VIP Early Access
Eksklusif untuk member VIP
Password Protected
Chapter ini dikunci dengan kode khusus
Chapter 72 : Imperial Summit (1)
Chapter 72: Imperial Summit (1)
The capital, Arpe, was far more crowded than usual.
The sight of the imperial carriages—ones that were rarely seen even occasionally—pouring into the Imperial Palace in droves was nothing short of grand.
The citizens greeted the visitors with a mixture of excitement and tension.
With the influence of Beasts growing day by day and most existing festivals and events suspended, the Imperial Summit carried enormous significance in many ways.
Wе̃_ḃ ṅ о́v el̀ E ňûm а
Reporters who had entered the palace early were likely being guided to their accommodations for the duration.
From atop the highest stone spire of the palace, she silently looked down upon the procession of carriages.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
About ten minutes later, a knock came from behind her.
“This is Katrin, Your Highness.”
“Come in.”
Countess Katrin Hudwood, one of her personal attendants, bowed her head deeply the moment she entered.
Е̇ n u̇ m̄ӓ . і d
“You were here again, I see.”
“I couldn’t sleep.”
Still gazing out the tower window, she reached out her hand.
“Did you bring all the documents?”
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
“The list is here, Your Highness.”
The first document Katrin handed over contained the names of all participants in the summit.
Е n ŭmа ..і̆d̃
“…Twenty-four delegates from Bernhardt? That’s the highest number this year, isn’t it?”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Arta, Halenber, Unchild, Wedmeyer, Etihonen, Taurus, Braid, Wittelsbach… what a parade. Truly exhausting.”
Including the Eight Great Houses and other title holders, the number of attending nobles nearly reached a thousand.
Flipping through the pages of noble families, her eyes soon caught the list of academies participating this time.
What drew her attention most among them was the Empire’s greatest academy—Karbenna.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
“……”
It wasn’t surprising that the chairwoman and the heads of each department would attend, but this time, there were an unusually large number of student names.
The stated reason for their participation was written as “Assistants for the joint magic demonstration.”
‘Smart move, Carter.’
Since the summit’s participant list was managed solely by the Imperial Court—and most of them were unaware of Karbenna’s internal situation—such a deception was indeed possible.
Nodding in satisfaction, she turned her head.
Е n u m̃а̀
“Has the report on Carter been compiled?”
The maid hesitated, looking troubled.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
“Not yet?”
“Ah, well… the investigation has been completed, but the report itself hasn’t been fully organized.”
“So?”
“There’s… quite a lot of material, Your Highness.”
Е n u m̂а
Then she lowered her head deeply.
“I apologize for failing to meet your deadline!”
“That’s fine. Just bring it here.”
Katrin respectfully handed over the rest of the documents she had been holding close to her chest.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
It was several times thicker than the list of summit participants.
“I’ll head out when it’s time. Wait outside.”
Ẃе̂b̂ n̈о v̆е̊l .Enu̇mа_
“…As you command.”
After sending her maid away—
Edel Ribenia sat on an antique wooden chair beside the window and began reading the report.
House Carter, based in the Parcel region of the Ribenia Empire.
The family did not favor factional conflicts but was currently aligned with the Arta Family.
Among the pro-Arta faction, they leaned moderate, respecting imperial authority as much as possible.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
The current head of the family was Leslie Carter, age fifty-five.
Though still in his prime, he showed little interest in external affairs, participating in at most two public activities per year.
The family had virtually no vassals—only thirteen members in total, including immediate family and three servants.
He had only one child, a son—Eugene Carter.
Thanks to the boy’s overwhelming achievements, the Carter name had gained recognition, though the family itself was already in decline and had never established any meaningful ties with other noble houses.
‘Eugene Carter’s complete disinterest in political marriages must’ve played a part in that…’
Е ńu̇ m̃а̀.і d̄
As she continued reading the report, one particular detail caught her eye.
“…There’s hardly anything here.”
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
Information about the event in which Eugene Carter was forced to retire due to an Incurable Curse was extremely restricted.
— Access beyond this point denied. [Imperial Special Task Force Classified]
‘I ordered this investigation under my own name, and still…’
A secret even the Third Princess was barred from knowing—how fascinating.
Ёn̂úm̃ а. і d̂
Smiling faintly, she flipped through a few more pages.
Next was the record of exchanges between the Carter and Brida families.
The last interaction between the two went back ninety-eight years—nothing more than a formal gathering, sharing a meal and a friendly match between their subjects.
There wasn’t even a trace of connection to Illusion Swordsmanship.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
Of course, informal or unrecorded exchanges might have occurred.
“At this level… it’s fair to say there’s been virtually no contact.”
Enu m̌а̄
If the previous generation had no connection, what about recent years?
The Brida Family’s fall was fairly recent, but its timing didn’t overlap with Eugene Carter.
Francia Brida was certainly gifted, but she had only just come of age.
And being talented and being a good teacher were entirely different things.
“…At least from what I know, she lacks the qualities of an educator.”
Which meant that Eugene Carter had achieved that level of mastery on his own.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
Even if he was praised as the greatest talent in the Empire, wasn’t that still absurd?
‘And to think he even saw through my true identity at a glance….’
Eugene Carter’s downfall had ultimately been caused by overconfidence.
Believing only in himself, he distrusted information and relied too heavily on intuition.
Of course, reaching the same conclusions through intuition wasn’t strange in itself—
But if that wasn’t the case—
E n̂ ūḿâ_
Then it was more accurate to say he had changed completely after that incident.
“Perhaps not merely changed… but awakened.”
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
Edel slowly rose from her seat.
For now, it was all speculation.
To turn suspicion and expectation into certainty, she would have to face the truth directly.
