Chapter 622: Star Lake Castle

Thales discovered that he had still underestimated the high walls of power.

After he privately hinted to Mallos and Storr that they might as well send people to "study" the plan of moving to Star Lake Castle, less than a week passed before the news that the Duke of Star Lake was about to move out of the capital spread noisily through every street and alley of Eternal Star City.

"This is not good. Even the brothels on Red Street are spreading it. They say the prince has grown tired of the girls in the capital and wants to go elsewhere to 'practice his spear.' I do not know how they found out. And do not ask how I found out," Glover reported to the prince solemnly after returning from leave, while glaring at Wya beside him, who looked like he wanted to say something but did not dare.

Old Patterson, the first-class punishment officer of the Star Lake Guards, was so angry smoke nearly came out of every opening in his head. He brought two subordinates, plus Ralf the Ghost of the Wind, "He looks strange and vicious, Your Highness, very suitable for this work. Of course, the key point is that I can point at him and tell everyone, 'Look, this is what happens when you talk too much,'" Patterson said through gritted teeth. Then he stormed through Mindis Hall with a whip in hand, "catching the mole" everywhere and swearing to find out who had leaked the secret.

"It definitely was not me!"

Doyle, who had just struggled home from his family and was dragging an exaggerated amount of luggage in bags large and small, was caught at the gate by the "Mole-Catching Team."

"The sunset can bear witness! I did not mention our move to anyone. What? You mean this luggage? Hehe, my parents forced it all on me. I had no choice. Look, they even stuffed in winter clothes. So annoying... Hey! Mute! Do not touch my lucky teddy bear! It belongs at the head of my bed!"

For a time, everyone in Mindis Hall felt uneasy, until Mallos stepped forward and gently but tactfully reminded the old punishment officer:

For something as major as the prince moving, even if it was only early-stage "study," there would inevitably be signs of movement. Add in Mindis Hall's increasingly worsening finances, and as long as everyone in Mindis Hall still had family and friends, the leak was unavoidable.

"I think we need to hire more people. Cooks, gardeners, grooms, and maids. What? Glass wine cups? What does this have to do with wine cups? Forget it, I will ask His Highness directly." These were the last words of Wya Kaso, honest and confused.

As for why Duke Thales was leaving the capital, the street rumors were vivid and detailed. They ranged from "the legend of generations of dukes haunting Mindis Hall," to "the runaway marriage legend of the rebellious prince," and even "Star Lake Castle hides a beauty." This last rumor had many versions, mainly disputing the heroine's identity and number, and even gender, because since the prince returned, Mindis Hall had never recruited maids due to lack of money.

Interestingly, the common people dismissed the claim that "the prince went bankrupt" with contempt. The moment someone raised it, they would be met with loud laughter.

"Do you know how much the treasures in Mindis Hall alone are worth? Even the prince's **** is made of gold. Does he need you to worry?"

The rumors were chaotic and intensified, until one day during the Privy Council, even Prime Minister Cullen could not help but personally ask about it.

Thales could not answer directly, so he cleverly shifted the firepower and, along the way, tested the possibility of saving Mindis Hall's finances.

"Father, what do you think?"

At the time, the wise and brilliant King Kessel was reading the port tax report from Jade City while listening to Director Juke's grievance-filled complaints.

"As the dignified Fiscal Director, I earn only five silver coins a month. Have I ever cared about wealth? But they, those merchants and corrupt officials of the South Coast, benefited from Your Majesty's wise grace and earned pots overflowing with money, yet they are so selfish that they quibble over this tiny tax?"

The king frowned deeply, his mind heavy with troubles. Hearing Thales, he merely waved in contempt.

"Scram."

"He granted permission."

After leaving Renaissance Palace, faced with Mallos' suspicious gaze and Storr's expectant expression, "His Majesty cannot let you starve to death, can he?" Duke Thales smiled brightly, appearing composed, steady, and confident.

"His Majesty gave high praise to Mindis Hall's long-term and effective work. Filled with confidence and expectation, he sincerely encouraged us to establish our own path, keep pace with the times, become independent and self-reliant, expand revenue sources, pursue excellence, and explore the future--"

Bang!

