Chapter 169: Nice to Meet You

Ian’s sudden actions left Nathan speechless, especially upon hearing news of his entrance into the palace.

‘How could he execute the head of the Chamberlain right in front of His Majesty?’

He did not know what offense Chamberlain had committed.

Nathan believed there were boundaries even Ian should not cross.

This was not something that could simply be brushed aside.

‘Where could that fool, Galon, possibly be?’

Despite searching diligently, Galon was nowhere to be found.

That was obvious.

It was because he was waiting in the Crystal Palace with Lila and Elaira, ensuring their safety along with the soldiers.

Nathan called out in haste.

“Your Highness! What on earth are you doing? How can you behave like this in front of His Majesty?”

“I killed him because he deserved it.”

“Pardon?”

To Nathan’s astonishment, the king seemed to agree with Ian’s statement.

“Well done.”

“Eh?”

Nathan was utterly confused, at a loss for what to do.

However, he noticed a slight glimmer in Ian’s eyes as he looked at the king.

‘Is he sharing a consciousness with his doppelgänger, even though they are separate beings?’

The king’s usual stiffness remained.

However, the fact that Ian couldn’t feel anything seemed to indicate that the king possessed one of the Seven Virtues.

There must be a secret to his power that Ian didn’t know about.

It was then.

“Blood in the great hall, what exactly is happening?”

“Your Majesty, are you alright?”

Just then, the ministers arrived, expecting an explanation from the King.

However, King Eloin didn’t offer one; instead, he tossed the decree received from Ian to the Keeper of the Privy Seal.

“Do you recognize this?”

“!”

The Keeper of the Privy Seal, responsible for royal decrees, immediately identified the document.

“This… this is the decree meant for Duke Lavaltor. But more importantly, what does this mean?”

The Keeper of the Privy Seal’s eyes widened in disbelief as he observed the unique number at the end of the decree.

‘Why is there such content on a blank decree issued to Duke Lavaltor?’

The blank decree was something that could only be used in exceptional national emergencies.

Yet, the text inscribed on this decree was nothing more than a simple command to enter the palace.

It was certainly not something that should be written on such an important document.

‘Especially not for someone like him to be involved in such trivial matters.’

The other ministers also examined the decree, their eyes widened.

‘Could it be related to Duke Lavaltor?’

‘No way… it can’t be. It’s Duke Lavaltor, of all people.’

All eyes turned to Duke Lavaltor, but he remained silent and offered no explanation.

His usual resolute demeanor did nothing to alleviate the ministers’ suspicion.

‘Say something!’

‘Could it be that he’s trying to pull His Majesty from the throne now?’

‘What if he’s standing still with intentions to… perhaps, kill not only the King but all of us?’

The ministers took a small step back, fearing that Duke Lavaltor might suddenly go mad and attack.

It was just then that—

“Duke, I have brought the item you mentioned.”

“Hmm…”

Hite, the leader of the Blue Wolf, handed over an item.

The Duke took the item and threw it directly at the Keeper of the Privy Seal.

“What… what is this?”

The eyes of the Keeper of the Privy Seal widened more than ever.

The other ministers rushed over to verify as well, and they all could see it.

“It’s the same decree.”

“Indeed. The same number is written on it.”

“Could it be… someone made a fake blank decree?”

Everyone gasped in shock.

Only then did they realize the reason behind Ian holding the blood-stained sword; it was clearly connected to the fallen chamberlain.

‘Could it be that someone forged a blank decree using the Duke of Lavaltor’s?’

This was no simple mistake.

It was tantamount to tarnishing the reputation and dignity of Duke Lavaltor, who was revered across the continent and especially in Kaistein.

That wasn’t all.

‘It’s like the royal family itself has been insulted. Particularly, this would be a grievous humiliation for His Majesty.’

In an instant, the ministers sensed that a bloody storm was brewing in Kaistein.

And sure enough, it wasn’t long before King Eloin made his move.

