Sword of Salvation-Chapter 87: - Moskvallha Empire (2)

"How many One Eye branches have you destroyed?"

That single question successfully pulled Oz out of his thoughts. The man’s eyes instinctively turned to Mariel. For the first second, he looked at him with confusion, but in the next, Oz recognized Mariel as the masked man who had defeated him some time ago.

"So, what you said back then was true, huh? You can find me no matter where I hide."

Hearing that question reminded Mariel of the threat he had once made to Oz.

Of course, that threat had been nothing more than empty words.

He didn’t possess a high-level sensory ability that could cover an entire continent, nor was it possible for him to create a portal to wherever Oz was. The first reason was that he didn’t know Oz’s exact location. The second was that Mariel could only link his portals to places he had previously visited.

However, he wasn’t going to admit that. Nor was he going to confirm or deny Oz’s statement.

"So, how many One Eye branches have you destroyed?" Mariel asked again.

"Three," Oz replied. "Out of those three, one had already transformed into another organization after hearing about the disappearance of One Eye’s central base. It’s likely that other branches will follow suit. One Eye branch in this city has even changed its name and shifted its focus to prostitution business. They kidnap women from poor families, rape them, and then force them into sex work for little money."

"You didn’t destroy them?"

"They’re backed by a powerful noble and one of the princes," Oz revealed. "Their headquarters is protected by more than a hundred imperial soldiers. Bulldoga is also there. He’s a strong criminal, but now he works for Prince Vincent, the emperor’s third son. With the soldiers and Bulldoga present, I can’t attack recklessly. One wrong move, and I’ll end up as a wanted man."

"Tell me about the current state of the empire."

Oz nodded. He began explaining what he knew about Moskvallha. They didn’t need to worry about being overheard. Their position was slightly off to the side, and both of them spoke quietly. Mariel listened attentively to Oz’s story.

The empire’s situation was more intriguing than Mariel had expected. Moskvallha banned slavery but fully legalized prostitution. In fact, there were rumors that Emperor Zalestino had been born from a prostitute’s womb. The same was said about the emperor’s second son. Even the prime minister’s mother was rumored to be a former high-class courtesan.

Of course, that wasn’t what made the empire’s situation truly fascinating. What interested Mariel was how the struggle for the throne was far more brutal than the stories made it seem. Each heir was secretly trying to eliminate the others while maintaining a facade of harmony in public.

A few days ago, thirteen palace servants had been executed after being caught conspiring to poison the prime minister. Some of them claimed they had acted under the orders of the first princess, while others claimed they were following the second princess’s commands. However, both princesses denied the accusations and instead blamed Prince Vincent as the mastermind. Vincent vehemently denied the claim.

The former crown prince, with his naïve thinking and pacifist nature, theorized that a noble was behind the scheme, attempting to sow discord within the imperial family.

The case was officially closed by publishing the former crown prince’s theory. However, Oz was certain that everyone in the government knew it wasn’t the truth. Ever since the emperor had stripped his firstborn son of the crown prince title, the royal family had been at odds, each member vying for the throne.

This situation was far more fascinating—and far more ruthless—than Lasyana’s past struggle for power.

Mariel was thrilled. His blood felt as if it were boiling with excitement, his adrenaline surging. The turmoil within the imperial palace was the perfect opportunity for him to exploit.

"Do you know the identity of the noble backing Prince Vincent and that organization?" Mariel asked.

"Marquis Sergey Quinos. Forty-three years old. He has one wife, two daughters, and one son—at least, those are his acknowledged children. But I’m sure he has many more illegitimate ones. Marquis Sergey is known as a lover of women. There are even rumors that he has slept with every prostitute in the empire."

Mariel had no words to respond to that explanation.

However, it was not too surprising. There were so many types of people in this world. He would not even be surprised if someone was crazy enough to marry a brick.

"Do you know where he lives?" Mariel asked.

"He has a house in Vallhamoza, but he actually resides in his domain in Garniza. I don’t know how many times a year he comes here. What’s certain is that he always comes whenever the palace holds a special meeting."

It was somewhat unfortunate that the man did not live in this city. However, Mariel was not too disappointed. In fact, this was better. Without Sergey’s direct support, manipulating Prince Vincent would be easier. Mariel would use the man to put his hands on Athenia Moskvallha.

"Let’s go, Oz," Mariel said and suddenly stood up; Oz looked at him with confusion. "We’ll continue talking outside."

Mariel did not wait for Oz. He immediately turned around and walked out. Oz followed a moment later. They walked side by side along the brick-paved streets of the city.

"Where is their main headquarters?" Mariel asked. "Lead the way there." 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Mariel did not need to elaborate; Oz understood his meaning without further clarification.

"You’re going to do this alone?" Oz asked, then added that they should turn left.

Mariel followed Oz’s directions. "Have you heard about the war Moskvallha is planning to start?" he asked, ignoring the man’s rhetorical question.

"Of course. I even heard that the crown prince of the Kingdom of Denland and his younger sister will arrive here within a week. Some believe they will offer one of them for marriage to the emperor’s daughter or son to change his policy. But what does that have to do with what you’re going to do?"

Mariel did not answer the question right away. "Do you know anything about Great Human Council, Oz?" he asked but did not wait for an answer. "They plan to plunge the Western Continent into a great war. Their ultimate goal is to reduce the number of nations to just three."

"I’ve heard of them before, but at the time, I wasn’t sure the rumors were true."

"Great Human Council is real. They indirectly control the world. The industrial sector, especially technology and banking, is almost entirely under their control. Even Sterminatore might be their creation. They also have a special group of soldiers called World Order."

"What’s the correlation?"

"I don’t want Great Human Council to succeed in their plans. If war must happen, then it must happen with my permission. If there is to be a war, it must be a war that I approve of."

Oz’s eyes widened at Mariel. He did not look at him, but he could feel his gaze. He could even guess what was going through the man’s mind. Oz was probably wondering who he thought he was to say something like that.

Unfortunately, Mariel had no interest in entertaining such questions. Instead, he said something that left Oz stunned.

"Let’s conquer this world, Oz."

Oz was utterly shocked, but Mariel ignored his reaction.

"First, we will take control of the criminal underworld in this empire," Mariel continued. "You have experience in this field, so I want you to join me. Once we take over the kingdom’s underworld, we will dominate the criminal networks in other nations. More precisely, you will control them."

Mariel had not initially planned to use Oz. However, meeting him again had changed his mind.

"Not just the criminal world," the young man continued. "We will also indirectly control the nations. We need to do all of this to eliminate the influence of Great Human Council and protect the world from unnecessary disasters. We will steer this world toward stability."