“He knows a lot.”

Thank you kongjiro for the ko-fi donation!

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Tonight, the palace remained brilliantly illuminated. Eight colossal crystal chandeliers shone with dazzling splendor, rendering everyone exposed in immaculate detail, making the fake smiles at the corners of their eyes and mouths unmistakably clear.

It was another evening of passing cups, trading glances, and indulging in song and dance.

However, the arrival of the Swordfish Grand Duke shattered this bourgeoise, cheerful atmosphere.

Heinz bowed with deep humility. “Great King Kaide, the Swordfish Grand Duke wishes to have a private conversation with you.”

The importance of the Swordfish Grand Duke required no explanation. It could be said that while the waves of public opposition grew increasingly fierce, the fact that Kaide’s position remained perfectly secure was one-third due to the backing of this hereditary Old Duke of the Empire. As long as Kaide wished to continue acting as a tyrant who achieved nothing politically and remained immersed in eating, drinking, and pleasure, he could by no means afford to slight this man.

With some difficulty, Kaide stood up from his throne, his eight tentacles scattered around him like a withered chrysanthemum. He had consumed a significant amount of grain liquor imported from the Federation; the proof was high enough to make him forget that he was, legally, the Sovereign.

“What? Uncle Swordfish is here? Quickly invite him in, quickly invite him—”

His enthusiasm was practically sycophantic. Bending his knees, he ran down the steps, but accidentally stepped on his own tentacle, slipping and sliding forward.

The aristocrats wrapped in fine clothes and fragrances couldn’t help but fan their feather fans, concealing their faces as they strove desperately to suppress their laughter.

Only one person looked anxious, rushing forward to support Kaide: “Your Majesty, be careful. The floor is slippery here.”

Kaide’s tentacles were as red as if they had just been hauled out of a steamer. Forcing his dignity intact, he followed Heinz’s lead to find a reasonable excuse for himself, shouting in a fury:

“Who spilled liquor here? Step forward!”

Heinz’s gaze timely landed to the side. Kaide followed his line of sight and, sure enough, saw the guilty face of the Mantis Shrimp Earl.

The Mantis Shrimp, also known as the shako or urinating shrimp, was a stellar delicacy famous throughout the interstellar world. Kaide slammed his tentacles down with a sharp crack. “Urinating Shrimp, you’ve soiled my obsidian floor with your leaks. Are you intentionally trying to cause my death? Heinz was right, just because I summoned your daughter into the palace, you’ve long harbored dissatisfaction toward me.”

“Someone come, drag him down and steam him!”

“Your Majesty, Your Majesty! I am completely loyal to you!” The Mantis Shrimp Earl immediately knelt and wept loudly. As two guards stepped forward to haul him away, he sprayed a sheet of water across the floor.

Kaide waved his hand in disgust, and the guards forcefully dragged him away immediately. Next, a squad of fully prepared sweeping robots activated from the corner, swiftly executing a scrubbing routine.

The Mantis Shrimp Earl thrashed his tail wildly, screaming as he sprayed: “Heinz, you absolute villain! Even if I am steamed clear, I will not let you off!”

The entire ballroom fell into silence. Half the people turned their heads to examine the water marks on the gilded wall, while the other half stole glances at Heinz’s composed face.

Pew, pew, pew… this insidious jellyfish!

The aristocrats spat in their hearts one after another. Ever since Major General Gram passed away and Heinz rose to power, this group of nobles hadn’t seen a single day of peace. They spent every day trembling in fear, either terrified that Heinz would propose a plan to reduce their fiefs, or scared that Heinz would find a pretext to confiscate their properties.

Yet His Majesty Kaide supported him completely. Whenever someone stepped forward to impeach Heinz, claiming he was arrogant, domineering, and utilizing the Sovereign’s name to amass vast wealth, Kaide would thicken his neck, widen his eyes, slam the person down with a tentacle, and summon others over:

“Heinz is clearly a loyal minister. You frame a loyal pillar of the Empire, what on earth are your intentions? Drag him down and wrench his head off!”

After several instances of this, the aristocrats had roughly figured it out, this was a performance staged by the two of them in partnership. The underlying reason was also perfectly clear to them: the treasury was empty and nearly devoid of funds. Kaide wanted to maintain his luxury expenses while lacking the ability of the Old Emperor to keep the nation’s economy running. Since legitimate methods didn’t work, he turned to underhanded tactics, agreeing with Heinz to find pretexts every few days to steam someone and confiscate their property, taking back the imperially bestowed titles.

This way, didn’t the money come easily? Kaide’s destroyed space palace was immediately being rebuilt with blazing fervor.