“Despite the royal family’s dignity, the chamberlain insulted and dishonored both the royal and Lavaltor families. He’s soiled and humiliated them. He deserved to die.”

“Your Majesty, please…”

But the king’s anger did not end there.

“And those who dare to tamper with decrees shall find no forgiveness under any circumstances.”

Murderous intent radiated from his gaze.

It was a bloodlust reminiscent of someone who had spilled blood on the battlefield.

King Eloin’s intense gaze fixated on one man.

“Keeper of the Privy Seal.”

The Keeper, visibly shaken, responded, “Yes?… Yes, Your Majesty!”

“Surely you aren’t involved in this too?”

“Your Majesty, such an accusation is preposterous. I would never engage in such treachery…”

“Then find those related to this matter. If you fail to do so… I will hold you accountable for your incompetence in managing the decrees.”

“Y-Yes! I will carry out your command.”

Keeper of the Privy Seal, drenched in cold sweat, stepped back.

He had to search through decades of decrees to find the culprit and retrieve all the erroneous decrees.

If he failed to resolve the issue…

‘Otherwise, I will die.’

It was only natural for him to rush out.

A few other ministers followed behind him, all of whom were connected to the decrees in question.

They likely wanted to verify if any blame would be directed at them as well.

Meanwhile…

“I’m a bit late. Let’s get started.”

“Indeed, Your Majesty.”

Ian and King Eloin exchanged glances filled with murderous intent.

***

Unlike King Eloin in the palace, King Eloin in his Cain form immediately called to Lawrence.

“Are the preparations complete?”

“All troops are assembled in front of the royal palace, Your Majesty,” Lawrence affirmed.

He promptly set his forces in motion.

Not only the Black Lion Knights but also his Blood Lion Knights, who could be likened to his fangs, were all part of the operation.

No, it wasn’t just them.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve worked together like this.”

“Indeed, Your Majesty,” responded Duke Lavaltor, standing by his side.

Soon, the Blue Wolf forces under his command also gathered, uniting Kastein’s strongest factions under one banner.

And the one leading them was none other than…

“From now on, it’s a race against time. We must hurry before they pull any tricks.”

It was Ian.

The Blue Emperor charged forward, kicking off the ground.

“Follow me!”

“Yes!”

Everyone began to follow Ian.

Observing the scene, King Eloin stroked his chin thoughtfully.

“What do you think? Quite impressive, isn’t it?”

“It reminds me of you when you were younger, Your Majesty.”

“Was I really that cool?”

“No, it’s just like when you used to leave us worrying behind and charge ahead on your own.”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“…”

However, amidst their banter, Duke Lavaltor focused on the crucial matter at hand.

“Have you identified all those involved?” he queried.

“Without a doubt,” affirmed King Eloin.

In a very short time, the Black Lion Knights had uncovered quite a bit of information.

King Eloin nodded in confidence.

Suddenly, Duke Lavaltor seemed to remember something.

“Was the Keeper of the Privy Seal involved?”

“Of course. He’s the one who created the counterfeit decree.”

Surprised, Duke Lavaltor questioned, “And yet you entrusted him with tasks?”

“Precisely because of his betrayal,” replied the King with a smirk.

“Before he dies, he should be able to do something beneficial for the royal family. It would be even better if he can betray his allies to save his own skin.”

“An eye for an eye. As expected, your penchant for cunning remains unchanged.”

“They say people only change when they’re about to die.”

A glint appeared in King Eloin’s eyes.

“This time, I plan to eliminate all those who dare to nibble at the royal family.”

Even the Council of Elders, which had been his ally, was not exempt.

Because they had been so quiet for too long, the roots had rotted away.

He fully intended to deal with this neatly before embarking on his conquest of the continent.

“With Bahara secured, immediate threats are quelled. It’s time to cleanse our ranks before confronting Cantum and the Holy Empire.”

With the formation of Cantum’s support army, troops had gathered in abundance.

There was no time but now to put things in order.

Duke Lavaltor asked in disbelief, his expression incredulous.

