Chapter 1064: That Creature Is a Harmful Creature (19)

Glossary update: Daecheol Sanjo — senior warrior assigned to the Fifth Ring’s night watch; follower of Lord Nakamura.

The morning sky was sparsely clouded, and the newly risen sun peeked out.

It was a rare, refreshing morning in monsoon season, with clear sunlight shining down.

At the very deepest part of the Main Ring where the lord and his family resided, at the end of the Fifth Ring’s long corridor, senior warrior Daecheol Sanjo waited, exhausted, for the end of his night shift—his watch duty.

If he held out just a little longer, the daytime guards would arrive. Then he would spend the day sleeping soundly from broad daylight onward. Though of all days, the sun had to be shining today. If rain clouds had gathered and made everything dark and cool, he would have slept so much better...

Even as he thought that, Sanjo’s expression remained stern, solemn, and serious itself.

That was a quality naturally required of one who stood night watch in the Fifth Ring.

How much time passed like that?

At the far end of the corridor, a dozen or so people appeared in a rush, led by a maidservant carrying a meal tray.

They were the king’s maids, here to deliver his meal and help with his morning grooming.

Sanjo cheered inwardly.

Because the end of his duty was finally in sight.

By the time the king finished eating, his lord’s day guards would arrive, and today’s night watch would be over.

Ah. It was finally done.

The maidservant sent Sanjo a silent look.

She was asking which room their lord had slept in today. Since the king changed his sleeping chamber every day, the room he used was information only that night’s guard was supposed to know.

Sanjo used the agreed hand signal to indicate the room where the king had laid out his bedding.

The maidservant gave a slight bow, set the meal tray down before one door, and knelt neatly.

“My lord, breakfast is served. We have also come to tidy your morning bedding.”

Knock, knock, knock.

The maidservant knocked three times on the door.

Then she counted to ten inwardly. It was to give him time to clear away anything embarrassing before they entered their lord’s chamber.

If no answer came during that time, it meant they were free to enter.

So the maidservant neatly opened the door—

“...My lord? Ah. Ah, aaah...”

And then—

“Kyaaaaaaaah!”

A scream tore through the corridor.

What happened when a king died?

First of all, people did not run around shouting, “The king is dead! The king is dead!” spreading the news of his death far and wide.

Because once a king died, the political center became empty, and the country became that much more vulnerable.

First, one had to examine the reason for the king’s death and determine clearly whether there was anything suspicious about it.

After that came the subsequent matters. Since the king was dead, who would become the next king? What would the procedure and schedule be?

Only after the truth was established and the follow-up measures were prepared would the king’s death be widely announced and the funeral arranged.

Therefore, after the king’s death, the first measure was this:

Investigate the king’s death in detail.

But in truth, there was hardly anything to investigate in detail.

The king’s corpse was clutching its own throat, turned very, very blue.

A clumped rice ball was lodged squarely in the airway at the front of his throat.

And there was the remaining rice ball, flattened as if he had crushed it beneath himself while choking, along with bits of mashed rice smeared on his nightclothes...

“Well, it appears he choked while taking a late-night meal.”

The old Imperial Physician broke out in cold sweat.

Because this was a major crisis that could, with one wrong step, get him buried alongside the king.

A king was supposed to die with dignity and splendor even in death.

At the very least, at the absolute minimum, he was not supposed to die in the middle of the night from choking on a rice ball he had secretly stuffed into his mouth.

Because that was far too ugly.

If the people and retainers learned this, what in the world would they think?

And the Imperial Physician who diagnosed it could also be sent to the grave with him as a means of sealing his mouth.

So the old Imperial Physician felt sorry, yet also resentful and dumbfounded.

No, if you were going to pass away, you should have passed away properly. How could you die in the middle of the night after secretly eating a rice ball—and a shabby salted rice ball fit for a servant at that!

Of course, the dead king would have felt wronged.

There was a girl who killed me! And why would I be stuffing rice balls into my mouth in the middle of the night? If I were that hungry, I would have ordered someone to prepare a late-night meal!

But an investigation into the truth could only proceed when something seemed questionable and suspicious, when doubts remained.

The circumstances of the king’s absurd sudden death were simply too clear.

Of course, not everyone thought so.

“Something is strange. Something is strange! Why would Father ever eat a rice ball like this? What could he possibly have lacked? Something is wrong. This is wrong!”

Just as the king had favored his eldest son, the eldest son’s grief was also great.

The eldest son shouted and denied reality.

“Bring me whoever served this rice ball at once! And—and bring Physician Seomun! Physician Seomun will surely see through these suspicious circumstances!”

For that reason—

Qing, who had been sleeping soundly until morning after her late-night stroll, was summoned.

However.

Was Qing going to offer some special diagnosis?

“The rice ball completely blocked his airway, and the rest of it is here. There’s no room for doubt.”

“Does that—does that make any sense! Somewhere, there must be something suspicious!”

The prince shouted again.

Behind her face veil, Qing frowned.

Why is this bastard taking it out on me?

Did I kill him? Huh? Did I kill him?

Of course, I did kill him, but anyway.

“Ahem, Your Highness? Please calm yourself first.”