Mallos slapped the table expressionlessly.

"The point."

The duke's smile collapsed instantly.

"No money."

Thus, two days later, the rumors in the capital changed direction again.

They now said that Duke Thales, in order to resist the marriage arranged by his father, and there was even a betting pool on who the heroine was. It was worth mentioning that although the odds were impossibly high, the prince's old friend, heir to Walla Territory, Kohen Karabeyan, did indeed appear at the very bottom of the odds list, after a crowd of famous young ladies and noble daughters. In protest, the prince indulged himself shamelessly, provoking the king's thunderous fury. During the Privy Council, the king erupted on the spot and slapped his heir hard before all the ministers, ordering him to get out of the capital immediately.

"No one slapped me!"

On the training ground, faced with the worried Wya and the full tray of "skin-care and beauty medicine" in his hands, Thales flew into a rage.

"I am fine, and my face is fine! No, why would I let you look at my butt--the other parts are fine too! By the sunset, I really, really, really did not commit treason this time! Why will none of you believe me?"

Under the influence of many factors, mainly the increasingly shocking numbers in the account book, Thales simply gave up on keeping a low profile. He no longer concealed anything. He began having Mallos inventory the stores with great fanfare, sent Logistics Officer Storr to coordinate with the steward of Renaissance Palace, obtained the account books and maps of Star Lake Castle from the Bureau of Noble Affairs, instructed the Jadestar private soldiers on matters for those remaining behind, communicated their departure time with the Security Hall, had the others, indignant about it, purchase enough supplies, and at the same time closed the doors to visitors and lived in seclusion.

"Will this really be fine? Will the rumors not get worse?" Wya frowned.

"Trust me." On the training ground, the prince gnashed his teeth, drew his bow, and aimed at Mallos' backside in the distance. "The prince's butt is very popular."

Wya was stunned.

But fortunately, all kinds of rumors circulated only for a few days before turning again.

It was said that Duke Thales had spoken overboldly during a Privy Council meeting, enraging the king. As punishment, the king cut off Mindis Hall's financial source, forcing the Duke of Star Lake to leave the capital and seek a way out on his own.

Well, at least part of that was true.

Among vassals and bureaucrats, the popular version was that on matters of taxation, the Duke of Star Lake's political position was too mild, even sympathetic toward the great lords of the distant frontiers. This had offended the royalists, who had long held power. They repeatedly slandered him before the king during the Privy Council, finally moving the king and forcing the duke away from the political center.

Mm. That was not entirely wrong either.

And so, on the morning of a workday, when the first light appeared at the edge of the sky, the gates of Mindis Hall opened silently. The convoy belonging to the Duke of Star Lake slowly drove out, heading toward Star Lake Castle near the royal hunting forest outside the city.

"Are you sure everyone has no objections? After all, this means leaving the city and going to the countryside."

Thales yawned widely and lay sleepily by the carriage window, watching Logistics Officer Piloga complete the final handover with the private soldiers and servants who would remain behind.

"They are Royal Guards, not advisers or lobbyists," Mallos said, riding beside the carriage. The driver was originally supposed to be Glover, but Thales refused in no uncertain terms. The watchman frowned as he flipped through the account book handed over by the Logistics Wing. "Giving opinions is not their job. Damn it, why did we exceed the budget again last month? What is with all these skin-care medicines?"

On the other side of the carriage, Wya silently turned his head and began a warm conversation with Ralf.

In the quiet of early morning, their convoy caught the earliest opening of the city gate. Amid pointing fingers and murmurs, they passed through Sage's Gate on the southern side of the capital, went by several markets and villages outside the city, crossed the Pasture River Ferry, and drove onto the southern section of Renaissance Avenue, which had been heavily repaired during the time of Tormond the Third, the Thorncutter.

