Chapter 152 - Ignition (3)
“The emperor sent it to me?”
“That’s right, Marquis.”
After receiving the imperial letter from the emperor, Eisen read the contents with a nervous expression. By the time he was done reading, he couldn’t help but be embarrassed.
“As soon as the goods are ready, I’ll go visit His Majesty.”
Upon hearing his answer, the messenger returned to the palace, and Eisen immediately said to his servant, “Call Henry right now!”
The contents of the imperial letter were straightforward. It requested that Eisen bring the Pink Swamp to the emperor and for the truth to be revealed, as it seemed that the Pink Swamp contained psychotropic substances.
“Damn you, Alfred…!”
Eisen was furious.
The emperor's order indicated that someone had reported the situation, and Eisen naturally assumed that Alfred was the one behind it.
‘Ha, things are getting out of hand.’
Despite his anger at Alfred, Eisen couldn't help but feel anxious about the emperor's orders because he had never tried Pink Swamp and had never even seen it.
Eisen had a hunch that the emperor's summons wasn't a good thing, especially considering the terrible state of Alfred's sons. Therefore, Eisen wanted to meet Henry as soon as possible to discuss the situation.
Eisen’s messenger soon arrived at Ten’s mansion.
* * *
The messenger quickly delivered Eisen’s letter to Henry, and after reading his letter, Henry couldn't help but burst into laughter.
‘What a good opportunity!’
Henry couldn’t have asked for more.
In the letter, Eisen informed Henry that the emperor suspected that the Pink Swamp contained a banned drug and urged him to take appropriate countermeasures.
Henry could sense Eisen's anxiety in the letter, but to him, it appeared to be a favorable opportunity. Henry was certain that the emperor had sent the letter to Eisen out of curiosity about the Pink Swamp, rather than intending to punish him for the drugs.
‘I know the emperor well. I’m certain he’s curious about the Pink Swamp that everyone’s been smoking except for him. On top of that, I bet he’s even more desperate to try it since it’s Shahatra’s new cigarette.’
The Silver Jackson that Henry knew was a dedicated hedonist. If a banned drug offered enough pleasure, he would likely find a way to enjoy it, even if it meant abusing his power as emperor. Eisen’s being summoned was a great opportunity to recommend the Pink Swamp to the emperor himself!
The Pink Swamp had been created to get the emperor addicted in the first place, so there was no need to wait to make it happen.
‘Anyway, that bastard Alfred must be really desperate, but all he could do is snitch.’
Henry shared the same thoughts as Eisen and believed that Marquis Alfred had informed the emperor about the Pink Swamp.
It was pathetic, but at the same time, it was also excellent news.
Thanks to Alfred, Henry could get the emperor to try the Pink Swamp much faster than he expected.
“I’ll write a letter with a solution to this in just a minute, so please wait,” said Henry to the messenger.
Henry headed to his private laboratory and started to pack the extra cases of the Pink Swamp that he had stored in case of an emergency.
‘I’ll give him just enough so that he doesn’t feel fully satisfied.’
Henry wanted the emperor to grow addicted to the Pink Swamp so that he could use the emperor’s irritability to eliminate Arthus. He had to give the emperor just enough of the Pink Swamp to make him sensitive to withdrawal. Henry could then control the emperor’s addiction.
Henry wrote down what Eisen should say and how he should behave in front of the emperor, and he enclosed the Pink Swamp. It was Eisen who had to meet the emperor in person, not Henry.
‘I’ll write you the best scenario.’
* * *
“Your Majesty, Marquis Eisen has arrived.”
“Great! He’s here already?”
The emperor had been waiting desperately for Eisen at the imperial palace. When Eisen finally arrived after a few days, he quickly dismissed the court ladies and hastily prepared to greet him.
‘I’ll finally be able to taste Shahatra’s new cigarette!’
The cigarette Pink Swamp had a charming name.
Even the most skilled craftsmen in the empire couldn’t imitate Shahatra's cigarettes, which were given only as tribute once a year. And now, a new type of cigarette exists?
There was nothing else that the hedonist emperor found more attractive.
Soon, the two held a private meeting in the palace hall.
Eisen politely greeted the emperor first.
“Nice to see you again, Your Majesty.”
“Oh, yes, yes! Thank you for coming all the way here from the Shonan region.”
The emperor warmly greeted Eisen, and Eisen was once again impressed by Henry's keen foresight.
‘It’s just as Henry said. The emperor is greeting me warmly!’
When the messenger he had sent returned alone without Henry, Eisen had been confused. However, after checking the contents of Henry’s letter, he understood why Henry didn’t need to come.
Henry’s letter was like a cheat sheet with all the answers to a difficult test, and Eisen was already well-trained to use it. In other words, Eisen had become a competent puppet for Henry.
