TGW Chapter 13 Part 1

It was the view of the garden as seen from the balcony window of the Emperor’s office. Darkness was settling in.

Sienna realized she was dreaming as she gazed upon a now familiar landscape.

—How long has it been?

It had been a full three months since the last dream.

—The location has changed.

The last dream had ended abruptly in the middle of a conversation with the Countess of Pop. She was disappointed that the scene did not continue. If she could have talked more with the Countess, she could have obtained some useful information.

Thinking of the Countess made her heart heavy. The Countess would never walk again. Although the Countess didn’t seem to mind at all, Sienna felt a pang of guilt every time she saw Beth.

The sun hung low on the horizon. The crimson sunset gradually engulfed the world.

—The day is ending.

Sienna muttered absentmindedly and then realized something strange.

—The day is ending? A day?

She retraced the sequence of her dreams, one by one. None of the dreams had overlapped in time.

—Could it be... have all the dreams I’ve seen so far happened in a single day?

Does that mean when this day ends, the dreams will end too?

“Your Majesty.”

At the call from behind, the Emperor did not respond.

“Your Majesty. The Sky King is waiting outside at your summons.”

—The Sky King?

Perhaps there was a change of heart after the conversation with the Countess of Poph, leading to the summoning of the King. Sienna grew anxious at the Emperor’s lack of response.

“Your Majesty.”

The voice of the maid calling again was cautious.

“Shall I send him away?”

—No!

Sienna shouted out loud.

—What kind of cruel trick is it to summon someone and then send them away?

I’m curious. I want to see it. Who is this Sky King? Is it really Kuhn?

The Emperor, who had been dragging out the time until Sienna’s heart was ready to burst, finally replied.

“Let him in.”

The Emperor did not go inside the office but continued to look down at the garden from the balcony. It had grown darker, making it hard to see anything clearly.

“Do you see anything outside of that window?”

The deep voice coming from behind was strangely familiar, almost unsettlingly so, even though Sienna was in a state where she could not feel anything. The Emperor turned slowly, and Sienna held her breath.

“It’s been a long time, Your Majesty.”

A man with black hair greeted him with an indifferent expression.

—Kuhn...

Sienna murmured his name like a sigh. Even though she had guessed, seeing him with her own eyes felt different.

It was Kuhn. It was unmistakably him. He was older now, but otherwise, he was exactly the same. His eyes had grown deeper. A mature and seasoned aura exuded from him.

“It’s been a while, Sky King.”

“It’s very difficult to see Your Majesty even once.”

“It was you who didn’t attend the Imperial Council.”

“I had no desire to deal with those idiots who spout nothing but boring nonsense. I didn’t want to conduct our conversation with them watching.”

Through the Emperor’s eyes, Sienna frantically took in Kuhn’s face.

—Kuhn, twenty years later...

“The Imperial Council is not a place for private conversations.”

“It was Your Majesty who refused to grant a separate time for private conversation. Repeatedly, without reason.”

His anger was quiet. He did not raise his voice or frown, but his anger was palpable. Despite the tense atmosphere, Sienna thought that Kuhn, now a middle-aged man, was quite dashing.

“That is why I’ve granted you an audience today. It’s time we settled our ill-fated ties, isn’t it?”

“Ill-fated ties. Ill-fated indeed...”

He laughed coldly.

“You are absolutely right. No words could describe our relationship better.”

 

***

 

Sienna sat lost in thought, holding a teacup.

"Your Highness, your tea will get cold."

Sienna lifted her head. Her eyes met Beth's. She was about to take a sip of tea, but feeling the cold touch against her lips, she spoke with an awkward expression.

"Emma, please bring a new pot of tea for Her Highness."

"Yes, ma'am."

While Emma boiled the water again, Beth cautiously observed Sienna's expression.

"Your Highness, are you upset that your advisor has resigned?"

A few days ago, Levan expressed his intention to resign. He was supposed to quit much earlier, but he had said that he couldn't afford to be sloppy in writing the inspection report, so he postponed his resignation for a while.

Sienna, who also wished for this, accepted his decision. Since he hadn’t mentioned quitting again, she assumed he would continue working and said nothing. But in the end, he resigned.

"Perhaps I shouldn’t have handed over his personnel documents to Your Highness. If I had known he would leave so soon…"

"He did his job well. He also trained his successor properly. Don't worry about that."

The new advisor, who had just started, had almost shed his timid attitude and was now handling tasks quite efficiently.

"Then, is there something else on your mind?"

Sienna let out a silent sigh.

The dream she had on the day of the hunting competition had been troubling her. It was beneficial to learn that the Duke was Kun. But everything else was terrible.

'An ill-fated relationship?'

After waking up from the dream, Sienna sat absentmindedly on the bed until the maids came in. It felt as if someone had plunged their hand into her chest and was squeezing her heart.

It hadn’t hurt this much, not even when she felt betrayed by her mother. His cold words, calling their relationship "ill-fated," while looking at her with eyes devoid of any warmth, were excruciatingly painful.

Would tender whispers and gentle gazes turn into such coldness in the future?

