Imperial Throne

Chapter 106: Aftermath Handling

"It’s you, isn’t it?"

As Ion dealt with Barney and then, under the guard’s lead, began walking back toward the dungeon’s exit, a voice suddenly rang out from a cell he passed by.

Ion turned his head to look.

Inside the cell was another man, also covered in wounds.

But compared to Barney, his injuries were much lighter.

"You’re the one who killed my father, aren’t you!"

The man suddenly charged toward Ion who stood outside the cell, slamming into the iron bars with a loud clatter.

The guard leading the way turned sharply and shouted.

However, perhaps because he had just recently assumed this position, he hadn’t developed a veteran’s arrogance, and thus did not strike the prisoner with his weapon.

"You must be Azman." Ion spoke slowly after a brief silence. "If your father refers to the knight who raided my mercenary group at night and cruelly slaughtered dozens, then yes, I was the one who killed him."

Azman's eyes turned red as he began to furiously curse at Ion.

Ion stood there, quietly listening to the insults without anger. It was only after the man had tired himself out that he finally spoke again.

"I won’t deny that I killed your father, nor will I try to justify it."

"But there’s something you must understand."

"To you, he was a good father. To your mother, a good husband. But to me, he was nothing more than a vile scoundrel. Just as, right now, I must look like a villain in your eyes. Yet to my son, I am a good father. And to my wife, a good husband."

"That’s all there is to it."

Azman fell silent.

"You want revenge because you believe I ruined your life, I can understand that."

"But don’t pretend it’s out of righteousness or justice."

"Those who died because of your father, who will avenge them?"

"It wasn’t just my father…" Azman muttered instinctively.

"Indeed, he wasn’t the only one." Ion nodded, cutting him off. "He was just the first to die."

Azman's hands tightened around the iron bars, his breathing growing heavy.

"Forget it. No matter what I say, you’ll never understand."

Ion looked at Azman and suddenly shook his head with a faint smile, wondering why he was even arguing with someone whose death was already certain.

Whether it was Barney, Azman, or that knight Mokas, none of them would survive past tomorrow. Baroness Anna wouldn’t allow any of them to live beyond that point.

Each of the three had their own reasons.

Barney knew too much. From Akar’s standpoint, Baroness Anna would never let him live. She had merely offered Ion a chance for revenge, as she’d said, this was a gift from her to him, a gesture of respect for him as a father.

Azman would die due to his own foolishness.

Mokas, on the other hand, would die because of his arrogance, had he been willing to bow to Baroness Anna instead of clinging to the prestige of his former title as Knight Commander, she likely wouldn’t have pressed him so harshly.

That much was evident from the fact that she hadn’t stripped him of his position and had still allowed him to manage certain administrative duties. Clearly, Baroness Anna had given him plenty of chances.

But unfortunately, he didn’t cherish them.

...

"Are you angry?"

Akar, having sat in silence for a while, finally spoke as he watched Baroness Anna continue working on her affairs, completely ignoring him.

"You finally noticed?" Baroness Anna responded without even looking up. "I was beginning to think your eyes were just for decoration."

"Uh…" Akar looked confused. "No, I just don’t understand why you’re angry."

Crack,

The feather pen in Baroness Anna’s hand snapped in two.

"Say that again? I didn’t catch it the first time."

"Oh, I said, I don’t understand why you’re angry..."

"Get out!"

Anna threw the broken quill in her hand at Akar, but only the tip flew out, while the other half lightly drifted onto the desk.

Akar had a strange expression on his face. He seemed to want to say something, but when he saw Anna casually pick up the ink bottle nearby, he quickly turned and ran out of the administrative office.

Inside the room, Anna looked furious.

However, when she felt a faint discomfort in her stomach, she took several deep breaths to quickly calm her emotions, then rubbed her temples with a headache-ridden and weary expression.

Anna hadn’t actually been that angry.

Akar was not a refined person. His crude and wild nature was never hidden, and she had never heard of the “Soderbell Family” before either.

So she had long known that Akar was not from any Bloodline Nobles lineage. Moreover, she liked Akar not because of his status or any other reason, and naturally didn’t care that Akar was once the son of a mercenary.

In fact, to her, this matter wasn’t even worth considering.

In her view, the entire incident was simply a case of a schemer using a fool, who then ran into an ambitious person, thus a frame-up that couldn’t withstand any scrutiny appeared.

If their scheme hadn’t happened to target the Soderbell family, Anna wouldn’t have cared what they were plotting. Her initial participation in their farce was merely to find out Mokas’s true thoughts.

But the result greatly disappointed her.

It was at that moment Anna realized, she had still been too merciful.

Knock knock,

A knocking sound rang out.

Anna took another deep breath, then spoke with a composed face, “Come in.”

