Chapter 66: Uncertain and Suspicious

In the magnificent great hall, the atmosphere was unusually tense.

Wester V sat on the throne, calmly observing the ministers before him. Although he was also somewhat nervous inside, at this moment, he absolutely could not show any sign of weakness in front of everyone. As the ruler of a country, one must always make the subjects feel at ease, no matter when or where.

At this moment, everyone’s gaze was fixed on Commander Ashe, who was wearing black armor and standing in the center of the hall. He had his head slightly lowered, reading a battle report from the front lines.

“According to intelligence transmitted overnight from the Red Fortress, last night, the Siith Empire captured Nightcity, the second largest city of the Auroth Kingdom. From the current situation, it’s only a matter of time before the Night Source is occupied by the Sith Empire . The Auroth Kingdom has given up resistance. According to the latest news, they have signed a temporary ceasefire agreement with the Sith Empire . The Auroth side has ceded two military strongholds in exchange for a three-month temporary ceasefire period… but that’s all. Now, except for the river valley area where the capital is located, the territory of the Auroth Kingdom has basically all fallen.”

“Even Nightcity has been captured, Auroth is finished this time.”

As soon as Ashe’s emotionless voice stopped, the entire hall immediately began to buzz with commotion. Everyone furrowed their brows, anxiously talking to each other. Although after receiving the neighboring country’s request for aid earlier, the King of Wester had decided to send reinforcements. After all, the Auroth Kingdom bordered the Wester Kingdom and was considered their natural barrier. They understood the principle that when the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold. But even so, no one had expected that the Sith Empire ‘s army could occupy Auroth’s second largest city, Nightcity, in such a short time. It’s worth noting that this was no ordinary city. One of the two Sources possessed by Auroth was in Nightcity. And relying on the power of the Source, Nightcity had defensive capabilities that other cities couldn’t match at all. But even so, it had still been captured?

“Is there a detailed battle report?” Wester V ‘s face showed a hint of anxiety. He leaned forward slightly and asked.

“The one responsible for the frontal assault was the ‘Puppeteer’ Sidwi. According to intelligence, her 30,000-strong construct army attracted all the defensive firepower of Nightcity. Taking this opportunity, the ‘Wind Messenger’ launched a sudden attack on Nightcity. After the city walls were breached, Nightcity couldn’t quickly regroup its defenses, which allowed Karan to fully display his commanding power… The governor’s mansion was suppressed within half an hour, and then surrendered. The battle lasted only two and a half hours before it was declared over.”

“You’ve got to be kidding, this was a siege battle!”

Hearing this, some young generals couldn’t help but draw in a sharp breath. A siege battle was not like a field confrontation. As the defending side, Nightcity’s defenses were extremely strong. Three hundred magic cannons and walls four to five meters high were enough to withstand the attack of an army of 30,000, not to mention that it also had one of the Sources, the Night Source. The mana power continuously generated from it could not only reinforce the city walls but also allow those cannons to fire without interruption. This kind of firepower coverage was enough to make any army hesitate. But a girl of only sixteen or seventeen, leading an army of 30,000 constructs, not only withstood that fierce firepower but even ended the battle in the shortest time?

Hearing this, Wester V and Duke Balen and others couldn’t help but frown. This meant that the Auroth Kingdom was finished. The reason they signed a temporary ceasefire treaty was merely to prolong their last breath. Having lost the Source of Nightcity, relying solely on the power of the capital in the river valley area, there was no way to confront the Siyh Empire’s army. Moreover, in this battle, only two of the Four Heavenly Punishers appeared. The Silver Princess hadn’t shown any sign yet. Rumors said she was currently leading troops to encircle and suppress the barbarians in the southwest region. Once she joined the battle, the situation would become even more one-sided.

“What does General Kelter think?” Wester V took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his inner tension and anxiety, and asked. Originally, the Shield of Protection Legion led by Kelter had already set out, heading towards the Auroth Kingdom to assist their allies. But Nightcity had fallen, and they hadn’t even left the national border yet, so the situation of this reinforcement army became very awkward. After all, now even a fool could see that the Auroth Kingdom no longer had the power to counterattack. If they rashly sent troops over now, it would only be a pointless sacrifice.

