In the middle of the sea near the coastal city of Muriel, there was a floating restaurant known as "Blessings of the Sea." It was not only uniquely located but also renowned for its exquisite food quality, making it a preferred destination for wealthy nobles and merchants.
However, on this particular day, the restaurant appeared to be empty except for one table where a single person was seated.
That person was Adrias, who had arranged to have a meal with Lord Mynus Mohaim. For the day, the entire restaurant had been reserved, creating a serene atmosphere where waiters occasionally approached Adrias to refill his drink as they walked by.
'Lord Mynus Mohaim, a peculiar lineage.'
Whether the game's setting had been faithfully transcribed or if it had actually experienced such history couldn't be determined. Nonetheless, the Mohaim family was remarkably unique.
While other noble families didn't deviate much from the medieval noble archetype, the Mohaims exuded an atmosphere akin to a mafia organization. They were known for their various legitimate businesses, particularly their vigorous involvement in the mercenary trade.
Unlike other noble families who would never hire out their knights as mercenaries, the Mohaims did. As long as the payment was substantial, they engaged in brawls, settling any power disputes, and were always ready to fight for gold. They consistently pursued profit over honor, and their wealth rivaled even the Alben family's due to their shrewd dealings.
"You've arrived first."
Adrias rose from his seat to greet Lord Mynus, dressed in his trademark white suit, who entered with his sister, Greta.
"It's a pleasure to see you again, Your Highness. And it's been a while, Miss Greta."
"Hello!"
Greta's cheerful greeting caused Mynus to forcefully grab her head and make her bow.
"Adrias Cromwell, 'Count.' You must greet properly."
"Alright, let go and then we can talk. Anyways, what's with the hand-holding?"
Mynus released Greta's head upon her insistence but not without a displeased look.
"Lord Adrias, it's been a while. I'm Greta Mohaim."
"Greta."
When Mynus called Greta's name with a stern look, she responded by lifting her head and giving a mischievous grin.
"Young lady, I apologize if I offended you by addressing you informally."
"Apology accepted, Lord Cromwell. My brother has a point; I'm not quite composed."
The informal atmosphere between the two nobles, which was quite unusual in a conversation involving a lord, was actually comforting. Greta's presence relaxed the situation, allowing Adrias to smile awkwardly and nod his head.
"Not at all, it's fine."
"Thank goodness. Let's get to the main topic for now."
Coinciding with Mynus' arrival, the waitstaff began serving the food.
As someone who didn't often spend lavishly, this meal was quite the luxury for Adrias.
As they ate, Mynus finally opened the conversation.
"Right, our very first conqueror of the Modras Tower. How's your life at the academy these days?"
"Unchanged. The interest has waned after a day or two."
To be precise, it had waned due to consistent avoidance. The instructors intervened, and Adrias continued ignoring, leading to a gradual decline in the chaos.
"But they're still going crazy about it in the capital. Are you aware?"
"Yes, I've heard."
While it was easy to call Maximen Cronell a lone warrior, he was actually an exceptional individual with accomplishments that carried significant weight.
"Anyway, I wonder if you've planned out your future. Of course, it'd be great if you came with us, but I understand that life doesn't make decisions that easily."
With a sly smile, Mynus subtly shifted the conversation to the main topic. Though Adrias might seem impulsive, he was well aware of the hidden facets of Mynus' character.
Adrias pondered for a moment before putting down his utensils and speaking.
"I have responsibilities. I apologize, but I can't provide more details at the moment."
"Related to the Emperor?"
Upon receiving a sudden direct question, Adrias looked at Mynus for a moment.
Though they had been staring at each other for a while, Adrias soon smiled and spoke.
"I don't understand what you're saying. Why would the Emperor suddenly appear?"
"I might not know the whole story, but I'm aware that your father betrayed the Emperor. I doubt anyone doesn't know that. It's not something that would be kept a secret."
Adrias gazed at Mynus, who was speaking so openly.
However, the other person seemed entirely unfazed, leaning back with a languid expression, merely observing Adrias' reaction.
