The Prime Minister

"Xide... Xide Kailamu."

The Grand Duke's voice echoed in the room, and the air was deathly silent.

No one spoke.

This name... is known to everyone from Danfeng Lucerne to Valentan.

Prime Minister Goth.

A legendary wise minister, he shared an epic friendship with the Grand Duke and served the country diligently for decades. His harmonious relationship with the Grand Duke Reknos was the talk of the continent. With his high reputation, the people's adoration, and the political establishment's awe, he wielded significant influence in the country. Calm, decisive, wise, cautious, diligent, never slacking off, and never making a mistake.

The more people respect the kind and benevolent Grand Duke, the more they revere the ruthless and tough Prime Minister.

They complemented each other, governing the country together; they were indispensable to each other.

And now...

A deathly silence fell; no one spoke.

The name Xide had another layer of meaning for Kang De.

He was the father of Knight Cleveland.

A lifelong friend he would never forget, a person of great significance to his life, who, in a sense, completely changed Kang De's life with his death, and whose profound influence not only allowed him to Homecoming, but also shaped Kang De's personality and temperament as he is today... and the prime minister was the knight's father.

He had tried to avoid seeing the knight's family, but his visit, which he mustered the courage to do, ended in disappointment. The prime minister was unwilling to forgive him, and the father was not grateful to him.

Even...

He looked around at everyone. "Are you sure?"

His voice was somewhat low.

Stella glanced around at the people around her. The high-ranking officials were unwilling to speak, her father and aunt had a very close personal relationship with Uncle Xide, and Tina, like Kang De, was shocked by the matter, especially since it involved the dead knight, and she was extremely conflicted. She sighed and decided that she was the only one who could speak.

"Invisibility, stealth..." she murmured, "These kinds of concealment techniques, their principles are basically limited to distorting light, gathering Shadow, blending into the environment, or deceiving the target's senses. The Shadow abilities we often talk about use secret methods to gather Shadow energy, envelop the body, gain the power to walk in the shadows, and rely on darkness to conceal one's form..."

"But summoning Shadow and becoming Shadow are two completely different concepts."

"The former utilizes a wide range of stealth skills, while the latter is a magical ability that only appeared in ancient legends, long since disappeared from the present world, and is almost unimaginable..."

Stella glanced at her father and said softly, "In this day and age, achieving elementalization and obtaining an immortal body is the ultimate goal for legendary mages. In other words, mortals can no longer achieve this feat through mere effort... Only a few who are still favored by the gods and blessed by them can demonstrate this elemental affinity that defies the laws of the mortal world. Such people are very, very, very rare."

She was mindful of her father's feelings and didn't spell things out too clearly.

But Kang De could understand it too.

He said slowly, "In other words, people with the talent to become the Shadow are very, very, very few—you probably only know of one case to date?"

"... Yes."

Tina said softly, "Shadow Guard Cole, the head of Prime Xide's personal bodyguard, rendered many merits to Goth. In an accident when my father was young... he and the Prime Minister helped my father escape from Danfeng Lucerne. Together with them and my aunt, they eventually regained power..."

A minister who followed the emperor.

... And that's not all.

Given the personalities of the Grand Duke and the Sword Saint Cascading Snow, their shared life and death, and their shared wealth and honor back then must have been an epic and moving story. The friendship born from such a story will surely be remembered forever.

Therefore, it is unacceptable.

Just then, Grand Duke Reknos said, "... framing."

He looked at Kang De, his tone extremely firm. "Xide wouldn't do such a thing, and neither would Cole. Shadow abilities are rare, but Cole isn't the only one who can use them. There must be a conspirator trying to frame Xide... We mustn't fall for it!"

Standing to the side, the Sword Saint Cascading Snow slowly said, "I also believe they wouldn't do that."

Kang De looked at the Sword Saint Cascading Snow, then at the Grand Duke. Although their tone was resolute, a hint of wavering and pain flashed in their eyes. They too had doubts, they too hesitated.

But so what?

He was about to speak when he felt a tightness in his right hand; Tina had squeezed his hand.

Then Tina said, "Let Prime Minister Xide and Cole's shadow guards prove their innocence."

All eyes were on her.

