Revival Palace was the most important, central, and highest large-scale building in Everstar City.
In End Era 34, during the later years of Tomond I's reign, he modeled it after the imperial palace of the Triumphant Capital of the Ancient Empire. The palace rose from the ground in a half-pyramidal shape, surrounded by six-sided palace walls. At least six Supreme Kings had expanded or repaired it afterward. Under the hands of countless skilled craftsmen, the palace and its walls had taken on a classical yet mottled appearance, while the interior was imposing and majestic. After more than six hundred years of weathering, Revival Palace was filled with an air of vicissitude.
At the top of two hundred and twenty-five steps stood the Hall of Stars, supported by twenty-four enormous colonnades. It was grand and spacious, and was used exclusively for the National Affairs Conference. The open-air northern section of the hall overlooked Star Gathering Plaza outside the palace walls—the largest commercial plaza in the central district. The southern section was the meeting room for the Imperial Council, while the middle held the spacious Council Hall, which could accommodate a large gathering of nobles.
At that moment, two people sat on opposite sides of the conference table in the Imperial Council meeting room. Beneath the light of two Eternal Lamps, the atmosphere was quiet and heavy.
The thirty-ninth Supreme King of the Star Kingdom—the robust Kessel the Fifth—set down the letter and report in his hands and raised his head to look at the travel-worn nobleman sitting opposite him.
The Warden Duke of the North and lord of Cold Fortress City, forty-nine-year-old Val Arendt, narrowed his eyes and looked back at his liege lord.
As one of the heads of the Six Great Houses, Val appeared somewhat lacking in "nobility." Most of that was thanks to the scar stretching from his chest to his chin. He wore his hair in a neat crew cut, making it nearly impossible to see its dark brown color.
Val's appearance differed from that of ordinary Starry Sky People. His eyes were pitch-black, his gaze sharp, his nose high-bridged, and his lips prominent. Stubble covered his chin densely, giving his entire face a sharply defined look. The chainmail and military attire on his body still carried the chill of the north, with melted frostwater trickling down from time to time.
On his chest and shoulder was the lifelike emblem of the White-Backed Eagle, belonging to the foremost of the Six Great Houses that had guarded the northern lands since the Ancient Empire. Clutching a snowy branch in its beak, the eagle spread its formidable talons toward Kessel.
The "Iron Eagle," Duke Val Arendt, looked more like a warrior who fought on the front lines than a pampered lord of one of the Great Houses.
"What a truly impressive forty-eighth birthday gift, Duke Arendt," Kessel said coldly.
"And?" Val raised his head without yielding an inch, glaring at his king. "Are you planning to kill me here and hold me accountable?"
"His Majesty Kessel, who has no heir?"
Mind-reading?
Tales was incredulous. He could even hear his own heart beating irregularly, one beat after another.
Looking at Morat's gloomy eyes, he thought bitterly: What else can I hide?
"Young sir, there's no need to be so surprised." Morat gently stroked the Blackwood Cane in his hand, as unremarkable as his appearance. "You know, I've seen that expression of yours far too many times."
"From criminals..." Morat bared his broken teeth and gave a terrifying grin. "To kings."
"Hahahahaha..." Morat laughed darkly.
Facing someone like this... someone so terrifying...
Ha...
Tales' thoughts had fallen into complete disarray.
I might as well...
Just then!
"Calm down."
A voice drifted faintly from beside his ear.
"He's been lying to you the whole time."
Tales was violently startled!
He slammed a palm onto the banquet table. The sudden childish voice made his heart quake.
Morat's laughter stopped, and he looked toward him strangely.
"Don't act rashly. Only you can hear my voice right now."
Tales gripped the edge of the banquet table with all his strength and stared fixedly at Morat, appropriately transforming his astonishment at the voice into fear of Morat's mind-reading ability.
"He can't read minds!" the childish loli voice said beside his ear.
He can't read minds?
"But he can tell when a lie exists," the mysterious voice said.
Tales forcefully suppressed his disrupted state of mind and shut his eyes tightly.
A memory surfaced.
"Qiren, psychology focuses on the behavior and minds of individuals, while our research focuses more on the behavior and minds of groups. The difference between the two is enormous." An old professor puffed on his pipe and exhaled a cloud of smoke. Smiling at Wu Qiren, who was anxiously flipping through a first draft of his paper, he slowly continued:
"But there is one thing they share. Human behavior and psychology have always been unfathomable and unpredictable, let alone orderly. In the face of such a miracle, researchers must remain humble."
"You also know that attempts to use one or several grand theories to encompass all social phenomena have long since been criticized until they were riddled with holes."
"Because there has never been any possibility of completely deciphering the human heart."
His memories from his previous life receded like a tide and returned to the sea of memories he had already built up to considerable size.
Tales abruptly opened his eyes and looked ahead at the Black Prophet, who was waiting leisurely for his answer.
The moment is about right. Morat Hansen narrowed his eyes with interest as he looked at the little boy before him.
