Children of the Rune – Winterer - Chapter 342

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 112.
Ninety-Eight Souls (25)
Lanji’s gaze turned toward Kanka. Kanka felt the weight of that stare and met it. In that brief exchange, Kanka noticed for the first time that Lanji’s eyes were not brown at all, but rather a vivid crimson—a color rarely seen. The reddish glow of the lamp had obscured this detail until now.
As Kanka spoke, he expected Lanji, or perhaps Hailjer, to oppose the proposal. He had prepared counterarguments for such resistance.
Deciding on a date meant both sides were burning their bridges. From the beginning, Kanka had thought of themselves as holding appetizing bait, standing before a tiger. The Friends of the People was a secret society, yet it had penetrated deeply across all strata of the kingdom. There were members from every walk of life—nobles and commoners, the wealthy and beggars, thugs and artists alike. The ten years of Republican history had not been entirely in vain.
Yet one could not accept them as a nation. Despite their vast scale, the Friends of the People were like thousands of black stones that knew nothing of one another. In darkness, one could grope for their existence, but never witness their true form.
Even after years of membership in the Friends of the People, one might meet fewer than ten other members. As a low-ranking member, one’s entire contact might be limited to a single junior officer overseeing them. Of course, exceptions existed—those recognized for their abilities advanced rapidly to the central ranks. Only then would they learn that hundreds of prominent figures were shadow members of the Friends of the People.
When dealing with such an organization, caution and boldness—as one would need to tame a tiger—were absolutely essential.
Kanka was a seasoned strategist. The moment he recognized that his counterpart excelled at reading the situation, he wondered if there was a way to turn that against them. When the opponent seized the initiative and pressed forward, one could easily lose sight of crucial conditions while scrambling to keep pace. To prevent that, one either had to stop entirely or move faster still.
Now that he could not withdraw from negotiations, he had no choice but to make a more radical proposal. That alone was the way to reclaim control of the negotiation. After making such a claim, if the opponent hesitated and objected, only then could they align their interests and conduct a proper negotiation. Without being chased.
As Kanka thought thus, Lanji’s answer reached his ears.
“Very well. Let us settle it.”
“Ah… You are agreeing?”
Even as he answered reflexively, the thought that he had been struck a blow rang loudly in his mind.
Had the other not appeared as a young boy, he would not have fallen so easily. At a young age, personality rarely develops evenly. One tends toward narrow-mindedness in areas of weakness. Yet at that age, how could someone exceptional at analyzing situations also possess such boldness?
Whatever Kanka was thinking, Lanji continued in an unperturbed tone.
“It will soon be June. Six months should be a reasonable timeframe. Or perhaps it might even be too long.”
Kanka regained his composure and thought coldly. In truth, proposing a date was not entirely disadvantageous. While it would keep his side busy, the speed of assistance from the other side would increase proportionally. In noble society, the faster one’s standing rises, the better.
The only problem was Duke Fontina. The proposal itself was acceptable, but it would be troublesome if Duke Fontina learned of this matter. If he earned the Duke’s displeasure before even establishing his position properly, it would be like advancing with a mountain before him.
He was confident he could devise a scheme to obscure the source of rumors. But preventing Duke Fontina’s actions once he became aware of the rumors was beyond the power of any individual.
Then Lanji’s voice sounded again.
“If you do your part well, we shall handle diverting Duke Fontina’s attention.”
He wondered if those indifferent eyes could read another’s heart. Though more likely, the other simply possessed enough insight to pinpoint the very problem that would occupy one’s thoughts.
“How do you intend to manage it?”
“We shall have to give him another interest to occupy himself with. Well, you need not worry about the details.”
It was less an assurance not to worry than an instruction not to inquire further. Now that Kanka recognized his counterpart as someone thoroughly prepared, he had no choice but to make his final decision.
“Four months, then.”
“Today is the 27th of May, so that would make it the 27th of September.”
Lanji glanced at Hailjer, who nodded in acknowledgment. Lanji spoke.
“We accept.”
Theo also knew this was a dangerous promise. The moment Lanji’s answer fell, Theo heard what sounded like a clock that had been frozen suddenly tick loudly. Yet outwardly, Theo merely smiled.
“Within four months, Moro, I shall see that you obtain at least one barony. There will be an opportunity to meet the King, so depending on how well you perform, you may acquire even more. And as you mentioned, I shall provide you with a path to contact Nightwalk, the intelligence network operating under the Friends of the People. However, your rank will be Grade 3, and therefore, unless you provide intelligence of comparable value, you may summon them only once per month.”
