Chapter 34

The next morning.

Keith stepped out of his room. As he passed the place where Walker had taken off his armor, his expression suddenly tightened. He immediately summoned the butler and asked, "Where are Walker's armor and sword?"

Why were they all gone?!

"Butler: Young Master Keith, Young Master Walker, he..."

Before he could finish, someone entering through the doorway interrupted him.

Walker seemed to have worked up quite a sweat. His thin clothes clung tightly to his body, revealing his strong muscles.

Holding a sword in one hand and using a dry cloth to wipe his hair with the other, he asked with a puzzled expression, "Is something the matter, Brother? I was just practicing my sword swings in the courtyard..."

As he spoke, Walker casually set the greatsword on the table, then took the water the butler had prepared for him and drank it all in one gulp.

Keith glanced at the butler.

The butler nodded. "Yes, Young Master Keith."

"Young Master Walker got up very early to train. He also had the servants move his armor into his bedroom, saying he wanted to clean it himself."

Keith tugged at the corner of his mouth. "It's nothing... I just thought you had left home without saying a word."

Walker smiled. "How could I, Brother?"

Not long afterward.

Harry William also came downstairs.

He found a suitable excuse to ask Walker to remain at home. It would not be too late for him to return to the territory with Desinia after the three-day mourning period had ended.

Walker agreed.

After that, Harry William left the residence with a satisfied expression, while Keith William remained at home.

Walker said he was returning to his room to wipe down and clean his armor.

The moment he entered and shut the door, his expression immediately darkened.

He quickly walked to the window, turned sideways to look outside, and secretly observed the surroundings from his elevated vantage point. After confirming the number of guards nearby, he had a rough idea of the situation.

Walker had indeed returned to where Cyrus was staying in the middle of the night.

Inside the royal capital.

Judas had not felt comfortable letting Cyrus sleep alone, so he had slept on the sofa in the outer room of the young count's quarters. Then Walker, who had climbed in through the window in the middle of the night, shook him awake.

Walker swiftly covered Judas's mouth before he could cry out and whispered almost soundlessly, "Shh. We need to wake the count. Something has happened..."

Judas frowned and nodded, wondering why Walker had returned at such a time.

The two of them then woke Cyrus, who had been sleeping soundly.

"What is it?"

Cyrus was still groggy. He sat up, scratched at the marks the pillowcase had left on his face, tilted his head, and yawned.

After traveling for days to reach the royal capital, he had already become somewhat exhausted and terribly sleepy.

Then, as though he had suddenly realized something, his eyes became slightly clearer. He looked at Walker and asked, "Why are you back? It's not even dawn yet."

Walker told Cyrus what he had overheard during the first half of the night.

"...That's how it is, my lord. Bass Riches wants to kill the prince, control all the lords, and seize the throne."

Cyrus took a moment to process the sudden conspiracy and muttered, "That old bastard really was up to no good."

Judas asked, "My lord, what should we do now?"

Cyrus furrowed his little brows and thought for a moment. "The late king was healthy before this. He looked as though he could have lived for several more years, yet news of his death came without any warning..."

"Could the late king's death... be related to Bass Riches?"

Walker considered it. "That is very possible."

"If the late king's death truly had something to do with Bass Riches, then the custom of all Gadayat's lords coming to the royal capital to mourn the king... should also have been part of his plan."

"The duke has the authority to manage finances and regulate the royal capital's guard knights. Is it possible that... the entire royal capital of Kaies is already under Bass Riches's control?"

Cyrus's expression turned grave as well. "Could Bass Riches have secretly replaced all the knights in the royal capital with his own men long ago?"

"If that is the case, then we may have fallen into his trap from the moment we entered the city."

The more they thought about it, the more likely it seemed.

Bass Riches was not a brainless man.

Since he intended to capture all the lords in one sweep and kill the prince... he would certainly have arranged a detailed plan beforehand.

For example, controlling the royal capital, and perhaps even...

Cyrus suddenly said, "The lords will mourn the late king in the church for three days."

"During that time, no unrelated people may enter with them, including the knights and servants accompanying the prince and the lords. Dedicated clergy and attendants inside the church will serve the prince and the lords..."

"Walker, since your father said everything would be over in three days, they will certainly act during those three days."

"The only place they can act is inside the church."

"Could Bass Riches already have colluded with the bishop or the bishop's representative? Or perhaps both of them... Has he secretly bribed them?!"

Looking at it this way, the entire royal capital was likely already under Bass Riches's control.

Judas said, "We have fallen into a wolf's den, but fortunately, my lord, you arranged for a group of soldiers outside the city to receive us beforehand."

"But how are we supposed to deal with this tomorrow?"

Cyrus said, "We cannot allow the prince to be killed."

"And the lords who know nothing of this are innocent too. We cannot escape while they remain under Bass Riches's control..."

Such a situation would also be very disadvantageous to him.

"If Bass Riches truly obtains the throne, given how much he hates me and covets the Seawater Solar Salt-Making Method... Visas and Komoy Fort will probably be the first places he targets. He only needs to casually pin some crime on me that supposedly requires punishment before sending troops to attack."

Judas and Walker nodded. The count was right.

Cyrus said, "I must enter the church and find a way to warn the prince and the other lords. With three days available, Bass Riches should not act on the first day..."