The southern side of the capital was clearly more prosperous than the northern side. Along the way were small merchants and hired workers entering the city early, farmers and craftsmen preparing for market day, postal carriages going back and forth, and even travelers from distant lands. Some drove carts loaded with goods, while others carried packs and walked on foot, coming from various towns near Eternal Star City. They traveled in groups of three or five, bustling noisily, and from time to time commented on the convoy passing them by.

"Ah, I recognize that convoy. It should be this quarter's circuit court. Judges going to inspect royal territory and decide cases for the king..."

"Forget it. They do not even have a banner. This must be some noble family's illegitimate son, the kind rich enough to drip oil but unable to announce it."

"Look at that formation. Tsk, tsk. Impressive. A man should be like that!"

"Bah. Just a lucky bastard. If I had been born there, I could replace him too!"

It was late summer. The grass and trees around the avenue were lush. The duke's convoy turned off the main road. Travelers grew fewer, trees clustered thickly, green shade blocked the sun, birds and beasts startled and flew, and life flourished around them as the wild atmosphere gradually deepened. They had entered the royal hunting forest.

"Damn, I swear that was a bear!"

Doyle's cry startled the entire convoy into tension.

"Zombie, draw your sword!"

"Stop being paranoid," the veteran Genard shouted, stopping them. He shook his head. "I saw it clearly. It was just a wildcat."

According to Mallos, the royal hunting forest, designated since the Black Eye era, had always been a good place for the royal family to relax outdoors and entertain guests. Before the Bloody Year, the late King Aydi had more than once led the ministers here to hunt, and Princes Horace and Hyman especially liked calling friends together for horseback revelry.

During the Bloody Year, Eternal Star City was threatened from two directions by rebels and Eckstedt. It had no choice but to close its gates. Bandits gathered throughout the Central Territory, and danger was everywhere. The surrounding villages and towns, including many nobles' fiefs, almost all suffered disaster. The hunting forest also became ownerless wasteland, until the Fortress Treaty was signed and the Wrath of the Kingdom returned with the Fury Guards, reorganized the central standing army, and swept clean the rebel remnants, bandits, and disorderly troops around the capital.

After the war, first, the state treasury was strained; second, the people's livelihood was withered; and furthermore, the Iron Hand King himself had no interest in hunting or banquets. The royal foresters responsible for guarding and maintaining the forest had no rewards to take, and merchants and farmers had no profits to share. Thus they gradually scattered and settled nearby. Some became tenant farmers on estates, some hired themselves out as workers, and some joined the Jadestar private soldiers. Instead, they became a source of quality recruits when the standing army was reorganized.

"The baron estate of the Wrath of the Kingdom is down that road. Beside it is the central standing army's camp. For over ten years, he has almost turned the hunting forest into their exclusive training ground and exercise field." Mallos looked at a small path in the forest that had clearly been stamped out by feet, his gaze deep. "But the advantage is that with the standing army here, no one dares violate the nearby royal lands."

Jenny, raised from childhood as a noble warhorse, was extremely dissatisfied with this environment. From time to time, she broke away from the handler, neighed, and chased after flashing deer shadows or badger tracks in the depths of the forest, throwing the convoy into chaos. Each time, after Thales struggled to call her back, she returned covered in scratches from branches and grass, dusty and dispirited.

"In the stables, she is the queen. No horse dares challenge her," the veteran Genard said cheerfully. "But the birds and beasts here do not have that awareness. She is not very satisfied."

They soon arrived beneath a landmark tree. The watchman said this place had once been the most popular campsite when the hunting forest was still flourishing. The thick, lush, sky-covering tree, which looked quite ancient, was called the Tree of Stars and carried many legends about the Jadestar royal family.

It was said that at the end of the empire, the Revival King, still a bastard at the time, once lit his fighting spirit under this tree and vowed to make a name for himself and escape the title of illegitimate child.

Some said that five hundred years ago, during a coup, Prince Brad the Delayer fled Eternal Star City in panic with the Nine-Pointed Crown, and it was by climbing this tree that he escaped the pursuing troops of his cousin, Kela the Unfortunate. He then fled to Heroic Spirit Fort, recruited soldiers, and pulled open the bloody curtain of the Twin Stars Confrontation.

