Chapter 4: The Meaning of “Oldest and Weakest”

While Mia was busy talking on beds, Ludwig and Dion were already in the process of investigating the Yellowmoons. The two men would eventually become close friends and support Empress Mia as her most trusted retainers, but here and now they had never worked alone together before.

Dion stepped into Ludwig’s office and immediately asked, “So, Ludwig, how exactly do you plan to go about this? Round up the suspects and beat the truth out of them one by one? I’d be up for that...it’s a lot of work though. If you’d prefer something faster, we could also just...” He made a sound with his tongue while drawing his thumb across his throat. “Deal with them and not tell the princess. Not exactly fond of this idea, but I’ll do whatever is necessary.”

His roguish grin was clearly meant to provoke a response. Ludwig didn’t bite. Instead, he calmly shook his head.

“That would run counter to the spirit of Her Highness’s efforts. Such an option should only be employed as a last resort,” Ludwig answered with a shrug, intentionally refraining from rejecting the idea outright. “I’d like to believe that we are yet capable of formulating more...civilized alternatives.”

He then continued in a more thoughtful tone.

“As I said before, ever since we returned from Ganudos, I’ve ordered my men to monitor the Yellowmoons. We have eyes on the Duke’s family, along with his butlers, maids, servants, the whole lot. I’m also keeping a close watch on the main nobles in the Yellowmoon faction. But...for the time being, we have very little to show for it. There’s been nothing. Not even an attempt to deter our agents. The Yellowmoons have made no moves whatsoever. Of course, no surveillance network is perfect, and I wouldn’t be completely surprised if they were taking steps but managing to hide them from us...” He paused for a second. “It’s also possible...that they were warned by Ganudos and are intentionally staying put.”

“Probably. Still, they can lie low, but there must be some communication going in and out. They’re probably sending secret messages.”

Ludwig nodded at the suggestion.

“Indeed. There are regular letters going out to the Duke’s daughter, who currently attends Saint-Noel.”

“The princess’s school, huh. Well, at least they’ve got their fangs pointed in the right direction. But you’re telling me that there was nothing suspicious in those letters?” Dion said with a sharp gaze at Ludwig.

“I’ll remind you that those are personal letters from a father to his daughter, Sir Dion. Do you accuse me of spying on such intimate correspondence?”

“I sure as hell do. Otherwise, I’d accuse you of incompetence,” he said with a grin.

Ludwig grinned back and spread his hands.

“Fair enough. I admit that I may have partaken in some less-than-gentlemanly conduct. And unsurprisingly, the content of the letters was exactly what you’d expect from a father writing to his daughter attending school. He inquires about her present condition and encourages her to make the best of her time and abilities.”

“Damn, I gotta say, anyone who says I’m a monster should get a good look at you. Intercepting a father’s loving note to his daughter? That’s downright vile,” said a playfully abrasive Dion. “You sure you don’t want to go with incompetence instead?”

“Quite sure,” answered Ludwig primly. “Especially when it concerns Her Highness’s safety. I’ll go to hell and back if that’s what it takes to keep her safe.” He paused and took in a deep breath before continuing.

“But despite my best efforts, I’ve come away empty-handed. To be perfectly honest, I’m getting a bit desperate for some useful information about the Yellowmoons...”

Ludwig crossed his arms and let out a guttural sigh. Dion was amusedly appreciating the deepness of the creases on the spectacled minister’s brow when a thought occurred to him.

“Huh. Question. Is it even possible for only a few people in the family to be involved in the conspiracy?” Dion asked abruptly. “I feel like these kinds of grand schemes require active cooperation from the whole house.”

“Fair point...though I believe it’s quite plausible for the Duke himself to be the only one involved,” answered Ludwig with a classic finger-to-glasses-bridge gesture.

“Oh yeah? What’s your angle?”

“The thing about secrets...is that the more people privy to one, the easier it will leak. It’s an incontrovertible truth.”

“Aha, and meanwhile, there’s nothing circulating about the Yellowmoons. Not even a small rumor. The fact that they’ve managed to keep such a tight lip on things suggests there aren’t a whole lot of lips involved to begin with. Maybe even just the Duke’s own, and the rest of his family are clueless innocents. That what you’re thinking?”

“Pretty much. Unless, of course, we’re dealing with a particularly unique family... Hm...”

Ludwig fell silent, prompting Dion to ask, “What’s the deal?”

“A thought just occurred to me... What role exactly do you think the House of Yellowmoon was supposed to fulfill?”

Dion cocked a brow.

“What do you mean by ‘role’?”

“For example,” said Ludwig in a calm, explanatory tone, “the House of Redmoon has a great deal of influence over the Ebony Moon Ministry, but there’s a reciprocal aspect to the arrangement. That influence also comes with the expectation of relevant expertise that can be relied upon during emergencies.”

“Yeah, that tracks,” agreed Dion, nodding with arms crossed.

“The same logic can be applied to the House of Greenmoon, which has deep ties with foreign nations. By being the first to realize the value of goods and knowledge from abroad, they acquired significant influence over such matters. Excessive concentration of influence over education and scholarship from one source is, in my opinion, undesirable, but even so, the Greenmoons do need to be given credit for the role they’ve played.”

“Gotcha. Which makes Duke Bluemoon the empire’s official cat-herder,” Dion quipped before a level look from Ludwig made him add, “He’s the guy who rallies the powerful central nobility so they’re easier to manage.”

“Yes, more or less. The point is, throughout our history, each of the Four Dukes have had their own specific role to play. So...what was Yellowmoon’s, then?”

There was a moment of silence before Dion answered in a contemplative tone.

“Hm... The oldest and weakest of the Four... Taken at face value, that means they’re the longest-standing lineage. They were there when the empire was founded, sharing both the emperor’s blood and the toil of his project’s conception. Maybe that’s it. Past glory and all that.”

“These days, that might seem plausible, but I doubt the first emperor operated on such clement principles. At the very least, he didn’t sound like the kind of person to hand out noble ranks based on friendship. This is purely conjecture, but...”

The man had sought to build an empire from the ground up for the sake of a personal goal. And he’d succeeded.

“I can’t imagine someone of his caliber would tolerate waste. He wouldn’t squander resources on the Yellowmoons out of gratitude. There had to have been a role they played. Or...a role they continue to play to this day. That, perhaps, is where we should look for answers.”

“So if it’s not about being the oldest, then is it the other part? Some sort of meaning to being the weakest?” said Dion before shrugging. “Can’t see how being weak is useful.”

“Well, maybe it can be useful... Being the weakest means that at the very least, they can avoid attracting a lot of attention. Were they as strong as you, Sir Dion, they would be known to friend and foe alike. Having so many eyes on them would, then, make it harder to get certain things done.”

“I see... That’s a good point.”

“And with that... I believe I’ve finally figured out what we need to do. We need to know. About Duke Yellowmoon, but not just him and not just now. We have to look further back and find out what role the Yellowmoons played throughout the empire’s history. That should give us some clues as to who we’re up against... Maybe then, we’ll be able to supply Her Highness with the information she desired regarding who in their house is actually connected to the Serpents.”

Their course of action for the time being was thus decided. Ludwig and Dion would venture into the empire’s dark past in search of answers. Mia, meanwhile, was about to venture somewhere too. In her case though, it was into Saint-Noel’s forest in search of easily harvestable clusters of mushrooms.