Looking toward the one now on his way here, she smiled resolutely.
Wе̇ b̊ nо v̊ е̄l Е ṅ ů m̃a
“No matter the outcome, this summit will mark the greatest turning point.”
For you—and for me.
“So give it your all, Eugene. Make me believe in you.”
Then she stepped forward—
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Facing the waiting hyenas with a confidence unmatched by anyone.
“…That’s all I have to say.”
Wе b̊ ñ о v e ĺ Ё n̈_um а
“……”
“Is there anything else you’d like to ask?”
Since everything would be made public at the summit anyway, there was no reason to conceal it now.
Of course, I didn’t mention that Bernhardt was behind it.
No need to go announcing, ‘Hey, I’m your enemy.’
Those who had listened to my story all showed similar reactions.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
They clearly wanted to say something but seemed unsure of whose side to take, hesitating awkwardly.
Perhaps unable to bear the strange silence, Frederick was the first to speak.
“…You’ve gone through a lot on your own, Carter.”
“Seems I’m paying the price for living my life the wrong way,” I said, staring into the air.
Then, Dale’s voice rang out from the front.
“So, you’re saying you couldn’t track down the ones who escaped the earlier battle?”
Ѐn̊.ŭm̃ ã . і.d
“Yes, sir.”
“The enemy commander’s name was… right, Abattoir Schroeder, wasn’t it?”
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
“That’s probably not his real name.”
“I figured as much… hmm.”
What are you pretending to ponder for? You already know everything.
But the words that came out of Dale’s mouth were quite different from what I had expected.
Е̇n̂ũmа̇
“The organization Abattoir—quite famous among the nobility. They take on nearly any request, from kidnapping to assassination, with a success rate exceeding ninety percent. They’re considered a legendary syndicate in the underworld.”
I hadn’t expected him to admit it first.
“You seem to know quite a lot about them.”
I asked, keeping my poker face.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
“Don’t tell me, Director—you’ve used their services yourself?”
“Do I look that desperate to you, Carter?”
Ẅӗ b n̈о̂ v.е̄l̀ Е n ŭḿ а.
“…That’s not what I meant.”
“I do pursue profit, yes—but there are still lines I won’t cross. My family isn’t so weak that we’d need to rely on the likes of them.”
He spoke with a hint of pride on his face.
I nodded slightly, speaking half-jokingly.
“So, you’re implying that the weaker noble houses are the ones who hire Abattoir?”
“…Not necessarily.”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
When Dale averted his gaze, Orwell cautiously stepped in.
“Are you trying to find out who commissioned them, Carter?”
Too obvious—it was almost boring.
I sighed and looked out the window.
“I’d like to know, sure—but at this point, it’s impossible. Unless we’d captured one of their subordinates alive, which we didn’t. They’ve all vanished.”
And it’s not like they were the type to leave behind evidence anyway.
W̆еb̂ n̊ о̆.v e l Ё n u m а
While I feigned disinterest, Frederick jabbed my side.
“Earlier, you said we should keep things quiet for Karbenna’s sake, Carter.”
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
“I did.”
“Well, I think this one should be made public.”
At his statement, the others all flinched.
“…That could end up being disadvantageous to the Chairwoman.”
Е_num̄а̄ .їd̃
“Even so, we must uphold principle, mustn’t we?”
How very Frederick of him—honorable to the end.
If he was willing to share the burden, I had no reason to object.
Just as Dale and Orwell began to exchange wary glances—
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
Clatter!
The carriage finally crossed the bridge.
W еb.n о v̇_е l̀ Еn̆ u ṁ а́
I smiled faintly as the faint silhouette of the capital appeared ahead.
‘…The prologue dragged on too long.’
Well, the beginning always feels the longest, doesn’t it?
This is a world I’ll be living in for at least five years and eleven months. Best get used to it quickly.
As carriages began to line up on both sides, ours gradually slowed down.
The tall, sharply rising stone spires of the Imperial Palace felt more imposing than ever.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
The five who arrived first were assigned lodging in District 1 of Arpe, the area closest to the Imperial Palace.
Because the capital was under the direct rule of the Imperial Court, nobles who possessed their own territories were prohibited from residing there.
District 1 was mainly for landless nobles, and many of its facilities were even finer than those outside the palace walls.
Among all summit participants—except for the Eight Great Houses required to stay within the palace—these five received the highest level of accommodation.
After receiving their individual rooms as per procedure, they briefly gathered in the lobby.
It was still early morning. The academy participants wouldn’t arrive until evening, and the members from Karbenna had yet to reach the capital.
Е̇n̆ů m_а̄ . іd
There couldn’t be a better time for a private discussion.
Thus, Michel called the four together and left them with a warning.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“I trust everyone understands that rash actions are strictly forbidden.”
“……”
“The agenda will be announced after the banquet, so for now, we’ll wait for Instructor Carter to arrive.”
At that, Lea Bronte raised her hand carefully.
E n̈ ú m а́ . їd
“…What if Instructor Carter doesn’t return by evening?”
“In that case, we proceed as planned.”
The reply came swiftly.
As the four exchanged uneasy glances, Michel declared firmly:
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“This is the Empire’s greatest battleground. Anyone who can’t perform their role has no place here.”
Her sharp gaze fell particularly on Francia and Rubia.
W е b n о̂ v̌é l. .Ên̊ ù m ӑ
“If you still plan to rely solely on Carter, then you’d best return to Karbenna immediately.”
“……”
“I’ll see you all at the banquet.”
With that, Michel strode out of the lodging.
Konten Bab Belum Tersedia
Bab ini belum memiliki konten teks atau sedang dalam proses penyuntingan.
