Chapter 167: Ginovan

Jun had several reasons to be suspicious of Ginovan’s behavior.

First, despite Jun and his party arriving here, Ginovan didn’t show any particular reaction.

He didn’t summon Jun separately, nor did he go out of his way to treat the visiting imperial members with exceptional hospitality.

It felt like he was trying to hide his existence.

That’s why Jun found it odd.

If he had any intention of turning against the Imperial Family, he would’ve acted as naturally as possible.

The second reason was the middle-aged man named Botan.

At a glance, he seemed to be an acquaintance of Ginovan, but the bracelet wrapped around his wrist was unmistakable…

Poison Master. That bastard used to make his subordinates wear bracelets like that.

Poison Master.

He was the suspect Jun had thought of back when Dexter revealed that Javier’s food had been poisoned.

In the game as well, Poison Master was a top-tier poison expert within the Heavenly Church, and due to his uniquely vicious abilities, Jun had often run into serious trouble.

If it was him, it makes sense that we haven’t been able to track down the source of the poison until now.

And now, one of his subordinates had approached Ginovan.

Jun didn’t claim to know everything about Ginovan, but at the very least, he was fairly sure Ginovan wasn’t the type to remain friends with someone who used poison.

So Jun decided to test him.

He disguised himself as a servant without using illusion magic and went to Ginovan’s room in that state.

Of course, it was a very risky move.

This wasn’t an operation Jun was conducting alone; it involved the Imperial Family too.

Even so, Jun trusted his instincts.

If the me from a year ago saw this, he’d probably grab me by the collar and ask if I’d lost my mind.

Just last year, Jun had nagged Aiden endlessly not to trust anyone… and yet here he was, trusting a man named Ginovan and acting on that belief.

Anyway—

When he arrived at Ginovan’s office and saw that Ginovan didn’t say anything even after recognizing his face, Jun let out a sigh of relief on the inside.

If anything, Ginovan had allowed him to act brazenly without interference.

You really know how to make a man’s stomach twist.

Jun felt a little embarrassed at how worried he’d been that Ginovan might have defected.

So now all that’s left is to wait…

After waiting outside for a while, Jun caught a glimpse of Botan and Ginovan as they finished their conversation and came out. Then, he re-entered Ginovan’s office.

What Jun was looking for was none other than an empty vase.

More precisely, the recording device hidden inside it.

“Mhmm. Good. It worked well.”

Just as Jun was about to leave—

His [Excellent Memory] suddenly activated on its own.

The desk looked different from before.

Only one thing had changed.

A worn-out book placed next to the vase.

***

Ginovan.

In his life, despair had always been closer than expected.

His family had been slowly falling into ruin since he was a child.

His father and mother’s faces were always filled with worry and anxiety.

With both the head of the house and his wife wearing such expressions, even the servants grew uneasy and quickly began looking for work elsewhere.

“Someday, I want to bring smiles to this household.”

Driven by that desperate wish, Ginovan swung his sword and fortunately, he had both the talent and passion to back it up.

As his skills improved day by day, his parents gradually began to smile as they watched him.

By the time his swordsmanship was recognized and he entered the Imperial Academy—

Despair struck suddenly.

It was a bright, sunny day.

While he was training and sweating as usual, news came of his parents’ deaths.

Cause of death: mission failure.

It was a common enough story.

After all, for a knight, death was never too far away.

People around him clicked their tongues and offered their condolences, but after a day passed, it was as if nothing had happened; they forgot everything.

But for Ginovan, it was not something that could be forgotten just because a day had ended.

Late at night, while everyone else slept—

He stood alone on the training ground, gazing at his sword under the moonlight, and made a vow.

One day, with this sword—

With this swordsmanship, the only thing that had ever brought a smile to his parents’ faces—

I will bring honor to my family name.

That was his resolve.

***

Although the recording device inside the vase wasn’t able to capture video of Ginovan’s office, it recorded the audio clearly.

– For the princes to appear so suddenly… What on earth is going on?

Botan. A man who used to awkwardly laugh and tiptoe around the mansion was now speaking freely in Ginovan’s office.

– I don’t know either.

– You don’t know? Ginovan, are you sure you didn’t summon them?

– How could I, Uncle? I’ve already pledged myself to the Heavenly Church.

– Watch your words. A directive came down from the higher-ups. There’s already suspicion about the Imperial Family’s recent movements.

– Suspicion? The Imperial Family hasn’t only visited this place, have they?

– You, of all people, should know the Imperial Family isn’t so easily dismissed. After being cornered like this, how can you say that?

– Calm down, Uncle. It’s not like we’ve done anything here. Why are you being so sensitive?

– You may not get it, but I know exactly what’s at stake.

– You came here of your own accord. Even if you hadn’t, the Imperial Family would have still come. Why are you so angry?

A deep sigh followed Ginovan’s words.

– …Sorry, Ginovan. There’ve been some problems with the work I’ve been doing lately. I’m just being overly sensitive.”

– What kind of problems?

– Some of the people out gathering poison herbs got caught by the Black Guard. Because of that, I’ve been harshly reprimanded by the Poison Master.

