CHAPTER 166: THE HIDDEN HAND

Upon hearing that, Gerald and his subordinates froze in shock. Nolan’s threat struck deep, like an invisible hand tightening around their hearts.

"Captain, what do we do now? Did we go too far?" The thin, buck-toothed man asked, his voice trembling.

Their plan had been simple: delay Nolan and Elina’s entourage briefly until a representative from Duke Austin’s family arrived.

After that, they would pretend to apologize and admit to a misunderstanding. They didn’t know the reason behind Count Tharvis’ order—and frankly, they didn’t care.

It wasn’t their concern. They were just following orders and receiving generous rewards.

But now, Nolan had decided to return to the capital—and that was something none of them had anticipated.

Gerald didn’t respond to the man’s question right away. He stared at Nolan’s back with a complicated expression. For a moment, he considered stopping him, but in the end, he held back.

What reason do I have to stop him?

That thought echoed in his mind. He was the one who had blocked them from entering in the first place. Trying to prevent them from leaving now would only make things worse.

Worse still, it might reveal that they had deliberately detained the entourage—and that could lead to far bigger trouble.

After a few seconds of silence, Gerald made his decision. He let them go.

He took a deep breath, shook his head, and replied casually, "It’s fine. We’re just following orders. If anyone from Duke Austin’s family asks, just say Prince Nolan chose to leave on his own—not that we forced him."

But right after saying that, an itch crept up the back of his head, as if a bad premonition had begun to stir.

Upon hearing his words, the five subordinates said nothing more. They simply nodded in silence.

***

Elina, Nolan, Luvistar, and the soldiers walked along the same path they had taken earlier.

Unlike Elina, who remained calm, Luvistar looked hesitant and confused. His mouth opened and closed several times, as if he wanted to ask something but didn’t have the courage to speak.

Noticing this, Nolan gave a faint smile and glanced at him with a composed gaze.

"You’re confused, aren’t you? Wondering why we’re withdrawing the soldiers instead of barging in or waiting for Duke Austin’s representative to arrive?"

The sudden question caught Luvistar off guard. He smiled awkwardly and nodded.

"Yes, Prince. That’s exactly what I’ve been thinking. I don’t understand why we didn’t wait for Duke Austin’s representative. Wouldn’t that have allowed us to enter Ostravia City?"

Truthfully, he despised Gerald and his subordinates. But this was a mission from the Emperor, and they had to see it through—no matter what.

"Pfft!" Nolan chuckled, shaking his head. "General, didn’t you notice it?"

"Notice what?" Luvistar blinked, clearly confused. "What do you mean, Your Highness?"

Nolan remained composed as he replied, "What happened earlier was orchestrated by someone."

Luvistar was stunned. Just as he was about to ask who, Gerald’s earlier mention of a name flashed in his mind—Count Tharvis.

"Don’t tell me... he was behind it?" His eyes widened.

"Yes, him," Nolan replied casually. "From the very beginning, Gerald and the guards were nothing more than pawns used by the Tharvis family to block our entry."

Luvistar fell silent, but the anger on his face was unmistakable. He clenched his fists and muttered through gritted teeth, "Damn it... I never expected Count Tharvis to be bold enough to pull something like this. Isn’t he afraid of the consequences of detaining us?"

Detaining a member of the Imperial family within a city was already a serious offense—let alone a princess, a prince, and a relief force sent to resolve a major crisis.

If they were caught, execution wouldn’t be off the table. Yet the Tharvis family had dared to act so boldly, blatantly violating multiple layers of Imperial law.

"They dared to do it because they didn’t act directly," Nolan said, his eyes fixed on the distant horizon. "Gerald and his subordinates are disposable pawns—easily cast aside. I’m sure they were promised generous rewards by the Tharvis family. But what they don’t realize is that they’re being used... and manipulated from the shadows."

A faint, contemptuous smile tugged at Nolan’s lips as he continued, "Once this incident comes to light, Count Tharvis will wash his hands of it, and Gerald and his subordinates will take the fall."

There was one thing Nolan didn’t mention to Luvistar—Count Tharvis had ties to the Red Obsidian Trading House.

He recalled that Arnold had once submitted a report containing evidence of the Tharvis family’s collaboration with the Red Obsidian Trading House.

The terms of their agreement were straightforward: the Tharvis family would support Zarak in the battle for the throne, and in return, the Red Obsidian Trading House would help elevate them to the rank of a Marquis family.

Of course, rising in noble rank was no easy feat.

A count’s family had to meet numerous requirements—such as immense financial resources and several other critical qualifications.

Throughout the history of the Great Velmora Empire, only a handful of families had successfully climbed the social ladder—and even then, most had only advanced from Baron to Viscount, not from Count to Marquis.

Only the Balfrons—Orlan’s wife’s family—had ever accepted his father’s offer to become the thirteenth Marquis.

Unfortunately, the Balfron patriarch declined and chose to remain a Count.

With support from the Red Obsidian Trading House, the Tharvis family now dreamed of achieving what the Balfrons had turned down.

But was that dream realistic?

In theory, yes. The possibility was there, and the odds were not small. But in practice, unpredictable variables often arose—ones that could ruin everything.

"By the way, Brother," Elina called softly, "are we really going back or not?"

Nolan snapped out of his thoughts and slowly shook his head.

"Of course not. We’ll set up camp nearby and wait for a representative from Duke Austin’s family to arrive," he replied casually. Then, turning to Luvistar, he added, "I’ll leave that to you, General."

Luvistar was momentarily surprised but quickly nodded with determination. "Leave it to me, Your Highness. I’ll take care of it."

He immediately began coordinating the troops behind him, organizing them to carry out Nolan’s plan to establish camp in the surrounding area.

Even so, he couldn’t shake Nolan’s sharp and precise analysis from his mind.

His Highness Nolan is terrifying, he thought to himself. Was all that foolish behavior just an act? If that’s true... isn’t that truly frightening?