The Imperial Army had already set out ahead of schedule, while Lancer and the other Teigu users rode separately in a discreet carriage.
The ordinary soldier driving the carriage couldn't help repeatedly stealing glances at the silent figure seated beside him, though he quickly averted his eyes each time.
Because the man next to him was genuinely unsettling.
Lately, rumors about the Empire's "Bloodstained Executioner" had spread wildly—especially after Lancer's brazen return to the Capital, which magnified his sinister reputation tenfold.
But right now, that same Lancer sat bundled up tightly in a thick cloak and hat, utterly motionless like a stone statue. It felt completely at odds with what the soldier had heard.
Lancer was fully aware of the curious stares but paid them no mind. Though he appeared relaxed, every sense was alert, constantly scanning the surroundings and meticulously double-checking his equipment and supplies.
One troubling question refused to leave his mind: What was Leone's current situation?
Would they kill her? Torture her? Unlikely. After all, their real target was clearly him.
But if that was true, why hadn't they issued any demands yet?
There were only two possibilities. Either Leone was already dead, in which case all Lancer could do was take revenge by slaughtering the bastard behind it, or she was still alive, likely kept as leverage for something even more insidious.
If it was the latter, he could only adapt as he went.
The only advantage he held now was his enemy's ignorance.
His trump cards weren't limited merely to his spears or the supplies from the [System]. Thanks to his knowledge of future events, he also held detailed information on many Teigu—knowledge that might prove crucial.
He'd even decided to use his own Teigu as bait if necessary.
He wondered, briefly, what Honest's face would look like at that moment—the exact instant he thought himself triumphant, only for Lancer's spear to pierce cleanly through his heart. It would be magnificent, wouldn't it?
Lancer himself barely noticed how the reason behind his actions had silently shifted. His objective hadn't changed, yet something deeper certainly had.
...
Meanwhile, the very Honest who occupied Lancer's thoughts was frantically paging through a thick, dusty tome, sweat pouring down his forehead.
"Where is it…? Damn it, it has to be here somewhere! If the Empire's first Emperor made [Erastone] to counteract Teigu, surely he created other methods of control!"
This book, uncovered alongside the Teigu in the hidden tomb, contained secrets and lore about Imperial Arms—and plenty of scandalous secrets damaging to the royal family itself.
Finding this tomb and the cache of Teigu had fueled Honest's ambitions and kickstarted his grand scheme. Yet now, his supposedly flawless plan was crumbling around him.
"According to the book, these special Teigu require a specific bloodline to wield properly. So where the hell is the method to control it…?"
The ancient texts stated clearly that aside from standard Teigu, certain Imperial Arms could only be wielded by special bloodlines. The Emperor's [National Defense Machine God: Shikoutazer] was one; another was General Budo's family heirloom, [Thunder God's Rage: Adramelech]. [Demon God Manifestation: Demon's Extract] was another.
Esdeath's tribe had been annihilated on Honest's orders precisely because of this bloodline theory. Back then, he'd carefully selected several "test subjects," all failures. Esdeath herself had been deliberately spared and "cultivated," yet now she'd exceeded all expectations—and all control.
According to the book, simply giving a special bloodline a small portion of the blood was enough to create powerful servants who, upon death, could have their power extracted again.
But Esdeath, having downed an entire jar, seemed completely unaffected by these supposed controls.
Honest had planned to secure an ultimate enforcer. Instead, he'd unleashed something far beyond his control—a monster he had no way to rein in.
"Damn it! That useless bastard claims he's the true heir of the Empire, yet he didn't even write down a proper way to control his servants!"
He raised the heavy tome, ready to slam it down in rage, but ultimately forced himself to restrain his fury. Anger wouldn't solve his problems.
Exhausted, he sank back into his chair and reluctantly began scouring the book again, sifting through countless pages of narcissistic bragging, hunting desperately for hints buried among endless drivel.
His thinning hair suffered several new casualties as frustration built. Normally, losing hair like this might send him into a murderous tantrum, but right now, he had far bigger problems.
"I can't rely on this anymore! I need a backup plan. Even if the answer isn't here, I'll create one myself!"
Esdeath's current state was clearly abnormal. She wasn't merely using the Teigu—she'd been overtaken by it. If the old Esdeath was an aloof and proud queen, the current Esdeath was a tyrant radiating overwhelming menace. If not for her restraint in not attacking everything around her, Honest would have believed she'd already lost her mind. Her behavior was too starkly different from before.
After absorbing the Teigu, she had locked herself in her quarters and hadn't emerged since.
Previously, the only person who gave Honest this much trouble was that damned Lancer.
Unbribable, incorruptible, uninterested in wealth or pleasures—like a cursed ascetic monk. Framing him was pointless, assassination attempts equally futile; even in sleep, the bastard's instincts were impossibly sharp. Honest had eventually abandoned attempts on his life, realizing it simply wasn't worth the trouble. Yet that same Lancer had repeatedly thwarted his schemes, and in the end, he'd been the one to find Honest's weakness.
Now he'd encountered someone even more problematic.
If a direct approach wouldn't work, he'd have to strike indirectly…
His thoughts shifted to the woman Esdeath had brought. He didn't know why Esdeath insisted on keeping her, but perhaps this woman might be the leverage he needed.
Feeling he'd finally found a path forward, Honest even glanced at the hairs caught between his fingers with something resembling satisfaction.
---
bonus chaps
100 stones → 1 bonus chap
200 stones → 2 bonus chaps
300 stones → 3 bonus chaps
and so on :3
100+ new chaps every week across all my TLs on the P website :)
hehe every 100 followers on either instagram or twitter = 5 bonus chaps...?
(for all ongoing tls)
website: wisetl.com
discord.gg/wisetl
patreon.com/wisetl
instagram: hanbaowise
twitter: WiseKingOfUruk_