Simurid Kormadino preferred to command from the front line—for true battlefield insight could never be gained from a distance, and there was nothing more dangerous than believing otherwise.
For this confrontation, he chose the Scarlet Manor overlooking the grand plaza as his command post. This former guesthouse of the Zef royal family, now his property, served multiple purposes: an emergency headquarters, a warehouse to lease out to trade guilds to turn a profit, a personal warehouse for storing weapons, and a stronghold to secretly station troops in the First Capital, if necessary.
Its strategic location and versatile architecture made it the perfect vantage point to oversee the divine election. He was standing at a window looking down on the grand plaza when the report arrived.
“You lost contact with Doc over an hour ago? I see…”
The messengers were his own guards, stationed to watch over the hospital. Separate from Unit 7110, which he had borrowed from Tovitz, Kormadino secretly maintained a private army of a hundred elite soldiers, handpicked from his own domains—a crucial safeguard against the risks of relying on borrowed forces.
Because the report had come from his own trusted men, Kormadino was sure of it—something had happened to Demon Lord Dian Ceto.
Dito was supposed to have been at the hospital, monitoring Dotta Luzulas, but they hadn’t been able to reach the doctor since noon.
Although Kormadino had considered having the demon lord curse Dotta with an incurable disease, the mechanics behind resurrecting penal heroes were shrouded in mystery. There was a real risk that such a move would be completely pointless and might even expose Dian Ceto’s true identity. Kormadino, a man who shunned unnecessary risks, therefore harbored no regrets about his decision, especially since he had more pressing matters now demanding his attention.
“So the doctor is no longer with us… Let us offer a moment of silence.”
It wasn’t urgency that colored his voice but pity. Of course, his inner thoughts were far different, for this was a severe blow—devastating, even. But he couldn’t let his subordinates see that. Now was not the time for outward displays of emotion. He needed to assess the situation and determine his next move.
Kormadino took a deep breath and extended a hand toward the table.
Relax… Relax. I was expecting this.
He poured himself a cup of tea he had personally brewed. It might have seemed like a theatrical gesture, but it was a motion he had practiced countless times and a symbolic way of showing everyone that his hands were steady.
“Let us go through what we currently know.” A sweet, floral aroma wafted up from the eastern tea leaves. “What happened to Dotta Luzulas? Doc was supposed to be watching him.” He addressed the messenger with a confident, measured tone, making sure his voice was steady. “Is he missing?”
“Yes, sir! As you have correctly deduced, he is currently missing. We attempted to pursue the target, but he is exceptionally fast…” The messenger got on one knee and lowered his head.
As I “correctly deduced”? Don’t try to butter me up.
Kormadino felt a surge of irritation. His men had been utterly useless, far below his expectations. Yet he masked his displeasure, maintaining a facade of composure.
“Don’t let it bother you.” It took a great deal of self-control to speak so calmly. These incompetent men needed to be punished, but until this matter was resolved, he had no choice but to endure their ineptitude. “I don’t want any guilt affecting your work. You did fine. Besides, I expected something like this would happen.”
“Thank you, sir. Then what would you have us do?”
“I have a good idea where Dotta Luzulas is and what he’s doing.” There was only one way that petty thief could overturn the outcome of this election, and Kormadino wasn’t about to lose in a battle of wits against the penal heroes. “He’s heading this way, most likely in an attempt to steal the votes and switch them out with fake ones.”
“What…?” The soldier’s eyes opened wide. “He can do that?”
“I have no idea how, but Dotta Luzulas is a genius when it comes to stealing. He could very well manage it, which is why we have to stop him.”
The votes had been carefully manipulated to ensure their victory, and the only way to change that would be through some miraculous feat, such as swapping out the ballots after the voting had ended. There was no other reason for them to rely on Dotta.
“But he’s too late.” Kormadino had already considered the possibility and come up with a simple solution to prevent it. “Let’s protect the ballots as planned. I have prepared a sacred seal which will ensure they react only to the voter. It’s based on Lufen Cauron’s cargo verification system.”
There was no need to panic. He still had everything under control. While it was unfortunate that they weren’t able to assassinate Nicold Ibuton, they had secured the majority vote. And as for Doc’s death, it was only a minor setback and something they could easily cover up, at least until after the election was over.
And in that case, there’s no need to worry about the votes.
His only lingering concern was whether Xylo Forbartz had successfully reunited with Teoritta. While eliminating them would have been ideal, what could they do to overturn the election now? Their only path forward would be to sow chaos, perhaps to buy Dotta Luzulas enough time to make a move. Yet even that would be futile now that Kormadino had arrived.
Their resilience against overwhelming odds was impressive, but this was as far as they would get.
I have predicted all of their moves. It’s going to be okay.
The stage was set for the divine election in the grand plaza. That was the key location right now, and as long as they held it, they were safe. Still, it would be wise to have a backup plan, which was why Kormadino continued to mentally review the position of his troops.
I haven’t overlooked anything or let down my guard…
He had already set himself up to win. Any last-minute tactics the penal heroes could throw at him would be futile, yet it was too soon to get cocky. The election wasn’t over. He needed to think everything through carefully, considering even the smallest possibilities. Venetim Leopool was still unaccounted for, and there was no telling what kind of tricks he still had up his sleeve.
Think. What would that man do? The con man and commander of the penal heroes… Obviously, he’s going to have some sort of dirty trick ready to go, but…
Kormadino was reaching for the cup of tea on the table to calm himself, when all of a sudden…
“Governor-General!” The room’s door burst open with a clatter as a new messenger burst in. Before the guards could react or Kormadino could raise an eyebrow, it had already begun. “It’s an emergency! Please escape! He’s—!”
The report ended abruptly. The new messenger never made it past the doorway. It was as if something had fallen from the ceiling, striking him on the head with a thud and knocking him out. Kormadino’s fingers froze around his cup.
“Hey,” said a man with one hand against the door frame—he’d just taken out the messenger. “Commanding from the front line can have its drawbacks, huh? Makes you easy to find.”
The guards whirled around and aimed their lightning staffs at the filthy, disheveled intruder.
“Long time no see, Governor-General Kormadino. I know you’re busy, but I just had to ask you something.” Xylo Forbartz leveled a knife at him. “Were you the one who set me up? Who set my unit up?”
It was hard to believe.
I have nothing left to worry about now.
A wave of relief swept over Kormadino as he realized he had outmaneuvered his opponent. Slipping his hand beneath the table, he placed it on the sacred seal there—a hidden alarm meant for emergencies that would summon every guard in the manor. His confrontation with Xylo Forbartz was finally coming to an end.