Chapter 621: Life in the Capital Is Not Easy

According to later records in A Brief History of the Dim Star, in the year 679 of the Calendar of Eradication, Thales Jadestar, the second son and heir of the Iron Hand King, then known as the North Star, broke free from his dangerous career as a hostage through a complicated series of political maneuvers. The nobles of the Northland escorted him courteously across the border. He returned to the Kingdom of Stars and was soon afterward granted the title Duke of Star Lake.

There is another version that claims the Northlanders were unwilling to let the prince leave, and that he had to carve a bloody path out and flee in disgrace. In this telling, he was separated from his followers, crossed the Great Desert alone, and returned to the kingdom with the help of orc tribes. But the source of this account lies in folk ballads and tribal songs circulated around the Free State of Caligari and Blade Fangs City. It seems more like a passionate, fantastical literary embellishment by poets than anything else. It lacks both logic and evidence, and is hardly credible.

On November 2 of the same year, Duke Thales attended the Privy Council for the first time on record, formally entering the politics of the kingdom.

The meeting was of great importance. It mainly concerned two troublesome matters.

The first was a malicious incident that had offended the royal family. A debt-ridden Western Desert squire, driven to the end of his rope, barged into Mindis Hall. Some accounts say he had been invited in by interested parties. At the time, the North Star was hosting a banquet. Before every high official and noble guest present, the intruder drew his sword, threatened the guests, and accused the royal family of persecuting a foreign vassal from the Western Desert. Although the unwelcome visitor from the Western Desert was eventually killed by Duke Thales himself, the matter caused the royal family to lose face, shocked both court and country, and sent rumors flying.

"His Highness' courage was no less than the kingdom's wrath," Count Godwin later remarked to his sons.

The second matter was an even worse political incident. Several months earlier, the greedy Western Desert vassals, led by Viscount Lugo of Truce Castle, now the Four Points District of Floating Sand City, had spread slander to monopolize the desert trade routes. Through their actions, they forced Marshal Williams, known as the Legendary Wing and the royal representative guarding Blade Fangs Camp, to leave. Only a month later, deprived of the support of the standing army and with discipline among their troops deteriorating, the Western Desert nobles were attacked by the Bone Wastes people and orcs. Some accounts claim the attackers were sand bandits disguised as locals who had infiltrated the camp. Blade Fangs Dune was nearly lost, and Viscount Lugo and his two sons died on the spot. Fortunately, Marshal Williams' troops were stationed nearby. He led his army back in time, and though he despised the conduct of the Western Desert nobles, he nevertheless disregarded past grievances, rescued the allied troops, held the line, drove out the enemy, and preserved the border.

One matter was more appalling than the other, and that was without even mentioning how strangely they had occurred at the same time. There was no doubt that the arrogant and overbearing attitude of the Western Desert nobles had struck the Jadestar royal family squarely in the face, as if it were a gift congratulating father and son on their reunion.

The entire kingdom waited for Renaissance Palace's response.

It was said that the Privy Council meeting began in the morning and continued deep into the night, lasting an entire day. The royal ministers developed serious disagreements during the meeting.

Military Adviser Sodor Reed believed both incidents proved that the Western Desert nobles governed poorly and held the royal family in contempt. He advised the Iron Hand King to make a forceful statement, appoint Marshal Williams as a royal commissioner, send troops to the Wasteland, now the Ducal District of Floating Sand City, and hold the Western Desert vassals led by Duke Fakenhaz accountable. His implication was that they should not shrink from using a war to establish authority and warn the rest. Those who held similar views included the Minister of Commerce and the Faith Adviser.

On the other side, Prime Minister Duke Bob Cullen was more willing to believe both incidents were accidents, and he was deeply worried about the ugly consequences such action might bring. Fiscal Director Juke Mann had little confidence in the budget for a campaign. The Minister of Agriculture and Herding was likewise unwilling to let reckless militarism affect production. All three firmly opposed the military adviser's radical proposal. Strangely, this time, even Kaso, the respected "Cunning Fox" and a royalist who had always supported the king in suppressing local vassals, stood with them.

