Ch.181Amin

“And you say we can’t just leave her be…?”

Jargal couldn’t hide his anxiety. His lord, Aishan-Gioro Amin, had never been known for his level-headedness, but… ever since that incident in his boyhood, he would completely lose his rationality when it came to matters concerning Lady Haschal.

“Jargal. Don’t you find it suspicious? That woman being treated like a hero by the westerners—does that make any sense to you? I was certain she’d be treated as a vengeful spirit.”

“Isn’t it to buy time to conquer the great plains? Perhaps she’s avoiding unnecessary friction to prevent suspicion…”

“Avoiding friction? Do you really think that’s possible for that ghost woman? With that demonic personality?”

Though Amin sneered mockingly, his fingertips trembled slightly.

Amin would never admit it, but his hatred was rooted in fear.

The terrible pain he experienced as a child not yet ten years old.

That terror left phantom pain that filled his empty eye socket and hadn’t faded even after years.

It didn’t take long for fear to rot into hatred.

While Haschal, who had committed the act, received no punishment and instead caught Orhan’s interest, Amin became an object of ridicule simply for being attacked by a hungry girl.

Things improved somewhat after he grew into a warrior, but his father Orhan still discriminated against him.

Even when he participated in wars, he was rarely entrusted with the main forces, nor was he readily permitted to wage battles independently.

As if nothing was expected of him.

At least, that’s what Amin thought.

Why else would he be left behind during the long-awaited conquest of the great plains?

By now, his two half-brothers would be accumulating fame and military achievements.

Only he remained here like a house-guarding dog, excluded from all glory.

While this was infuriating for Amin… the outcome was actually fortunate now.

After all, there was no one to stop whatever he might do here.

—-

“From what I hear, it’s far beyond avoiding friction. Do you understand what being treated as a hero means? That woman who would cut down even her subordinates if they merely displeased her is now being protected with all their might by the imperials. I hear the imperial shamans are even praising her as a warrior sent by god.”

“That is indeed… strange.”

Jargal nodded.

While Amin’s prejudiced criticism of Haschal was nothing new, if what he said was true, it was certainly suspicious.

Lady Aishan-Gioro Haschal had an exceptionally ferocious personality even among warriors.

When casualties occurred in her unit, one or two out of ten would be executed by the lady’s order rather than killed by enemies.

Most were new recruits, but her methods were excessively cruel.

“Now I hear she’s completely attached to one of the imperial princes. From what I hear, they’re in a relationship where she even guards his bedchamber. Isn’t that a masterpiece? She certainly learned the art of whoring properly from her mother.”

Amin leaned back on his throne with a sneer.

“As I see it, that woman has definitely betrayed us. If she truly intended to return after three years and wage war against the empire as she told Father, why would she engage in such pointless actions? All her efforts selling her body would be in vain once she returns. She never intended to come back… Instead, she’s sharpening her claws against us from her mother’s country.”

Is this what they mean by a retreating cow catching a mouse?

Though his reasoning was full of prejudice and unfounded assumptions, Amin’s words were surprisingly close to the truth.

It was undeniable that the current Haschal had no intention of returning to the steppes, and that she was hostile to the Ka’har.

“Are you saying the lady intends to raise her sword against the Aishan? What reason would she have…”

“That woman thinks we’re responsible for her mother’s death. She still can’t accept that the whore died of illness.”

Though he spoke this way, even Amin didn’t believe Aimela had died of illness.

He was half-convinced it was the work of his half-brothers or their mothers.

How irritating must that western slave woman have been, receiving all of Orhan’s affection without showing proper gratitude?

It was fortunate she only bore a daughter; had it been a son, he might have surpassed Amin’s brothers to become the heir.

“…If those rumors are true, it’s certainly worth reporting to the Ser Khan. If they’re true, that is.”

Jargal maintained a cautious attitude.

It was also hard for him to believe that Amin, who was cooped up in Ordos wasting time, had accurate information about imperial affairs.

Considering Amin’s personality that he had observed as a guard warrior, this could be a fabricated slander against the lady, piecing together random rumors.

Even though Amin himself would bear the responsibility if the falsehood was later revealed.

“What? Are you saying you don’t believe me, Jargal?”

“That’s not it. I’m just thinking that considering the distance between the empire and Ordos, the rumors might have been distorted. You know how rumors tend to become absurdly twisted as they pass through many people.”

“Is that all? Don’t doubt me, Jargal. This is reliable information. I haven’t told you before, but I’ve had ears in the empire for some time. This comes directly from my sources there.”

‘Though they’re not entirely trustworthy,’ Amin muttered to himself.

While he appreciated them bringing useful information, Amin didn’t trust them either.

They had already failed him once.

‘They couldn’t even properly cast a single curse.’

Amin recalled meeting them a year ago.

—-

Amin’s “sources” were no ordinary people.

Sorcerers.

A group of sorcerers with a mix of westerners and easterners.

Around this time last year, they had approached him, promising to make him the Khan of Aishan.

When they first met, Amin drew his sword against them.

Associating with shamans or sorcerers was the greatest taboo for Ka’har warriors.

The only magical phenomenon recognized by the people of the great plains was the strange power naturally imbued in weapons forged from slain spirit beasts.

In contrast, sorcerers who practiced sinister arts were so despised that they had been completely exterminated hundreds of years ago.

For such people to suddenly appear and offer to make him Khan was suspicious to anyone.

