"The 'deal' hasn't ended yet."

"…What?"

Thompson reacted in a way that was easy to understand. He responded as if he couldn't believe it, his eyes visibly shaking.

"The recent information I came across was about the 'sacrifice'."

"…Shut up and answer my question! Who is the traitor?!"

Thompson shouted. He was beginning to get anxious. Why was Frondier so calm? They were in a desperate situation, yet why wasn't he scared?

Frondier, on the contrary, spoke in a lowered voice.

"Don't make such a fuss; you'll understand once you hear everything. We were a good team, weren't we?"

"You, snake-like bastard…!"

Thompson's eyes narrowed as he trembled with rage. Frondier had cunningly struck a nerve. Even Thompson's outburst seemed like a planned act in cahoots with Frondier.

Of course, this alone wouldn't make anyone immediately believe Thompson was the traitor, but it was enough to make the members of Indus suspicious of each other.

"Since my partner is getting anxious, to put it briefly."

Frondier paused and inhaled. He scanned everyone’s faces. Checking to see how they would react to what he was about to say next.

“The offering… You intend to use it to attract my father, Enfer.”

“…!”

There was no need to look closely. Thompson in particular was an open book. He would not know if he was the only one acting, but the expressions of the others were similar.

"If you disguise it as if I were killed by the Emperor, Enfer will not hesitate to kill the Emperor, even if there are some inconsistencies. Enfer would not care."

This operation seemed crude at first glance, but in fact anyone who knew Enfer’s personality would judge that it was possible.

The reason this works is not because Enfer loves Frondier.

Regardless of what happened with his love for Frondier, Enfer hates the Imperial Palace. And to the point that he calls the Zodiac the “Imperial lapdogs”. So if he had a reason, Enfer would try to kill the emperor at any time. Frondier’s death would be the perfect material for that to happen.

In other words, the “sacrifice” needed to make Enfer an enemy of the Empire. That’s the identity of the sacrifice Indus was talking about.

Ever since Kraken mentioned the “sacrifice” earlier, Frondier had an idea that it was targeting his family, not him.

And it became clear by the fact that they still hadn’t killed Frondier, even up to this point when they were after the emperor.

“…What does it matter if you know that?”

Thompson asked, gritting his teeth.

“So who is that guy you’re talking about? I must have asked you several times, but…?”

“What? You still don’t know, even after hearing all this? Who the traitor is?”

Frondier tilted his head.

Thompson’s brows furrowed. What? Where in that statement could he have possibly inferred the traitor’s identity from?

Frondier tilted his head, opening his mouth as if he was simply making everyday conversation.

"You’re going to fail."

“……?”

For a moment, everyone was unable to react to his peaceful voice. The content of his words did not align with his tone or expression whatsoever.

“You’re going to fail, and you won’t even reach the Imperial Palace in the first place. You won’t be able to kill me. That grand term you call ‘revolution’ will quietly dissipate without anyone in the Empire ever knowing about it. Just like the petty criminals who are getting caught and dragged off to prison even now within the Empire. That’s the future that awaits you."

It sounded like a curse, and the content was essentially the same.

As everyone gradually began to build up their killing intent toward Frondier, there was only one person, Kraken, who was thinking differently.

‘This is strange.’

Kraken felt a sense of unease. There was one more piece of information about Frondier that he knew that no one else here did.

‘Why hasn’t the child of Manggot shown himself?’

Frondier was in danger.

When Heldre had kicked him away with his foot, couldn’t she have simply blocked it?

It was as if she was waiting for something.

Frondier was blabbering on right now as if he was ‘buying time’—

‘Ah!’

Kraken realized it. He quickly stretched out his hand, and his fingers instantly turned into tentacles that shot toward Frondier’s head.

An ambush that no one could have expected. An attack that would completely ruin their plan to use Frondier as a ‘sacrifice’.

However, Indus didn’t know this, but it was actually the best possible course of action that they could have taken right now.

Clang!

However, even that failed.

“……Master Frondier. I’ve arrived.”

Someone appeared in front of Frondier. Out of nowhere, without any portal whatsoever.

She suddenly leaped out from Frondier’s shadow and stood in front of Frondier.

“You’re late, Selena.”

It was a maid. A maid, dressed more neatly than when Frondier had met her, batted away Kraken's tentacles.

"Kill that woman! Quickly!" Kraken barked.

The judgment was quick, but it was only Kraken's. The others had their hands full just keeping up with the rapidly developing situation. There was no way they could think ahead and act.

"So what if there's one more girl?"

Thompson's attempt to sound tough didn't last long.

Another one, this time from the maid's shadow. Another one from the shadow of the man who had emerged, then another, then another. The repeated "transfer" drew people out in an instant.

The members of Indus naturally stepped back. A different transition from their 'portal.' They were all familiar with this unique method of transition.

"...Manggot."

Heldre muttered. Mysterious people were now filling the room. An unexpected raid.

The last one to emerge from the shadow was a face Heldre already knew.

"...Hagley."

Hagley, the core member of Manggot who had approached Frondier before Selena.

Hagley didn't answer him. His emotionless eyes simply scanned the Indus members around him, then briefly turned to what was behind him. Frondier, sitting in the chair, and Selena, guarding him.

After a brief look at that, Hagley turned his gaze to the front.

"I am now issuing an operational order to the 'Yeolgot.'"

In a calm and composed voice, he said,

"Protect Frondier."

He had brought the empire's disaster upon the mansion.