Gunmage-Chapter 297: Vigilantes

While they must’ve thought they had denied his idea, in reality, they had only confirmed it.

This was because Lugh had already seen through the high-end enchantments woven into her veil.

Even now, he could remember the intricate threads of mana that danced across the fabric.

He knew the Queen was an elf. But from what he was hearing now, he wasn’t so sure that the others knew.

Wary of sparking trouble he couldn’t handle, he carefully posed a question, a calculated attempt to test how much they truly understood.

"So what about the Queen, then?"

He asked slowly.

"Does she take on the position of vice leader of the Jade Tower?"

At once, the expressions on their faces shifted—troubled, uncertain.

"The Queen?"

Sela echoed.

He nodded.

Sela cleared her throat.

"Not much is known about the person who bears that title. It’s tradition for her face to always be veiled. No one except her husband should ever see her face."

Lugh almost chuckled at that. As expected. But he kept his face straight, composed for appearance’s sake.

"And why is that?"

He pressed.

Mirelle chimed in,

"It’s a symbol. The King is the sun that shines upon the kingdom... and the Queen is the darkness."

Lugh frowned.

"Not the moon?"

"No,"

She replied firmly before continuing.

"Actually, when you consider her duties, it’s quite normal for her not to be seen."

She leaned forward slightly.

"She commands the majority of the royal family’s information network—spies, assassins, intelligence gatherers. She’s basically a ghost in the palace walls."

"That’s why it’s not unusual for the general public to know next to nothing about her,"

Mirelle added with a shrug.

"Honestly, I don’t even think there’s a real relationship between the King and Queen. The true love interests are the three royal consorts."

Seeing that Mirelle was about to start rambling again—as she always did when gossip was involved—Sela smoothly cut in to redirect the conversation. freёwebnoѵel.com

"Anyway,"

She said with a brisk nod,

"You now know the basic structure of the Jade Tower."

Lugh gave a slow nod in affirmation.

"Right. Now all that remains is for you to tell me about the Enforcers."

"Oh... right,"

She began hesitantly.

But Lugh’s mind was still dwelling on the previous topic.

He hadn’t really expected otherwise, but now that he had received something akin to a direct confirmation, the implications were... unsettling.

He wasn’t going to tell them, of course. Selaphiel’s and Zhou’s earlier reactions had been far too strange. They had seriously warned him to keep his mouth shut on this subject.

Considering they were elves—old ones—who most likely knew more than anyone else present, there had to be a reason behind their unease.

So, he wouldn’t tell these three about what he had seen, or what he had deduced. It wasn’t out of selfishness. There was a very real possibility that telling them would endanger their lives.

Lugh suspected that the Queen hadn’t changed in centuries. She might have remained the same ancient creature, clinging to power like a shadow wrapped around the throne.

So what was the King, then?

A puppet?

Surely, a single man—no matter how ambitious—could not hope to stand against an elf who had been accumulating influence, secrets, and connections for generations.

But then, if she was in control, what was the point of the brutal selection process?

It was well-known in Ophris that royal succession wasn’t determined by lineage alone, but by ruthless, blood-soaked contests between heirs—only the strongest, the most cunning, could ever ascend the throne.

If the Queen’s goal was to produce a puppet, then why not simply support a weak-willed, easily manipulated prince? Someone like Wittmann?

Or... did she need someone strong? Someone with force of will and charisma, even if only to serve a more convoluted purpose?

Was it all a smokescreen? A performance to fool overthinkers like himself?

Or was it something else entirely?

Lugh exhaled quietly. It was starting to seem like the only way to survive in this city was to keep your mouth shut. Speak little, listen more.

His goal now was to uncover the approximate age of Selaphiel, his self-proclaimed grandmother.

He already had a few leads. Her and Zhou’s nervous reactions to the Queen had spoken volumes.

If he was right, then the Queen was either older, or perhaps simply stronger than the two of them.

There was also the possibility that she had backing from someone—or something—else entirely, but for now, Lugh would leave those threads untouched.

There were still other mysteries.

The number of elves within the royal guard, for instance. That had struck him as odd.

His first encounter with them had been during the failed assassination attempt on Isolde.

Ambushed in the middle of the city, they had only survived thanks to the sudden intervention of the Church—and two royal guards.

Both had been elves. And both had been absent during the ball.

That implied something disturbing: the Queen had more where those came from. Enough to rotate them.

How had she gotten that number of elves into the royal guard in the first place?

Lugh could feel a headache coming on. That one, he mentally added to his ever-growing auxiliary list of problems to investigate.

But for now, first things first—Selaphiel’s age.

That was something he could start pursuing.

Just then, Sela’s voice broke through his thoughts.

"...or maybe that’s too complicated to understand. Lugh?"

"I’m listening,"

He replied, voice composed.

She tapped her forehead, snapping her fingers with a playful smile.

"Aha! I know. Let’s go back to our community example."

Lugh gave a small nod.

"Alright."

"Okay then, using this description,"

She said, sitting straighter,

"If the Jade Tower is the official name of the neighbourhood community, then the Enforcers are the vigilantes protecting that community."

"Vigilantes?"

Mirelle cast her sister a doubtful glance.

"It’s just an analogy,"

Sela said sharply, waving her off. Then she continued in a lecturing tone.

"Naturally, security is always an issue in big communities—problems come from both outside and within.

Some rich folks in the neighbourhood might have the money to hire their own security guards to protect their homes, but ultimately, those guards serve them—not the rest of the community."

Lugh remained silent, absorbing the words.

"But you see,"

Sela continued,

"Not everyone can afford personal guards. And even if they could, personal security wouldn’t be effective in stopping outside threats that aim to destroy shared infrastructure—like the community well, or roads, or gardens. That’s where—wait, am I repeating myself?"

"No, you’re not,"

Lugh said.

"Keep going."

"Okay then."

She took a deep breath.

"That’s where the Enforcers come in. Their job is to—"

This chapter is updated by freew(e)bnovel.(c)om