Flandre Scarlet and her two companions remained entirely unaware that a stranger was actively listening to their conversation. After all, the public park was filled with numerous visitors, and the individual in question appeared completely engrossed in playing with the child in his arms while surreptitiously catching their words. Furthermore, because he was merely observing out of professional curiosity without harboring a shred of genuine hostility, even Hong Meiling's sensitive perception of internal energy failed to detect anything amiss.
After resting on the bench for a short while, Flandre and her companions decided to move toward the next scenic attraction. Seeing their departure, the middle-aged man lifted the child and followed their path at a leisurely, unhurried pace.
Yet, as he walked a short distance behind them, his expression grew increasingly puzzled. To be fair, the three figures ahead looked no different from the countless ordinary tourists visiting Zwillingstürme, strolling casually while taking in the unique cultural atmosphere of the capital. But if you mentally swapped their physical appearances to that of two young women traveling with a child, the dynamic would make perfect sense. What his eyes actually registered, however, was two women in their mid-thirties accompanied by a companion who appeared to be well into her late forties or fifties, creating an indescribably eerie discrepancy.
After tracking them for a few more blocks, he suddenly brought his boots to a halt. As a dedicated operative within the Empress's intelligence network, he strictly adhered to professional protocols even during his scheduled rest hours. Just now, one of the targets had glanced back in his general direction more than once. Continuing to maintain this line of sight would likely compromise his presence.
The mere fact that they could detect his surveillance was already remarkable, a realization that heightened his suspicion to the utmost. After all, as a trusted member of the Empress's Voice, he was counted among the top operatives in the entire imperial spy network. Let alone ordinary citizens, even the personal elite guards of a high Nobles wouldn't necessarily notice his tailing methods. Yet, this trio had picked up on his presence in less than a block.
This discovery raised his inner vigilance another notch.
Meanwhile, just a short distance ahead...
Hong Meiling leaned down, whispering softly to Flandre, "Someone is keeping a tail on us."
"Who?" Flandre asked, keeping her head aimed straight ahead as a spark of curiosity lit up her face.
"I don't recognize the individual, but judging by the flow of their internal energy, it should be the same person who was sitting not far from our bench in the park earlier. They might have overheard our previous conversation," Hong Meiling noted quietly.
The tracker's methods were indeed extraordinary by mundane standards, but Hong Meiling didn't rely on physical appearances to identify targets. She observed the unique signature of a person's living energy, which was entirely distinct for every individual. Consequently, what the follower believed to be a flawless display of covert surveillance was completely exposed in her sight.
Flandre tilted her head slightly. "Besides following us, have they done anything else?"
"No hostility detected..." Hong Meiling replied under her breath.
Upon catching their exchange, Clever's expression turned somewhat grim. "I have heard rumors that Zwillingstürme is absolutely crawling with spies answering to the Empresses. They are stationed everywhere, tasked with monitoring every word and action within the city walls to report back to the throne."
"Huh? But aren't the Twin Empresses said to be incredibly powerful casters in their own right? Why would they need to rely on such methods?" Hong Meiling couldn't quite comprehend the necessity.
"After the old Witch King was finally killed, those noble houses falsely believed they could live lawlessly once they were free from his tyrannical rule," Clever explained, drawing from the deep pool of political intelligence her sisters had gathered over the years. "But the Twin Empresses certainly wouldn't tolerate such chaos. After all, they didn't overthrow the previous regime just to let the aristocracy lord it over the populace. Consequently, they showed zero mercy to those nobles who dared to act too recklessly after the tyrant's fall."
She paused briefly, watching the passing carriages before continuing. "Those aristocratic factions felt that life was difficult under the Witch King, but it remained just as restrictive under the current sovereignty. In their madness, some figured they might as well have the Witch King back; at least the old tyrant only demanded you complete his specific assignments and didn't meddle too much in your private affairs otherwise. Thus, several factions have attempted to subvert the throne and return to the previous era. Precisely because of this threat, Her Majesty has spread her network of informants across every corner of Leithanien to root out these traitors and the lingering remnants of the former regime. Zwillingstürme, as the capital, is where these operatives are most active. After all, this is where the highest concentration of nobility resides. If anyone here colludes with those rebels on the frontier, the consequences would be unthinkable."
