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Ulox.

He was a high-ranking official in the City of Archer, holding a position of significant influence, just like Roscantor.

Yet, his name came from Hudin’s mouth.

Roscantor and Hila were speechless, overwhelmed by shock.

“Really? Are you sure?”

“Yes. Ulox has been spying for our Rogue City for the past six years.”

“What?!”

Roscantor shouted in disbelief.

Jeong-Hoon raised his hand to silence him and continued.

“Explain it in detail.”

Ulox was a respected archer in the City of Archer.

Six years ago, he had left for another city to attend a conference.

And there, he came into contact with Markus, an official from the Rogue City.

‘You should take the next leader’s position, shouldn’t you?’

‘What… How could I become the leader?’

‘Wouldn’t things be different if the Rogue City helped you?’

‘…Help me?’

‘Yes. I will soon become the leader. You understand what I mean, right?’

‘…’

From then on, Ulox began contacting the people of the Rogue City at regular intervals, faithfully fulfilling his role as a spy.

He helped Hudin settle in the City of Archer, and when Hudin couldn’t administer the Sleeping Rose, Ulox did it himself.

“That’s impossible…”

Roscantor couldn’t believe his ears.

Ulox, who had sworn loyalty to Altair.

To think he was trying to assassinate the leader…

‘And it was him who instigated the attack on the City of Warriors…’

Altair had given the order to prepare for war when he was deeply entangled in the curse.

Taking advantage of his impaired judgment, Ulox repeatedly argued that they should reclaim the territory taken by the City of Warriors through war.

It now made sense why the Rogue City had proposed an alliance at such a perfect timing.

“Continue.”

Hudin went on to list the things he had received help with from Ulox.

As the story progressed, Roscantor and Hila’s faces grew grim.

“Hah, to think I considered that traitor a comrade… I have no face to see the leader…”

“That traitor… I won’t let him get away with this.”

Hudin’s story came to an end.

To summarize, Ulox was Hudin’s accomplice, and it was thanks to him that Hudin was able to push Altair to the brink.

“Now, shall we go apprehend the culprit?”

Ulox was probably at the Sanctuary right now.

“…I’ll go capture that traitor Ulox.”

Roscantor hurriedly left the kitchen.

“I’ll go with you. It’s legal to kill him, right?”

Hila was holding a kitchen knife in her hand.

“You’re not planning to kill him with a cooking knife, are you?”

“Why not? He messed with the food, so let him become an ingredient.”

She was ready to stab Hudin in the stomach right there and then.

But Jeong-Hoon raised his hand to stop her.

“Wait a moment.”

“Why again? We caught the culprit, so let’s send his head to those Rogue City bastards.”

“That’s not a bad idea. But we need the leader’s judgment first.”

“…Tsk, you’re right.”

At the mention of the leader, Hila backed down.

As Altair had said, her loyalty was unwavering.

***

At the Archer’s Sanctuary

Ulox sat with a bored expression.

‘This is tiresome. When will that Altair bastard finally die?’

It had already been six years since he started spying, believing the promise of becoming the leader.

During that time, he had been secretly passing information about the City of Archer to the Rogue City.

There were a few close calls, but he had managed to overcome the crises with his flexibility.

‘Just wait a little longer, and we’ll make our move.’

‘Make our move? Does that mean the plan is finally starting?’

‘Yes.’

‘…I really can become the leader, right?’

‘Of course. I have no interest in the City of Archer.’

Markus had no interest in the City of Archer.

His goal, since he became the leader at a young age, was Altair’s granddaughter, Irina von Askenstone, whom he had seen at the conference.

But Altair wasn’t going down easily.

Even after administering the Sleeping Rose for over two years, he was still alive.

Still, after seeing him fall into a three-month slumber, Altair must be reaching his limit.

“Ulox!”

Just then, Roscantor rushed into the Sanctuary.

“What is it? Why are you in such a hurry?”

“I need you to come with me somewhere!”

“Where?”

“…Could you lend me your ear for a moment?”

Ulox readily offered his ear.

