Ch.3232. Inner Circle

The day after the stone-throwing incident, at the Imperial Palace.

Jora, who had been a servant to the now-deposed Prince, was trembling with anxiety.

Being a servant to a member of the royal family, especially a legitimate heir, was not merely about attending to their needs.

It was common for court nobles with titles or their heirs to directly serve as attendants, and sometimes even close relatives of the Emperor would take on the role. This was because they needed to assist with political affairs from the closest proximity to the royal family.

While one’s life could be endangered when succession battles turned fierce, if things went well, it guaranteed a noble life for one’s entire lifetime.

In that sense, Jora’s career had been quite decent.

Born as a nobleman’s son, he had become the Prince’s servant after fierce competition, and quickly gained trust to become part of his inner circle. When the Prince’s status rose rapidly, Jora’s value rose with it.

Just two months ago, he had been the very doorknob to power.

“Perhaps I could get some useful advice about Cordana…?”

“Please relay my message to the Prince! Oh, yes, I did present a treasure to Prince! But you shouldn’t misunderstand that I’ve sided with that faction. I am the Prince’s man…!”

“You don’t still remember our fight from Academy days, do you? I’m asking for a favor.”

Due to the nature of his position, he had to stay at the palace all day, but whenever he returned to his family home, there would be people lining up just to see his face.

But now, Jora had lost his position as a power broker and become unemployed.

‘No, it’s worse than unemployment.’

His future was now as bleak as Cordana.

Although he had acted on the Prince’s orders, he had been too deeply involved in major affairs.

He had practically directed the operation to secretly bring the Hero into the palace and then help him escape, and he had also handled the practical aspects of the backdoor dealings with the Papal State.

The only fortunate thing was that his punishment had “not yet” been decided.

At most, he had undergone one lengthy interrogation and was temporarily confined within the palace. Along with several other close associates who had worked as the Prince’s operatives.

‘They won’t just let me go. At minimum, I’ll lose my status. I might even be sent to a labor camp.’

As he pondered how to live comfortably even after punishment, one name crossed his mind.

Having made up his mind, Jora immediately took action.

“Um… Sir Knight?”

He desperately called out to one of the Royal Order knights who was guarding the detained inner circle of the Prince.

While it was a waste to have Royal Order knights acting as guards, the situation was so serious that one member had been stationed along with soldiers.

Selin, considered one of the most skilled female knights, was that guard.

With healthily tanned skin and bright blonde hair. With her somewhat popular appearance, she had some recognition in the Imperial Capital.

Before being deployed to rescue the border lord, she had gained weight and lost her figure, but now she had regained her healthy physique.

“Um, excuse me?”

“…”

“Could I have a word?”

“Be quiet.”

Selin dismissed Jora’s desperate calls with irritation.

Of course, guarding the close associates of a fallen royal wouldn’t be pleasant. But Jora persisted, calling out to Selin again and again.

“I’m already troubled enough… what is it?”

Finally getting a response, Jora spoke with the brightest expression he could manage.

“You’re close with Lord Wellesley, aren’t you?”

“…”

“Last year, at the banquet hosted by the Pri— I mean, the deposed Matthias, I saw you drinking with other members. I have something urgent to tell Lord Wellesley, so could you ask him to come here?”

“Erick?”

“Yes, him.”

The card Jora had thought of was none other than Erick.

At first glance, it seemed insane.

Before Erick became a nobleman, Jora himself had participated in the operation to dump 70 Cordana on him. After the false report controversy broke out, he had also advised Matthias to make Erick a scapegoat.

Perhaps Erick might not have good feelings toward him.

‘I was just following orders anyway… no, that’s not true. I confessed everything during the investigation. But Erick probably doesn’t know that.’

Fortunately, he had some good information to offer Erick.

Information about a former court minister’s affair that he had accidentally acquired when the Prince was at his peak.

The leverage on the private life of a former official who occasionally entered the palace to be the Emperor’s drinking companion was valuable. Especially for a newly ennobled nobleman like Erick.

“Lord Wellesley, although he became a nobleman with Commander Waynelight’s support, he must still feel the need for an official position, right? As a court noble, he should have some role…”

“How would I know Erick’s thoughts?”

“Come on, tell him to come to me if he wants to advance his career. Also mention that it’s an opportunity to get closer to His Majesty the Emperor. Since you’re close with Lord Wellesley, please convey this persuasively.”

“…You have that kind of power? Then why are you waiting for your sentence here?”

“Haha, well. Anyway, please pass along my message.”

While someone like Erick, who had hastily become a nobleman, couldn’t save Jora’s life, since he seemed close to Commander Waynelight, he might be able to help Jora avoid labor service.

