Chapter 631: Discretion

The moonlight was cold and clear. The funeral song by his ear had stopped, replaced by another burst of laughter from the Flower of the Fortress and the answering shouts of her soldiers.

"Depose the duke, and destroy Zayen?"

In the lounge, Thales repeated the king's words and took a deep breath.

"Let me guess, Your Majesty. You are going to gather the whole kingdom's strength and pull together a royal standing army of more than thirty thousand men, strong, well-mounted, and unstoppable, equip them with the best gear, provide them with ample logistics, then put the Wrath of the Kingdom in my left hand and the Wings of Legend in my right. Under my correct leadership, they will charge into Jade City from both sides, simple and brutal but irresistible, break through the Emerald Palace, pull Zayen Covendier off his ducal throne, stuff him headfirst into a toilet, and flush him into the moat?"

King Kessel was silent for a while.

"No."

Thales gave a cold laugh that said "of course," his tone full of sarcasm.

"Then you must have already planned a perfect fallback that can safely and quietly bring down Zayen without forcing the great lords in every direction into rebellion and teaching Stars how to perish in civil war. That must be why you have the confidence to send me running errands. After all, we should have learned something from the last 'Desert King' incident, and perhaps from my tiny protest as well, right?"

The Iron Hand King looked at him, then turned toward the desk.

"Open it."

It took Thales several seconds to realize that he was pointing to the scroll the king had brought.

The prince pressed his lips together to express his dissatisfaction with Kessel's habit of keeping people in suspense, but he still went to the desk and picked up the scroll. He found the exclusive crest of the Iris Family stamped on it.

"With warm welcome... Duke Thales' worthy name has spread far and wide... an enjoyable conversation... long parted, greatly missed..."

Thales read the contents of the letter in fits and starts. Most of it was polished, ceremonial nonsense.

"Though Jade City is small, and though the Emerald Palace is humble... the two great families have a long history... I and the worthies of the South Coast... fortunate to attend this grand occasion... eagerly awaiting..."

Thales finished reading the scroll and was still utterly confused when he noticed something on the desk beneath it.

He picked up the item, a frame he had initially mistaken for the tray holding the scroll, and his expression immediately changed.

"What is this?" Thales looked up, staring at His Majesty in disbelief.

"As you can see, it is Duke Covendier's reply," Kessel the Fifth said, still gazing out at the shimmering Star Lake. "He welcomes his close friend, the Duke of Star Lake, to Jade City, to stay at the Emerald Palace, attend the Emerald Celebration, and share in the joy of the South Coast's subjects, thereby marking the deep friendship between the Nine-Pointed Star and the Iris, and the loyal bond between Renaissance Palace and the Emerald Palace."

"No, no, no, I mean..."

Thales put down the scroll, raised the frame, which was in fact a small portrait, toward the king, and lifted his voice. His words were inelegant.

"What the fuck is this?"

King Kessel turned back.

Under Thales' shocked and furious gaze, inside the frame before his chest, a round-faced teenage girl turned back among flowers and smiled sweetly at the king, innocent and radiant.

On her well-tailored dress, the iris crest could be faintly seen.

"They must have changed painters. This one is not even as good as the last."

The king glanced at it once and gave an unconcerned snort.

"Do not worry. According to convention, your portrait was sent over as well. It is fair."

Fair.

Thales felt as though blood had filled his forehead and would soon burst from his veins. He took a deep breath and used all the strength he had accumulated in his life to make sure his volume did not shatter the windows.

"I will repeat this one last time. What. The fuck. Is. This?"

Each time the prince swore, the frame trembled along with his fingers.

The room was quiet for several seconds.

"Nothing much," King Kessel said lightly. "For this journey to Jade City, you need a reason. For instance, you are going to greet and inspect one of your prospective fiancees, Duke Zayen's younger sister, the noble and virtuous Lady Hilley Covendier."

The king glanced at him as though looking at a complete fool.

"Is there a problem?"

There was.

A very big problem!

No one told me!

Thales turned the portrait around and stared dumbly at the round-faced girl in it.

Hilley Covendier.

Zayen's own younger sister.

Thinking of the Iris Duke's cold and sharp threat, Thales felt the palm holding the frame grow cold.

What the hell...

"All right. Correct me if I am wrong. So the purpose, or at least the official pretext, of my trip is to go to Jade City... for a matchmaking visit?"

