Chapter 88: Triumphal Ceremony (5)

"He sent me out of the capital two months ago. It wasn't even a proper mission."

-Did you feel it was intentional?

"Yeah. From what the kids below me said, the commander was quite busy."

-It's quite a coincidence. It happened around the same time as the terrorist attack.

I know the outcome, but there were ambiguous aspects that made it hard to pin down.

Phiri must have thought the same. There had to be another reason.

-It doesn't seem like you're just saying this.

"A few of the commander's people were also missing for a while."

Phiri sighed lightly.

"I don't want to say this, but it's more of a gut feeling. Like the intuition you had before, as a spy. You can curse me if you want."

-No, I don't think Phiri is wrong.

Phiri is a good person and an excellent spy. She's not the type to say such things lightly.

If she's talking about her gut feeling, it must be a strong one.

-We need to think rationally, but because we know this, it could also be a signal from an area we haven't recognized.

We might have overlooked things because we trusted and were close to the person.

These overlooked aspects are what a spy's intuition is about.

Of course, it could be a false alarm, but with Phiri, the probability of my guess being right is high.

The commander's minor actions have become signals that make Phiri suspicious.

"Your words give me strength. It wasn't easy for me to say this to you."

-If Phiri felt that way, I think it's true.

-Are you just taking my side? I actually brought it up to get a critical perspective.

-To be honest, I didn't have a good feeling about the commander from the first time I met him.

There was a moment of silence.

"Was that the surprise you mentioned earlier?"

-Yes, you know my gut feeling.

"Hmm..."

-I'm being serious.

"Why didn't you say it then?"

-If I had said it then, I wouldn't have gotten a good response. From my father or Phiri.

Phiri nodded in agreement. It was a point she could feel.

"Let's assume our gut feelings are right. What I don't understand is the motive. Why attack the princess?"

-He didn't collude with the empire.

"Right. The imperial intelligence agency can't touch the royal bloodline. He wouldn't have colluded with the princes either."

Maybe this was the question Phiri really wanted to ask me. She probably didn't have an answer.

If she hadn't assumed he colluded with demon followers, she wouldn't have understood the commander's actions.

-Do you know something?

"No. But I've known him for a long time. The commander isn't the type to collude with such people."

-If he targeted the princess instead of a prince, could it be a force that wants the empire to be in chaos?

"Chaos in the empire?"

-Another kingdom or demon followers. Personally, I think it's the latter.

Phiri pondered for a moment.

"I don't want to think so, but we can't rule it out."

-Among the forces we know, they have the highest possibility. They were also the ones who smuggled minerals from the north.

"Right. It fits. It's strange for him to collude with another kingdom."

-You must have seen the investigations we did on the demon followers. They might have been seduced by something alluring.

Suddenly, I thought the current flow of conversation was quite good. The terrorist attack was dangerous, but...

Anyway, the situation had changed from what I knew.

If there hadn't been a terrorist attack, Phiri would have noticed the commander's odd behavior much later.

Maybe I could deal with the commander more easily than I had worried.

-Did you talk to anyone else about this?

"No, not yet."

-Don't. He's the commander here. If he betrayed, we don't know who among his subordinates might follow him.

"I know that. I trust the kids, but I'm not willing to take the risk."

Of course, I would be thorough, but I was saying it just in case.

-Do you have plans to meet my father soon?

"Now that you're here, it's hard to see him separately. I'm currently focusing on you."

-Is there a way to contact him separately?

"There is, but it's dangerous. The commander will check my communication network. This is something we need to discuss in person."

-Let's take our time. Meeting immediately would be dangerous anyway.

If the commander was involved, he would be watching his subordinates closely. It's a sensitive time.

"I agree. It wouldn't be good to draw attention."

-Stay safe. It's just a suspicion, but I trust my gut feeling. And Phiri's gut feeling too.

"I understand. I've seen how terrifying the commander can be since I became deputy commander."

Phiri said it was a possibility, but she seemed almost certain in her heart.

We need to be careful.

The future I knew was changing rapidly as I got involved. It's still a long way to make the princess the emperor.

At least, I want to put her on the right track. I hope no major problems arise in the middle.

* * *

I didn't know this, but the effect of the Ironman was beyond my imagination.

I fully recovered in just two days.

Of course, my body was still heavy and tired due to the worst condition, but it was just like my usual state.

The wounds were almost completely healed.

-But, you should have rested for at least a week...

-Indeed, I've heard that heroes in history were similar. There's a legend of a hero who recovered from a deep stab wound in three days.

The doctor, unable to hide his astonishment, said this. Maybe those past heroes were also Ironmen.

Anyway, it was a good story.

If the doctor's words spread, people might think I'm on the same level as those heroes.