But judging from his appearance, could something truly extraordinary have been hidden from him by Yordel?
Morat tightened his grip on his cane. Good. Let's see how many more lies he can tell.
He had come here today not merely to verify Yordel's words and search for clues about that new Magic User.
Morat inhaled the sweet, cloying air. What an extravagant and decadent scent.
More importantly... he had come to meet the future King of Starfall and cultivate respect and awe for the Kingdom Secret Bureau in his heart.
As well as dependence... and obedience.
One "strong-minded" king like Kessel was enough.
Only in darkness can the stars shine brilliantly.
Morat thought with satisfaction.
"Next, you have to listen carefully," the loli voice murmured in Tales' ear.
"He doesn't know that you two spoke."
"He only knows what he said."
"I can't transmit my voice anymore. He'll notice."
"Protect yourself, ally."
The familiar voice, which leaked air badly but reassured him greatly at that moment, no longer sounded beside his ear.
Tales drew another breath. Although he still appeared thoroughly frightened on the surface, he had already rearmed his heart.
It's just another game, he told himself.
His gray pupils contracted and expanded constantly before finally focusing on Morat before him.
His mind, which had been frozen and sealed by shock and fear, began turning once more at the proper moment.
First, he needed to sort out the information he had.
Morat is lying. After the mysterious loli voice's reminder, he calmly reached that conclusion.
One, I encountered a Magic User.
Two, the Magic User spoke to me.
Three, the Magic User discovered that I was the next Magic User.
The secrets Tales needed to hide consisted of these three layers of information. The problem was—Yordel knew all three!
If Yordel told Morat everything... then the Black Prophet wouldn't be here. What awaited me might be the Legendary Anti-Magic Weaponry Ashida mentioned.
I shouldn't suspect Yordel. From Red Quarter to Weed Manor, he did everything he could to ensure my safety. Tales told himself guiltily.
He doesn't know that you two spoke. That voice had told him that Morat didn't know the Magic User had spoken with Tales.
So—Morat had known only the first layer from the beginning. As for the rest, he had been lying and probing Tales for information!
And Tales had foolishly taken the bait. His panicked performance had probably allowed Morat to probe all the way to the second layer.
He only knows what he said. The voice had also said that Morat knew only what Morat himself had said.
The one thing Morat was absolutely certain of was that Ashida had discovered a new Magic User!
But that was all. Yordel had probably told him only half of the third layer. He did not know who the new Magic User was!
He can't read minds. Since Morat could not read minds, his act of pinching the bridge of his nose while using his supernatural ability had been staged to deceive Tales!
The reason he had confidently extracted the image of the Air Elementalist from Tales' "mind" was... I'm such an idiot. Looking at Ashida's outfit, which hadn't changed in centuries, how could the Secret Section not know what he looked like?
As for the energy sphere in Ashida's hand, the same applied. The Air Wall was obviously Ashida's famous signature technique!
And his habit of squeezing people into meatballs—after the battle in Red Quarter, bodies crushed into balls must have been discovered!
As for the pitch-black darkness that night in Red Quarter—wasn't that obvious? Even a fifth-level Alert Officer could mention it during the subsequent investigation!
So this fellow's so-called mind-reading ability... Tales frowned and thought bitterly... was all a false image Morat had embellished with known information to bluff him and force him to submit!
Now, let's verify that.
"Lord Hansen," Tales raised his head fearfully and spoke with a slight tremble. "Since—since you can read minds, why did you come to ask me?"
"You could simply read my thoughts directly..."
"I wouldn't dare." Morat smiled faintly and gave a slight bow while holding his cane. "The brain of the person being read will suffer some degree of damage."
"And you are, after all, my future liege lord."
Then how did you dare just now!? Tales roared inwardly.
"However, if you wish to save yourself the trouble, I can only obey your wishes and delve directly into your mind. I will do my best not to harm..." Morat's smile did not fade as he extended his left hand toward Tales.
"No, no, no! There's no need!" Tales waved his hands in panic. "I'll just tell you directly."
Looking at Tales' expression, Morat shook his head inwardly in self-mockery.
After all, he was merely a seven-year-old child.
"As you command." The Black Prophet lowered his head, the corners of his mouth curling slightly.
By then, Tales was completely certain.
Bluffing me!
Bluffing me again!
Call a bluff!
With acting this good, why don't you go work for the Midnight Temple!
But...
He can tell when a lie exists. That was the only thing that especially concerned Tales.
A black-box human lie detector with an unknown mechanism?
In other words, in front of the Black Prophet, Tales could not fabricate things from thin air. He could only use "partial truths" to conceal and cover up the truly fatal key points.
Partial truths, huh.
Tales sighed inwardly. Why didn't I study journalism back then?
There was a small cover recommendation, and he was a little happy to see it on the fantasy category page.
Please bookmark, vote, and recommend!
By Wu Jian, wearing a serious expression.