“Father never touched anything but white rice, and if it was even slightly undercooked or too wet, he was the kind of fastidious man who ordered it taken away! How could such a father possibly have eaten this sour rice ball!”

Qing inwardly winced.

So the pirate boss, for all he was a pirate boss, had been picky about food just because he called himself a king.

But no one agreed with him.

Because it was common enough for a child to deny a parent’s death, and at this point the circumstances were already clear.

“While I do understand Imperial Highness the Crown Prince’s grief, this is now a place to discuss the kingdom’s gravest affairs. As an outsider, I will take my leave.”

Qing said that and rose.

Then, as she withdrew, she suddenly staggered and placed a hand firmly on the shoulder of the second prince, who sat there blankly.

“Oh my. Forgive me. I too was so shocked that my body and mind grew unsteady, and I committed a discourtesy. I ask your pardon.”

It looked like a mistake.

But the grip squeezing hard into his shoulder was absolutely not a mistake.

“Ah, yes. Do not trouble yourself...”

For some reason, the second son said that with an expression as if his mind had snapped awake.

Back in her room, Qing carefully pulled out one of the stacked wooden blocks and thought.

What the hell? Isn’t it about time he called me? I thought I gave him a pretty clear hint. Did I overestimate him?

But speak of the tiger and it came.

Or, as they said in the Central Plains, call for Cao Cao and Cao Cao came.

Qing was thinking that as she placed the block she had pulled out back on top.

Unlike in her homeland, every member of her party had superhuman abilities here, so the top of the wooden-block tower had risen precariously high in an avant-garde vertical stack.

Even for Qing, a Transcendent master, this was no easy challenge. At the very moment she concentrated and carefully raised the wobbling tower—

Knock, knock, knock.

Behind Qing, who wore a hollow expression while looking at the collapsed tower, came a servant’s voice.

“The second prince says he has questions about this morning’s events and wishes to seek your advice.”

Damn it. If you were coming, you should’ve come earlier. Why now?

Qing grumbled and left the room.

She followed the servant to the second son’s quarters.

Whether one should call it three rooms or one large separated room, a series of door panels in that layered structure closed one after another.

Even then, perhaps he still felt uneasy, because the second son lowered his voice to a whisper and asked.

“Could it be that Father’s death... had something to do with you...?”

“I may be fairly capable, but I have no way of making someone eat a rice ball in the middle of the night. To begin with, if I had such a method, wouldn’t I have targeted your elder brother? If so, everything would have been resolved much more easily.”

“That is true. Ahem. It is not that I suspected you. I merely wondered, just in case. And it also seemed as though you had something to say.”

“Because every moment is urgent now. Since the late Emperor has passed away, your elder brother will soon inherit the imperial throne. There is no time. You must act at once.”

“But even if I act, how?”

“Call Lord Yeongsi immediately. By any chance, was the night guard who guarded the royal audience chamber last night under Lord Yeongsi’s command? If you say you have something to discuss regarding that—”

“No. He is a man named Daecheol Sanjo, a warrior who follows Lord Nakamura.”

“That is even better. Send someone to summon Lord Yeongsi immediately. Then you must win him over and move at once.”

“But even if I win him over, what should I say?”

“That is... no. In that case, my lord, simply stand behind me and guarantee what I say. I will try to persuade Lord Yeongsi.”

“Very well. I will trust only you, hm? My lord?”

“Since I have decided to serve Your Highness, you are my lord. Why? Do you dislike it?”

“No, no. It was only a little strange because I have never heard it before.”

He said that, but he did not seem displeased.

No, rather, he looked faintly satisfied.

Qing clicked her tongue inwardly.

So easy to handle.

Then again, the first one had been the same. It seemed the pirate boss had somehow been lucky enough to call himself king, but he had failed utterly when it came to raising children.

“You must grow used to it now. Now, hurry and send someone to call Lord Yeongsi. Tell him, as you did when you summoned me, that there are suspicious points about last night’s events. That should not draw too much suspicion.”

And so the second son’s servant left.

“By the way, well. I ask this without any particular intention, but for someone of your caliber, how shall I put it, surely wealthy and powerful people must have sought you out—or rather, since you said many suffered lovesickness over you, were there not among them some with extraordinary authority...”

Qing’s expression immediately soured.

This bastard.

His own father was dead, and the words coming out of his mouth were this disgusting little move?

But he was going to die anyway. For now, she would play along roughly.

“If a physician adds private feelings when treating patients, how could she be called a physician? And no matter how powerful someone is, what wealth or honor could be higher than becoming chancellor of a country?”

“Yes, yes. Then, well, perhaps, if there were wealth and honor even higher than that—”

“Are you testing me? I possess the talent to make kings, not the talent to be one myself. I know my place.”

“No, that is not what I...”

Qing pretended not to understand that pitch-black intention and vaguely slipped past it, making the second son stew in his own impatience.

How long passed with the second son mumbling and timidly probing around?

Only after Qing grew sick of it, veins standing out as she seriously wondered whether she should just kill him, did Yeongsi finally arrive.

Yeongsi entered the second son’s room and stopped—or flinched—when he saw Qing sitting squarely before him.

