The morning fog shrouded the Swan Lake in the early dawn. The sun still stayed behind the distant mountains, and the air too was dampened and cold.
Occasionally, aquatic birds skidded over the surface of the lake; their sharp beaks took away the fat fishes from the water, and then the birds flew to a nearby tree branch or back to their nests to enjoy the meal. If one were to listen carefully, the sound of the birds swallowing could even be heard.
There were bonfires near the lake, and the light from the flames passed through the fog to illuminate the Swan Hill Castle not far away. Walking from the castle to the lake required only climbing over a small hillside, and these flames were just below the slopes. Countless knights moved slowly through the scenery of the flames and the fog, as though they were exercising precautionary measures. However, they appeared more like they were scouting.
O'Neil Andrew Morisette was sitting on a folding stool, and he stretched out his two palms toward the fire. The morning in early spring was freezing cold; the skin on the back of Oscar's hands had dried because of the weather.
Thirteen the assassin was seated at the opposite of His Highness the Prince. He was wrapped in a thick coat made of camel's fur and appeared pleased by just quietly watching the burning of fire. The assassin's wounds had been taken care of perfectly, but Poison Doctor Percy still could not suppress his emotions. One after another, his old friends from Damorga was leaving forever. Hence, he felt extremely delighted to have the chance to assist his old friend again.
"And this is why you performed more than 40 stitches on me?" the assassin teased jokingly.
The Poison Doctor spread out his hands helplessly, "Oh, I apologize, I couldn't distinguish between assholes and wounds!"
The assassin laughed along with his old friend. On the other hand, O'Neil Andrew Morisette still had a weary look on his face. He had not uttered a word since they left the city of Dulin.
"How is it going with that old man Doramy?" Thirteen the assassin suddenly recalled the cheeky old man.
The Poison Doctor scratched his head, and took a sideways glance at the young prince who trembled slightly, "He died of illness! Isn't it unfortunate?"
Thirteen shook his head softly, "This is already good for him! Oh yeah, and that little liar?"
"Ricky..." Percy glanced at Oscar again, "Ricky was even more unlucky... he contracted a sexually transmitted disease."
"Oh..." Thirteen frowned, that little swindler was indeed unlucky. "And that... that drug dealer? What is his name again? I forgot!"
"You mean Leon!" Percy finally smiled, at last, they mentioned an old friend who was still alive.
"He is currently Titan's biggest drug lord as well as an illegal salt distributor. If Domingo isn't directly commissioned under His Highness the Prince, he would have been the new Brother 'Balance'."
Thirteen opened his mouth to reply, but Oscar put up his hand. The young prince moved his stool closer to examine properly the thin face of his old friend.
"I almost forgot! Based on your description it seems like the drug they forced onto you is opium, and one of Leon's teammate is the best opium development expert in the entire Westland team!" Oscar thought of the success of their Great Escape that took place several years ago. "I have to stay in touch with Leon and have him send over the Scorpion to Vielonna. Your body needs immediate treatment!"
Thirteen shook his head, "I can still cope!"
Oscar followed suit and shook his head too, "Listen to me on this one, my friend!"
The assassin did not reply, instead only smiling and nodded at the other party.
Oscar stood up from the small stool. The sky was bright, the fog condensing on the water, and the outline of the castle had been plated with the morning sun. This should be a positive, brand new day. However, the Prince of Titan did not want to see this scene. His heart was engulfed with haze, his thoughts scattered around in all directions.
"Percy... go get us some breakfast," The prince turned around to order the Poison Doctor, and the latter lingered his gaze between the assassin and their little friend. Finally, he left the bonfire.
It seemed that after the doctor left, the nearby knights and Persian warriors of his Highness the Prince immediately surrounded the two, especially the top warrior who was wrapped in a blue turban and had a black belt around his waist. He was standing right behind the assassin.
"There is something I want to confirm with you!" Oscar sat down again, facing the assassin. He tried his best to not think about all the memory associated with the person in front of him.
"Is it something serious?" Thirteen felt a rather strange sensation as if the pores on his back closed up completely. He didn't want to turn back because he was not sure how fast the warrior's movement would be.
"Yes!" Oscar sighed deeply. Although he wasn't there when his father passed away, his brother's letter gave him a precise and detailed condition of his father's death. As soon as he thought of Dortmund lying in the pool of his own blood, Oscar quickly diverted his attention by starting another conversation.
"My father, it's about my father!" Oscar grabbed his old friend's hand eagerly, "Someone tried to convince me that you were the one who killed my father, it happened during the time you were transferred from the Secret Service Department!"
