At last, I'd gotten a good night's sleep. Was I about to have bad luck again so soon?
The thought flashed through Tales's mind as he watched Gilbert calmly summon several nearby Terminus Swordsman guards.
Yordel patted Tales on the shoulder and shook his head. His expression was impossible to make out behind the mask, but Tales imagined a "smiley face" for the silent guard.
The Terminus Swordsmen accepted their orders and left one after another with remarkable efficiency.
Mindis Hall, which had been empty and silent, seemed to come alive. Fifty guards moved in orderly fashion under unified command, while shouts and reports rose and fell one after another.
"Third squad, heading to the main entrances and exits on the second and third floors."
"Defensive positions on both sides of the hall, complete!"
"Reinforcements for the rooftop sentry posts, taking position!"
After calmly giving a few final instructions to a Terminus Swordsman who looked like the captain of the guards, Gilbert turned and returned to the study. On the way, he grabbed Tales, who had been peeking out from the study doorway, and dragged him inside.
Yordel had already vanished into thin air, as usual.
The middle-aged nobleman deftly pried open a panel behind a bookshelf with his cane. He pulled the bookshelf aside, revealing a secret chamber.
"Who's coming? Friend or foe?" Tales struggled as Gilbert carried him into the secret chamber and asked.
Gilbert lit the Eternal Lamp inside the chamber and closed the hidden door at the same time. Then he asked meaningfully, "I assume you're asking who would choose to break into a heavily guarded royal estate at five in the afternoon without warning?"
Clearly, he no longer treated the little master behind him like an ordinary child.
Tales gave an awkward chuckle. He already knew the answer.
"Sorry for the trouble, but please wait here for a moment. Secrecy remains our first priority." In the dim lamplight, Gilbert carefully lifted a curtain, revealing a fairly large square metal plate with six small holes, each covered by a different filter.
Curious, Tales leaned closer. Through the holes, he saw six different locations—Mindis Hall's first-floor lobby, garden, second-floor balcony, second-floor corridor, third-floor staircase, third-floor veranda, and the rooftop outside.
"This is a surveillance mirror made using the reflection of mirrors. It lets us observe the various critical areas of Mindis Hall at a glance," Gilbert said with a smile.
Th-this is just a periscope! Tales rolled his eyes inwardly.
"They're here. The first squad is engaging them."
"The rest have split up."
Yordel's voice came from the void.
Tales immediately pressed his face to one of the surveillance mirrors.
It showed the garden outside the first floor. A ten-man squad of Terminus Swordsmen from the Radiant Star Family had formed a well-coordinated formation, swords and shields moving as one as they surrounded and attacked five strangely dressed intruders, all of whom had their heads and faces covered!
The five intruders also seemed to be a well-coordinated team. Two wielded agile curved blades, weaving between the swords and shields as they searched for openings and rescued companions in danger. One used an arm shield and a chain mace, repeatedly smashing one of the guards backward amid the dense formation. Another pressed forward with a hand-and-a-half sword, trying to break through the gap in the formation. The last also carried a sword and shield, apparently directing the others while filling in every weakness!
"They're hired rangers and adventurers!" Gilbert glanced at the surveillance mirror before saying, "They seem to be a long-standing team that has worked together for years. They make their living between war and the violent commissions of lords—hunters, soldiers, bodyguards, scouts, even assassins. There's nothing they won't do."
"I only arrived at Mindis Hall last night, and I already have visitors?" Tales let out a helpless sigh.
"Is the majesty of the royal family really so cheap?"
"I assure you, Mr. Tales—the majesty of the royal family is anything but cheap. On the contrary, it is the royal family's abnormal situation that has made our enemies uneasy and afraid." Gilbert spoke lightly, without the slightest hint of tension or solemnity, as if this were merely a game.
"Enemies?" Tales turned his head, thoughtful.
"Yes. Don't worry about what's happening outside. The trained guards and Yordel will handle everything."
"And now is the perfect time to explain the third matter—our enemies and allies."
The middle-aged nobleman stepped back several paces and sat on the dark sofa in the secret chamber. Smiling, he said, "At present, your existence is our highest secret."
"Especially from the lords and nobles of the Star Kingdom."
"The Six Great Families that guard the borders and the Thirteen Noble Families that support the kingdom form the backbone of the Star Kingdom's High Council. Though the members change constantly and conflicts abound, they nevertheless represent the meritorious noble forces that swore to rule jointly with the Radiant Star Royal Family when the nation was founded."
So, at least on the surface, this was a country jointly ruled by a king and the nobility. Tales made a note of it mentally.
He needed more information.
"The nobles—are they the various lords enfeoffed throughout the country, each ruling their own territory completely?"
Gilbert nodded. "That was the original source of noble power, from the Ancient Empire through the Final Empire. After evolving into the Starfall Kingdom, many nobles were left with little more than names and honors, but the forces that truly hold the nation's lifeline remain the Six Great Families and Thirteen Noble Families, which possess vast territories."
"According to oaths and royal decrees, they are ordered to guard the lands in every direction, submit to the king, and pay taxes. The territory directly controlled by the royal family is the Central Territory traditionally held by the Crescent Star Family."
