Pursuing Enemies in the Secret Chamber

After finally getting a good night's sleep, was he going to be unlucky again so soon?

That 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 at him. His expression was unreadable behind the mask, but Tales imagined a "smile" for his silent protector.

The Terminus Swordsmen accepted their orders with extreme efficiency and departed one by one.

The originally empty and silent Mindis Hall suddenly seemed to come alive. Under unified command and coordination, fifty Guards moved in orderly fashion, with commands and reports rising and falling in succession.

"Third squad, proceeding to main entrances on the second and third floors."

"Flanking defenses on both sides of the hall, complete!"

"Reinforcements for the hall-top sentry post, moving into position!"

Gilbert calmly left a few final words with a Terminus Swordsman who looked like the Guard captain, then turned and returned to the study, grabbing Tales—who had been peeking from the doorway—and hauling him inside.

Yordel had already vanished into thin air, as always.

The Middle-Aged Noble skillfully used his cane to pry open a panel behind a bookshelf, pulling the shelf aside to reveal a hidden chamber inside.

"Who's coming? Friend or foe?" Tales struggled to ask as Gilbert carried him into the secret room.

Gilbert lit the Eternal Lamp inside the chamber while closing the secret door, and replied with a meaningful counter-question:

"I imagine you're asking: what kind of person would choose to break into a heavily guarded royal property at five in the afternoon, without any warning?"

Clearly, he no longer treated the young master behind him as an ordinary child.

Tales gave an awkward laugh, already knowing the answer to his question.

"Apologies for making you wait here, but secrecy remains the top priority." In the dim lamplight, Gilbert carefully lifted a curtain, revealing a sizable square iron plate with six different filter apertures.

Tales curiously pressed close and saw six different locations through the apertures—Mindis Hall's first-floor lobby, the garden, the second-floor balcony, the second-floor corridor, the third-floor staircase, the third-floor porch, and the outdoor hall-top.

"These are surveillance mirrors using reflective surfaces, allowing us to keep an eye on different key areas within Mindis Hall," Gilbert said with a smile.

This—this was basically a periscope! Tales rolled his eyes inwardly.

"They're here. First squad is engaging."

"The rest have scattered."

Yordel's voice came from the void.

Tales immediately pressed his face to one of the surveillance mirrors.

It was the garden outside the first floor. A squad of ten Terminus Swordsmen of the Crescent Star Family had formed a tacit formation, swords and shields at the ready, surrounding five intruders who were dressed in varied attire but all had their heads and faces covered!

But the five intruders also seemed to be a well-coordinated team. Two wielded flexible curved blades, circling between the swords and shields, looking for openings and rescuing comrades in danger. One used an Arm Shield and a chain mace, smashing one of the guards back repeatedly amid the dense formation. Another pressed in with a hand-and-a-half sword, trying to break through gaps in the formation. The last also held sword and shield, seemingly directing and filling in gaps.

"Hired rangers and adventurers!" Gilbert said after a glance through the surveillance mirror. "Looks like a long-term team with tacit cooperation, making a living between wars and lords' violent commissions—hunters, soldiers, bodyguards, scouts, even killers, they do it all."

"I only arrived at Mindis Hall last night, and I already have visitors?" Tales let out a helpless sigh.

"Is the royal family's dignity so cheap?"

"I assure you, Mr. Tales—the royal family's dignity is far from cheap. On the contrary, it is precisely the royal family's abnormality that has made our enemies uneasy and fearful," Gilbert said softly, his tone devoid of any tension or gravity, as if this were merely a game.

"Enemies?" Tales turned his head, a thoughtful look on his face.

"Yes. Please don't worry about what's outside. The well-trained Guards and Yordel will handle everything."

"And now is the perfect time to explain the third question to you—our enemies and allies."

The Middle-Aged Noble stepped back a few paces and sat down on a dark-colored sofa in the secret chamber, smiling as he spoke:

"For the time being, your existence is the highest secret we must keep."

"Especially from the lords and nobles of Starfall."

"The Six Great Houses, who guard the borders, and the Thirteen Noble Families, who support the kingdom, are the core members of Starfall's High Council. Though there is constant turnover and endless conflicts, they represent the noble forces who swore to rule together with the Radiant Star Royal Family at the kingdom's founding."

So, at least on the surface, this was a country where the King and nobles ruled together. Tales made a mental note.

He needed more intelligence.

"Nobles—are they the lords, great and small, enfeoffed throughout the country? Ruling their respective territories completely?"

Gilbert nodded: "That was the original source of noble power, from the Ancient Empire to the Final Empire. Evolving into the Starfall Kingdom, though many nobles now have only titles and honors left, those who truly hold the nation's lifeline are still the Six Great Houses and the Thirteen Noble Families, who possess vast territories."

"According to oaths and royal decrees, they are charged with guarding the four directions, submitting to the King and paying taxes. The territory the royal family can directly control is the Crescent Star Family's traditional Central Territory."

A country not much different from the Middle Ages—severely mismatched with the level of productivity I've seen in this nation.