Anyone would naturally refuse, as being discovered in league with sorcerers could result in the execution of one’s entire clan.

But Amin’s way of thinking was somewhat different from others.

‘What’s the problem if I don’t get caught? If I use the power our ancestors tried so hard to eliminate for my own benefit, it could be quite useful.’

It was certainly an extraordinary idea that others wouldn’t even consider.

Whether it should be called extraordinary is another question.

Amin gladly took their hands.

Until then, it had been a satisfactory arrangement for both parties.

The sorcerers “naturally” eliminated those Amin harbored grudges against, and in return, Amin fulfilled their strange requests.

Their symbiotic relationship had continued for nearly half a year until it became somewhat neglected when Amin requested something major, wanting to put them to serious use.

The assassination of his enemy, Aishan-Gioro Haschal.

Much preparation was needed to curse a warrior of champion-level strength… but Amin willingly provided everything they demanded.

Though it was somewhat burdensome for him, he could endure anything if it meant getting rid of that insufferable woman.

When all preparations were complete, the sorcerers confidently guaranteed success.

They claimed they would cast a curse powerful enough to kill not just one champion, but ten.

And they failed.

The ghost woman who should have died returned to Ordos perfectly fine.

Sensing something amiss, she immediately left for the empire, abandoning all her subordinates.

Since then, Amin had developed some distrust in their abilities.

Despite sacrificing hundreds of lives and various artifacts, they couldn’t kill a single woman. They were less useful than he had thought.

Amin declared he would no longer meet their demands until Haschal was dead, and afterward, the sorcerers fell silent.

‘At least they have some sense of shame.’

That’s what Amin thought… but only the sorcerers themselves knew what they were really thinking.

—-

They contacted him again a few days ago.

Saying if they couldn’t eliminate her with sorcery, they should try other methods, they came with information about the empire.

Haschal’s movements, the empire’s political situation, even future developments.

Even to Amin, it seemed like quite useful information.

“…Then, do you plan to send a messenger to Ser Khan soon?”

Jargal’s voice interrupted Amin’s thoughts.

Amin turned his head to look at Jargal and smiled.

“No, that would be too late. By the time a messenger reaches Father, and Father makes a decision and issues orders, that woman will already be untouchable. Who knows, she might have already become the imperial empress by using her body well.”

Smiling coldly like a snake, Amin stroked his eye patch.

“If we miss this opportunity, it will take at least four years to punish that traitor. And that’s only if we can bring down the empire. We can’t just leave her be.”

“…What method do you have in mind?”

Jargal couldn’t hide his rising anxiety.

While Amin often made extreme statements, this time he seemed unlikely to stop at mere slander.

“There are about 5,000 garrison troops left in Ordos, right? Father ordered me to just guard the home, and all those higher in rank than me have gone east… so their command falls to me. I’ll use them to attack the empire.”

It was a statement that made Jargal doubt his ears.

His expression turned to shock.

His lord, who was prone to causing trouble, was about to commit an irreversible major incident.

“That’s madness! How could 5,000 troops breach the wall that tens of thousands couldn’t cross…!”

Irritated by Jargal’s objection, Amin scratched his eye area nervously.

“Madness? Have you forgotten who you’re speaking to, Jargal? You dare raise your voice before me?”

“I apologize…! But this is too dangerous. If things go wrong, you could die, Lord Amin. As your guard warrior, I must oppose this.”

It was a reasonable statement.

Even for an unparalleled military genius, breaching the wall with 5,000 troops would be impossible.

Moreover, Amin was far from a genius, barely a competent warrior at best.

But Amin smiled calmly.

“Don’t worry about that. I have no intention of charging the wall and perishing. A light attack followed by a retreat, targeting the lower part of the wall, will be sufficient. That alone will render the peace agreement meaningless. The ghost woman who brought the agreement will bear the responsibility.”

Indeed, if they backstabbed like this after proposing a peace agreement… Lady Haschal, who remained in the empire as a hostage, would find herself in great trouble.

What punishment she might face, Jargal couldn’t know.

“Then you may avoid death… but what will you say to Ser Khan? If the agreement with the empire is broken by war, he’ll have to withdraw the forces currently conquering the great plains. How will you bear the wrath of the Khan who must retreat when his long-cherished ambition is within reach…?”

An enraged Orhan might behead Amin for this.

Though it seemed unlikely, the frustration of seeing decades of ambition go to waste would drive anyone to fury.

“What does it matter? I’m already a half-discarded son anyway. If I continue living like this, one of my brothers will inherit the Khan’s position, and I’ll be treated like a dog until the end. Better to at least take revenge before I go. Besides, I’m not completely without justification. The last piece of information I heard about the empire was quite useful.”

“Useful information? What could you have heard that would justify…”

‘Such madness,’ Jargal finished in his mind.

He dared not say it aloud, lest Amin try to kill him.

“I heard the empire will soon enter a civil war. A fight between half-brothers, they say. Well, people are the same everywhere.”

Amin sneered, shrugging his shoulders.

“Once civil war breaks out, they won’t be able to dispatch a proper legion against us. So whether Father returns or continues fighting in the great plains, that’s his choice to make.”

“However…”

Jargal still couldn’t hide his anxiety.

It was an excessively radical and dangerous idea that relied heavily on speculation.

“Enough. I never asked for your judgment. Your role is to obey, not to judge. Understood? Prepare the warriors, Jargal. As quickly as possible.”

His tone made it clear he would not accept refusal.

Jargal had no choice but to bow his head.