A country no less medieval than the Middle Ages—and yet its productivity is completely inconsistent with the nations I've seen.
At that moment, Yordel's voice suddenly sounded beside them again:
"Intruders from the rooftop. The sentries are engaging them."
Watching Gilbert remain calm, Tales restrained the urge to look at the surveillance mirror.
"Although these lords have their own legal private armies, most of the time they choose to hire outsiders to handle certain chores—especially jobs that require them to distance themselves from any involvement. The more powerful and prestigious the lord, the more likely this is. Like the guests outside." Gilbert curled his lips slightly.
"Then what is the purpose of the High Council formed by these lords and nobles, and what powers does it possess?" Tales asked sharply.
"The High Council was created under the Wise King, Mindis III. During the costly Fourth Continental War, the Wise King summoned the powerful lords and nobles, officials, priests, merchants, and scholars of the country to establish the High Council and the National Affairs Conference. The former was an assembly exclusively for territorial nobles, while the latter faced all people of reputation and standing throughout the Star Kingdom. Through his superb diplomatic skill, Mindis III dissolved layer upon layer of conflict and obstruction, allocated taxes, distributed resources, borrowed and repaid loans, and allowed the Star Kingdom to preserve its precious vitality during a war that devastated the nations on both sides of the continent."
A platform where the state's public authority intervened to handle conflicts between the upper and lower levels, reach compromises, and forge a consensus among the classes. Tales made another note to himself.
"The National Affairs Conference can wait for now. The Star Kingdom's High Council of nobles, however, remained after the Wise King's death. Major affairs of state, such as royal decrees and laws affecting the entire kingdom, are discussed and agreed upon by the Supreme King and the nobles before being issued. This became customary. In fact, after the High Council was established, the kingdom's former discord between above and below, conflicts among nobles, and outward compliance with inward defiance all improved considerably." Gilbert spoke calmly.
An embryonic representative system? No, something that advanced is impossible. It resembles a feudal structure formed by territorial lords during the transition from a hierarchical state to an absolutist one, but it has already begun to become a stage for local powers to contend with central authority.
"But with the arrival of the Year of Blood, the conflicts between the Six Great Families and Thirteen Noble Families and the Radiant Star Royal Family became increasingly obvious. In the thirteen days after Former King Edi II was assassinated, despite the constant conflicts among the nobles, Starfall Capital under the High Council actually decided to lock the city gates and consolidate its troops. Only when His Majesty Kessel returned did they reach an agreement with him and crown His Majesty."
An independently operating feudal council—an organization through which feudal lords united to speak to the monarch. But for me, that's bad news. Tales's heart tightened.
The council's operations had already reached the point where they could exclude the royal family.
It was a terrifying force. Once the opportunity arose, it could become a raging wave capable of overthrowing the royal family.
"And King Kessel, who has gone twelve years without an heir—the Six Great Families have taken note of that."
Gilbert's eyes were full of wariness as he answered mysteriously but with complexity:
"If I may be frank, our powerful northern neighbor, the Ekster Kingdom—the nation of Hero Nekaroo and Hero Sara, known as the Blade of the West Continent—uses a system of Elective Monarchy. Its king is chosen from among the various lords eligible to stand for election."
As he spoke, Yordel's hoarse voice sounded again:
"Enemy attack on the second floor! The third and fourth squads are dealing with them."
"There are five more. They're approaching the third floor."
This time, Tales did not move.
Gilbert drew a deep breath and pointed outside.
"Now, Mr. Tales, do you understand where your enemies are?"
Tales remained silent.
The hereditary king of the Star Kingdom.
A foreign system of elective kingship.
The Six Great Families and the Thirteen Noble Families.
Enemies.
Gilbert had practically given him the answer outright.
But Tales felt this information was far from enough. Various possibilities flashed through his mind.
He extracted useful elements from his rapidly turning thoughts and continued asking, "If the royal bloodline dies out, the Six Great Families guarding the borders would naturally be the first choice to inherit the crown. But would that also mean that the new king inherited all the Crescent Star Family's territories, wealth, vassals, and influence?"
"If the Six Great Families, which had originally been evenly matched and equal, suddenly saw one branch become the royal family, rapidly expand, and gain legitimate supreme authority, what would happen to the Star Kingdom?"
"The Six Great Families would become one giant monster and five great families, then live happily together as they had when the Crescent Star Family was still the royal family, marching toward a beautiful tomorrow?"
Gilbert was used to his little master interrupting whenever he pleased, but this time the middle-aged nobleman said nothing. He merely looked at him gravely.
Tales looked back at him, his heart growing heavier.
"To unite and fight for that crown—they, the Six Great Families and Thirteen Noble Families..." A sharp light appeared in Tales's eyes. "They must have gone through complicated and painful negotiations over the division of interests. At the very least, they had to decide who would wear the crown."
Especially after twelve whole years without an heir. In many people's eyes, the extinction of the Crescent Star Family's bloodline had probably already become unavoidable.
Haa—Tales exhaled deeply.
It seemed that his own survival truly affected the peace and turmoil of an entire nation.
A thought suddenly flashed through his mind.
Tales froze.