Thirteen couldn't help but widen his eyes as he realized how dangerous the conspiracy was. However... he was not sure what he had done under the influence of the drugs.
"I... I don't know him! I... I'm not sure!"
Oscar shook his head vigorously; his expression turned into one with a threatening force by now. "My friend, you must be sure, right now! You should know what this means to me! My father was cut open by a sharp dagger, and the assassin disappeared under the watchful eyes of numerous guards without a trace! The Knights of my House searched all over Andrew Haila -"
"Wait a minute!" Thirteen shouted suddenly, "What place is this Andrew Haila?"
"It's my hometown! My -"
"No!" Thirteen shook his head intensely, "I mean how far it is from Dulin!"
Oscar spread out his hand, "The linear distance is about eight or nine hundred kilometers, it takes approximately one month to arrive."
Immediately, Thirteen revealed a look of relief. "Then I'm sure you're asking the wrong person! It wasn't me who did it! The Secret Service would never let me out for long journeys. Although I wasn't sure what I've done under the influence of the drugs, I know the road at least! They've always kept me imprisoned in Dulin, only constantly transferring me between several secret locations!"
Oscar straightened in his seat. Thirteen's argument sounded reasonable. It seemed impossible for Secret Service Department to bring the super assassin out on a long journey.
"Are you sure about this?"
Thirteen nodded in affirmation, "I'm totally sure! I've never been far away, or you can even say that... I've never left Dulin!"
"Ola..." Oscar murmured. He looked into the eyes of the King of Assassins for a moment and finally embraced the thin old man in his arms.
Thirteen smiled awkwardly at the Western people's etiquette, but still, he tightened his thin arms around his friend who was once only a little boy and even rocked his body sideways like a tumbler toy.
Early in the morning at seven, dazzling sunshine pierced through the last bits of the haze that engulfed the mountain and lake. The Swan Hill Castle displayed its dreamy colors in the morning light. The white barriers and red spires appeared even more eccentric in contrast with the blue background filled with clouds.
Little Micath was awakened by the Knights' shouting as his mother shook him gently. The little boy rubbed his eyes, and then he saw his mother, as well as his… father? The weird man with a mustache took him in his arms and twirled him around the air. Dizzy, little Cath was thrown into the arms of another person by his… well, someone who he decided to call his father for now!
The person gave him a kiss and later swung him into the arm of the next person. Cath was puzzled and he didn't like the way these adults greeted him. Only the stinky old man considered his feelings.
Thirteen took the child over from a man whom he did not know and placed the child on the ground before wiping away the saliva that stained his little cheeks. "How do you feel?"
"Ola!" Cath replied before giving a hard nod! This little boy took out the hand cannon from within his arms and shouted "Pang! Pang! Pang!", indicating him firing a gun.
Thirteen's hand flew to his chest and he fell to the ground after issuing a loud cry. His pretend play made little Cath, who had just woken up from a sleep, extremely excited, and soon he ran toward to sit on the King of Assassin's stomach. He tugged at the old man's beard playfully. Oscar, who witnessed this, quickly walked over to carry his son away from his old friend, before helping Thirteen to his feet.
"Thank you! You saved my son's life!"
Thirteen waved his hand at the little boy who had grown into the appointed prince for Titan. His gaze lingered between the father and son, "Two peas in a pod!"
Oscar smiled. He was undeniably proud of his son. "Oh! This is Vij, the mother of little Cath!"
Thirteen bowed politely to the beautiful lady whose eyes were red and puffed, "Pleasure to meet you!"
Vij's tears immediately gushed out of her eyes. Even though she was a strong woman, but she had her limit too. The knees of Sukhoi's Housemistress gave away and they fell to the ground facing the lean old man. Thirteen quickly went forward to help her but was stopped by Oscar.
The King of Assassin had no choice but to watch in silence as Vijdeline kissed his boots like he was a saint.
"Alright, alright, what is this for?" Thirteen lifted her up later when the woman looked up. "My dear lady, there's no need for this, I just happened to be at the right place at the right time. Besides, I think that it was little Cath who saved me!"
Vij wiped her tears, "No words can express how much I'm grateful for you…" Sukhoi's mistress measured her speech carefully, but as she had said, she could not find the right words to express her gratitude. "Oh! Forget it!" the beautiful lady said as she held the face of King of Assassin in her hands, and then planted a full kiss on his lips.
Thirteen blushed with redness. He had seen passionate Western women before, but that was at least 20 years ago. Vijdeline would have been honored if she knew that she was the only woman that the King of Assassin had kissed in the past 20 years. Thirteen then pursed his mouth to savor the aftertaste as he spoke to his old friend beside him, "This is worth all the wounds on my body!"