“Commander Kelter believes that under the current situation, it’s no longer appropriate to send reinforcements. Because he requests to conduct large-scale garrison and reorganization of the existing Red Fortress defense line to face the impending Sith Empire’s army. Once the river valley area is also captured, we will inevitably have to confront the Sith Empire’s army head-on. As for the Auroth Kingdom… I think they also understand that it’s impossible to receive our assistance anymore. However, I personally believe that they will need our help.”

“I understand what you mean,” Wester V waved his hand somewhat irritably.

“I need to think about it a bit more. If there’s nothing else, let’s end it here.”

Hearing the King’s words, everyone felt heavy-hearted. They looked at each other, then shook their heads, sighing as they prepared to turn and leave. However, Ashe still stood there, showing no intention of leaving.

“Your Majesty, I have another very important matter to report to you.”

“There’s more?” Hearing this, Wester V frowned in displeasure. He had already heard quite bad news, was there something even worse waiting for him?

“Speak,” although the words were out, he naturally couldn’t order Ashe to shut up, so he could only sigh helplessly and then speak. But contrary to everyone’s expectations, this time Ashe didn’t immediately report to the King. Instead, he raised his head and looked around.

“Your Majesty, this matter is very important.”

Hearing this, everyone naturally understood what Ashe meant. So those who weren’t high-ranking enough or didn’t qualify to enter the inner circle quickly left. Since it wasn’t appropriate for them to hear, they naturally wouldn’t stay to invite trouble. Soon, most of the people in the great hall had left. Those who could stay were all from the innermost circle. Until the last soldier also left the great hall and closed the heavy door, Wester V finally spoke.

“Speak, what matter requires such trouble?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Seeing that only his own people were around, Ashe no longer had any reservations. He raised his head and spoke with a serious and solemn expression.

“In fact, before returning to the capital, I also investigated another matter, which is that there’s currently some chaotic situation in the territory of the Zach Family.”

“Oh?” Hearing this, Wester V raised an eyebrow but didn’t give much reaction. As a king, he naturally couldn’t care too much about the affairs of the nobles under him. As long as they didn’t go too far, the king generally wouldn’t interfere with them.

“What’s the matter?”

“The old patriarch of the Zach Family has passed away due to illness, and his only heir has disappeared without a trace. Under these circumstances, some not-so-good influences have arisen within the Zach Family.”

“General Ashe, this isn’t a big deal, is it?” Another old man asked with a somewhat dissatisfied expression. And facing Ashe’s report, others also seemed indifferent. When they stayed behind, they thought there would be some big issue. But is this it? Internal chaos in a family? They’ve seen plenty of this kind of thing among the great nobles, there’s really no need to treat it so seriously, right?

“Indeed, it’s not a big deal. Although the Zach Family’s territory is behind the Red Fortress, this short-term chaos won’t affect or cause losses to military transport,” Ashe nodded, agreeing with everyone’s opinion, but his target was clearly not this.

“However, a figure that has appeared in this, I think everyone will be very familiar with.”

Saying this, Ashe took out a magic crystal from his bosom.

“This is a scene monitored by my mage subordinate’s familiar.”

Along with Ashe’s words, the magic crystal gradually lit up. Then, a beautiful figure gradually appeared in the air. It was an extremely beautiful young woman. At this moment, she was sitting by a desk, lowering her head and silently reading the book in her hand. That violet-colored long hair, under the sunlight, shone brightly, with an intoxicating color.

When they saw this young woman, Wester V ‘s originally indifferent expression suddenly changed. He widened his eyes, breathing rapidly as he looked at the young woman. And all the people present held their breath. They widened their eyes, unable to believe what they were seeing, and some even excitedly cried out involuntarily.

“Princess Ophariel!”

