It had been decades, yet I still remembered it vividly.
The burning mansion.
That day, my parents, my siblings, and my entire clan were decapitated and their heads put on display.
Every child, down to the infants, was fed to the Proone.
Every time I recalled the faces of those military officials and their vulgar smiles, hatred welled up within me.
My father had lost an internal court struggle. That was all it took.
Even I, the eunuch Eyens, took up a weapon in a final, desperate act of defiance.
The pain of having my ear sliced off by a stray bullet and being shot in the back multiple times still lingered.
That pain was the one thing I could never forget.
I lived in shame after surviving only by falling into the moat.
I vowed with my comrades to destroy the Taikyoku Nation.
I fell into piracy and lived by scavenging through the mud with the few who had survived with me.
Before I knew it, I was being called one of the Five Taijin, but in the end, we were merely pirates.
We were parasites on the back of society.
There was no way we could ever overcome the host.
The Taikyoku Nation was too strong, far too powerful.
They gave no opening for mere pirates to dismantle them.
My tears ran dry, and my emotions withered away.
I have not known a night of sound sleep since that day.
Phantom pain still shoots through my missing ear.
It was psychosomatic, I knew. But as long as this pain remained, I would likely continue to burn with the flames of hatred.
But at last, a turning point had arrived.
A newcomer called the Galactic Empire had appeared.
A nation sharing the same roots as Zork.
Initially, they were thought to be easy prey for the Pirate Guild and the Ghouls, but...
Their reputation changed after they dismantled Proone without even a proper battle.
Leo Kamishiro.
Until just the other day, everyone believed he was a man of strategy.
The husband of the Imperial Empress and a Foreign Affairs Minister who had risen from the military ranks.
Everyone assumed the title of "soldier" was merely a way to add luster to the status of the Empress’s consort.
The basis for that belief was his sheer excellence as a diplomat.
His name had echoed through the surrounding countries—no, as far as the Taikyoku Nation itself—for winning over not just the Ogre God Nation and its reckless warriors, but also that notorious and eccentric moneylender, Latarnia.
He had parsed Latarnia’s labyrinthine, mysterious laws... was that it?
Furthermore, not a single Latarnian spoke ill of him.
He was likely an extraordinary genius of political strategy.
Well, if that were the case, one simply had to kill him.
Some fool or other had contracted an assassin.
I had caught wind of the rumors, but I intentionally left them alone. I was under no obligation to warn him.
I didn't care what happened to Leo Kamishiro.
The method for dealing with small nations was always the same: crumble them from the periphery and let the country rot.
Once it rotted, we only had to let the Ghouls finish them off.
But... the rumors were fundamentally wrong.
It was the opposite. It was the exact opposite.
Leo Kamishiro and his subordinates were warriors.
The Strongest of the Imperial Army...
Those reports were the unvarnished truth.
Then there was the legendary assassin known as Izuo.
He ranked alongside Manslayer Sunny—no, Izuo’s notoriety was even higher.
Neither his face nor his methods were known, but his existence was the stuff of legend. He was a presence that could be called a sort of urban legend.
Yet, it was easier than snapping a dry twig. No, simpler than that.
Leo Kamishiro spotted him before the strike even began and unilaterally crushed him.
He had been taken alive, and with bare hands at that.
Could it be luck? Impossible.
The only logical conclusion was that he was a monster—a master of political intrigue who also happened to be the Strongest of the Empire.
A chuckle bubbled up from within me.
Finally. After an eternity of waiting, I had found the one—the weapon capable of bringing the Taikyoku Nation to its knees.
But how should I use him?
Leo Kamishiro—no, the Galactic Empire itself—was a nation that preferred discourse.
That was evident from the fact that the man himself spoke so calmly even after nearly being assassinated.
If it were the Ogre God Nation, it would have turned into a life-or-death struggle. It was hard to believe they shared an ancestor with Zork.
Zork was a much simpler opponent.
At this rate, they might even establish diplomatic relations with the Taikyoku Nation and other civilizations.
After all, they had maneuvered the Proone into extinction through nothing but words.
They were moderate, silver-tongued, and viewed violence merely as an extension of diplomacy. Such a civilization was unheard of in this galaxy.
I couldn't think of a single weakness.
In that case, I would let the Pirate Guild fall into his hands.
I would pawn the responsibility off on the other Taijin... no, he would see through that.
Leo Kamishiro’s intuition was abnormally sharp. First, I had to earn his trust.
Besides, I was indebted to him for the end of the Proone.
Even if betrayal lay in our future, for now, I would treat him with the highest respect.
"Sunny, are you there?"
I called for Manslayer Sunny.
"Taijin, I am here."
I was glad he was a man who anticipated my needs.
"Investigate this recent incident as accurately as possible. If you don't know something, write honestly that you don't know."
"Sir!"
Within half a day, the Incident Report was submitted.
Next, I contacted the Latarnia side via a secure line. It was a foreign affairs official I had bribed.
"What do you want? I'm busy!"
He made no effort to hide his displeasure.
"The document I am about to send is our own investigation into the recent Assassination Incident. It is a copy of what we will be providing to Ambassador Leo."
"Hmph. What’s your angle this time?"
"Nothing. I have simply judged that making an enemy of His Excellency Leo Kamishiro would be an act of suicide."
"Our country also intends to maintain a friendly relationship with the Galactic Empire."
The official sneered, acting haughty. From Latarnia's perspective, those words were the highest form of praise. However, he seemed loath to admit it; it was as if saying it left a bitter taste in his mouth.
"I'll take the document."
That was fine. I had no intention of making him feel indebted.
With Latarnia, it was safest to keep the ledger balanced at zero.
The communication was abruptly cut off.
"Now then... what shall I do?"
A full-scale war between Latarnia and the Taikyoku Nation. I had dreamed of that for a long time and repeatedly manipulated events to bring it about.
But now, another power had appeared.
A Nation of Benevolence, honorable enough to win over Latarnia and compassionate enough to aid the Ogre God Nation and minority factions.
To drag such virtuous people into my darkness would surely condemn me to the deepest circle of hell. But I had no choice.
Because the opportunity for revenge had finally arrived.
A timer announced the time for my medication.
My time was running out. A few years at best.
The prosthetic covering my mangled ear throbbed for some reason.
Father, Mother, Brother... my poor, sweet Shiyun... your brother may finally have his revenge.
Death to the Taikyoku Nation...