'If that's how it ends, maybe it’s better not to start at all.'

For the first time, she was afraid of forming a relationship with someone.

After drinking a cup of freshly brewed tea from Emma, Sienna went to the Hall of Affairs. She was there to attend the Central Council meeting, which was being held in the afternoon.

The Central Council convenes once a year, lasting for about two weeks. Nobles from imperial cities and lords representing certain regions gathered to discuss various issues.

While the Imperial Council, involving the vassals, dealt with significant matters, the topics discussed at the Central Council were less critical but more detailed.

The Emperor was also present to observe the Central Council today. Shortly after Sienna took her seat, Dian also arrived. With so many prominent figures present, all the council members were on edge. However, the atmosphere of the meeting quickly warmed up.

"Absurd? That's quite a harsh thing to say!"

A middle-aged man expressed his displeasure by slamming his palm on the table.

"If it's not absurd, then what is it?"

Though no curses were uttered, the debate among the council members was fierce. Lords of neighboring regions were fiercely competing for their interests. The Emperor's presence seemed to be the only thing keeping them somewhat restrained.

Towards the end of the meeting, a middle-aged man stood up. He first bowed his head to the Emperor in a show of respect.

"Before we adjourn, there is a matter I wish to announce. A few days ago, I received an urgent message from my domain. Some of you might have received similar messages. It concerns the unification of the desert tribes."

Those who were already aware nodded, while those hearing it for the first time murmured among themselves.

"Unification?"

"Well, it's hard to tell if this is good news or bad news…"

"Not too long ago, I heard that several tribes were in a tense standoff."

The middle-aged man continued.

"My territory borders the desert. According to the message, they call themselves the 'Peroh Confederation.' An envoy from their side came, stating that the desert tribes had unified and wished to be acknowledged by His Majesty. They asked if they could be granted passage, seeking guidance on how to respond."

Menacing voices rose from various corners of the room.

"Grant them passage? What sort of nonsense is that?"

"We don't know what they're planning."

The council members expressed extreme reluctance.

Regardless of whether they were from the Empire or the continent, they were wary of the desert tribes. Those who had settled in the desert fought not only against the desert monsters but also amongst themselves. Their combat abilities were on a different level from ordinary people.

Fortunately, their great strength had been consumed in battles against the desert monsters and internal tribal wars. Most hoped that the fragmented state of the tribes would continue. The council members who had heard the news looked uneasy.

The middle-aged man who first spoke pleaded with the Emperor.

"Your Majesty, we seek your wisdom on how to respond to their request."

"I, too, have heard the news."

As the Emperor spoke, the noise immediately subsided.

"Though their customs are rough, they have conveyed a commendable desire not to arrogantly display their unified strength but to willingly submit as a vassal to the Empire. If they arrive before me in a peaceful manner without causing any disturbances, I shall accept their allegiance and grant them the status of vassal."

The Emperor had already made his decision. He was not asking for opinions but issuing a directive. It meant that the lords of the regions through which the desert people wished to pass should allow them passage.

The council members kept their mouths shut, unable to raise any objections.

"The three most powerful tribes of the desert have united through an agreement, not just through bloodshed. I commend this aspect of their unification. The envoy they sent referred to themselves as the 'Peroh Confederation.' Henceforth, we shall use this as their official state title."

"We humbly obey, Your Majesty."

The council members voiced their submission in unison.

Listening with interest, Sienna was startled to hear the familiar name of the state.

'Peroh?'

It was the country that had appeared in her dream. She had searched every map of the continent but couldn’t find the Kingdom of Ferro.

'It didn’t exist yet, so of course, I couldn't find it.'

She had seen minor events around her differ from her dreams several times, but this was the first time she witnessed a grand order flowing exactly as predicted. It was astonishing.

'The Peroh Confederation… It was called a kingdom when I heard about it.'

The difference caught her attention.

'Does the Confederation become a kingdom later on?'

 

***

 

Dian flung open the door to the drawing room. Kuhn, who had been sitting alone on the empty sofa, slowly stood up.

"You damn monster."

Despite his words, Dian grinned. He strode over to Kuhn and playfully punched him in the torso with his fist. The exaggerated gesture carried little force.

"You left me dying of curiosity! You returned a few days ago—what have you been doing that you're only coming now?"

"I've been dealing with various things since it's been a while. Congratulations on your engagement."

"It won't be over until the wedding."

"When's the date?"

"It'll probably be after this year."

Kuhn smirked.

"Now that the Duke of Lyman is dead, the Duke of Grossi doesn’t see any reason to rush things, does he?"

"More than that, he's probably too busy trying to secure the mining rights to worry about anything else."

"Ah, there was that matter."

All mines in the empire were state property. The royal family held ownership, while the management of the mines was delegated to the dukes. The greatest privilege the ducal families held was the right to operate these mines.

Mines were graded based on their profitability. Naturally, everyone competed to secure the mines with the highest productivity. The allocation of mining rights was determined by mutual agreements among the ducal families.

The Lyman family had monopolized the rights to operate the highest-grade mines, reaping considerable benefits.