After that, Jora’s plan was to become Erick’s close aide. Being the right-hand man of a baron with 40 billion in assets would at least ensure he wouldn’t have to worry about making a living.

But for some reason, Selin was looking at him as if he were pathetic.

It wasn’t pleasant to be disrespected by a knight who was merely acting as a guard.

“So, will you—”

“…We’re not as close as you think.”

“Ah, but still.”

“And I don’t think Erick needs an opportunity to get closer to His Majesty right now. He’s already had two private audiences.”

“What…?”

Private audiences?

It was true that Jora had been confined since just before the investigation into the Prince began, and he had been in the dark about news from the capital for the past few days.

But it was hard to believe that Lord Wellesley had gained the opportunity for private audiences with the Emperor in just those few days. Unless he was being made a target for venting anger.

However, Selin didn’t seem interested in resolving Jora’s confusion. Instead, she coldly shot back:

“And anyway, you’re going to die— I mean, you’re being sent to a penal unit, so what does it matter?”

“What…?”

“It’s already decided. All of the former Prince’s close associates.”

Jora finally learned that he would be sent to the border lord’s territory as part of a penal unit, specifically to the Lankart border lord’s territory that had recently suffered massive damage.

There wasn’t even a specific sentence length. In other words, he was meant to serve as cannon fodder in a dangerous territory and die meaninglessly.

“You should be grateful you’re not being executed immediately. You’ll be leaving soon, so prepare yourself.”

Jora stared blankly at Selin’s face. After that, he asked several more questions, but Selin didn’t respond at all.

***

Thanks to sending Matthias off as well-minced meat, I was finally able to leave the palace and return home.

Of course, the Cordana crisis was still ongoing.

The exchange was not scheduled to open today (because investors who missed the chance to enjoy the stone-throwing had thrown hundreds of tomatoes and bricks at the exchange building instead), but regardless, the Cordana-induced disaster was just beginning.

But I couldn’t stay tied to the palace because of that.

‘I have a lot to do too.’

I needed to build connections, monitor the situation in the capital, pursue real estate or treasure purchases, and above all, increase my strength.

Until now, I had devoted quite a lot of time to training while consuming elixirs. Since I would inevitably lack practical experience, I had decided to at least do mental training thoroughly. And I had actually made progress.

But now, just “making progress” wasn’t enough.

With the Hero’s party’s whereabouts becoming uncertain and the Papal State’s maximum force evaporating, this was an unprecedented situation.

All experts and mages in the Empire, regardless of whether they were active or retired, could potentially be deployed for battle.

Unlike wars between nations, there were no exemptions in the fight against the Demon Lord’s army. In that case, improving my skills was the way to increase my chances of survival.

“I’ll be taking my leave now.”

When I informed the court official, he readily agreed. It seemed I didn’t need to report to the Emperor in person that I was going home.

‘He must be tired too. His son was pelted with stones for three hours in the square before being carried off to the Papal State—he can’t be feeling at ease.’

I decided to leave the palace after wishing for His Majesty’s well-being.

However, before leaving, I was told there was news I should know.

“A separate imperial order will be issued soon, Lord Wellesley.”

“An imperial order?”

“When you had an audience with His Majesty, you mentioned that the Hero was likely to go into hiding, correct? We’ve secretly sent search personnel to Nazak where the Hero is supposedly hiding, but…”

“He’s probably not there. While Gwon Heejin is basically someone who looks down on us as primitive, he’s not so oblivious as to not feel a sense of crisis in this situation. He’ll likely stay hidden until he comes up with some defensive logic.”

“We see it the same way. …If that scenario becomes reality, we’ll need to find the Hero’s whereabouts, won’t we? There’s a high possibility that Lord Wellesley will need to be involved then. After all, besides Matthias, you’re the one who knows the Hero best.”

“…”

“I’ll see you soon, then. That’s all.”

‘You will need to be involved,’ he says.

Just from this attitude, I could tell how the palace viewed me now. Regardless of the Emperor’s personal feelings, I was already being treated as an insider. I would probably soon receive some impressive position separate from my title.

While it would be troublesome, it wasn’t a bad thing personally.

I quietly left the palace.

At present, the atmosphere in the capital, especially in noble society, was relatively calm.

It wasn’t that the investors’ resentment had been resolved and quieted down; it was more of a temporary lull. After destroying the square (Professor Weaver and his colleague professors were reportedly voluntarily restoring it now) by throwing stones, they must be quite exhausted.

In the end, the root cause wasn’t the Prince but the Hero Gwon Heejin.

Until that person was held accountable, the word “calm” could never be used.