly so round that one would question whether he could even carry out missions with such a body.

One had limbs so thin it made one wonder if he possessed any strength at all, and among them were also a few whose curving figures beneath the dark robes clearly indicated they were women.

Roughly ten or so.

Gillian, who swept his gaze across the gathered companions, took the lead in the conversation.

“Alright, since it seems everyone who could come has arrived, let’s begin.”

“You probably heard before coming, but I’ll explain once again. At long last, His Highness Prince Yurion has bestowed us with an order. His Highness does not yet fully trust us. This time, we must seize the opportunity not only to prove our worth but also to win His Highness’ trust.”

At that, one member chimed in.

“We remember all of His Highness’ childhood days, but from His Highness’ perspective, we must look like a bunch of pitch-black shadows that suddenly fell from the sky, asking only for orders. It would be stranger if His Highness trusted us outright. As you said, we must make good use of this opportunity.”

“Exactly. Once we complete this mission properly, our newly appointed member, who currently enjoys His Highness’ favor, will step forward and prepare a place for His Highness and the entire Raven unit to be connected. So, let’s handle this matter first.”

At Gillian’s words, every member nodded in agreement.

Just then, another member, comparatively smaller in build with a curved silhouette, raised a hand and slipped into the conversation.

“A new member? That’s the first I’ve heard of it. And that newcomer enjoys His Highness’ favor? What’s that supposed to mean?”

No matter how identical the black robes were, the people inside could not be the same.

The female member with the clear, ringing voice could not hold back her curiosity.

“Ah… your post is what it is, so it makes sense the news reached you late. A smart kid came in recently. Trustworthy.”

“Is it really okay to recruit a newcomer without discussing it?”

“Teacher… no, the Master himself chose him. Got anything more to say?”

“…Oh. Well, if that’s the case….”

Hearing that the Master had personally selected the newcomer, the female member who had objected shut her mouth at once.

Instead, one of the quiet members who had remained silent until now finally spoke.

“By newcomer, you mean that… the one from the Imperial Library’s staff? And the Master personally chose him?”

“Yeah. The Master chose him, and I taught him for the most part. Well, the Master tested his qualifications at the end.”

“Heh… so the Master is still active. How was he? The Master is doing well, I hope?”

“He’s doing fine. As always.”

“Contact’s been cut off for so long I wondered if he was even still alive. Thank goodness.”

“He was probably in the Great Jungle all that time.”

“Ha… the Great Jungle. It’s been a while since I’ve heard that name. I truly thought he might have died out there.”

At the mention of the Great Jungle, three or four members reacted as though recalling old memories.

“But why would he still be there…? His Highness is here, yet the Master remained in the jungle….”

“Speaking of the jungle, that newcomer broke through the Trial of Venomous Beasts. So next time you see him, don’t try any rough welcoming games. You might die for real. Seriously.”

The members widened their eyes at Gillian’s words.

“What? A greenhorn passed the Trial of Venomous Beasts?!”

“H-heh… passing the Trial of Venomous Beasts? No wonder he’s favored by His Highness.”

“…Hard to believe. You mean that Trial of Venomous Beasts I know, right?”

This time, no one remained unaffected.

Even those who usually stayed calm at Gillian’s words were clearly shocked.

Gillian, who had personally trained the newcomer thanks to Hastings’ story, explained with pride.

“You mean the Trial of Venomous Beasts where they throw vicious beasts into a cave, shove you in with nothing but a dagger, and lock you inside? Yes. Someone actually did that.”

“Damn… that’s insane. The Trial of Venomous Beasts was the old rite everyone had to undergo until nine out of ten died, so they stopped it entirely. Even among us who trained in the jungle, none have actually experienced it….”

“That guy is just a freak. I doubt even a few among us could beat him. So remember what I said—if you ever run into the newcomer, act accordingly. Unless you want rumors saying you got beaten up by a junior.”

With those words, Gillian sent a look toward several members.

Every one of those who met his gaze was infamous for harsh newcomer hazing.

Understanding his meaning, they raised imaginary white flags in defeat.

“Yes, yes. We understand. We won’t mess around, so give us the mission already, senior.”