No wonder they were so excited. Although the people present were all core figures of the royal family, holding high positions and great power, with deep scheming abilities, thirty years ago, they were after all young people, full of passion and ideals. And Ophariel at that time was the idol in these people’s hearts. She was beautiful, intelligent, and talented. Whether in reputation or ability, no one could match her. And when the news of this princess’s accidental death came out, the entire Wester Kingdom was in a state of depression—as if it wasn’t just a princess who had died, but the king himself.

Of course, Ophariel’s active distancing from the military also gained quite a bit of favor from the royal family at that time. Even those stubborn royalists admitted that this princess indeed knew how to conduct herself. In fact, almost everyone believed that when the prince ascended to the throne, this princess would definitely be the first choice to assist him. And as long as she was there, the Wester Kingdom would become more prosperous and powerful.

But things didn’t go as wished. Ophariel died accidentally thirty years ago, and Wester V , who inherited the throne, although he tried very hard, his talent wasn’t high. From his ascension to the throne until now, he had barely maintained the standards of his father’s—Wester IV’s era. Whether in terms of diplomatic vision or internal reforms, this King lacked Princess Ophariel’s intelligence, wisdom, and vision. In fact, many people privately discussed and felt quite regretful—if Princess Ophariel were alive, the Wester Kingdom would surely have developed in a better direction.

And now, they actually saw that figure that had been buried in dust for thirty years appear before them again. How could this not shock everyone?

“Silence, silence!” Seeing the atmosphere in the great hall starting to become chaotic, Wester suddenly slammed the armrest of the throne and shouted loudly.

“This is impossible, it can’t be my elder sister. Don’t forget, elder sister has been dead for thirty years. Even if she were still alive, how could she still look like a young girl?”

This…

Hearing the King’s angry shout, the minds of the people that had been somewhat dazed with excitement finally sobered up. That’s right, Princess Ophariel had been dead for thirty years. Even if she were still alive, she should be forty or fifty years old. But the young woman in the image before them was clearly only sixteen or seventeen years old. How could she possibly be the princess from back then?

But… she looks too similar. In fact, there were many old people in the royal family who were very familiar with this princess. And from this current image, whether it was this young woman’s sitting posture, her movements when turning pages, or her expressions, they were exactly the same as the deceased princess. No, no, no, if all these could be considered coincidences, then there was one more direct piece of evidence—that violet-colored long hair was absolutely not fake. Whether this young woman was related to Princess Ophariel or not, she definitely possessed royal bloodline, this was indisputable.

“Your Majesty, could it be…” Someone quickly put forward their view, but halfway through speaking, they obediently closed their mouth under the gaze of others. Everyone present was an old hand, how could they not know what he was trying to say? This guy must have wanted to say, could this young woman be the princess’s illegitimate daughter or something… But come to think of it, Ophariel was such an intelligent, beautiful, and etiquette-abiding young woman back then, saying she would have an illegitimate child was simply blasphemy. At that time, this princess was the center of attention for thousands of people. If she had a lover, it would have been impossible not to be discovered. Taking a step back, even if this princess really had an illegitimate child, they should be about thirty years old now. After all, she had been dead for thirty years. A corpse couldn’t possibly give birth to a child fourteen years later, right?

But, could it be that the princess didn’t die?

Looking at the image before them, many people began to doubt in their hearts. After all, when the news of Princess Ophariel’s sudden death from illness came out, they were also very surprised. After all, this princess was not some delicate, weak greenhouse flower who would be out of breath after walking a few steps. She often traveled outside and paid great attention to her own health. What kind of illness could make this princess suddenly die so inexplicably? At that time, some people had doubts, but without evidence, they could only let it go. But now, the appearance of this young woman made many people start to doubt that incident from back then again. Could it be that the princess didn’t die back then, but was hidden away by the royal family? Or was there some other hidden truth?

“Have you found out her identity?” Wester V asked in a low voice. His face was serious and solemn, his eyes revealing indecipherable emotions. At this moment, the King was tightly gripping the armrests, his finger joints turning white from excessive force. Although his expression wasn’t as exaggerated as the others, there was still a clearly visible trace of urgency hidden within.