Just then, most abruptly, Yordel's voice came from beside them again:

"Intruders from the hall-top—the sentries are engaging them."

Looking at the unflappable Gilbert before him, Tales suppressed his urge to check the surveillance mirrors.

"These lords have their own legal private armies, but more often, they choose to hire outsiders to handle some miscellaneous tasks—especially jobs they want to distance themselves from. The higher the power and status of the lord, the more this is true. For example, our guests outside." Gilbert curled the corner of his mouth.

"Then what is the purpose and power of the High Council, formed by these lords and nobles?" Tales asked sensitively.

"The High Council was the creation of Mindis III, the Wise King. During the costly Fourth Continental War, the Wise King summoned the kingdom's powerful lords, nobles, officials, priests, merchants, and scholars to jointly establish the High Council and the National Affairs Conference. The former is an exclusive council chamber for territorial nobles, while the latter is open to all reputable and distinguished persons of Starfall. Through masterful mediation, Mindis III resolved layer upon layer of contradictions and obstacles, apportioned taxes, allocated resources, and arranged loans, allowing Starfall to preserve precious vitality in a war that devastated the nations on both sides of the continent."

A platform where the state's public authority steps in to handle conflicts between upper and lower levels, reach compromises, and forge consensus across classes. Tales made another mental note.

"Leaving aside the National Affairs Conference for now, the High Council of Nobles of Starfall was preserved after the Wise King's reign. Matters of state in the kingdom, such as royal decrees and laws affecting the entire realm, are all issued by the Supreme King only after reaching consensus with the nobles. This has become an established practice. In fact, since the formation of the High Council, the kingdom's former discord between superiors and subordinates, noble infighting, and lip service have improved significantly." Gilbert said calmly.

A prototype of representative government? No, it couldn't be something that advanced. It was more like a feudal structure of lords during the transition from an estate-based state to an absolutist state, but it had already begun to take shape as a stage for local powers to contend with central authority.

"But with the arrival of the Year of Blood, the contradictions between the Six Great Houses, the Thirteen Noble Families, and the Radiant Star Royal Family grew increasingly apparent. In the thirteen days after Former King Edi II was assassinated, despite ongoing conflicts among the nobles, the Starfall Capital under the High Council actually resolved to lock the city gates and consolidate their troops. Only when His Majesty Kessel returned did they reach an agreement with him and crown him king."

An independently operating feudal council—an organization where feudal lords united to voice their concerns to the monarch—but that was bad news for me. Tales's heart tightened.

The council's operations had already managed to exclude the royal family's role.

This was a terrifying force. When the time was right, it could become a tidal wave to overthrow the throne.

"And King Kessel, who had no heir for twelve years—the Six Great Houses took note."

Gilbert's gaze was filled with caution, mysterious yet complex as he replied:

"Forgive my bluntness, but our powerful northern neighbor, the realm of Hero Nekaroo and Hero Sara, the Ekster Kingdom, known as the 'Blade of the West Continent,' adopts an elective monarchy chosen by its lords—the king is selected from among the major lords eligible to vote."

As he spoke, Yordel's hoarse voice rang out again:

"Enemy attack on the second floor! The third and fourth squads are handling it."

"Five more. They're approaching the third floor."

Tales made no move this time.

Gilbert took a deep breath and pointed outside:

"Now, Mr. Tales, do you understand where your enemy lies?"

Tales remained silent.

The hereditary king of Starfall.

The elective monarchy of a foreign land.

The Six Great Houses and the Thirteen Noble Families.

The enemy.

Gilbert had essentially handed him the answer directly.

But Tales felt this information was far from enough. At this moment, all kinds of conjectures flashed through his mind.

He extracted useful elements from his rapidly churning brain and continued asking:

"If the royal bloodline is severed—the Six Great Houses guarding the borders would naturally be the first choice to inherit the crown. But does that also mean the new king would inherit all the territories, properties, vassals, and influence of the Crescent Star Family?"

"If one of the Six Great Houses, originally balanced in power and equal in status, suddenly becomes the royal family, rapidly expands, and wields legitimate supreme authority—what would happen to Starfall?"

"Would the Six Great Houses turn into one giant beast and five great houses, then live happily ever after, marching toward a bright tomorrow, just like when the Crescent Star was still the royal family?"

Gilbert was used to his young master's sudden interruptions, but this time, the Middle-Aged Noble said nothing, only staring at him gravely.

Tales stared back, his heart growing heavier.

"To strive together for that crown—they, the Six Great Houses and the Thirteen Noble Families," Tales's eyes gleamed with sharp light, "must have gone through complex and headache-inducing bargaining and interest-splitting, right? At least they had to decide who would wear the crown."

Especially after a full twelve years without an heir. Many must have seen the extinction of the Crescent Star bloodline as inevitable.

Huh—Tales let out a deep breath.

So it seemed his own survival or death really did affect the peace or turmoil of an entire kingdom.

A thought suddenly flashed through his mind.

Tales froze.

