episode_0081

The moment the sun slowly rises.

“General Agrippa. We searched the entire palace, but Princess Joy has not been found yet.”

“Is it true that you really searched everywhere?”

“I… really. I searched everywhere, from the food warehouse to the gold area, but I couldn’t find it.”

As the commander says, I look at the map closely.

Did he get away?

no. I’m sure if he’s hiding, he’ll wait until tonight.

So where are they hiding?

If he was hiding, he would be hiding in a quiet place.

“I searched everything, including the closet, drawers, and even under the bed… but since it wasn’t there, I guess it must have already gone…”

I close my eyes and get lost in thought as I hear the commander’s careful words.

First of all, the gates and ports were blocked. Even if you escape the imperial palace, there is no way to go anywhere right now.

Did I really think wrong?

“Where are the users?”

“Everyone was banned from leaving the room.”

“Have you searched the entire room?”

“Yes, we searched everything.”

Dammit… where did you run away to?

“Did you also search the buildings attached to the imperial palace?”

He answers what I say as if it were obvious.

“Yes. I did. I looked through all the haystacks, but couldn’t find them.”

Damn… that Ioanes guy.

I’m sure he’s the one behind this.

When looking at the situation.

The only person worthy of assassinating Devian and the Emperor and kidnapping Joey is the guy who wants to devour the Empire.

I cool my head and get lost in thought.

It was clearly planned carefully in advance.

If so, he would have planned an escape plan or an escape route.

Just in case, I guess their plan and think backwards.

When looking at the emperor and princess’s room, the assassin broke into the gold area through the roof.

Judging by the length of the rope used to break in. It must have been climbed from the 4th floor using a hook.

As far as I know, the 4th floor is the gold area and VIP rooms for people close to the emperor and facilities for them.

Because there is no one staying in the imperial palace as a VIP right now.

“Check to see if there is a room with an open window on the 4th floor.”

And after a while.

“I confirmed that the window in the western VIP room on the 4th floor was open.”

Those words make me lost in thought.

If so, it would have moved from the VIP room on the west side of the 4th floor to the roof to the east.

The princess’s room and the emperor’s room.

The two rooms face each other with one wall, so you can join them by going down to the first floor and turning the corner.

Let’s think about it up to this point and continue to think slowly.

I’m sure you said two people passed by, right?

No matter how highly trained a person is, two people would be needed to kidnap a woman reliably and quickly.

An adult female weighs approximately 40 to 50 kg.

To subdue the princess and lift her weight to move to the first floor with a rope, one adult man feels a bit inadequate.

Even more so if there are soldiers pursuing them.

In other words, at least two people must have been deployed when kidnapping Princess Joy.

One escaped from the Emperor’s chambers.

In other words, it would be reasonable to assume that there were at least three assassins.

However, two assassins escaped from the imperial palace.

For sure…

The belief becomes stronger that the assassin is in the imperial palace.

Well then, first we need to know who it is.

With that thought in mind, I issue an order to the commander.

“Please immediately investigate all employees of the imperial palace and investigate all employees who have disappeared since last night.”

“Yes! I understand.”

Meanwhile, the search continues.

However, I feel anxious because no clear clues have been identified yet.

How much time has passed?

The sun had already risen in the sky.

“Currently, 4 people are confirmed to be missing among users.”

Commander bringing me a resume.

I look at my resume.

There is nothing special to infer.

Elsie: 24 years old, from the Kingdom of Nicaea. Working as a low-level maid

Ellis: 41 years old, from Bairen city. Working as a senior maid.

Woody: 38 years old, Kingdom of Sardinia. Working as a gardener.

Henry: 47 years old, from the Kingdom of Nicaea. Working as a royal chef.

“Damn…”

Looking at the occupations they worked in makes me dizzy.

You worked hard to steal information from inside the imperial palace.

Although the job of a maid is difficult, it is easy to understand the movements of high-ranking people and the structure of the room.

In addition, looking at Henry, who worked as a cook, perhaps considering assassination using poison, I think it was a good idea that Devian brought in Mary’s servant long ago.

I guess he escaped poisoning because of Mary’s servant.

They wouldn’t want security to be tight due to uncertain attempts.

4 people.

At least four people were hiding in the imperial palace.

And currently, there are three people in total, excluding one person who died horribly at Debian.

Two of them went out. At least one person will be in the imperial palace.

“Have you confirmed the identity of the dead assassin?”

The commander nods his head at my words and says.

“Yes. Confirmed with Woody.”

If Woody, who worked as a gardener, was killed by Debian…

“Please gather all the court cooks. We must reprimand them.”