As one of the people directly involved, the young Duke Thales wanted to make his voice heard in the meeting. But he soon discovered that the ministers before the king, including his teacher Count Kaso, did not care much for this young brat who had been imprisoned in the North for six years and who now attended the council only by virtue of the hollow title of Duke of Star Lake.

Seeing that his words carried little weight, the Duke of Star Lake was deeply disappointed. He left his seat midway through the meeting and departed the palace.

The Privy Council continued. Split into two factions, the ministers clung to their own arguments and quarreled fiercely. Kessel the Fifth was irritated beyond endurance, and even had to suspend the meeting several times.

"I can tell you the king was not happy. Quite, very, especially, extremely unhappy," Lord Clappeng, then Minister of Agriculture and Herding, wrote in a private letter.

At dusk, Duke Thales returned to Renaissance Palace.

This time, he brought a sword.

At first, no one understood the duke's intention. Even the Royal Guards protecting the palace were badly startled.

"The duke returned by night with a sword in hand, and all the guards were alarmed." -- Watcher's Secret Records: The Mallos Chapter.

But this time, the North Star at least caught the attention of the ministers before the king and made them patiently listen to what he had to say. Military Adviser Sodor later evaluated him this way: "His solemn expression reminded me of Prince Horace."

Later historians could not know what happened during that interval. But many believed that it was precisely through this treasured ancestral sword of the Fakenhaz family that the prince proved his influence over the Western Desert. He successfully persuaded the king and the ministers, and was permitted to handle the crisis through a method more subtle than sending an army west.

Renaissance Palace soon sent a letter to the Wasteland, written personally by Duke Thales. It was later known as the Letter to Cyril, now held in the Meri Hickser University Museum. One page of the original has been lost.

In this letter, the Duke of Star Lake wrote with sincerity, neither humble nor overbearing. He recalled his friendship with several old acquaintances in the Western Desert, mentioned the royal standing garrison there, providing important evidence for scholars studying the Kingdom of Stars' military and diplomatic policy toward the Great Desert region, and specially thanked Duke Cyril Fakenhaz for the sword he had given him. Only Blade Fangs Camp and the accident at the banquet went entirely unmentioned.

Later scholars offered many interpretations of this letter. It is generally believed that Duke Thales carefully selected his words and content. Every passage, including the degree of emphasis in his rhetoric, was deliberately polished information. He hid needles in cotton, showing goodwill and drawing others close while threatening them in secret. He also analyzed the situation in the Western Desert with clear structure and unique insight. Most importantly, he pointed out his intention through what he left unsaid.

"Duke Cyril could not possibly have been unaware of the severity of those two incidents. He must have been prepared to bargain. But the more the Duke of Star Lake treasured his words and refused to mention them, the more uneasy, nervous, and frightened Cyril became. Though nothing was said on paper, the words fell with weight. This is the highest realm of diplomacy." -- Dr. T. D. Doyle, A Study of the Changes in the Feudal System of the Old Kingdom's Western Desert.

In any case, that letter worked.

Baron Fenk Gutz, a court aide of Floating Sand Palace, said that after reading the letter, the Duke of the Western Desert "pondered for a long time." Soon, under his lead, the previously unruly Western Desert nobles bowed their heads one after another and admitted fault. They not only acknowledged their poor governance and apologized for the accident at Blade Fangs Camp and the injustice Marshal Williams had suffered, but also took the initiative to request that Renaissance Palace send troops to the Western Desert, thoroughly bowing before the royal authority of Kessel the Fifth.

The successful handling of the Western Desert crisis, without conflict or bloodshed, greatly raised Thales Jadestar's political status and gave him a firm seat in the Privy Council.

If before this, Duke Thales' reputation had been limited to the common people's impression of him as "that poor little prince," formed through his clever performance at the National Conference and his experience as a hostage in the North, then after this incident, from nobles to officials, from vassals to lords, the entire kingdom gained the impression that the Duke of Star Lake was capable in governance and fit for great responsibility.

The king's heir enjoyed the people's deep expectations. Objectively, this strengthened the rule of the Jadestar royal family, which was not especially stable. Some scholars argue it had a stable foundation, but ruled through high pressure and force. It also made restless enemies draw back their unnecessary ambitions.

But history was not so simple.

