Chapter 203 : Chapter 203

"Director, what do you mean by that?"

The moment Victon's voice struck his ears, the old man who had been standing with his hands behind his back turned around.

An old man looking dashing with his white hair combed back neatly and pure white sideburns running from under his ears to his chin.

Parker Makell, the Director of the Imperial Royal Inspection Bureau, answered with a grin.

"It is exactly as I said, Victon. I want you to help organize the chaotic situation in the neighboring country."

"I was asking about the cause of that incident. But you want me to handle the aftermath without even giving an answer?"

"That is the answer."

"What on earth does that......!"

"Victon Ares."

Victon hurriedly swallowed his words at the heavy voice he heard while he was about to argue more fiercely.

Blue eyes pressed him down with a stern aura.

"Am I in a position to be yelled at by you and grant your requests right now?"

"......No, sir."

"Or did you think I would praise you for arbitrarily executing the Imperial Royal Family's special envoy?"

"He was a tail of the Evil cult......!"

"Evidence?"

"The situation......"

"But on the contrary, it is certain that Garrett Hampson was a special envoy of His Imperial Majesty."

"......"

"You must be aware of the situation, right? If it weren't for your grandfather, you wouldn't even be able to keep that position right now. No, you might have even been accused of treason. You are aware of that, aren't you?"

"......Yes."

Grandfather.

The moment that resentful name was mentioned, strength naturally entered Victon's fist, but there was nothing more he could say.

Only then did the Director continue in a soft voice again.

"Originally, there were many opinions to put you under house arrest or assign you other rough tasks. Like this one here, for example."

Looking away, Victon saw a familiar type of flyer.

A wanted flyer with the names of the Empire's heinous criminals written on it.

Catching these guys was certainly important, but it was not something an Imperial Royal Inspector should do 'personally'.

'It means they wanted to make me run around in circles.'

His eyes trembled the moment he saw the first page.

"But I'm not lazy enough to let a capable talent sit idle."

The Director approached with a smile and placed his hand on his shoulder with a thud.

"I'm giving you a chance because I rate you highly, at least. You caused the incident, so I'm letting you fix it yourself. You know that, right?"

"Does that mean, eventually, you want me to go to Trey instead of him and......"

"Create a system friendly to the Empire. That is your mission this time. Fortunately, the new King is already prepared to establish friendly relations with our Empire. You will become the special envoy opening a new era. It's a mission where you just need to put your spoon on the table."

Those words sounded distinctly different to him.

'Are you saying we really assassinated the King of Trey and set up a puppet?'

Victon could not spit out the question that rose up to his throat.

The expression of his superior, who had always looked reliable, felt so gloomy now.

"No need to think deeply, Victon. We just need to obey His Imperial Majesty's orders. For the glory of the Empire."

"......For the, glory of the Empire."

The moment he reflexively muttered the words that were like a conviction repeated over a long time, the Director smiled again and nodded.

"Yes, the glory of the Empire. Think only of that. Sir Victon Ares, Imperial Royal Inspector."

That smile had the opposite effect, at least for Victon.

Because it sounded like words confirming all the doubts he harbored once again.

'Our Royal Family is, behind them?'

The glory of the Empire and the prosperity of the motherland are naturally more important than anything else.

But is it right to use guys like the Evil cult, who sacrifice tens of thousands of people for that purpose?

'That can't be, that can't be true.'

Guys who sacrifice thousands, tens of thousands of people to summon demons.

If one is human, one should not hold hands with such guys.

'Damn it.......'

The feeling of his heart sinking with a thud.

He felt dizzy as if his whole body fell into pitch-black darkness and was spinning round and round.

- No, it's not.

- The Director didn't give a definite answer.

- So this is my wild guess.

"Victon?"

"N, nothing."

His self-defense mechanism activated, forcibly raising his crumbling mind.

That must be why the words came out.

"Why doesn't His Majesty move the Imperial Army? In a way, isn't the current international situation a golden opportunity for our country?"

The only circumstantial evidence refuting his doubts.

While throwing a question to confirm it, Victon desperately hoped his guess was wrong.

Did he know the weight contained in those words?

The Director grinned.

"Don't you know?"

"Excuse me?"

"His Imperial Majesty loves peace. Useless wars go against his will."

Yes, that is true.

Because the person he swore to serve for life when choosing the life of a knight was such a person.

It was the answer he wanted.

So.

"Did the former King of Trey intend to invade the Empire? Or terrorism......."

If the King was assassinated, it must be for such a reason.

If so, he could tolerate it somehow.

However.

"Hmm? What do you mean? No way. There is no country that can stand against our Empire these days. Even Iron, the arch-enemy, can never overcome the potential accumulated over three hundred years of peace and prosperity. So who would dare to provoke our Empire?"

The question that returned made his heart heavy again.

'It's an obvious statement. It's obvious, but.......'

Powerful military force, abundant supplies, overwhelming population.

Moreover, while it was difficult for even one Seven-Star to exist in each country, there were as many as seven in the Empire.

His proud motherland was undoubtedly the strongest country in the world.

Enough to conquer the world taking advantage of this chaotic period.

