The capital of the kingdom.
Solion Impel.
Although it can’t be compared to the Empire, the national power of the Solion Kingdom is not weak.
Even excluding the strength of their heroes, Solion is a kingdom that the Empire needs to keep in check.
The capital was a metropolis befitting that national power.
Solarium, the palace fortress in the center of Solion Impel, commonly known as the Sun Palace.
Although thousands of people entered and exited the palace every day, it was still full of mysteries, having been built with the help of magic towers.
Young officials who had recently entered the palace often got lost.
After wandering for a while, they would occasionally arrive in front of a building.
Unlike other elaborately decorated buildings, this was an ordinary building made of red bricks.
But looking at that building, one would realize that it’s strangely unnatural.
Even people without particularly good observation skills could quickly tell.
It’s a building with an abnormally small number of windows.
For a four-story building, there were no windows except for the top floor.
Moreover, most buildings in the palace fortress had four doors – north, south, east, and west. At the very least, they had two.
But this building had only one entrance, the main gate guarded by guards.
What kind of place could this be?
Just as the lost official starts to feel curious, someone appears.
“Please step back. This is a restricted area.”
Before they can react, they’re forcibly driven away.
Only after asking their seniors do the young officials learn the name of that place.
Swallow House.
Commonly known as the ‘Swallow’s Nest’.
It was the building where the Royal Intelligence Agency, the kingdom’s top intelligence agency, was located.
This fact didn’t satisfy the curiosity of the young officials.
Rather, it was the opposite.
What on earth was happening inside?
The reason for the lack of windows was said to be because inhumane acts like torture and executions were taking place inside.
There were rumors circulating in every department about officials who went missing after snooping around the Swallow’s Nest out of curiosity.
Among the numerous speculations and urban legends, some were correct, and some were completely baseless.
It’s true that there were no windows up to the third floor for security reasons.
It wasn’t just to hide torture and executions, but also to avoid magical eavesdropping and wiretapping.
Then why were there windows on the top floor, the 4th floor?
The reason for this was actually disappointingly simple.
There were no windows when it was first built.
But a few years later, they had to create windows for ventilation inside the building.
This was because the exhausted officials of the Royal Intelligence Agency puffed on hundreds of cigarettes during every meeting.
There was even a report stating that if this continued, there would be a mass occurrence of deaths due to lung diseases during work, and the increase in compensation payments would burden the royal finances.
Today too, smoke was rising from the 4th-floor windows.
As the Royal Intelligence Agency’s threat assessment security meeting had been going on for 48 hours, the officials were steeped in fatigue.
At that moment, someone hurriedly opened the door and came in.
“Director, we’ve received intelligence from an agent in the Empire. cough!”
The person called Director was a surprisingly young woman.
However, she was taller than most men, and she was wearing an eye patch, suggesting she was missing one eye.
“What does it say?”
“The Empire’s 4th Infantry Division has been annihilated. cough It seems they managed to stop the monster wave, albeit with sacrifices.”
“Just that much? What a shame.”
Taking a drag on her cigarette, she blew smoke towards the sky and asked again.
“Did they say anything to us? Any statement of position?”
The kingdom had guided the monster wave towards the Empire.
Although it was kept strictly secret, the people here, led by the Intelligence Director, knew about it.
“It seems they’re preparing something, but nothing has come through official channels yet.”
“Unofficially?”
“They express their deep condolences for the death of Marquis Martein and the damage to his territory.”
“Pfft.”
The Director chuckled.
It’s indeed a big deal that the Empire would express condolences for the death of Marquis Martein, who was a hero.
But to convey such words immediately when they’ve suffered significant damage themselves…
“His Imperial Majesty has personally ordered to assist in the recovery of Marquis Martein’s territory in every way possible, they say.”
“They’d throw a fit if we refuse, right?”
“I suppose so.”
The intelligence agency immediately guessed the Empire’s intentions.
They probably want to investigate why a monster wave suddenly occurred in the great forest.
And how that monster wave ended up heading towards the Empire.
“Let them do as they please. They’ll just see the devastation of the Marquis’s territory and leave.”
But even the Empire can’t do much openly.
It’s clear that the kingdom suffered greater damage.
Although they avoided the collapse of the capital, how could they explain that the monsters changed their route towards the Empire while trying to stop the monster wave?
They won’t be able to find any justification to pick a fight.
“Understood.”
The Royal Intelligence Agency, working in the shadows while aiming for the light.
They had once again saved the kingdom from destruction.
“More importantly. Haven’t you found that guy yet?”
“That guy… you mean?”
“Aish, you should understand immediately when I hint at it. That black snake!”
The Director stubbed out her half-smoked cigarette.
“It might be the birth of a new calamity.”
Marquis Martein had a double-edged plan with the chimera of the monster wave.
That’s all that’s known publicly, but the fact that the chimera had one small extra head…
Moreover, the information that the direct cause of the Marquis’s death was due to a black snake excited the Director.
“I can feel it in my gut. I’m sure.”
“The budget we’ve blown based on your hunches isn’t just a small amount.”
“You were so cute when you first came here. Anyway, you’re saying there have been no sighting reports?”
“Yes, we haven’t received any sighting reports. We probably won’t find it, right? It’s just one small snake.”
“I suppose so. Hmm… It probably won’t stay in our country.”
“The monster wave attracts magical beasts after all.”
The Director muttered, “Those Empire bastards are going to have a hard time too.”
“If you’re really concerned, should we put it on the list of dangerous magical beasts and put a bounty on it?”
Dangerous magical beasts.
Such magical beasts actually existed.
It’s a list distributed to hunters and observers of each magical realm.
The Director pondered for a while and then said,
“No, don’t do that. Why should we do the Empire any favors?”
It was a moment when the fate of one black snake (actually a white snake) slightly changed.
“Instead, let’s put it on the management list.”
“Understood. Then what should we name it?”
Many magical beasts ended up with terrible names due to her sense.
What would this snake magical beast be called?
“Since it’s black, Black…”
“How about ‘Black One’?”
“Yeah, Black…”
A black snake wearing a crown.
Its name was finally decided.
“…Black Snake King.”