In truth, the Duke of Star Lake's forceful rise dissatisfied many people. Among them were many great figures from the Privy Council during the Western Desert crisis. They had spent years exhausting themselves, governing and assisting the realm with all their hearts, only to be surpassed by a boy who had spent years imprisoned in the North. It did not leave them much face.

Moreover, once this precedent was opened, matters belonging to the Privy Council could actually be bypassed by the Duke of Star Lake through a private report to the king. This directly affected the royalists' authority and status before the king.

"I cannot reveal the details, but I can tell you this. The moment the prince entered the room, none of us even dared breathe," Fiscal Director Juke Mann once said.

More importantly, most royalists came from the new nobility. They believed the Duke of Star Lake stood with the old lords on many matters, such as land and tax policy, and that this fundamentally harmed their interests.

And this was not groundless.

The mild and effective handling of the Western Desert crisis did indeed win the North Star the hearts of many local lords. Many began bringing disputes and problems, the kind the king previously would not have understood, to Mindis Hall, where the duke resided, hoping for the same satisfying resolution. Nor were they disappointed. Duke Thales was skillful in all directions. He could always balance multiple sides, withstand enormous pressure from the king and the Privy Council, and with his personal charm, gently pacify the many grievances of local vassals.

Thus the Duke of Star Lake's reputation grew by the day. Mindis Hall soon became a necessary stop for visiting vassals from other regions when they came to the capital. One of the central figures of the Western Desert crisis, Count Lewis Bozdorf of Heroic Spirit Fort, even sent his own heir to the Duke of Star Lake, hoping he would follow the duke and learn from him.

At the time, a landed country knight who had entered the city to handle business said to a friend whose family affairs were in difficulty, "Relax. There is nothing under heaven that cannot be resolved. If there is, go to Renaissance Palace. If there still is, go twice. If even that fails, go to Mindis Hall."

What the North Star was truly considering, whether his actions were out of genuine sympathy for local lords or ambitious pursuit of fame and reputation, later generations could not know. But no matter what, the Duke of Star Lake's conduct won him fame while also making others wary of him. Those suspicions gathered into a current, became slander and doubt, and surged toward the highest point of Renaissance Palace: Kessel the Fifth.

Later historical evaluations include no shortage of discussion and criticism regarding the Iron Hand King's personality. They argue that the king's cold, indifferent, stubborn, and obstinate nature was the main reason he could not maintain a good relationship with his son. If Kessel the Fifth had been less crude, forceful, and suspicious, and instead had spoken frankly with the Duke of Star Lake and reached mutual understanding, then perhaps during the kingdom's period of reform, many of the governing conflicts between central authority and local power, including the Western Desert crisis mentioned earlier and the later storm surrounding the Iris Flowers family, could have been solved by father and son working together.

Unfortunately, history has no ifs.

Beginning in the spring of 680, dangerous rumors appeared in the capital of Stars, such as "two stars govern the realm, and the small reveals the great." Some illegal underground gambling dens even opened betting pools on "how much longer the king can live."

Most unfortunately, in the summer of the year 680 of the Calendar of Eradication, under the combined influence of many factors, Duke Thales, then fifteen years old, was ruthlessly exiled from Eternal Star City by Kessel the Fifth.

After a soul-stirring day, the prince's Mindis Hall was finally released from restriction. The Star Lake Guards were also freed from custody, at least giving Thales somewhere to return home and sleep.

Although Renaissance Palace did everything it could to block the news, rumors that the Duke of Star Lake had broken into the palace at night and fallen out with the king, father against son, inevitably spread throughout the capital.

As for what had happened to His Highness the Prince inside Renaissance Palace that day, the remaining members of the Star Lake Guards were both shocked and confused, especially after the Flag Wings interrogated them for six hours and then withdrew in a hurry. The rumors they heard from every side were also chaotic. Thus, Glover and the others, who had supposedly "followed His Highness up mountains of blades and down seas of fire," suddenly became prized targets. People chased them everywhere with questions.

"Those who understand, understand. As for the rest, cough, cough, sorry, I must keep the prince's secrets." That was said while touching his backside with an expression of heroic humiliation.

Aside from Jenny in the stables, who could not speak, even the newly arrived Ralf received slips of paper from curious people.

