Children of the Holy Emperor
chapter-182

Ever since leaving the Imperial Capital, Giacomo Milo had been in a sour mood.

On the surface, everything seemed to be going smoothly.

The supply of raw materials for [tea], which had been unstable for a while, was secured in abundance for the first time in a long while. Even Young Master Siegmund, who had been clumsily meddling with his business, had quieted down recently.

Of course, he still showed a tenacious persistence in closely following the caravan without giving up, but considering the advantages that came with having the Wolf Knights accompany the trade convoy, it wasn’t bothersome enough to be a major annoyance.

Nevertheless, Giacomo had an ominous feeling that an invisible threat was surrounding him and slowly closing in. It was a sort of intuition honed through years of conducting trade.

[Hurry up and summon me, Giacomo. Now that we’re far enough from the Imperial Capital, there’s nothing left to worry about, is there?]

In that regard, Sallos, the demon with whom he had a contract, was not very reliable.

As a high-ranking demon, he possessed quite formidable powers, but he also perfectly embodied the privilege of the strong – thoughtlessness. As a result, he was generally ignorant about human affairs.

Even now, without any concern for the unfolding situation, he was recklessly urging Giacomo to summon him quickly.

[You said those newly hired guys were suspicious, right? I think so too. I definitely smell the scent of a dark cult around here somewhere!]

Truth be told, Giacomo had been suspecting that the accidents involving his new hires were not coincidental.

So, at a logistics relay station with minimal church interference, he planned to use the demon’s help to identify the new employees.

If it weren’t for the sudden death of Director Collins, he would have resolved his suspicions long ago and continued the trade journey with peace of mind.

[Come on, call me! I’ll personally examine the souls of those bastards for you. If anyone’s hiding something, I’ll kill them on the spot! I’ll tear them to shreds, leaving not even their souls behind!]

Hearing those violent words, Giacomo sighed.

‘That’s impossible right now, Sallos. There are holy knights nearby.’

[Holy knights? Why are you traveling with those kinds of bastards?]

‘I already told you, didn’t I? We’re currently moving together with Prince Morres’s entourage.’

[Hmm? Ah, right. You mentioned that the ‘Prepared One’ was by your side.]

Sallos referred to the Third Prince as the ‘Prepared One.’ Once, Giacomo had asked him the reason for this, and Sallos, who usually carelessly blurted out anything, rarely held his tongue.

-The high-ranking Demon Kings are deeply involved in this matter. We cannot know the exact details.

What on earth could the Imperial Prince of the Holy Empire have to do with the high-ranking Demon Kings?

He had long thought that the prince was shrouded in various unsavory rumors, but he was a prince with whom it was unpleasant to be involved in many ways.

‘By the way, Sallos. Have you heard anything from Young Lord Riccardo?’

Riccardo Scarcepino.

He was the one who greatly contributed to Giacomo, who was ignorant of demonology, summoning Sallos, a high-ranking demon. Thanks to him, Giacomo Milo, who had been an unremarkable small-to-medium-sized merchant, was able to become the head of one of the largest trade guilds in the North within a few years.

Thinking about it now, it was truly a strange thing, but despite being a high-born young nobleman who had always lived in the Imperial Capital, Riccardo was oddly skilled in demonology.

He also had deep connections with the dark cult that was gaining power in Ortona, a land he had never set foot in.

It was none other than Riccardo who had mediated the smooth trade with Siegmund Territory, which was under the influence of the Repentance Order.

Moreover, he helped the Milo Trading Guild secure a consistent supply of certain items that could only be obtained through the cult.

In return, Riccardo demanded only one thing: the distribution of the [medicinal tea] that the dark cult had been manufacturing. At first, they only traded a small portion as a formality, but recently, the volume of transactions had increased to the point where the guild directly procured raw materials and operated workshops.

[Why are you asking about him?]

Sallos showed a tepid reaction. Unless it was the subject of the contract, it was no longer of interest to the demon.

‘There is information that he was attacked by the dark cult.’