“Was this your plan all along?”

A sly smile spread across King Eloin’s face.

Instead of answering, he simply grinned.

That smile reminded him of Ian.

***

In his mansion, Deputy Chairman Jarken sat in his office chair, downing a drink.

‘Now, I shall assume the role of Council Chairman.’

In reality, he served as both the chairman and deputy chairman of the Council of Elders.

However, with the Queen, the head of the inner court, on his side, becoming the Chairman of the Council of Elders would be a piece of cake.

‘Originally, I was supposed to rely on the support of Duke Garcia, but…’

He had long been trapped in the royal family’s remote tower.

It was perhaps only natural that Jarken sought out the Queen.

‘Indeed, if I don’t take the initiative, nothing gets done here.’

But it wasn’t a bad thing.

Thanks to joining forces with the Queen, he had managed to deal with Lavaltor, who had been a thorn in his side.

‘This is a chance to challenge the King.’

He’s too determined. He wouldn’t make any excuses.

He would be forced to resign, or be imprisoned in a corner estate.

Moreover, his territory on the border, now that Bahara had been conquered, was left with no purpose.

He would wither away like that.

In that way, Lavaltor was naturally eliminated and the Seventh Prince and all troops were concentrated in Cantum.

“I will take Kaistein.”

The position of the chairman of the Council of Elders.

And with the Queen’s help, it was entirely possible.

After all, King Eloin would remain quiet as long as he wasn’t provoked.

There was no one to stop him. When the time was right…

“My son, from now on, you must conduct yourself properly. You will someday be the king of this country.”

At Jarken’s words, his son, who was drinking with him in front of him, tilted his head.

“Is that really possible? The other successors won’t just sit still, right?”

“It is quite possible if you marry the first princess.”

“The first princess? Isn’t there a significant age difference between us? And the second princess has… well, her personality…”

“There is a third princess. They say she’s a saintess. She’s even younger than you, so it should be a perfect match.”

“!”

Jarken smirked wickedly as he sipped his drink.

“The Seventh Prince will meet his end in Cantum.”

“How so?”

“No matter how talented a person may be, they cannot avoid an arrow that flies at them from behind.”

He had already placed his soldiers among the reinforcements from Cantum.

Moreover, even some knights and commanders were on his side.

Originally, these forces were supposed to be used to kill the Third Prince.

“Now that he’s nowhere to be found, it’s pointless to waste troops on someone who’s drifted far from the throne.”

“But the first princess still remains, Father.”

“She will become the empress of Cantum and serve as a strong backing for Kaistein.”

The First Princess couldn’t defy the Queen’s orders.

This was the result of the Queen’s almost brainwashing education over the years as a mother. And that was his plan.

It was nothing short of a reward for spending so long as the second-in-command.

“In the end, our family will rule this country. No, we will conquer half of the continent, including Bahara and Cantum.”

“And that empire in the East, known as the Wall, will bow before you, Father. Together, we will achieve what was once only possible for the first prince.”

“Exactly.”

Hahaha.

As the two of them laughed happily, a sudden interruption occurred.

Boom!

Jarken’s wine glass shook in the middle of their drink.

“What the hell is going on at this time?”

“Th-That is…”

A butler rushed in, looking panicked.

He appeared unable to explain what was going on.

However, what followed was even more surprising.

“Aaaargh!”

The sound of someone dying rang outside, and Jarken got up abruptly.

“What kind of disturbance dares to occur in the home of me, Jarken, who is to become the Council of Elders’s Chairman?”

“Father, I will handle it.”

“Very well. Follow me.”

Jarken opened the door to his study and stepped outside.

What he saw was horrifying—his knights and soldiers lying in a pool of blood.

Among them stood a man wielding a bloodied sword.

“Long time no see… no, perhaps it’s more fitting to say nice to meet you. I am Ian Kaistein.”

The Seventh Prince, Ian, stood there with blood on his face, not even bothering to wipe it away, smiling at him.