But once the rumors spread, the direction of the wind changed so quickly that Mindis Hall, which had been full of music, dance, and guests the previous night, became a forbidden vacuum in Eternal Star City the very next day. No one approached it.

The security officers and patrol teams that had always diligently stood guard nearby and had even enthusiastically taken on transport duties vanished entirely by the third day. Mallos had no choice but to send certain idle guards, who were indignant about it, and servants out every week to buy supplies for daily life. Even among the servants inside Mindis Hall, quite a few broke their contracts and resigned for various reasons.

The main road outside the estate, once lively every day as people craned their necks hoping for a glimpse of the prince, was now deserted enough to catch sparrows.

Jines, who only received the news on the second day and hurried back from outside the city, learned what had happened outside the Ballard Room. She rushed to Mindis Hall and flew into a rage, believing that Thales' actions had been reckless, impulsive, and self-righteous, no different from his foolish father. When Mallos heard this part, he hurriedly dismissed everyone.

"We only failed to reach an agreement," Thales could only say, stroking his new ring while smiling at her. Then he had Mallos send someone, indignant about it, to escort away the disappointed and incredulous Jines.

"You can deceive everyone else, but you cannot deceive me!"

The court lady left in a towering fury. Thales could only cover his head and dodge.

"I will figure it out, no matter which bastard's mouth I have to tear open!"

It was said that after this, Baron Quentin, the palace steward of Renaissance Palace, took sick leave for a full two weeks.

After Kohen returned home, no news came from him again until Komuto heard through an acquaintance in the Security Hall what had happened. Chief Robick of the Western City Security Hall heard of Kohen's heroic feat and, in a fury, ordered him suspended for reflection. Kohen quietly reminded the chief that he was already suspended. This angered the chief so much that he declared Kohen reinstated on the spot. Then, just as Kohen beamed with delight, he transferred him to the road maintenance department at the west city gate. That did not last long either, because Kohen broke the head of a visiting noble with a broom at the city gate. Amid the bitter pleas and overwhelming gratitude of his road maintenance colleagues, the chief suspended him again.

The prince's studies continued, but Gilbert, burdened by government affairs, resigned from his teaching duties. Thales fell silent for a long time over this, though Wya let out a sigh of relief.

Several other teachers serving at the Royal Academy resigned at the same time. Baron Quentin had no choice but to put notices throughout the city recruiting scholars, but there were still very few applicants. In the end, the venerable Grand Scholar Bonar had to appear personally and "invite" several of his own students from the academy to teach the prince.

Thales did not know how the rumors outside had changed, but he did not particularly care about these things.

He knew all of this was destined to happen.

And he had a more urgent task.

In the name of the Duke of Star Lake, Thales hastily wrote a letter. He did not even read it a second time before entrusting someone to send it into Renaissance Palace, openly addressed to Fakenhaz of the Wasteland. He had seized that sword and done what he could do. Now it was the other party's turn.

Lord Cyril's response did not disappoint him.

Fakenhaz was the first to write back, admitting his fault. If Baron Williams had not rescued them in time, the Western Desert would nearly have lost a vital fortress of the kingdom. For this, he requested that the royal family increase the standing army on the western front to "guide the defenses." He was willing to offer a portion of tax revenue as military funds to defend the territory and atone for his fault.

No one knew what the Duke of the Western Desert had done. Beginning with him, over the course of a month, Bozdorf of Heroic Spirit Fort, Kroma of Wing Fort, and many Western Desert nobles submitted memorials confessing fault one after another. Not only did they address Renaissance Palace, but at Blade Fangs Camp, in Baron Williams' gradually expanding military camp, visitors and gifts arrived in an unbroken stream.

In response, King Kessel wrote back magnanimously: Loyal and devoted to the realm, you greatly comfort Us. If mistakes are corrected, what crime remains? Border defense is a vital matter and must be handled with care. The newly formed army shall depart with all speed.

As for Blade Fangs Camp, it was said that the Legendary Wing, who had grown thoroughly tired of the trouble, waved his hand and declared: Accept the gifts, keep the people, throw them in jail, exchange them for ransom.

Along with Fakenhaz's letter came a bundle of high-quality carriage reins that Lord Cyril specifically sent to Duke Thales. The note read, "Exquisitely made, excellent quality, long-lasting, and capable of pulling back a thousand jun."