The news was that Riccardo had been attacked by unknown assailants the day before his birthday and had been mentally unstable ever since. There were also widespread rumors that his younger sister, Isabella, who frequently visited the guild on his errands, had fallen ill.

According to unconfirmed information, a dark cult medal was found at the scene of the attack.

Now, most of the transactions were directly between the Milo Trading Guild and the dark cult, but as the main person who had initiated the deal in the first place, Giacomo couldn’t help but be concerned about Riccardo’s well-being.

Could it be that the dark cult, having deemed his involvement no longer necessary, had tried to neatly eliminate Riccardo?

[Hmph! That guy probably went off to find another puppet, obviously. Isn’t it obvious? More importantly, you’re not in a position to worry about him leisurely right now.]

‘Pardon?’

As Giacomo looked puzzled, not understanding the situation, Sallos clicked his tongue.

[If the dark cult really made a move, do you think they targeted only one puppeteer? Is that what you’re saying?]

And at Sallos’ next words, for a moment, Giacomo doubted his own ears.

[The Repentance Order has been tailing the guild for a while now. That means they’re targeting you too, doesn’t it? I told you I definitely smelled the scent of a dark cult around here somewhere! Will you still not summon me even now?]

***

The plan to make him drink bitter tea was completely abolished. It was because Calmen, who had come to his senses, stubbornly refused to drink the tea.

“Ugh, dammit! Just hit me instead! Okay?”

Seeing his eyes filled with an even stronger defiance, Seongjin gave up.

‘This guy has no perseverance……’

On top of that, there was one more problem.

Originally, the punishment was devised to be carried out secretly for the sake of Calmen’s dignity, but before long, most of the group became aware of this ‘dog training.’

It happened because they were all excellent Aura users, so the sounds couldn’t be completely hidden.

Anyway, Seongjin felt the need to slightly change the training method. So, after much contemplation, he decided to compromise with light corporal punishment.

Swift retribution!

Strikes of a non-cruel intensity!

Yet still delivering an impact that would be indelibly etched in the mind!

‘A flick on the forehead is the only way, after all!’

Seongjin thought as he slowly stretched his shoulders.

‘Besides, I have a feeling I can do it with incredible skill for some reason.’

He was brimming with confidence that he could deliver a uniform impact force to the entire head, minimizing localized tissue damage while maximizing pain.

Perhaps it was because he had been properly hit by someone before.

“Okay, get ready.”

At Seongjin’s signal, Calmen let out a faint sneer. He seemed to think a mere flick on the forehead was nothing compared to being beaten by Commander Bruno.

“Curse!”

“Fuck off, you damn bastard!”

And then, a loud impact sound resonated throughout the campsite.

Smack!

“Argh!”

Screaming a choking cry, Calmen fell backward. Then, he clutched his forehead and began thrashing around like crazy.

An intense shock that seemed to bleach his mind white!

Watching Calmen’s state with his arms crossed, Seongjin waited for him to calm down a bit before opening his mouth.

“Alright, get up, Sir Calmen. You need to say the next curse word.”

“……!”

“Hurry up. We don’t have much time.”

At those words, Calmen, who had barely staggered to his feet, now had unmistakable fear in his eyes.

“Okay, next.”

“…Damn you……”

Why are you being so timid again? Seongjin clicked his tongue and raised his hand.

At this, Calmen reflexively flinched and kept backing away.

Smack!

But due to Seongjin, who didn’t miss the timing for even a moment, he once again screamed for dear life and rolled on the ground.

“Aaargh!”

And the Wolf Knights members watching from the side commented.

“Didn’t you hear an incredibly ominous sound just now?”

“No way, from just a flick on the forehead?”

“No. Something’s not right. If you look closely, the angle of His Lordship’s fingers, the timing of the flick, and the wrist snap absorbing the recoil! All of those movements are operating at the utmost efficiency for a single-point strike, you know?”

“Indeed, it feels like we’re witnessing the essence of a single-point strike. It’s even reaching the point of being beautiful!”