"Gilbert." The boy rose from the sofa, frowning as he slowly said, "During the Year of Blood—what role did these great lords actually play? I think I heard you mention it before—forcing the palace? Then the royal family's disaster—"
Gilbert merely drew a deep breath, but his gaze was incomparably complicated.
A chill ran through Tales's heart.
His Majesty was beheaded on the throne.
The princesses were strangled in their sleep.
The queens were burned to death inside the castle.
The royal grandsons even died in their cradles.
The First Prince fought alone with sword in hand and died at the palace gates.
The king's younger brother was ambushed from behind on the battlefield.
And four other princes.
Tales's mouth fell open as he collapsed onto the sofa in a daze.
After crossing into this world, it was the first time he felt that life could be so complicated. Even during the most difficult and darkest days in the Brotherhood, the former Tales had never once lost heart.
Silence lingered in the secret chamber.
Then Yordel's voice suddenly rang out again!
"Looks like it's the final elite group. They've reached the third floor and are engaging."
But Tales no longer cared.
His thoughts had drifted to the possible employers of the intruders outside the hidden door.
Why is this royal family so pathetic? It was completely wiped out by its own subordinate lords!
Then escaping from the Brotherhood was practically suicide!
Can my so-called father really sit calmly on the Diaoyutai? Can he still wear his crown and sit safely on the throne? What—or who—gave him such confidence?
The Magic Users?
Wait—my so-called father is still king?
Why is he still king? How can he remain king?
That means—
"No!"
The next moment, Tales sat up. His expression was solemn, but he firmly rejected his own speculation.
"First, the Year of Blood was a total disaster from top to bottom and outside to inside. Secretly assassinating a king universally recognized as wise would have done nothing to improve the nobles' chaotic situation."
"Second, Gilbert, you said the High Council ruled independently for thirteen days after the king was assassinated—thirteen days without a king! Was it because they couldn't divide the spoils fairly or reach a unified decision on enthroning a new king? Or were they actually terrified themselves, caught completely off guard even by the king's death?"
"The crucial point is that my father, His Majesty Kessel, was crowned after reaching an agreement with the High Council. That means he received sufficient support from the great lords. Could someone already have foreseen that Prince Kessel, in the prime of his life, would have no more children for the next twelve years, allowing the lords to dream for twelve years about a crown they could only claim later? What kind of supernatural ability could guarantee something like that?"
"The final doubt is this—you said my father had already taken all the revenge he was supposed to take. The hidden dangers were basically resolved. The remaining revenge was either impossible or unachievable. The Six Great Families may indeed be terrifying, but if they truly were the masterminds behind the royal family's assassination, then after twelve years, shouldn't His Majesty Kessel, known as the Iron Hand, have done something?"
"Besides, in essence, the royal family and the lords of the Six Great Families are nothing more than great nobles with long histories."
"If they really intended to take the throne, they would know that they absolutely could not—at least, they could not set such a precedent through a conspiracy. If the top noble houses assassinated and slaughtered the royal family, then if they someday gained the throne, how could they know they would not suffer the same fate?"
"The Six Great Families were not the murderers who slaughtered the royal family!"
"Is that so, Gilbert?"
Tales stared fixedly at the middle-aged nobleman, as if trying to dig something out of his mind.
Gilbert raised his brows, then revealed an admiring smile.
Gilbert cleared his throat and nodded.
"Originally, my plan was simply to guide your thoughts toward the Six Great Families as your opponents. That would have been enough. But it seems I still underestimated you, my dear little sir."
"His Majesty will surely be proud that you were able to think of this."
"But the lords who were in the palace back then were by no means entirely blameless. At the very least, when the royal family was brutally slaughtered, they chose to stand by and even took pleasure in it."
Gilbert's eyes dimmed. He hesitated for a while, but finally continued:
"There was indeed someone else behind the Crescent Star Family's disaster."
"But I don't know the true details either."
"Only His Majesty knows everything. This is the tragedy of the Crescent Star Family, and he should be the one to tell you personally."
Tales stared steadily at Gilbert.
Then he exhaled hard, as if a fully inflated ball had suddenly deflated, and collapsed onto the sofa behind him.
"Tch..." Tales rolled his eyes, having completely forgotten his manners. "You should've said so earlier!"
Gilbert smiled.
The middle-aged nobleman gave a slight bow, silently acknowledging his little master's words. Tales, this child... Perhaps the Star Kingdom will become different because of him.
Though you—the true enemies of the Radiant Star Royal Family—may be even more terrifying than the so-called Six Great Families and Thirteen Noble Families.
Another extremely abrupt voice appeared:
"They've all been dealt with." Yordel's voice came again. "No survivors."
Gilbert's expression turned serious. He nodded, rose, and slowly said, "Good."
Tales had yet to react. He merely widened his eyes.
It's over? Just like that? In the time it takes to eat a meal?
The stone had only just fallen, so how did it sink without even making a sound?
By the hidden door, Gilbert gestured for Tales to go out and said, "Please don't worry, Mr. Tales. They were only here to test us."
"We can handle these trivial matters."
"Your battlefield will be a hundred times more dangerous and treacherous than ours."