It seems the Sovereign of this New Empire is also nearing his end. I must find an opportunity to replace this fool…

The aristocrats rolled their eyes, silently making their own calculations. To say nothing of the distant future, the most critical move right now was to find a powerful entity to rely on, ideally one with military power and a fiefdom, someone Heinz wouldn’t dare move against lightly.

When it came to the Empire’s “Golden Thigh,” it naturally referred to the Four Great Dukes of the seafolk. The Swordfish Grand Duke was one of immense weight among them.

The aristocrats scattered to the edges of the venue, each beginning to pull strings, looking for someone to help bridge a connection between themselves and the Swordfish Grand Duke. Some went so far as to pass a message directly through someone:

[We do not care who sits upon the throne; we only know that you are the eternal Grand Duke of the Empire.]

Emperors flow like water, but the Duke remains ironclad. In the post-Izu Paraiso era, central authority had withered, and there was no longer anyone capable of completely checking these deeply entrenched relics.

However, they had no idea that the Swordfish Grand Duke had arrived this time to discuss a collaboration with His Majesty Kaide.

Kaide walked into the Sovereign’s office.

The moment he entered, the Swordfish Grand Duke lay within a deep crimson, gold-woven chair, saying with distinct arrogance: “You have arrived, Your Majesty. My apologies, I have just undergone an organ transplant surgery and have not yet fully recovered. Please forgive me for being unable to rise to greet you.”

Kaide offered a sycophantic smile, saying generously, “Please suit yourself. Just treat this place like your own home.”

Hearing these words, the Swordfish Grand Duke sat up slightly. The two attendants standing behind him hurriedly brought cushions, serving him as if he were the Sovereign himself. Kaide, who had just reprimanded the Mantis Shrimp for insubordination, merely shifted his gaze, choosing to act as if he saw nothing.

The Swordfish Grand Duke mocked him mercilessly in his heart. He knew why Izu Paraiso had chosen this mediocre talent to be the Sovereign: because this octopus lacked ambition and vision, capable only of blindly maintaining the status quo. For a decaying Empire, a puppet ruler who wouldn’t be feared by the aristocratic class was the best, most stable choice. Izu Paraiso had made a strategic retreat, intending to shift all conflicts onto Kaide’s indulgence to buy twenty or thirty more years of survival for the Empire.

Unfortunately, that insidious merman hadn’t anticipated that Kaide would break free from his dog chain. He refused to remain a puppet emperor and had long begun seeking support everywhere, and the stakes he offered were…

The Swordfish Grand Duke asked slowly, “Your Majesty, you mentioned there is a way to make me stop aging and achieve eternal life. What kind of method could possibly break through the limitations of the Empire’s current most advanced medical care? Could it be… you are deceiving us?”

Having spoken, he observed Kaide’s expression.

Sure enough, the other party fell silent for a moment, looking confused for a long while before letting out a liquor-induced burp, having a sudden realization: “Oh right, eternal life… eternal life. There is indeed such a matter.”

Kaide nodded with confidence: “As long as you all help me seize the scepter, I can crack its secrets and help you achieve eternal life.”

The Swordfish Grand Duke asked slowly, “So, you do not know the actual operational method?”

Kaide shot him a glance, speaking as if it were a common occurrence: “I already said it’s a secret. How could I possibly know?”

Stupid! The Swordfish Grand Duke silently criticized him.

Lifting the wrinkled corners of his eyes, he squinted at Kaide, speaking in the slow, contemptuous tone one might use to criticize a schoolchild:

“Your Majesty should know the whereabouts of the scepter. Why not go and seize it yourself? You are not a defenseless child requiring a group of us old men who can barely swim through the undersea metropolis to accompany you.”

That question caught Kaide completely off guard. Why didn’t he go personally?

Naturally, it was because… he was terrified of Izu Paraiso. He feared the merman, his Imperial Uncle.

Kaide didn’t know what specific memory had been triggered, but a profound terror suddenly flashed across his face, which was otherwise loose and sagging from alcohol and debauchery. It was a nightmare he had been unable to forget his entire life, ever since he was a child.

Izu Paraiso was a monster— a hideous, terrifying monster.

He had seen it with his own eyes!

He had tried his best to warn his parents back then, but no one believed him. They would only say:

“Little Kaide, you just had a nightmare. You didn’t see anything. Your Imperial Uncle is just sick, very gravely sick. He is a kind merman, not the demon you claim he is. Never speak of this outside again. Otherwise, you will be killed.”

The young Kaide had asked, trembling in fear, “If he is truly a good merman, why would he kill me?”

His parents had fallen silent.

They couldn’t explain it. More often than not, this world was not simply black and white. Especially during extraordinary times, good men would lift a slaughtering blade, and bad ones would lie low and act subservient. They didn’t know exactly what Kaide had seen either, because the child seemed too traumatized; he would only repeat the words “demon” and “monster” without describing the specific circumstances.