Everyone present laughed out loudly, including Paul and His Highness. This burst of hearty laughter made countless birds soar to the sky.
Just by the lake, servants of the Swan Hill Castle were busy setting up the long dining table. O'Neil Andrew Morisette's loyal subordinates who attended the feast were a group larger than twenty people. One after another, His Highness the Prince introduced them to the King of Assassin, regardless of how much the latter could remember.
However, everyone was enthusiastic about Thirteen, showing special admiration regarding his actions at the headquarters of the Secret Service Department. Torry the extrovert was naturally the one who made the most noise at the dining table. With much exaggeration, he described the look on Rudolf Hoss's face at the incident and later demonstrated how brilliantly the King of Assassin fought despite being surrounded by a siege! The soldiers gave a round of applause for the artillery general's commentary. However, they all knew that the situation was not as simple as Torry had mentioned! More than 100 secret agents were taken as hostages, breaking down the red building at the Secret Service Department into pieces, taking down more than half of the members of the Eighth Brigade whose power was no any weaker than a special warfare brigade… No one would believe this, at least people who were familiar with the Secret Service would not believe it. Yet, this old eastern man who was gobbling down the meal did all that. Not only he had done it beautifully, the whole incident was also made to look like a miracle!
Oscar still retained his breakfast tradition from the past. The hostess of Swan Hill Castle began moving about instructing the chefs since five o'clock in the morning. When His Highness the Prince and friends settled down at the dining table, exquisite dishes were served one after another. In addition to the mandatory bread and jams of all tastes for breakfast, there was also a typical Susilo feast.
The authentic Titan Empire Susilo local cuisine was known for its various kind of cooking methods of meat sauce. His Highness the Prince's main dish was a grilled eggplant with meat sauce, onions, and herbs, as well as orange sauce pepper quail, and boiled dried sea bass with onions, tomatoes, garlic, and parsley.
However, the disappointment was that the prince's stomach was unable to adapt to a feast in the early morning. Oscar only selected the appetizer for himself, which was a hard-boiled egg and vegetable beef olive soup. A brief moment later, Oscar, who saw everyone's strong appetite, helped himself to a serving of caramel egg pudding with slight embarrassment, because he knew that this thing would make his stomach hurt for a whole day.
In the eyes of Murat, Ainienne was a good wife. She kept herself occupied at the table and took care of the details. More than once, Oscar asked Lady Bedoya to talk to her but Ainienne just could not help it. Everyone thought that His Highness the Prince had helped himself to a serving of the dessert because he was not full, however Ainienne took it away from Oscar and announced that breakfast was over for His Highness, not forgetting to remind Oscar not to risk his own stomach health just because he wanted to avoid killing the mood. It was only until then that people remembered the prince's stomach had not been at its best. Therefore, Luke Citel passed over a great cigar to His Highness for Oscar to indulge.
Apart from the young prince who took an early withdrawal from the battlefield, Paul's appetite was not quite well either. He had been glancing warily back and forth between Oscar and Thirteen. Oscar finally got a little impatient, so he grabbed the shoulders of his old friend and demanded, "Just say it boldly if you have anything to say!"
Paul coughed uncomfortably. Only after he made sure that Thirteen seated on the opposite side was affectionately taking care of little Cath that he asked the prince in caution.
"Was it him?"
Oscar immediately understood what he meant, "Rest assured, it's definitely not our old friend!"
"Ola..." Paul exclaimed the prince's favorite phrase a low voice. He could finally feel at ease, but this rest only lasted for a few seconds. "It makes the situation even stranger then! I've discussed this with Shaw many times, but we couldn't figure out who this world apart from Thirteen could have the ability to assassinate the Duke of Andrew at the Base Camp of the Narcissus Knight? Shaw is extremely sure that the assassins within the Morissette Imperial Family had the ability because the Black Devil is already their best!"
Oscar curled his lips rather coldly, "We will eventually find that guy!"
Paul nodded and said nothing more.
"Vij, how was the journey on the way here? Was it smooth?" Oscar turned to the mother of his son.
The Sukhoi Housemistress laid down her cutleries as she heard the words, and threw a glance at Paul, "It had been good thanks to Paul and Sandy. They mentioned that there were several threats on the road, but walked away after checking out the troop from afar!"
Paul nodded to Oscar, "It's true! We have to seize the time to leave Dulin, especially Thirteen! At the moment, it seems that... no one else in Dulin supports you apart from your soldiers!"
