Book 2: Chapter 228: No. I don’t know anything (11)

The man in front of her and his connection to the Archduke’s House of Snow…

This one question complicated Bailey’s mind.

On the other hand, Cale took a sip of lemon tea.

‘This made things easier.’

After hearing that the Haru Kingdom’s Minister of Foreign Affairs was with the subjugation squad, Cale felt relaxed thinking that he didn’t need to go through a cumbersome process.

‘It’ll be easier to meet the king.’

For Cale, who had worried a tiny bit about how to barge in, no, infiltrate, no, visit the kingdom, this situation was great.

“Minister-nim.”

That was why his voice automatically sounded gentle.

“Do you think our action will be harmful to the Haru Kingdom?”

They had abducted the Holy Empire’s subjugation squad.

It had involved some bloodshed.

Cale asked out of courtesy for the Haru Kingdom as he needed to have a favorable relationship with them from here on.

‘!’

Bailey’s face stiffened up for an instant before returning to normal.

It had been so quick that Cale had not realized it, but Bailey’s heart started beating wildly.

‘Is this a test?’

None of the Haru Kingdom’s knights or soldiers could stop the Holy Empire’s First Knights Brigade.

This group that had easily suppressed that same Knights Brigade was worried for the Haru Kingdom.

It should be the opposite, with the Haru Kingdom being worried about upsetting these people.

‘There are two meanings to this question.’

At this moment… Bailey’s years of experience in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and her instincts were telling her.

Cale Henituse.

The leader of this mysterious group of strong individuals…

The question asked by this person…

Do you think our action will be harmful to the Haru Kingdom?

The two meanings hidden inside that sentence…

Her instincts told her what they were.

‘First, it means he will watch to see how the Haru Kingdom reacts to this.’

She had yet to see all of Cale Henituse’s manpower inside the Black Castle.

However, someone who looked like a butler said that there were about a hundred people here.

‘I’m sure the people I have yet to see are strong as well.’

She believed this because neither Cale Henituse nor the butler of this castle seemed to fear the Holy Empire.

‘That is why they are curious.’

They wanted to see if the Haru Kingdom was on the Holy Empire’s side.

The Haru Kingdom’s demeanor would help them determine the direction of their future plans as well.

‘Of course, they are still amicable with the Haru Kingdom right now.’

That was the reason they saved the village and Sam.

Thinking until this point, Bailey could naturally figure out the other hidden meaning.

‘…He’s definitely connected to the Archduke’s House of Snow!’

That was why he was unable to hide his concern for the Haru Kingdom despite scoping Bailey out right now.

Bailey came to a conclusion.

She figured out what she needed to say.

“Sir Cale.”

Cale Henituse.

The man who did not use the family name of Snow…

The man who said it was enough to call him Sir like a knight…

He didn’t want just a yes or no answer to his question.

“Are you interested in visiting the Royal Palace?”

Bailey could see the smile forming on Cale’s face.

He gently asked with the smile still on his face.

“What do you plan to do if I say that I would like to visit?”

The two of them had both asked questions but Bailey now gave an answer instead.

“I will escort you there, Sir Cale.”

‘Exactly as I wanted.’

The smile on Cale’s face became bigger with satisfaction.

‘She’s easy to talk to.’

However, Bailey was not smiling.

“But I think we will have to move stealthily.”

Cale’s face turned odd after hearing her. He immediately asked.

“Are you saying that there are people within the Royal Palace who would not welcome us?”

Bailey was amazed at Cale’s wit that allowed him to immediately figure out the meaning in her words.

“Yes sir. I’m sure there are a lot of people like that. However, his Majesty will be waiting.”

“I guess his Majesty is hostile toward the Holy Empire while many of his vassals have taken the Empire’s side.”

“Yes sir.”

Cale did not beat around the bush and asked.

“Minister-nim. Does his Majesty speak for the entire Haru Kingdom?”

Who held control of the kingdom?

“As long as the Prime Minister and I are alive, his Majesty will achieve his wishes no matter what it takes. However, the Prime Minister and I are now old.”

The Prime Minister and Bailey, the Minister of Foreign Affairs…

It meant that the two of them were reliable as they served the king.

However, they were old, so the direction of power could twist at any moment.

Cale immediately opened his mouth.

“I hate cumbersome and time consuming things.”

“I as well. We need to go meet his Majesty first before the Empire figures anything out.”

The king of a nation meeting someone was usually decided by the king, but…

Bailey was certain already.

Cale Henituse and his friends were definitely the people the king had been waiting for until now.

She continued to speak.

“Normally, it would take a long time to go from here to the capital, but… I presume you will use teleportation?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Bailey asked as if it was obvious after looking at Rasheel. Cale nodded his head.

‘The Dragons can use magic now.’

They were capable of teleporting once they used Dragon Fear to create a domain.