Another legend involved Grand Duke Karn Trudida of the Giant Spirits, who invaded Stars four hundred years ago. It was said that he camped beneath this tree while preparing to besiege Eternal Star City, only to see the Revival King mounted with a spear in the middle of the night, charging toward him. The brutal and terrifying "Giant Spirit" woke from the dream in fright, broke camp that very night, and withdrew his army.

Some also said that three hundred years ago, "Jackal" Sume the Third invited the five Guardian Dukes to hunt and feast beneath this tree. Three of them never walked out of the hunting forest again.

There were even poems saying that two hundred years ago, Erica the Northern Conqueror, then still a princess, met a mysterious knight beneath this tree's shade while hunting. This knight was never recorded in history, and only then did she conceive Kela the Wolf's Enemy, whose father remained unknown.

But although Doyle, who claimed he "often came here to play as a child," described all these legends vividly and emotionally enough to dazzle listeners such as Willow, Ralf, and Wya, the Duke of Star Lake merely smiled at every one of them.

Thales originally thought the entire journey would be through such dense forest, but before long, the end of the road suddenly opened wide. Between the emerald trees, a blue lake broke into view. It was pure as a mirror, reflecting the white clouds in the blue sky, dreamlike and illusory, making it difficult for a moment to tell heaven from earth.

Faced with the beautiful scene, everyone, including Thales, could not help but stop.

"By the sunset," Doyle said excitedly as he looked at the green lake. "This is much prettier than in the painting!"

"Wait. The painting?"

Wya reacted, his face full of suspicion. "Did you not say you often came here to play as a child?"

"It is not time yet. Keep going." Mallos was in a rare good mood. He ignored the people behind him who glared at Doyle. "You can marvel then."

The duke's convoy traveled along the lakeside. The grass and trees grew lower, and the scenery before them opened even wider.

Looking into the distance, at the other end of the lake stood a towering, steep cliff. More than ten surging waterfalls hung from it, rushing out between the rocks and plunging straight into the lake like silver curtains falling from the sky.

"My god. I have seen this in books. It says that if you practice swordsmanship underneath that, you can get twice the result with half the effort." Nechi, the young trainee vanguard officer, pointed excitedly at the broad cluster of waterfalls. "Anyone want to surf?"

"Do not believe those knights. If you rush down from there, even if you live, you probably will not be able to find that thing anymore," Franzoch the Tall, a second-class guard officer, poured cold water on him mercilessly.

Thales was likewise captivated by the magnificent scene. He could not move his eyes away.

"That is one of the downstream branches of the Pasture River."

Mallos patiently explained to those who had never seen the sight, which was almost everyone else in the convoy.

"The riverbed drops here, forming waterfalls and depositing a broad, clear lake. This is Star Lake."

Star Lake.

Thales silently repeated the name in his heart and turned his head instinctively.

Sure enough, on the opposite lakeshore from the waterfalls, a towering castle appeared before his eyes.

It sat at the edge of a hill, surrounded by lake on three sides. Its structure was ancient and simple. Only one small road wound up the hill, crossed its moat, and led inside.

The forest, lake view, waterfalls, blue sky, white clouds, hill, and castle all fused perfectly together without the slightest abruptness, giving people a quiet, intoxicating feeling. Everyone subconsciously lowered their voices and softened their steps, as if unwilling to disturb this corner of beauty.

"And that is Star Lake Castle." Mallos stopped his horse and quietly sighed.

Everyone held their breath.

Including Thales.

The youth had done his homework beforehand. He knew that Star Lake Castle had once been an isolated monastery, its earliest origins traceable to the Black Eye era. It had been full of Sunset monks who possessed profound learning but were determined to live in bitter cultivation.

But what truly brought this monastery into the eyes of the world was an old scholar named Sume nearly five hundred years ago. Born of noble blood but learned and talented, he brought his family here during the chaos of the Twin Stars Confrontation and lived in seclusion, devoting himself to theological classics.

