Chapter 120: The Bloody Emperor Grows Suspicious — Gold-Rank Adventurer — The Arrival of Go Gin!

Leinas and Imina had already departed that very night.

After all, annihilating two of the Empire's most powerful noble houses in one fell swoop wasn't exactly a low-key affair. It was only a matter of time before Leinas became a target. The sooner she left the Baharuth Empire, the better.

Of the tasks Lyle had assigned the two women, Leinas's was the more complicated. But if executed properly, the payoff would be enormous.

Right now, the Kingdom and the Empire were practically at war. And with the Kingdom having recently suffered devastating losses, the sudden arrival of a noble-born powerhouse—who had personally wiped out two of the Empire's noble houses—was nothing short of a godsend. A living symbol of defiance against the Bloody Emperor's rule.

Sure, some Kingdom nobles might be uneasy with Leinas's brutal methods. But compared to, say, a commoner like Gazef, her pedigree and overwhelming strength gave her a significant edge in gaining aristocratic support.

More importantly, there was no chance Leinas could be a spy from the Empire. Her actions had effectively severed any path back. She had burned her bridges and danced on the ashes.

With all that in mind, Lyle was certain the Kingdom's royal family wouldn't pass up such an opportunity.

"Build a power base? Why bother when you can hijack an entire nation?"

Lyle chuckled to himself.

"Shame the Empire is too close to Nazarick's drop zone. They pledged allegiance too quickly. It's not an ideal place for any long-term investments."

Lyle reached out and gently stroked the coarse black fur of his little barghest. "Tell me, who's the better pawn—First Prince Barbro, Second Prince Zanac, or Third Princess Lana?"

"Ruff~"

The barghest squinted in bliss and let out a soft, contented huff.

Naturally, it didn't offer any strategic insight.

The Imperial Capital – Royal Palace

Inside a resplendent hall, lit brightly by golden chandeliers, a storm was brewing beneath the surface.

Bloody Emperor Jircniv stared at the intelligence report in his hands. The chill in his expression could freeze the sun.

"Are we certain it was Leinas Rockbruise?"

His voice was cold and sharp enough to slice steel.

"Yes, Your Majesty," replied his secretary, bowing deeply. "Both motive and eyewitness accounts from the territories support the claim. People reportedly saw a woman matching Leinas's appearance at both sites."

"That lunatic woman!"

Jircniv's temple twitched with fury. He slammed the report down on his desk with a loud BANG!

"Find her. Arrest her immediately!"

Though he'd long since grown tired of the Empire's bloated, ineffective noble class, he had always intended to phase them out gradually—on his terms. Leinas's preemptive slaughter disrupted everything. Her actions would give surviving nobles the perfect excuse to retaliate and consolidate against him.

And more importantly…

He could not tolerate an unpredictable, powerful rogue agent running loose in his Empire.

His earlier good mood—thanks to recent battlefield victories—was utterly gone.

"What's the progress on the alchemical potion research from the Ministry of Magic?"

Jircniv asked, rubbing his temples, his voice regal yet weary.

"None, Your Majesty," the secretary answered quickly. "They suspect the alchemist's method doesn't match any known school of alchemy. They request Your Majesty's permission to officially invite the individual."

The secretary shuffled through a hefty stack of documents and pulled one free, placing it before the emperor.

"This is all the intel we've gathered on the adventurer known as 'Lyle Valecroft.' It's… not much."

Jircniv snatched the file, his golden eyes skimming through the details in seconds. With a soft thump, he set it down and tapped the cover thoughtfully.

"Deny their request."

He paused.

"What about the old man? Any word from Fluder?"

"Lord Fluder showed interest in the potion," the secretary replied, "but he hasn't made any formal requests."

"Hmph."

The Emperor nodded slightly and returned his gaze to the dossier.

"What's your assessment?"

The secretary straightened instantly. Beneath his pale blond hair, his sharp eyes gleamed.

"This adventurer-alchemist named Lyle Valecroft… is suspicious."

"Oh?"

Jircniv's lips curled into a lazy smile.

"Elaborate."

"The Guild registered him about a month ago in Re-Estize, at the E-Rantel branch. Since then, he entered our borders and went dark for nearly two weeks—no records, no sightings. Our best guess? He was searching for something."