Bailey warily looked around after seeing Cale’s calm face before acting as calm as possible and asking.

“Sir Cale.”

It was an extremely important question.

She needed to hear the answer.

“Will there be a lot of things from here on that would cause issues for the Holy Empire?”

Cale knew what Bailey was worried about so he answered without any hesitation.

“From the start to the finish… We will continuously cause issues for the Holy Empire.”

Bailey’s face lit up.

“In that case, there will be no issues of you causing harm to the Haru Kingdom, Sir Cale. I’m sure his Majesty will answer the same.”

“I’m happy to hear that. Then Minister-nim, may I ask two more questions?”

“Of course.”

Bailey was ready to answer any question.

“Cough!”

However, she coughed.

“Young master-nim.”

The butler of the Black Castle came over, handed her a handkerchief, and quietly called out to Cale.

“I guess a long conversation would be difficult.”

Bailey waved her arm after hearing Cale’s comment.

Cough cough. However, she continued to cough.

Walking through the rough snowy fields given her age and then facing the Dragon half-bloods’ forces as a regular person was extremely taxing for her body.

She did not have any major injuries, but she needed some rest.

“I, I am okay.”

However, Bailey showed the will to chat more.

“Then I will make it short.”

Cale only asked the question he needed an immediate answer right now.

This was something she would know better than anybody else as a diplomat.

“How do you think the Holy Empire will act from here on?”

Bailey started to smile.

She had been waiting for this question.

“Tonight, no, they will probably wait until tomorrow. If Captain Zenyu does not make any report until tomorrow… And none of the Dragon half-bloods die…”

She opened up three fingers.

“They will do three things at once.”

“I’m ready to listen.”

Cale quietly prepared to listen and Bailey started to explain.

“First, they will send another subjugation squad.”

Cale expected this as well.

“However, there will be Dragon half-blood knights as well as inquisitors in it.”

Cale raised his hand to stop her.

“Who are the inquisitors?”

Bailey was at a loss for words for a moment.

Cale smiled and added on.

“I really don’t know anything.”

Bailey did not believe that.

‘He’s acting modest so that he can compare the differences between the information he has and the information the Haru Kingdom has.’

That meant that she could not give a simple answer.

What he wanted was not the typical things but things that most people would not know.

“On the surface, the inquisitors are the ones the Holy Empire sends to suspected heretics or cults and their members to judge them. However… Their actual job is clean up.”

“Clean up?”

“Yes, Sir Cale. They kill and clean up any and all beings that will get in the way of the Church and the Empire controlling the continent.”

The Inquisitors hid themselves in the shadows of the Church and the Empire while doing clean up.

“They are said to be slightly weaker than the Dragon half-blood knights. However, they are one of the major forces supporting the Empire.”

“And?”

Cale knew that Bailey’s explanation was not done and asked.

That made Bailey realize that Cale really did want something not so superficial and opened her mouth to respond.

Her body was heavy but her eyes were sparkling.

“Based on what our Haru Kingdom has found out, the Inquisitors are actually the Holy Empire’s strongest force.

Huuuuu.”

She stopped for a moment and let out a deep breath to stop another cough from coming out.

She took a sip of the tea the butler with half-white hair handed her.

Click.

Bailey put the teacup down and continued to speak.

The reason they believed the Inquisitors were the strongest force-

“They are known to be human, but… The conclusion we came to with the information we gathered is that they are not human.”

“Then?”

Bailey had been extremely shocked when she put the pieces together.

“The Inquisitors-”

They-

“Are Elves.”

They were the ones who served the Dragons by their sides.

‘Oh.’

Cale gasped internally.

Elves.

He had not expected this.

‘I guess it makes sense that the Dragons are treating the Elves as subordinates as they have taken over the World Tree.’

Cale nodded his head and opened his mouth.

“Then first is that they will send another subjugation squad. What are the other two actions?”

Bailey made sure to remember that Cale showed no reaction despite hearing that they were Elves as she answered.

“The second action they will take is to contact his Majesty.”

“They will want to figure out what the Haru Kingdom has done.”

“Yes sir.”

This was also an expected action.

“Then what is the third?’

“That-”

Bailey hesitated for the first time.

However, she then looked toward the buzz cut Rasheel, who was dozing off on one side of the room.

Cale looked toward Rasheel as well, and…

“I think I already know.”

He figured out the third.

“Are you thinking that the Church will drag Dragons into this?”

“Yes, Sir Cale. They will definitely do that.”

Ever since the Holy City became the Holy Empire, they probably never had an incident where half of the Dragon half-blood Knights Brigade suddenly lost contact.

That was why the Central Temple and the Pope would contact the Dragons.

“A Dragon will not immediately come to the Erghe Mountain Range. However, in the worst case possible, a Dragon could immediately come here.”

Bailey cautiously continued to speak.