Father, aunt, sister, and ministers... Tina responded to their gazes with a cold and resolute look, and said decisively, "Father, please convey the order to summon Prime Minister Xide and Shadow Guard Cole to the Maple Leaf Palace immediately... Also, order Second Brother to lead the army to monitor all comings and goings at the Prime Minister's residence. If any unrest or resistance occurs, immediately order the army to storm in and kill all those who resist!"

She said coldly, "Whether the Prime Minister did it or not, we'll know from the results."

The Grand Duke's expression changed, and he instinctively called out, "Tina!"

Tina said indifferently, "Father, is there anything wrong with my arrangements? If the Prime Minister is innocent, he will definitely bring Mr. Cole to the Maple Leaf Palace immediately, and the misunderstanding will naturally be cleared up. If the Prime Minister tries to run away or resist stubbornly, then he is a national traitor who is trying to undermine Germany and provoke a war with the Dragon Clan. If that's the case, then he won't see the sun tomorrow!"

The Grand Duke murmured, "Perhaps he was just confused for a moment..."

"Father!"

Tina snapped, "What are you still saying now?"

Several high-ranking officials were surprised to find that Tina, the little princess who had been known throughout Goth for over a decade as gentle, beautiful, and kind, was now roaring at the Grand Duke with a fierce look in her eyes and a resolute expression.

She stepped forward, her azure eyes no longer a calm sky, but a raging tsunami, brimming with fury, mixed with blood, death, and violence.

"A moment of folly... You've made many follys before, but the Prime Minister was never one to slack off; he always managed to clean up the mess for you. But now, if the Prime Minister is folly, then as the Goth -Monarch, you cannot afford to be folly at all!"

She snapped, "If you don't handle this today, I'll go with Kang De to ask them myself! If things escalate, the country loses face, and the Dragon Clan finds out, then what will you do?!"

Whether it was the Grand Duke, Stella, Kang De, or the high-ranking officials of the royal court, this was the first time they had seen Tina like this. Before this, whether they had heard legends or seen intelligence reports, Princess Tina, who was gathering volunteers in the north of the empire and stirring up trouble, was really distant and dreamlike.

Now, the lioness has finally revealed her sharp claws to her father.

The Grand Duke was even stunned for a moment, unable to utter a single word.

Kang De reached out and gently pulled Tina back.

Those in front of Tina saw the princess's gaze gradually soften from its sharpness, like a blade slowly sheathing itself, retreating to Kang De's side.

"Your Highness, I wasn't the one injured today, so this matter cannot be left unresolved."

Kang De said, "Please have Prime Minister Xide come here, bring Cole with you. Whether he did it or not, just see if Cole is alive. That will give you a pretty good idea. I promise you, even if it was him, I won't take his life. In any case, I will not kill Cleveland's father this time."

The Grand Duke sighed deeply.

"Armed Minister..."

The Minister of Armed Forces of Goth's court stepped forward. "Here."

"Please go to the Prime Minister's residence and ask him to bring his shadow guard Cole, to the Maple Leaf Palace." The Grand Duke closed his eyes and said slowly, "Bring plenty of men, and remain vigilant. You know what I mean."

"As you wish."

"Knight Commander."

"My lord, awaiting orders."

"Go see Landisidun and order the Gladiolus Legion First Spark Cavalry Battalion towards Kailamu Avenue..."

The commands were issued one by one.

Every command was precise and clear, but the voice giving the commands sounded tired and heavy.

Finally, his gaze turned to Kang De.

"Mr. Kang De."

"You said."

"If... I mean, if..."

He said slowly, "If it really is Xide, how will you deal with him?"

Kang De turned to look out the window, as if the terrifying shock had not yet dissipated. He had watched helplessly as the irresistible force engulfed Horus's body, and the feeling from that moment still lingered in his heart.

"Then I'll say 'if' too."

"If I were the one who was attacked, I might forgive him one last time, but I wasn't the one who was attacked and injured, so I have no right to forgive on behalf of the victim."

Kang De paused for a moment, then his tone turned sinister. "So, if he really did instigate it, then he will have to become what Horus is now."

"This retaliation is limited to tit-for-tat, and that's my biggest concession."

After a moment, the Grand Duke nodded slightly. "That makes sense... Thank you."