---

Pulling himself out of the memory, Kaide shuddered violently and said with a tense expression, “The horror of that demon is far beyond your imagination.”

The Swordfish Grand Duke cut straight to the bone: “Is this the reason Your Majesty has delayed cleaning house?”

He offered a grim, weary smile and continued, “If Your Majesty knew what Izu Paraiso has been up to, perhaps you would change your mind.”

The Swordfish Grand Duke gestured with his hand, prompting his attendant to bring out the pre-prepared files. As he flipped open the first page, there was an ID photo of a young soldier with a chillingly detached aura.

“Does Your Majesty know this person? His name is ‘Bai Líng.’ During the Mecha Tournament, he publicly shouted, ‘Yes, Your Majesty.’”

Kaide nodded readily, even looking a bit smug. “I know him. He is a loyal believer of mine, which is why he publicly declared his allegiance to me.”

The Swordfish Grand Duke shook his head with deep regret. “But this person killed Gram and blew up your space palace.”

Kaide’s smile instantly froze on his face.

Standing behind him, Heinz silently backed away, humbly and considerately closing the door for them.

The Swordfish Grand Duke spared a glance at Heinz, then turned back, kindly reminding Kaide: “Your Majesty, there is more than one Emperor within the borders of this Empire.”

“…What do you mean?” Kaide felt a chill shoot up the back of his head, cold sweat drenching his entire back.

“Izu Paraiso wants to kill you and prop up a newcomer to take the throne.”

“Impossible!” Kaide shouted subconsciously.

The Swordfish Grand Duke arched his eyebrows in surprise; he didn’t know what gave Kaide such confidence. But he had reason to surmise that Izu Paraiso and Kaide had reached some sort of agreement, which allowed the two to stay out of each other’s way and maintain a temporary peace.

He watched with amusement as Kaide’s mind descended into chaos. The Tyrant paced back and forth beneath the national emblem of the New Empire before suddenly turning on his heel and walking out of the office that symbolized the highest authority of the state.

To verify the facts, Kaide personally contacted Izu Paraiso.

However, the line remained busy for over half an hour. Just as he was about to give up, the other party finally called back.

For some unknown reason, Izu Paraiso’s tone today was remarkably impatient: “Christopher, you have two minutes to state your intentions to me.”

Kaide gripped his terminal and demanded angrily, “You demon, do you have a newcomer by your side?!”

Izu Paraiso paused for a moment, his voice cold and unreadable. “Who gave you the audacity to question me?”

Kaide choked on his words, the terror of the merman once again seeping relentlessly into his bones. He recalled the iron-blooded, colossal Old Empire; he remembered the countless accumulated corpses beneath its banner; he recalled the broadcasted, processed speech coming from the television like white noise:

[I shall coexist with the Empire, holding this azure land firmly in my palm forever…]

[Control forever…]

[Forever…]

Terrified and indignant, Kaide blurted out, “Stop dreaming! You know perfectly well that even if you find ten thousand more people, you can’t save the Empire. This country is rotten, rotten to the core! And a newcomer couldn’t possibly do a better job than me!”

Izu Paraiso suddenly said with a touch of amusement, “He knows a great deal more than you do.”

The air inside the tent was thick and viscous. While Bai Ling labored through the movements of his lips and tongue, his ears were perked up to listen. Hearing this sentence, his sharp nose flared slightly, and he let out a very soft huff.

He knows a great deal, does he…? He certainly knows a lot.

Bai Ling narrowed his cold, blazing grey eyes, his roguish streak flaring up again. He decided to showcase his “expertise” to Izu Paraiso on the spot, he shot a provocative look at the merman, closed his lips tightly, and ruthlessly bit down with his teeth.

But in the next split second, his teeth were skillfully pinned. As if disciplining a biting dog, a thumb slid inside to press heavily down on the surface of his tongue, refusing to let him act up at all. That wasn’t all; the thick, ridged knuckle pushed upward, actually utilizing the massive gemstone signet ring as a lever to effortlessly pry his mouth open.

Making it convenient to act without restraint.

On the other end of the line, Kaide asked subconsciously, “What does he know?!”

That old beast lovingly massaged the bird’s tongue. Thrusting his powerful waist forward, he spoke slowly and smoothly into the communicator:

“He knows how to wish me ‘a safe journey.'”

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Author’s Note:

Little Bird: (Muffled and incoherent) You old beast!

Smelly Octopus (Kaide): (Shivering) That’s a demon, a monster!

Swordfish Grand Duke: (Vigilant and wary) Izu Paraiso is a venomous serpent.

Old merman: (Elegant and dignified, swirling his wine glass) (Grabs the fledgling, stuffs him into a burlap sack) Anyone else?

The heavily favored newcomer Little Bird possesses absolute loyalty, and bites frequently.