The Wind Calms the Fire - Chapter 54

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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 54
‘Pomess.’
The name spilled through his teeth, wrapped in fury.
‘Pomess!’
Warm energy swirled in his belly as if in response, and he heard what might have been a cheerful ‘You called?’
‘You did this, didn’t you? Why would you do such a thing?’
The warm energy stirred again, moving frantically as though trying to explain, then fell silent.
‘Pomess, Pomess!’
He called several times more, but now there came no answer—as though the spirit had simply fled.
He ground his teeth, certain beyond doubt that this was Pomess’s doing.
‘I’d have preferred a seizure to this…….’
The thought stopped him cold. He couldn’t lie even to himself.
Honestly, he would have welcomed it as a dream. Whether from inexperience or the limits of imagination, it felt only incomplete, and that was what tormented him.
Self-loathing flooded through him as he pressed both hands to his face.
He felt more like garbage now than the morning after that first mistake with her.
* * *
In the Prayer Chamber beneath the Grand Cathedral within the Imperial Palace.
The room held nothing but an oval stone table and chairs hewn from solid rock.
The rectangular chamber was not particularly large, though its layout was simple.
Without furniture, the space revealed itself at a glance.
The walls were specially designed, their thickness more than double that of ordinary construction.
No conversation that took place here could possibly escape beyond these chambers.
It was a secret room whose very existence was known to almost none.
One figure sat before the table.
He wore a black robe and a beast-shaped mask that concealed his entire face.
Shortly after, another entered.
Similarly robed and masked, appearance hidden.
Silence prevailed until all seven had taken their seats.
“For the sake of greatness.”
The one who spoke first was echoed by the others.
“For the sake of greatness.”
The one who had spoken first began again.
“An unforeseen variable has emerged. Someone bearing the Wind Bloodline has appeared in the Imperial Palace.”
“Surely this is an opportunity?”
“Perhaps not. The Zephyros Princess’s eyes remain intact. The spirit is still sealed within the vessel. What significance could bloodline alone hold?”
“True enough—the Capital overflows with those who carry such bloodlines already.”
“The 1st Imperial Prince is in an absolute frenzy, I hear.”
“How ironic. He laid out the feast himself and now demands we feed it to him with a spoon.”
“We should have taken action ourselves.”
“Because he is the 1st Imperial Prince, his military movements can be tidied up without question.”
“We are capable of equal discretion.”
“If we move openly, we expose ourselves entirely. Who, then, will stand at the fore?”
Only the uncomfortable sound of clearing throats broke the silence; no one answered.
“The plan was proceeding smoothly. I cannot fathom what has gone wrong.”
“Do we still lack proper information?”
“The situation has proven worse than anticipated. Everyone we had placed within our plans appears to have been rooted out entirely.”
A sharp click of the tongue, then silence once more.
“There is someone in the Imperial Palace now who understands the situation better than anyone.”
“The Zephyros Princess cannot be approached. Should anything befall her, would the Emperor simply overlook it? One misstep and we tighten our own nooses.”
“We might attempt a careful approach. If we could remove the Princess briefly, that would suffice. Once we use it, she won’t remember a thing.”
By ‘it,’ he meant a special Truth Serum.
One inhales the scent and enters a dazed state, answering whatever questions are posed, with no memory of it afterward.
“Hmm. But that is not something to attempt now. Too many eyes are watching the Princess.”
“Still, even so…….”
“Compose yourselves. The years we have waited stretch endless behind us. It is through such patience that we have endured until this moment.”
“You speak truly. We must exercise restraint now. Should the Princess blame the Kingdom’s troubles on the Empire, matters would become most difficult.”
“That cannot happen. The Kingdom has no way of learning of the 1st Imperial Prince’s involvement.”
“For now, we observe the situation.”
“What, then, of the 1st Imperial Prince?”
“We shall placate him for now and consider what comes next.”
“Surely the most pressing matter is the whereabouts of the Demon Sword.”
“It must be in the kingdom. We need to recover it.”
“We shouldn’t have let such a treasure slip through our fingers in the first place!”
“We must launch a retrieval operation at once.”
“Now, now—let us stay calm. The Empire will send an envoy soon enough. We can slip in during that window. Let us not rush and spoil the work.”
