Chapter 46

News always spreads particularly fast.

The sudden act of murder on the viewing platform shocked many people.

The nobles never thought they would dare to kill, and even in broad daylight.

No matter how much they compromised and retreated, they would never forgive such an occurrence.

Since they dared to strike with such ruthlessness, after the first time, a second was bound to follow.

A conflict and chaos were about to break out.

"Quiet!"

At this moment, an elderly man appeared, supported by a young noble.

He was an ordinary-looking old man.

His appearance and attire were very common.

But his words seemed to have a magical power that calmed the entire scene, which was about to erupt.

His back was slightly hunched, making him appear shorter compared to those around him; his steps were slightly trembling, as if a gust of wind could knock him over at any moment.

Therefore, the young noble supporting him was very careful, his eyes always focused on the old man's feet.

"Who is he?"

Attracted by this scene, Xiaolan couldn't help but ask Xi beside her.

"Are you not a noble in the capital?" Xi turned to look at him when he heard his question.

"No," Xiaolan shook her head and said, "I haven't been in the capital for long."

"Have you never attended any banquets in the noble circles of the capital? Otherwise, you wouldn't know who he is."

"From what you say, is he very famous?"

Xi nodded, his gaze turning to the direction of the old man, who was quietly mediating between the two sides.

"He is Lord Bowen, a viscount. Perhaps his title is not particularly prominent in the capital, but what truly earns people's respect is his character."

"It seems he is a highly respected figure among the nobles," Xiaolan said.

"Yes," Xi looked at the old man with admiration. "Before the current headmaster of the Royal Central Academy, he was the headmaster of this academy. Many of the nobles present might have been his students back then. When the king ascended the throne, it was he and the current headmaster who stabilized the country. However, he withdrew from the political center of the kingdom after just a few years."

His final tone carried a faint sense of regret, as if he was sighing over something.

"He is very old," Xiaolan said, looking at the old man and shaking her head.

"Yes," Xi nodded. "I heard his health has always been poor, and it's already a miracle that he has managed to live this long."

Life is like a withered leaf slowly falling, and before it falls, he has already left the most precious experiences in this world.

"Saff, I remember you. You are a child of the Gerang family. Since your father's death, your family has declined. I heard your family regards you as the hope for its revival, but why are you doing such a foolish thing now?"

The old man looked at Saff, his deep eyes filled with warmth.

Saff was not unfamiliar with this old man. When his family fell into difficulties, it was this old man who reached out to help them.

He was their family's benefactor.

He respected him, but that didn't mean he had a reason to abandon the beliefs he pursued in his heart.

"Lord Bowen, perhaps my actions have disappointed my family, but when the kingdom is in danger, shouldn't the nobles who protect the ruling country be the first to stand up? Have they forgotten the glory of their ancestors, who sacrificed their lives for the kingdom?"

Saff gripped the sword in his hand, his eyes firmly fixed on the old man.

"I have only disappointed my family, but I have not disappointed my ancestors. Before this action, I thought a lot, and many nights I couldn't sleep because I was always considering whether this matter was worth doing."

"You did it," the old man sighed.

"Yes," Saff exhaled deeply, his eyes coldly scanning the nobles who had come forward to confront them. "To gain something, one must also lose something. Perhaps the family can be revived, but I will no longer be myself. I will become like them, scheming and plotting for petty gains, because I fear losing everything one day."

"Born into a noble family, I know these are normal things. To maintain the prosperity of the family, it must be so. Any interest is less important than the family's interest, even if it means damaging the kingdom's interest."

"This country is finished. After you and the current headmaster left, the kingdom has been declining. I have collected a lot of information, so I understand better than many people. If we don't do something, this country will truly fall apart."

"So I chose to stand up. I know the chances of success are slim, but if you don't do something, your heart will hurt. It's a suppressed pain, and sometimes you can even hear the sorrowful cries of the country's mother."

"My heart is tormented and punished. I want to be free."

The old man listened to Saff's long monologue and shook his head lightly. "But why did you kill? You must know that if you kill, there will be no way to turn back."

"I think only blood can calm my heart."

Saff laughed lightly, his voice bitter.

"Will you, will you, kill again?" The old man closed his eyes, then opened them again, asking the key question that concerned them.

"Lord Bowen, please advise them. This action is not just us. If they resist fiercely, I can guarantee that blood will flow here like a river." Saff said with a cold smile.