After receiving a few more flicks like that.

The forehead of Calmen had swollen up ominously, and in the end, Priest Gustav was called out for treatment.

Ilma, the commander of the Wolf Knights, who was watching the scene from a distance, turned to Bruno and said.

“He’s very diligent.”

“Yes, that kid also has a strong will to correct him.”

In the eyes of Commander Bruno, who said those words, there was an undisguisable light of compassion. However, he soon collected his emotions and bowed his head towards the knight commander.

“Thank you for generously forgiving the rudeness of my unworthy disciple, Commander Ilma.”

A while ago, Calmen had picked a fight with the vice-captain of the Wolf Knights, causing a tense atmosphere between the prince’s entourage and the Wolf Knights for some time.

It was an incident that could have touched upon the knights’ pride. If it weren’t for the intervention of Commander Ilma, it wouldn’t have ended with a simple apology.

After observing Bruno’s bowed posture for a moment, she spoke.

“You think of that knight as your own child, don’t you?”

“He is certainly a disciple I’ve watched over for a long time, like a son.”

Answering like that, Bruno let out a deep sigh.

“Perhaps it’s just my own thinking to consider him a son. Now that he’s grown a bit stubborn, he hardly listens to me anymore.”

At that, Commander Ilma showed a faint smile.

“I understand. I also have a daughter of a similar age. I know very well how often things don’t go as parents wish.”

Then, after closing her mouth for a moment and gazing at the bonfire, her eyes deepened.

“Excuse me for being presumptuous, Sir Bruno. Do you know my husband?”

“Yes. I met him once about a decade ago during the subjugation of the demon species. Isn’t he Commander Sebastian, who is now the captain of the guards?”

“That’s right. I’m ashamed to say that at the time of our marriage, my husband and I were the most famous couple in Siegmund Territory.”

Ilma and her husband, Sebastian, were the most promising knights in the Wolf Knights from a young age.

The two naturally began a friendly rivalry, and what blossomed between them, who had been close together for a long time as rivals, was a love akin to camaraderie.

After realizing their feelings, it didn’t take long for them to get married.

At that time, Ilma was already internally appointed as the commander of the Wolf Knights at a young age, and Sebastian had also become the captain of the guards in charge of the security of the territory and the border with the demon realm.

In other words, their marriage was the union of the two strongest individuals in Siegmund Territory.

Therefore, when the long-awaited child was born between them, everyone in the territory believed without a doubt. That the child would also become an outstanding swordsman surpassing the talents of the parents.

“But our daughter had no talent for the sword at all. Despite closely resembling her father’s appearance, she even received verbal abuse from her grandparents, saying she wasn’t their granddaughter. When she was young, she was a docile and kind child, but her distortion happened in an instant.”

Always busy parents and grandparents who neglected her.

With no place to attach her heart, their daughter Louise began to wander outside.

“The only one who could comfort our gloomy daughter was the hunting dog ‘Max’ raised by the count’s family. For that child who had to spend a long time alone, Max was probably the only true family.”

Was the only family.

Bruno could roughly guess how the story would end.

“Even when winter came and the demon realm’s claws frequently invaded the count’s territory, Louise still didn’t return home until late. She would wander around aimlessly outside with Max. No matter how much we scolded her for the danger and spanked her several times, she didn’t change at all.”

Then one day.

A village patrol reported that they seemed to have seen Louise being chased by a demon beast on a distant mountain ridge.

When the couple rushed there upon hearing the news, fortunately, Louise was safe. However, what they simultaneously discovered was the ground stained with blood and the corpse of a dog torn to shreds by the demon beast.

“And from that day on, our daughter has never violated the curfew even once.”

Smack! Argh!

Another impact sound resonated through the campsite.

After watching the knight rolling on the ground for a moment, Ilma turned to Bruno and slowly continued.

“Seeing our daughter’s case, I realized something. When a young person with a strong will changes their behavior on their own, it’s usually because they have lost something precious and deeply regret it.”