"Don't worry too much. This establishment is mine, after all. There won't be any leaks no matter what's said. After all, this restaurant in the middle of the sea was built for precisely that purpose."
"I never thought his Majesty Mohaim would know about our family affairs."
"I'm not the only one who knows. Aside from Lord Singclair, all the other dukes must be aware, right? Well, especially since Duke Kazaf is connected to the Emperor, it's natural he'd know."
Seeing Mynus speak confidently, Adrias became contemplative.
Perhaps showing his inner thoughts here wouldn't matter much.
Even if Mynus reported to the Emperor, the Emperor would likely think it's just a young upstart playing tricks. If the Emperor had been paying much attention, any incident would have happened quickly in response to his actions.
That's how unconventional Adrias' recent actions had been.
'But still, just in case, I wanted to be prepared for this meeting...'
Mynus, who had been observing Adrias' complexion, spoke.
"You're quite cautious."
"I learned that promises and contracts should be handled cautiously."
"Emperor bastard."
Adrias' poker face crumbled at the sudden curse.
And Greta, who was next to him, burst into laughter.
"Ahaha! What, out of nowhere!"
"No, it's because you seemed not to believe me, so I thought I'd give you some verification."
With a sly smile, Mynus looked at Adrias.
"Well, should I throw in some other curses? Just let me know."
"No, I believe you."
It was a slight gesture of surrender, a feeling that it wouldn't matter even if he spoke.
Adrias spoke softly.
"I don't have grand dreams of seeking revenge on the Emperor or anything like that. However, I've been thinking that having enough power to protect myself and my family would be ideal."
"Exactly. Even if an individual is strong, they can't stand against a whole faction."
Mynus nodded in agreement.
Then, leaning one arm on the table, he leaned forward slightly.
"We already know that you've confronted the Emperor. But the others who made you an offer don't know this fact. If other factions find out that you challenged the Emperor, would they welcome you as before? Probably only we would be willing to take you in."
"Before we get to that, I have something to say."
"Speak."
"Just as I mentioned before, it's not about seeking revenge on the Emperor. It's a separate issue."
"Are you saying I made a wrong assumption?"
"If I had the power to protect myself and my family, as I mentioned earlier, that would be great. However, what needs to be addressed first is the most important thing. Until that's settled, it might be difficult to align with any faction."
"Have you already made commitments elsewhere?"
"I swear to the heaven, no."
Well, unless that guy, who's trying to blatantly provoke a duke like himself, is involved, that's unlikely.
As Mynus absentmindedly stroked his beard, he turned his head towards Greta and asked,
"Have you decided?"
"I acknowledge his abilities... but he seems uninteresting."
"In that case, let's treat this incident as if it never happened."
Saying this coolly, Mynus casually picked up his utensils and resumed eating.
Adrias, momentarily taken aback by the remarkably natural flow, followed suit and lifted his utensils, imitating the two siblings who were continuing their meal.
Perhaps finding this scene a bit amusing, Greta burst into laughter while eating.
"Is that all?"
Upon Greta's inquiry, Adrias wiped his mouth and raised his head for a moment.
"He is the Duke of Mohaim. Opportunities like this don't come easily."
"May I ask you two something before we continue?"
Upon Adrias' question, Mynus nodded his head.
"Go ahead."
"Do you know why our family was betrayed?"
"That's rather intriguing. Why did that happen?"
"The Emperor has a current objective. To conceal that objective, he discarded our family."
"An objective?"
Was it due to the unexpectedness of the revelation?
Curiosity was evident in the eyes of both Mynus and Gretha.
"Your Highness, do you know about the so-called 'Great Sins'?"
"I haven't heard of that."
"Though I'm not sure of the exact number, it's said that by gathering those artifacts, one can usher in an era of gods. The Emperor is currently collecting them."
Adrias deliberately feigned ignorance about the details.
But his explanation was enough on its own.
"An era of gods? Are you talking about a mythological era?"
In a world where magic and beings like spirits existed.
Given that traces of the gods were already present in ancient ruins, it wasn't mere fantasy to the people of this world.
"Was Cain Cromwell involved with those 'Great Sins'?"