But he pretended not to notice and knelt in front of the prince.

“Your Highness, did you summon this subject, Yeongsi?”

“His Highness wished to see Lord Yeongsi in order to discuss a great matter of state. A very, very great matter.”

At that, Yeongsi’s expression twisted.

As if asking what a thing like her thought she was, opening her mouth—

“Impudent! What do you think you are, daring to speak out of turn in His Highness’s presence!”

Hm. Apparently his face was the extremely honest type.

Qing bowed her head as if apologetic.

“Lord Yeongsi. I apologize for the discourtesy I committed the other day. However, that was not originally my will. In that place, I had been assigned the task of greatly humiliating Lord Yeongsi, and through that, winning immense favor from the warriors who followed Lord Nakamura.”

“Hah! Does that sound like anything that makes sense? Who in the world would order—”

Yeongsi looked as if someone had struck him.

His expression was indeed very honest.

So Qing gave him certainty.

“Yes. Because of Lord Nakamura’s matter, and because Lord Yeongsi left him behind and departed, the heir bore a deep grudge against you. Every day, he ground his teeth and swore to exterminate your entire line.”

“I acted only for our country! If things had continued as they were, all the warriors of our country would have—”

“Shh. Lord Yeongsi. Your voice is too loud. Why do you think I am speaking so openly, and in the presence of His Highness here?”

At that, Yeongsi stopped again.

“The heir promised me clearly that he would not forget the favor of saving his life, and that he would grant me an island as a fief and make me its lord. Yet even though I trusted that promise and obeyed his command, you know what humiliation I suffered, do you not?”

“Ahem.”

“One who does not value promises has the appearance of a tyrant who will endanger the country as king. Lord Yeongsi, you are a man so loyal to Ippen. Surely you understand this.”

At that, Yeongsi looked at Qing in astonishment, then at the second son sitting behind her. With a start, he immediately lowered his eyes.

“Fortunately, His Highness, wise and brilliant as he is, is here. He draws the future of the imperial realm and says that the present court consists only of warriors and is ignorant of internal governance. Therefore, civil officials must be appointed to govern internal affairs, while a Grand General must be appointed to oversee external affairs. With such a vision, how could he not be born with the talent of a king?”

Yeongsi’s face went white.

He immediately bowed flat toward the second son.

“Your Highness, this lowly subject will pretend he did not hear this. I heard nothing. The late king has only just passed away. How could such a thing...”

“Lord Yeongsi. If the present heir ascends the imperial throne, you will die. Think about it. When the late Emperor met with disaster last night, the name of the warrior guarding him was Dae... uh, that. Dae something.”

“Daecheol Sanjo.”

“Ah, right. Yes. That man.”

“Haa...!”

Yeongsi let out a long sigh.

Because what Qing said was true, was it not?

The king had died. And who had been guarding him while he died?

A man under Lord Nakamura.

They supported the eldest son, who had brought back Lord Nakamura’s corpse, and they had no choice but to support him, since they had lost the head of their faction.

In truth, it would not have mattered whose subordinate the night guard had been.

If the night guard had not been one of Nakamura’s people but one of Yeongsi’s?

Then she could simply have said, “Was the man standing night duty then not your subordinate? The eldest son grew suspicious of that, so he will use it as an excuse to kill you.”

“But why...!”

“Because the Crown Prince disgraced himself terribly in the Central Plains. He fell flat on the ground, sobbed, begged for his life, and even disclosed the location of your country. Perhaps he feared that if this became known, he would lose his position as Crown Prince. That may be why he tried to ascend the imperial throne by any means before that could happen. That is my guess.”

“Such a thing...!”

“But there is no time now. Once the funeral is over, he will immediately ascend the imperial throne. At that point, I, Lord Yeongsi, and His Highness here will not be safe.”

The second son’s face, listening from behind her, also turned white.

Could it be? Had there been such circumstances?

If Qing had known, she would have thought, You’re not supposed to be surprised too. You really are exactly the kind of fool who gets swindled.

“So you understand now why His Highness wished to see Lord Yeongsi, do you not? For the sake of the country, and also for the sake of our lives, we desperately need Lord Yeongsi’s—no, Grand General Yeongsi’s strength. Your Highness, is that not so?”

“Ah, yes. I desperately need Lord Yeongsi’s... hm, the Grand General’s strength. This may not be the proper moment to say such a thing, but will you stand with me?”

At that, Yeongsi slowly closed his eyes.

Apparently, he was pretending to deliberate in his own way.

But in truth, what other choice did Yeongsi have from his position?

Sit still and die versus become Grand General.

Bring anyone here, and they would choose the latter. Especially villains who merely happened to be absorbed in playing kingdom. Pirates, of all things.

And then—

THUD!

Yeongsi struck his forehead against the floor.

“This subject will live only for my lord all his life, and die only for my lord.”

And so the pairing succeeded!

“This is deeply moving, but now is the time to focus on immediate matters rather than sentiment. Lord Yeongsi, how quickly can you mobilize your brave commanders? The faster, the better...”

Thus began the treasonous conspiracy of the traitors who had joined hands.