Chapter 86

The long table was filled with delicious dishes, but no matter how fresh and delicious they were, if no one ate them, they were merely decorations.

At the main and guest seats of the long table, two people sat in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

Sasso's eyes remained fixed on the young man who had revealed his true name to him. He could see that the young man was very confident, or perhaps more accurately, he was confident about the identity he had revealed.

But this was not a reason for him to trust him.

Trusting someone is easy, baseless, or reasonable, but gaining his trust was an almost impossible task.

His background, his upbringing... all these factors shaped his character, making him not easily trust anyone.

"Have you heard that Ambefen is a high-level mage. How did you kill him?"

After a long while, Sasso spoke.

Xialan felt a heavy burden lifted from his heart, as his explanation had finally had an effect.

It wasn't about trust, but he had shown a willingness to accept, otherwise, he wouldn't have asked such a question.

It is common knowledge that a newly promoted high-level swordsman would find it difficult to kill a high-level mage, and a newly promoted high-level swordsman who could kill a high-level mage would naturally be of great interest.

"It's simple, I used a law-breaking weapon."

Xialan lied, as he couldn't possibly tell Sasso that he had the talent to sever granted by a system. Since that was the case, he could only use a lie that was closest to the truth to cover it up.

Clearly, after hearing Xialan's explanation, a hint of disappointment still showed on Sasso's face.

The story was not as exciting and beautiful as he had imagined, and anyone would feel disappointed.

"What about Tylant's explanation?" Sasso asked after a moment.

"I think he is important, at least to Your Highness. That's why I saved him," Xialan said.

"Where is he?" Sasso followed up.

"Fourth Street, Lanluo District, No. 78."

At this point, Xialan decisively betrayed Tylant.

His intuition told him that Sasso would not kill him, because a living Tylant was far more valuable than a dead one.

"Ha ha— It seems he trusts you a lot," Sasso said with a light laugh.

If it weren't for trust, he wouldn't believe that Tylant would casually reveal his hiding place to others.

"Because he wants revenge!" Xialan said.

"Revenge?"

"Yes, the Fourth Prince betrayed their cooperation, and his men killed Tylant's men," Xialan explained.

"Very interesting, but I don't understand how he can take revenge on his own," Sasso shook his head.

"There are many ways to take revenge. Sometimes, all he needs to do is watch," Xialan said.

Sasso didn't ask any more questions; he just quietly swirled the empty wine glass in his hand. For a moment, the room fell silent again.

"You can go now. Perhaps we will meet again."

Putting down the wine glass, Sasso seemed a bit tired and lightly waved his hand. Xialan was taken aback, then bowed and left the room.

He hadn't expected Sasso to end their conversation so simply. He thought he would have to endure more questioning, but that didn't happen.

He and Sasso had avoided the topic of Novin, as they both knew that Novin was just an unimportant contact.

At the same time, Sasso didn't question his choice.

The two most capable candidates for the throne, why did Xialan choose him?

Perhaps, in Sasso's eyes, he really wasn't important.

Xialan thought to himself, but this was for the best. The less noticeable and less valued he was, the better the result he wanted.

However, after Sasso's questioning, he deeply realized that he needed to be more cautious about his movements in the capital.

...

"Your Highness, do you think that country boy's words are credible?" In the spacious and quiet room, Bedwin suddenly appeared and asked.

"Bedwin, a high-level swordsman so young cannot be described as a country boy," Sasso said with a smile after carefully filling his wine glass.

"Besides, I never intended to trust him."

Bedwin was puzzled and asked, "Then why did Your Highness invite him?"

"Just to learn some things I didn't know," Sasso said casually. "But now it seems he isn't one of his people."

He—

Bedwin knew who the First Prince was referring to.

In the over ten years of contention for the throne between Sasso and Volans, the number of spies and informants sent by both sides was countless. Now, with the throne situation increasingly favoring Sasso, he needed to pay more attention to certain unstable factors.

And Xialan was one of the unstable factors Sasso considered.

"What are Your Highness's plans for him?" As Bedwin spoke, a hint of hidden killing intent was released.

"Let him stay for now. He's just a young man, and perhaps we will need him in the future," Sasso shook his head lightly.

"What about Tylant? If the court council convenes and Tylant testifies, the Fourth Prince will likely have no chance of turning the situation around!" Bedwin said, his voice slightly agitated as he discussed the current throne situation.

For some reason, Sasso suddenly sighed and said, "I doubt my father will allow his appearance."

"Why?"

"If my good brother is really punished by the king, the current complex and precarious throne situation will completely tilt in my favor. This is not a situation my father would want to see. After spending over ten years, how could he let it all be destroyed in one day?" Sasso remarked.

"But... the Fourth Prince's crimes have almost made the entire noble class his enemies. Even the king would find it hard to resist the pressure from the nobles..."

Bedwin wanted to continue, but Sasso waved him off, "But there is no concrete evidence that Volans is behind all these events. In this case, the king has a way to protect him... If we bring Tylant to the court council, it could indeed help the nobles review Volans's crimes, but on the way to the palace, Tylant might be assassinated! Don't underestimate my father. There might be his long-hidden subordinates even around me."

"Your Majesty..."

Bedwin couldn't say some things. He didn't understand why the king, who was almost on his deathbed, was still thinking about balance... Why couldn't he just properly determine the successor to the throne, which would avoid the current complex and dangerous situation.

