Grant Me Your Grace

“The Lions of the Moon…?”

Dahlia had also heard of the Lions of the Moon.

The Lions of the Moon were soldiers of unknown nationality who appeared only in the deep of the night. 

They were clad from head to toe in sturdy ivory armor, and their faces and bodies were as pale as if they had never seen sunlight.

No country had ever been able to repel an attack by the Lions of the Moon. They came without warning, like a deep night fog, and would annihilate a nation before dawn.

No one knew where they came from, whose orders they followed, or even what they wanted. 

Moreover, they were so secretive and meticulous that it was impossible to tell whether they were an army or an assassination squad. 

With the appearance of such Lions of the Moon, it was understandable that the border defenses of the Kingdom of Baran had been heightened.

“Which country is it this time?”

“I heard it’s the Kingdom of Sawa.”

“The Kingdom of Sawa… one of our vassal states. There must be nothing left there now.”

Nothing remains where the Lions of the Moon have passed. That’s why people sometimes refer to them as the Devil’s Locusts.

Moreover, the size of the countries they conquer is gradually increasing. 

When they first appeared, they mainly attacked small, village-sized nations, but now they are targeting kingdoms half the size of Baran.

Last year, a great empire similar in size to Baran was invaded by the Lions of the Moon and was annihilated in just five days.

Clad only in white ivory armor, they swept through every place like a swarm of locusts. 

Everyone trembled in fear at the mention of their name.

‘Just how strong are the soldiers of that country…’

As Dahlia’s face grew serious, Hovan set down his teacup and lightened the mood.

“Do not worry too much, Your Highness. Even if they do set their sights on Baran, it will be a long time before they reach here.”

“…Yes, I can only pray for that.”

Dahlia forced her worries aside. After all, confined to this small princess’s palace, all she could do was pray that the Lions of the Moon would pass this place by.

If war broke out, the most terrible bloodshed would simultaneously overwhelm her.

‘…Before that, if the Lions of the Moon kill me first, it might be better.’

Dahlia shook off her negative thoughts and forced a cheerful tone as she spoke.

“I want to spend the whole day learning archery again today.”

Her mind was a mess. Rather than enduring the silence of reading, which brought up too many thoughts, she wanted to exhaust herself by shooting arrows to clear her head.

“Very well.”

Dahlia headed to the backyard of the princess’s palace with Hovan. She pulled the taut bowstring until her arms trembled, trying to erase all the thoughts crowding her mind.

The envoys of the gods, the impending bloodshed that could strike at any moment.

And Hissin, too.

✨

The Emperor flipped through another document. 

The longer his gaze lingered on the papers, the more inexplicably anxious Miftah became. He had thought it was just a formality. 

Yet, Emperor Khankundra was scrutinizing the report on the current state of the Hayad Kingdom that Miftah had brought, in considerable detail.

“The expenses for purchasing weapons and building border defenses have increased significantly compared to previous years.”

The Emperor’s sharp eyes glanced over the document and landed on Miftah.

He had heard that the Emperor, in his old age, no longer paid much attention to the affairs of neighboring countries. 

But it seemed the warmongering prowess that had once conquered the Hayad Kingdom in just three days hadn’t faded. 

Khankundra didn’t let anything slide if it seemed even slightly suspicious.

“As you know, since last year, the famine in the wilderness has caused nomadic tribes to migrate en masse.”

Miftah forced a smooth smile as he replied.

“There have been issues with refugees secretly crossing the border and settling without permission, leading to frequent security problems. This has inevitably increased our defense budget.”

Still, the Emperor’s sharp gaze didn’t ease. His eyes seemed to suspect that perhaps they were preparing for a rebellion against Baran.

“Fortunately, the defense expenses we’ve approved for Hayad haven’t exceeded the maximum limit. However, it does concern me that you’ve pushed it to the edge.”

Moreover, the Prime Minister, Zeta Mindhu, who was also present to review the report, chimed in with a slow, deliberate voice, further fueling the Emperor’s suspicions.

“That cunning little fox.”

Pretending not to know, he was clearly trying to pour oil on the fire. 

Miftah, glaring at Mindhu, secretly gritted his teeth, but ultimately had no choice but to reveal the truth.