Thales worked hard to adjust his emotions and forget the anger of being played.

"The letter will not state it too bluntly. But yes. When young men and women of important families reach marriageable age, they inspect one another before arranging an engagement or marriage, get acquainted, understand each other, and ideally cultivate affection. This has been the kingdom's custom for many years."

The king's tone was ordinary, as though no one ought to be surprised by this.

Thales stared blankly at the girl in the painting. Only after a long while did he put Lady Hilley down and return to the conversation with the king.

"Fine. I know this is probably unlikely with your temperament, but I still want to ask." Thales swallowed hard, suddenly remembering his ultimate objective on this trip. "You are not planning for me to get engaged to that lady, then have Zayen suddenly die, so we can use the lady's inheritance rights, sit back, reap the rewards, and take the South Coast into our pocket?"

King Kessel snorted, the meaning unclear, making Thales' heart catch.

"Two or three hundred years earlier, this would have been an effective method. Unfortunately, at least in the Kingdom of Stars, simple family marriage is no longer the best way to seize power."

"Oh, what a pity." Thales immediately breathed a sigh of relief when he heard this, though his face showed no trace of regret. "It seems that Lady Hilley and I, noble and pure as she is, can only end here."

The king did not speak. He merely narrowed his eyes and looked at him from afar.

"You know, after what happened at the royal banquet, Zayen and I have both old grudges and new hatred. We are like fire and water."

Thales gave a cold laugh.

"And now I am actually supposed to go to Jade City to seek marriage, all right, at least to visit his sister on the premise of a marriage alliance... Wonderful. He will definitely think I am doing it on purpose, that I am provoking him through his sister. Heh, with Little Flower's narrow-mindedness, it would be strange if he did not go insane trying to mess with me..."

At that point, Thales thought of something. His expression stiffened, and his words stopped.

Eh?

Provoke him through his sister...

Go insane trying to mess with me...

"Wait."

Thales' expression changed slightly, and he picked up the scroll again.

"This letter. This letter is only Covendier's reply. So..."

The Duke of Star Lake widened his eyes and looked at the calm king in disbelief.

"Your Majesty, whether it was an engagement or a matchmaking visit, how long ago did you tell Zayen about this matter between me and his sister?"

"When it was confirmed that you had escaped danger in the Northland and were about to return to the capital," King Kessel said, no longer looking at him, his tone casual. "The Noble Affairs Office selected a list, including dozens of suitable noble young ladies from famous families. They examined them one by one and conveyed the intention of marriage alliance to their families. Naturally, that included the Iris."

"What?"

When I escaped danger in the Northland and was returning to the capital...

Thales' heart sank.

Which meant, which meant...

"As far as I know, the Covendier girl keeps mostly to the inner quarters, and her temperament and conduct still require observation, so her original rank on that list was not high. But now, she happens to be useful..."

"Wait!" Thales crossed his hands, stopping the king with an expression of horror.

"Wait. So before the royal banquet, even before I returned to the country, you told Zayen that Renaissance Palace had intentions toward his sister?"

Thales stared fixedly at King Kessel.

The king looked back at him, his eyes deep and blue.

"Not I. You 'told' him. Do not forget, Prince Thales is the true party to the marriage. Only that shows sincerity."

Sincerity...

The more Thales listened, the more dazed he became.

He looked at Lady Hilley on the desk.

The king seemed to think Thales was not troubled enough. "And it was not a simple 'notification.' This was a formal communication between great families. In particular, marriage alliances between Jadestar and Covendier have a long history. This is a rather serious and sacred matter, allowing no hint of mockery or disrespect."

No, no, no.

"Fuck. God damn it."

The young man understood something. He turned around and leaned weakly against the desk.

"I... I get it..."

The king seemed unsurprised. He calmly watched his son.

Thales' breathing quickened.

With the expression of someone who had finally seen the truth but found it hard to believe for the moment, he said, "I understand now. At the royal banquet, the reason Zayen offered convenience for Anker Byrael's kidnapping and assassination..."

The words Zayen had spoken when he privately confronted him at the end of the royal banquet rang once more by Thales' ears.

[This is a warning. I came looking for you on purpose, Thales, and this is also your last chance.]

Last chance.

"Better to part for a friend than perish as enemies."

Thales clenched his fists and gritted his teeth.

