The moonlight poured down, unimpeded.
Splash—
The central fountain in the courtyard gave off a soft, crystalline sound as water surged up and fell in a silver arc, bathed in pale moonlight.
A deep stillness settled over the garden.
Leinas stood beside Minori, her posture relaxed, the sharpness in her eyes softened under the starlit sky.
Not far away, Imina leaned against a marble statue, her expression slightly awkward. She was beginning to feel like an outsider.
The memory of Leinas kneeling to swear loyalty still lingered fresh in her mind.
Until now, Imina had felt no discomfort staying here. But now, things had subtly changed.
She glanced at Minori, who seemed lost in thought, then cast her amber gaze toward Leinas, whose entire face was now clearly visible.
Was that the reason?
The thought passed silently through Imina's mind. Leinas' story wasn't a secret in the Empire. Everyone knew the fallen noble of House Vellura.
As if sensing the scrutiny, Leinas turned and gave Imina a polite nod.
A silent exchange passed between the two women.
But Minori didn't concern himself with that. Leinas' sudden declaration of loyalty had surprised him—but it also revived an idea he had suppressed for some time.
To build a faction.
Minori had considered the notion before.
But the limitations had always been clear—he lacked manpower.
Even with people, how much could he accomplish in four years? Even if he assumed a buffer of one year after Nazarick's arrival, it wasn't enough.
His future opponents weren't mere local powers.
Even criminal syndicates as vast as the "Eight Fingers," which spanned an entire kingdom, had been wiped out the moment they crossed Nazarick's path.
A back-alley operation?
That's not even close.
He needed to think bigger.
Minori knew what kind of aid might be available in the future.
When Ainz Ooal Gown had still been uncertain—paranoid, swinging between arrogance and insecure justifications of "benevolence" and "power"—those human weaknesses could be exploited.
Only national-level power stood a chance of contending with Nazarick.
The courtyard lapsed into silence.
Then—
"What was the outcome of this year's war between the Re-Estize Kingdom and the Baharuth Empire?" Minori asked suddenly.
Leinas parted her lips, but then paused. She hadn't been paying attention to the battlefield lately.
"The Kingdom is suffering heavy losses," Imina said coolly from the side. "It's not even harvest season yet, and no one knows why the Empire launched a premature war."
"But the border garrisons of Re-Estize took a serious blow."
Leinas turned toward Imina with a flicker of surprise in her deep blue eyes.
She hadn't expected a half-elf—let alone a lone worker—to have that kind of information.
"There's no Adventurer's Guild support for us," Imina added with a dry tone. "Workers gather intelligence themselves. Any scrap of information has value."
Minori nodded thoughtfully.
He recalled two things of note from this period between the Kingdom and the Empire:
One—Gazef Stronoff had made his debut this year during the Empire's martial trials.
Two—two years later, Gazef would defeat two of the Empire's Four Imperial Knights in battle. It was that very war that elevated Leinas to a position among the new Four.
On the surface, the two events seemed unrelated. But a thread connected them.
This year, the Kingdom took heavy losses. The Empire basked in victory.
Two years later, the Empire would commit elite assets to the border. That meant something must've gone wrong the following year.
A major reversal must've occurred.
"Leinas, you won't be able to hide the fact that you exterminated two noble houses."
Minori looked at her, exasperated.
Originally, Leinas had relied on the Blood Emperor's authority to handle her family and her former fiancé's clan.
But now she had acted independently.
That was a very different matter.
It wouldn't take long for suspicion to fall on her. And the Blood Emperor wouldn't tolerate a threat to his control—she'd become a target.
"I'm sorry to trouble you, my lord," Leinas murmured, her pale face tense. Her lips pressed into a line.
Suddenly—
She turned sharply to look at Imina, who stood frozen.
"Hey, you."
Imina blinked. Then, with a strained smile, she raised her hands and stepped back.
"You still recruiting for your adventurer team?"
She had realized—too late—that what she overheard wasn't something an outsider should've.
Familiar words.
Leinas looked at her with an unreadable expression.
"Sorry, we're not hiring," Minori replied, same as before. "However, there is a foreign job offer. You in?"
"Absolutely," Imina said without hesitation.
"Sir?" Leinas asked with confusion.
"It's fine," Minori said calmly.
"Your identity was never going to stay secret for long, and I don't plan to remain in the Empire."
Truthfully, Minori had some interest in Imina—not because of her looks, but her identity.
A half-elf. That meant higher potential than ordinary humans. But it also meant rejection—from humans and elves alike.
"You two should leave the Baharuth Empire and head to the capital of Re-Estize," he instructed.
"Leinas, don't conceal your identity on the road. When you arrive, make a name for yourself. Find a man named Gazef Stronoff. He's well-known, so it won't be hard."
"Challenge him to a fight. You don't need to win. A draw, or even a respectable loss, is enough."
Leinas looked puzzled, but nodded. "As you command, my lord."
"Ms. Imina," Minori began.
"Just Imina," she cut in, rolling her eyes.
"You should not act high-profile. Don't let anyone know you're associated with Leinas. When you reach the capital, investigate an organization called 'Eight Fingers.'"
"You don't need real results. Just draw attention. Someone will come find you. Just make sure you stay alive."
With a flick of his sleeve, he tossed her a mithril dagger.
The same one he had taken from Eight Fingers.
"My lord, what about you?" Leinas asked with concern.
"I still have a few things to take care of here in the Imperial Capital. I'll join you later in the royal capital."
Minori's eyes turned upward, watching the star-strewn sky.
If you're going to scheme—start early.
He didn't know if Blue Rose was in the capital right now. But even if they weren't, there were other threads there worth pulling.
There had been no rush before.
But now—it was time to move.