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It happened simultaneously with the bombshell statement.

-What the. Is the corpse moving? Do you want me to make you a real corpse?

“……”

The spy’s movements soon quieted down.

But that wasn’t all.

Fading breaths.

Pale complexion.

A body stiffening like a board.

The assassin quite literally became a perfect corpse.

For the record, in such a state, one can’t hear anything.

The act of voluntarily stopping the flow of mana to enter a state of apparent death was a specialty of professional assassins.

’Indeed. How could a corpse hear the voice of the living?’

Eventually, I smiled in satisfaction.

“D-Did it just move?”

“I think…… I saw it too.”

Shiver.

“……!”

As I revealed my presence, two pairs of eyes quickly focused on me.

“Hey, you spies. You’ve never seen such a secret technique in your life, have you?”

“Wh-Who are you……?”

“No, not me.”

“Pardon?”

“I mean the secret technique that the dead guy used. It’s called the ’Iron Curtain.’”

Dozens of daggers are fired in an instant.

All aimed at a single target.

Even the paths were diverse.

Not even knights skilled in aura could easily pull that off.

Anyone would feel something was off.

“Isn’t it strange that such a skilled assassin is in the middle of nowhere like this?”

“…….”

“You must have heard the rumors; assassins in the continent are dying out. Thanks to the work of a certain cowardly Emperor.”

“…….”

“Yet, such a skilled assassin remains? Doesn’t that mean this guy was an assassin recruited by the Empire— in other words, a spy?”

It was a perfect deduction, even by my standards.

At last, the two survivors exchanged glances.

“If you don’t believe me, go back and report exactly what you saw today. The eyes there would be much better than yours.”

“……!”

Was my statement entirely unexpected?

“Y-You’re letting us go……?”

“Why……?”

I lowered my voice dramatically.

“Why, you ask? Isn’t it obvious?”

“……?”

“Even if dogs and cows fight each other, they should unite against foreign powers. Because we are all citizens of the Hart Kingdom.”

“……!”

An earthquake erupted in their pupils.

“Unless…… are you spies of the Empire too?”

“S-Spies? Nonsense!”

“Even a passing dog would laugh at that!”

Their responses burst out in a second.

They desperately tried to convey their innocence.

‘Well, that’s to be expected.’

Secrets are more valuable when fewer people know them.

In that sense, not all aristocrats would be colluding with the Empire.

If the King got wind of it, they’d be doomed before achieving their goals.

Moreover, these lower ranks don’t think for themselves.

They just follow orders.

“So, go and tell your damn Marquis that Jake, the assassin, was a rat and spy colluding with the Empire.”

“B-But if that really was an Imperial spy……”

I nodded.

“Indeed. It seems like the Emperor’s influence has infiltrated your noble faction.”

Whether there was another infiltrator, or the Marquis of Foltaine himself was under the Empire’s thumb.

“You’d better watch your steps. Those involved in treason face execution.”

Shudder.

Just the thought made them gulp nervously.

“W-We will definitely report it!”

“W-We are one people, after all!”

I chuckled lightly.

“Thanks to that, you get to keep your lives. Now get lost.”

“Y-Yes!”

The two spies fled in a hurry.

At the same time, my gaze hardened as I watched their retreating figures.

Yes.

Go and blabber away.

The more you do, the more you’ll sow division among those trying to sell out our country.

‘But more importantly……’

I glanced down at the one in a state of apparent death.

I would have to kill him eventually for my future plans.

But this was not the place for him to die.

‘……Someone else has a score to settle with you.’

***

War might break out soon.

That fact instilled extreme tension throughout the entire Arsene territory.

However, even amidst the tension, there were those who remained dedicated to their duties.

Thwack!

The crisp sound of impact echoed.

Harun dropped the wooden sword he was holding.

“Ugh……!”

“That was close.”

Kirian, who had struck Harun’s wrist with precision, smiled.

“Thanks for helping me prepare for the knight exam every day.”

“Ouch…… Please, don’t mention it. I also need the training.”

Harun mumbled as he repeatedly rubbed his wrist.

At first, they seemed evenly matched.

No, it looked like they were evenly matched.

But as time went on, the hesitation in Kirian’s attacks disappeared.

Then, the true difference in their skills became apparent.

Now, whenever they sparred, Harun couldn’t last more than five moves.

“By the way, are you sure you just started holding a sword recently?”

“Hmm…… It’s been a little over a month, I think.”

“……Amazing. To be this good in just over a month……”

Kirian genuinely admired him.