According to Attendant Officer Wya, His Highness liked that bundle of reins very much and treasured it so greatly that he would not even let them store it in the warehouse.

A few weeks later, the Logistics Wing reported to Mallos that Mindis Hall's underground sewage channel had been blocked by a ragged rope-like object. The watchman had no choice but to send people, indignant about it, to work for an entire hour before clearing it.

As for the debt dispute between the Byrael and Doyle families at the royal banquet, the handling result soon came out as well.

With the full cooperation of the Western Desert side, the Bureau of Noble Affairs, the Tax Office, and the Trial Hall jointly reviewed the case and ruled that the Doyle family had engaged in illegal lending and land seizure, but that the Byrael family was also not without blame. The judge ordered both sides to bear their own losses and reach a repayment ratio that both could accept within their ability.

As for Anker Byrael himself, who had offended the royal family in great treason at the banquet, he was stripped of his inheritance rights and sent to the Prison of Bones for lifelong imprisonment. Thales could only attach letters asking everyone from the Duke of the Western Desert to the Legendary Wing to take extra care of him. He had great confidence in the former. As for the latter, he simply gave up and left only one line: "For Ricky and the key's sake."

Thales originally thought the matter would end there, but he had clearly underestimated its influence.

Within a few weeks, Mindis Hall became lively again. The guests were no longer people from around the Central Territory, but foreign vassals from all across the kingdom, officials, and even ordinary commoners who could afford the travel costs.

Those who were tactful were easier to handle. At least they knew to first request permission to be received, or send an invitation and wait for a response. But more people barged straight in, carrying burdens as heavy as if the sky had collapsed. While the Star Lake Guards struggled with them in chaos, indignant about it, they shouted toward the windows, "I have a matter! I beg the prince to hear it!"

At first, Thales found it interesting and insisted on receiving guests every day. The matters he heard ranged from country squires and landlords saying, "Someone refuses to pay my rent," to a certain knight saying, "Your Highness, I want to report that my neighbor is a mountain bandit, and I need an army," to, "Your Highness, look at this portrait of my daughter, what do you think?" and, "A boss owes us wages." It did let him learn quite a bit about local customs across Stars. But gradually, more and more people came from other regions to seek the Duke of Star Lake. Thales discovered that he could not keep up. He could only ask Mallos to receive and screen visitors for him in advance, indignant about it, leaving records for most visitors and only meeting those whose matters were important.

As expected, Little Flower Zayen's approachable style was not something everyone could manage.

Facing these guests of every kind, sometimes Thales only needed to smile and listen until they finished. At most, he would have Mallos write a reply full of encouraging words, stamp and sign it as "the duke is aware," add some small gifts, and the other party would often return home satisfied. But some problems truly involved serious matters, requiring Thales to enter the palace again and face the king. Most of the time, the answer he received was a single word: "Scram." Even if the problem could not be solved, at least an answer was obtained.

The truly troublesome ones, however, were another group: people who wanted to seize the opportunity to pledge themselves to the duke's service. For such people, Mallos rejected them all on the spot with reasons such as "insufficient funds" or "full staffing." But there were some whom even Thales found difficult to refuse.

"I am Paul Bozdorf, from the Black Lion family of Heroic Spirit Fort. I believe we have met before, everyone."

The young noble before them had bandages wrapped around his head and carried his own luggage. He bowed woodenly.

This was Paul, who had once followed his father's order and led the Black Lion infantry to escort Thales from Town of Grace back to Eternal Star City. He appeared before the prince again, as dull as ever.

"My father hopes I can join your guards and follow at your side. In fact, I can serve as your flag officer. Where is the banner he gave you?"

Faced with the Black Lion Count's obvious intention in sending over his heir, Thales felt a headache coming on.

"Oh, that banner," the prince said awkwardly. "Right. What happened to your head?"

"Sorry. A carriage wanted to overtake me, so I responded in the old way. It is very common in the Western Desert." Paul touched his broken head, his expression unchanged. "Unfortunately, it was at the city gate, and a street sweeper decided to meddle."