The bloody and cruel Twin Stars Confrontation eventually ended dramatically with the deaths, one after another, of the two Jadestars who had each claimed the throne. But their followers, the Morning Party and the Twilight Party, the domestic nobles who had chosen sides, formed blood feuds across years of war, death, alliances, and betrayal. These feuds lasted for generations and were nearly impossible to untangle.

So when the kingdom had no master and the throne stood empty, a look across the Jadestar genealogy found no heir capable of winning the obedience of both parties, whose power was roughly equal, and being crowned without dispute and without reigniting the flames of the Twin Stars Confrontation.

In truth, because of interests and circumstances, many members of both parties spent time in more than one camp during the eight-and-a-half-year civil war. Allies suddenly defecting, traitors returning again, were all common. They might feast together today, form an alliance, and swear loyal hearts between lord and subject, then be captured on the battlefield tomorrow with the noose at their necks and suddenly awaken to abandon darkness for light. The Cullen family of Radiant Harbor, head of the heroes of the Eastern Sea, was a miraculous existence that repeatedly jumped back and forth, flexibly shifting between the Morning and Twilight parties, betraying four times and returning three, yet still remaining safe and sound. Thus the nicknames of two successive Guardian Dukes of the Eastern Sea were "Noon" and "Midnight."

Fortunately, the kingdom had shed enough blood, so much that countless Nightfall priests died of exhaustion. Stars had too few men left, so few that no one wanted to don armor and fight anymore. During the eight years of the Twin Stars Confrontation, countless commoners lost their homes and families, and many great families lost their bloodlines entirely. The cost was so high and the lesson so bitter that even in the history of the Kingdom of Stars, which had seen frequent civil wars, it was rare.

The Morning and Twilight parties, blades drawn and bows bent, finally, under the proposal and coordination of the Sunset High Priest, reluctantly laid down their weapons and entered Eternal Star City. Inside the Nightfall Temple, filled with bodies waiting for burial, they began bitter negotiations. This was also the origin of the names Morning Star District and Twilight Star District within Eternal Star City, divided by the Nightfall Temple.

Thus, Scholar Sume, the great-grandson of John Black Eye and already sixty years old, or rather the later Sume Jadestar the Second, known as the Broken Line, was invited out of the Sunset monastery where he had lived in seclusion. He walked out of the high lakeside castle deep in the forest, entered Renaissance Palace surrounded by two groups of watchful vassals, stepped onto the stage of history, and took the highest seat.

Leaving aside how much the Morning and Twilight parties later regretted this decision, and how it caused their respective alliances to fall apart, not long after Sume the Second was crowned, he followed the newly issued Bloodline Decree. The lakeside monastery where he had stayed as a scholar, and toward which he held deep feelings, was repaired and expanded into a castle. He granted it to his eldest son, Eran, and named him duke, as a declaration that the succession had already been decided and could not be disputed.

"From princes and dukes above to commoners below, all shall follow this law and no one may violate it."

The Twin Stars Confrontation, which had been caused by a dispute over succession between elder and younger, thus finally had its aftermath resolved and was brought to a complete end.

Star Lake Castle, and the meaning-filled title Duke of Star Lake, were born from this.

"This is our territory? The castle where we will stay from now on?" Wya's expression was shocked.

Those words drew Thales' gaze back from Star Lake Castle. He cast aside the heavy history and returned to the present.

All right. At least...

The prince felt his mood brighten.

He had a house.

The greenery was in place, the lake view was pleasant, and there was even a natural swimming pool.

It was just...

Thales glanced at the corner of the account book in Mallos' saddlebag.

He did not know how the mortgage would be calculated.

"Good place."

Glover, who was usually poor with words, nodded as they moved forward.

"Look at its structure and terrain. Lake on three sides, high ground, narrow access, broad field of view, drawbridge, moat, arrow towers, watch posts, the height of the walls, the angles of overlap, and the width of defense." Zombie pointed to different parts of Star Lake Castle. "With just a dozen or so men, it can be defended without a leak."

"Even if attacked by an enemy several times larger, as long as supplies are sufficient, it can hold for months or even a year. Much better than Mindis Hall, which is almost undefended."