“Well, my teacher is an amazing person.”

This time, Harun straightened his chest proudly as he replied.

He meant every word he said.

“No, no. Of course, your teacher is amazing, but your talent is also outstanding. As good as any knight cadet I’ve seen.”

“Really?”

“Of course.”

Kirian nodded with a bright smile.

‘To think he could train an ordinary person to this level in just a month. And he’s at least an expert himself…… Who on earth is our honored guest?’

Given his family background, Kirian had seen many people called geniuses.

But in front of the honored guest, they were like fireflies before the sun.

‘……Even Father repeatedly told me not to speculate about the honored guest’s identity.’

But that wasn’t the important thing.

Kirian soon cleared his thoughts and looked straight ahead.

The emotion that had been tickling his heart.

What he really wanted to say was different.

However, when he tried to bring it up, his face flushed.

“Uh……”

“Yes?”

“F-Frie……”

Damn it.

Now he was even stuttering.

“Frie?”

Kirian finally closed his eyes tightly and forced out the words from his heart.

“L-Let’s! Let’s be friends!”

“……!”

Was that so unexpected?

Harun just widened his eyes and couldn’t respond.

“F……riends?”

To the belated response.

“Y-Yes!”

“But I’m a commoner. How can I possibly……”

“Th-That doesn’t matter. As long as you’re okay with it!”

“But what will others think……”

“I’ll explain it to them!”

Just when a conflicted look started to spread across Harun’s face.

“What a bunch of nonsense.”

“……!”

“……!”

Both of them turned their heads sharply.

The person approaching the training ground.

“Playing friendship games in this situation? Kirian.”

It was Jan, who had one eye covered with an eyepatch.

“Or are you so happy your hated stepmother is dead that you can’t contain yourself?”

“……”

Despite the thorny words, Kirian couldn’t reply.

Of course, it wasn’t just because of the previous fear he had felt.

“……Sorry. I also feel sad about what happened to the Lady.”

“Sure, you are.”

Jan scoffed as he settled in a corner of the training ground.

Of course, the other two understood his reaction.

It had been several days.

In that short period, Jan had become a total wreck.

Not only his haggard appearance, but his swordsmanship skills had also deteriorated……

Swish! Swish! Swish!

He was one to know best.

Regardless of personal feelings, Kirian recognized Jan’s skills.

But now, Jan’s swordsmanship showed neither the sharpness nor the weight it once had.

There was only a vengeful specter blinded by rage.

“Uh, Jan. If you swing your sword like that……”

“Is someone of your caliber trying to give me advice?”

At Jan’s sharp response, Kirian shut his mouth.

“When you’re done, get out of here. Don’t ruin my mood by watching me train.”

“……”

“I’m definitely participating in this territorial war. And I’ll kill anyone I see. That includes you. So, don’t show up in front of me.”

Malice overflowed from Jan’s one remaining eye.

And then, urgent news arrived.

“The honored guest has caught the murderer who killed the madaaaaam!”

“……!”

***

Jake opened his eyes.

“Damn it……”

It was right after he woke up from a long coma.

Was it because he had lost so much blood?

Even though he had regained consciousness, his vision was still blurry.

However, that wasn’t very important.

As time passed, questions began to pile up in his mind.

‘If he was an agent like me, why didn’t he contact me sooner? If he had, we could have handled things much more successfully.’

He was that skilled.

If he had coordinated from the start, they could have achieved their goal much more easily.

However, there was no choice but to believe him.

Who else in the world uses the mana of ‘Blaze’ besides him?

‘……There’s no need to think and judge on my own.’

With that, Jake reached a conclusion.

As soon as he got out of here, he would report to his superiors.

But at that moment.

Thud, thud, thud.

Footsteps were heard from outside the door.

For reference, Jake was bound hand and foot, confined in some room.

Bang!

The door swung open without hesitation, and a one-eyed man walked in.

It was the eldest son of the Count of Arsene, whom he had already met.

“So, you were here.”

“……”

Jake remained silent.

Provoking him would only make the situation worse.

Hadn’t he already killed his mother?

‘They wouldn’t have captured me alive if they intended to kill me. Is he just venting anger?’

Jake subtly curled his lips.

That man named Ancelot.

He was extremely suspicious.

‘Something about him is definitely off.’

In this situation, he had to consider the worst-case scenario.

If he couldn’t make the report, he would kill that man named Ancelot.

But then.

Stab!

“……!”

Immediately, the chilling sound of flesh being pierced filled his ears.

And with the extreme pain that flooded his mind simultaneously.