But that was why he had more doubts.

"Then why the King......?"

"Stop. Victon, refrain from wild guesses."

"......Yes."

"You just need to make sure to create the system in Trey. Understood?"

Why did it keep feeling like the Director was saying, 'Shut up because your thoughts are correct'?

"Exactly what system, are you talking about?"

It was a habitual question that came out as his head became increasingly complicated.

"......There are supplies that the Kingdom of Trey imports from the East. Among them, bring food into the Empire while lowering tariffs. Emphasize that we will provide magical tools for food storage or transport wagons free of charge, and complete that distribution system before you return."

"Excuse me......?"

Food?

The Director's answer began to tickle a corner of his mind.

I feel like I heard similar words from someone?

"What......?"

"Of course, your job is supervision. Supervision on whether the work is proceeding properly with the King of Trey. There is a separate working-level staff. However......."

"......."

"Thanks to what you did, the working-level staff who were scheduled to follow Viscount Garrett Hampson were tied up at the border. But with your speed, you could arrive first even if they depart now. Don't you think?"

"That is true, but......."

"So depart immediately. You have to make up for your 'mistake', right? Sir Victon Ares."

"......Yes."

"You may go."

"Salute!"

Only the moment he answered habitually and turned to leave, someone's words began to surface in Victon's mind.

STOMP STOMP.

- ......You know for sure that the Imperial people, including yourself, are ruining the world.

- By polluting the center of the continent like that, the balance of the world is going awry. If left like this, the entire world will be ruined.

- Are grain prices high in the Empire right now?

And a piece of common knowledge known to any noble of the Empire began to clash with those words again.

- Spirit Masters say that demonic energy pollutes the world.

- But since demonic energy is an energy that defies providence, our Empire can blossom a more brilliant civilization.

- Do not listen to the nonsense of weak enemies.

STOMP STOMP.

Victon did not feel that his steps were gradually getting faster, nor that people around were paying attention to him doing so.

But after reaching a conclusion in his head, he consciously began to walk fast.

And where Victon's steps reached was a place the Director of Inspection completely unexpected.

"Instead of the Minister of Finance, no, a working-level official under him would be better. Please call a vice-minister-level official."

"Excuse me?"

"I request an interview. It is a request made with the authority of an Imperial Royal Inspector. Vice-minister-level should be available immediately, right?"

"......Please wait a moment."

When he presented the Imperial Royal Inspector's identification plaque, the Ministry of Finance employee ran inside with a startled face.

And watching that back, Victon thought of his superior again.

'I am a rebel, Director.'

A person who chose the path of a knight despite being born as the legitimate grandson of the family ruling the Red Tower, one of the seven magic towers of the Empire.

The one who left the comfortable path and walked the path he liked, the path he thought was right, was him, Victon Ares.

'So I must.'

Only by solving this doubt, he felt he could devote himself to the mission again with all his heart.

But the result was not what he wanted.

"It has been a few years since we released a large amount of food from the Royal storage. The harvest has been bad for several years, and orders to import as much food as possible have already been issued. It is a top secret, but the flow of funds is obvious. Above all, I understand that the Inspection Bureau already knows this?"

"Is, that so."

The feeling of a heavy stone being placed on his chest with a thud again.

"If you intend to proceed with an audit on the practical affairs, you must bring a clear written order......."

"No. That is enough."

Victon's face could not help but distort as he came out after the interview.

The voice of Muno's companion, the High-ranking Spirit Master Imadi whose level he could not guess, swirled in his head again.

- How many such large cities are there in the entire Empire?

- Are grain prices high in the Empire right now?

- If over a hundred of these damn disasters are stuck in the continent, the land must be getting polluted.

It felt like the puzzle pieces scattered messily in his head were fitting together one by one.

Neighboring countries that had no choice but to be hostile to the Empire.

The reason for not starting a war of conquest while pushing such countries into chaos.

'Right. Then it makes sense. It makes...... sense.'

All circumstances were fitting tightly together to create a conclusion.

But it was hard for him to accept the conclusion made that way.

'Then I.......'

What should I do?

His head was getting confused again.

'Anyway, in this situation, my motherland won't start a war. They will try to avoid all justifications. So by using those guys, guys who can be cut off.......'

He had no choice but to bite his lip tightly.

A truth he could not emotionally accept at all.

But a problem he could not do anything about either.

'My motherland, this glorious country, is the axis of evil destroying the balance of the world?'

How can I accept that?

- Victon, you see. I want to maintain this world, this peaceful world, as it is.

- You can help me, right?

Even the smile of that lord who smiled gently at him and instilled loyalty now touched him completely differently.

But still.

"It is my motherland, and my country."

He mutters to himself to steady his shaken self.

And he forcibly puts aside the fact that is too distant and heavy to even dare to think about any further in a corner of his head.

And focuses on one thing.

'If food is the problem, I solve that problem first.'

Anyway, one thing is certain.

"The Empire, the motherland is in danger......."

So for now, I complete the mission my motherland gave me.

The moment he stepped out of the Imperial Palace's protective barrier.

Victon's body became a streak of smoke and soared quickly to the east.