Chapter 67: Sealed History

Entering the study, Wester V solemnly closed the door, sat down in a chair, and looked seriously at the old mage before him. He dared not disrespect Laribode. When he was still a prince, this old mage was already his mentor. Although Wester V ‘s magical talent wasn’t particularly high, and even now he was only at the level of an ordinary mage, in other aspects, he had received Laribode’s meticulous care and education. It could even be said that this mage was half a father to him. And when he finally inherited the throne, it was Laribode’s support that allowed him to stand firm. So, no matter what he thought internally, Wester V still had to listen to this master’s words.

“Master Laribode, I still don’t understand your meaning. He’s just a young noble descendant. According to Ashe’s report, he doesn’t even have an official title or rank, right? Why should we be so… towards such a person?”

“Fearful?” The old mage smiled, saying the word Wester V hadn’t spoken.

“You think that we old fellows no longer have anything to fear, right?”

Hearing the old mage’s counter-question, Wester V felt somewhat embarrassed, but this was indeed the truth. Whether it was Laribode now, or those who had advised earlier, they were all officials in this kingdom whose status was second only to his own, but whose age far exceeded his. Each of them was a minister who had assisted the previous king, possessing high prestige. Of course, these old ministers also understood their position, so they usually stood aside as listeners. After all, they weren’t his confidants, and if they spoke out rashly, it could potentially bring unnecessary risks to themselves. But today, they seemed to have completely forgotten their status, all speaking out to advise against action. If each person had a different opinion, Wester V would have suspected some hidden agenda between them, but the fact that these people’s opinions were so surprisingly consistent made it difficult to understand.

“Do you remember the history of our Wester Kingdom?” At this moment, the old mage suddenly asked this seemingly irrelevant question, which surprised the king, but he still reflexively answered.

“Of course I remember, Master Laribode. Our Wester Kingdom was founded by ancestor Tres, leading the highland tribes to overthrow the cruel noble rule…”

This history was fresh in the memory of every citizen of the Wester Kingdom. The great ancestor Tres led the tribes loyal to him to overthrow the cruel nobles and established their own country on this plain. But this wasn’t the end of the story. After that, the Wester Kingdom fell into crisis several times. The countries around it were all far stronger than it – Dikar, Urania, Shalis – these powerful countries eyed the Wester Kingdom covetously. They even united, wanting to destroy this country established by the lower tribes. But facing the three great powers, the people of the Wester Kingdom didn’t submit. In the following hundred years, they went through one war after another, defeated the allied armies of the three powerful countries, finally destroyed Urania and Dikar, annexed their territories, and became one of the strongest countries on the continent. Even Shalis eventually weakened in national power, and now has long since lost its former dominance.

These stories and legends were known to almost everyone. As the king, Wester V naturally had no reason not to have heard them.

“Well said,” hearing his narration, the old mage nodded with satisfaction. Then he suddenly looked at the king before him with a serious expression and asked,

“So, Your Majesty, now that you are the king, I want to ask you, please consider as a king, given the situation at that time, did we really have the confidence to win against the alliance of three countries?”

“Well…” Hearing this, Wester V was stunned for a moment, then he frowned and thought about it.

“Well… I think it should be possible…”

“Wrong,” but Laribode quickly waved his hand, rejecting Wester V ‘s statement.

“You weren’t born in that era, you don’t know the situation at that time. Urania, Dikar, and Shalis were famous strong countries on the continent, and their combined strength had long exceeded the range we could resist. In fact, for the first fifty years of the war, we were always in a passive defensive position. You should know that at that time, the three countries not only surrounded us but also cut off our transportation routes, making it impossible for us to have enough food and equipment for defense in the early days. Moreover, the kingdom had just been established not long ago. In the previous battle to overthrow the nobles, His Majesty Tres had already consumed too much strength. It can be said that at that time, the Wester Kingdom had just gone through a major illness and hadn’t recovered yet. In this situation, being suppressed by the three countries, there was almost only a dead end.”