“Good. Since we haven’t gathered like this in a while, I ended up chatting too long.”

As if that were the signal, the members’ eyes glimmered.

Receiving their gathered gazes, Gillian reached into his chest and pulled out a tightly rolled piece of paper.

Shaa―!

He opened the paper and showed it to the others.

The sheet bore a drawing of Marcellus’ face, along with detailed descriptions of his features.

“This is our target. Marcellus, former Chief Attendant of the Fifth Prince’s Palace.”

“Do we take him alive?”

“No. His Highness already has a record of capturing him only for him to escape. The order is to eliminate him the moment an opportunity arises. Be cautious of those who follow him. No one is to act alone—move in groups of at least three.”

“Groups are annoying, but if we’re to kill him, that makes it much easier. Where is he now?”

Gillian grinned at his colleague’s question.

Even with his collar covering his mouth, one could clearly see the crescent-shaped smile.

“Well. That’s what we’re about to find out.”

While the Ravens were receiving their orders, the Emperor was with his sons.

But Yuwon and Bernid were nowhere to be seen.

The Crown Prince, the Second Prince, and the Fourth Prince.

The Emperor was with those three princes.

“Forgive me for having so little time. I’ve been so busy.”

“Not at all, Your Majesty. It is an honor just to be summoned like this.”

“Indeed. Succeeding the throne is no easy matter. It’s natural for you to be busy. You need not feel sorry, Your Majesty.”

The Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince exchanged formalities, and then the Second Prince suddenly interjected, ruining the mood.

“Even when Father calls himself ‘Father’ directly to you, are you still going to call him ‘Your Majesty’ in a situation like this?”

The Second Prince shot at his two brothers and then shamelessly smiled at the Emperor.

“I’ll eat well, Father. Thank you for making time for us even though you must have been busy.”

The Crown Prince and the Fourth Prince glared at the Second Prince’s brazenness.

Of course, they could do nothing more under the Emperor’s gaze.

“Yes, yes. That’s my second son. Bold and straight to this father’s heart. Today, I called you not as Emperor and Princes but as a father wishing to share a pleasant meal with his sons. So relax.”

Casual conversation soon flowed between the Emperor and the three princes.

As if they all agreed, no one brought up the next imperial succession, and the words exchanged were little more than formal niceties.

After ten minutes of such meaningless chatter, the attendants arrived with today’s main courses, covered with fine lids.

The Emperor smiled.

“Ah, here comes today’s meal. For today, I had each of you prepared a different dish, made according to your individual tastes.”

The Emperor had not cooked the food himself, but the fact that he personally arranged for different dishes for each prince was no trivial matter.

“How could you trouble yourself so… thank you, Father! Then we shall gratefully enjoy it.”

“Yes, thank you, Father.”

After their words of gratitude, the attendants set the dishes before each prince.

The princes all wore complex expressions as they stared at the covered plates.

What lay beneath the lids tangled their thoughts.

‘Why would His Majesty do something he never does…? What did he prepare? And why aren’t the attendants taking the lids back? Something’s off…’

“Well then, let us lift them.”

The Emperor uncovered his own meal first.

His dish was the Newbell-region roasted beef he normally enjoyed.

The well-cooked meat let off warm steam.

Seeing the Emperor begin eating, the princes opened their own dishes.

And then—

“Gasp―!”

“Ugh.”

“….”

The three princes all let out strange, involuntary sounds one after another.

They were unmistakably shocked.

Nothing edible lay atop their plates.

Only a small piece of paper with a few written words.

― Crime of joining hands with a foreign nation to disrupt the sacred affairs of Aphahiel

― Crime of plotting rebellion, blinded by desire for the throne

― Crime of exploiting the chaos of another nation to hinder the affairs of the Imperial Family

Those were the words the Crown Prince, the Second Prince, and the Fourth Prince respectively found instead of food.

The color drained from their faces.

‘His Majesty… Father knew everything…!’

A single shared thought flashed through all three of their minds.

The Emperor knew every scheme they had been plotting.

Their hearts pounded violently, as if ready to burst.

Frozen like statues, they heard the Emperor’s voice echo coldly beside their ears.

“What are you doing, my sons? Not eating?”

The Emperor already knew everything.

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