Clever added that she had once considered sneaking into the capital to survey the landscape, but her sisters from the Riverside had firmly barred her from the venture. They warned her that Zwillingstürme was unlike any other city; the density of imperial eyes and ears far exceeded any other territory. Individuals with their background wouldn't just be caught upon entering; even approaching the outer limits would likely trigger an investigation.
Hearing that someone was currently tracking their movements, her mind immediately linked the piece to the Empress's Voice.
"So what exactly do these nobles think an emperor is? A mere toy they keep around if they like their policies, and kill off to replace the moment they get annoyed?!" Hong Meiling was left entirely speechless by the revelation. These Leithanien elites really possessed zero reverence for imperial authority, didn't they?
"Isn't the situation in Victoria largely the same?" Flandre chimed in, her tone dripping with casual critique. "It's just that Victoria's grand dukes executed their play far more ruthlessly. After killing off their emperor, they simply chose to leave the throne entirely vacant to split the power among themselves. Leithanien's factions are just trying to copy that homework, but they managed to learn the wrong lesson entirely. Look at the history—they had a perfect template for a successful coup right in front of them with Victoria's crisis, yet they still managed to mess up the execution."
(Note: Victoria's constitutional crisis began in 1072, while Leithanien's rebellion occurred in September of 1077.)
Flandre let out a theatrical sigh, shaking her head. "What a bunch of poor students. After all, look at Victoria—even without a sitting monarch, those grand dukes are still running their territories just fine. Leithanien tries to mimic their independence but ends up placing two brand new empresses on the throne. Isn't that just asking for trouble?"
Flandre's biting political critique left her two companions completely speechless, while the hidden operative who was desperately trying to catch their fading words from a distance broke out into a sudden cold sweat.
From the tone of their conversation, it was obvious they viewed themselves as detached tourists, which explained their incredibly brazen perspective on state affairs. But criticizing Leithanien's incomplete coup so openly in broad daylight, right in the heart of the capital, was a level of disrespect that bordered on suicidal.
Hong Meiling, of course, was fully aware that the man was still trying to listen in. She deliberately allowed Flandre to ramble, intending for these sharp words to drift over and discourage any further tracking.
Sure enough, upon overhearing their dangerous remarks, the middle-aged man silently aborted his movement, turning smoothly into a nearby boutique. Though he remained unsure of exactly how his presence had been compromised, since he had been made, professional protocol dictated he could not continue the surveillance himself.
The shop he had chosen to enter happened to be a covert outpost for the Empress's Voice. Stepping into the back room, he rapidly described the clothing and physical descriptions of the three women to the standby agents, instructing them to immediately arrange for an alternate team to pick up the trail.
But before the secondary team could deploy, the child in his arms blinked, asking with a deeply puzzled expression, "Father, those older sisters all look like they are only in their mid-teens, don't they? Why did you make them sound so old to the other officers? And their garments are completely different from what you just described!"
Hearing the child's innocent breakdown, the operative's pupils contracted sharply. Because he had been training this child from a young age to inherit his position within the network, the youth would never speak carelessly or misidentify basic details. Yet, what the child's eyes had registered was completely disconnected from the images his own brain had processed.
He frowned deeply, firmly questioning the child regarding the exact colors, textiles, and physical features visible from his perspective. After listening to the response, he had the youth repeat the description from start to finish. Confirming that both accounts were perfectly identical and not a product of random imagination, the veteran operative fell into a profound, tense silence.
Turning his gaze toward a senior caster stationed within the safehouse, his voice dropped into a sharp register. "Perform an immediate arcane diagnosis on both me and the boy. Check our senses for any external interference."