[Vol. 8] Chapter 298: Asking the Sword
The princess smiled and nodded slightly.
“Miss Violet, your eyes are truly sharp. You saw through it right away. Yes, these maps were made by the spies we secretly sent into the Imperial Palace. It cost us a great deal of money and effort to create them, and they risked their lives to send them outside. After many twists and turns, the maps finally reached my hands.”
“Although they look a bit rough, once we use the power of the Book of Truth to revise and complete them, they will show a perfectly safe route.”
“And the end point of this route is naturally the place where the spies discovered the prisoners are being held. It is said that the place is heavily guarded. Even our spies could not get close, let alone enter to see what is happening inside. So the rest is up to us outside to think of another way.”
“In the capital today, the old emperor’s whereabouts are unclear. For some reason, he is rarely seen. Most national affairs are handed over to the princes or ministers. Among them, the one who plays the most important role is the imperial prince named Xiluo.”
“After secretly following and investigating him day and night, we found that this prince has been very busy lately. Almost all his time is spent inside the palace, handling matters of state. The only times he goes out are when he visits the Princess Palace, seemingly to discuss business with the one called the [Empire’s Two-Colored Lotus].”
“This Prince Xiluo is now the true center of national affairs. His status is very different from before. If he is attacked, whether the attack succeeds or fails, the entire Frederick City, including the palace itself, will surely fall into chaos. They will start a massive search everywhere. At that time, we can try to sneak people into the palace and carry out further rescue, using the information shown on the map.”
“In fact, today is exactly when the map officially reached us, so the timing to begin action is perfect. When the prince goes to the Princess Palace, he never takes too many guards with him. So, if we want to make a scene by assassinating him, the best chance is during his trip there and back.”
“So that’s how it is.”
The high tower where the prisoners are held...
The priestess nodded slightly, as if she had thought of something.
Without a doubt, this was the work of the emperor. From her earlier talk with Carinvega, it was already clear that the one representing the Austre Empire in cooperating with the World Sustainers was that ambitious man. Leonis’s retreat from handling government affairs was likely not about giving up power, but about focusing on something even more important.
If that is true, then this strange tower must play a key role in his plan. Now, all the clues point to the depths of the palace. The time, place, and people are all aligned. One way or another, they must go there.
Whether it was an invitation or a trap, after being prepared in secret for so long, it was finally time to face it openly. Before the ruins truly appeared in the capital, some things had to be resolved.
Thinking this, Violet nodded. She had already made her decision.
“Then, count us in for this mission.”
“Oh, of course, that would be—wait, what!?”
…………………………………………
Since the assassination event needed time to spread and stir things up, and because the Sea Alliance had just received the route map from their insider, it was impossible to prepare all the people and details immediately. So the official action was set to begin two mornings later.
After finishing the discussion with Nitira and the others, Violet did not stay in the Sea Alliance’s base. She quickly said goodbye and left, agreeing to meet again before the action started.
Now that her decision was made, before everything officially began, there was still one last place she had to visit, to confirm some thoughts in her mind.
Riding with her dragon girl through the countless buildings of the capital, dealing along the way with several patrols from the city guards who questioned their identities, Violet finally reached a grand and majestic complex of buildings near noon.
The white granite steps rose layer by layer, stretching upward. Guarding this place were not imperial soldiers, but young men and women in light blue-and-white robes with long swords at their waists. They stood on both sides of the stone stairs, heads held high, posture straight, full of spirit and pride. It seemed that guarding this gate was not some lowly task, but rather an honor to them.
All of this was because, at the very front of the stone steps, a massive stone monument stood tall. On it were carved three words: “Swift Wind Sect”
Just a single stone stele standing here was enough to release a natural aura of sword intent, graceful yet as heavy as a mountain. From this, one could see just how incredibly powerful the person who carved it must have been.
“The training ground of the Swift Wind Sect is really impressive. Ugh, rich people are the worst~” The priestess said with a playful smile.
In the imperial capital, where every bit of land was worth a fortune, even members of the royal family could not freely own a palace. Only the most famous and highly accomplished figures, such as the [Empire’s Two-Colored Lotus], could have a palace exclusively for themselves. As for nobles and wealthy officials, their residences were allocated by imperial decree.
The Austre Empire had a highly centralized government. Anyone who wanted to buy land in Frederick City had to go through official applications, reviews, and strict investigations. This strict policy allowed the emperor to fully control land ownership, effectively preventing powerful aristocratic families from rising.
Yet here stood this great mountain gate, with a plaza and stone stairway stretching hundreds, even thousands of meters. Judging by its size, the actual grounds behind it might be as large, or even larger, than Carinvega’s Princess Palace. Clearly, the status of the Swift Wind Sect within Frederick City was on an extraordinary level.
And the reason for such high status was simple.
Power.
The Swift Wind Sect was known as the number one sword sect of the current age. Its ranks were full of powerful fighters. Its six great disciples each had strength at least equal to “legendary” level, making names for themselves across the land. Not to mention their master, the Sword Saint himself.
A man who surpassed mortals with his own body, whose mortal flesh had reached the peak of sanctity. He was respected as the Austre Empire’s strongest and only true Saint. Many factions in the empire might have legendary warriors, but the title of Sword Saint was unique, there was only one.
What made the Swift Wind Sect even more remarkable was that, despite its power, it was known for strict principles. Following the teachings of its founding Sword Saint, the Sect never interfered in politics under the banner of its sect, nor did it use its strength to bully others. In a way, it functioned more like an academy. This was why it could coexist peacefully with the royal family, with neither side interfering in the other’s affairs.
Of course, this was something Violet only knew because a Sword Saint himself had casually mentioned it to her in conversation. Ordinary people would never know such details.
As a Saint whose fame dated back even earlier than the Empire itself, Bevis and his Swift Wind Sect had long been the target of recruitment attempts by Austre’s emperors. Yet, the Sword Saint never agreed nor directly refused, always maintaining a distant, ambiguous stance. Even in the current war, they had not provided much help.
And this was one of the main reasons the Austre Empire was planning the Chaos Magic Valley campaign.
To put it simply, if the Sword Saint and his disciples could be persuaded to join fully, the Austre Empire’s chance of victory in this world-level war would increase by at least ten percent.