Dragon Monarch System Chapter 972:- Suspected Spies

"Elio, get started on packing up today's orders. We need to leave in an hour to bring meals to the Guards." Two weeks had passed since he began his job at the eatery.

"I'm on it right now." From inside the kitchen, the man in his twenties called out in response. He didn't serve as a cook. Instead, he assisted the head chef with kitchen tasks. His key responsibility involved teaming up with the chef to transport breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily to the sentries safeguarding the City from the stronghold or ramparts.

Each warrior possessed unique tastes. The eatery proprietor jotted down the preferences and aversions of all, assembling a thorough ledger detailing every guard's favorites.

Not all sentries dined at the restaurant. Certain ones spent their downtime venturing to preferred dining places. Others resided near the bastion alongside their kin and chose to go back home for meals together. A few arrived with pre-packed lunches and suppers for their shifts. Yet, this establishment stood as the primary provider of the guards' everyday sustenance by a wide margin.

This pattern held true across nearly every urban center. For innkeepers, supplying hundreds of warriors simultaneously proved immensely lucrative. These defenders possessed greater wealth than commoners and freely splurged on quality cuisine. As cultivators, moreover, their intake of food far exceeded normal levels. Thus, nourishing several hundred guards equated to sustaining more than a thousand civilians.

Payments arrived promptly without fail. Groups settled collectively in some cases, individuals in others. No one ever lagged on dues. Essentially, earning the confidence of the bastion's defenders and furnishing full daily meals turned into a highly rewarding venture.

"Have you caught wind that the captured Dragonians made their way back a couple of days ago?" Upon hearing those words, Elio went rigid. His face grew taut and odd for several moments until he hastily regained his composure.

The cook beside him remained oblivious, preoccupied with preparing extra finishing touches for the Dragonians' dishes, as rumors indicated they would return to posts today.

Forcing a grin, Elio glanced toward the cook he'd collaborated with over the past two weeks and beyond.

"When exactly did they come back? How come I haven't spotted them?"

Elio stood out as no commoner. His complete name rang as Elio Seymour. The Seymour lineage held noble status, positioning Elio as the heir to the Viscount title following his father.

"The Emperor granted them several days off to recuperate and reunite with kin or companions."

"Regarding their actions post-capture of the Dragonians, nobody has a clue. Even the top officials remain in the dark." At this revelation, Elio sank into profound reflection. He recognized his own entanglement in the affair. He had supplied crucial details to the individual who liberated him from bondage.

Calamity had befallen the realm he once belonged to.

The monarch launched an assault that Elio still viewed as an utterly foolish decision against the Istarin Empire, infamous as the Graveyard of Empires.

In merely one or two days, the full kingdom crumbled, transforming into a province under the Istarin Empire's rule.

A shift in authority and integration into a new Empire signaled an impending overhaul of the kingdom's entire hierarchy. This unfolded with startling speed. In just a day or two, options emerged to persist in service to the Istarin Empire, bound by a soul contract. Adherence to strict protocols and directives became mandatory.

Above all, graft and despotism faced total prohibition.

Lord Seymour embraced the proposal, pledging loyalty to the Dragon Monarch while preserving their influence and acquiring extra Empire-backed assets. However, they neglected, through ingrained custom, the Empire's fierce stance against graft and oppression of its people.

In the opening month, the Shadow Guards uncovered their misdeeds, encompassing past atrocities they persisted in committing.

The entire clan lost all authority.

Lord Seymour, along with his heir and the family, had their cultivation revoked. Seymour earned a century-long prison term for graft and misuse of authority, yet the broader elite escaped no blame. Consequently, Elio and his relatives endured a 15-year mandate laboring in the mines.

Yet, mere months prior, a mysterious figure from a foreign Empire appeared at the mine in disguise.

Through payoffs to select mine overseers, Elio secured his release.

Elio yearned to liberate his relatives too, yet instructions came to serve as an informant for that figure. His mission entailed assuming a fresh persona and maneuvering into proximity with the fortress sentries in the City.

"Elio.....!!"

