Emotionless Swordsmanship Genius

Chapter 18: The Web of Destiny

The capital of the Rob Empire, Pontania.

Prince Merka, with his shiny blonde hair neatly tied back and adorned in splendid formal attire, had grown much more than before. His well-defined features and upright posture clearly displayed his princely demeanor.

The Agrofon banquet, one of the royal events, was an important occasion attended by nobles from the Agrofon family, high-ranking officials, and generals, held only once a year.

His older brother and the crown prince, Hojo de Agrofon, was already on the platform, exchanging greetings with the nobles in turn.

Although Merka found public events extremely exhausting, he had to attend this banquet.

Behind him, Eugenia remained steadfast like a statue.

Even though he was in an inconspicuous corner, the nobles somehow recognized him and came up one by one to offer their greetings.

Most of the approaching nobles brought their daughters to introduce to him.

“Eugenia, can’t we slip away soon?” Merka asked in a low voice after sending off yet another noble.

“The Emperor has yet to make an appearance,” he replied.

“Ha, he’s always late,” Merka sighed.

“Let’s wait a little longer,” he suggested.

As Merka began to feel tired, a familiar face approached him, causing his expression to harden.

“Have you been well, Prince Merka?”

“Senator Montecorato. It’s been a while,” Merka responded.

Senator Montecorato bowed deeply to Merka, then feigned a sympathetic gesture with an exaggerated smile.

“You haven’t been coming to the Colosseum lately; it’s been quite difficult to visit you. As you know, there’s so much going on with the Colosseum…”

“It’s fine. I wouldn’t feel upset even if you didn’t come to see me.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

Although Merka spoke sternly, Senator Montecorato pretended not to hear, lowering his head as if unaffected. He seemed to have a thick skin, just like his bulky physique.

“What consideration…”

Feeling disgusted by this, Merka turned his head and muttered, “By the way, will the Triopolas Knights remain in the mines?”

“Considering what they did, I think it’s fortunate we haven’t disbanded them.”

“That’s true.”

Merka had sent them to the mining city of Palen in the southeastern Mekler Mountains as punishment for their involvement in the slave rebellion that occurred in Palemon a year ago.

It was almost akin to exile.

While Merka had initially considered disbanding them, sending them to the mines had been the Emperor’s directive.

Since he had imposed a gag order on them regarding Karon, Senator Montecorato believed that Karon was dead.

“Ah, have you heard? The Emperor is planning to hold a grand festival at the Colosseum for half a month starting in three months.”

As Montecorato casually mentioned this, Merka remained expressionless.

“I know. A tremendous number of slaves will likely die this time as well.”

“It will be an honor for them. They will die while bringing joy to the public.”

“I wonder if they think that way themselves?”

At Merka’s pointed remark, Senator Montecorato merely smiled without saying a word.

Just then, a servant whispered to him, prompting the senator to bow his head again in respect to the prince.

“Then, I must take my leave as I have much to prepare. Glory to the Rob Empire, Prince Merka.”

“Good luck,” Merka replied in a curt tone, then glared at his retreating figure, whispering, “The moment the Colosseum disappears, so will your life.”

As more wars broke out and territories expanded, the Rob Empire thrived, and the capital overflowed with people.

With this prosperity, the status of the Colosseum was soaring daily, and consequently, Montecorato’s influence was steadily increasing.

At that moment, a figure approached who brightened his previously crumpled expression. Surprisingly, Prince Merka took the initiative to speak first, an unusual occurrence at this banquet.

“Your Grace!”

“Prince Merka. Have you been well?”

“I’ve always been fine.”

“Why are you here instead of at the central podium?”

“Haha, I feel a bit uncomfortable there.”

Merka smiled, which was also a rare sight.

The middle-aged Grand Duchess, with her shiny silver hair neatly tied up, was dressed simply and modestly compared to the other nobles’ extravagant attire. Her words and actions reflected humility, always accompanied by a bright smile.