“……Cough!”

Jake’s mouth involuntarily gaped open.

Dark red blood started to gush out.

Naturally, his gaze fell downward.

A long sword had accurately pierced his heart.

“……Even if others called her a wicked woman, she was precious to me.”

“Lu……natic……”

Swish! Fwoosh!

A fountain of blood far worse than before erupted from Jake’s mouth.

The sword that had pierced his heart spun around once.

It was a sure kill.

“She was…… my one and only mother in this world.”

The sword embedded in his body trembled.

Life quickly drained from Jake’s eyes.

“And he was…… my one and only…… younger brother.”

He stayed in that state for a while.

“……Hic.”

Jan, collapsed on the floor, sobbed silently.

Rubbing his face repeatedly with his blood-soaked hands.

***

Meanwhile, after handing him over to Jan, I went straight to the head of the household.

As expected, Count Arsene was greatly shocked.

“He was a spy for the Empire!?”

“Yes. That man named Jake was an assassin raised by the Emperor.”

“Wh-Where is he now?”

“I took him to Jan’s room.”

“What!?”

Count Arsene couldn’t hold back any longer and stood up.

At that moment, his retainers also rushed in.

“L-Lord! Young Master Jan……!”

Count Arsene looked at them with trembling eyes.

“D-Don’t tell me…… he killed him?”

“……”

Their silence confirmed his suspicions.

Woosh.

Immediately, a fierce gaze turned towards me.

“Why…… why on earth would you……! To carelessly dispose of such a crucial witness……!”

I cut him off midway.

“And what if I had kept him alive?”

“What?”

“What could you have done, Count?”

“……!”

Only then did Count Arsene open his eyes wide.

“Would you have confronted the Emperor? Complain to him for sending a spy to our country?”

“Th-That……”

“You said you couldn’t handle even the Marquis of Foltaine. Do you think you can deal with the Empire?”

“……”

Count Arsene couldn’t respond to my repeated questioning.

“Powerless justice is mere incompetence. Therefore, it’s better for the spy to die. Possessing something beyond what we can control only brings ruin. Haven’t you realized that with this incident?”

“……”

Count Arsene had lost his wife and child because of one pig from the Marquis of Foltaine.

And now, the Empire?

“If it’s known that we have a spy in our hands, the Empire will do whatever it takes to erase the Count of Arsene from the continent. Just like with the Marquis of Foltaine.”

It’s said humans learn from experience.

“E-Everyone stands united against foreign powers. If we inform His Majesty, surely he will help……”

“Then it won’t just be Arsene, but the entire Kingdom of Hart that will be destroyed.”

I stated definitively.

“That’s the Empire I know.”

“Then why did you capture him at all!?”

“There are two reasons.”

“T-Two?”

“First. So that there are enough witnesses to confirm that the spy is truly dead, and for the news to reach the Empire.”

Of course, there were two pairs of eyes besides mine at the scene.

But that alone wasn’t enough.

Would the Empire be the Empire for no reason?

A more certain assurance was needed.

The spy who barely clung to life.

He was brought in for treatment and interrogation.

But he died before anything could be done.

Killed by the enraged eldest son of Count Arsene.

‘……This narrative is the most certain guarantee.’

There were countless eyes here.

Moreover, the operation to root out spies wasn’t finished.

There could still be surviving spies observing the situation from within.

And.

“Second. For our own purposes.”

“Purposes?”

“You said you didn’t want to go against the King’s command. Making those Foltaine bastards attack first was our objective, wasn’t it?”

“……Surely not……?”

I nodded.

“In the absence of evidence, the Empire will cut its losses. But collaborators are a different story. They must be sleepless with anxiety by now.”

That’s why I left two witnesses alive.

To relay exactly what they saw.

‘If those backwater folks recognized the Blaze, it would be a different story.’

Of course, that’s highly unlikely.

The flame within a flame doesn’t look visually different.

Unless they were insiders with prior information, they’d just think it was some typical fire mana.

“In the end, those bastards will come at us with everything they’ve got, anxious as they are. The Empire will egg them on. It’s burdensome to take the lead themselves, but that much they can definitely do. No, it’s the best option.”

“You…… who are you really……”

Count Arsene now looked utterly defeated, as if nothing could surprise him anymore.

Of course,

there was a third reason I hadn’t told him.

‘……No matter how wicked, she was your only mother.’

I wanted to give that scoundrel, who had experienced something like me, a chance.

Who better than me could understand the heartache of losing family?

That profound helplessness and despair akin to the abyss……