I Became the Master of the Empress

3

Walking along the long corridor.

Could it be because of the banquet? The soldiers who were usually seen all over the corridor are hardly visible today.

Of course, it’s also because the security forces were somewhat relaxed today, asking the soldiers to take it easy.

Passing through the minimal number of soldiers, we arrived at the guest hall where the guests visiting the palace would stay.

No more soldiers in sight now.

There aren’t many crazy people trying to assassinate the Duke who has reached the level of Swordmaster.

Maybe it’s also because Valoran is too confident in his own skills.

Slowly, we walk towards the floor where we stay.

A corridor with a red carpet laid out.

Outside the window, there is a deep darkness.

On the left, a bright lantern illuminates the corridor.

If we turn left now, we will reach the Duke’s room.

“Everyone… please wait here.”

As I speak in a low voice, everyone stops.

“Until I give the signal…”

Pointing at a door with my finger, I say, “Hide over there for a moment.”

As I point to my current room, the mercenaries nod their heads.

Seeing them cautiously open the door and enter the room, I head towards the Duke’s room.

Two guards are seen guarding the grand duke’s chamber.

Seeing them, I smile warmly and say,

“Oh… sorry, everyone. The shift change seems to be running a little late.”

I deliberately assigned the next shift to arrive an hour later.

So… they won’t come.

But the guards, unaware of this fact, seem tired and say,

“Your Excellency! Even though the banquet has already started, everyone is being too much.”

“Yeah, we also want to have fun with the noble ladies and gentlemen.”

I say to the soldiers who complain by tapping the floor with the window.

“hahahaha… then I’ll stay here and you go first and have some fun.”

As if questioning the truth in my words…

“Your Excellency, really?”

I smile and nod in response to their words.

“Of course, didn’t I say we’re just running about 15 minutes late anyway?”

A man who seems to be a senior speaks in an approving tone.

“We’ll take care of it if it’s just 30 minutes.”

Oh no… this will be a disaster.

Trying to hide my anxious heart as much as possible, I jokingly say in a cheerful voice,

“No, no. If we want to play with those demanding noble ladies and gentlemen, shouldn’t we go and get ready now?”

I try to sound nonchalant, but the senior apologizes as if feeling sorry.

“That’s not the case… Isn’t Confucius much busier than us? So…”

Fortunately, I don’t feel awkward about my actions, but rather sorry for myself. Is that why I’m being polite?

Then I’m glad.

I say with a bright smile.

“Alright. You’ve dedicated yourselves to our family for so long. I’ll give the order. I’ll take care of your work for a while, so enjoy the banquet and go to bed early.”

The senior guard, with a humble and bright expression, says in response to my words.

“I… If you say so…”

“Oh, Sir Ian! Why are you doing this? Then… we’ll take our leave.”

“hehehe… Have a good day with the noble ladies and gentlemen.”

The junior who leads the senior about to speak smiles at me and hands me a hornpipe.

“Well then, thank you! Lord Devian!”

I watch them leave, the sound of metal clashing.

First… I sent off the guards…

After confirming the departure of the guards, I open the door to my room right next to me.

“Preparations are complete.”

The mercenaries with stern faces nod.

And…

They stand in front of the Duke’s door.

-Knock knock!

“Someone.”

I hear the voice of Valoran.

“It’s me.”

“…I don’t want to see your face.”

Although it was an obvious insult, I bring out the words I had prepared in advance.

“Your Highness, there is an urgent matter.”

“What is it?”

“Well… It’s something that shouldn’t be heard by anyone…”

When I spoke cautiously, the Grand Duke seemed to sense something strange and said,

“If it’s nothing important, I will punish you! Come in!”

Upon hearing his words, I gesture with my finger for the mercenaries to hide against the wall.

“Didn’t I tell you to come in?”

Valoran urges me.

Meanwhile, I open the door and see the mercenaries hiding inside, leaning against the wall, out of sight.

Valoran sits on a lavish sofa.

He looks annoyed as if his rest was disturbed, and speaks to me as if shooting me a glance.

“What is it?”

“It’s nothing… It’s just that… I captured a demon worshipper who was sneaking into the palace a while ago.”

It’s a deception to distract Valoran’s attention, even though such a thing actually did not happen.

Valoran responds as if to say that it’s unlikely.

-Thud!

“Ridiculous! Who are they?”

I calmly respond to his question.

“While interrogating… I was told to show it to the Grand Duke… so I secretly brought it with me.”

With a furrowed brow, Valrang responds.

“What is it? Show it to me without delay.”

I retrieve something that is piled up with white fabric from my bosom.

“Here… it is.”

And so, I approach the Grand Duke.

Step by step, slowly…

As I get closer to Valrang, my heart races.

-Thump… thump…

An overwhelming trembling.

Calm down… just once… I only need to succeed once…

I make every effort to calm my heart and arrive in front of Valrang.

And…

-Swish! Thud!

Crimson blood splatters in all directions.

“aaah!”

“Die! You bastard!”

Originally, I intended to stab his neck, but Valrang sensed something amiss and moved his body back, causing the blade to pierce his shoulder instead.

“Did you see this crazy bastard!”

Baloran wrapped his arm around my shoulder and kicked me…

-Thud!

“Ouch!”

I rolled on the ground from the powerful kick.

-Kiiik!

The door opened roughly, and the mercenaries I hired came in.