– I see. But haven’t there been steady signs of poison herbs showing up around here lately? If we just wait a bit longer, I’m sure he’ll come to us.

– Ugh… Yeah, you’re right. And what about you? Have you properly absorbed the evil spirit orb?

– You have no idea how surprised I was. I never expected to receive a gift like that.

– Hah… You’d better be careful with it. Even I haven’t been granted one yet.”

There was a trace of jealousy in Botan’s voice, while Ginovan responded as if wondering why.

– That’s what I want to ask. I have no idea why they would hand such a powerful artifact to someone like me.

– Because they saw talent in you. Your swordsmanship really is impressive. If my brother were still alive, he probably would’ve cried with joy.

– …Anyway, things are going well on my end. You should lie low for a while too, Uncle.

– Alright, I will. And make sure you don’t slip up in front of those imperial members.

– No need to worry. I’m keeping my distance as much as I can.

The conversation ended there.

It seemed Botan had come just to check in.

With the Imperial Family making a direct visit here, it was probably a cause for concern.

“Botan… Botan, huh…”

“Is it a name you’ve heard before?”

“Unfortunately, no. Looks like I’ll have to send a letter to Natalie…”

Natalie who stayed behind in origin city, claiming she didn’t want to get in the way. Though in reality, she just found it all a hassle.

If anyone knew who this “Botan” was, it would be her.

“Ah, I remember now.”

“Hmm?”

It was Javier, who had been silently lost in thought, who finally spoke.

“I heard he’s the head of an herbalist guild contracted under my mother’s name.”

“Herbs, huh. Then he wouldn’t be unrelated to the ones the Black Guard were pursuing.”

“…Could it be that my mother is involved in all this?”

“I doubt it, dear. Lady Beneth is… well, she’s quite meticulous. She wouldn’t have gotten directly entangled with the Heavenly Church.”

It was more a hope than certainty, but in truth, Beneth would never have let her son be caught in a carriage accident.

And since the incident was known to be the Heavenly Church’s doing, it was safe to say the Church had now earned the enmity of an imperial concubine.

“By the way, Mage…how did you come by this?”

“Commander Ginovan’s movements seemed suspicious, so I acted on my own. I apologize for taking independent action without permission.”

“Most people wouldn’t know it, but I’m actually a results-oriented man. I don’t intend to scold you for that. But you said Commander Ginovan’s actions were suspicious?”

“Yes.”

With that, Jun gave a fairly detailed account of his impressions of Ginovan.

From the first moment he approached him, to the subjugation of the Goblin Lord and the ensuing battle campaign, and even when he later helped during the crisis faced by the Gillen Merchant Guild.

“Though he had the ambition to restore his fallen family, he wasn’t someone consumed by it.”

“Still, if he’s been exiled to this place, wouldn’t it be enough to plant dangerous thoughts?”

“Wouldn’t you say his life has already been full of hardship?”

“It could’ve built up and finally exploded.”

“Exactly. Which is why I decided to test him.”

“So that’s why you apologized to me earlier.”

If Ginovan had shown any strange reaction toward Jun at that moment, it would’ve ruined everything.

The Heavenly Church members they barely caught would have slipped away completely.

Of course, they might have been able to capture Ginovan and Botan right there on the spot, but compared to the huge net they’d prepared, those two were far too small a catch.

Meanwhile, Dexter gave a slow nod as he listened to Jun’s explanation.

So, this man truly has no ambitions for the throne.

Normally, even someone as good-natured as Dexter would have been furious…

But this man cared deeply for his own people.

That someone like him was the leader of his half-brother…it was something he found quite reassuring.

“Well, that’s enough. Let’s not speak about this matter.”

“I am deeply grateful.”

“Anyway. Botan, huh. How should we go about coaxing him?”

Should they attach a tail to him even now and watch how he moves?

That feels like such a waste.

If they did that, there wouldn’t be much left for them to do.

They’d come all the way down to Blackout. Surely they had to land something big.

These were the kinds of people who would harm his brother and spread war across the Empire.

People like that…they deserved to be caught with his own two hands and have their necks twisted like a chicken’s.

“So, mage. There’s one more thing I must ask you. How can we drag those bastards up and tie them down?”

“I can’t say about anything else… but there’s one thing. One thing I’m confident about.”

“What is it?”

“A way to catch the person who poisoned the Third Prince’s food.”

***

Dexter had been thinking about Ginovan and Botan, but he hadn’t yet considered the person they’d referred to as the “Poison Master”.

And when Jun mentioned that the one who poisoned Javier’s food was this “Poison Master”, Dexter asked and his expression grew more solemn.

“You know anything about this Poison Master?”

From here on, Jun would have to be careful with his words.

The man before him was an imperial member. It was no less than the First Prince himself, the one deemed closest to the throne.

If Jun dared to speak a careless lie in front of someone like him, it could put him in serious danger.

But he couldn’t just throw out bait without a hook either.

This wasn’t just anyone. It was the Poison Master.

In the game, that bastard was a master at running away and getting under people’s skin.

If there was even the slightest chance to catch and kill him this time, the risk was well worth it.