Chapter 248: Twenty-sixth Episode: Chapter 9-2 (1/2)
Chapter 248: Twenty-sixth Episode: Chapter 9-2
Translator: EndlessFantasy TranslationEditor: EndlessFantasy Translation
”Your Majesty! According to my speculations, one of the suspects is among internal Andrew, while the other is among the upper class of the southern nobility circle! Only two types of people wish for the relationship between Your Majesty and His Highness to break down. They are desperate for a decision, and they have to be extremely brutal for that to happen! They're forcing His Highness to make a move against you!”
Alanis ridiculed. ”Will my husband be fooled?”
”Maybe not! But he will always have doubts!” the Head of Secret Service lowered his voice, ”Sometimes... doubts alone are enough to destroy everything.”
Alanis nodded subconsciously. It was indeed the case. She dared not guess how much Oscar trusted her, or maybe it was safer to say… would Oscar consider this matter with a clear head? Would he just hastily believe that this was done by the Imperial Family?
”What about our preparations?” The Empress sighed as she turned her head away in annoyance as even her felt rather awkward. On one hand, she was hoping for her husband to have faith in her, while on the other hand, she was preparing to destroy her lover. This was ridiculous! However, taking the whole picture into consideration, she thought that it was also reasonable.
”The Capital Security Division and Imperial Family Guards are in full control!” Duke Rashel Titus, the Cabinet Chancellor, smiled confidently when talking about this matter. ”As long as Prince O'Neil is only planning to bring with him into Dulin a group of soldiers and not a front, we shall have the confidence to handle any unexpected events and have the situation in capital completely under our control.”
The Head of Secret Service nodded eagerly. ”The Cabinet Chancellor is right! The Capital Security Division and the Imperial Family Guards can be trusted! Moreover, I have thoroughly reorganized the secret service agents in the capital to eliminate those with swaying positions or related to the military intelligence system. The remaining ones can be categorized into four major operational battalions to respectively control the official residence of Prince O'Neil, the Military Intelligence Bureau headquarters, and the Swan Hill Castle. One of the battalions is to be remain stationed in the general headquarters of Secret Service Departments, under Your Majesty's direct order.”
Alanis was a little out of breath. She did not believe the Imperial Guards would be obedient to the capital noble circle. ”What does the Chief of Staff, Marshal Robin, mention in his letter?” the Empress shifted her attention to the palace chief who had not uttered a word.
Marquis Jevonah Wesarcia shook his head slowly. ”I've no high expectations on Marshal Robin! He refused to return to Dulin, neither is he willing to exchange his views with the Cabinet, as if he has nothing to do with all this!”
”Besides...” the Head of Secret Service suddenly changed the subject of conversation. ”Your Majesty! The secret agents within the Western Army Group headquarters recently wrote to us that… Marshal Robin met with the real powers of the Southern Army Group and Steinberger House respectively, as well as the father of General Krasius, Chief of Staff of the Northern Army Group. All these are signs that show Marshal Robin may ruin our plans at the last moment. It's only natural for him to assist his favorite pupil.”
Alanis dismissed the thought with her hand. ”Marshal Alan is gravely ill, and we have no choice but to depend on Marshal Robin to manage the operation of Imperial Guards. It's not like we're after the life of Oscar, I believe Marshal Robin will not be too bothered. He is not the Marshal of the Andrew House, he should know this better than anyone else!”
”I can only further energize control on the Western Army Group...”
”Let's set this aside first!” Empress of the Empire sighed miserably. ”The local soldiers can do as they wish as long as they don't affect the situation in the capital! To shoo Oscar back to his hometown and hold peace talks with the Anti-Titan Alliance are the two priorities that must be done quickly and can't delay any longer!”
”But, there's still hidden danger in Dulin!” the Cabinet Chancellor put on a worried face. ”First of all, the Capital Security Division! The artillerymen commanded by General Tove Van Sukhoi are mostly veterans in the Sukhoi's House. Those who came out of Saijo Mountain alive behind Prince O'Neil have been promoted as officers in the artillery; their faith in the empire and the Imperial Family is not very reliable!”
”I have ways to control Torry!” The Head of Secret Service suddenly clapped his hands, ”He's just a very lucky playboy! It's not difficult to deal with him!”
The Cabinet Chancellor ignored the boasting Viscount Federick and shifted his attention to the enraged Imperial Empress.
”Apart of the Capital Security Division, the Secret Service Department is the second biggest hidden danger--”
”I must say--”
”Shut your mouth!” Alanis yelled at the Head of Secret Service that was all defensive. She was still rather worried about this nephew of hers.
Old Duke Rashel Titus smiled slightly toward the rather irritated Head of the Imperial Secret Service and bowed to him, as though he was not being at all malicious.
”The outflow of the secret service operational personnel, investigative officers, and secret agents is extremely significant since the loss of the former Head of Secret Service Department Count Rudolf Hoss! The best from these areas of expertise either joined the thriving Military Intelligence Bureau or found their way out! Whether if Federick likes to admit it or not, the truth is… the current Secret Service Department is not the secret special agency that would make people tremble with fear.”
