Death's Daughter and the Ebony Blade: Volume 5 Part 1 by Maito Ayamine

Author:Maito Ayamine
Language: eng
Format: epub

The next morning, Gladden put on a new uniform, shouldered his white cloak embroidered with crossed swords, and set off for the palace to make Darmés explain what he was really up to.

No matter how much his imperial majesty trusts the man, I’ve had it with his continued interference in military matters. It’s high time I laid that out clearly...

The interior of Listelein Palace was a complex structure. Gladden traced his way through the maze-like corridors until he saw Darmés’s work room ahead of him. The guard, noticing him, made a smart salute.

“Is Chancellor Darmés in there?” Gladden asked.

“Yes, my lord. But I have strict orders to refuse anyone seeking entry.”

“Anyone? My business will not wait. Let me pass.”

“I-I can’t, my lord! My orders are to not let anyone enter, no matter what their business might be!”

The guard bowed, nervous sweat beading on his brow. Gladden had to credit his dedication to his duties, but with the Royal Army bearing down on Kier Fortress, he didn’t have time to argue.

“What’s your name, soldier?”

“They call me Tokma, my lord! Private first class!”

“All right, Private First Class Tokma. I am Gladden von Hildesheimer, the leader of the Three Generals, and I have new orders for you. Get out of my way.”

“B-But Chancellor Darmés...”

“When the chancellor hears what happened, you won’t be blamed. This is a matter concerning the very fate of the empire.”

“But my lord...”

“Must I repeat myself? You have nothing to fear. I swear on my honor that no harm will come to you, Private First Class Tokma.”

The guard hesitated for a moment, then submitted. “Very well,” he said, bowing his head and stepping to one side of the door. Gladden clasped his shoulder briefly. Then he made a purely perfunctory knock and entered.

“Where is he...?”

The room he found himself in was absurdly spacious for a workroom, but it only took Gladden one look to confirm that Darmés was nowhere to be found. He was met instead by an array of expensive ornaments that boasted their owner’s authority. Amongst them, Gladden’s eyes were drawn at once to an enormous ebony bookcase. It had slid far to the left of where Gladden remembered it, revealing a staircase leading down underground. Gladden had been in this room many times before, but he had never suspected it was equipped with such a mechanism. He went and peered hesitantly down the stairs, but could make out nothing in the darkness.

That rat of a chancellor. For what scheme did he build this? Gladden’s interest was piqued. Placing one hand on the wall to guide him, he started to make his way carefully down the stairs. He almost lost his footing several times on the way, but he made it to the bottom. He followed the passage until he saw the flickering light of candles and heard snatches of voices.

“—very soon—yes—yes, your eminence—just one more great battle—yes, I am certain—yes.”

That croak is Darmés, no question. But who the hell is talking to down here?

The only person Darmés assumed that obsequious tone with was Emperor Ramza himself.

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