Oscar remained silent at the comment. His utmost priority was not to leave Dulin but to demand an explanation from his wife Her Majesty the Empress. Although this matter had made itself extremely clear, Oscar still hoped that Alanis would offer him an explanation, even if it was an unusually bad excuse.
"Follow me, Vij!" Oscar said as he grabbed the woman's hand, "I have already provided an explanation to the elders of the Steinberger House in the capital. He understands your situation. Besides, the final say to the barbette design of the Blackwood Fortress lies in the hands of those engineers anyway. Your participation is not mandatory."
Vij stared at the man deeply, "Are you asking me to go south with you?"
Oscar nodded, "Yes! We can bring Cath to the South with us. Things like the recent incident will not happen over there if we're careful."
Vijdeline shook her head in disapproval, "I can stay with you and the kid for a while, but Titania is urging that new firearm -"
"Don't tell me this!" Oscar interrupted the woman impatiently. "Things like this will happen again after the first time, Cath will not be as lucky to meet Thirteen every time!"
Vij bit her lips as she considered. She could understand Oscar's emotions, but to establish a regular army created of Delin-style firearm was her dream at the moment.
"Don't you think that this can be delayed?" Oscar's tone eased, "We still have not completely figure out the Titania House yet, and it is worrisome enough to deposit a team of fire armed army in there! If you're there too when something wrong happens… what will I do?"
"Alright..." The Sukhoi Housemistress finally compromised with an immense reluctance.
"Your Highness!" a pressing call came over from the end of the table. It was the voice of Devil Sandinand.
Everyone shifted their attention to the end of the table. It showed that he had enough right to speak on the matter.
"I don't know if that event last night was considered a public declaration of war to the Secret Service Department! After all, it has received a massive amount of attention; and if we didn't explain to Her Majesty and the Ministry of Justice, I'm afraid your old friend would be sent into the prison again!"
Paul's eyes widened almost immediately at the possibility! Indeed, his old friend had killed dozens of secret agents who represented the Imperial Ministry of Justice.
Oscar held his chin for a moment to think about it, but eventually, cast a reassuring glance toward Thirteen.
"I don't think the Secret Service Department or the Ministry of Justice will conduct any excessive action!" Oscar voiced out his estimation. "I can't imagine how my wife Her Majesty would deal with Rudolf as she must be extremely annoyed. Our Head of Secret Service will be so occupied with bearing the consequences that he will not have time to mess with the Military Intelligence Bureau."
"What about Her Majesty?" Sandy spoke again, "I don't know exactly what Her Majesty wants to do exactly. She vetoed all the written instructions submitted by the Southern Coalition Government last week, and now an incident like this broke out! Is it safe for me to assume that maybe it was the south… or perhaps Your Highness… that Her Majesty…"
"That's enough, Sandy!" Oscar did not sound impatient, but Sandy immediately shut his mouth and appeared concentrating on the plate in front of him. If everyone had not just heard the conversation, they would not have thought about anything had happened moments ago.
Oscar looked around at his subordinates and took a deep breath after a long silence, "Everyone, go ahead and collect your team, we'll start moving the day after tomorrow!"
"And...me?" Torry frowned.
Oscar waved apologetically, "You are the general of artillery soldiers defending the capital area. Visit Marshal Robin when you have the time, he will take care of you, but the key is to look after yourself!"
The son of Sukhoi sighed lowly. Now that Her Majesty had made plans to mess with her sister, she might also mess with him when she had the free time.
Oscar stood up and walked to the side of Torry. He patted his partner's shoulders and encouraged him, "Lift up your spirits! There's nothing to worry about!"
The general of the artillery soldiers smiled helplessly. There were many things worth worrying about!
Oscar wanted to say something more, but his eyes had been drawn to the dust on the mountain trail. His Highness the Prince looked to his sides, and the captain in charge of the guards immediately beckoned the cavalry to leap to their horse.
Soon, the travel-worn Baron Messier was directed to the table by nervous-looking Knights. Oscar's brow knitted even tighter together at this sight as he left Messier in Dulin to deal with the unexpected incidents of the Military Intelligence Bureau and from the Imperial Palace.
"What's wrong?" Oscar greeted the director of the Military Intelligence Bureau who was anxious when dismounting from his horse.
"It's a... big... big problem!" said Messier out of breath. He took the drink offered by Lady from Ainienne and drank it before saying thanks.
Oscar took over the paper tube handed over by Mes, and he started to laugh at what he saw. "Dulin Daily Express? What kind of titbit news is it this time?"
The Director of Military Intelligence grabbed the newspaper and opened to a page, which he then presented to His Highness the Prince.
