Chapter 44: Splitting

“Third Prince? Weren’t you supposed to be heading to the lands of the ethnic tribes?”

Count Dave, who had arrived in the northern territory after a grueling journey to win over Duke Bellot, felt that the capital was on the brink of a crisis. 

Every second felt urgent, and he immediately headed to Duke Bellot’s office.

As soon as he entered, he was met with an unexpected sight: 

Third Prince Kenneth, leisurely sitting on a sofa, enjoying tea. 

The expression on Count Dave’s face clearly showed his confusion—what is he doing here?

Third Prince Kenneth.

With neither a prestigious bloodline nor significant influence, and having squandered his personal fortune to run off with a lowly ethnic tribe girl, Kenneth no longer had a place within the imperial family. 

If Duke Bellot hadn’t been present, Count Dave might have even committed some form of disrespect toward him. 

After all, Count Dave was a typical imperial noble who valued bloodline above all else, embodying the strong preying on the weak.

But something felt off to Count Dave.

The Third Prince, who had always been timid and reserved in the palace, now carried an air of arrogance and confidence.

What could he possibly be relying on to act this way?

Everyone in the empire, even the children, knew that Count Dave was one of Empress Caela’s closest confidants.

Did the prince really think such an attitude was appropriate?

“It seems the matter was resolved quicker than expected,” Kenneth said casually.

“And what of your new haven?” Count Dave asked, indirectly implying that the empire was no longer a place for Kenneth.

Kenneth merely smiled in response.

But it wasn’t the kind of smile meant to placate or diffuse the situation.

It was closer to a sneer, mocking Count Dave’s words.

‘You were the one in control before, weren’t you? After all the suffering I’ve endured, it’s your turn to taste a bit of that.’

Kenneth then pulled out a document from his pocket and thrust it in front of Count Dave.

“The matter is too significant for me to simply hide away in a new haven,” Kenneth said.

Curious, Count Dave picked up the document and began to read.

His eyes widened as he scanned the contents—experiments combining black magic and voodoo, conducted on ethnic tribes.

It was a grave matter involving black magic.

And what caught his attention the most was the imperial crest of the Empress.

*’Her Majesty’s crest?’*

Count Dave glanced at Duke Bellot, who nodded in confirmation, acknowledging that the crest was genuine.

“My friends among the ethnic tribes are furious. I’ve been sweating bullets trying to stop them from seeking immediate revenge. You wouldn’t understand, Count,” Kenneth said.

Count Dave was stunned.

How could the Empress, his closest ally, have been involved in such activities without his knowledge?

Overwhelmed, he found himself at a loss for words.

“Are you threatening me now? What can those ethnic tribes possibly do, even if they’re angry?” Count Dave retorted, defiant in the face of the prince’s arrogance.

But Kenneth didn’t respond. Instead, Duke Bellot stepped in.

“Count, are you saying that this matter truly involves Her Majesty the Empress?” Duke Bellot asked.

Count Dave was momentarily speechless.

If he had known anything, he might have been able to spin the situation or defend the Empress.

But with no information, he couldn’t find the right words.

Duke Bellot, however, took his silence as confirmation and continued.

“I sided with Her Majesty because I believed her to be a gentle and virtuous person, unlike Prince Kiel. If she is capable of conducting human experiments for some hidden agenda, then I cannot support her. Let us consider this meeting as if it never happened.”

Count Dave’s mind raced.

He had thought that securing Duke Bellot’s support would give their faction an overwhelming advantage.

But now, it seemed everything was falling apart.

As Duke Bellot gestured for him to leave, Count Dave realized that if the Empress found out about this failed meeting, the consequences would be severe.

But no solution came to mind.

Surprisingly, it was Prince Kenneth who came to his rescue.

“Duke, wait a moment,” Kenneth said, halting Duke Bellot’s departure.

Count Dave realized belatedly that Kenneth and Duke Bellot seemed to have some prior connection.

This had been a misstep from the beginning. His demeanor softened as he faced the prince.

Satisfied with Count Dave’s subdued attitude, Kenneth continued.