“If a Dragon does come, it will probably be only one Dragon.”

“I see.”

Cale started to think.

‘If it is a single Dragon, should we capture that bastard and interrogate him?

Wouldn’t that Dragon answer all our questions once Eruhaben-nim pummels them until the whole area is full of dust?

I think it will be easy for six Dragons to beat up a single Dragon.’

“…….”

Bailey gulped.

Seeing Cale’s extremely calm gaze and Rasheel’s eyes sparkling as if he had never fallen asleep made her full of anticipation.

“Cough!”

However, her aged body found it burdensome to even feel such anticipation.

“Oh no.”

Cale stood up.

“Please go get some rest. We will come back once the preparations for the teleportation are completed.”

“…There is one more.”

Bailey remembered that Cale had two questions.

“What is the other question, Sir Cale?”

“Mm.”

Cale hesitated for a moment before asking.

“Are the Dragon half-bloods created or born?”

“Ha.”

Bailey looked at the ceiling and let out a gasp-like laugh.

“The Church claims that Dragon half-bloods are born that way, but…”

She looked right at Cale.

“Our decades of information have given us a hypothesis.”

Although they were not certain and it only remained a hypothesis…

“Dragon half-bloods are definitely created.”

Cale started to smile.

The Dragon, who had been silent until now, started speaking.

“Then we should be able to hear what happened if we fuck those Dragon half-bloods up.”

The butler, who had quietly been looking after Bailey, opened his mouth.

Ron spoke in a gentle voice.

“I will take care of the interrogation.”

“!”

Bailey’s eyes opened wide.

‘He’s not just a butler?’

“Yeah. I leave it to you.”

Cale’s relaxed answer shocked her even more.

‘Nobody here is to be underestimated.’

She couldn’t help but sweat.

Cale realized that Bailey’s condition was terrible and addressed Ron.

“Escort the Minister-nim.”

“Yes, young master-nim.”

Bailey started walking to leave Cale’s room before suddenly stopping.

It was because a thought popped into her mind.

“Umm, Sir Cale-”

Her voice was shaking a bit.

“May I ask how many Dragons are residing here?”

She then saw the smile on Cale’s face.

“Hmm… I believe there are enough Dragons here, Minister-nim.”

His lighthearted answer made Bailey bite her lips.

Her heart beat wildly and she couldn’t help but chuckle as she responded.

“I don’t think my old heart can handle this. I guess I really need to get some rest.”

“Yes, Minister-nim. We need to go to the capital soon so, although it is going to be short, please get some rest.”

Click.

Bailey walked out of Cale’s room and into a guest room.

Her aide and knights were waiting for her there.

Ron returned as well and the Minister, who was now lying on the bed, saw the nervousness and anticipation on the faces of the aide.

“Minister-nim.”

“What is it?”

The aide hesitated before looking at the nearby knights and officials before asking.

It was something they were all curious about.

“Umm, does that Cale Henituse sir have any connection to the Archduke’s House of Snow?”

Bailey closed her eyes.

She thought about the red hair that stood out in the white world.

“Sir Cale has said that he has no connections to them.”

“Ah.”

Bailey continued to speak after hearing someone gasp.

“Furthermore, even if Sir Cale has any connections to the House of the Archduke, what can we say?”

The Archduke’s House of Snow.

While the House of Snow was being attacked, the Haru Kingdom was crushed by the faction trying to side with the Empire and the pressure from the Empire that they could not do anything to help.

“But things will be different now.”

Their young King Dennis…

Their king…

For Sir Cale, whose last name may be Henituse or Snow…

“We will give everything we have.”

They would give everything, even though they did not have much to give.

“Aide.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Bailey decided to use the greatest authority King Dennis had given her.

“We need to send a message to the Eldest Senior.”

The aide’s eyes opened wide.

“…You are talking about that esteemed individual?”

“Yes. You come with me when we go to the capital and contact Eldest Senior.”

Bailey looked out the window.

White snow was coming down.

Someone as white as this snow…

The Haru Kingdom’s hidden guardian…

Their final card that would not reveal herself unless the Kingdom was in danger of completely perishing…

“It is time for the white snake to move.”

An ancient Beast person who has survived since before the cataclysmic period…

They needed to call her in.

“Of course, whether Eldest Senior makes a move is up to her, but we need to at least inform her.”

“Do you think that she will make a move?”

“…I think that she will.”

Bailey’s years of experience was speaking to her.

“…Whether it is the Holy Empire or the Haru Kingdom… A fight until one or the other is completely gone is about to happen.”

Although it sounded as if Bailey was talking about the demise of her home kingdom, her gaze was beaming despite her body being weary.

It was the gaze of someone who had found an opportunity.

* * *

“I will go.”

Ancient Dragon Eruhaben approached Cale, who was getting ready to go meet King Dennis.

—

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