Dragon Monarch System Chapter 973:- Shadow Guardian’s Capability

People possess an incredible capacity to withstand hardships.

Aditya had long considered endurance as the supreme power inherent in humanity. The way humans could bear any trial and persist onward always struck him as deeply inspiring.

In his past existence, he'd witnessed that unyielding determination repeatedly. The refusal to surrender and the drive to advance no matter what always impressed him greatly.

Regrettably, even such endurance has boundaries. He thought that for a nobler purpose, an individual could clench their teeth against suffering and hold firm, no matter the dire circumstances. Yet, not all possessed this level of fortitude within.

Aditya watched this unfolding right in front of him.

He wasn't skilled in the art of torment. Yet, prior to Nathan's subordinates even starting to slice into Elio's left arm using a corroded saw to amplify his agony, Elio's determination teetered on collapse.

The instant the saw's jagged edge grazed his limb, he was prepared to abandon his kin's rescue and prioritize his survival. That revealed his true priorities clearly.

His determination lacked sufficient steel. The endurance drawn from his willpower proved inadequate against the torment.

"Please stop! I will speak."

"Just don’t hurt me."

"Better speak fast, otherwise that arm might get ripped from your body in a matter of seconds," Aditya commanded with an icy and commanding voice.

"It was the Emperor’s men who approached me at the mine to work as a spy for them."

"They wanted information about the Fortress Guards."

"As long as I did their work the right way for even six months, my family would be saved from the mines, and we would be given a generous sum to live in that Empire’s Capital."

Upon hearing this, Aditya squinted his eyes and questioned in a hushed voice.

"Which Empire?" Although the Istarin Empire stood as the mightiest among the six continents, certain Empires and Kingdoms still harbored no fear of Aditya. Indeed, some displayed outright antagonism. One method involved abruptly hiking taxes on imports from the Istarin Empire. These realms justified it by claiming the affordable products from Istarin damaged their domestic markets.

Back then, Aditya juggled more pressing concerns, so he overlooked it somewhat. Still, that didn't erase it from his mind entirely.

"It’s the "

At this revelation, Nathan glanced toward Aditya. The General's features stayed concealed behind his perpetual mask.

’The Radiant Empire! It’s an Empire situated in the heart of Westnia’s central area.’ This realm counted among those antagonistic to the Ethereal Empire.

Alicia’s father and the prior Emperors had labored to curb the escalating enmity from the Radiant Empire. Prior to Alicia's reforms in her domain, the Radiant Empire had nearly amassed the might to overthrow the Ethereal Empire.

’Why would that Empire set its sights on the Istarin Empire?’ From Aditya's knowledge, the Radiant Empire's animosity had largely faded following the alliance's creation. Afterward, their diplomatic stance toward the Ethereal Empire had mellowed into something approaching amity.

Aditya shut his eyes briefly. ’It’s the sway of that Organization.’

’No surprise the Radiant Empire grew so bold.’

’I suspect the Emperor serves as a scout or an outer member of the Organisation.’

Retreating was never truly viable. Should the Istarin Empire yield, it would embolden other realms to dispatch their agents. Despite Aditya's numerous strategies and advancements, barring spies from infiltrating the Istarin Empire remained unattainable. Isolating the realm entirely from the world beyond was simply unfeasible.

Moreover, Aditya refused to yield. It clashed with his nature. Faced with pressure, he would counter with matching or greater intensity.

Above all, his foe was that Organization. Thus, every affiliate of it became his adversary as well.

Aditya parted his eyes and fixed a chilly gaze on the rest bound to chairs with enchanted restraints.

"You all have anything to add?"

Ultimately, out of the 20 detained individuals, 14 proved to be agents dispatched by the Radiant Empire. However, the scheme involved Elio and the individual called Leonardo aiding the Organisation in seizing Dragonians and slaying numerous soldiers.

Regarding the other 6 detainees, they emerged as agents from various Empires. For months, their reports lacked substance. Solely Elio and Leonardo relayed credible intelligence back to the Radiant Empire, which the Emperor passed to the Organisation's superiors.

’I’ll address those other Empires soon enough. But the Radiant Empire takes priority.’

"I want the names of every fellow spy that you have heard of or seen." The majority of agents offered nothing useful.

Yet, Leonardo’s facial reaction drew their attention.

"Leo, you have what we want." Aditya and Leonardo locked eyes.

Leonardo, a disgraced noble exiled to the mines with his relatives, mirrored Elio’s tragic tale precisely.

Unlike Elio, though, Leonardo had operated as an agent for nearly a year and a half. "I don’t know anything."

"Then I will present you with the severed heads of your remaining family members." Throughout the questioning and probes, they observed that Leonardo clung more tightly to his loved ones than Elio, often visiting them in the mines.

Aditya didn't pause for Leonardo's reply. "Nathan, send a few of your men to get his family members. I will personally sever their heads in front of this man."

"Wait....!!" At these words, Aditya concealed a smirk.

"I know a few names. But among them, there is one who knows about every spy placed in the Istarin Empire."

"Who is it?"

"He used the right-hand man of a general, but then later he was found taking bribes from officials and nobles. He was sent to prison as a punishment. Or at least, that’s what the Empire wants the outside world to think, but none of the charges were true. The Emperor appointed him as the Head of the Spy Department that is focused on the Dying Isle Empire. Later, his role was just changed to focus on spy management across the entire Istarin Empire." This disclosure darkened Aditya’s countenance.

With a forceful kick to the chest, Aditya hurled Leonardo across the room, slamming him into a wall fifty meters distant.

As he crumpled to the floor, the metal chair warped under the impact, and he hacked up blood. Overwhelmed by agony, he gasped for air, feeling utterly choked.

"Did I ask for that man’s backstory?" Aditya inquired with frigid detachment.

He then addressed Nathan with a directive. "Heal him and then get all the names."

Nathan gestured for his subordinates to commence the healing.

"Nathan, I want to know what the Spy Detection is doing under your command." The Spy Detection served as a branch of the Shadow Guardian.

"Your Majesty, we have been capturing almost every few days. But it seems your efforts weren’t enough. It’s my fault. I sincerely apologise for failing to do my job." This admission soothed Aditya. He recognized that Nathan bore only partial blame. Leading the Shadow Guardian meant handling overwhelming responsibilities. Furthermore, no mere branch could rival the vast backing an entire Empire lent to embedding countless spies within the Istarin Empire.

"Once you have the names, begin a wide-scale hunting. I don’t want any spy taking their own lives or escaping from their hands. If necessary, deploy the power of the entire Empire’s military force."

"If any noble or any high-ranking court official tries to get in your way, then make an example of them before capturing them as well." This granted the Shadow Guardian unrestricted power to unleash violence on any obstructing Noble or Royal figure.

Having issued these orders, Aditya teleported back to the Dragon Palace.

Perched atop the Dragon Palace's pinnacle, gazing at the distant Azure City, he couldn't suppress his thoughts.

’It seems I have become soft to make other Bastards think that they can just send their spies to my Empire.’ In that instant, Aditya resolved to impose punishments so severe that potential spies would hesitate before targeting the Graveyard of Empires.

The Shadow Guardians moved with astonishing speed. In just one night, nearly every name on the list fell into custody.

The ex-aide to the General was seized first. Subsequently, the records he maintained yielded enough details to round up virtually all the rest. Overnight, as the Radiant Empire's Emperor slumbered peacefully, the Shadow Guardians apprehended every agent he'd infiltrated into the Istarin Empire.

That night, sleep evaded Aditya. He shared moments with his beloved, yet the crisis's demands kept him in his office through the hours, tackling numerous tasks.

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