Every time the head of one of the six ducal families changed, the mining rights were renegotiated. With the death of the Duke of Lyman, a renegotiation of the mining rights had begun.

"The next Duke of Lyman is going to have a tough time. Everyone's going to be swarming like bees."

"That's why it's surprising the Silver King isn't engaged yet. Looks like the Red King is stalling, weighing his options between the Luke and Morton families."

Kuhn's brow furrowed slightly. While he was away, he had thought it highly likely that she would get engaged. Even if it tore him apart, he had no grounds to stop it.

As long as she didn't get married. Divorce was difficult, but there were many ways to break an engagement. During his prolonged absence in the desert, he had been anxious about the possibility of her marrying.

But human emotions were fickle. Upon returning and finding that she was still unengaged, he felt conflicted at the prospect of witnessing her upcoming engagement.

"Enough about what's happening here. Tell me your story. What happened?"

Dian pressed, his face showing the eager anticipation of a child awaiting a fantastic adventure story.

"I sent a summary already."

"Don't think you can brush me off with that. You said you were going to observe the situation in the desert, but you ended up turning it upside down!"

Dian's voice rose nearly to a shout by the end.

"It just happened that way."

"It just happened that way? Are you seriously saying you accidentally took over a country like a bull catching a mouse while backing up?"

"It's not like I took over a country."

"They say you're the key figure in founding the Confederation. I once traveled to the desert, you know? I know how exclusive the desert tribes are. I've heard that the three main tribes of the Confederation competed to make you their national advisor. Those people are incredibly loyal. If they consider you family, it means they're willing to entrust their lives to you."

"…That's just nonsense."

Kuhn clicked his tongue. Apparently, the subordinate he had sent to Dian had been a bit too loose-lipped.

"Why didn't you accept? In the desert, they even grant chieftain status to sons-in-law. According to desert customs, you could have multiple wives, so if you married a woman from each of the three tribes, you could even become their king."

"Are you insane? Why would I take on that burden?"

Kuhn frowned deeply. He genuinely hated the idea. Managing just the Rudd clan was already exhausting. He had no intention of taking on the desert tribes as well.

Dian had a peculiar expression on his face.

"Then why did you do such a troublesome thing? I thought, knowing how you operate, you might be planning to establish a nation in the desert. Desert people are tough, but if anyone could handle them, it'd be you."

Kuhn opened his mouth, then closed it again. Dian squinted his eyes.

"So, you do have some scheme in mind, huh?"

He couldn't quite figure out what it was. Kuhn already had so much. He wasn't the type to be desperate for power.

Kuhn brushed off Dian's probing gaze. He knew this perceptive guy had caught on, which was going to be a bit bothersome moving forward.

"Well, it’s good news for me. I was worried you'd go off to the desert again. You need to stay by my side until I don't need your help anymore."

"…You're shameless, as always."

Kuhn stood up.

"You're leaving already?"

"I don't have time for idle chatter. I just came to say hello. Oh, and about the hunting tournament…"

"According to plan, my uncle met with His Majesty and returned safely. I haven't heard what they discussed yet. I’ll find out soon."

"Handle that yourself. You won the Luke family’s prized sword at the hunting tournament, right?"

"Yes."

"Give it to me."

Dian nodded, looking puzzled. There was no reason he couldn't give even a more valuable treasure to Kuhn.

Kuhn took the sword and left the palace.

Kuhn headed straight to the slums after leaving the palace. The mention of the princess's engagement by Dian reminded him of a task he had put off, so he went to handle it.

He met with Evita.

"Any progress on the matter I asked about?"

With a triumphant expression, Evita placed a sealed envelope on the table. When Kun reached for it, she pressed down on the envelope with her hand.

"Do you know how hard we worked to get this information? We mobilized all our operatives. We've even secured a key witness."

He had already paid them well. Even by his generous standards, he had given them a lot. Still, Kuhn reached into his inner pocket without a word.

"No, no. Money is good, but we need information instead."

"Information?"

"Olga is a merchant of information. There's a limit to how much money alone can stabilize our organization. We need valuable information. Anything will do."

Kuhn crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair.

Evita waited nervously. She had made a gamble. If he refused, she had no way to counter.

"My information should be worth it as compensation, right?"

"What… information?"

"I heard the information about the leader of the Kaligo Mercenary Group fetches a high price."

Jackpot.

Evita kept her expression in check.

"That's true, but you're saying you’ll give us information we can sell as much as we want? Valuable information?"

"Send a subordinate to my estate. I'll provide the information. But don't release it for a few days. About five days?"

Evita looked skeptical.

"Is this going to become worthless information that anyone can get for free after five days?"

Kuhn chuckled. The new head of Olga was cautious and full of doubt. She was also very prudent. He liked that she seemed unlikely to do anything reckless, like making an enemy of Kaligo.

The previous head of Olga had a good relationship with his father. Even though Bluebeard was already dead and a successor had taken over, Kuhn hoped there wouldn’t be any incidents that would warrant punishing Olga.

"I'm not trying to deceive you. And I have another job for you at the palace. Deliver an item from me to the Silver King."

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