Roscantor whispered something, and Ulox’s eyes trembled wildly upon hearing it.

His heart pounded with extreme tension.

How did that dying old man manage to wake up?

“Is that true…?”

“Yes. The leader woke up a while ago. I’m telling you this quietly because I wanted to bring you alone first.”

“Let’s go immediately. Is he in his bedroom?”

“Yes. But he’s not in good condition, so I’d like us to go quietly.”

Ulox nodded.

“Let’s do that.”

“Thank you.”

Roscantor left the Sanctuary with Ulox.

“By the way, did you hear about it?”

Once they were alone, Roscantor suddenly stopped and looked at Ulox intently.

“Hear about what?”

Ulox tilted his head in confusion.

“The leader’s prolonged sleep was due to a cursed herb called the Sleeping Rose.”

“…Is that so? I’ve never heard of it.”

“I always admired your loyalty. You were the one who worried the most when the leader was unconscious.”

“Thank you for recognizing that.”

“You were so worried that you couldn’t even focus on your work and handed over the acting commander position to me.”

Acting commander.

Despite his ambition for the leadership, he had handed it over to Roscantor.

The reason was to shift all responsibility for the war onto Roscantor.

Strictly speaking, Roscantor was the second most influential person in the city after the leader.

So, if he could remove Roscantor and then personally make a pact with the Rogue City, he could ascend to the leadership, and the plan would be a complete success.

But Altair had woken up…

Ulox maintained his poker face and nodded.

“That’s right.”

“And you even said you would personally manage the potions because the commander’s duties were too demanding, didn’t you?”

“…Yes. But in the end, you ended up managing them.”

Ulox had planned to tamper with the potions that were keeping Altair alive.

However, the acting commander, Roscantor, drew a line, insisting on managing them himself, and the plan fell apart.

“But I never imagined that your loyalty was a lie.”

Tears welled up in Roscantor’s eyes.

His voice trembled slightly, and he looked at Ulox with resentment.

“What…?”

“Why did you do it? Did you covet the leader’s position that much?”

“I don’t understand what you’re talking about. Speak clearly.”

“I’m asking why you betrayed us!”

Roscantor stepped forward and swung his arm.

“What?!”

Ulox desperately leaned back to avoid the blow.

Then, he felt a burning pain in his chest.

Roscantor was holding a dagger in his hand.

“Will you die here, or will you be quietly restrained and follow me?”

Roscantor’s aura turned menacing.

“Betrayal?! Stop spouting nonsense!”

Ulox shouted, his face filled with bewilderment.

“Don’t hide it anymore. I know you plotted to assassinate the leader.”

Thump.

Ulox felt his heart sink.

“…Was it a lie that the leader woke up?”

“No, it’s true.”

“How in the world… Keuk!”

Ulox couldn’t continue.

His vision blurred.

He felt dizzy and found it difficult to even stand.

“I poisoned the dagger. Don’t worry, it won’t kill you. You can’t die yet.”

“Da-damn it…”

“Look forward to it. When you wake up, everything will have changed.”

With those words, Ulox’s consciousness faded into darkness.

***

“…Is everything I’ve just heard true?”

Altair pressed his throbbing temples with his fingers.

Hudin and Ulox were tied up in front of him.

“No! Absolutely not! How could I do such a thing?!”

Ulox denied it vehemently.

“Then how do you explain the testimony of the person next to you?”

Hudin, still under the influence of brainwashing, repeated the same story in front of Altair.

As the Shadow of the leader, he had seen and heard a lot.

Ulox’s face turned pale at his vivid testimony.

“Th-that…”

“Let me reiterate. Ulox wanted to assassinate you out of greed for the leader’s position. He also shared internal information with the Rogue City.”

At Hudin’s confirmation, Ulox glared at him with bloodshot eyes and shouted.

“You bastard! How dare you spout such nonsense!”

“I have a recorder made in the Mage City in my pocket. Please take it out.”

Jeong-Hoon retrieved a recorder from Hudin’s pocket.

It contained recordings of every conversation he had with Ulox.

