The last chapter for today.
From tomorrow on we will have daily chapter ;)
.....
Pluvia was furious.
She'd believed the warnings given last time would make the enemy back off, since regicide is a colossal crime. Even having the late Emperor's written pardon wouldn't help someone who tries to kill the monarch. But now, not only had they snuck into her palace, they'd done something even worse—slaughtering guards in the Imperial Garden and attempting to assassinate her right there.
This was no minor offense.
Pluvia jumped down from Kenji's arms. Worried she might fall, she clung to him tightly on the way, making him grit his teeth in pain. Combined with the wounds in his arm, he looked pretty banged up.
It seemed the assassins knew to respect the Dragon Guards' skills, because they didn't chase them outside, even though Kenji and Pluvia were only a short distance from the garden exit. Clearly, these people had a good grasp of what the Dragon Guards were capable of.
That realization only made Pluvia more wary. The Dragon Guards were the Emperor's personal protectors, rarely deployed. After her recent reforms, they mostly showed up as a ceremonial unit. Only a handful of powerful courtiers knew how they truly operated.
So there had to be a traitor inside…
Pluvia glanced at Kenji, lost in thought. Although he'd basically cleared himself of immediate suspicion, she still couldn't help wondering if he was involved somehow. Yet, glaring evidence stood right before her: those assassins had genuinely tried to kill Kenji as well.
Should she suspect his identity anyway?
"Lord Anos is hurt—someone get him treated!"
Ignoring the sound of battle drifting from the garden, a nearby Dragon Guard hurried over to bandage Kenji's injury. He tested his left arm. The assassins had been terrifyingly efficient, piercing right through and then following up with a vicious blow that almost ruined his arm completely.
Of course, Kenji wasn't someone you could take out that easily.
As Duke Anos, he'd fought on the front lines at a young age. Part of it was his strong command skills, but he also wasn't weak as a fighter. In Camelot Empire, there's a long tradition of martial prowess—whether officials or generals, most had practiced at least some kind of combat technique. Even a few civil ministers were cultivators. Maybe they weren't unstoppable, but the fact that they cultivated said plenty.
And as the empire's military leader, there was no way Kenji would be some sheltered scholar.
A sticky black ointment covered his wound and was then secured with a clean bandage. The pungent sting made him wince.
"Your Majesty, please send the Dragon Guards into the garden right now," Kenji urged. "My subordinate is strong, but she's not exactly the gentle sort—I never told her to keep anyone alive."
Pluvia got the hint. She immediately ordered her Dragon Guards inside.
Moving along the walkway, they ran into Lina. She leaned against one of the pavilion columns, spattered with blood. Someone thought they saw a bit of black liquid staining her outfit, although it could've been a trick of the light.
Facing everyone's stares, Lina didn't bat an eye. She took a breath and steadied herself, then nudged the assassin squirming under her foot.
He was the classic image of a hired blade—dressed in black, gripping a curved knife coated in a sinister bluish-purple poison.
Seeing that, Kenji suddenly worried about his own wounds. Damn it…did they poison every weapon?
"I'm glad you're safe, young master."
Lina glanced at everyone, then settled on Kenji. Her idea of safe simply meant he was still breathing. From her point of view, an attempt on Kenji's life was nothing new. The real victory was that he survived, especially under her watch.
"Anything to report?" Kenji shifted his attention to the battered assassin at Lina's feet. That man seemed determined, glaring at them with a fierce gaze. He opened his mouth as if about to bite down on something. Perhaps hidden poison.
But right as he moved, Lina lifted her seemingly delicate left foot and shoved it into his mouth to block it. He clamped down on her shoe instead of his suicide capsule. He wasn't a crocodile—chewing through her footwear wouldn't do much. And though it hurt her a bit, she didn't show mercy. She kicked him in the ribs instead, knocking him out cold.
"Hey, hey, show a little grace," Kenji muttered. He reached out and covered Pluvia's eyes to shield her from how brutal that looked—something he usually did for his younger sister. But she wasn't his sister; she was the emperor.
Thank goodness there were no imperial scribes around, or Kenji would've earned a reputation:
"When the Emperor and Duke Anos were ambushed, Her Majesty clung to duke Anos. Moments later, upon seeing a wounded assassin, Duke Anos covered the emperor's eyes—a most disrespectful act."
It definitely didn't look like the behavior of a conventional loyal vassal.
"I left him alive for you, young master. It's up to you now." Lina flashed Kenji a teasing smile. She made no attempt to hide her intention of handing everything over to him, ignoring the emperor standing right there.
He could only sigh. Lina's blunt way of speaking never failed to stun people, but he was used to it by now.
"Your Majesty, this is probably tied to the earlier assassination attempt you mentioned. I think you should handle this personally," Kenji said, sounding helpful. In truth, he wasn't about to let this messy burden land on him. He remembered the emperor's looming demands and didn't want to trigger any more trouble. So he tried to hand the matter off to her with a polite flourish.
"No. You've been investigating for days and haven't cracked a thing. How could I cut you off from a fresh lead now?" Pluvia narrowed her eyes. "Take it. Find out whatever you can, then inform me."