In the days following the teahouse’s reopening, the Outer City finally began to resemble its former self. However, in contrast to the burgeoning vitality of Kajinson, a certain other location presented a starkly different atmosphere.
Word of the events at the festival in the City of Divine Grace had quickly been delivered to the palace of the Casnoe Empire.
Deep within the palace, Emperor Yukafeni Basal Kevinlit sat behind a long desk in his study. Spread before him were several reports submitted by the Inquisition and Intelligence.
Vina Selen and Baron Grayer stood before the desk, their expressions solemn as they waited with bated breath for His Majesty’s decision.
The Emperor did not rush to turn the next page. Instead, he looked up at the two of them.
“Tell me again, starting from the moment you first encountered that person.”
Vina took a half-step forward and performed a salute, her right hand over her heart.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
She paused for a moment before recounting the details of their encounter with Li Yuan in the City of Divine Grace.
She covered everything: from the clues provided by Mokotoba, to their meeting with the young man at the temporary camp who claimed to be a Royal Inquisitor, to him producing his identity badge, and finally to the festival operation where the Temple suddenly released them.
Baron added from the side, “The design of that identity badge was perfectly consistent with those of a Royal Inquisitor. The sigil was undeniably the work of Master Keljin. I personally verified it at the time; it was absolutely not a common forgery.”
Hearing the account once more, the Emperor’s brow furrowed even deeper.
“What did he say his name was?”
“Li Yuan,” Vina replied. “Though we cannot confirm if it is his true name.”
“Did he say who deployed him?”
“No,” Baron shook his head. “He claimed to be in the City of Divine Grace investigating the Temple under your secret orders, Your Majesty. He revealed nothing beyond that.”
The Emperor remained silent for a moment before speaking in a low, heavy voice.
“I never sent any Royal Inquisitor to the City of Divine Grace.”
As those words fell, the atmosphere in the study grew even more oppressive.
Though Vina and Baron had suspected as much, hearing it directly from the Emperor’s mouth still caused their expressions to darken.
Baron whispered, “Then Your Majesty means... he truly is an impostor?”
“The problem is more than just impersonation.”
The Emperor picked up another report from the desk and flipped to a specific page.
“Intelligence has already made contact with the Temple. The High Priest and several key clerics have stated they have no recollection of this so-called inquisitor you mentioned. They weren't even aware such a person existed.”
Vina was stunned.
“But he told us himself that he had reached an agreement with the Temple, which is why they released us.”
“The Temple denies this,” the Emperor said, his tone grim. “They stated they would not accept any so-called agreements other than the guidance of the God of Light.”
Baron frowned. “But the Temple did indeed release everyone after the festival, and they even let the spokesperson go. Without someone mediating, there’s no reason for them to make such a sudden concession. Releasing the spokesperson, in particular, makes no sense at all.”
“That is exactly what is giving me a headache. Could the God of Light truly have descended with some form of guidance? Is that even possible?”
The Emperor placed the report back on the desk and leaned back into his chair, rubbing his temples. Rather than attributing all the answers to a deity who hadn't been seen in centuries, it was better to consider the next course of action...
“A non-existent Royal Inquisitor, carrying a near-perfect identity badge, acting alone in the City of Divine Grace. Even the Temple denies ever seeing him. Do you really think this is a simple case of someone playing a role?”
Vina and Baron remained silent. That was the gravity of the situation—this was clearly no ordinary case of identity theft.
If it were just a simple impersonation, where did the identity badge come from?
The core anti-counterfeit sigils on identity badges crafted by Master Keljin were not something that could be replicated with simple magic. For a forgery to deceive two Rank 7 inquisitors on the spot, it was almost impossible without the involvement of a Heroic Spirit rank mage or someone of an even higher level.
The Emperor had clearly reached the same conclusion.
“The sudden appearance of someone in the Inquisition that I know nothing about is no small matter,” he said sternly. “Furthermore, his ability to mimic Master Keljin’s work... If there truly is a Heroic Spirit rank mage, or even a higher-level existence behind him, we must be on our guard.”
Having said that, he looked at Vina and Baron.
“You are dismissed. Do not let word of this spread for the time being.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The two bowed in unison and exited the study.
After the door closed, the Emperor sat alone for a long time. He picked up the documents from Intelligence and read them again from start to finish. Based on the information gathered, and with Master Keljin’s confirmation that he had not produced a Royal identity badge for anyone named Li Yuan in the last decade, only one conclusion remained.
Someone had brazenly usurped the name of the royal family right under the empire’s nose.
Kevinlit set down the report and pressed a silver bell on his desk.
A few minutes later, an attendant entered.
“Your Majesty.”
“Notify the Allen siblings. I wish to see them immediately.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The attendant withdrew, and before long, a young man and woman entered the room.
The youth appeared to be around nineteen, with a slender build and long black hair tied back. His eyes were calm. The girl was about eighteen, with long black hair reaching her waist. Her features were delicate, and her expression was even cooler than her brother’s.
The two bowed to Kevinlit behind the desk.
“Noah Allen, at your service, Your Majesty.”
“Leah Allen, at your service, Your Majesty.”
The Emperor did not beat around the bush, pushing a prepared briefing across the desk.
“An individual has appeared in the City of Divine Grace impersonating a Royal Inquisitor. This person calls himself Li Yuan. His identity and whereabouts are unknown. Your next task is to uncover his true identity and location.”
Noah picked up the briefing and scanned it quickly.
Leah stood by his side, her gaze also falling on the records, her brow furrowing slightly.
The Emperor continued, “During this mission, you are authorized to access relevant archives from the Seventh Court of the Inquisition and all data from Intelligence regarding the period surrounding the festival in the City of Divine Grace. If you require personnel, funding, or transit permits, contact the Logistics Department directly. Any interference you encounter may be treated as obstructing a royal command and dealt with as treason.”
Noah closed the briefing, his expression remaining calm.
“Your Majesty, where would you like us to begin?”
“The City of Divine Grace,” the Emperor said. “Ideally, start your investigation from the day of the festival—or a day or two prior. Find out where that man came from and where he went. It would be best to discover if he has any accomplices as well.”
Leah asked softly, “If the individual left the City of Divine Grace long ago, the time period we need to trace back would be quite long. My brother and I might find it difficult to sustain such an effort...”
“I am aware,” the Emperor said, looking at her. “You do not need to uncover everything at once. Establish a direction first and then track him step by step. The priority is that this matter must be cleared up; I do not mind if it takes time.”
The siblings shared a look and accepted the command together. “As you command.”
Kevinlit then signaled for them to withdraw. His gaze fell once more upon the report bearing the name “Li Yuan.”
After a long silence, he sighed and whispered to himself.
“Just who exactly are you...?”
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