When the recorder was played, Ulox’s voice could be heard.

‘Hey, this isn’t what you promised. Why isn’t he dying?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘Hah… This is driving me crazy.’

‘Is there any way we can give him more Sleeping Rose?’

‘That’s impossible. Even if I try to tamper with the potions, that Roscantor bastard is watching them too closely.’

Jeong-Hoon turned off the recorder.

“Is this enough evidence?”

“You traitor! I’ll kill you!”

Ulox struggled, trying to lunge at Hudin.

But the ropes binding him were too tight for him to move.

“Traitor? Strictly speaking, you’re the traitor.”

Hudin retorted sharply.

“No! I’m not a traitor! Leader! It’s all a misunderstanding! Please give me a chance to explain!”

Ulox vehemently denied the accusations once again.

“No, there’s no misunderstanding. You will be expelled from the City of Archer effective immediately.”

“Le-leader…”

Expelled.

Ulox’s face turned deathly pale.

“Of course, being expelled doesn’t mean you’ll get to live.”

“What charges should we use?”

“Charges? Conspiracy to assassinate me, attempted murder for putting it into action, treason for betraying the City of Archer, espionage and leaking classified information… Combine all of them and execute him.”

At the mention of execution, Ulox trembled with fear.

“P-please spare me… I must have lost my mind!”

“Don’t bullshit! You have no right to beg for your life!”

Hila approached Ulox, grabbed him by the collar, and punched him in the face.

“Hila! Calm down!”

Roscantor hurriedly stopped her.

“It’s alright. He’s a dead man anyway.”

But Altair, with a cold tone, stopped Roscantor.

He was more furious than ever before.

He had been betrayed by a trusted subordinate.

If it weren’t for Jeong-Hoon, he might have died, the City of Archer would have declined due to the war, and his only granddaughter would have been handed over to the Rogue City.

“Please give me one more chance! If you give me a chance, I’ll make it up to you! Please…”

Ulox continued to beg for forgiveness even as he was being beaten.

“Roscantor.”

“Yes.”

“Take this traitor out immediately. Put him on the execution platform and wait.”

“As you command.”

Roscantor dragged Ulox out.

Hila was still fuming.

“Hila.”

“Yes, Leader.”

At Altair’s call, Hila regained her composure and knelt on one knee.

“Gather everyone in the Archer’s Sanctuary in front of the execution platform.”

“As you command.”

Hila also left.

Only Jeong-Hoon, Hudin, and Altair remained.

“Ah, as for that one, I’ll lock him up in the underground prison and let him rot for the rest of his life. Isn’t that a good judgment?”

Altair glanced at Hudin and asked Jeong-Hoon.

The underground prison.

He had heard it was a horrible place, where death would be preferable.

“Not beheading him and sending him to the Rogue City?”

“That would be a waste. You did something to him, didn’t you? He’ll answer all my questions obediently. Am I wrong?”

“You’re right. He’s currently under a brainwashing spell that forces him to tell the truth. It will last until I release it.”

“Then wouldn’t it be better to extract information from him here?”

“Information?”

“Yes. They struck first, so we need to prepare the same weapons to counter them.”

Since internal information had been leaked, the City of Archer also needed internal information to keep the enemy in check.

“Yes, that’s a good idea.”

“I want to tear Markus apart right now, but… If I do that, I might lose my precious people…”

Jeong-Hoon smiled silently.

“Anyway, thank you so much… If it weren’t for you, an unimaginable future would have unfolded.”

A red exclamation mark flickered above Altair’s head.

It was proof that he had completed the hidden quest given by Roscantor.

[Hidden Quest Complete.]

Hidden quest complete.

Altair went to a drawer in the corner and carefully opened it.

Inside, there was an old key.

He took it out and handed it to Jeong-Hoon.

“This key is…?”

“It’s a key that the first leader cherished. You deserve to have it. Please accept it.”

“Yes. I gratefully accept it.”

Jeong-Hoon received the key.

[You have acquired an Old, Worn Key.]

———-