Sometimes, royal matters cannot be viewed with normal thinking.

"Don't worry too much. The current trend is already in our favor. More actions mean more mistakes. Instead of raising the king's vigilance, it's better to wait quietly for the outcome... I believe the throne will ultimately be mine!"

At this moment, Bedwin felt the confidence and charisma of the First Prince for the first time.

"Speaking of which, how is the investigation into Volans's mysterious subordinates going?" The most noteworthy thing for Sasso now was the group of mysterious black-robed men under Volans. Their formidable strength was always a concern.

Especially after Volans was placed under house arrest, he needed to be more cautious.

If his brother had the determination to kill the nobles, he might do even more extreme things.

For example, a large group of black-robed men might assassinate him.

If he couldn't get the throne, he wouldn't allow Sasso to get it either. That's the kind of person his brother was.

"Do you remember the year of the Fog Flower, when Volans led the northern expedition to counter the Ossan barbarian invasion?" Bedwin said with a hint of meaning.

"Of course, if it weren't for that, the old military leaders probably wouldn't have looked at him differently."

Speaking of the command issue back then, Volans, who was more skilled in military strategy, had surpassed Sasso to become the commander of the northern expedition. That was the moment he gained the military's recognition, and every time Sasso thought about it, he could only grit his teeth in frustration.

Although the military would not show any stance in the throne contention, Sasso couldn't help but worry.

Military strength was the strongest guarantee for the throne, and he was more aware of this fact than anyone.

He could vaguely guess why Volans had the courage to put the entire kingdom's nobility against him. Perhaps his confidence came from the military's tacit support.

If he really ascended to the throne, there would certainly be opposition from the nobility, even rebellion... and Volans could then replace the opposing nobles with the military aristocracy, potentially leading the country down a different path.

As the wise First Prince praised by the kingdom's people, regardless of whether the praise was exaggerated, it still reflected his abilities. In the incident at the school festival, regarding the Blood Flag Society's declaration, he couldn't possibly be unaware of the kingdom's current situation.

But he could do nothing, as he was not the one sitting on the throne.

Even if he could ascend to the throne, he would need the support of the nobility, and changing the kingdom's current state would be extremely difficult.

He had the will but lacked the power.

He didn't think too much about these issues, as the future heir to the throne was unknown. This was a problem for the future, not the present.

"Your Highness, do you remember the many strange events that happened back then?" Bedwin asked again.

"Bedwin, what are you trying to say?" Sasso seemed a bit impatient.

Bedwin quickly apologized and said nervously, "Your Highness, I mention this because some strange things happened back then, which might be related to Volans, so I..."

Hearing Bedwin's explanation, Sasso's expression calmed down and he said, "Strange events? Tell me more..."

"Yes, Your Highness. When the news of the Ossan barbarian invasion was heard, the court council, which was halfway through, was suddenly terminated by the king. It was only after a few days that it was reconvened. At the time, many people were puzzled by the king's actions, wondering why he would terminate the court council so hastily during a national crisis... Later, there were rumors that the king met with certain people secretly in the days after terminating the court council..."

"Certain people? Who?"

Sasso, sensing something, interrupted Bedwin.

Bedwin calmed his fluctuating emotions and said nervously, "Your Highness, based on my investigation of the court servants back then, those people were likely from the legendary First People's Council, the Pale Song, and the Arbitration Balance!"

"What?"

Such shocking news made Sasso lose his composure and exclaim.

What was the First People's Council? It was a powerful force that could influence the future direction of all the nations of Eldran during the Silver Age. After the Silver Age, there was no news of the First People's Council. Some said they were destroyed by the combined forces of many nations and the Radiant Cathedral, while others said they were hidden in the shadows, manipulating every nation until today.

And the Pale Song, those mysterious and elusive wizards who had pursued the laws of the world since ancient times, what reason could make them come down from the clouds...

And the Arbitration Balance, those who impartially judged the world, what reason could bring them to the remote lands of Eldran...

"Your Highness, it might not be just them. An elderly court servant even saw the White High Priest of the Radiant Cathedral..."

Before Sasso could digest the shock, Bedwin threw another piece of news that left him numb.

If the above mysteries were like mirages, the White High Priest, one of the 12 High Priests of the Radiant Cathedral, had the immense power to interfere in all worldly matters.

"Are you sure your investigation is correct?" Sasso couldn't help but doubt.

"These are all based on my investigations and the documents, but the results are not far off..." Bedwin said.

Sasso leaned back in his chair, seemingly accepting the reality and feeling powerless.

"What do they have to do with Volans?"

"I don't know... because after those people left the capital, there was no news of them..." Before Sasso could scold him, Bedwin quickly added, "But I got confirmation from a friend in the military who participated in the Fog Flower War. He saw Volans talking secretly with a mysterious black-robed man. I think it's likely that Volans obtained those powerful, mysterious subordinates at that time."

Sasso closed his eyes, massaging his forehead in silence.

From Bedwin's words, he seemed to worry that those black-robed men might come from a hidden, mysterious force in the world, like the First People's Council. If that were true, what was their purpose?

But, this was all just speculation...

---

① Silver Age Note: After the New Faith War, the nations of the various races fell into a long period of peace. The economic and cultural revival injected new vitality into Eldran, restoring it to the prosperity before the Golden Age. This was the last peak of the Eldran continent.