Spending a night in the palace was a rare experience. Lynch notified the deputy ambassador and settled in comfortably.
Everything here was the best in the world—from floor tiles reflecting one’s image to pure gold edges designed to prevent injury from collisions—every detail radiated the luxury and nobility only royalty could afford.
That night, after returning to his room, Lynch watched TV. Gephra’s programming was much more open than he had imagined.
In the Federation, adult channels only aired during certain hours with strict content controls. Here, they broadcast 24/7, with bold content and little restriction.
At first, Lynch was shocked. He thought this wasn’t typical for Gephra, a serious monarchy. But he soon understood that precisely because it was a monarchy, such content flourished.
What was illegal in the Federation was legal here, forming a whole industry. So adult channels were normal.
After watching the evening news, Lynch rested early. He needed energy for dealing with Gephra’s rulers.
Waking up in a ten-square-ter bed, maids had already prepared his bath and fresh clothes. After being served and guided, he arrived at a private dining room.
His residence was like a villa or suite with many rooms. Now, he enjoyed a royal breakfast few could access.
He ate slowly, reading newspapers. Gephra’s papers were more interesting than the Federation’s—more political news, less dominated by capitalists and entertainnt gossip.
Lynch found it engaging, but the attendant serving him seed uneasy.
“You seem restless?” Lynch asked calmly, still eating.
The attendant smiled and shook his head. “No, Mr. Lynch.”
“Am I taking too long?” Lynch glanced at his wrist—about twenty minutes—but the attendant’s forced smile showed he did think so.
This ant the emperor and ministers were waiting anxiously. The major had succeeded in his mission.
Lynch smiled and finished the last bite. The breakfast was lavish. The special bread spread was a sauce made from lamb liver and fish oil.
It lacked the graininess of liver, instead silky and smooth like solidified animal fat—neither fishy nor gay.
The flavor was well balanced, with a slight milky aroma and a rich, pleasant aftertaste.
After finishing the soup and wiping his mouth with a napkin, Lynch stood. “Alright, let’s go.”
The attendant exhaled in relief. Lynch had taken longer than the emperor himself. Now the emperor and nobles waited. The attendant worried that Lynch’s leisurely pace might cause complaints, not directly against him, but redirected at others for not urging Lynch to hurry.
The nobles wanted to vent frustrations but had no room to resist.
Luckily, Lynch was done.
After passing several long corridors, the attendant led him to the ruling hall. The emperor sat high on the steps. Upon seeing Lynch, his previous impatience vanished, replaced by a flicker in his eyes.
“Your Majesty, gentlen, good morning.”
The nobles returned the greeting. Proud as they were, they followed protocol. Even the emperor greeted Lynch.
He pointed to a seat. “This is your place, Lynch. Here, we don’t have anyone standing while speaking.”
Lynch thanked him and sat. A servant brought coffee and delicate pastries.
He noticed nearly every minister had a small round table with coffee or tea and pastries—a strange experience.
“Last night, the Allia governor called . He told your people captured Haiyan and destroyed his organization. He was very surprised…”
“But beyond surprise, he asked how you did it.”
Actually, the governor hadn’t asked this—this was the emperor’s question.
“As far as I know, the Federation has no investnt projects in Allia, and your people are rarely seen there. How did you understand the situation so well and capture such a vicious rebel leader?”
“I, and all my ministers, share the sa doubt. How did your people find their hideouts and quickly eliminate them?”
“Perhaps you were already in contact before this?”
The emperor’s excitent cooled as he realized Lynch’s people must have known details beforehand.
This suggested the Federation might be the hidden supporters of these rebel groups, explaining why Allia’s situation deteriorated so badly.
The rebels had steady supplies, weapons, and even explosives, making them more aggressive.
Previously, conflicts were minor—rebels had no weapons and might at most silently attack patrols with knives at night.
Only after they gained arms did clashes escalate.
Before Lynch’s arrival, the emperor and ministers had discussed this and concluded Lynch might be behind so rebel support.
Now that Lynch was here, the emperor asked directly.
He looked at Lynch without revealing emotion, ready to counter any answer, his face showing a “seeing through” smile.
But Lynch didn’t deny; instead, he openly admitted it.
“We do have so connections, Your Majesty. I don’t deny that.”
Lynch’s frankness left the emperor speechless. It was like an angry husband catching his wife’s lover mid-act—when asked, Did you? and the lover says, Yes, it was a silent blow.
“Don’t you even deny it? Just openly admit it? What does that leave ?”
Thankfully, a minister quickly reacted, frowning. “Do you know what you’re saying, Mr. Lynch? Supporting these rebel movents is a serious cri!”
“That’s only true for you!” Lynch showed no fear. He looked at the emperor seated on his throne. “Your Majesty, you know I am a rchant. A rchant’s duty is trade.”
“I sell to those in the Federation what they lack and make money from them—that’s my job.”
“I swear to God, I never break Federation laws. All my business within the Federation is legal and protected by law.”
“We can’t simply apply one country’s laws and rules to two nations with completely different political, social, and cultural systems. That would be unfair and unjust.”
“Besides, I’m not the only one doing this. I’ve heard the Preyton pirate group is backed by Gephra’s Navy Minister…”
The emperor suddenly coughed. So things are better left unsaid; openly stating them only brings sha to everyone.
Using Preyton was a necessity at the ti. The Gephra Empire couldn’t openly send its navy to patrol coasts or gather intelligence, so Preyton provided cover.
They acted as pirates, probing ports to locate shore batteries and defenses, or as spies infiltrating and sabotaging.
But such things can’t be admitted publicly—a military power backing pirates isn’t just embarrassing; it would offend every neighboring country.
This also explains why Lynch might be linked to so rebel groups in Allia. As Lynch said, he’s a rchant who doesn’t care who he trades with, as long as they pay. Everything he does is legal.
Lynch stopped speaking as the emperor coughed; his point was made.
“Let the past be. The Allia governor spoke highly of your n. I’ve seen what you wanted to show yesterday. Now, let’s discuss what cos next…”
The emperor had wanted to argue but found no opening. Lynch was reasonable, and as emperor, it would make him look weak to be unreasonable.
Besides, now wasn’t the ti to argue right or wrong. Lynch showed willingness to solve the empire’s problems—that was what mattered most.
“If I hire your n to handle security in the Allian province, what price must I pay?”
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