At first, he even considered trying to persuade Elric to their side.
The rising star, the hero of Lacente, and the current head of the magic royal family, the grandson of Usdun Melvinger, the "Magus of Star," supporting the Crown Prince?
There could be no more beautiful picture than that.
However,
After meeting Elric in person, Patran completely abandoned such thoughts.
The connection between Elric and the Nerester family was much stronger than what he had grasped directly from the Inspection Bureau.
'Considering the distance between the magic royal family and the magic tower throughout past history, I thought it could never be close... That was a miscalculation.'
The relationship between the Inspection Bureau and the Magic Tower was never good.
Of course, it could be said that it was better than the war of nerves being waged between the Magic Tower and the Lion family, but even so, the Magic Tower was a thorn in the eyes of the Inspection Bureau.
Moreover,
Going deeper, from the perspective of the Inspection Bureau, the magic royal family was something to be more wary of than the magic tower.
Wasn't the performance of the magic royal family during the Great Demon War remarkable?
That's why the name of Usdun Melvinger was almost deified among the people.
The Inspection Bureau strongly disliked any hero worship other than members of the imperial family.
No, even if they were members of the imperial family, unless they were the Emperor, they would surely try to suppress it.
So pulling Elric to their side could actually bring greater trouble.
Above all.
'His Highness would never want to have someone he considers a rival by his side.'
Patran's thought that "the Crown Prince and Elric seem fated to be enemies from birth" wasn't just a baseless assumption.
'So, before that guy grows any bigger, I must get rid of him.'
Proceeding with such a matter privately without the permission of the bureau head or the Director could potentially bring about risks.
But Patran covered everything under the guise of "loyalty to the Crown Prince."
'If this matter goes well, His Highness the Crown Prince might see me in a different light...!'
Patran pursed his dry lips and licked them with his red tongue.
'Come to think of it, didn't the 1st bureau head get demoted due to a past mistake? Maybe covering up all the mistakes with this incident won't be enough, and that position could become mine. No, perhaps I could even aim for the position of 4th bureau head.'
He was currently the Deputy head of the Fourth bureau.
But his ambition didn't stop there.
In his mind, he already pictured himself rising to prominence from an inconspicuous position, becoming the Crown Prince's confidant, a position coveted by any agent.
Meanwhile,
'He's just the same.'
Crown Prince Jericho had already noticed Patran's inner thoughts but pretended not to.
Even if the Fourth Bureau didn't support him, there were plenty of people like Patran in the Inspection Bureau.
He could use them as tools comfortably and discard them when problems arose.
So the Crown Prince planned to quietly observe how Patran intended to proceed.
Seeing him so confident, it seemed like he was devising some good plan.
'But before that... let's put aside thoughts about him for a moment and focus on completing the mission here.'
The Crown Prince momentarily suppressed any lingering feelings for Isabelle in his heart.
He had chosen his position over love. He had to protect it at all costs.
'And when I have everything in my grasp! When I have the throne completely in my hands, I will come back to you. So wait a little longer, Isabelle.'
The Crown Prince clenched his fist.
Of course, in the meantime, Isabelle may find another lover or husband.
But so what?
As long as I became Emperor, I could dispose of all those insignificant people.
"Did you say that the mastermind behind 'Gregori' was Viscount Garot?"
Could Patran feel the determination in the Crown Prince's words?
Patran's head bowed even lower.
"Yes. Not only are all the clues related to the totem pointing in that direction, but we have also secured evidence."
"And the reinforcements?"
"According to the orders of the imperial inspector, the City Guard has agreed to cooperate."
[T/L: 어사 - Imperial inspector (Eosa: An undercover royal inspector of the Joseon Dynasty, who used to be dispatched secretly to local areas under the king's command and watch the administration of the local governors and life of the people.)]
"Good. There should be no mistakes in carrying out the suppression."
"As ordered."
"As ordered!"
Patran and the agents all shouted in unison.
The Crown Prince's gaze turned south.
His eyes were burning with ambition.
Because of that, he failed to notice.
Far away, perched on a tree on the opposite mountain ridge.
A bat was hanging upside down, watching them.
***
"...This is amazing."
Gility chuckled at the news brought by the bat he had as a Familiar.
And then.
"How on earth did you know this?"
Augustine and the others looked at Elric with incredulous faces.
It was Elric who suggested following behind because Patran and the others seemed too suspicious.
Since living with suspicion was part of being a Inspection Bureau agent, they would somehow prepare for eavesdropping, but the story would be different if they used magic with a longer range than the magic tools the Inspection Bureau possessed.
That was the reason why Gility came forward.
The saying 'walls have ears' was not a lie; it was always meant for oneself.
Elric shrugged his shoulders.
"I didn't know for sure. I just had a hunch. But Masters, didn't you know anything?"
It meant that they had no idea that the crown prince was hiding among the agents.
