Chapter 226: Nobody Knows the Sovereign Better than Me
Iron Fortress. The entrance to the Evernight Cathedral.
Night had long since fallen, but the Lights of Evernight along the street bathed
the area in a steady, artificial brilliance. On the stone steps of the
Cathedral, a skeleton and an Orc stood face-to-face.
The atmosphere between them was thick enough to choke a dragon.
"NOBODY! KNOWS! THE SOVEREIGN! BETTER! THAN! ME!"
The Orc slammed a fist against his chest, the dull thud-thud echoing off the
cathedral walls.
"I'm telling you! From the very first day this Empire was founded, I've
dedicated my life to studying every breath and gesture of His Majesty! I haven't
missed a single detail!"
"I have interrogated—no, interviewed—at least a hundred lucky souls who glimpsed
His Majesty with their own eyes! I spoke to each for no less than an hour!"
"I have logged every time, every location, and every outfit His Majesty has ever
worn! I've even mapped out his gait! I know whether he leads with his left or
right foot!"
He pulled a thick, weathered notebook from his vest and shoved it toward Kaito's
face, flipping the pages frantically.
"Look at this! These are the precious archives I've compiled through my
research! This is a national treasure of the Empire!"
The pages were a chaotic sea of ink, crammed with tiny, frantic handwriting. The
corners of the notebook were curled and stained from repeated use.
The soulfire in Kaito's eye sockets flickered with a violent twitch.
Is this guy serious? Is he insane, or have I finally lost my mind?
"That is impossible!" Kaito shouted, waving his bony hands in a frantic "stop"
gesture. "Absolutely, categorically impossible!"
He pointed at a stone sitting on the ground between them, which caught a glint
from the nearby streetlamps.
"The Sovereign of Evernight would never, in a thousand years, care about a shiny
piece of junk like that! Most of his time is spent fishing! Fishing! Do you
understand?! He sits by the river in a daze, waiting for a fish that will never
bite!"
Kaito's voice rang with the absolute certainty of firsthand experience. After
all, it was his life. How could it be wrong?
The Orc, however, let out a condescending chuckle, his eyes filled with the
"wisdom" of someone who had seen through the world's illusions.
"Friend, don't think that just because you're a skeleton, you understand the
Sovereign better than me. That's racial prejudice talking!"
He bent down, carefully scooped up the stone, and held it aloft. Under the Light
of Evernight, the rock reflected a dazzling, crystalline flare.
"Look closely! This isn't 'junk'!"
"This is a custom-ordered masterpiece! I spent three months of my wages to have
it crafted by the greatest smith in the Iron Fortress, Master Paul! The waiting
list for an appointment was eight weeks long!"
"The surface has undergone thirty-two stages of polishing to ensure it reflects
the most magnificent spectrum of light! No undead could possibly resist such a
radiant treasure!"
The Orc cradled the stone as if it were a holy relic, his voice dripping with
pride and conviction.
"Furthermore!"
He set the stone back down with agonizing care and flipped his "Bible" again,
stabbing a finger at a specific entry.
"According to my records, the Sovereign frequently visits the markets to
purchase the largest, fattest fish, only to release them back into the river
with his own hands!"
"I have the fishmonger's personal testimony! I have three separate eye-witness
accounts from different dates! It's cross-verified! Now, you tell me—how could a
monarch so benevolent, so full of love for all living things, enjoy 'fishing,'
an act of pure slaughter?"
"It is clearly a prayer ritual! By returning life to the waters, he is
accumulating 'Divine Merit' for the entire Empire! What a magnificent, soulful
heart he possesses!"
Kaito felt the soulfire in his sockets nearly leap out.
What kind of warped logic is this?!
He bought those fish and released them because he couldn't catch anything and
was too embarrassed to return to the base empty-handed! He was just trying to
increase the biodiversity of that cursed river so he might actually have a
chance next time!
"Unauthorised history!" Kaito barked. "Everything you're saying is baseless
gossip! Rumors!"