"Gods, you cannot compare them like that. Mindis Hall is a work of art, and this place, this place is, is..." Doyle paused, then finally forced out the next words. "Another kind of work of art!"

On the other side of the convoy, Paul, newly joined and from the Black Lion family of Heroic Spirit Fort, suddenly sighed, drawing everyone's attention.

"My father told me that long ago, every lord, every noble, took pride in possessing their own family castle. Even if it took two or three generations and exhausted their wealth, they would still build a castle of special meaning."

The young heir of the Bozdorf family looked at the distant castle, melancholy in his eyes.

"Sky Pillar Castle of Forest City, the three palaces of Floating Sand, Flowing Sand, and Sunken Sand in the Wasteland, Wave-Treading Palace and Tide-Resting Tower of Radiant Harbor, Clear Sky Palace of Jade City, Blood Gate Fortress of Blade Grave City. Though their forms differ and their styles vary, every one of them is a famous fortress with a long history and difficulty beyond measure to conquer. That is not even mentioning the magnificent Renaissance Palace, which is simply a miraculous existence."

"And the Cold Castle of the Arunde family, our Bozdorf family's Heroic Spirit Fort, Kroma's Wing Fort. Even their territories are named after fortresses and castles."

Paul's words were sincere and melancholy.

"They are the defensive lines by which we take root in the earth, the immortal mounts of knights, the firmest guardians of this land."

At this point, Paul let out a long sigh.

"But now, castles like these no longer increase. There are even fewer and fewer of them."

His words caused many people to begin thinking deeply.

But the person who answered him was unexpected.

"That is only natural," Doyle said carelessly. "My family's castle is from who knows how many centuries ago. Wind leaks everywhere. In summer, mosquitoes, flies, and lice are everywhere, and the stench never disperses. Winter is not much better. The cold wind makes your nose run, the windows rattle, and no matter how you repair it, you cannot fix it. Just hiring people to clean it and maintain its function costs a lot. It is not worth it."

"So my stepmother finally decided to close most of it and only use a few intact, complete, newly renovated halls and rooms. And as far as I know, more and more nobles and lords would rather spend money elsewhere. I have even heard that in some places, families abandoned their ancestral castles and moved into towns and villages."

Doyle raised a finger excitedly and gave another example.

"Not to mention Renaissance Palace. That building is so old..."

Glover coughed hard.

"So old..."

Doyle abruptly shuddered and reacted.

"So old that it has so much history, so much meaning, and so much culture!"

"You must know, Renaissance Palace is a miracle built with divine power and magic!"

Everyone who had originally been waiting to enjoy his misfortune showed disappointed expressions.

Knowing he had misspoken, Doyle cleared his throat.

"In short, no matter what castle it is, no matter how sturdy or great, after enough time passes, it will have this problem or that problem."

"In that case," Paul said coldly, "why not simply destroy and dismantle it, then rebuild from the beginning?"

These words made even Thales inside the carriage fall silent.

"My stepmother did once have such a plan, but she gave up because of funding," Doyle recalled. "And my father said that although we do not live there anymore, at least we once lived there."

He sighed.

"If it were just torn down like that, there are some things that cannot be rebuilt."

This made many people look at him with new respect.

Doyle's eyes turned, and he once again became grinning and playful.

"Besides, what if war breaks out again?"

Paul did not speak.

But Wya picked up the thread at this moment.

"A mediocre monarch builds his firm walls with earth and stone. Foreign enemies find them difficult to invade, and the castle difficult to take. A warlike monarch builds his walls with flesh and blood. His martial achievements cover the world, and heroic souls are beyond number. A wise monarch builds his walls with the hearts of the people. He is ever victorious, never defeated, forever prosperous, and never declining."

The prince's attendant officer seemed to recall something, his gaze deep.

"Only a truly great monarch builds his walls with peace. Ordinary and unremarkable, yet unknown to all."

As soon as these words came out, the people in the convoy looked sideways. Even Ralf showed a strange expression.

"Whoa. Real Wya, did you say that yourself?" Doyle asked in surprise.

"No."