Oscar widened his eyes in disbelief at the gigantic headline, "The Coalition Government of the Five Southern Provinces plans to launch an Illegal Military Offensive against the Old Friend Slovenian Empire."
"Gentlemen!" Oscar snapped his head to the soldiers in attendance, "The feast is now over!"
The Dulin Daily Express was a highly influential newspaper in the capital of the Titan. Its founder, the Novag Brothers, had begun running a small magazine since a century ago. After several years, or after sustained efforts by the parents of the Novag family, Dulin Daily Express, which was formed in the middle of the seventh century of Church Calendar, was already the capital's largest publication with a circulation of more than 50,000 copies.
Regarding the reason and effect of the report entitled "The Coalition Government of the Five Southern Provinces plans to launch an Illegal Military Offensive against the Old Friend Slovenian Empire", the historians claimed that it was based off the "801 Leak Case."
Despite the investigation of the Ministry of Justice and the Imperial Security Division ended up with nothing, the case opened up a long-lasting audit of the state machine against the mass media. According to the direct supervisions of His Highness the Prince O'Neil Andrew Morisette, the result of the audit was naturally not released, even the official publications of the Titan Press were classified as unknown dangerous goods.
Although Prince O'Neil was already aware of the seriousness of the leak and the incident itself when he first learned of the incident, he still underestimated this seriousness. Just as he rushed back to Dulin Army Headquarters, the Westland Kingdom Alliance had placed a copy of the newspaper which strongly and verbally stated the note on the desk of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Titan.
The moment His Imperial Highness took his seat in the Military Intelligence Bureau, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Count Atasimer Bajil, appeared in the reception room of the Army Headquarters.
Minister Atasimer saluted the young imperial prince with much due respect and then greeted Marshal Robin who sat next to him. His unhurried attitude appeared as though nothing had happened, but everyone else knew that the truth was another way around.
Count Bajil delivered the solemn statement of the Westland Kingdom Alliance to the Chief of Staff of Imperial Guards. The southern bearded man grudgingly looked at the newspaper on the table before explaining the current situation to His Highness the Prince.
"In the present moment... we can completely ignore the current tensions because the Westland Kingdom Alliance has a different view than us regarding this matter!"
The Minister of Foreign Affairs pointed to the official diplomatic note, "The Faran strongly demand an explanation from our military representatives, the Deiss want us to exercise restraint when dealing with this issue, the West Percian show interests and urge our authorities to refute the rumor as quickly as possible, whereas the Hoillander and the Engelish… "
Count Bajil played with his beard and did not continue the conversation after a long silence.
"The Hoillander and Engelish will never sit back idly and remain indifferent as a sovereign monarch launches its aggression. Once the country really launches a military incursion against the Slovenian Empire, the fleet of Hoillander and Engelish will leave the harbor where they are stationed!"
Oscar and Marshal Robin exchanged glances but the Chief of Staff did not say anything. Hence the young prince coughed awkwardly.
"Then... minister, my lord, is there any other official notes, besides the five countries you've just mentioned?"
Count Bajil turned to the Head of the Intelligence Analysis Division, Baron Messier De Quixote, who had asked the question.
"No, so far there are only so many formal notes. However, the unofficial notes from the Kingdom of Italia and the Federation of Ollier are rather interesting!"
"How so?" Oscar showed some interest.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs immediately unrolled another file, "The Italian hope that our invasion of the Slovenian Empire should remain a simple interference. On the other hand, the Ollier people… I believe all of you, who are military strategists, should be able to tell that the Ollier people have provided us several offensive plans as references based on our country geographical position."
"Ola..." Oscar laughed. He knew that Her Majesty the Queen in the distant Moseco was already getting impatient.
"Okay, gentlemen..." Minister Atasimer clapped his hands together, "Under normal circumstances, the Empire Ministry of Foreign Affairs has to be clear and accountable about the incident that caused the dispute. So… who can confirm it for me?"
The Chief of Staff of Imperial Guards threw away the documents from his hands, and he pointed to the young prince next to him. Oscar had long noticed his tutor's annoyance, and he nodded honestly toward the minister.
Count Bajil leaned into the sofa, "My God of Light... It's true!"
"Yes!" Oscar replied affirmatively.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs stood up and the attendant immediately came forward with his long coat.
"Are you leaving now?" His Imperial Highness was completely stunned.
Count Bajil spread his hand helplessly, "Your Highness, I have to go right now. At least the Westland Kingdom Alliance is not yet clear about the reliability of the report, which means that I still have an advantage in the situation! However, I have to remind you that from a diplomatic point of view, if the war against Slovenia really breaks out, then there's nothing more I can do!"