Judas anxiously interrupted Cyrus.

"But my lord, even if Bass Riches does not act on the first day, he may very well imprison you in the church and prevent you from leaving. Your situation will be extremely dangerous..."

Cyrus shook his head.

But he had no choice. There was no other way.

If he notified them in advance, setting aside whether there was enough time, he would be entering the church early tomorrow morning to mourn the late king.

Moreover, only inside the church would he have a chance to see the prince.

Besides, he did not know which of the lords were allies and which were enemies.

What if some of the lords inside had long since pledged themselves to Bass Riches?

If he warned everyone recklessly, it would be equivalent to exposing what he knew right in front of Bass Riches. By then, leaving the royal capital would become even more difficult.

Therefore, he had to enter the church.

Cyrus said, "Walker, to avoid letting your father and brother notice beforehand, I need you to go back again. If necessary..."

"I understand, my lord," Walker said.

After thinking it over, Walker sighed. He then put on his armor, picked up his greatsword, and entered Keith's room. As expected, he found him inside handling affairs.

He quickly stepped forward and placed the greatsword against Keith's neck. "Brother, I need you to cooperate with me on something."

Keith's body stiffened, then slowly relaxed. "Walker, don't joke with me like this."

"You should understand that I am not joking, Brother."

Walker curved his lips into a smile. "You had better not move around. My hand is unsteady. If I accidentally cut your neck..."

Keith's face instantly turned cold. He raised his head and asked, "What exactly do you want?"

Walker's expression also became indifferent. "Tell me about your arrangements inside the church. When do you intend to kill the prince, and when do you intend to seize control of the lords?"

"Is Bishop Bolton one of your people?"

Keith's expression changed, and he blurted out, "How did you know?!"

Walker did not answer. He merely moved the greatsword closer to Keith's neck. "Tell me, Brother."

Keith's expression kept shifting.

In the end, he sneered. "What? Are you trying to save Desinia?"

"Too late. Not only the church, but the entire royal capital of Kaies is already under the duke's control... The duke has planned for this day for a long time. Failure is not an option."

"And at this moment... the prince may already be dead."

"What?!"

Walker had not expected them to act the very moment the mourning ceremony began...

Did that mean the lords would soon be brought under control as well?!

He could not help feeling anxious and worried, but he still asked calmly, "Which lords has Bass Riches secretly bribed?"

Keith sneered. "I will not tell you. If you have the ability, kill me, my... dear little brother."

He spoke each word slowly, as if certain Walker would not dare lay a hand on him.

"Brother, I hope you won't blame me," Walker said.

After saying that, he knocked Keith William unconscious with the sword hilt.

Inside the Creator God's church.

Cyrus's expression was somewhat—no, very—ugly.

Because the prince had died in front of him and Marquis Marco Case.

He was now grateful.

Fortunately, he had not come alone to the mourning room deep within the church.

This was where the prince mourned alone. It was far from the mourning room where the lords were gathered, and there would have been no time to cry out or call for help.

Otherwise, before Bass Riches's conspiracy could even be exposed, he might already have been killed here.

Marquis Marco Case was Nat Case's father.

Nat Case was the young noble Cyrus had encountered after entering the royal capital and presenting the Seawater Solar Salt-Making Method—the "seller" who had wanted to beat Ferdinand to death in the street before Cyrus bought Ferdinand for one gold coin.

Cyrus and Nat Case had run into each other outside the church. After recognizing each other, they naturally exchanged a few words.

Afterward, Nat Case's father came to speak with Cyrus after entering the church.

Marco Case said, "My son has always been rebellious. He was disobedient from childhood, but I noticed that he treated you very well just now... How did you two meet?"

"Because of a slave," Cyrus said.

Marco Case showed a surprised expression. "Could you tell me exactly what happened?"

Cyrus wondered why he was asking about such a thing.

Marco Case sighed. "I used to be busy with all sorts of affairs, and inevitably neglected Nat... somewhat."

"He is grown now, but his temperament cannot be corrected at all. He spends every day associating with all sorts of unsavory people. I, I now want to teach him properly."

Cyrus nodded and briefly explained the "transaction" from back then. He then said, "I do not think his attitude toward me was good because of that."

"Then what was it because of?" Marco Case asked in confusion.

Probably because of... his face?

Cyrus was about to answer when he suddenly spotted someone heading toward the room where the prince was mourning. The person quickly disappeared from sight.

He frowned. Wanting to warn the prince about Bass Riches's conspiracy as soon as possible, he said he had something to discuss with the prince.

Marco Case nodded and went with him.

They had arrived at just the right time, yet also at the worst possible time.

The person Cyrus had seen was actually the assassin sent to deal with the prince.

The prince was now dead, his throat cleanly slit. Blood had sprayed across the floor and walls, turning the solemnly decorated mourning room into a murder scene in an instant.

The murderer had not yet had time to escape. Cyrus and Marco Case caught him red-handed, and they faced each other directly.

The murderer wore the black robe granted only to clergy, and his face was hidden. He was startled upon seeing Cyrus and Marco Case.

The next moment, he suddenly raised his blade and lunged at Cyrus.

Fortunately, Marco Case stood beside Cyrus. Having received knightly training before, he blocked the weapon with one hand.

The murderer did not continue fighting him. He found an opportunity to leap out through the window and flee.