"Yes, that's correct. To conceal that fact, the Emperor grasped our family's lifeline, ultimately reducing us to this state."
"Why did he leave you alive without erasing any trace?"
"Our father concealed his involvement with those 'Great Sins.' I'm not sure where they're hidden, but it seems that even the Emperor doesn't know. Perhaps he's left me alive as his child in case I could provide a clue."
"It's a dangerous situation. How intriguing."
Mynus nodded as he pondered for a moment.
An era of gods, which the Emperor was targeting.
An era of gods was exactly what it sounded like. There wouldn't be anything good for humans in it.
However, it seemed that the Emperor believed he could even subjugate these gods under his feet.
"He's unbelievably arrogant."
Whether Adrias' words were true or not was beside the point; recent events surrounding the Emperor were quite unsettling.
Unlike before, there came a time when the Emperor became mired in indulgence and arrogance.
Because of this, their foreign relations had become precarious.
"But if the Emperor truly has such a dangerous goal..."
At that point, Adrias began to speak slowly.
"The world will be turned upside down."
"What are you saying?"
"The Emperor's arrogance, focused only on the Great Sins, will lead to changes in the continent's situation and beyond. It's the flow of changing times. The world won't remain the same. I think His Majesty even vaguely realizes that he can't alter this flow."
Although he didn't know how the war with the North would unfold after he killed Bloody Dan, Adrias wasn't foolish.
Bloody Dan was merely a hired hand; the client was still intact.
In that case, the client could simply hire someone else.
'Perhaps that client is involved with dark magic gatherings or figures from the Emperor's side.'
Whether it happened sooner or later, a conflict with the North was inevitable.
In that case, the larger scheme of things would inevitably continue.
In a world of survival of the fittest.
Before the Emperor could die as a variable or the gatherings disappear from the world, it was impossible to resist the tide.
"Strong, influential factions with binding power will survive in this tide. So, we should prepare from now on."
"You're talking like you know what will happen, and you're the one being arrogant. Do you really know what you're talking about?"
"A major war is imminent. It could happen anywhere on the continent. And war isn't necessarily all bad. It can be a great opportunity for those who are prepared."
"Now that I think about it, were you just slacking off instead of studying at the academy?"
Mynus revealed this with a grin, a sinister smile.
And Adrias knew exactly what that smile meant.
"I'm satisfied."
It was a sign of approval.
However, Adrias' words weren't finished.
He looked straight into Mynus' eyes and opened his mouth.
"Your Majesty."
"What?"
"Don't you wish to become a king?"
The atmosphere turned cold.
Mynus' expression froze just like the one he had when he was laughing, and veins began to show on his forehead.
"Adrias Cromwell, you're not trying to mock me, are you?"
"I'm well aware that my life is precious too."
Adrias said calmly.
"Let me explain from now on. How King Mohaim can become a reality."
.
.
.
.
After all conversations, including the meal, were over, Adrias Cromwell returned to the academy.
Mynus and Greta, who remained at the table, couldn't properly send him off due to the shocking words Adrias had spoken just moments ago.
After a while, Greta was the first to speak.
"Could those words be true, big brother?"
Even in the face of Greta's question, Mynus remained silent for a while.
His heart was incredibly complicated right now.
The remark of becoming a king and Adrias' supporting arguments had shaken Mynus' mind.
'A watchful eye that scrutinizes the nation with a small sign. He's like a prophet.'
Perhaps if there had been an exceptional mimic, would it be that way?
Every word from Adrias contained content that wasn't easy to dismiss.
Considering the actual future he knew, and reshaping it to reveal his plans, Adrias' words held allure.
"But he left out something important."
"True. After all, we don't have any decisive hints that our family will become the royal family."
Finally speaking up, Mynus' words were echoed by Greta.
Having finished sorting out his thoughts, Mynus slowly rose from his seat.
"Let's leave it for now. Let's see if things truly unfold as Adrias said."
At Mynus' words, Greta nodded and looked at the empty chair where Adrias had been sitting just a moment ago.
"I thought he was a boring guy, but he surprisingly has some charm."