A Treacherous Courtier Manages the Empire Well

42 – Escape

Seoric was looking at me. Carl Hansen was laughing so hard that his belly might burst. Caria was calmly sipping her tea as if she had expected this.

“32 werewolves have all defected to the security forces. And Randor, sir. He wants to meet you.”

“Was I right? I said they would make an appearance.”

“How did you know? They just wore beast ears and tails during the Fairy Festival, why did they come over? Seriously?”

“They finally received recognition and praise for the body parts that have been symbols of hatred and persecution their whole lives, so of course they came over. I must go and meet them. I have to have a conversation.”

“Let’s go together, Landor.”

Caria grips the sword cautiously as she speaks. She seems to be uneasy. Even if they did make the appearance, they are definitely the ones who came to terrorize the commercial city of Porto. I nodded my head.

“Let’s go together, Caria. Seoric, Kal Hansen, you two should come along as well.”

And so, we went to meet the Merfolk. The Merfolk were sitting on ornate sofas in a reception room, hastily devouring the luxury desserts we had prepared, under the watchful eyes of several guards. They looked like they had gone crazy, experiencing something for the first time.

“Welcome to the Ailam Empire! hahahaha! I am glad you seem to like the desserts we prepared.”

The female Merfolk, who seemed to be the leader, perked up her ears and looked towards me after finishing her snacks. After straightening her appearance, she approached me. Caria had her hand on the hilt of her sword, but I cautiously held her back.

“Are you Lendor? The wealthiest and most powerful person in the current empire?”

“I am indeed the wealthiest, but not necessarily the most powerful. hahahaha!”

“If laws are made with just a word, then being the most powerful is correct. My name is Chertu. I am leading these Merfolk.”

“Pleasure to meet you, Chertu. What is the reason you wanted to meet?”

Chertu cautiously looks up at me as she says those words.

“We want to live in the Ailam Empire. All of us, me and my fellow Merfolk. We will do anything to make that happen.”

Chertu swiftly and cleanly explains how they came to the Ailam Empire, the mission they received, and the abilities they possess.

“The Sultan ordered us to destroy this city. But now we have changed our minds. We never thought there would be a city that could accept and tolerate us. We want to live here. We are willing to do anything to live with respect like humans.”

Chertu looks up at me with a trembling expression.

“Will you accept us? We will do anything.”

“There are conditions.”

Chertu nods her head as if she expected that.

“I am listening.”

“Serve as guards under Seoric.”

Chertu’s ears perk up at my sudden words.

“You want us to serve as guards?”

“More accurately, capture the spies sent by the Sultan from Lord Elond’s side. You have lived as the Sultan’s hidden shadows for a long time. I believe there are no better beings suited for this task than you Merfolk.”

“Is that all?”

“That is all. Of course, you must live according to the laws of Ailam and if any signs of following the Sultan’s orders are detected, you will be disposed of immediately. Other than that, you are welcome here.”

Most of the Merfolk start shedding tears at my words. They had lived in a place where even a small mistake could result in brutal punishment, and now they were being accepted with such insignificant conditions to destroy the city. It’s no wonder tears would flow.

“We swear to protect Ailam with our lives. We pledge.”

“I would be grateful if you could do that.”

I said so and gestured to Seoric to manage them. Seoric nodded cautiously.

In that nod, there was also a meaning that if there was any sign that they were about to start working for the Sultan again, they would be eliminated. Of course, I was confident that there was no possibility of them betraying Ailam first unless Ailam betrayed them first.

As long as Ailam remained in their ideal place, there would be no fool who would try to destroy that ideal place.

“By the way, Cheruto.”

“Yes, Lord Randor.”

“Aren’t there still many of your kin in Karamba besides you?”

“Yes. Most of them are still there. They are living harshly, being trained rigorously at the combat training ground called the Black Pit… while dying.”

“Where is the Black Pit located?”

“Could you get me a map?”

When the map was provided, Cheruto pointed to a place in the northwest of the Karamba Empire.

“It is here.”

As soon as I saw the location, I smiled happily and looked at Caria.

“Lady Caria. If it’s this distance, can the Dragons fly there and back in one go?”

“The distance is not too far, so it is a distance that can be easily round-tripped. However, it might be a bit difficult during the bright daytime, and if they move at night, it will take about 6 hours for a round trip.”

I burst into laughter at her words.

“That is more than enough. Cheruto. Your kin. Bring all of them back.”

Cheruto’s eyes widened at my words.

“You, you mean bring them back? All tribal members?”

“I will provide support with 5 Dragons. Take all your kin in that pit and come back. We will provide them with homes and jobs. And in the process, we will burn down that pit.”

Caria’s eyes widened at my words.

“Randor. If the 5 Dragons cross over the Rako Mountains and burn down parts of the Karamba Empire, it could lead to war.”

“The Sultan has already crossed the line when he sent his kin to destroy the Commercial City of Porto. Since he has crossed the line, we need to firmly warn him as well. It has two meanings. Firstly, you still don’t have the means to deal with Dragons. And secondly, your beloved kin can also attack you.”