"Gilbert," the boy stood up from the sofa, frowning slowly, "in the Year of Blood—what role did these great lords actually play? I think I heard you mention—a coup to force the throne? Then the royal family's disaster—"

Gilbert only took a deep breath, but his gaze was indescribably complex.

A chill crept into Tales's heart.

His Majesty beheaded on the throne.

The princesses strangled in their sleep.

The consorts burned alive in the castle.

The royal grandsons dying even in their swaddling clothes.

The First Prince, alone with his sword, fell at the palace gates.

The king's younger brother struck from behind on the battlefield.

And four princes.

Tales's mouth fell open, and he slumped blankly onto the sofa.

For the first time since his transmigration, he felt that life was this complicated—even in the darkest days of the Brotherhood, the former Tales had never lost heart.

A long silence filled the secret chamber.

Until Yordel's voice rang out again without warning!

"Looks like the last elite squad. They've broken through to the third floor. Engaging."

But Tales no longer cared.

His thoughts drifted to the possible employers of those intruders beyond the hidden door:

Why is there such a pathetic royal family? Letting their own vassals slaughter them to the last man!

Then escaping from the Brotherhood was practically suicide!

And that so-called father of mine can still sit serenely by the riverbank? Still wear his crown and rest easy on his throne? What, or who, gives him such confidence?

A Magic User?

Wait—that so-called father of mine, he's still King even now?

Why is he still King? Still able to be King?

That means—

"No!"

The next moment, Tales sat up sharply, his face grim, but he firmly rejected his own speculation:

"First, the Year of Blood was a total catastrophe from top to bottom, inside and out—a secret assassination of a universally recognized wise King would do nothing to help the nobles' chaotic situation."

"Second, Gilbert, you said the High Council once governed independently for thirteen days after the King's assassination—thirteen days without a King! Was it that they couldn't agree on dividing the spoils or unify behind a new monarch, or were they actually panicking, caught off guard by the King's death itself?"

"The key point is that my father, His Majesty Kessel, was crowned after reaching an agreement with the High Council—that means he had enough support from the great lords. Was someone back then already foreseeing that Prince Kessel, in the prime of his life, would have no more children for the next twelve years, letting the lords dream of a crown they could only claim twelve years later? What kind of power could guarantee that?"

"The final doubt is—you said my father has already avenged every grudge he could. The hidden dangers are mostly resolved. The remaining grudges are either impossible to settle or unfeasible. Perhaps the Six Great Houses are indeed terrifying, but if they were truly the masterminds behind the royal massacre, then in twelve years, His Majesty Kessel, called the Iron Hand, should have made some move, shouldn't he?"

"And fundamentally, the royal family and the lords of the Six Great Houses are all just ancient noble houses with long histories."

"If they truly intended to seize the throne, they would know they absolutely cannot—at least not through conspiracy—set such a precedent. If the top houses slaughter and massacre the royal family, should they one day sit on the throne, who's to say they won't suffer the same fate?"

"The Six Great Houses are not the murderers of the royal family!"

"Right, Gilbert?"

Tales stared fixedly at the middle-aged noble, as if trying to dig something out of his mind.

Gilbert raised an eyebrow, then broke into a wistful smile.

He cleared his throat and nodded:

"Originally, my plan was just to guide your thoughts toward the Six Great Houses as the opponents—that would have been enough. But it seems I underestimated you, my dear young sir."

"That you can see this, I imagine His Majesty will be proud."

"But they—the lords in the court back then—are by no means blameless. At the very least, when the royal family was being slaughtered, they chose to stand by and watch, or even welcome it."

Gilbert's eyes dimmed. He hesitated for a moment, then finally pressed on:

"The disaster of the Crescent Star Family indeed had another hand behind it."

"But as for the true truth, I don't know the details either."

"Only His Majesty knows all of it—this is a tragedy of the Radiant Stars, and he should be the one to tell you himself."

Tales stared at Gilbert for a long moment.

But then, he let out a heavy breath, like a fully inflated ball suddenly deflating, and flopped back onto the sofa behind him.

"Tch—" Tales rolled his eyes, abandoning all decorum. "Why didn't you say so sooner!"

Gilbert laughed.

The middle-aged noble gave a slight bow, silently acknowledging his young master's words, and thought: Tales, this child—perhaps the Star Kingdom will be different because of him.

Though, your true enemies—the Radiant Star Royal Family's real foes—may be far more terrifying than the so-called Six Great Houses and Thirteen Noble Families, for all we know.

An extremely abrupt voice sounded again:

"All dealt with." Yordel's voice came through once more. "No survivors."

Gilbert's expression turned serious. He nodded, stood up slowly, and said, "Good."

Tales hadn't even reacted yet, his eyes wide.

That's it? Done in the time it takes to eat a meal?

The stone just dropped—how did it sink without even a splash?

Gilbert, standing by the hidden door, gestured for Tales to come out and said, "Don't worry, Mr. Tales—they were just testing the waters."

"Leave these trivial matters to us."

"Your battlefield is a hundred times more dangerous and treacherous than ours."