"Eli...!!"

Only then did Elio jolt from his reverie.

"What's wrong, chef?"

"What's wrong? You seemed lost in space. Is everything alright?" The chef held a favorable view of the young fellow. Kind, modest, and diligent, he aimed to watch over the youth and ensure a smooth workspace.

"It's nothing! I'm okay." Elio replied, plastering on a phony smile.

The clamor of numerous boots prompted the chef and Elio to peer toward the kitchen doorway. A Dragonian, flanked by several guards, strode inside.

Upon spotting them, Elio's features hardened.

He spun on his heel at once, attempting to bolt away.

Yet, as a mere mortal now, how could he evade the grasp of cultivators?

Strong arms swiftly forced Elio down to the floor.

"Sir, this must be a mistake." The chef attempted to defend Elio, given his positive regard for the boy.

Just then, the eatery proprietor dashed into the kitchen, face ashen. Panic gripped him, as this incident threatened to demolish his livelihood and slash revenues by nearly 80%.

"Quiet!" The Shadow Guard Dragonian snapped back with icy sharpness.

"Sir, what's going on?" The proprietor ventured to inquire about the disturbance.

The Dragonian eyed the proprietor before clarifying.

"The entire establishment faces scrutiny. Proof exists that your employees, yourself included, might have disclosed confidential details on the fortress sentries." The proprietor's complexion drained of color at the news.

"Assemble all hands and shut down operations." The guards sprang into action, and soon the place cleared of patrons, with every worker lined up at the counter, faces etched with fear and strain.

"Regarding this individual, I'll escort him to the Capital. His Majesty demands a look at him."

"Handle the rest here." The deputy commander of the troops acknowledged the Dragonian with a nod.

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Parallel events unfolded in various City districts.

For maintaining the bastion's hygiene and upholding armament conditions, a sanitation firm secured the contract via the guild.

The Shadow Guards scrutinized each external worker's dossier, apprehending all prime suspects. The others fell under review and received orders barring departure from the City.

Within the sanitation crew, a man of middle years called Leonardo joined the ranks of those seized.

That very afternoon, in the Istarin Empire's detention facility, over twenty detainees sat bound to iron seats via enchanted restraints.

"Unlock the entrance!" Captain Nathan of the Shadow Guard commanded the jailers with frosty authority.

The wardens hesitated not a moment, particularly with the Grand Emperor present.

As Aditya entered, all captives fixed their stares on him. Aditya observed a range of reactions. He scanned the group until his eyes lingered on Elio and Leonardo, secured side by side.

"Those are the key figures!" Nathan murmured close to his ear from nearby.

"Probes reveal these pair as ex-nobles condemned to 15 years in the mines."

"They altered aliases and facades to secure roles granting routine access to the fortress. One even bolted upon my team's arrival for arrest." Aditya merely inclined his head, face impassive.

"And the rest?"

"The other eighteen hail from dubious origins, landing them on our watchlist."

"The redhead fellow just acquired an acre of arable soil. His funds' origin stays murky. His role involves armory upkeep."

None among them proved blameless.

The Shadow Guard excelled with unmatched skill.

From Aditya's arrival onward, every asset of the Shadow Guard mobilized to hunt and seize infiltrators within the City. A single day sufficed to net twenty detainees.

"Your Majesty, what's your preferred method here?" Aditya entered with a strategy in mind.

Typically, seized agents endured graded torments. If suspicions lacked grand or audacious scope, the ordeals stayed mild. Suspects tied to major threats against the populace or plotting such faced merciless agonies.

Aditya directed his finger toward Elio.

"Sever his limbs gradually and with maximum agony. Following each cut, rub salt into the gashes." The sheer dread in those commands blanched every face to ghostly white.

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A huge thanks to everyone offering support via those precious golden tickets and presents. Let's maintain the momentum!!!

I offer my sincere regrets for yet another extended break. I needed to travel to a different nation (Saudi Arabia) via bus. The trip proved grueling. Relentless air conditioning and chilly conditions aggravated my condition, leaving me feverish and hacking through the entire voyage.