“Gongja!”

-Swirl.

“How dare you! Betraying us without even appreciating the grace we’ve shown you?! Who do you think you are!”

Baloran, who had drawn his sword on the adjacent seat.

I wonder if the title of the continent’s best swordsman is just a facade.

The gush of blood seemed to have stopped unlike before.

“You monster…”

“Gongja, here!”

I took the sword that Karl extended to me.

Then, I looked at the Duke and said,

“Shut up, you dog!”

At that moment…

-Clang!, Clang!

Something flies towards Valoran, but he swiftly deflects it.

And…

Hans and Jason pressure Valoran…

-Whoosh!

A moment of light flashes from Valoran’s sword, shattering Hans’s twin blades, not just breaking but cutting them clean through.

At that moment,

Jason thrusts his spear dazzlingly, pressuring Valoran.

Just as Valoran’s sword seems to reach, witnessing the exquisite retraction of the spear,

Valoran furrows his brow in anger…

“You brats! I’ll kill you all!”

At that moment…

Daggers fly toward Valoran as the target.

-Clang! Clang!

Rebecca smiles, watching Valoran skillfully deflect the daggers like a ghost.

“Don’t underestimate me, for I’ve coated the daggers with poison.”

And I, along with Carlo, join them.

“Be ready! The poison will take effect soon!”

The daggers I plunged into Valoran’s shoulder are coated with poison.

A poison that disrupts mana manipulation and congeals blood.

Quite a precious poison, even if you’re a Swordmaster, it would be difficult to withstand once the poison starts to spread.

“aaah!”

Ballo rang screams, illuminating their sword.

It all started with Hans.

Ballo rang tries to block the sword’s energy with their broken sword, but it’s futile.

So…

-Swish!

And Jason, attacking Ballo rang with his long range and exquisite spear skills.

That spear…

-Chop!

Slices through effortlessly…

“Oof!”

A sword pierces through Jason’s chest.

In that moment.

“This… monster!”

-Thud!

A dagger is lodged into Ballo rang’s belly.

And seizing this opportunity, Rebecca widens the distance and keeps throwing daggers while Carl surrounds Ballo rang.

-Clang! Clang!

Metal clashes, emitting sparks.

And… Ballo Rang, breathing heavily.

“Hah… Hah…”

It seems like the poison is slowly taking effect.

“Now… it seems the poison is taking effect.”

Ballo Rang glares at me as I speak.

“You! Do you have no pride as a member of the Great Lion Family? Ugh… Ugh!”

Ballo Rang vomits a small amount of blood.

Seeing his desperate state, I smirk bitterly.

“Forget about that… How does it feel? Falling off a cliff at the moment you were about to achieve everything?”

“You… cough… cough… You… to the likes of you…”

As Ballo Rang speaks, I swing my sword.

Swiftly raising my sword, Ballo Rang blocks it, but two short swords cruelly pierce his thigh.

“Argh!”

Losing his balance and falling, I approach Ballo Rang.

*Splurt.*

As I sever his right arm, a fountain of blood gushes in all directions.

“aaargh!”

Grimacing in pain, he grabs his bleeding wrist and screams loudly.

“Shut up! This isn’t the end!”

*Swoosh!*

“This is my mother’s revenge!”

The sharp point of the sword pierces Balorang’s chest.

“And this…”

She tightly grips the handle of the sword.

-Thud!

“Ugh!”

“This is the price for all the evil deeds you’ve committed!”

-Thud!

“Die! I want you dead!”

How long have I dreamt of this moment?

Born as this bastard’s son, I have lived a life close to abuse.

“Hah! Maybe it’s because he’s a Swordmaster that he won’t die so easily.”

I say that, but I’m only stabbing him in his vulnerable spots.

“Grr… You… you bastard!”

As he raises his left hand to grab me, his slow movement makes me sigh.

Well… I wonder if it’s impressive that I can still move my arm after such a serious injury.

-Slash!

I cut off his left arm…

“Go to hell.”

I thrust the sword into Balorang’s forehead.

– Kwak!

I stare at Valoran, whose head is pierced with a eerie sound.

Valoran lies dead, glaring at me with wide eyes.

Looking at his face, a part of my heart aches.

I finally did it… Mother…!

But this is not the end. There’s no time to indulge in emotions.

Now, I can only consider taking one step forward as the beginning.

First… I have things to do.

I say to Carl and Rebecca, who were blankly watching behind me,

“If you go back to where we came from, Agrippa will be there. He’ll show you how to get out. I’ll take care of things here, so please, hurry and get away.”

Perhaps my face looked ghastly, as both of them weakly nodded.

“M-Master…”

There’s no time now.

I speak urgently, knowing that the guards will arrive soon.

“I told you to go.”

At my words, the two finally nodded, opened the door, and slipped out.

“Phew…”

After seeing them off, I open the poetry box on Valoran’s desk.

I take out a sophisticated wooden stick, sharpen one end with a knife, and bite it…

I light it with the nearby burning candlestick.

– Hwarruk…

And I take a sip.

“Hoo… Haa… Now… it begins.”

Valoran’s rebellion was a success.

And my rebellion to kill Valoran and rise up was also a success.

From now on, it’s the beginning of a chaotic reign.

If luck isn’t on my side, I might die tomorrow.

Or maybe even sooner.

But… the die is already cast.