Kang De said calmly, "No need, it's not because of you."

An awkward silence followed again.

Stella glanced at Tina, then at her father, then at her aunt, and sighed inwardly. She should have known that Tina would also be back at Saint Covelo University. Why was she staying at the Maple Leaf Palace? It was her turn to liven things up.

This is something Tina usually does...

She said, "There's no need to be so pessimistic. Perhaps someone really did frame us..."

"Don't be silly, Second Sister. That's why everyone's pessimistic," Tina said calmly. "If someone framed us, that would be even more terrifying. The ability to become Shadow is extremely rare. Mr. Cole Brotherhood hundreds of times. With this talent, he has the potential to become a master assassin. But the mastermind behind the attack used such a rare and precious Shadow ability user as a one-time consumable. If it wasn't the Prime Minister, then who was it?"

"..."

Stella was speechless.

Kang De shifted his body and gently nudged Tina beside him.

Tina immediately said, "I'm sorry, second sister."

"..."

She felt that her younger sister was very aggressive tonight.

It's gotten all worked up...

But Tina's statement wasn't just nitpicking; this possibility does indeed cast a shadow over the attack, creating a real dilemma: whether the Prime Minister was behind it or not, the outcome would be disastrous...

Stella looked at her father and the others' solemn expressions and sighed softly.

Oh, Sun God, why did you subject Goth to so much suffering?

The windows were smashed, the night wind blew, and the room was silent. Everyone was waiting for the outcome, but they didn't even know which outcome they hoped to hear.

A long silence followed, with everyone remaining silent. Only Kang De held Tina's hand with his left hand, while his right hand was held by the defiant A Xing. The others watched, their hearts filled with simmering resentment.

The sound of footsteps grew louder as they approached.

Like a switch that turned on frozen time, the Sword Saint Cascading Snow and the Grand Duke reacted most violently, almost shaking their entire bodies.

Grand Duke is one thing, but Hilmeria is clearly not as decisive as she was at that dinner party. She, the Grand Duke, Prime Minister Xide, and even that Cole clearly have a deep friendship.

Grand Duke Reknos looked towards the door, then his face turned pale.

Because those who came were only the palace guards and a few bodyguards.

The Grand Duke's voice trembled slightly. "Where is Xide?"

"I was ordered to see the Prime Minister at his official residence, but the steward said that the Prime Minister was resting. I insisted on seeing him, saying that the Grand Duke had ordered him to go to the Maple Leaf Palace immediately. After consulting with his superiors, the steward refused, saying that the Grand Duke had given orders that the Prime Minister should rest on time and was not allowed to leave the residence before 10 a. m. during the day..."

The expressions on everyone's faces gradually changed.

Reknos slowly clenched his fist. "He hasn't shown up? And then what?"

"Your subject acted on his own initiative. After all, this matter is very serious, so I forced my way into the Prime Minister's residence, causing a scene. The Prime Minister finally appeared, and after understanding what had happened, he still refused to come, saying that his wife was ill and he had to take care of her. As for His Highness Kang De being attacked..."

He glanced at Kang De and said, "The Prime Minister said it has nothing to do with him, he has no suggestions to offer, and he is unwilling to leave his wife, who is suffering from madness due to the loss of their son, to busy himself with matters concerning His Highness Kang De. If there is anything that the Prime Minister must do, he asked the Grand Duke to appoint an acting Prime Minister, or simply dismiss him from his post, it doesn't matter. He... he also said some inappropriate things."

The Grand Duke asked in a deep voice, "Where is Cole?"

"When I broke in, I didn't see anything, and I didn't dare to ask, for fear of attracting the Prime Minister's attention. This matter is of great importance, so I had no choice but to return and report to His Excellency the Grand Duke."

The Minister of Armed Forces bowed and said, "But please rest assured, Your Highness, His Highness Landisidun has ordered the Gladiolus Mage Corps to monitor the tunnels, entrances, and spatial fluctuations near the Prime Minister's residence to ensure that no one can leave the residence without permission. He sent me back to consult you on what to do."

The Grand Duke remained silent for a long time, then turned and walked outside.

"He refuses to come; let's go there ourselves."

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PS1: Damn... this is before midnight! I was a bit lax today, I'll try harder tomorrow!