He departed for the palace as soon as he received Henry’s letter. During the journey, he memorized how he should act and what Henry had said about the emperor’s psychological state.
“No worries, Your Majesty! I wanted to stop any rumors surrounding the Pink Swamp that I have been distributing as quickly as possible.”
“Yes! That Pink Swamp! I’ve been curious about it ever since Alfred made a big fuss over it.”
‘As expected, it was Alfred.’
The emperor didn’t protect the informer.
As Eisen and Henry had guessed, it was none other than Alfred. However, Eisen decided not to hold any grudges. Henry’s letter made it clear that if Alfred took this opportunity to win the emperor’s favor through the Pink Swamp, his status in the palace would rise.
Eisen took out a pack of the Pink Swamp and held it out before the emperor.
“This is the Pink Swamp.”
“Whoa, this is it…!”
The cigarettes didn't seem much different from the tributes. However, he’d heard that the Pink Swamp tasted much stronger and sweeter.
“Marquis, as you know, I’m well-versed in drugs and cigarettes,” said the emperor.
“That’s right, Your Majesty.”
“So, instead of conducting a detailed investigation, I'd like to try it first and then make my judgment. What do you think?”
The emperor's question implied that he’d never had any intention of categorizing Pink Swamp as a psychotropic substance all along. Henry had already suggested this in his letter. Eisen felt the most confident whenever he had an answer sheet from Henry.
Eisen smiled brightly and said, “I would be honored.”
“I knew you’d agree. No need to waste time; I will smoke one right here.”
Tzzz!
“Ha…!”
Pink smoke diffused in the air, and the emperor smiled widely.
* * *
“...Damn that bastard!”
Even though he’d been assured that the emperor would conduct an investigation of the Pink Swamp, Alfred still wasn't content. He couldn’t forget about the emperor’s smile.
Glug glug.
Alfred filled his glass with alcohol again.
After his eldest son lost an arm and his second son had become an addict, he stopped smoking Pink Swamp.
The only thing that could relieve his frustration was strong whiskey, but he couldn’t get drunk even after two full bottles.
Just then, a servant said, “Marquis, a guest has arrived from the Shonan family.”
“...From the Shonan family?”
“Yes. It’s Henry.”
“What?”
An unexpected and unpleasant guest had arrived, someone whom Alfred couldn't bear to see. He was enraged as soon as he heard Henry’s name and felt blood rushing to his head.
Alfred slammed the table with his fist and yelled at the servant, “How dare he show up here? What does this arrogant bastard want?”
“H-he said… He has something to give you.”
“What?”
What could Henry possibly give him?
Alfred huffed in anger as he entered the living room only to find Henry leisurely enjoying a cup of tea. His anger reached a boiling point.
“How dare you show up at my place!”
Henry ignored Alfred’s furious tone and calmly placed his teacup down before thanking him.
“It appears that you are deeply upset with me, but I’ve come to thank you, Marquis.”
“W-what?”
It was unbelievable.
Witnessing Henry's bright smile after what he’d done to Alfred’s sons, made Alfred feel as if he were encountering the devil himself.
Henry continued, unconcerned, “Thanks to you, I heard that His Majesty will personally investigate the Pink Swamp himself. I prepared a small gift to thank you for all your hard work.”
Clank.
Henry opened a small box on the table. There were ten packs of the Pink Swamp inside, each pack tied with a ribbon.
“W-what the hell…!”
Alfred couldn't believe his eyes. Henry had packaged the drugs that had led his sons to their destruction as gifts. It was clearly a display of contempt.
Krggg…!
Everything around Alfred started to tremble as his anger surged, and he struggled to hold back his spirits.
He stared at Henry murderously and said, “You must be out of your mind…!”
“Not at all.”
“Shut up!”
Thud!
With all his strength, Alfred violently smashed the marble table in the living room, sending the Pink Swamp box tumbling to the floor. As it fell, the Pink Swamp spilled out in every direction.
However, Henry continued to smile. He got up from his seat and took out the Subspace Pouch, turning it upside down. More than a dozen packs of Pink Swamps spilled out.
“I heard what happened to Sir Syred, and I think he will need these right now,” continued Henry.
“Shut your mouth!”
Whoosh!
With a shout, Alfred released a tremendous force of wind more powerful than Waled’s. However, even though Henry directly faced the wind, not a single strand of his hair moved.
Alfred’s eyes grew wide in shock,
“H-how is this possible…?”
“The choice is yours, Marquis. If you hand your son the Pink Swamp, his health will recover and return to the way it was before, at least while he smokes the cigarettes.”
“What are you saying…!”
“This is precisely why I'm leaving the choice to you, Marquis. If you wish, I can arrange for you to have direct access to the Pink Swamp at any time. With that, I shall take my leave.”
Henry bowed and walked away.
Alfred shouted once more in anger, but Henry left the living room without looking back.
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