Unlike the king’s cautious attitude, the old mage spoke frankly about the situation at that time.

“If it weren’t for the three countries having disputes over the division of our country’s territory, giving us time to breathe under their mutual vigilance, I’m afraid the Wester Kingdom would have perished within fifty years of its establishment.”

Hearing this, Wester V opened his mouth in surprise. Although he knew this hadn’t become a reality, he was still shocked by the old mage’s words. After all, although the history books had written about those difficult days, they had never mentioned the danger of national extinction.

“At that time, the army of the Wester Kingdom was indeed the bravest. Those brave soldiers didn’t flinch in the face of enemies several times their number. But courage doesn’t equal victory. In the fiftieth year of the kingdom’s establishment, we encountered the first war launched by the united three countries – they calculated it well, fifty years, by then those fierce generals who had led soldiers were either dead or too old to be of use anymore. And those brave soldiers who had galloped across the plains had been worn down by the years, no longer having their former glory. But in this situation, the new soldiers hadn’t received full training yet, while the three countries had been waiting for this opportunity for a long time. The difference in strength between us was too great. In just one encounter, we were completely defeated…”

Saying this, Laribode raised his head and looked at the blue sky outside the window, his eyes revealing a trace of pain.

“At that time, everyone was already pressed to the point of breathlessness. After each battle, our casualties were heavy. Moreover, our transportation lines had been cut off, and food was a big problem. Many people couldn’t eat their fill. Many even pushed their children who were only about ten years old into the army, letting them face the mighty and fierce armies of the three countries. The reason was simply that at least as soldiers, they could barely guarantee having food to eat. But if they were civilians… the final outcome was very likely to be starvation.”

Hearing this, the king remained silent. Although he hadn’t experienced it personally, as a king, considering from his responsibilities, he could imagine how dangerous a situation the Wester Kingdom was in at that time.

“But didn’t we still ultimately achieve victory? We defeated those three countries, didn’t we?”

“Defeated?” Hearing this, the old mage’s face showed a bitter smile.

“Indeed, they were defeated, but not by us.”

“Eh?”

“Just when Wester was in its most critical moment, a young knight walked out of Twilight Forest. With his own strength, he crushed Shalis’s cavalry corps, plunged the entire Dikar into an abyss of no return, and simultaneously firmly blocked Urania’s attack. He gave us the opportunity and time to catch our breath. Indeed, although these three countries were ultimately defeated by our hands, without the help of that knight, we would have had no chance to turn the tables and achieve victory.”

Listening to the old mage’s words, Wester V involuntarily widened his eyes.

“Was there really such a person? But why is there no record of his deeds?”

“One reason is that he wasn’t our ally. Another reason is that he once had a conflict with… Wester III. Of course, although the final outcome didn’t reach an irreparable stage, the previous king was obviously very angry about this, so he ordered the deletion of all records about that knight. Until now, except for old fossils like me, there aren’t many people who remember that knight anymore.”

“That knight, could it be…”

“Purple background, gold border, an unsheathed long sword with a white Rosemary rose entwined around it – the Flag of Demise, the most powerful and terrifying knight on this continent, Julian… that’s his name.”

“Please wait a moment,” hearing this, Wester V suddenly stood up.

“That was a long time ago, wasn’t it? We all know very well that Twilight Forest and Twilight Castle have long been without a master. And even if he was a knight, he couldn’t possibly be immortal. You once told me yourself that even gifted knights couldn’t possess long lives. And according to Ashe’s report, although this young man is flying that so-called Flag of Demise, he’s only in his early twenties. If you said he was a descendant of that knight, I could understand, but why are you so certain he is that knight?”

“Because this is the only figure in the world who cannot be measured by common sense, Your Majesty,” Laribode answered gravely.