"In the last half-month, he's surfaced in the capital and begun selling alchemical potions. Given the high price and limited availability, it's clear he isn't doing this for money."

Jircniv leaned back in his throne.

"Then what is he after?"

"There's not enough data to say for sure," the secretary said grimly. "But during his few public outings, he visited the Imperial Magic Academy and interacted with two students—Arche Eeb Rile Furt and Friane Vaelia von Gushmond."

He produced another document and placed it before the Emperor.

"Furt?"

Jircniv frowned.

"Doesn't ring a bell."

"A minor house stripped of nobility by Your Majesty personally," the secretary explained. "Arche Furt is the family's eldest daughter and considered one of the academy's most promising talents."

As for the other name, no explanation was necessary.

"Gushmond…"

The Emperor ignored Arche completely. His expression grew thoughtful.

"Declines all invitations. Spends nearly all his time in the noble district. Doesn't care about wealth or fame."

He chuckled darkly.

"Now I'm curious. What does he want?"

"Keep eyes on him."

"As you command, Your Majesty."

Thanks to Imina's absence, Lyle had been forced to take care of a few things himself. For example—personally delivering his potions to the Adventurer's Guild for sale.

This led to an unexpected encounter with the guildmaster of the Imperial Capital—a cheerful, slick middle-aged man who reeked of business acumen.

After a friendly round of negotiation, Lyle had been allowed to increase his daily potion supply from five to eight bottles. Officially, though, the guild only reported five.

Even more surprisingly, the guildmaster upgraded Lyle's official rank from Bronze to Gold and handed him a tidy bonus of 1,000 gold coins.

Now, normally, the Adventurer's Guild had very strict regulations: no matter how strong you were, you had to complete quests to raise your rank.

But technically… the guildmaster hadn't broken any rules.

Thanks to the overwhelming popularity of Lyle's "Rejuvenation Potions," several nobles and wealthy merchants had started issuing official commissions to purchase them. And since those commissions counted as quests…

Well, Lyle was free to "accept" them.

Was the process expedited? Absolutely. Jumping from Bronze to Gold that fast was unheard of.

But procedurally? It was all perfectly legal.

Of course, the guildmaster had been clear: if Lyle wanted to rise beyond Gold, it would require real quests, stricter evaluation, and far more time.

The current bump was the absolute limit of what the guildmaster could authorize on his own.

The Adventurer's Guild had been around for centuries. Every loophole had already been sealed tight. Its rules were practically airtight.

Lyle found it a little disappointing—he'd hoped to climb the ranks just by cheesing the system. Still, going from the lowest rank to Gold in record time without lifting a sword was a satisfying surprise.

And that wasn't the only unexpected development.

Over the next three days, Lyle noticed something… odd.

He was being followed.

Not by the usual suspects—not nobles, merchants, or guilds.

By patrol soldiers.

BAM!

The heavy gates of the noble manor slammed shut behind him.

Lyle turned, expression unreadable, and walked back into the estate.

"So much for that,"

he muttered.

At his waist, a gold-plated adventurer's badge swayed slightly with each step.

He had initially assumed the Bloody Emperor hadn't taken notice of him. That was why he'd dared to push things this far.

But now? The sudden appearance of surveillance told him everything.

His attempt to acquire the [Forbidden Art User] class had failed.

Knowing the Bloody Emperor, if he'd truly been interested in Lyle, he would've summoned him already. Instead, he'd ordered quiet monitoring.

Which meant: Lyle was already considered a threat.

"I got greedy,"

Lyle admitted, reviewing his recent actions with a sigh.

"It's time to go."

He cast one last glance around the courtyard—an elegant estate complete with fountains and sculpted hedges—but his eyes held no hint of nostalgia.

The [Forbidden Art User] class would have to wait for another day.

And next time?

He wouldn't be so polite about it.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

A sudden thunderous knocking rattled the manor's gates—like someone was hammering on them with a battering ram.

Lyle's eyes narrowed instantly. A scroll appeared in his hand as he turned toward the gate, ready for anything.

But just before he reached it, his expression softened.

He already knew who it was.

Someone… completely unexpected.

The Warlord, Go Gin.

That massive, three-meter-tall mountain of muscle stood outside, towering even higher than the gate itself.

Hard to miss.