Oscar bowed to the old Count, "I'm genuinely sorry. It's because of my lack of restraint that causes this kind of trouble!"
The Minister of Foreign Affairs waved his hand and replied, "Your Highness, one way or another, the Westland Kingdom Alliance will pick fault with us. I have long seen through them!"
Oscar returned to the reception room after sending Count Bajil off. Sure enough, Marshal Robin was waiting for him with disapproval shown all over his face.
"Why do you look so bad? It's not the end of the world," Oscar was slightly agitated.
The chief of staff stared at the young prince, "I'm angry at your recklessness! The Lighthouse Strategy loses its offensive power once it is leaked, which will also have an impact on the implementation of the entire backup plan. The Westland Kingdom Alliance is great at picking up hints, they will keep a watchful eye over your Narcissus Knights and the Southern Army Group, and if you really launch the attack, the strength of the naval fleet of Engelish and Hoillander will not be something we can deal with!"
Oscar nodded in agreement, but after a long while he shook his head again. "Does that mean a couple of protest letters from the Westland monarchs is enough to stop us from moving?"
Marshal Robin shook his finger, "I have to remind you, little man! The Lighthouse Strategy itself is a great plan, Marshal Alan wouldn't have given his tacit consent if he had thought otherwise! However, if you insist on doing things your own way, then remember the Eastern saying that goes - pull one hair and the whole body is affected. Look at the big picture! Little man! You shouldn't keep your eyes on that little peninsula but aim for the entire Westland and- "
"I understand!" Oscar interrupted Marshal Robin. "I know exactly what the consequences are, and I also know that to offend after the leak will cost us a high price. So... I'll think about it for a while in the South. Please wait for my reply."
Robin did not say anything, but repeatedly stressed the unfavorable situation of the empire for several times, even though... he knew Oscar would not listen to any of it.
Back at the Chief Office, Oscar summoned several of the most capable aides and staffs from the Military Intelligence Bureau. It seemed that they had come up with an initial solution to this unexpected emergency.
"Seal up Dulin Daily Express, investigate the relevant persons, set up a special force under the command of the Deputy Chief of Military Intelligence Bureau to conduct inquiries into the potential leaks within the bureau..."
"Only these?" Oscar turned the plan over several times. He didn't think he had any gains from this report.
"This is everything we can do!" The Deputy Chief of the Military Intelligence Bureau, Count Tivoli Hadley, spread his hands helplessly.
"But do you want to hear the preliminary findings?"
"Of course!" Oscar nodded.
On the night of year 801, 24th day of 1st month, the editorial department of Dulin Daily Express delivered a sample of the press release of the 25th to the acting minister of the Empire Press and Publication Agency. The Minister issued an approval to publish about half an hour later, but a copy kept by the Empire Press and Publications Agency indicated that the Daily Express did not reveal the confidential article of the State Military. This made things clear. The person in charge of Dulin Daily Express editorial department sneakily replaced the headline and layouts at midnight, resulting in the report saying "The Coalition Government of the Five Southern Provinces plans to launch an Illegal Military Offensive against the Old Friend Slovenian Empire" to be published under no prior, official inspection.
"We have arrested all editors of the Dulin Daily Express editorial department and all the print workers owned by the newspaper agency!" Lieutenant General Tivoli Hadley delivered a list to His Highness the Prince.
Oscar cast aside the list without even looking at it, knowing that none of the people on the list would have a good ending. Besides, he did not care about these people at all.
"Everybody, tell me your opinion..." the young prince looked around the aides in the room. "The matter is already obvious! First, the secrets were leaked from our internal bureau and then the brainless idiots from the newspapers agency released these secrets. So... what is hidden behind this series of plots?"
Messier nudged a young man next to himself, "Colonel Lukas, do you mind providing us with a summary of this incident. I think your report was brilliant!"
Oscar looked at the Division Head of Military Intelligence with inquisitive eyes. He had been wondering about the presence of this guy who appeared he had just graduated from college.
Viscount Lukas Diyabaker had indeed just completed his degree from Imperial Military Academy, and he was the only young officer of this graduating class that had not been assigned to the field service for several years.
Oscar returned a salute to the young officer who stood up to pay his respect, and then made a gesture for him to begin.
Colonel Lukas gathered the blonde hair hidden under the military cap. His grey eyes flashed and excitement could be heard from his voice. This was the first time he expressed his opinion at the highest-level conference in the bureau, but although he was extremely nervous he had great confidence in his own perspectives.