However, today was different; she was accompanied by a girl Merka had never seen before.

The girl had long black hair and snowy-white skin, creating a striking contrast. The diamond-shaped mark on her forehead and her silver eyes left a powerful impression.

She looked about one or two years younger than him.

Noticing Merka’s intense gaze, the Grand Duchess quickly placed her hand gently on the girl’s shoulder, realizing her mistake.

“I apologize for the late introduction. This is my daughter, Susanna.”

“Daughter?” Merka asked cautiously, puzzled. He had thought the Grand Duchess was unwell and had no children with the Grand Duke.

“About a year ago, the Grand Duke captured a large number of illegal slave traders and brokers, and she was one of the children rescued from there. He brought her home because he felt particularly concerned for her. It’s odd, but I fell in love with her at first sight. So we’ve adopted her as our daughter.”

The Grand Duchess smiled warmly at Susanna.

In the Rob Empire, the slave system was strictly prohibited, except for a few cases like war slaves or those sold into slavery due to unpaid debts. Particularly, slaves obtained through plunder were all deemed illegal.

However, the reality was that more slaves were needed, leading to illegal buying and selling in secret.

The officials merely turned a blind eye, taking no action.

“I see. That’s remarkable. You’ve done a good deed; not everyone could do that.”

“No, I just followed my husband’s wishes.”

The Grand Duchess referred to the Grand Duke, Decius, whose rank was just below that of the prince.

Strictly speaking, he held a position of almost absolute power next to the Emperor, but due to the strong influence of the Senate in the Rob Empire, he wielded similar authority.

His character played a role in this as well.

He believed that he should personally resolve any matter, so he always executed the Emperor’s commands directly, traveling to and from the front lines.

He was well-known for his integrity and earned the deep trust of the people.

Furthermore, he was one of the few reformists in the Rob Empire and occasionally met and maintained a close relationship with Prince Merka, as they shared similar ideals.

“Allow me to introduce you. This is Prince Merka.”

The Grand Duchess slightly bowed her head and spoke to Susanna, but the girl merely peeked out from behind the Grand Duchess and glanced at Prince Merka.

“I’m sorry. She still lacks social skills… That’s why I brought her here on purpose. I plan to teach her from now on.”

Although it was clearly an action that deviated from royal etiquette, the prince didn’t mind.

“I’m fine, Your Grace. By the way, hasn’t the Grand Duke returned yet?”

Prince Merka shifted the topic so that she wouldn’t feel pressured.

“No. While returning from the front lines, we received a report that the ‘Blue Raven Group’ had appeared in the south, so he is heading there.”

“Truly, he has no time to rest.”

“You know his personality. Quite peculiar.”

“I’m well aware.”

Prince Merka let out a short sigh and smiled lightly.

“Yes. I wish he had seen Susanna.”

There was a hint of regret in the Grand Duchess’s tone. Seeing this, Prince Merka quickly reassured her.

“He’ll be back soon. I heard there are groups impersonating the ‘Blue Raven Group.’ They’re probably one of those.”

“That’s a relief. I’ve taken up too much of your time. I’ll take my leave now.”

“Yes, Your Grace. When the Grand Duke returns, let’s have a meal together.”

“That sounds good. Then I’ll be going.”

As the Grand Duchess took Susanna’s hand and headed toward the exit, Prince Merka gazed quietly at their retreating figures.

He then asked Eugenia, still maintaining his gaze, “Why does that girl remind me of that child?”

“Huh? Which child?”

Eugenia furrowed his brow at the sudden question. Prince Merka spoke in exasperation.

“Karon.”

“Well, I didn’t feel that way. Perhaps it’s because they are of a similar age.”

“Still no news?”

“None. We have a few trustworthy subordinates quietly watching the outskirts of the Taber Desert. If he manages to escape alive, we’ll probably find him.”

