Chapter 235. Damn Imperial Palace (2)
After leaving the prison, Caron headed straight for the vice-commander's office. It seemed Lahart had already given the necessary orders, as not a single knight could be seen patrolling the Imperial Guards headquarters. Thanks to that, Caron entered the office without any interference.
Just as Lahart had said, Luke and Amy were already waiting inside. Caron offered a faint smile as he looked at their determined faces.
"Looking good," Caron said.
"You've arrived," Luke replied with a respectful nod.
"I still can't believe you managed to convince Commander Lahart," Caron remarked.
"Commander Lahart is a man who values the honor of the Imperial Guards more than anyone. He simply made the decision a commander ought to make," Luke explained.
"Well, I'm not complaining," Caron added with a grin. "Thanks to that, sneaking into the palace was a breeze."
He began gathering his equipment. He donned Kavana, the armor of the Ducal Family of Leston, then secured the pouch of dimensional space at his waist. And lastly, he picked up Guillotine.
"This place gives me a bad feeling every time I'm here," Guillotine muttered.
"Well, that's probably because you used to be here once too," Caron said casually.
"Owner, that's why the unconscious is terrifying," Guillotine replied.
"How wonderful. The demonic sword is talking about unconscious trauma now. What a time to be alive," Caron said.
By now, Luke and Amy were used to Caron having casual conversations with his sword.
After strapping Duban, Guillotine's sheath, to his waist, Caron nodded in satisfaction.
Everything was proceeding according to plan. He had turned public sentiment in the capital on its head and successfully infiltrated the palace. Of course, the real challenge began now.
"What about Sir Mason?" Caron asked.
"He's still stationed in His Majesty's quarters," Luke answered.
"Since Sir Mason will handle that end, let's go find the missing members of the Oceanwolf Knight Order," Caron said.
Their objectives within the palace were clear: First, they had to locate the missing knights of the Oceanwolf Knight Order. Second, they needed to gather evidence linking the palace to the Malevolent Emperor.
The immediate priority was rescuing the knights. They had likely been conducting their own investigation into the royal family and could already have critical evidence in hand.
"Lahart mentioned a few suspicious places earlier, right?" Caron asked.
"Yes, he did," Luke replied, quickly spreading out a map of the Imperial Palace on the table.
The palace map was top-secret. The Imperial Palace was practically a city within a city. It was so vast and convoluted that there was a high risk of visitors getting lost.
"This is a military-grade map used by the Imperial Guards..." Luke began.
"I'll have to pretend I've never seen it before," Caron interrupted. "My lips are sealed."
"Thank you, I appreciate it," Luke replied.
If this map were to fall into enemy hands, the consequences would be catastrophic. It detailed everything from the emperor's residence to all key facilities within the palace grounds.
Luke pointed to several red circles marked on the map, then said, "These areas are off-limits even to the Imperial Guards."
"Magitech Research Lab, Forbidden Forest... These places have been off-limits for a while," Caron murmured.
The Forbidden Forest was where the Malevolent Emperor had once summoned a gate using a magic circle. It was a place once overrun by demonic monsters. But Caron quickly dismissed it from consideration. The Ducal Family of Leston had maintained strict oversight of the forest in recent years, purifying it with holy water until the land practically radiated sacred energy.
Instead, Caron focused carefully on the map, narrowing down the potential locations where evidence could be hidden.
In the end, only three places remained.
"The Royal Tombs, the Magitech Research Lab, and the Empress' Palace... That seems to be it," Caron said.
"Where would you like to go first?" Luke asked.
"Hmm..." Caron raised a hand to his chin and began to think.
The Magitech Research Lab was one of the newer constructions, built after the Malevolent Emperor was dethroned. As it was located beside a lake, it served as a central hub for the development of cutting-edge technologies that would shape the empire's future.
"Who's in charge of the lab?" Caron asked.
"It falls under the jurisdiction of the military," Luke answered quietly. "They also oversee the research of various weapons."
"And since Marquis Diaz currently controls the military... It does make sense," Caron said.
News of his escape would soon spread. When that happened, the royal family would undoubtedly issue an immediate execution order.
There was no time to waste. They had to secure evidence as quickly as possible and use it to bring down the Crown Prince.
