The Visit

The following morning, the south gate of the royal capital of Kajinson was cleared early in preparation. The flags atop the city walls had been replaced with the blue-gold banners used by the Kingdom for formal receptions of foreign guests, and ribbons for the welcoming ceremony were temporarily hung along both sides of the main thoroughfare.

Although the royal capital had recently suffered a disaster and many parts of the Outer City were still under repair, the stretch of road from the palace to the south gate had been tidied enough that little of the previous chaos remained visible.

The old King arrived in person at the palace gates.

Hogg stood by his side, his grey robe hanging neatly, his face devoid of any unnecessary expression. Duke Sebas, several marquises, and officials from the Protocol Department and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were also in attendance. There were very few people on the entire continent who could command the simultaneous presence of both the King and the Royal Preceptor for a reception.

Venus Basal Polivik happened to be one of them.

The imperial delegation arrived near noon.

The Black Double-Snake Flag at the front unfurled in the wind as dozens of carriages slowly made their way down the main road. The accompanying escort maintained a perfect formation, their dark armor glinting under the sunlight, lending the procession a particularly solemn air.

Venus remained mounted on her white horse, her long blue hair fluttering in the breeze. Her deep blue riding habit looked entirely out of place amidst the surrounding elaborate formal wear.

Yet, despite her casual appearance, it did not provoke any displeasure or resentment from the onlookers; there wasn't even a whisper of criticism.

She dismounted with crisp, efficient movements, casually tossing the reins to a guard behind her.

The old King stepped forward, a smile on his face. "It is a great honor for the Kingdom of Kajinson to have Your Excellency Venus travel from so far to visit us."

Venus pressed a hand to her chest, performing an imperial salute.

"Your Majesty is too kind. His Imperial Majesty has asked me to convey his greetings to you and to express the Empire's condolences for the hardships the Kingdom faced during the Blood Moon Cult incident."

Her words were formal, delivered in standard diplomatic phrasing.

However, Hogg noticed that while the Great Sage spoke these words, there was very little genuine interest in her eyes.

Venus's gaze soon settled on Hogg, and the two locked eyes for a moment across the short distance between them.

Hogg gave a slight nod. "Lady Venus, I have heard much of your great name."

"As have I of yours, Royal Preceptor," the corner of Venus's mouth curved slightly. "I have finally met you in person."

After the pleasantries, the grand welcoming ceremony quickly commenced.

Officials from the Protocol Department read out the welcoming address according to the prepared schedule, while the accompanying civil officials of the imperial delegation submitted the formal diplomatic credentials.

Subsequently, the palace arranged a brief but solemn entry ceremony. Escorted by the Kingdom's Imperial Guards, the imperial delegation proceeded along the main road into the palace.

The old King held a welcoming banquet in the main hall, where Venus behaved with perfect decorum. She raised her glass when appropriate and responded when necessary; she spoke little, but was never rude.

The siblings, Noah and Leah, stood not far behind her, silently fulfilling their roles as assistants. The members of the Imperial Inquisition also only stepped forward to salute when necessary, remaining largely silent otherwise.

Hogg observed all of this but said nothing.

Once the banquet concluded, the imperial delegation moved into the Foreign Embassy on the west side of the Inner City, as arranged by the Kingdom.

The Foreign Embassy was originally designed for large-scale diplomatic missions, featuring independent courtyards, guard barracks, meeting halls, and stables. The Kingdom had specifically assigned a squad of Imperial Guards to stand watch outside, ostensibly to ensure the delegation's safety, but in reality, to maintain necessary surveillance.

Venus offered no objection to this. Her attitude was extremely casual, and she accepted the arrangement without hesitation.

Over the next few days, the Empire's actions were remarkably disciplined.

On the morning of the second day, the imperial delegation formally delivered a personal letter from Emperor Kevinlit to the palace, reiterating the general contents of the diplomatic credentials. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs quickly began liaising with the delegation.

In terms of culture, representatives from the Imperial Royal Academy discussed the mutual translation of ancient texts and student exchanges with the teachers of the Magic and Martial Arts Academy.

Regarding the economy, the imperial chamber of commerce representatives negotiated trade tax rates, magic crystal transport routes, and materials needed for post-disaster reconstruction with the Kingdom's Ministry of Internal Affairs.

As for the academy, several imperial scholars personally visited the Royal Magic and Martial Arts Academy. Although the academy was still under repair, Dean Napa received them personally, and the visit went smoothly.

Everything proceeded systematically according to the schedule laid out in the documents, so smoothly that it began to arouse suspicion—it seemed as if the Empire's goal was exactly what the papers described.

Precisely because it was so smooth, Hogg became even more concerned. A delegation led by a Heroic Spirit rank expert just to promote friendly exchanges between two nations?

That held very little weight as an explanation.

Furthermore, as the ambassador for this visit, Venus had almost never left the Foreign Embassy after her appearance on the first day for the reception and the banquet.

The same was true for Noah and Leah.

The members of the Inquisition also had no record of leaving the premises, except for necessary registrations.

While the members of the delegation responsible for the exchanges were busy from dawn to dusk, a small portion of the rooms in the Foreign Embassy remained unnervingly quiet. Officials sent by the Kingdom to deliver documents failed to see Venus herself several times, receiving the same response every time—

"Lady Venus is resting."

It sounded like a polite refusal of visitors. But a Heroic Spirit rank Sky Knight resting for several days straight? They could at least find a more plausible excuse...

Thus, on the fifth night, after careful consideration, Hogg left the Magic Tower alone and walked toward the Foreign Embassy.

Just as he stepped onto the first stone step before the embassy's entrance, the door opened silently—Venus was standing inside.

She had changed into loose, deep blue robes, her long blue hair draped behind her shoulders, and she held a wine glass in her hand. By her appearance, it seemed she had known he would come.

"For the Royal Preceptor to come at such a late hour, is there some secret business you wish to discuss?"

She leaned against the doorframe, her tone carrying a hint of a joke.

Hogg stopped in his tracks and looked at the woman before him, not daring to be careless.

He knew very well that the more casual someone like Venus appeared, the less one could afford to let their guard down. However, he did not immediately adopt a confrontational stance, instead keeping his tone low.

"Please don't joke, Lady Venus. What secret business could I possibly have?"

Venus looked at him, the corners of her mouth curling.

"That's hard to say."

She stepped aside to clear the doorway.

"Come in. Standing outside to talk would make me a very rude host."

Hogg did not hesitate. He stepped into the Foreign Embassy and followed behind Venus, passing through the foyer and the side corridors.

His gaze swept inconspicuously over the rooms on either side.

Most of the doors were tightly shut; in some rooms, there were sounds of breathing and footsteps, while others were so quiet there wasn't the slightest movement.

There's... no one in there. Hogg's brow furrowed imperceptibly. Not all of the Empire's personnel had remained in the Foreign Embassy.

At least several rooms appeared to have been empty for a long time.

Where were they?

The Imperial Guards and other members of the Intelligence Department responsible for the watch had not noticed anyone missing, which meant... these people had never moved in to begin with?