Wya lowered his head, his expression complicated.

"I heard it when I was little."

Thales stirred at these words. He remembered what Jines had once repeated to him, words Crown Prince Midier had spoken.

[Though palace walls rise a thousand feet, and mighty passes stretch ten thousand zhang, how shall my life remain?]

"It makes sense."

Mallos suddenly spoke from the front of the convoy.

"City walls are thick and solid. While resisting outside enemies, they also block the sky and cover the sun, becoming a heavy burden. There is no shortage of such examples in history. A lord becomes satisfied with a strong city and a sturdy fortress, grows content behind the walls, and thus becomes narrow, short-sighted, and unwilling to advance. In the end, he reaps the consequences."

The watchman's long-standing authority over these months made everyone shut their mouths at once. The convoy fell into silence.

"Perhaps it is more than that."

Glover, who had been absorbed in the castle's structure, did not seem very good at reading the room. He ignored whether this was now "the superior's lecture time" and spoke on his own.

"My grandfather said that the methods of war are destined to become richer and richer. Especially after magic guns appeared, whether one holds a city under siege or storms a wall, both have become inferior strategies."

"After all, no matter how thick the wall, no matter how wide the battlements, they cannot withstand the continuous high-temperature bombardment of magic guns or the earthshaking falling stones of catapults."

Paul sighed.

"So castles like this are destined to decline in the future and become history?"

"Perhaps." Glover stared fixedly at Star Lake Castle, as if trying to find its weaknesses. "But perhaps our descendants, the people of later generations, will think of better methods, build stronger fortifications, and construct super walls that even magic guns cannot break?"

"Perhaps they will be smarter. Smarter than us." Wya cut in, his mood downcast. "Perhaps they will think of methods that do not rely on walls or fortresses, yet can still resist war, repel outside enemies, and ensure safety?"

"Or perhaps they will be more foolish."

Mallos also joined the conversation. He sighed. "They may build more and more walls, thicker and thicker walls, becoming content with the present and smug with themselves, until the walls they trust so much collapse with a crash. Only when disaster arrives will they regret it."

Thales listened carefully to this conversation, thinking deeply for a long time.

"Or perhaps they will be unmatched geniuses!"

Doyle's excited voice abruptly sounded, making many people frown.

"For true peace, our descendants will build flawless, unbreakable walls and fortresses that isolate everything. And the people on both sides, no matter what they do, will never touch even a single hair on each other's heads!"

Doyle bowed on horseback and proudly spread his arms toward Star Lake Castle.

"Ta-da! Peace descends!"

After hearing this nonsense, everyone in the convoy rolled their eyes and sighed.

Until another young voice came from inside the carriage.

"Thus the walls tower high, the moats run deep, and people at either end look toward one another but cannot see, call to one another but cannot hear, speak to one another but cannot understand."

Everyone turned back in astonishment. The Duke of Star Lake was leaning beside the carriage window, gazing at the beautiful Star Lake Castle. Yet his eyes were dead silent.

Thales spoke faintly.

"Until every person's fate becomes lonely and helpless without their realizing it, struggling in pain without knowing why, furious without cause yet unable to resolve it."

"Until everyone, from birth to death, is destined to be a prisoner behind the wall."

The duke's words made the entire convoy quiet.

Everyone looked at one another, not knowing how to react.

Mallos rode to the window.

"Your Highness?"

Thales came back to himself, waved apologetically, and sat back in his seat.

"Do not mind me. Continue."

The duke's convoy continued forward.

After seeing Star Lake Castle, the remaining journey became much shorter. They soon circled up the hill, passed over the heavy plank across the moat, and entered Star Lake Castle.

But what they saw up close was far inferior to what they had felt from afar.

"My god, cough, cough. I thought, cough, I thought only my family's castle had fallen into disrepair..."

Doyle stared dumbfounded at the iron gate of the castle entrance, which collapsed completely after he gave it a light push. He coughed fiercely in the dust.

"How long has it been since anyone lived here?"

"The previous Duke of Star Lake?"