Caron gave a brief nod, then swiftly began issuing commands.
"Tell me, Sir Luke, how many troops can you muster at the moment?" he asked.
Luke responded without hesitation, "We have fifty Imperial Guards who've joined our cause so far. Thirty of them are knights of 6-Star or higher. Including the apprentices and the direct command unit, we can mobilize a total of 232 knights."
It was a meager force compared to the full strength of the troops stationed at the Imperial Palace. Their only real advantage lay in the fact that they had knights—an elite minority trained for precision and strength.
The palace's total defense force is supposed to number six thousand, Caron thought grimly.
They couldn't even match a fraction of that. There was no chance of winning through sheer numbers. Facing them head-on would be no different from suicide.
But that didn't mean they had no options.
Caron thought back to the way Halo had once staged his own rebellion. Of course, back then, Halo had had far more soldiers, but the process—the strategy—was still worth copying.
The first thing Halo had done the moment he stepped into the palace was to destroy the palace's chain of command.
"The Royal Guards. That's our first target," Caron declared.
No matter how many troops the enemy had, they would fall into disarray without leaders to direct them.
Luke frowned, clearly uneasy, then said, "Sir Caron, if we launch an assault on the command center, your list of charges will grow to include high treason."
To that, Caron widened his eyes and replied, "So?"
"...Pardon?" Luke replied.
"In the Ducal Family of Leston, the noble house of rebels, high treason is more of a badge of honor than anything. And if we succeed, it won't be a rebellion anymore, will it? So what's there to worry about?" Caron explained.
It was a ludicrous plan. And yet, somehow, Luke found himself accepting it without protest.
In this era, knights were essentially special forces. Their primary function was to assassinate enemy commanders and sow chaos from within with a small, elite force.
Did he really think that far ahead? Luke wondered as he stared at Caron, who now wore a wicked grin.
"If we're going to rebel, we should do it right," Caron said as he grinned like a lunatic. "Heh... I've always been on the side putting rebellions down. But now that I'm the one starting one? This is way more fun than I expected."
"...Pardon?" Luke replied once again.
"Oh, just talking to myself," Caron added with a sheepish smile. "Sorry. I've got a bad habit of mumbling."
Luke let out a heavy sigh and shook his head.
There's no way he thought everything through, he told himself. He thought Caron had just gone crazy from the idea of tearing the palace apart.
"Let's move. We don't have time to waste," Caron said briskly.
"Very well," Luke replied.
"Amy?" Caron called out.
"Yes, Caron?" Amy answered quickly.
"Just felt like saying your name," Caron said with a mischievous smile, tapping his armor.
At that, Kavana shimmered and transformed into the standard-issue armor of the Imperial Guards, complete with the lion insignia etched onto the chest.
Amy raised an eyebrow and murmured, "...It suits you better than I thought."
"Haven't worn this in a while. It feels strange," Caron remarked.
"When did you ever wear it?" Amy asked.
"A long time ago," Caron said, drawing out the words with a dramatic flourish. "From this moment on, I'm officially a part of the Imperial Guards. I'm counting on you, Amy. Vice-Commander? Let's go start a rebellion."
Luke exhaled again—louder this time. He wondered if going along with this madman was really the right choice.
...It's too late for regrets now, he thought.
He'd already stepped onto the same ship. If they failed, the only end awaiting them was death.
With a small sigh, Luke stepped forward.
***
Thirty minutes later, Caron and Luke, leading a unit of Imperial Guards, arrived at the building that housed the Royal Guards.
The atmosphere there was grim, tense to the bone. The guards at the entrance stood with expressions more serious than ever, and their gazes were sharp and unwelcoming.
Luke stepped forward and announced in a firm voice, "I am Luke Hymer, the Vice-Commander of the Imperial Guards. We've received a report of an intruder within this facility."
Immediately, a soldier who appeared to be the watch commander approached. His eyes scanned the other Imperial Guards behind Luke, his face betraying clear unease.
"An intruder, sir? We haven't been informed of anything like that," the watch commander said.
"The intel is confirmed," Luke said. "Now step aside. We need to apprehend the intruder as quickly as possible. The infiltrator is Caron Leston. Thirty minutes ago, he escaped from the underground prison beneath the Imperial Guards' headquarters."