After refusing again and again, Thales could only helplessly agree. He entrusted Mallos with finding Paul a place in Mindis Hall. Glover volunteered, but in the end, he was assigned as Paul's guide.

But even within Mindis Hall, the problems were not small.

Aside from rumors spreading everywhere and the people becoming uneasy, forcing Mallos to call a disciplinary meeting, the integration of the old Dragon Clouds City subordinates, "those fake Northlanders," as a certain person's catchphrase went, and the Star Lake Guards, "those city people," as soldier Willow complained, did not go as smoothly as Thales imagined.

Wya was Gilbert's son. He worked hard to fit in with everyone, but not everyone possessed Doyle's talent, and the others still kept a respectful distance from him. Ralf's equipment and appearance clearly announced that he was not someone to provoke. For the first few days, people kept mistaking him for an arrogant man who refused to speak, and he almost got into a fight with Zoneved. Genard was a veteran soldier and seemed to have an old grudge with Komuto. Willow was a northern country soldier who had spent several years in Dragon Clouds City. His way of behaving was casual and unrestrained, which constantly made the other guards look sideways at him.

Thus, to speed up the process of familiarizing the two groups, Mallos decided to start with guard duty. He broke up the personnel and reorganized the teams, beginning with Thales' personal guards.

And this was a rotten idea.

The two-person combination of Doyle and Wya exhausted Thales. On one hand, Doyle knew Wya's identity and deliberately spoke to him, his words filled with flattery that was both amusing and absurd. On the other hand, Wya was stiff and earnest, believing that politeness required every question to be answered.

Back and forth, the scene they formed was called: noise.

"So, Attendant Officer Wya, you spent these six years in Dragon Clouds City, eating and sleeping beside the prince and never leaving his side?"

"No, Lord Doyle. I occasionally left my post. Sometimes for His Highness' missions, sometimes for normal leave."

"Oh, then did you go home often?"

"Not often, Lord Doyle. As I said, I am not close to my father."

"Oh, sigh. Is it that we young people just do not like being close to our parents..."

"I do not believe so. I have friends who have good relationships with their parents."

"Sigh. I had a stepmother from childhood. What about your mother?"

"She... passed away."

"Sorry, I did not mean to..."

"It is all right. I understand."

"Then Count Kaso never thought about remarrying?"

Thales, who had been focusing all his attention on trying to finish his exercises, could bear it no longer and slammed the table.

"Can you two shut up?"

Wya and Doyle snapped upright together.

"Yes, Your Highness!"

"S-sorry, Your Highness!"

Then the two lowered their voices and spoke in whispers.

"Psst. So, Wya, who gave you that name?"

"Uh, His Highness told us not to speak... My mother. She used the name of her younger brother who died early..."

"I see. No wonder it sounds so nice. Hey, are you an only child?"

"I think we had best stop talking... Yes. My mother did wish to have a second child while she was alive..."

Thales was so angry that he fainted face-first into his book.

Glover was not good with words, and Ralf simply could not speak. In theory, this should have been a very quiet and pleasant pairing. But the two men who had both come from the streets had a problem.

They stood behind Thales, one on the left and one on the right. Inevitably, their gazes would meet by accident. At that moment, neither side was willing to show weakness. One person's gaze would become grave and deep, while the other's became cold and sharp. Then the first became even deeper and more grave, while the other grew sharper and colder. This side escalated and returned the look. That side refused to yield and doubled the retaliation.

As time passed, the two stared at each other in silence. Without anyone noticing, killing intent gradually rose in the air and coldness spread in every direction.

The atmosphere became ominous and heavy.

Every time Thales lifted his head from his book and came back to himself, he felt as if he were standing between two magic guns, and even breathing became difficult.

It was like being at a funeral.

"Can you two stop glaring at each other?"

Zombie and the Ghost of the Wind snorted coldly at the same time and turned their eyes away. The air returned to normal.

Until the next time their gazes inevitably met.

Thales, under their protection, felt utterly hopeless.

When Wya and Glover attended Thales together, it was another situation entirely.