It was surprising that someone like Augustine or Gility didn't recognize such a person.
"I heard that the Inspection Bureau's disguise technique is done in a completely different way from magic. Still, I was secretly ignoring it as just simple disguises... Haha! Looks like your master got played. I'm curious about what method it is."
"It's like they didn't think we'd be eavesdropping on their conversations."
Augustine nodded, seeming to understand.
"So, what are we going to do now?"
He became excited.
Among the spectacles he had witnessed in his 90 years of life, Elric's scheme was the most interesting.
"What else? We have to take everything."
"And how do we do that?"
Instead of answering, Elric
Smirked!
With a knowing yet mysterious smile.
***
Garot Viscounty.
Located in a very remote area even in the northern region, it had very little presence in both central politics and nearby areas.
But it was also a popular place among the locals due to its low taxes and the modest nature of its lord.
'...Well, all of that was deliberately planned from here.'
The head of the family, Suen Garot, muttered that with a look of boredom.
It has been 30 years since he was stuck in this secluded countryside while wearing the guise of a moderately approachable noble.
Demons have always had to live off of human fear.
However, having been immersed in peace without any incidents for so long, it felt like both body and spirit were rusting away.
If it weren't for the grand purpose of the revival of their fallen race.
And if there weren't a thorough faith in the great being, he would have advanced from this position long ago.
But the organization always said,
Someday, when He returns, won't it be an honor to sit by His side?
Only those of you who tirelessly run on the front lines are worthy of that seat.
Of course, Suen Garot wasn't foolish enough to believe all of that.
But
'Even if it's not by His side, wouldn't it be enough to sit in the backseat, or even further back? Because this is the only way I can gain His favor without even having a 'unique' level seal.'
And now.
Suen Garot could see that the moment he had been eagerly anticipating had arrived.
-The messenger will come to visit you soon.
It was written in an anonymous letter that had arrived before dawn today.
While it might be seen as a joke by others, Suen Garot couldn't help but be excited all day.
"Finally... someone from above is coming!"
Even without this, he had some suspicions that the "Time of Revival" was not far off.
For the past five years, orders had periodically come down to plant totems and harvest vitality from the outside world.
So he had diligently carried out his duties without any interruption, but finally, someone from the central authority was coming.
Suen Garot thought that this was the central authority's consideration to acknowledge his loyalty and involve him in the revival ceremony.
"Who might be coming? Hm? Shana? Or perhaps Judas, is it their time?"
Suen Garot recalled the faces of those who could be considered the organization's representatives one by one, contemplating how to welcome them.
The more he thought about it, the more impatient he became.
No matter how much effort he put in from this poor countryside, would it be enough to impress these esteemed individuals?
'I should just raise the taxes for a short period, right? Since none of the messengers dislike treasure...! No, even if they're messengers, there must be quite a few attending, how many are actually coming here?'
At that moment, when Suen Garot was pondering whether he should easily overturn the reputation he had built over 30 years,
"Lord Viscount! There's, there's trouble!"
Suddenly, the door burst open, and the butler rushed in.
He was chosen from the village for his ability to manage the territory, as he had no interest in it.
But he knew how to manage the territory reasonably well, and he was good at flattering, so he kept him close.
But he was completely soaked in cold sweat, as if something terrible had happened.
"What's the matter?"
"T-the army has, has surrounded the territory!"
"The army?"
Suen Garot raised an eyebrow.
'If they're coming, it must be the messengers, right? Surely they wouldn't bring so many operatives to call it an army? No, if they did, it would only cause unrest.'
But something doesn't add up.
'Or could it be the demon army...? But if they're not going to immediately wage war against the Empire, they must never be shown...?'
In a situation that Suen Garot simply couldn't comprehend, his mind spun with confusion.
"Lord Viscount, you must flee at once! The army has come!"
Just as Suen Garot was about to get up to see for himself,
BOOM!
An enormous explosion shook his mansion as if thunder had struck out of nowhere.
And beyond the window, he saw the annex collapsing.
"What... is this?"
Only then did Suen Garot realize that something had gone terribly wrong, and he rushed to the window in a panic.
The direction from which the explosion came.
Dozens of fireballs, much larger than human heads, were lined up in the sky.
Below them stood a heavily armed group of over a thousand people!
The two-headed dragon flag, symbolizing the imperial family, and the sword-and-shield flag symbolizing the Inspection Bureau were flying over their heads.
"This place is soaked in demonic energy. Sweep through the entire territory, leaving not a single blade of grass untouched."
Following Patran's orders, the troops from the Inspection Bureau began to advance in unison.
Thud, thud, thud-!
And then,
"Now that it seems to have begun, let's join in."
In the thickets of the hill overlooking the estate.
Elric rose to his feet slowly.
With a sinister grin, as if he were dying of amusement.
"Isn't it fun to fan the flames in a burning house?"