The watch commander's eyes widened in shock, then asked, "Caron Leston... Isn't he the youngest grandson of Duke Halo?"
"I don't have time to discuss this with you," Luke said sharply. "This is a time-sensitive situation. The Commander may be in danger."
"I-I understand, sir, but please wait just a moment. I'll have to report this first. The Commander has ordered that no one be allowed inside the command center, under any circumstances..." the watch commander continued.
The man hesitated, but Luke's face darkened in response to his resistance. His voice turned icy. "You are currently obstructing the lawful duties of the Imperial Guards. If something happens during this delay, will you take responsibility?"
It was a heavy-handed threat—and a calculated one. Few things struck fear into a soldier's heart more than that word, responsibility .
But surprisingly, the watch commander held his ground. He said, "I'm sorry, sir, but these orders came from the top. There's nothing I can do. Just... Please give me a moment to report this. It won't take long."
Amy, who had been watching quietly, leaned toward Caron and whispered in his ear, "I don't think this is going to work. What now, Caron?"
"That just means the Commander has trained his men well," Caron murmured with a grin. "It would've been no fun if they fell for this kind of trick, anyway."
The Royal Guards and the Imperial Guards were two entirely separate organizations. Caron had never expected to be let in easily, even with a show of authority.
Still, he wasn't rattled. He had anticipated this very possibility. It was time to activate the backup plan.
Without hesitation, Caron stepped forward and raised his voice with theatrical indignation. "Are you looking down on the authority of the Imperial Guards right now?"
Luke winced, clearly displeased with Caron's sudden intrusion, but Caron paid him no mind.
Startled, the watch commander held up his hands and stuttered, "N-No, sir! Not at all! It's just... This situation is out of our control, so we ask for your understanding—"
"Oh, so you won't let us in immediately? That means you suspect us, doesn't it?" Caron interrupted, deliberately raising his voice.
"We're not suspicious of you, sir," the watch commander insisted. "We're just following procedure. Besides, there's no solid evidence that Caron Leston is even here. We have to verify—"
Crash!
Crack!
Two loud bursts shattered the air, followed by the thud of bodies hitting the ground. Every soldier in the guard post collapsed at once, unconscious.
Even the watch commander, who had just been speaking, staggered. He didn't lose consciousness right away—clearly, he was more trained than the others—but his legs gave out, and he dropped to the ground, blinking in confusion.
"W-What... What did you do...?" the watch commander gasped.
"You said there was no evidence," Caron replied coolly, tapping his helmet. With a metallic click, the visor lifted, revealing his face.
"Well, here's your evidence," he said with a smirk.
"C-Caron... Leston?" the watch commander stuttered.
"Since I'm officially breaking in, Sir Luke's report was accurate, wouldn't you say?" Caron said.
He crouched beside the fallen watch commander and gently patted his back before saying, "Sticking to your duties even now? I respect that. What's your name, soldier?"
The question seemed oddly personal, but the watch commander forced out a shaky answer. "S-Sahin..."
"Good. Sahin, do me a favor and just stay unconscious for a while. When you wake up, this will all be over," Caron said.
But Sahin didn't pass out so easily. His sheer willpower was impressive. He murmured, "If... If I get kicked out for this... What about my family...?"
"Oh, that's what you're worried about?" Caron said gently. "All right, Sahin. I'll personally see to it that you get reassigned to Azureocean Castle. Double the pay, too. Sounds good? I swear on my grandfather's name."
Perhaps that was the right answer. At last, Sahin let out a breath and slumped peacefully into unconsciousness.
"I honestly thought you were going to kill them," Luke said, sounding genuinely surprised.
Caron stood and smiled, then replied, "Why would I? They've done nothing wrong. Just men carrying out their duties. If it had come to that, I wouldn't have hesitated—but it hasn't. Not yet."
With that, Caron casually strolled over to the alarm bell inside the guard post and gave it a hard pull.
RING!
An urgent, wailing chime rang out, followed by a burst of alarm magic crackling through the air.
Caron turned to the others and declared cheerfully, "Well then, everyone—let's begin the rebellion."
The knight who once protected the Imperial Palace... had returned as the enemy.