The attendant officer regarded himself as the prince's most important confidant and wanted to show goodwill toward Glover. Whenever the two happened to meet eyes, Wya would nod to him in a friendly way. Faced with such enthusiasm, the socially awkward Zombie became unnatural instead. He would often awkwardly return a random jerk of the chin, then turn his head to look elsewhere. This left Wya stunned for a moment, thinking he had done something wrong. So the next time, he added a smile. Glover became even more at a loss, stiffly tugged at the corners of his mouth, and turned aside to avoid him. If Wya took this as a positive response, he was encouraged and continued smiling. If he thought the response was poor, he reflected on himself and became even friendlier and warmer next time. Thus Glover grew increasingly awkward, but he was unwilling to speak.

And so, in the corner of Thales' vision, he often saw this scene:

On the left, Wya smiled at times and nodded at times. Depending on the response, he would occasionally look disappointed and discouraged, or occasionally regain confidence. He was always on the road of trying hard to make some sort of eye contact with the other party.

On the right, Glover, standing guard, shrank into a ball with the greatest possible range of movement while using the least possible amount of body motion. Weak and pained, he twisted away, avoided the gaze, and forced out a smile, like a small infant whose cheeks were being poked again and again but who had no ability to resist.

"Enough!"

Thales gnashed his teeth and once again slapped the table as he stood up.

"If you want to flirt, go to the bedroom next door!"

The guard pairing of Doyle and Ralf was beyond words.

Doyle was cheerful by nature and excessively familiar with everyone. As always, he tried hard to speak with Ralf. But he knew the Ghost of the Wind could not open his mouth, so he carefully memorized those "interesting gestures" between Ralf and the prince. While standing guard face to face beside the prince, he would occasionally reveal a mysterious smile and suddenly throw out a gesture whose meaning even he himself did not understand.

[Eat.]

Ralf rolled his eyes and turned his head, ignoring him.

Doyle vaguely sensed something was wrong, but he was not discouraged at all. The more setbacks he suffered, the braver he became. He made the next gesture and even raised his eyebrows, indicating, Did I get it right?

[You? But?]

Ralf grew a little angry, but he knew Doyle's personality and tried hard not to pay him any attention.

Doyle blinked and began combining different gestures.

[Do? Toilet? Eat?]

Ralf unconsciously gritted his teeth and returned a murderous look.

But Doyle was encouraged and became even more excited.

[You? Toilet, eat?]

Ralf's gaze was almost cold enough to freeze Mindis Hall.

Doyle felt he had found the right path.

[Like, toilet?]

Ralf's anger nearly overflowed from behind his mask.

Doyle grew more and more pleasantly surprised.

[Like, do?]

Ralf clenched his fists tightly, until Doyle joyfully made the final gestures.

[Like? Do? You?]

In the next second, Thales, absorbed in his reading, only felt a wild gust of wind blow past. A burst of crackling noise followed, and the Ghost of the Wind and Doyle rolled into a heap together, until Bastia or Nechi, who had rushed over after hearing the commotion, separated them.

Thales, watching all of this, only felt his mood grow heavy as he dazedly picked up the scattered pages from the floor.

Life in Mindis Hall constantly swung back and forth between stagnant, lifeless stillness and frantic chaos, depending on what problem appeared that day. There was basically no middle ground.

In short, for a period of time after making his covenant with the king, rumors flew outside, the forces within Eternal Star City chose their sides, and the Duke of Star Lake obtained a rare freedom. There were no longer orders and admonitions from a higher level. There were no longer grand processions following him wherever he went. There were no longer rigid rules and doctrines that had to be observed at all times.

But whenever Thales looked at the sunset outside the window, he knew that everything before him had a price.

The Western Desert matter had come to an end, but the kingdom would not stop moving forward.

Thales lowered his head and looked at the Covenant on his hand.

The kingdom would not forget him, and Renaissance Palace even less so.

He was the king's sword and chess piece.

Once again, he was being swung and moved.

It was only a matter of time.

But before that...

"We are out of money."

Thales turned back elegantly, then was greatly shocked.

"What?"

Mallos, indifferent as ever, and the logistics officer, DeWaard Storr, who looked painfully constipated, stood before him.

"You heard me."

"All of our previous expenditures were handled by Renaissance Palace. We only had to submit the accounts to Baron Quentin at the end of the month," Mallos said woodenly. "But now..."

Logistics Officer Storr awkwardly raised the account book.

Thales came back to himself.