“This prin… this young lady’s background, I have already sent people to investigate, but we haven’t found out her origins. We only know that she is currently the advisor of the Felix family, responsible for managing affairs for the lord of Twilight Forest.”

“The Felix family?” Wester V frowned. He didn’t remember such a family.

“That’s a fallen noble family. According to my investigation, his family wasn’t very famous. They originally managed an estate in the plains area, but later that land was coveted by the Bird Family, who exchanged it for a noble fief in Twilight Forest. So they became the lords of Twilight Forest. This lord is very young, only in his early twenties, and his parents died from illness before reaching the territory. There seem to be no other relatives in his family. Up until now, I haven’t found out how he got in touch with this young lady. However, according to reliable information, he possesses the strength of a high-rank swordsman.”

“Oh…”

Although this was also quite sensational news, due to Ophariel’s presence earlier, people hadn’t yet digested it. It was the old man standing to the left of the king, wearing a black robe with white hair and beard, who suddenly spoke up.

“What’s his name?”

“Eh?” Hearing the old man suddenly ask, Ashe looked at him somewhat surprised, then quickly answered.

“His name is Julian Felix, Master Laribode.”

“Julian…?” Hearing this name, a flash of light passed through the old man’s eyes, then he immediately asked further.

“Then, what about his banner?”

“Banner…” This really stumped Ashe. Originally, his investigation target was that young woman who looked extremely similar to the former princess, and he had only briefly looked into her master. But he still had some impression.

“Hmm… let me think, ah yes, purple background…”

“Purple background… Chapter of Glory.”

“Gold border… long sword and…”

“White rose.”

Ashe hadn’t finished speaking when the old man jumped in ahead of him. He tightly clasped his hands, trembling slightly.

“Triangular flag, purple background, gold border, the pattern is a long sword with a blooming white rose entwined around it, isn’t that right?”

“Yes, that’s correct…”

Hearing the old man’s words, Ashe was stunned. Could it be that Master Laribode had some connection with that family? Even Wester V cast a puzzled glance at him, not knowing why this master was so familiar with the banner of a small fallen noble family. However, the old man didn’t respond to their inquiries. Instead, with a serious gaze, he looked towards those elderly ministers and royals in the crowd. At this moment, their faces were also pale and ashen. In fact, since hearing the old mage’s description of the banner earlier, these people’s expressions had instantly become extremely ugly.

“I think we all know who that person is now.”

After exchanging glances with several old ministers, the old man suddenly turned around and looked solemnly at Wester V .

“Your Majesty, please stop this matter here. Don’t investigate any further.”

“Master Laribode?” Hearing such a serious statement from this master, Wester V also became nervous.

“Is there some problem?”

“Yes, there’s a very serious problem. Your Majesty, I think we should let this matter pass, not manage it anymore, not mention it again, and especially not investigate that family.”

“That’s right, Your Majesty, I think so too.”

“Your Majesty, please reconsider. Although the matter of this young lady is also very important, I believe we shouldn’t interfere in it. Right now we should focus more on the battle with the Sith Empire .”

Ashe and the other noble ministers looked at this scene before them, somewhat dumbfounded. Because at this moment, those advising the King to stop were all those high-ranking and elderly officials. As for the others, they were completely baffled, not understanding why there was suddenly such a change. Originally, they all thought they should investigate this properly. After all, this young lady who looked extremely similar to the princess was definitely a breakthrough point. But now, so many people were opposing it? Moreover, they were all the most respected figures in the royal inner circle. Another common point was that they were all very old.

Could it be that they knew some secret that others didn’t?

“Master Laribode, aren’t you being too nervous? Is this really necessary? I think we should still properly investigate that young woman. If she’s impersonating royalty to deceive people, it would cause us considerable trouble.”

“I think this is necessary, Your Majesty,” the old mage sighed deeply.

“As for the reason, I will tell you later. Now, I just hope you can make the right decision.”

Wester V stared intently at the old mage before him, and the old mage calmly returned his gaze. After a moment, the King withdrew his gaze.

“This matter will be shelved for now… However, Master Laribode, I hope you can give me a reasonable explanation that I can accept.”