“When I was young, I followed that lord, watching him create miracle after miracle. Honestly, his existence was a mystery to all of us, but I know very clearly that on this continent, in Twilight Forest, the only person who dares to use this flag is that lord. Your Majesty, I can guarantee with my life that my judgment is not wrong.”

There was one more thing Laribode didn’t say out loud. Earlier, he had received a message from his subordinate that a mid-rank mage had been attacked in the territory of the Zach Family and lost his power. And the other party had specifically named him, asking him to properly discipline his subordinates. Just this tone had made the old mage suspicious. And now, after seeing Ashe’s report about Princess Ophariel and the description of Julian, he was almost 100% certain that this young man was the knight from back then.

“… But I still don’t quite understand,” looking at the old mage’s solemn expression, the king sighed and sat down again.

“Even if he really is that knight, so what? Our investigation of that young lady wouldn’t affect him, would it? Moreover, if he’s really as powerful as you say, why don’t we recruit him? Let him serve us? Especially now, the Four Heavenly Punishers of the Sith Empire have become our formidable enemies, and we don’t have any knights here. If he really is a knight, wouldn’t it be better to recruit him, give him enough power and land, and let him fight for us?”

“That won’t work, Your Majesty,” hearing this, Laribode gave a bitter smile.

“You must not do this. In fact, what you want to do, His Majesty Wester III had already thought of. After all, our country was in an even more critical situation than now at that time. And at that time, this knight had already helped us withstand the allied forces of the three countries. At that time, His Majesty Wester III also tried to bind him to our country’s war chariot in the name of rewards. To achieve this goal, he gave that lord quite generous rewards, not only dividing out one-third of our country’s territory at that time, but even trying to make him a prince.”

Hearing this, even Wester V was stunned. Although the territory of the Wester Kingdom wasn’t very large at that time, one-third was still a big gesture. And to even make him a prince? This was practically second only to… no, it could be said to be on par with the king. And he still didn’t accept?

“He didn’t accept?”

“No,” Laribode shook his head.

“I’ve already said before, the reason he fought against the three countries wasn’t to save the Wester Kingdom – because the previous king deleted the records about him, so you don’t understand how he fought. Indeed, we must all admit that he eliminated most of the effective forces of the three countries, but the methods he adopted were far from protecting our country. In other words, defeating the three countries was his only purpose. As for our Wester country, in his view, it was just bait to attract the three forces.”

Hearing this, Wester V felt dumbfounded. What kind of person was that, and why did he do this? Wester V felt that he could no longer understand.

“But I don’t understand, Master Laribode. Since he was to fight against a large army, he surely couldn’t have been alone, right? He must have needed to lead an army, needed sufficient supplies and reserve soldiers. Did he really think he could defeat the allied forces of three countries with just a few private soldiers?”

“It’s not that he thought so, it’s that this was indeed the case,” Laribode waved his hand.

“In fact, from when this lord intervened in the war until the three countries were severely weakened, the force he led never exceeded fifty people.”

“That’s impossible!” Wester V could no longer hold back. If he could barely accept what was said before, now he completely couldn’t accept it.

“According to historical records, the allied forces of the three countries at that time had more than 100,000 men. Even if he was a knight, could he destroy that army of 100,000 with just fifty people? Please forgive my rudeness, Master Laribode, but I cannot believe this no matter what. This is too absurd. Such a thing is absolutely impossible in reality!”

“That’s right, if it were fifty ordinary warriors, it would indeed be impossible,” Laribode smiled, clearly having anticipated the reaction of the king before him.

“But what if it were fifty people with knight-level strength?”

Fifty knights?

Wester V felt as if someone had heavily hit the back of his head. His breathing also became rapid involuntarily. What kind of joke was this? On this continent, until now, those with knight-level strength didn’t exceed ten. Look at the Sith Empire. Two gifted knights leading an army could easily flatten Nightcity. Then what about fifty knights? What kind of power would fifty knights unleash?