The Head of Secret Service bared his teeth in rage. Indeed, he did not want to admit this, but he was not a monster like Rudolf Hoss, neither was he as witty as that old Rashel Titus. He could not effectively defend the current situation. ”Your Majesty! I advise you to immediately mobilize the Imperial Paladin to station in the capital!”
”Yes!” echoed the palace chief, ”The Imperial Paladin is the most reliable! Even if Prince O'Neil gathers his soldiers against the court order, it'll end with a destruction if they encounter the Imperial Paladins!”
”Can the Imperial Paladin fight against cannons?” Alanis doubted, ”What should I do if the artillerymen of the Capital Security Division do not follow the orders? I should've deployed Torry to the battlefront way before this!”
The Cabinet Chancellor suddenly laughed. ”Your Majesty! How can you forget? Apart from the Imperial Paladin, the dynasty has another team that is loyal, brave, and powerful enough to determine our success or failure!”
Her Majesty Alanis I raised her beautiful eyebrows. ”Is there? How can I not remember?”
”How can you forget the Imperial title of your reigning dynasty? The Sacred Titan lives up to its name!”
The Imperial Empress suddenly slapped her forehead, ”Oh God! I really have forgotten! How could I? Great Titania! I can mobilize the elite forces of the Titania House to the City of Dulin to cooperate with the Imperial Paladin in defending the capital!”
”You shall mean the First Grenadier Division of Great Titania!” Duke Rashel Titus grinned as he lit up a cigar. It appeared to him that this was already a foregone decision. ”As the only experimental force in the five-year national defense plan of the Imperial Guards, Great Titania has already replaced the most advanced gunpowder weapons in the world into an integrated infantry corps, in addition to five divisional artillery companies!”
The Head of Secret Service nodded at the side, which was unusual for him to do. ”Last 11th month, when Great Titania First Grenadier Division has just been gathered… my secret agents have witnessed once when they were doing live ammunition maneuvers. Oh God! Glory of God! The grenadiers can easily deal with the armored knights as easily and effortlessly like a farmer reaping his wheat!”
Alanis rubbed her hands together in excitement. ”Where're my husband's whereabouts? Do we have time for the Great Titanic Grenadier Division to enter Dulin?”
”Prince O'Neil is still lingering around in the accommodation nearby Dulin!” informed the cabinet chancellor as he shrugged his shoulders. ”Who knows what's on his mind? Some petitioning students and military agencies have been sent away by him, making this group of young people rather unpleasant!”
The Head of Secret Service shook his head, ”I feel that Prince O'Neil is still preparing for the final arrangements. He will not return to Dulin if he's unsure about this battle!”
The Imperial Empress fidgeted her body impatiently, as the seat of the imperial throne seemed to be sizzling with hot air. This atmosphere made Alanis helpless, but she had to stabilize her stance and use all her will and perseverance to defend her position as an empress.
”Hand me the glass!” Baron Ogeiro held out his hand to his apprentice.
”Is this appropriate?” The young historian was hesitant. He knew what his tutor wanted to do with the glass, but to eavesdrop on the Imperial secret? This was taboo and as serious as serious as betraying the country! His tutor definitely knew about this.
Baron Ogeiro tried to avoid the boy's worried eyes. He fetched for himself a glass with a flat bottom and gently put the bottom of the cup against the oak door of the tea room, then placed his ear to the cup. The noise in the guest room sounded extremely dull and came intermittently. The chief historian of Morisette's dynasty was still able to hear what he was concerned about. In fact, Bernadot Ogeiro could roughly guess what that was about. He was just desperate to confirm his own assertions.
Just as the chief historian expected! The Imperial Paladin, Capital Security Division, Secret Service Department, and the Great Titania! The Morisette dynasty mobilized all the power it could trust to challenge Prince O'Neil who would return to the capital to demand justice on behalf of the army. Wait a minute! Who was talking about what?
Baron Ogeiro glued his ear against the cup! Someone talked about something that really piqued his interest! The imperial historian wanted to see what kind of charge the politicians of Dulin could cook up for a national hero like Prince O'Neil! But… what did Her Majesty say? What did she say about Prince O'Neil's crime?
The conversation on the other side of the door entered the ears of the Imperial historian word for word! Bernadot Ogeiro's eyes widened in disbelief. He suddenly moved back from the oak door, as if there was a blazing fire in the door that relentlessly burned his hearing and flamed his thinking!
The glass fell to the ground and shattered into pieces instantly! The chief historian of Morisette dynasty was completely awakened by the shattering glass. He was rather quick to react. Baron Ogeiro whispered into the ears of his apprentice, whose face was as white as a sheet, before sending this terrified little boy out of the tearoom to the little side gate leading to the palace garden.
The oak door was suddenly opened! Bernadot was seen sitting in a high-backed chair. The Empress and several other lords in the guest room were gone. A team of heavily armed court knights surrounded the unarmed imperial chief historian who was holding a quill. The paladin of the highest rank among them looked at the broken glass on the ground, and then saluted the Baron who looked as if nothing had happened.