Glover tied on a face cloth and stepped carefully into the gate tunnel, signaling the people behind him to dismount.

"Eighteen years."

"Be careful, Your Highness," Wya said as he opened the carriage door for Thales, his tone distressed. "This place..."

Thales stepped down from the carriage and only then discovered that the famous Star Lake Castle was dilapidated everywhere up close, from the towers to the watchtowers, from the courtyard to the walls. Weeds grew thick, iron had rusted, and wood had rotted.

Many corners of the courtyard had become nests for small animals. When they entered the gate tunnel, they even startled a flock of bats roosting overhead. This enraged Jenny. She broke free of the rope, neighed loudly, kicked and snorted. While she threw the guards into chaos, she also frightened out a flock of birds from the watchtower, three cats on the walls, and a nest of bees under the eaves.

"She probably saw the state of the stables and feels she was cheated when buying a house," Thales later explained.

The young duke could not help frowning.

All right. It was fine. It was fine.

Secondhand... no, an unfinished house.

"We are counting on this place to reduce expenses?"

Logistics Officer Storr exhausted every bit of strength he had before pulling his boot out of a collapsed wooden door and quietly complained to Mallos.

"By doing what? Selling antiques?"

"Ha!"

Doyle carefully detoured around uneven floor tiles, brushed aside layers of spiderwebs, arrived before the old main door of the central castle, and lifted the door knocker with sarcasm.

"Careful, everyone. We are inside an antique! One bump, one scrape, and it is worth thousands or tens of thousands!"

Hearing everyone tell him to shut up, Doyle paid no attention. He smiled and turned his head, preparing to pull open the door.

But at that moment, a small hatch on the door suddenly opened, revealing a hideous and terrifying face from the darkness.

Doyle shuddered all over and fell backward, letting everyone, including a black cat practicing balance on an iron chain, hear his heart-rending cry.

"My dear Sunset Goddess above!"

"There is a ghost!"

Thales was startled. Members of the guards all pressed their hands to their swords, until Mallos stopped them with a shout.

"Steady!"

The watchman, after kicking aside a sheet of spiderweb underfoot, stepped through the crowd and pulled Doyle up.

"Look carefully!"

Everyone fixed their eyes and only then discovered that the main door had somehow already opened.

Thales frowned.

Inside the main castle was pitch-black, the atmosphere ominous. Within that darkness, a stooped figure holding an Everlasting Lamp appeared before them without a sound.

"Damn!" Doyle, seeing the person, tried to cry out again, but Glover and Bastia dragged him forcefully to the rear of the group together.

The stooped figure trembled as he crossed the threshold.

His skin was wrinkled, his hair white, his body withered by age. His movements were slow. He was an old man whose life seemed nearly spent.

But the instant this old man lifted his eyes, Thales felt a stabbing pain.

"Guards, mind your bearing." Mallos straightened his dusty clothes and turned around. "This is the caretaker of Star Lake Castle."

Thales carefully studied the old man before him. His clothing was plain and simple. His eyes were cloudy. He was clearly looking at them, yet he seemed to be gazing at the horizon.

The old man with the lamp opened his mouth, revealing gums with only a few teeth left, and gave them a strange smile.

"Heh."

The old man's voice was nearly absent, carrying a faint chill that made everyone's spine go cold.

"It has been a long time," Mallos said with a normal expression, though his tone and courtesy were exceedingly respectful. "But I believe you have already received notice."

The old man did not move at all. Against the darkness of the main castle behind him, his lamp-carrying figure grew even stranger.

"Heh."

The guards looked at one another, full of doubt.

Mallos extended a hand toward Thales in the group and said respectfully, "Allow me to introduce His Highness Thales Jadestar, the new master of Star Lake Castle."

Hearing this, Thales could not help straightening his back and showing a smile.

The old man lifted the lamp slightly. His gaze swept over Thales, but it held no light, as if this were nothing more than a boring routine.

"Heh."

"Yes. We are here to receive the castle, respected..."

Faced with the old man's response, which might or might not have meant he understood, Mallos bowed deeply and called out the old man's name.

"Vitano Gato."