Wester V desperately tried to imagine in his mind, but in the end, he had to shake his head. For the first time in his life, this king discovered that his imagination was so lacking.

“Ma… Master Laribode, we’re not discussing those old matters now,” after taking several deep breaths, Wester V finally calmed down, silently telling himself that those were things of the past, not the present.

“Taking a step back, even if he really is that knight, how can you guarantee that he won’t pose a threat to our country? You know, the Sith Empire has four gifted knights, and their strength is growing increasingly powerful. So, how can you guarantee that this knight won’t become our enemy?”

Laribode looked at the middle-aged man before him and nodded. Indeed, this was the question a king should be most concerned about. However, for him, this wasn’t a problem.

“Your Majesty, I remember I once taught you about the source of a knight’s power, right?”

“This… indeed, I clearly remember you once said that the reason knights are powerful is that they transform their beliefs into tangible power, and create swordsmanship that manifests their beliefs – knight swordsmanship. This is the source of a knight’s strength.”

“That’s right, exactly so,” Laribode smiled.

“Regarding that lord’s beliefs… frankly speaking, I’m not clear, but in my view, he absolutely won’t help the Sith Empire. If I’m not mistaken, on the contrary, this lord should consider the Sith Empire as the enemy he needs to pay most attention to. So, even if he doesn’t intend to help us, he will consider the Sith Empire as his biggest opponent. On this point, I’m quite confident.”

“Why?”

“Haven’t you noticed?” Looking at the king before him, Laribode sighed.

“Our situation now is much better than when we faced the alliance of three countries last time, Your Majesty. But even at that time, this lord didn’t abandon us to go to the alliance of three countries. Why is that? If considering only from the perspective of benefits, wouldn’t it have been more convenient and easier to destroy us than to fight against the 100,000 troops of the three countries? I believe the reason this lord made this choice stems from his beliefs… After all, there were also knight-level powerhouses within the three countries at that time. The White Knight Immer, the Sky Knight Haisa, the Death Knight Mobira… they were all renowned figures. These powerful knights also finally united and took action to eliminate Lord Julian, but in the end, they didn’t achieve their goal. All the knights died… including Lord Julian, who disappeared without a trace. And it was because of their deaths that the balance of power between us and the alliance of three countries was finally changed. As for the later small skirmishes between me and Dikar, compared to Lord Julian, they were just children playing house.

Hearing this, Wester V fell into silence. He pondered, unsure whether to believe the old mage’s words. After all, Laribode’s statements were too shocking. If these words had come from anyone else’s mouth, he would probably think the person was insane. But the person speaking now was after all the most prestigious mage in the entire Wester Kingdom. Moreover, combined with the reactions of those old ministers earlier, his account wasn’t just baseless speculation and imagination.

“So, what do you mean…?”

“We don’t need to pay attention to Twilight Forest now, nor do we need to pay attention to that lord. As for the Twilight Forest territory, it was originally entrusted to us to manage on his behalf, and now it’s just being returned to its rightful owner. Of course, Your Majesty doesn’t need to do anything special. If you’re really uneasy, you can send people to observe secretly. But as for the investigation of that young lady… it’s best not to continue. Based on my understanding of that lord, he has quite a possessive attitude towards his women. If he discovers it, things could become very tricky… Right now, I hope Your Majesty can focus your attention on the Red Fortress and the war with the Sith Empire. If I’m not mistaken, when we go to war with the Sith Empire, that lord will appear on his own initiative, even without your orders.”

After listening to Laribode’s speech, Wester V sat in his chair. He stared intently at the old man before him, and finally made a decision.

“Frankly speaking, I still can’t believe everything you’ve said, but I will temporarily follow your advice. However… once that person does anything harmful to our country, then, no matter if he’s a former knight or whoever else, I absolutely won’t let him off.”

“As you wish, Your Majesty,” looking at the king before him, the old mage bowed deeply.