I looked at Cheruto.

“Cheruto. If I give you the order to destroy the major cities of the Crescent Moon Triangle, can you do it?”

“It is possible. It is our specialty. Just give the order anytime.”

I chuckled and looked at Caria.

“It’s an opportunity for us to take away the Sultan’s most powerful weapon that he raised. There is no reason not to do it. The Sultan will not be able to officially announce it even after the Black Pit is destroyed. He cannot announce the despairing conclusion that his greatest weapon that he raised has betrayed him and that there is no defense against the Dragons.”

The proud Sultan would never reveal this flaw. In the end, we could do nothing but pretend to be silent even if the Black Pit was destroyed. Caria looked at me quietly for a moment and then smiled.

“You can be a scary person when needed, Randor. I almost forgot for a moment.”

“The young ones who have crossed the line must not be left alone, that is my motto.”nnI stood up from my seat.nn”Cherry. You should start preparing to save your kin along with the dragons in the black quarry. I will be away for a while.”nnI needed to get the approval of the emperor to use the dragons.nnIt was only natural.nn”Such a pity! Do as you please! I will grant it!”nnThe emperor granted the permission after seeing the gifts I had taken care of, and so the next day, a special unit of 5 dragons and 32 soldiers, led by the black quarry, set off in the early dawn before the sun had risen.nn”Bam!”nnOne of the young soldiers, who was only 7, couldn’t hold on any longer and fell to the ground. His body, which was already at its limit, was no longer able to move. The instructor saw this and felt sorry, raising the iron hammer.nn”Get up.”nnIf he couldn’t get up, if he couldn’t handle the training, it was only a matter of time before he died. The child tried to stand up, but his body, which couldn’t eat or drink properly, refused to function anymore.nnIt was an insurmountable limit.nnThe instructor saw the young soldier and raised the hammer again.nn”That’s the way it should be.”nnThere was a gleam of satisfaction in the instructor’s eyes as the hammer was about to fall on the 7-year-old. Just before it did, the child’s mother, who couldn’t bear to watch, quickly embraced her child.nn”Instructor! Please! That’s why he can’t eat or walk properly!”nn”There are no exceptions. If he can’t handle the training, he deserves it.”nn”I, I will take his place! Please! My child like this, please!”nnThe mother’s words touched the instructor, and he put down the hammer.nn”Where did that filthy soldier’s order come from!?”nnThe hammer was about to fall again, but someone suddenly stopped the instructor.nn”Enough.”nn”Commander of the training!”nnThe instructor, who was about to continue the punishment, straightened up and greeted the man who had stopped him. The middle-aged man, who was called the commander of the training, gestured for the instructor to give the hammer to the mother.nnThe instructor obediently handed the hammer to the soldier’s mother, who took it with a trembling hand. The commander of the training spoke to her in a cold voice.nn”Use that hammer to crush your useless failure of a son.”nn”……Yes?”nn”I said crush him. There can be no exceptions. The only way for creatures like you to repay the grace of the spirits of the liquor is to obey his orders and become stronger. But your child is weak. Weak and helpless. There is no need for such a person. Kill your child with your own hands.”nn”How can I……”nn”If you refuse, I will kill your friends and family. Carry out my order.

In the twisted laughter of the training facility director, bloodshot eyes appear in the mother’s eyes.

“These…these devilish bastards!! They will be cursed in hell! They will be cursed in hell!!!!”

“Execute.”

While sobbing, the mother slowly raises her bat, with no room for choice.

It was a tragic scene where the mother was trying to beat her child to death.

The werewolves turned their heads.

The training facility director and other officers laughed and eagerly stared, finding it entertaining.

And just before the bat landed on the child’s body.

Something larger and heavier than that swiftly settled in the pitch-black pit.

A tremendous noise and dust burst out, and after the dust settled, it became clear what had descended into the black pit under the faint starlight and moonlight.

Scales harder than steel.

Sinister crimson compound eyes that flickered.

A body of tremendous length and seemingly longer wings.

“A, a dragon?!”

It was a drake.

And that’s not all.

“Ramo.”

“Che, Cherto!!”

As the massive metal box that the drake was clutching opened, people rushed out from within.

Armed to the teeth.

They were werewolves filled with anger and disgust.

“You don’t have to do this anymore. You no longer have to endure this disgusting place.”

Chertu clenches his fist, fueling his words.

“I have come to find a new home for us!!!”

At that proclamation, the expressions of the officers and the training facility director turned instantly pale and lifeless.

Drake.

The words “new home”.

“You betrayed us for four years, you…burn them!”

Before the training facility director and officers could even attempt to do something.

The black dragon opened its mouth wide and began spewing out a tremendous blast of fiery heat.

The instructors and the head of the training camp had no choice but to melt away, becoming nothing but piles of ashes.

And that was just the beginning.

“Set all the instructors on fire and kill them all!”

It was the moment when the night of slaughter and destruction began.