The commander nods his head at my words.

“That… His Majesty the Emperor had a message to convey.”

I feel my heart sinking at those words.

Could this mean that Debian is dead?

No, right? Probably not…

I don’t want to face the sudden death of an old friend.

“What is…”

I try to suppress my trembling voice, but…

“His Royal Highness says he has entered a period of stability.”

“Phew…”

Thank goodness.

-Pisik.

“Thank goodness. I’m so glad.”

I feel a little relieved by those words.

My friend is alive.

And then he glares at the imperial palace.

Now, I will make sure to save the person who tried to harm you, Devian, and Princess Joy, whom you asked for right before your death.

After a while, the chefs, who were all tied up, kneel in front of me and beg with tears in their eyes.

“Sa… Please save me! I am not guilty!”

“That’s right. We are chefs who just cooked. You tried to assassinate His Majesty the Emperor and the Grand Duke? Absolutely not.”

“In the first place… I wasn’t that close to Henry! It’s true!”

I say coldly as I look at the cooks, who appear to be about 20 people.

“Henry, the cook who worked at the imperial palace, tried to assassinate the Archduke. How do I know if you are not guilty?”

The chef, trembling at my words, says:

“Well… we don’t know anything. I really don’t know.”

I get angry at their words and deliberately create a scary atmosphere.

“Shut up! How do you know if one of you is in cahoots with the enemy? Your innocence will be proven by torture technicians.”

In fact, I am considering torturing them if necessary.

It is difficult to say with certainty that there were four assassins.

Considering the circumstances. That means there are at least 4 people, but I don’t know how many people there are at most.

Unlike Debian, I am not soft.

-Rattle…

“Please save me! Good luck!”

I say looking at them.

“I will give you a chance.”

Everyone lifts their head at my words and looks at my face.

“Tell me everything you know about Henry. And also, if you help me catch a man named Henry, I will personally declare your innocence to His Majesty the Emperor.”

The chefs’ reaction to my words was truly explosive.

“Henry mainly cooks food from the eastern part of the empire.”

“In addition, it is said that he knows how to handle meat well. My hometown is the Kingdom of Nicaea, but I heard that I lived in the western part of the empire and the United Kingdom for a long time.”

“Uh… I have a daughter, but I heard she died a long time ago.”

Things that aren’t very helpful.

“The content is too confusing. Then, I will ask. If Henry attacked His Majesty the Emperor and was hiding in the palace, where would he be?”

They are silent for a moment at my words.

“Uh…”

“That’s… We know that too…”

Everyone just looks at each other. I sigh as I look at the quiet chefs.

“Ah… maybe it’s there?”

I react to the sound of a chef speaking.

“Where is it?”

He says my words with a cautious face.

“Well… there is a refrigeration facility in the basement of the kitchen. It is mainly used to store meat, but since it is a hidden place, the only people who know about it are the chefs.”

I was puzzled by those words and looked at the map.

The kitchen is on the first floor.

When looking at the map of the first basement floor. There are no rooms where the kitchen is located.

“That’s strange. Obviously when looking at the map. I don’t see any such facilities under the kitchen…”

The chef comes forward and speaks to me.

“Ah!, I heard that the frozen warehouse was originally used as a secret imperial torture chamber until a few hundred years ago. That’s why I understand it wasn’t marked on the map.”

Secret torture chamber? There was such a facility?

This is the first time I have heard this while staying in the imperial palace for several months.

“Oh, that’s right, I saw Henry go to the refrigeration facility yesterday.”

With those words, I immediately give an order to the commander.

“Send the soldiers to their refrigerated facility right now.”

The commander responds to my words and gives orders to the soldiers.

“Uh… But you probably won’t be able to find it easily.”

Then the chef comes forward and speaks.

“What does that mean?”

“Well… you have to find a device hidden in the wall to open it.”

I nod my head at those words.

“Then guide us there! Hurry now! Commander: Immediately call the giant soldier, court wizard, priest, and court doctor to the kitchen.”

After giving that order, I head to the kitchen.

The kitchen is already a mess.

He said this while looking at the kitchen where vegetables, greens, and all kinds of food ingredients were rolling around, probably because the soldiers were searching at random.

“Where is it hidden?”

The chef, trapped by my words, steps forward and speaks.

“Please wait a moment.”

A chef with a rope wrapped around his body.

He heads to the fire pit.

Then, let’s press down on the brick at the bottom with our toes…

-Quick!

-Cow!

“This can’t be right…”

The furnace starts to move.