"Saff, actually, I am glad that this country still has people like you, but—"

The old man waved his hand lightly and sighed. "You should not be acting now, but in the future."

The future?

Saff laughed softly, knowing what the old man meant.

Perhaps he already understood that the kingdom's lifespan was as short as his, and he knew the irresistible force that could not stop this process.

He would die, and so would this country.

So what they need to do is stand up when the kingdom collapses completely, because only then will they be the true saviors of this country.

But we can't wait any longer.

The old man turned around, spoke to the nobles, and they dispersed with hostile glances. The old man then sat down with the young noble supporting him, closed his eyes, and said no more.

"It seems the matter is resolved," Xi turned back and smiled.

Xiaolan relaxed her fingers, which had been rubbing her ring, and said, "You seem to be in a good mood."

"Of course, I was really worried that if they clashed, it would affect us. That would be quite a problem," Xi said.

"Indeed, it would be a problem."

Xiaolan lightly tapped her thigh.

One, two, three.

At least three upper-class swordsmen were hidden among the students in the confrontation. If a real conflict broke out, it wouldn't take long for blood to stain and spread here.

And I would probably expose some troublesome things.

Fortunately, the conflict was defused.

However, the origins of those upper-class swordsmen cannot be ignored. Who has such a large hand?

This seemingly farcical turmoil is becoming increasingly murky.

"Rach, look over there, is Brother Xiaolan going to be okay?"

The chaos on the viewing platform indeed attracted the attention of many students. The news of the murder spread quickly. Maggie, huddled beside Rach, tugged at her sleeve, her eyes filled with worry as she looked at the viewing platform.

"Don't worry, your brother will be fine. Didn't you see him sitting there the whole time? I think as long as he doesn't conflict with those people, he should be fine."

Rach stroked her little head to comfort her, but her eyes revealed deep concern.

Avis, you fool, was the thing you talked about last night this?

This lunatic, doesn't he know the consequences of doing this?

Hero, hero! He is completely mad!

"Rach, are you okay?" Maggie asked softly, seeing Rach's dazed expression.

"Oh, oh, I'm fine, just thinking of some unpleasant things," Rach quickly waved her hand to indicate.

"Really?" Maggie bit her lip and said, "Are you worried about Avis? Isn't he a member of the Blood Flag Society?"

"Don't worry—look, we can't see Avis around here. I think he probably didn't participate in this."

"Really?" Maggie's round eyes carefully scanned the surrounding members of the Blood Flag Society. "Look, the people inside are not just from our academy, even students from the Royal Military Academy are here. They look so scary now."

"Don't think too much. As long as we stay still, they won't do anything. From their actions, it seems they are preparing to negotiate with His Majesty. Once the negotiation is over, they will release us," Rach explained and analyzed.

"But what if the negotiation fails?" Maggie whispered.

"I don't know, but we will be fine," Rach hugged Maggie to comfort her, but her eyes kept observing the surroundings.

If the negotiation fails, what will they do? Why do I have a bad feeling?

Avis, where are you now—

Behind the ceremonial platform.

Tylrandt released a minister, having already stated his demands. The minister would act as a mediator between him and the king.

Will he agree?

Tylrandt gripped the sword at his waist. If he doesn't agree, what should he do? Should he carry out the actions proposed by that person?

No, if he really does that, everything will truly become irreparable.

He paced back and forth, his face showing no expression.

"What if the king doesn't agree to our proposal?"

"Disagree? If he agrees, he wouldn't be him."

"Then how can we make him agree?"

"Simple, threaten him! If he doesn't agree, use the lives of everyone here as leverage to force him to agree!"

"This... No! We cannot sacrifice innocent people. It goes against our beliefs and ideals, and my members would never do such a thing."

"Tsk, tsk, if he knew your thoughts, the person on the throne would mercilessly send the army to suppress us. Believe me, he will do it."

"Doesn't he know the current state of the kingdom? For the kingdom, we can sacrifice our lives to fight for him!"

"Haha... Don't say such laughable things. Do you know who he is? One reason he was able to ascend the throne smoothly was that he rallied a group of nobles who supported him. If he were to oppose the kingdom's nobles, it would be like losing an arm. He won't do that."

"Why?"

"Why? Because he wants to continue sitting on that throne!"

---

I revised the introduction, it looks much better now.

Important turning points always have a lot of exposition.

By the way, Bayern is so cool.

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