The door quickly opened.

A short-haired young man stepped in.

His features weren’t especially handsome, but his square face naturally carried an imposing presence. His short hair gave him a sharp and capable appearance, and he looked especially spirited.

The only unfortunate part was the thick scent of blood on him, which disrupted his calm demeanor and instead made him resemble a butcher.

Shunes.

The grandson of the female physician Anna had bribed, the first person to pledge allegiance to Anna, and the first Bloodline User personally trained by her.

To Anna, this young man represented her “beginning,” making him her most trusted confidant after Akar.

More often, however, he served as the one Anna used to divert Joshua’s attention from Akar. After all, if she only placed her trust in Akar, it would be too easy for Joshua to notice, so naturally she needed someone else to help deflect attention.

“Baroness Anna,” Shunes said in a deep voice. “According to your instructions, the Jackal Gang and the slums have been cleared. ...Many people are praising your righteous act.”

“Praising?” Anna laughed softly, a trace of sentiment in her eyes. “Only the weak care so much about the protection of the strong. The people in the slums outnumber those gutter rats, yet they’d rather endure the rats’ bites than raise their sticks to beat them. ...If they were facing Bloodline Users or someone far more powerful, I could understand. But when facing people whose status is barely above theirs?”

Heh.

Anna ended her words with a mocking snort.

Shunes listened quietly without expressing any opinion.

He knew his role very clearly: he was a tool, a knife. Whoever his liege commanded him to stab, he would stab. There was no need for unnecessary thoughts. Even if he didn’t understand, all he had to do was obey.

That was what his grandmother had told him, and it was the only way to survive under Anna’s command.

“Mokas?” Anna asked again.

“Still alive. ...Previously, as you instructed, I hinted to him that you were no longer pursuing the matter, and even arranged an extra meal for all personnel about to go on duty, under the guise of boosting morale,” Shunes said. “But he didn’t eat anything, not even touching the wine.”

Anna nodded slightly.

The potion she had mixed wasn’t enough to kill a Bloodline User outright, but it could gradually weaken one.

Originally, if Mokas had eaten the food mixed with the potion by Shunes, she would have dealt with him during the next operation.

Unfortunately, Mokas didn’t take the dignified route, so Anna had to change her plan.

“If Mokas refuses the final dignity I arranged for him, then don’t concern yourself with him anymore,” Anna said softly. “Go now. Send Akar in. I have something to tell him.”

“Yes.” Shunes nodded and quickly turned to leave.

Soon after, Akar entered the room again.

This time, Ion came in with him.

Although Anna didn’t show any good expression to Akar, she still smiled when facing Ion: “Father, you’re back. ...Has everything been taken care of?”

“Mm.” Ion sighed inwardly, though his face remained unchanged, and he showed a kind demeanor. “I already know who killed my eldest son.”

“Who!?” Akar asked with a fierce look.

“Raven.”

“Uncle Raven?” Akar looked surprised. “How could that be? Wasn’t he the one who doted on big brother the most?”

Ion remained silent.

He wasn’t entirely certain, but he knew one thing for sure, his eldest son’s death was related to Raven.

Even if not directly, then certainly indirectly. But Raven had already fled Iron Wolf Mountain for seven years.

If Barney hadn’t recognized him during this trip to Gem City, no one would have known about their past. So as long as Raven wasn’t a fool, he definitely wouldn’t stay in Gem Territory.

Likewise,

he wouldn’t go to Red River Territory either, since he knew the danger there when he escaped Iron Wolf Mountain.

If Raven were in White Mountain Territory, Ion would have found him after so many years.

Thus, the only possible places left were Red Soil Territory, Forest Territory, and Eaglehead Territory.

Ion leaned toward believing Raven was hiding in Red Soil Territory.

Because back in the day, the Iron Wolf Mercenary Group mainly operated in Gem Territory, Red River Territory, and White Mountain Territory. Raven later moved mostly between Gem Territory and Red River Territory, so the only place that allowed easy movement between those two was Red Soil Territory.

But Red Soil Territory had just ended a war not long ago. Finding Raven there wouldn’t be easy.

Ion suddenly thought, perhaps White Mountain Territory also needed an intelligence gathering and reconnaissance system.

Seeing Ion suddenly fall silent, Anna made a guess but said nothing. Instead, she quickly shifted the topic: “Akar, Father, I need your help with something.”

“Knight Mokas?”

“Yes.” Anna saw Ion bring it up directly, so she didn’t bother hiding it. “He knows too much, and he’s planning to flee Gem Territory. We can’t let him go.”

“I’ll handle it for you.” Ion nodded. “Since you’ve given me, a father, a gift, then I, as your father, must also give you a gift.”