“Just to be safe, let’s also look into the Zephyros Princess.”
“Would the princess even know what that thing is?”
“There’s no harm in being thorough.”
“I’ll handle the princess myself.”
The masked figures rose one by one and filed out of the chamber.
The last to remain was the one who had entered first and sat nearest the head.
Save for the initial greeting, he had kept silent while opinions ebbed and flowed around him.
After sitting a while longer, he drew a leather satchel from beneath his chair and placed his beast mask inside it.
He reversed his black robe to reveal purple underneath and dressed himself anew.
Slinging the long-strapped bag over his shoulder, he left the chamber.
He crossed the empty Underground Corridor and climbed the stairs.
As he walked the first-floor hallway, a priest approaching from ahead recognized him and bowed deeply, palms pressed together.
The man returned the gesture, bowing with hands clasped.
The priest, passing, glanced back and watched the man’s figure recede into the distance.
‘The Chamberlain is truly devout. He comes to pray so often, after all.’
* * *
The Imperial Palace walls had eyes and ears.
Rumors spread like wildfire.
Many had seen the 4th Imperial Prince carrying the princess in his arms.
Curiosity drove people to dig deeper into the cause of the incident.
“The 4th Prince apparently carried the Zephyros Princess all the way to the Yingbin Corridor.”
“Surely not the 4th Prince?”
“It wasn’t just one or two people who saw it.”
“I heard the 1st Prince and the 4th Prince were locked in a tense contest over the princess.”
“That doesn’t make sense. Where even is Zephyros? I didn’t know such a kingdom existed.”
“They say the princess is breathtakingly beautiful?”
“There’s no other way to explain it. Just how stunning must she be?”
The Emperor too had caught wind of the rumors.
In truth, the Emperor was more fond of gossip than most.
There was nothing quite like scandal to ease his boredom.
“Bring the 4th Prince to me.”
“As you command, Your Majesty.”
Carrion had been summoned to the Emperor that morning.
The Emperor was in the midst of breakfast.
An attendant beside him dabbed the corners of the Emperor’s mouth with a handkerchief each time he took a spoonful of soup.
The Emperor did not acknowledge the report of the 4th Prince’s arrival.
Carrion waited until the Emperor finished his meal.
After eating, as the Emperor rinsed his mouth with fruit juice, he spoke.
“4th Prince.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Yesterday I distinctly said I would consider your marriage carefully before rendering judgment. Your martial achievements and your marriage are entirely separate matters. Why must you create such a disturbance instead of exercising patience?”
“I beg your forgiveness.”
“Your words and your deeds do not align. You claimed that marriage to the Zephyros Princess was a decision made for the Empire’s sake. Yet you appear to be swayed by the princess herself.”
Carrion sensed danger.
A wrong answer could bring ruin upon her and her kingdom.
The Emperor’s favor, which had seemed so certain yesterday, could shift in a single night.
“I deserve censure for my recklessness. My loyalty to the Empire and to you has never wavered. Only…….”
Carrion hesitated for a moment, then spoke.
“It is true that my personal desires are mixed in. I covet the princess more than I covet glory.”
The Emperor’s eyes widened.
Most nobles concealed their desires before the Emperor, wrapping them in pretty words.
The obviousness of such deceptions sometimes struck him as absurd.
Yet such conduct was so ingrained in the nobility that it could hardly be called cunning.
That is why the 4th Prince’s willingness to state his desire so plainly felt refreshing.
“I intended to rebuke you severely, but since you confess your fault first, I shall show leniency. Retire to your Private Residence and reflect until I call for you again.”
“…I shall obey your command, Your Majesty.”
The Emperor’s gaze followed the 4th Imperial Prince’s departing figure with stubborn persistence.
“Bastian.”
The chief chamberlain answered.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“What is your assessment? Does the 4th Imperial Prince truly seem captivated by the Zephyros Princess, or is he orchestrating some theatrical performance for another purpose?”
“If I may venture my humble opinion, Your Majesty, it appears most likely that the 4th Imperial Prince speaks from the heart.”
“And why should that be?”
“When a person acts in a manner too contrary to his usual comportment, it may paradoxically ring true. Were he harboring secret designs, he would not behave in ways that invite suspicion from those around him.”
The Emperor let out a low chuckle.
“There is merit in what you say.”

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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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