"The Sovereign has never done those things! Not one! His Majesty spends his time
fishing while listening to the latest Audio Novels from the Literature
Department! Usually those idiotic stories where the protagonist is incredibly
unlucky!"
"Occasionally he comes into the city for some fun, and that's it! Nothing more!"
Kaito paused, adding in a slightly smaller, grumbling voice, "And for your
information, his fishing technique is superb. He never goes home empty-handed."
The Orc shook his head slowly, wearing a look of pity reserved for the ignorant
and the blind.
"Alas, friend. You are still too young. You know nothing of the truly powerful."
"Do you think what you see with your eyes is the 'truth'?" He lowered his voice,
leaning in to create an aura of mystery. "I'll let you in on a secret: every
action His Majesty takes has a profound meaning that ordinary minds cannot
grasp."
"The 'fishing' you speak of? Perhaps he is meditating on the ebb and flow of all
sentient life. The 'stories' he listens to? Likely a method of gaining insight
into the joys and sorrows of his subjects."
Kaito went silent.
He realized, with a sinking feeling, that he couldn't win. The Orc had
constructed a perfect, self-reinforcing logical loop. No matter what Kaito said,
the Orc would interpret it through the lens of "The Sovereign's Hidden
Profundity."
Nearby, on the steps of the Cathedral, two young nuns holding scriptures were
whispering to each other, their gazes drifting toward the argument.
"Who do you think is right?" the younger nun asked softly.
The older nun pondered for a moment. "The Sovereign releasing fish to accumulate
merit... that sounds very likely. It's a gesture full of symbolic weight."
"Should we propose adding this interpretation to the new edition of the Holy
Scriptures we're preparing for Bishop Anchi?"
The younger nun nodded vigorously. "I think so. It would allow the faithful to
feel the Sovereign's mercy more deeply. Besides... that skeleton's story about
'fishing' sounds far too mundane. A being as great as the Sovereign would never
be addicted to such a common hobby."
Kaito overheard the exchange. The soulfire in his sockets nearly went out from
sheer despair.
Just then, his internal soul-radio flickered.
"Wait," Kaito said, raising a bony hand toward the Orc. "I have an incoming Soul
Link."
The Orc immediately ceased his lecture and nodded politely. "Of course. Business
first."
Kaito's consciousness dipped into the link. Pride, what is it? I'm in the middle
of a very intense debate about what the Sovereign actually likes.
There was a second of silence from the other end. Skele-Pride's voice returned,
sounding deeply confused.
"My Lord... are you arguing about yourself?"
"Yeah, this Orc claims he knows me better than I know me. I won't stand for it,"
Kaito replied with righteous indignation.
Pride's soulfire likely twitched. Whatever makes the Lord happy, I suppose.
He began his report. He recounted the appearance of the woman named Lia, the
intervention of Doctor William, his own interrogation, and his ultimate decision
to let her walk.
Kaito listened intently. Once Pride finished, Kaito remained silent for a few
seconds.
"A Planar Spy..."
This was the first time the Evernight Empire had encountered such a variable.
"You handled it correctly," Kaito's voice turned calm and authoritative as he
issued his orders. "Issue a 'Most Wanted' notice across the Empire, but do not
actually move to apprehend her."
"Maintain the appearance of a manhunt. Pressure her until she feels forced to
return to her own Plane."
"As for when she goes back, it doesn't matter." Kaito's soulfire pulsed slowly.
"The one thing we have in abundance is time."
"If we kill one rat, another will just take its place. Better to let her run
home and lead us straight to the nest."
Pride immediately bowed in his mind. "As you command, my Sovereign."
The link severed.
Kaito's consciousness returned to reality. He looked up at the Orc, who was
still waiting patiently.
"My apologies for the wait."
The Orc waved a hand dismissively. "No trouble at all. It is an honor to discuss
the Sovereign with a skeleton of your... passion. Shall we continue?"
Kaito's skull nodded.
"Let's continue."
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