How was the terrorist incident handled?

Of course, the culprit wasn't caught. I heard the intelligence agency was busy under the emperor's strict orders.

'Those demon followers aren't ordinary.'

They must have prepared a lot. They wouldn't have planned the attack without being prepared to get caught.

Considering the probability that they were trained by the imperial intelligence agency, they might have also received their techniques.

There were two possibilities for why the intelligence agency didn't catch the culprit.

Either they were pretending not to know, or a small group within the intelligence agency created the demon followers.

I think the latter is more likely.

The issue of touching the royal bloodline is not trivial. If it was an official operation by the intelligence agency, they would have caught the culprit long ago.

'Probably, they became independent or had issues during the training process.'

Maybe even the imperial intelligence chief doesn't know. After all, the chief of the imperial intelligence under Haisen was a traitor.

Anyway, today was the day of the commendation ceremony that couldn't be held on the day of the triumphal ceremony.

The capital still had a sense of unease due to the terrorist attack, but it wasn't that severe.

The imperial royal family announced that the terrorist attack was orchestrated by the remnants of King Rohalak.

There were also rumors among the gossips that the princes were behind it because the princess was the target.

But I think the empire might be stirring public opinion to control the people.

"Wow!"

The ceremony was quite long and boring.

First, they honored the bravery and prayed for the souls of the soldiers who died in the terrorist attack and the war. Next, they honored those who made contributions.

My turn came quite late.

Since the emperor values war, the commendation ceremony was held in a solemn and serious atmosphere.

"Knight, Karl Schurtafen."

Finally, my name was called.

Receiving the gaze of countless nobles and knights, I knelt before the emperor.

"Respected founding emperor, when the wicked forces from the west attacked the empire, putting our brave soldiers in danger, Knight Karl Schurtafen faced them with his sword, courage, and wisdom."

The atmosphere was solemn. The emperor spoke with a dignified voice. My role was to remain still.

The gaze of the audience made my back feel hot.

"In the Achten Plains, he successfully ambushed the enemy by eliminating all their scouts, and in the Epidere Plains, he defeated 30,000 enemy troops with a wise strategy."

The emperor took his time to detail the battles I fought, making sure even those who didn't know would understand.

"Up to the siege of Hrit, he was the greatest contributor to this war. Moreover, he heroically protected the princess from the terrorist attack in the western army, demonstrating noble chivalry."

The emperor received the medal from Luedern.

It was a medal with a star adorned with a laurel wreath at the end of a sword.

"Thus, I award him the Founding Emperor Medal. May you continue to display your bravery."

The Founding Emperor Medal. The last recipient was 130 years ago.

Therefore, it was quite amusing that the recipient of this medal was me, a spy of Haisen.

When the emperor pinned the medal on my chest, thunderous applause and cheers erupted.

The emperor patted my shoulder.

"I already said this a few days ago, but thank you again. For the war and for protecting my daughter. I owe you a great debt."

After being discharged, I was summoned by the emperor. He praised me for the war and protecting the princess.

He said he would give me the reward today.

"I just did what I was supposed to do."

"I don't like your modesty."

The emperor playfully frowned. I smiled lightly.

"Congratulations, Count Schurtafen."

"It is an honor, Your Majesty."

The Founding Emperor Medal is not just a medal. It comes with a huge reward, a pension, and a change in treatment.

Everyone in the empire, except the emperor, must show respect to me.

It's not a legal requirement but an unwritten rule, and it's the first award in 130 years.

Perhaps because it's been a long time since it was awarded, I might receive more attention. But the medal itself is enough.

I also received a nominal count title. Though it's just a title, it means a lot for an orphan like me to become a count in the empire.

"Ah, this is something I'm giving you separately."

Luedern handed me a wooden box instead of the emperor. It looked expensive.

Even though it was closed, a strong herbal scent seeped through.

I couldn't guess how valuable the elixir from the emperor was. This was the best part.

I might not be able to afford it even with the huge pension I will receive in the future.

"Thank you."

With me, the commendation ceremony ended. In the festive atmosphere, the nobles gathered around me and Erendil.

It was natural, as we had the highest contributions in this war.

It was annoying but necessary. It was an opportunity to win over people who didn't care about us before.

I had meaningful conversations with those I had been watching among the nobles.

An hour later, the emperor called his children. He probably wanted to talk about the war.

It should have been done earlier, but it was delayed due to the terrorist attack on Erendil.

The emperor sat on his throne and looked down at his children with a solemn and cold gaze.

The first and third princes couldn't lift their heads, as if they had committed a sin.

"I have doubts about this war."

The emperor scanned the audience. The atmosphere became cold.

"Should this competition continue? I see a successor in my eyes. Is this meaningless struggle necessary?"