NOVEL NEXT Chapter 20: 20
Rivo pulled Budo along and said something inconsequential for about half an hour.
Budo felt a little puzzled, until he walked out of Rivo's dormitory and came to the gate of the palace.
Budo finally realized that something was wrong, but he couldn't confirm it in his heart.
He's not the kind of guy who plays politics very well.
His mind is not particularly sharp—at most, he's an average person. He had devoted his life to the military.
There was also not much time for him to engage in political maneuvering.
But Budo at that time, even if he was foolish, understood one thing clearly:
Rivo deliberately asked him to go to the palace just to make Honest misunderstand.
Although it was a very simple trick…
For a suspicious person like Honest, it would be extremely effective.
If he appeared to be aligned with Budo, he would soon be targeted by Honest.
"Your Majesty, what the hell does this mean..."
"Do you want me to show my attitude?"
"Or is this just a ploy set up by the minister to teach His Majesty..."
Budo was full of doubts at this point and couldn't figure out what kind of situation he was really in.
There may be only two possibilities today.
First, all of this was orchestrated by the young emperor Rivo himself.
All of it meant to provoke a conflict with Honest, allowing both sides to consume each other's power.
Then, Rivo could truly force him to submit. If he didn't, he would be devoured by Honest.
But to submit to an emperor who holds no authority in his hands—just an empty shell…
In the eyes of ordinary people, this might be unacceptable.
But Budo, as a general, was loyal to the empire. And the empire was represented by His Majesty, the Emperor.
If all of this was truly orchestrated by Rivo himself, then Budo was willing to be the one who clears the path.
To weaken Honest's power—even if he had to sacrifice himself—at least he would know a wise leader would rise in the empire.
Second, it could be the exact opposite.
Honest no longer needed him to guard the palace against night raids.
Or perhaps he had become a threat in Honest's eyes, so the minister collaborated with the young emperor to stage this situation.
All of it designed to reduce his influence and use that to persecute him.
"Now, I can only hope... it's the first scenario…"
Budo took a deep breath, and the look on his face became slightly helpless.
Looking at the enormous palace behind him, he suddenly realized—he had been yielding and stepping back.
While Honest's power only grew stronger, day by day.
This time, he wouldn't choose to retreat again.
At night, Rivo stayed alone in his dormitory.
Sayo's level was not as high as the Upper Moons', and she was even weaker than the Lower Moons—it would take time for her to grow.
Most of the maids and guards in the palace were under Honest's control.
Rivo didn't care how many of them died. He only told Sayo not to get caught and allowed her to go out hunting freely.
[Empire Summoning System]
[Host: Rivo]
[Servants: Twelve Kizuki Series - Upper Moon Two, Upper Moon Three, Upper Moon Six]
[Reputation: 1520]
[Skills: Servant Summoning, Servant Recycling, Telepathy, Vision Sharing]
Not only had his reputation points increased, but his skills had improved too.
On normal days, he used vision sharing and telepathy to command the Upper Moons.
This had led to a steady increase in reputation over the past two months.
But now, the problem was how to use these reputation points.
Rivo had long started thinking about this.
"Forget it. I already have enough people for now."
"Let's raise Akaza first…"
"Soon, the first event will occur…"
"Within the empire, I'll need someone capable to replace Honest's control."
Rivo thought carefully, then finally decided to upgrade one of his servants.
Immediately, the selection for the three Upper Moons began.
As for Sayo and Iyeas, it would be a waste to give them this opportunity.
[Akaza]
[C-Class Minion]
[Rank: ☆]
[Demon Slayer: Twelve Kizuki, Upper Moon Three]
[Abilities: Combat Expertise, Blood Demon Art, Immortal Body]
Rivo ultimately chose a servant with mobility and versatile utility.
Akaza was undoubtedly one of the most powerful among them and followed orders with efficiency.
The other two Upper Moons had their own duties, so Rivo didn't plan to adjust them for now.
[Ding! Upgrading C-Class Minion requires 1000 Reputation Points!]
As the system notification rang, Rivo didn't hesitate to spend the required points.
The cost to raise a ☆ rank was the same as the summoning reputation:
C-Class: 1000 points
B-Class: 5000 points
A-Class: 10000 points
But this was only for the first upgrade. The second upgrade would multiply this number by five.
As the system's confirmation message faded, Rivo began his third summon.
[Ding! Congratulations, host, for drawing a member of the Twelve Kizuki!]
An unfamiliar name suddenly appeared, making Rivo blink in surprise.
He started searching his memory for the origin of the name.
"I don't remember this one being in the main storyline."
"Was she one of the Lower Moons before Enmu?"
"Oh, right—in the prequel, she was killed by the Wind Hashira, Sanemi Shinazugawa..."
Details about the Captive Bird suddenly came to Rivo's mind.
Though rarely mentioned, he recalled one phrase: "The one closest to the Upper Moons."
Thinking of this, he relaxed. As long as her strength wasn't weak, it wouldn't be a loss.
Immediately, Rivo pulled up the status panel of the Captive Bird.
[Captive Bird]
[C-Class Minion]
[Rank: ☆]
[Demon Slayer: One of the Lower Moons of the Twelve Kizuki]
[Abilities: Blood Demon Art – Alternate Dimension, Flesh Wall Illusion, Incense Fog, Immortal Body]
She had three blood demon arts. Based on their variety, her role was quite unique.
Even if Rivo hadn't seen her in action, those abilities alone were enough to place her in C-Class.
"Respected master."
"It's an honor to appear before you."
The figure and voice of the Captive Bird slowly appeared before Rivo.
She wore a purple kimono, with a kind smile and a warm tone.
But the fangs in her mouth and her blood-red eyes would make anyone pause.
And the symbol engraved in her left eye made Rivo's expression slightly disappointed.
"Step aside. I'm going to rest."
"Don't leave without my command. And don't get caught."