Reincarnated as the third son of the Duke-Chapter 187 - The Arrival of the Blue Rose

187 The Arrival of the Blue Rose

"No, no problem," Glen said quickly. "It’s just… the Emperor has added a new proposal."

"A proposal?"

"He thought you might be struggling with manpower, so he suggested sending along some skilled attendants and servants as well."

Glen coughed awkwardly, avoiding William’s gaze.

William chuckled.

So, he wants to slip spies into my household.

Of course.

Whenever an opportunity like this arose, planting agents was a given.

Even with the best of relations, a ruler could never fully trust someone outside their own direct line of succession.

Using this as an excuse to insert spies under the guise of ’loyal servants’ was practically tradition.

I’m sure the soldiers they’re sending will include spies as well, but an army and a household staff have very different levels of access.

Soldiers, unless they were personally trained elites, would only see what was publicly available.

Servants, on the other hand…

They could go anywhere.

Under the bed. Inside the wardrobe. Even the privy.

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And naturally, they would be privy to far more than just the public-facing side of his life.

It’s practically the same as handing them my unguarded back.

"My lord," Glen said, wiping the sweat from his brow, "His Majesty’s offer is purely an act of goodwill. Please don’t misunderstand. If it makes you uncomfortable, you are free to decline."

William didn’t miss how nervous Glen looked.

Even he must have thought the Emperor’s demand was too blatant. Enjoy new stories from novelbuddy

But William simply smiled.

"I will gladly accept His Majesty’s generosity."

"…I beg your pardon?"

Glen blinked, certain he had misheard.

"I had been wondering where to find competent attendants," William continued lightly. "It’s quite a relief to hear that His Majesty has taken it upon himself to provide them."

"Your Highness…"

"When they arrive, I’ll have them start by preparing my bedchamber. My back has been stiff lately—perhaps it’s time I had a properly maintained bed."

It was an offhand remark.

A casual joke.

But Glen’s eyes trembled.

’Preparing my bedchamber.’

William was effectively inviting spies into the most private part of his residence.

A direct signal. A show of absolute trust.

An assurance that he harbored no ill will toward the Emperor.

Before he even realized it, Glen had seized William’s hand in both of his own.

"Your Highness, you are truly a blessing from the Eight Masters. Even if one searched the entire Empire, they would be hard-pressed to find more than ten men as loyal as you."

"Come now, Sir Glen. Flattery will get you nothing from me."

"I speak only the truth! I swear, I shall personally report your unwavering loyalty to His Majesty!"

The way Glen clutched his hands tightly, as if he would never get another chance to say this, betrayed his firm resolve.

William barely managed to keep from laughing.

He feigned a modest expression, but inwardly, he found the whole situation amusing.

The real reason he had accepted the Emperor’s attendants had nothing to do with loyalty.

It was simply because soon enough, spies—Imperial or otherwise—would be entirely irrelevant.

For now, though, the truth remained that he did need more servants.

He could recruit as many as he wanted, but there was no telling how many of them would be Count Calix’s spies.

And since it was impossible to weed them out one by one, the choice ultimately came down to picking between Imperial spies or Calix’s spies.

And if he had to choose, the Imperial spies were the lesser evil.

At least they would only gather information. Unlike Calix’s people, they wouldn’t attempt assassination.

Besides, the vast majority of the attendants being sent were highly trained professionals, not agents.

But most importantly, the Emperor himself wouldn’t be around much longer.

From what William had observed, the Imperial Court was using enchanted artifacts to communicate directly with their spies—without relying on messengers.

But could those spies still function once their master was dead?

The artifacts could only be used by the direct bloodline of the Imperial family.

William almost wanted to see how the First Prince would handle things when he lost control of his network.

Especially when the most powerful noble supporting the Empire would no longer be in a position to be swayed.

Once their agreement was finalized, Glen immediately left to contact the Emperor.

However, after several attempts, he returned looking troubled.

"My lord, I apologize, but I may need to step outside the White Palace for this."

William raised a brow. "You can’t use it here?"

"No. Other enchanted artifacts work fine, but it seems that teleportation magic is restricted within the palace."

William’s eyes gleamed with interest.

So magical infiltration was impossible here.

That was very useful information.

"No helping it, then," he said. "We’ll ride outside the walls."

"My deepest apologies for the trouble."

With Glen leading the way, William and his entourage mounted their horses and left the palace.

Behind them, the pilgrims followed at a cautious distance, curious about the unusual procession.

Glen tried several times along the way, stopping at intervals to test his artifact.

Finally, after riding a considerable distance, it activated.

"The Master of the Blue Path calls for you—come forth! By our oath, I summon you—come forth! The blood of the dragon commands you—come forth!"

The chant was identical to the one the Emperor had used before.

And the results were the same.

A massive glowing circle burst into existence in midair.

Gasps and startled cries erupted from the pilgrims.

"What in the—!?"

"What is that!?"

Before their horrified eyes, the portal opened wide, and a flood of soldiers poured forth.

Leading them were knights bearing the emblem of the Blue Rose upon their left breastplates.

Behind them, two thousand elite soldiers marched in perfect unison, their disciplined presence exuding overwhelming force.

Lastly, a hundred well-dressed servants emerged, guiding carts laden with supplies.

The sheer scale of the spectacle left onlookers in stunned silence.

"…Incredible," William murmured.

He had commanded troops before, but never anything close to this.

Just watching the perfectly synchronized movements of the soldiers filled him with anticipation.

Then, one of the knights dismounted and strode toward him.

With a firm, practiced movement, he dropped to one knee and declared, "Sir Gareth Müller, Commander of the Blue Rose Knights, pays respects to Duke William Grimaldi Hern—rightful heir of Grimaldi and Margrave of Asagrim!"

William felt a surge of exhilaration.