CHAPTER 10: CHAPTER10-AND YOU DARE TO ACT ARROGANT?

"What business do you have here?"

Aurek turned, his scepter gleaming faintly in his hand, and cast a cold glance at Nock, who was still bent in a bow. His tone was like frost, sharp and unyielding.

Nock froze for a moment. The emperor... was different. Aurek had been in a coma for so many years, but now that he had awakened, it was as if he had become a completely new person.

Yet after a brief hesitation, Nock forced a respectful tone. "Your Majesty, it seems you may have misunderstood Wood. What happened just now was because he was concerned for your safety. In the heat of the moment, he made a mistake. I beg Your Majesty to give him another chance."

Aurek narrowed his eyes. A glint of icy light flickered in his gaze as his fingers absently caressed the jewel embedded in his scepter. His voice was calm, yet it carried a dangerous edge.

"So... what you are saying is that you want to plead for him?"

The Minister of War stiffened. His eyes flickered as he carefully studied Aurek. Something about the emperor unsettled him. The man before him no longer resembled the weakling he had known years ago. This Aurek was calm, steady, and there was even a faint sense of oppressive power radiating from him. The realization unsettled Nock more than he cared to admit.

"Your Majesty," Nock said at last, "over these many years, Wood has been deeply loyal to you. Just now he was merely a bit rash. Please, I implore you to give him another chance. You have my word—this time I will discipline him personally, and I guarantee you will have a satisfactory explanation."

Hearing these words, Aurek could not help the cold laugh that stirred within his heart.

Loyal? That man had already drawn his blade and nearly cut me down. And now you tell me he is loyal? That it was merely a rash mistake?

Do you really take me for a fool?

Displeasure churned within Aurek. Just a Minister of War, daring to lecture me as if I were some naïve child—do you even know who I am? Do you know who founded this empire? Do you remember who the emperor truly is?

"This matter is no longer yours to meddle in," Aurek said coldly. "Wood drew his blade against me. For that, I sentenced him to death. Are you intending to defy my command?"

The so-called useless emperor had dared to oppose him? A flicker of displeasure crossed Nock’s face, though he quickly smoothed it over.

"Your Majesty, I urge you to think carefully. Wood has always been loyal to you. If you treat him so harshly, do you not fear chilling the hearts of those who serve you? Please understand, my words are only out of consideration for Your Majesty’s benefit."

Aurek almost laughed aloud. Consideration? What he really meant was a threat. Nock’s tone was cloaked in politeness, but the implication was clear: if you execute Wood, you will make an enemy of the forces behind me.

He must believe that, with the Minister of Police behind him, Aurek would not dare move against him.

The thought stoked Aurek’s fury further.

"Nock," Aurek’s voice cut through the air like a blade, "it seems you still do not understand me. If you dare take him from here today, then bear the consequences yourself."

As he spoke, Aurek gestured casually, signaling the soldiers holding the great hammers to step back. Every motion, every word was deliberate, calculated. He had been laying this trap from the beginning, all to lure the Minister of War into revealing himself.

And Nock had walked straight into it.

In that moment, Aurek was already prepared. If Nock insisted on taking Wood away, then he would be forced into a position from which there would be no retreat. If he chose to abandon Wood, then Wood would suffer a brutal death.

Nock’s expression shifted, flickering between hesitation and anger. He had not expected this. The emperor—once a coward who bowed before everyone—was suddenly so domineering, so unyielding.

Perhaps the years of slumber damaged his mind, Nock thought bitterly. But he still hesitated. Should he save Wood?

For a heartbeat, his gaze hardened with cruelty. Yet at the same time, an inexplicable chill slid down his spine. He felt as though the edge of a dagger had been pressed against his throat. The sensation was so vivid that it forced sweat to bead on his brow.

Quickly he turned his head, scanning the shadows, but there was nothing—no assassin, no hidden guard. Only silence.

What was happening to him? Why did it feel as if unseen eyes were watching his every move?

Nock wrestled with his unease, but in the end he made his decision. Straightening his shoulders, he strode past Aurek and entered through the western gate of Valoria Palace, moving directly to where Wood lay broken.

He knew the risk of defying the emperor. As Minister of War, he should weigh Aurek’s warning carefully. But in truth, he was not alone. Behind him stood the Minister of Police, the man whose spies spread throughout the empire like an invisible web. Even within Valoria Palace itself, no one could say how many of his agents lurked in shadow.

That was why even William, the Secretary-General, treated the Minister of Police with caution.

Nock was certain. The emperor would not risk offending the Minister of Police for the sake of someone like Wood. It would be irrational.

And if Aurek had lost his senses? Well, then William and Heimerdinger would surely remind him of reality. They would restrain him, guide him.

With this logic, Nock’s hesitation melted away. His eyes hardened, and with a dismissive wave of his hand he commanded, "Enough. Take Wood away."

The words fell like iron.

As his guards moved, they lifted Wood from the ground, dragging his shattered body with them.

Around them, Angie and the other palace guards bristled. Their faces were dark with anger and indignation. But they dared not act rashly. The Minister of War commanded immense power, his foundations deep and unshakable. Even the emperor himself, they feared, could do little against him.

The bitter thought left them all suffocating with frustration.

Nock, after seeing Wood carried away, wasted no more time. He gave a brief nod, his expression unreadable, then turned and left with his entourage, striding toward the council chamber.

...

It was not long before the Royal Council hall filled with people. In the very center sat the throne reserved for the emperor alone.

At his left and right were the empire’s most important officials—among them, the three great powers: the Secretary-General, the Grand Marshal, and the Minister of Police.

The Secretary-General oversaw all civil administration. The Grand Marshal commanded the armies. The Minister of Police was different, wielding power in intelligence, surveillance, and matters that touched every shadow of the realm.

Troy, the Minister of Police, was already seated in the foremost position. A man in the prime of his life, his eyes radiated a sharp, cold brilliance, like a blade concealed within the folds of silk.

Beside him sat the Grand Marshal, Jacoff—a man built like a beast of war. Even seated, his presence was like that of a tiger crouched to spring, radiating raw menace.

On the other side was William, the aged Secretary-General, the staunchest pillar of the Royalist Party. His hair was white, his face lined with age, but his eyes still glimmered with wisdom.

Behind them, in the second row, sat Senator Heimerdinger, his status not high enough to grant him a place among the first rank.

The chamber grew restless as Aurek entered. Murmurs spread briefly through the hall. The emperor, who had slumbered for years, was awake and present at the council.

Yet the stir soon subsided. For in their eyes, Aurek was still the weakling emperor, too timid to matter. Who would take him seriously?

Once everyone was seated, William cleared his throat, his voice carrying over the chamber.

"The first matter on today’s agenda concerns the Blackfish Gang. I would like to hear everyone’s opinions."

And thus, the council began.