"That night, the reason Zayen wanted to be the chess player who stirred things up, the reason he pushed the waves along, the reason he was so impatient to make trouble for me, drag me into the water, watch me embarrass myself, and ruin my reputation..."

[I wanted you to know, Thales. I wanted to teach you to understand: this is my response.]

Thales painfully rubbed his forehead.

"And the reason he hated me so much after I returned, the reason he went against his usual behavior and bit at me like a mad dog..."

[In response to your offense against me six years later, your rejection of me, and even your threat against me.]

"All of these things, all of these attacks and traps that seemed completely unreasonable to me, were not because his brain short-circuited, not because he was some tyrannical overlord, and not even because he simply found me unpleasant..."

Thales slapped his thigh in regret.

"It was because, from Zayen's point of view, I was the one who, the instant I returned to the country, impatiently sent him a marriage-alliance letter to retaliate against him, threaten him, provoke him, offend him, and covet his younger sister!"

[Mind your hands, Your Highness.]

Aaaah!

Having finally understood the truth, Thales angrily slammed the desk.

"Fuck!"

The Duke of Star Lake's indignant voice finally faded through the lounge.

The king's figure still stood by the window, motionless.

"Wait. You already knew all this, didn't you?"

Thales remembered something and glared at King Kessel.

"The reason Zayen bit me the moment we met at the royal banquet, and the root cause of me suffering that bloody disaster in the end, was this damned marriage prospect you found for me?" The prince's questioning voice drifted through the lounge.

"Parents arranging marriages for their children," King Kessel said calmly, without the slightest apology, "is perfectly natural."

Right. Just like children arranging funerals for their parents.

Hearing the other party's light and airy answer, Thales' anger surged.

"Then I really must thank your ancestors for eight generations!"

The unhappy young man cursed without restraint, without any of the bearing or etiquette a duke ought to have.

The king looked at him faintly.

"Is this how you thank your father for his good intentions?"

Thales used several seconds and all his strength to force the angry resentment out of his chest.

He squeezed out a smile with effort.

"Of course not. I was too excited, yes. I should have another way to thank you. Let me think. Right, I have it. It just so happens that the toilet brush in my washroom broke, Father."

The young man's smile grew increasingly exaggerated and glaring. "Considerate, thoughtful, and hard-headed as you are, would you be interested in taking over its work? It is simple. You only need to dive headfirst into the toilet and rotate up and down, left and right."

The king made a sound somewhere between a snort and a laugh. It was impossible to tell whether he was expressing dissatisfaction with the duke's attitude or genuinely applauding his humor.

Having understood cause and effect, the furious Thales sighed and waved both hands.

"But why? Why did no one tell me about something as big as marriage?"

"Gilbert should have informed you on the first day of your return and handed you the final shortlist," the king said calmly. "Did he not?"

Thales sneered, and without thinking, waved a hand.

"Nonsense. If he had told me, would I still be this..."

[Fourteen years old. By the standards of the Empire Era, you are already a true adult, able to take up a sword and fight, marry and have children...]

[Gilbert, concerning that, with the changes of the era and the progress of society, I believe we still have room to discuss...]

Thales suddenly remembered something, and his words stopped.

[That is to say, Your Highness, your age this year has also reached... You must understand, you have a duty to continue the great royal bloodline...]

[Cough! Cough, cough, cough!]

"Damn it. I remember now. He was trying to say it."

Thales said blankly, "From the first day, until the banquet, at least three times. It was just that every time he opened his mouth, I interrupted him, refused, or changed the subject..."

The king said nothing.

"Even on the day I fell out with you, the reason he brought up to smooth things over was marriage." Thales painfully tugged at his hair. "Damn it, damn it, I should have thought of it! This was what he wanted to tell me!"

Gilbert, why were you so respectful and courteous? Why did you give up every time I coughed? Why could you not insist a little longer, be more annoying, nag a little more, at least nag until the matter was finished?

The king snorted lightly, his tone full of hidden meaning.

"Then I suppose you have no one to blame, and can only fill the vacancy of the toilet brush yourself?"

Thales let go of his hair and glared fiercely at him, then unhappily remembered another person.

"Damn Zayen Covendier. What 'warning,' what 'response.' Twisting and turning around everything. He is a duke, at least. Why couldn't he just speak plainly?"

Thales gritted his teeth.