"Oh, right. We... are responsible for our own profits and losses now."

According to the terms he had negotiated with the king, this was one of the signs that Mindis Hall and Renaissance Palace were no longer on good terms.

It was also the condition for his independence.

"Wait. Do we not have any other income?"

Logistics Officer Storr, wearing a pained expression, patiently explained to the duke, who had never had to manage a household and therefore did not know how expensive firewood and rice were.

"We do. We have the Royal Guards' salaries, and you also receive the standard living allowance granted to a prince of Stars. But..."

"It is not enough," Mallos said expressionlessly and directly.

"First, there are all the things you have done over the past few months. The tea expenses for receiving guests alone are... And because Mindis Hall's relationship with many city departments, including the market officials, has cooled, we have gained many unnecessary expenses. Oh, the heaviest among them is that batch from the banquet..."

The glass wine cups.

Thales, who had lost all will to live, finished the sentence for him in his heart.

"And we are still repaying the debt in installments. The total is divided into... Forget it. You already have enough to worry about."

Storr calculated the accounts carefully.

"After becoming responsible for our own profits and losses, we can no longer purchase directly through Renaissance Palace's channels, so expenses have increased again. You know Eternal Star City's prices..."

Thales knew the prices in the Morning Star District and the Twilight Star District. He nodded numbly.

Life in Eternal Star is not easy.

Then his eyes turned.

"Wait. I heard there are many rare treasures in Mindis Hall. Famous paintings, for example..."

Mallos frowned and looked at the portrait of "Jackal" Sume the Third behind him.

"Even if you dare sell it..."

"Who would dare buy it?"

Thales' expression drooped again.

"Then perhaps we can open the first floor of Mindis Hall to visitors and charge admission. Two silver coins per person?"

"Where did that rotten idea come from?"

"Hehe. I read it in a book. What do you think?"

"Which book? Perhaps I should report it to the Discipline Hall..."

"Uh, in Dragon Clouds City. A Northland novel about a large family living in an estate..."

"That," Logistics Officer Storr said tentatively, "in fact, quite a few of your guests these days, the ones with unusual status, have expressed an interest in investing in you. Among them..."

"No."

Thales and Mallos spoke in unison, unexpectedly aligned.

The prince and the watchman looked at each other.

It seemed that both he and the other man understood very well what could be done and what could not.

In truth, even though Thales had committed such an unorthodox act, one that could be called shocking and outrageous, and even though rumors spread everywhere outside, Mallos' reaction remained flat. He did not ask a single extra question. He continued working with his head down as usual, and turned back to reorganize the Star Lake Guards, who had only recently suffered a disaster and whose hearts had scattered, putting them back in order to continue managing the daily life of Mindis Hall.

As if Thales had merely gone for a stroll around Renaissance Palace.

Indifferent as ever. Numb as usual.

Thales was very grateful to him for this.

Mm. It would be even better if he did not use that attitude when dealing with my orders.

"Then perhaps you can speak with His Majesty and ask Baron Quentin to resume covering our expenditures..."

"No."

Thales refused decisively, even more firmly than before.

"All right." Logistics Officer Storr sighed and closed the account book. "Then there is only one method left."

Thales and Mallos turned their heads together, listening.

"We cannot remain in Eternal Star City any longer. With the prices here, we have already taken an advance on the guards' salaries for next month."

No longer remain in Eternal Star City.

Ah. Far from Renaissance Palace, far from the king, far from troublesome people and affairs. That sounded wonderful. But...

Thales raised an eyebrow.

"Where would we go?"

"To your fief, of course," Logistics Officer Storr said solemnly. "According to the sacred Star Pact, Your Grace, you may exercise your natural rights on your fief, collecting taxes and rent."

"Fief? I still have a fief where I can collect taxes?"

Thales laughed.

"Where? My pocket money pouch?"

Mallos coughed.

"Of course. Do not forget, you are the Duke of Star Lake."

Duke of Star Lake.

Thales made a puzzled sound, somewhat surprised.

Was that not a hollow title? The kind used to stiffen one's courage and put up a respectable front?

"And your fief is..."

The watchman nodded solemnly and pointed to a lakeside castle in a landscape painting on the wall.

"Star Lake Castle."