That a member who had just joined the organization could summon Nightwalk, even if only once a month, was a considerable privilege. Nightwalk was called the cradle from which the Republican Faction was born—the oldest organization of all. They existed before the Friends of the People, indeed before Dansburg itself. Perhaps originally they were not even a Republican organization.
Nightwalk exchanged information across the entire Continent. Particularly in Anomarad, thousands of informants lived as ordinary merchants, farmers, beggars, prostitutes, and even nobles, such that no deed could escape their notice.
The driving force behind the establishment of the former Republic, and the reason the current King could not root out the Friends of the People, owed greatly to the fact that Nightwalk’s true nature remained undiscovered. After the Republic’s collapse, the very methods of managing Friends of the People members were modeled after Nightwalk’s operational structure.
“Your first contact point is Masha, the daughter of Hans Krone, a furniture repairman, at number 10 Tramea Street, Keltika District 13. However, since Hans Krone is not a member, you must not visit him directly. If you wish to make contact, send a letter in the name of your friend Anna Efman, who lives in Zanford City. She will then appear at the appointed place at 8 o’clock the following evening. Should she refuse contact, she will place two lamps before her window on the second floor at midnight on the night she receives the letter.”
“What should the letter contain?”
When Kanka asked, Yien spoke from beside him.
“Anna and Masha are nineteen years old. In case their father opens it, fill it with topics appropriate to their age, and simply hint at a single location between the lines.”
“I understand what you mean.”
Theo asked with an amused expression.
“Is Anna a real person?”
Yien replied.
“No.”
A slip of paper with the precise address slipped into Theo’s pocket. When Langie gestured to Hailjer, he straightened from his chair and surveyed the three of them.
“If there is nothing more to discuss, I shall conclude this meeting.”
Theo spoke.
“If my demeanor today was perhaps overbearing, I apologize. Having grown up among nobility for so long, certain unsavory habits occasionally surface.”
Langie smiled faintly before responding.
“Rather, I hope you do not take offense that we do not treat you with aristocratic courtesy. Since we pursue the Republic, we can show no other attitude, even when meeting royalty.”
Theo answered with a smile, yet he recognized that this man had been evaluating his conduct all along, and he felt unease at the other’s flawlessness. Did the Friends of the People contain many such individuals, or had they deliberately assigned someone of exceptional caliber for the importance of this matter?
Everyone rose from their seats when Yien noticed Anistan, who had not spoken a word until now, and asked.
“I heard The Mage has not joined. Do you intend to continue in that manner?”
Anistan paused before answering.
“My current conviction is my friend himself. If what he desires is the realization of a republic, then my will aligns with his.”
Hearing this, Langie smiled broadly and spoke.
“That statement sounds to me like you are postponing membership because Moro’s objectives might change to something else. Is that not so?”
“….”
When Anistan did not respond, Theo quickly spoke.
“I shall persuade him, so please wait a little longer. In any case, he is not a friend who would betray me.”
Langie, thinking this was not the moment to press further, nodded and turned his body toward the door. Then Theo called out to him.
“Forgive the intrusion, but D, might I know your name?”
Langie turned back briefly and answered curtly.
“It is Yizian.”
“Yizian D… Your demeanor was impressive. Farewell, D.”
And he turned to address the others.
“Don Crea, young lady whose name I do not know, it was a pleasure to meet you all.”
The first floor of the Corner House remained chaotic. After Theo’s party departed, the three who came down after an interval did not leave immediately but instead sat at a corner table and ordered wine. The surroundings were so loud that conversation from adjacent tables was nearly inaudible, so they huddled together and spoke.
“How was it?”
Hailjer asked Langie with an awkward smile, but Yien answered first.
“It went well enough. You did fine. But choose the timing of what you say a bit more carefully.”
Langie was lost in thought and did not hear Hailjer’s words. His face was expressionless now, utterly unlike when he had smiled gently and sent off Theo’s party moments before. Yien asked.
“What are you thinking about?”
Langie slowly wrote on the table with his finger. Demonic, he wrote.
“Didn’t you say the Young Duke handles his own affairs?”
Yien asked in puzzlement, then tilted his head.
“You said he was a genius beyond imagination. Is he a variable? An existence that cannot be predicted by logic?”
Langie stared at the tip of his finger for a long while before opening his mouth.
“There was a point where Moro and Kanka’s words collided. They seemed similar, but they were actually different things.”
Children of Rune – Winterer
Author: Jeon Min-hee
Publisher: 14 Months Publishing
The copyright to this book belongs to the author and 14 Months Publishing.
To reuse all or part of the contents of this book, written consent from both parties is required.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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