Hey, Thales, why did you write a letter saying you wanted to marry my sister? Is it a threat?

No, Zayen. I did not. I am not. Do not talk nonsense!

Oh, then it is fine. You keep eating. I will go deal with that brother who charged into the banquet with a sword.

Would that not have been the end of it? Everyone happy!

The gloom and silence in the lounge lasted for a while.

In the end, Prince Thales exhaled weakly.

"Then, Your Majesty, are you certain?"

He spoke to the king listlessly.

"The one you want to depose is one of the kingdom's six Guardian Dukes, and the richest, youngest, and most popular of them at that. If something goes wrong halfway, for Sunset's sake, even declaring war on Eckstedt and the Camus Union at the same time would seem more rational than this."

King Kessel did not turn his head.

"I thought you hated him, and would be glad to see Zayen Covendier fall."

Hated him.

Thales gave a sarcastic snort.

"Believe me, in another situation, I would be very happy to replace the toilet brush in my castle with Little Flower. But destroy him? Zayen is not a soft persimmon. Besides, he is already extremely wary of us, not to mention that he hates me. If this step is even slightly careless, I will be trapped in Jade City..."

"Thales Jadestar."

The king called his full name. His tone was icy, making the young man's nerves tighten.

"Do I need to remind you of our covenant?"

In that instant, Thales felt as though a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head.

Thales stood up straight, feeling every joint in his body become incomparably stiff.

At his front lapel, a certain bone ring seemed even heavier.

Kortaksa.

"I will help you push the kingdom rolling forward, remove obstacles, and break shackles," Thales said bitterly. "For this, I will spare no price."

Spare no price.

"Very good. Then, as we agreed, child, become my sword and cut through thorns and brambles until the kingdom's feast is clear."

The king's face appeared from the moonlight before the window.

"Unless you regret it."

Regret.

Thales swallowed. He only felt the front of his clothes grow even heavier.

"So, Your Majesty, you want me to visit a noble young lady of prominent status as though she were a prospective fiancee, while secretly racking my brains to plot the deposition, or even murder, of her older brother. Wonderful. There is no more melodramatic romance script than this."

He tried his best to make his tone sound lighter.

"Thales."

But His Majesty's tone caused the lightness he had forced out to vanish completely.

"From the moment you returned to the country, this matter was already destined. It had to be done."

"It is unavoidable."

Thales opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

He could only turn his head and look at the portrait on the desk.

The round-faced girl in the painting was surrounded by flowers, innocent and happy, as though there were no dangers in her world.

Only when a cat's cry came from the castle, stirring up the cats into a chorus one after another and bringing the barking of many dogs with it, did Thales' thoughts return to reality.

"What is the concrete plan?"

Thales breathed out. His tone grew solemn, losing some of its previous teasing.

"What does the Secret Intelligence Department intend to do? Threats, inducements, assassination, poison, or meeting him face to face and immediately swinging an axe? Who do I coordinate with? How do I do it? Let me say this first: even if I am acting, I absolutely refuse to kiss Zayen's ass."

But the king merely watched him quietly.

"After you arrive there, you will see."

The Iron Hand King's answer made Thales frown.

"That answer will not do. Our covenant stated beforehand that you would respect my will, listen to my opinions, treat me sincerely, hold nothing back, and have no deception."

The young man repeated and emphasized it.

"None."

The king was silent for several seconds, then gave a cold laugh.

"Child, why do you think I put on the Royal Guards' uniform and came to see you privately?"

"Because the helmet is more handsome?"

King Kessel ignored Thales' sarcasm. He came before Thales and stared into the young man's eyes.

"Our covenant is destined to be a secret that cannot be spoken to outsiders, even to the Secret Intelligence Department."

Even to the Secret Intelligence Department.

Thales' eyes moved.

"In other words, Your Majesty, in their eyes, we are still a father and son with different opinions and a strained relationship? But that is still not a reason for you to hide the plan from me and keep your mouth shut."

But the king shook his head.

"The plan we swore to is to gradually turn against one another and win through that. You and I should be estranged from each other, not know each other inside and out. If you knew every detail of the operation, your performance in Jade City would be different, and there is no guarantee no one would discover any clues. As you said, Zayen is already extremely wary of us."

Thales frowned.

"So, as before, I cannot command or cooperate with the Secret Intelligence Department, and I also will not know their actions? Then how am I supposed to complete the mission?"