After returning from Palemon, Eugenia had discreetly sent several reliable subordinates to guard the desert’s outskirts, acting under the prince’s orders.

Even though they had only met once, the prince’s determination was greater than expected.

At that moment, the main doors of the banquet hall swung open, and knights lined up.

The captain of the Emperor’s personal guard shouted in a booming voice.

“The Emperor is entering. Please remain silent.”

The two stopped their conversation and turned to face the central hall.

—

The forest was soon surveyed by the two, who climbed a rather high rock to look around. No matter where they looked, the forest stretched endlessly.

“Kruger Forest?”

“Yeah. It seems we veered too far east while escaping from Svekks. This is definitely Kruger Forest. If so, they’re not heading toward the capital. They might be going to the southeastern port city of the Empire. It’s a place where smuggling is rampant as well.”

Shong confidently pointed to a port city named “Bela” on the map he had spread out.

The map he possessed roughly outlined the Rob Empire, and it wasn’t easy to obtain such an item.

Karon was about to ask how he got the map but decided to let it go. He then looked down at the map, lost in thought for a moment.

He pulled out a piece of herb from his pocket and popped it into his mouth to chew.

“Then we just need to guard the path leading to the port city.”

“Exactly! As long as we’re careful about Kruger.”

As Shong nodded and asked, Karon stared at him while chewing the herb with an indifferent expression.

Now accustomed to that gaze, Shong continued to explain.

“Why do you think it’s called Kruger Forest? It’s named after the Kruger that lives in the woods.”

“Monsters?”

Shong shrugged his shoulders.

“Not really monsters; they’re closer to beasts resembling leopards. They live in packs, so we need to be cautious. They probably know this and are trying to traverse the forest since no one comes through here.”

“How long will it take to reach the port city?”

Shong measured the distance carefully by looking at the map, tilting his head as he spoke.

“Well, it depends on the state of the forest. Two days? At most three?”

“Then we’ll have to camp in the woods.”

“Probably, right?”

Another silence fell between them. Shong didn’t press for more details; he understood well what Karon’s silence implied.

“But what on earth are you chewing on so much? You did the same yesterday.”

Unable to hold back any longer, Shong asked. Karon scooped some herbs into his palm.

Carelessly popping a Taver vine into his mouth, Shong was met with a bitter taste that made him gag for an hour.

The next early morning.

It was the darkest time when senses dulled, and everyone was asleep. The two stealthily made their way through the forest.

Of course, Karon determined the direction, and Shong merely followed behind.

From behind, Karon appeared almost ghost-like.

He moved without a hint of sound, and Shong almost lost sight of him several times.

As they were swallowed by the pitch-black darkness, they soon arrived at a campsite where torches flickered here and there.

‘He’s truly a monstrous guy.’

Shong swallowed hard.

As a supposed hero of justice, he prided himself on being better than anyone in stealth, but seeing Karon made him feel like a frog in a well.

But that was brief; he shifted his gaze back to the campsite visible through the bushes.

At that moment, Karon stopped moving.

As expected, even just a little distance away from the torches, it was dark, and the guards, clad in black cloaks, seemed to be dozing off somewhere.

In that moment, Karon realized.

These weren’t the blue-haired thugs he had been searching for.

The energy they gave off was far too shabby to be them.

But Karon remained unfazed. Even if they weren’t the ones he sought, he was sure he could extract something useful from them.

The two dispersed as if they had made a silent agreement.

Each pursuing their own objective.

The first place Karon headed was the outskirts where they stood guard. He intended to start consuming them from the outside.

Swish—

His figure slipped through the gaps between the torches like a shadow. Only the torches flickered slightly; there was no sign of any presence.

The path ahead became clear, and even the faint sounds of insects could be heard.

The air flowing through felt tangible against his skin, and the grass and stones growing beneath his feet felt alive.

He was unknowingly merging with nature.

The only thing that stood out in this harmony was the gleaming blade he held.

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