"Your Highness, as well as all the senior officials who are present here, there is a big loophole regarding this leak incident. The Westland Kingdom Alliance has responded to this incident faster than any previous diplomatic disputes!"
Viscount Diyabaker took out a detailed timetable provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, "For example, in the case of the most responsive parties, both the Kingdom of Hoilland and the Kingdom of Engels. The Dulin Daily Express is listed at 6:30 in the morning, and at 9:20 morning, the diplomatic notes of both countries have successively arrived at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I estimate that it's highly likely that they have known of this matter beforehand. Entrusting the newspapers to publish publicly is merely an excuse to force our military to make an explanation. Therefore, the first suspect is the Westland monarchy's intelligence personnel."
"Next, I would like to point out the name of the second and third suspects regarding this leak case! But before that, I request a gag order from Your Highness the Prince, because this estimation must not be reported out of these four walls."
Oscar looked around the room with interest, and he began to like the young man with an unusually clear mind. "Good, you got my approval! A restraint from the Chief of Military Intelligence Bureau. If anyone present here brings the report of Colonel Lukas Diyabaker out of the director's office... then it is equivalent to offending a crime of treason!"
The young intelligence officer expressed his gratitude to the Director by performing a solemn salute, and then he uttered the name of the second suspect in the case.
"Count Rudolf Hoss from the Secret Service Department!"
Immediately, Oscar exchanged glances with Messier and the deputy director.
"The Secret Service Department led by Count Rudolf Hoss suffered a major mishap early yesterday morning. As we have all seen, despite the fact that today's headline of major newspapers, that is on the 25th, has been imprinted with 'Red Building of Secret Service Department turned into ruins - hundreds of nude civil servants trapped in the prison', the people's attention was drawn to the war signals released by the Dulin Daily Express. This distraction averts people's attention no matter how shameful it was for the Secret Service Department."
After the colonel had finished speaking, he couldn't help but look at the face of His Highness the Prince. It seemed that His Highness accepted this inference.
"There may be a possibility that... this leak incident happened as an emergency measure taken by the Secret Service Department to divert people's attention. The betrayal of the military's operational plan could be a revenge for the loss of men, or simply for the ruins of the red building, or the hundreds of nude civil servants who had sacrificed! Although you may think that the second suspect I listed is somewhat a wild talk to frighten people, but based on Rudolf Hoss's personal reputation and his past deeds... it is highly likely that he was capable of doing this kind of counteracting effort! Moreover… even if last night's operation did not end until midnight, the Secret Service Department absolutely has the power to control the reprinting."
Oscar almost applauded for this college student because he had thought of all these possibilities that he himself had not considered before.
"The third suspect!" said Viscount Diyabaker as he sighed and wiped off the perspiration formed on his forehead, "The third suspect is... Marshal Vann Hewitt Alan!"
"What?" Several impatient intelligence officers could no longer sit still. If it weren't for the gag order, these guys would have already turned the young colonel into the military court.
"Let him finish his words!" announced O'Neil Andrew Morisette as he slammed down at the table with force.
"Thank you, Your Highness!"
The intelligence colonel bowed to show his courtesy. "I know that this frightens everyone, but if we analyze carefully… Your Highness! There is a problem that I would like to ask for your confirmation!"
"Ask away!" Oscar raised his eyebrows.
"Have you ever felt... or ever wondered... that Marshal Alan's acquiescence to the Lighthouse Strategy itself is rather unbelievable?"
Oscar nodded honestly. He did think about it, and he always tried to interpret Alan's true intentions. Slovenia's concept of the great empire of Titan was just a remote estuary, only Andrew's Narcissus Knights could truly benefit from this military operation. If Andrew could connect this piece of the territory on the Balgan Peninsula with the Narcissus County and the Great Plains of Anatolia, then Andrew's actual territorial area would technically be equal to the territory under the control of Empire. No matter what reasons there were, Alan would never sit idly and watch with his arms crossed as Andrew further expand their land.
"Because... Alan is Alan!" the college student announced with a confusing sentence, but his highest commander already had his head nodding constantly in approval. "Marshal Alan is unsure if he could have the power to deploy the troops in all four directions of the empire, so he has no choice but to give up the seemingly insignificant one. The Lighthouse Strategy is only limited to the empire, as this is just a subordinate war intended to obtain an estuary, or perhaps an armed intervention that might trigger an unprecedented massive riot!"
Viscount Diyabaker looked at the face of His Highness the Prince. He knew that the method he analyzed the Lighthouse Strategy was a little too much, but he was only telling the truth. Besides, it looked as though the prince's face was not too unpleasant.