King Kessel turned around.

"Rest assured. In this operation, you do not need to be the protagonist. What you need to do is merely serve as the third party in Jade City, the unbiased weight in the center of the balance. Listen, watch, witness, and act according to circumstances. That will be enough."

He only needed to listen, watch, witness, and act according to circumstances?

Thales furrowed his brows. And that meant a great deal.

One had to understand that Zayen, as Guardian Duke, had been rooted in the South Coast for many years. His power was unfathomable. And Thales, astonishingly, did not have to do anything?

The corner of the king's mouth twitched slightly, and his voice sank.

"Others will take care of the rest."

Others.

Did he mean the Secret Intelligence Department, or something else...

Thales' expression did not change.

"But what if, like before, I do more harm than good, get in their way, and instead ruin your arrangements?"

The king's expression shifted, and he glanced at him.

"This is why I am here. I came to tell you the ultimate objective. As long as you complete it, I do not care what you do. I do not care whether you satisfy the Secret Intelligence Department, or whether they satisfy you."

What?

Thales was somewhat stunned.

Do not care what I do. Do not care whether I satisfy the Secret Intelligence Department...

"But in that case..."

"And is this not exactly what you wanted, and what you fought for when you illegally broke into the palace last time?"

The Iron Hand King did not give him a chance to ask further. He bent down, pressed his palm on Thales' shoulder, and his words carried a peculiar meaning. "I have given you no concrete plan and no rules. Thus, outside the frame, I have given you the authority to exercise discretion and make decisions according to the situation."

Discretion.

Decisions according to the situation.

Thales froze.

Really?

For a moment, the troublesome prince who had always been accused of "ruining my business" and "destroying the plan" was actually somewhat unused to it.

The sounds of the banquet in the corridor outside the door gradually faded. Thales guessed that the Flower of the Fortress had probably drunk everyone down.

The king clearly did not wish to delay any longer. He picked up the Royal Guard's helmet and fastened it meticulously over his head.

Like a true guard.

"You may do this according to your preferences and standards. Just as you did not like the coarseness of the Desert King Operation, then go influence it, turn it around. There is no need to consider whose wishes you are fulfilling or whose business you are ruining, as long as..."

At this point, Kessel the Fifth paused.

Thales took a deep breath and completed his words.

"As long as I complete your objective: depose Zayen?"

The king released the helmet and nodded.

"And do not expose yourself."

He is sending me to Jade City, telling me the final objective, but not telling me the Secret Intelligence Department's plan or details. He is only asking me to adapt and act according to circumstances?

Then...

"Then lend me Yodel."

"For something this big, I will have use for him," Thales said steadily as he looked into the eyes behind the king's helmet. "In any case, Aida has already returned. She can protect you."

Yodel.

King Kessel was silent for a few seconds, then shook his head with a light laugh.

"This is only the first time, child. The first trial after our covenant was established, and I have yet to see its effect."

Thales clenched his teeth.

"Cooperation requires trust. And trust must be earned."

King Kessel rejected him cleanly. Without the slightest hesitation, he turned and left.

From gait to posture, in an instant, he completed the transformation from king to guard.

Even the people closest to him might not have recognized him.

Thales combed through his tangled thoughts and subconsciously called out to Kessel.

"That is it? Nothing else?"

The king's steps paused.

"Let me think. Oh, yes."

Kessel turned back, his face hidden behind the helmet.

"Remember, when you interact with that girl, remember to show your gentleness, courtesy, respect, sincerity, and thoughtfulness. Like a true man."

In the next second, the temperature in the king's words dropped sharply.

"To soothe her..."

"Pain of losing her brother."

King Kessel pushed open the door and stepped into the corridor.

Only Thales was left behind, staring blankly as his back disappeared.

Mallos entered from outside, paying no attention to the unfamiliar guard who had just walked out of the room.

"Your Highness, if you are feeling unwell," the Watchman said calmly, "we can end the banquet early."

Thales came back to himself.

He touched the pocket at the front of his clothes and glanced again at the girl in the painting.

"No. No need." The prince's words were calm and still, yet his brow seemed clouded with worry. "It has only just begun."

Night had already fallen. Outside the corridor, Sonia's hearty laughter rang out once more, mingling with the endless cat cries inside and outside the castle.

The former was thoroughly satisfied.

The latter were eerie and mournful.