Ch 12 - Well Played

"Master, if you need me, just say the word."

Lina spoke calmly.

Although it didn't look like Kenji was planning on making a move right away, Lina could tell he was getting ready for something. She wanted to make her position clear first; otherwise, her young master often hesitated when it came to using her, and hesitation wasn't a good thing.

"It's not necessary right now," Kenji said with a slight smile, taking a small sip of tea. "Lina, the more dangerous things get, the more I want you at my side. You know why? Because as long as you're with me, I can relax, and as long as you're with me, Pluvia can relax, too."

He had his reasons.

Inside Anos's duchy, there was someone planted by the Emperor. The former Kenji had figured that out two years earlier. Even though Pluvia had done everything she could to keep it hidden, someone living right inside Kenji's home wasn't too hard to pinpoint. All you had to do was look into obscure details at court and then check the servants around the Anos household for clues. Sooner or later, you'd figure out who the spy was.

Kenji hadn't exposed that spy because, in the end, they weren't trying to kill him; they just monitored him. Leaving them there helped gain the emperor's trust, which came in handy for future plans—both the previous Kenji and the current Kenji thought the same way.

If he kept sending Lina on secret missions, this spy would report back, and Pluvia would start suspecting him for no good reason. Then, any unfortunate accidents with a bunch of court officials would instantly be pinned on him.

Time to bring in some other forces that wouldn't raise suspicion.

"I understand."

Lina nodded. When it came to orders like these, she always followed them strictly.

"Oh, but there is something important I need you to do," Kenji said after thinking for a moment, showing a slight grin. "It's actually kind of big."

"What is it?"

"Tomorrow, come with me to see the emperor."

Kenji said that plainly.

Lina froze for a second and stared at him for a long moment. She only spoke when Kenji finally looked away: "Master, are you serious about taking me to see that woman? That's no small matter."

An exiled member of a dark cult and the empire's biggest traitor heading off to meet the emperor—this situation felt suspicious any way you looked at it.

"It's fine, I'll let the emperor know in advance," Kenji said, waving his hand. He had plenty of connections at the palace. "Dress nicely tomorrow. Also, don't bring your sword; I'm allowed to carry mine in the palace, but you aren't."

"I understand, but if something unexpected happens…"

"I still have my sword with me,"

"Ah, right, my bad,"

In fact, she suddenly remembered something huge—her master was a capable fighter himself.

The title Duke Anos had the literal meaning of defending the kingdom. As Grand Marshal, Kenji wasn't just coasting on his father's achievements; he'd led troops in several campaigns, earning real credit on the battlefield. That was how he ended up in his current position. And every bit of military acclaim had been gained through raw, gritty combat.

Yes, he might be the one holding all the power at court, but he was still fundamentally a soldier.

Between him and Lina, even if they had only one sword between them, they might not be able to single-handedly defeat the emperor's entire guard—but they could probably escape without too much trouble.

"In that case master, please help me pick out an outfit."

She spoke calmly.

"Hmm, I remember you have a green formal dress. Wear that one; at least it doesn't look so threatening."

…

The next day, when Kenji entered the palace again, things were in an uproar.

After asking around, he learned that last night, a group of assassins had broken into the palace itself. Two were killed, while three or four apparently escaped. The people in charge of cleanup said Pluvia was furious. Now, the whole city was under lockdown. She planned to dig them out if it meant turning the place upside down.

Kenji was stunned.

He had expected they might be reckless, but he never imagined they'd dare come at the emperor too.

What kind of maniacs were these?

Kenji hurried along with Lina, rushing straight to the emperor's study. Inside, Pluvia looked exhausted, but there was unmistakable rage in her expression. Clearly, even she hadn't imagined someone would have the nerve to attack right now.

When she saw Kenji, she glared at him—that wasn't necessarily significant by itself, just that her mood was especially foul.

"Greetings, Your Majesty."

Kenji could see how angry she was, so he skipped the unnecessary chatter.

Pluvia waved a hand. "Go on. Tell me what you want."

"Huh?"

Kenji paused, not sure what she meant.

"Sending assassins to warn me, is that it?" She gave a sarcastic smile and flicked a small iron spike across the desk. It was razor-sharp, and the slight bend in its metal showed it had lodged into something solid once. "Quite the lovely present you've given me. Though it never made it as far as my chambers, it was definitely pinned to a column in the Great Hall."

Kenji felt something was off. He picked up the iron spike and examined it. Running along the surface were ornate swirls—something he recognized from the imperial pardon token the emperor had once bestowed on him.

"Your Majesty, surely this doesn't prove—"

"Doesn't prove you sent them, right?" Her laugh grew colder. "Fine. Then explain why my royal guards watched them flee and, later, those same assassins showed up dead inside your home. Kenji, I have to hand it to you—you're ruthless enough to eliminate the very killers who serve you, aren't you?"

Kenji inhaled sharply.

Damn. So those death soldiers had probably split into two groups and staged both attacks. First they struck the palace, then a few survivors bolted to his place. Lina must have killed them. And now…

In the Emperor's eyes, it was a classic case: Kenji had ordered the assassins in a failed attempt to kill Pluvia, then wiped them out himself to silence any loose ends.

Well played—someone had set me up perfectly.