"As a result, Marshal Alan had no alternative other than coming to the conclusion of deliberately divulging military secrets as he was well aware that he could not obstruct Prince O'Neil decision. This would incite a mutual boycott of the Westland Kingdom Alliance and eventually completely stifle the Lighthouse Strategy…"
Oscar suddenly raised his hand up to disrupt the young man. He turned to Mes and demanded, "What is Alan doing at the moment?"
Messier spread out his hand, "He is at the sanatorium for the several combat unit meetings. Marshal Alan had left Dulin yesterday evening, and the Combat Department has not made any clear statements about the leak even until now."
Oscar nodded and shifted his attention back to Viscount Diyabaker, who was still maintaining his military position. "Well, my genius college student, you mean that... the Western secret agents are the most suspicious, and Secret Service Department next - "
"No, Your Highness!" the young intelligence officer shook his head rather embarrassedly. "My estimation is the opposite of what you think!"
Was Alan the most suspicious? Oscar was taken aback slightly, but he could not help to carefully weigh the possibility in his heart.
At this point, the meeting could not go on anymore! A number of intelligence officers returned to their respective positions feeling uneasy, while O'Neil Andrew Morisette personally asked for the Division Head of Military Intelligence to stay behind. He decided to bring this young college student to the South in the near future, but he also told Mes that, "If the young man has a problem with taking sides, make sure that no one will ever see him again..."
The bright sun hovered high above the sky of the spring day. Fresh green had already emerged in every corner of the city of Dulin. However, the violent wind that breezed through the city made one ridiculous scene. At noon, the attendants at Hamilton Palace withdrew the potted plants and flowers on the Road of King.
Her Majesty the Empress happened to be having a regular cabinet meeting when Oscar came to visit. The court official sent a message to the husband of Her Majesty, saying that the empress intended to have him wait in the hall for a moment. The arrangement did not really bother Oscar, as he had already guessed Alanis would not invite him into the bedroom.
It took about 20 minutes before Alanis rushed over. From the distance, he could hear her shouting loudly at her minister. Oscar got up from his seat and put on a look of reverence. His wife, who appeared at the entrance to the hall, immediately closed her mouth as she met his eyes.
"Come on... Take a seat!"
"It's alright… Thank you!"
Baron Bernadot Ogeiro, the imperial chief historian, who had been listening to Her Majesty's grumble, carefully inspected the atmosphere of the scene. Just when he felt that he should take to his heels Her Majesty the Majesty called out to him. Puzzled, Baron Ogeiro revealed his quill and ordered his assistant to open his thick history record.
Oscar glanced at the historian and forced out a bitter smile. A historian between the husband and wife… it would be better to just shout "shut up" at her husband. Oscar had imagined before many things that could happen when they met. However, since Baron Ogeiro had opened up his record, perhaps he should just forget about it...
Her Majesty looked rather thin and pallid. She no longer had any extravagant expectations for the man! She intended to murder his lover and attempted to rob him of his son. These things were all done by her! Would he turn over and bite me? Alanis could not help but fill her mind with this kind of predictions. Soon, she thought of the past that happened years ago, when she allowed a group of children to violate Sasha. She never forgot what little Oscar did at the time! Then today... something similar happened again. Would he still be as crazy as last time?
"The two person did not say anything at the beginning of the meeting..." Baron Ogeiro laid down his quill, embarrassed. A historian's thinking told him that there were major events happening here, but Her Majesty the Empress and His Highness the Prince taking a silent approach provided no justification in explaining this incident.
"Finally, after a long while, Prince O'Neil Andrew Morisette opened his mouth to speak but was stopped by Her Majesty the Empress..." The imperial chief historian paused once again, the event he had hoped for eventually happened!
Alanis told Oscar, "Please don't tell me..."
Oscar said to Alanis, "Don't say to me that..."
"Then, the two said in unison, 'That's it then...'" Baron Ogeiro put down the quill. He could not figure out what Her Majesty didn't want her husband to say, neither could he understand what His Highness did not wish to hear from his wife... However, the tone of the two people did show that there was already nothing to say between the both of them!
Later... no one knew when, but Baron Ogeiro added a small comment to the dialogue on the record. He wrote that 'This was the most important historical event that took place during the reign of the last empress of the Morisette dynasty! If he had said to her... Or if she had told him... then things may still have a turn for the better, but the problem is that they chose to remain silent..."
Sometimes, silence was not something golden, but instead a knife that kills. Perhaps, this was what it meant by him addressing this as 'the most important historical event that took place during the reign of the last empress of the Morisette dynasty...' This bizarre scene has spawned a famous allusion, namely the "Silence of History."