“Actually… we have recently obtained information about the Moon’s Lions and are preparing to make preparations.”

“The Moon’s Lions?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

This was supposed to remain a top secret until the very end, to be used strategically. 

But like a lizard cutting off its tail to escape, Miftah had no choice but to let out a bit of what he had been hiding.

“We have found clues as to where they come from.”

The Moon’s Lions had recently pushed right up to the borders of Baran, causing great anxiety. 

Khankundra urged Miftah to elaborate.

“From which country are these soldiers sent? Speak quickly, come on!”

“We do not know exactly which country.”

“Then what have you found out!”

“Only that they definitely come from the Palan continent.”

“The Palan continent?”

Khankundra narrowed his eyes.

The Palan continent was directly opposite the Misilan continent where Baran was located, thousands of miles away. 

It was no exaggeration to say it was at the very ends of the earth.

And yet, the Moon’s Lions had come all the way from that distant Palan continent to stir up trouble in the Misilan continent where Baran was. 

It was a hard-to-believe story, and Khankundra showed signs of displeasure.

“Prince Miftah, you’re not just throwing out any information to avoid suspicion, are you?”

When the Emperor openly expressed his suspicion, Miftah protested his innocence.

“How dare I lie before His Majesty the Emperor! Although we cannot be sure if it is the Palan continent or another continent beyond, what is certain is that they came from the northeast. I swear on the name of Hayad and the blood of the royal family.”

Perhaps sensing that Miftah’s plea was not false, Khankundra somewhat retracted his suspicion and said, “Then, is that why you expanded trade to the vicinity of the Palan continent? Moron Kingdom? I saw an unfamiliar name written in the trade agreement.”

“Ah, that place has no connection to the Moon’s Lions. It seems to be an underground country, as they produce many unique minerals. They offered some decent goods, so we recently opened the tightly sealed doors to trade with them.”

“An underground country? You mean they built a nation beneath the ground?”

Khankundra showed interest. Miftah, like a skilled storyteller, quickly drew the Emperor’s attention to this topic.

“Yes. The surface is uninhabitable due to intense solar heat that can strip the skin and severe sandstorms, so they established their nation in deep underground caves.”

“Humans can live underground, you say?”

“They’ve built it quite impressively. I heard a branch of a nomadic tribe split off and settled there, but in reality, it’s more of a name than a nation—smaller than a frontier village of Baran.”

In truth, the so-called unique minerals were far inferior to those found in Daimon. 

Khankundra quickly lost interest and concluded the conversation.

“I am well aware that Hayad has sworn loyalty to our Baran Kingdom for many years, but I trust you will be careful not to cause any unnecessary trouble.”

“Of course, Your Majesty.”

Khankundra gestured for him to leave. After a long and exhausting report, Miftah finally managed to exit the audience chamber.

“Damn it.”

As soon as he left the imperial palace, Miftah muttered a curse under his breath. 

Even though Hayad was a vassal state, it was a country bound by brotherly ties, and Khankundra’s dismissive attitude, treating him like a lowly official, was deeply irritating.

“Throwing a princess with no real value at me, and then acting all high and mighty.”

“Your Highness, please restrain yourself. What if someone hears you?”

“If anyone dares to report these words, I’ll cut out their tongue.”

Though he spoke boldly, Miftah knew there was no one around. 

Despite being born arrogant and cunning, his survival in diplomacy wasn’t solely due to shrewd calculations.

No ears, no restraint. Since he couldn’t openly show his displeasure before the Emperor of the suzerain state, this was his only way to vent.

“Just wait. I will surely use Baran as a stepping stone to seize the throne.”

Miftah looked at the imperial palace with eyes burning with ambition.

The reason he accepted the marriage to the princess, who was nothing more than a pretty face, was precisely for this. 

To leverage the name of Baran and expand his influence.

People gossiped that as the third prince, he was far down the line of succession, but considering the weak eldest and the ambitious yet empty-headed second prince, he wasn’t entirely without a chance.

He had taken on the grueling diplomatic tasks to weave a network of reliable connections.

‘Baran will become more than just a rope—it will be a fine spear and shield. Until then, I’ll have to stay low.’

Exhaling a hot breath, Miftah began to walk, as if to cool his simmering frustration.