“I don’t believe Her Majesty is the culprit. If I were her enemy, I would have urged my friends to invade the empire immediately, wouldn’t I? But I didn’t.”

“…That’s a fair point. But why are you telling me this?”

“Because you’ve been hostile toward me. I wanted to make my position clear. With the two factions in the capital evenly matched, if Duke Bellot remains neutral and the ethnic tribes turn against the Empress, do you think you can handle it?”

Count Dave sighed.

This was a situation he couldn’t manage alone. If things went wrong, it could cause irreparable damage to the Empress.

Swallowing his pride, Count Dave bowed deeply and sincerely apologized.

“…I’m sorry. Please forgive my past disrespect.”

“Apology accepted. Now, I have a request.”

“What is it?”

“Let me make it clear again—I have no interest in the throne. In fact, I believe the Empress is the right person for it.”

Kenneth’s words reassured Count Dave, and his expression softened.

“I will clear up the misunderstanding with Duke Bellot so he can side with the Empress. Honestly, I believe this is a scheme to frame her. I have a rough idea of who the real culprit might be. So, arrange a meeting for me with the Empress.”

Count Dave was relieved.

The request was simpler than he had feared.

After a moment of thought, he nodded in agreement.

He immediately sent a message to the Empress to arrange the meeting and then excused himself.

Kenneth had done him a great favor.

In the future, when Kenneth proposed ideas to help the Empress, Count Dave would no longer oppose him.

“Duke Bellot, thank you,” Kenneth said.

“Not at all. I just hope those responsible for this evil deed are caught and expelled from the empire.”

“Of course. But be careful after I leave. If even His Majesty the Emperor has been targeted, I can’t guarantee your safety.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Duke Bellot took Kenneth’s advice seriously.

Even if it was an unnecessary precaution, it was better to be safe than sorry.

The response from the Empress came much quicker than expected.

It was affirmative, and soon, Kenneth and Count Dave were on their way to the capital.

*

“All inquisitors sent abroad have lost contact.”

“…Since when?”

“Three days ago. All contact was cut off simultaneously. It’s likely they were attacked all at once.”

If the holy knights represented the bright side of the Church, the inquisitors represented its dark side.

Their combat abilities were on par with the holy knights, if not equal.

For all of them to lose contact at the same time, across the empire, the kingdom, and even Istian—this was no ordinary matter.

‘The situation might be more serious than I thought.’

If those sent abroad had all been killed, what about those within the country?

That’s why the distinction was made.

“What about the inquisitors patrolling within the Church?”

Pope Justinian’s question was met with hesitation from the cardinal.

Sensing something was wrong, the Pope urged him to speak.

“…Black mages have been discovered within the Church. Although they appear to be low-ranking, the amount of research materials they’ve accumulated is significant. A large-scale investigation is underway.”

“Dear me.”

Research materials—this was a euphemism for living people.

The situation was worse than feared. 

If the black mages had infiltrated even the Church, the situation outside was undoubtedly dire.

Entire nations might already be under their control.

If major powers like the empire and the kingdom were fully compromised, could the Church alone stop them? 

The difference in scale made it impossible.

The only silver lining was that the black mages hadn’t yet launched a full-scale attack, suggesting they were still preparing.

The Church, with its sensitivity to the ominous aura of black magic, had suffered less damage. 

Internal investigations and damage control wouldn’t take too long.

The Church needed to preserve its strength and secure reliable allies to thwart the black mages’ plans.

‘Who can be trusted, and who cannot?’

A single misstep could be fatal.

Pope Justinian’s head ached as he struggled to find answers.

‘The ethnic tribes and Prince Kenneth.’

They were the ones who had uncovered the black mages’ covert operations across the continent. 

Without them, the empire might have fallen to the black mages’ schemes before any countermeasures could be taken.

They could be trusted.

The problem was their limited influence. 

A prince with little power and ethnic tribes living nomadic lives—could they really stop the black mages’ plot? 

Even with the Church’s efforts, it wouldn’t be easy.

But desperate times called for desperate measures.

Justinian quickly sent them a letter, hoping for a positive response. 

After all, they had suffered too, and he believed they would agree to help.