Chapter 714: Foreign Forces

After Thales finished reading the letter from Renaissance Palace, he took a deep breath and suppressed the indignation and gloom filling his chest.

But faced with the burning gazes of everyone present, the well-cultivated Duke of Star Lake had no choice but to stare seriously and solemnly at the blank space on the paper. He pretended to read this "letter," which could not possibly be any shorter, for a full three more minutes. During that time, he even paused to drink two mouthfuls of tea, sometimes frowning, sometimes nodding, not forgetting to mutter under his breath, as though bathed in a spring breeze. When he finished reading, he covered the letter and sank into thought, pondering His Majesty's teachings for a long time. Only then did he finally put the letter away with great care, folding it properly and hiding it securely, then giving his subordinates a confident smile.

"Are matters in the capital going smoothly?"

"When will the relevant departments come to take over?"

"Is His Majesty satisfied with Jade City's matter?"

"Will Renaissance Palace send capable officials to support us?"

"When are we going home?"

"Will a standing army be sent here?"

"How will Jade City's debt be repaid?"

"How has His Majesty decreed the old Covendier case should be judged?"

Faced with these hopeful and restless questions from the Star Lake Guard, Thales waved confidently and answered them one by one. He said that the king's ingenious plan had secured the South Coast, though at the cost of losing both the prince and the money... Cough, cough. In short, His Majesty Kessel was wise and brilliant, the lords of court calculated without omission, and Renaissance Palace's strategy was subtle, its arrangement far-reaching. They viewed the entire Kingdom of Stars as one chessboard, had already predicted the current situation in Jade City, and had made arrangements long ago. It was just that the true meaning within this was a kingdom secret, decided alone by the sacred heart, and could not be lightly announced to the public.

As for where Jade City would go from here, how specific affairs would be handled, and how real difficulties would be resolved, well, His Majesty knew what he was doing. Those who understood naturally understood, those who did not understand simply did not understand, explaining it would not make them understand, and not understanding was better than understanding. In short, when the time came, all would naturally become clear.

Therefore, before that, everyone need not worry needlessly. They should devote themselves fully and remain in their respective positions. Everyone had worked to settle the realm and stabilize the country on this trip, disregarding praise or blame, and their contributions were great. The lords of Renaissance Palace would certainly perceive every detail and reward merit. But everyone had to remember that success need not be achieved in one's own time, and effort would never be wasted...

After this winding, official-sounding explanation finally managed to temporarily soothe everyone's confusion, restlessness, and unease, the people dispersed, some excited, some suspicious, some thoughtful, each returning to their post. Only then did Thales collapse limply against the back of his chair and sigh numbly.

I should handle it myself?

How am I supposed to handle it myself?

How the hell am I supposed to handle it myself-

"I suppose the support Renaissance Palace can provide has always been limited, and preparing it will take time," Mallos had not left. He stayed behind and closed the door. "During this period, His Majesty hopes that you will step forward and shoulder the heavy responsibility, temporarily stabilizing Jade City's overall situation until they are ready to take over Emerald Palace, at which point you may retire after accomplishing your task?"

Thales gave an emotionally unclear snort and said something treasonous:

"Have you ever considered becoming a king, Tormond?"

Mallos frowned, but after accompanying a Jadestar for a long time, he had rich experience with treason. Hearing this, he remained unhurried and answered without a ripple:

"Yes. When I was five and playing house. Until my great-uncle slapped away my rebellious ambition."

"Your great-uncle misjudged you," Thales said sarcastically as he looked at the letter in his hand. "At the very least, you are far more eloquent than our king."

"Perhaps he did misjudge me, but at least I do not need to be hanged for treason," Mallos countered without changing expression, "or worry over how to fill a hole of one million one hundred seventy-eight thousand six hundred fifty-three gold coins."

The Duke of Star Lake trembled when he heard this. In the end, struck in his vital point by his opponent, he was defeated and collapsed across the desk.

"Your Highness?"

"It is fine. Jade City has its own mechanism for clearing debt. At most, it simply cannot squeeze out any money," Thales said, dragging himself up from the desk with difficulty like a drowning man making his final struggle. "At least no major disorder has broken out-what the?"

Thales' words stopped. He suddenly stood and walked toward the window.

"Your Highness?" The puzzled Mallos was just about to ask when he was interrupted by a burst of hurried knocking.

"Your Highness! The local officials have sent another urgent report!" Doyle nearly threw himself into the study. "They say Jade City is in disorder, and it happened at-"

"At Luhsan Street, correct?" Thales did not turn his head.

Doyle froze.

"How did you know?"

With a dark face, Thales turned and pointed out the window.

Within prosperous, thriving Jade City, a thin but solid column of black smoke broke through the obstruction of layered buildings. Along with faintly visible firelight in the distance, it shot straight into the sky.

Mallos and the others all changed color.

A few minutes later, when Thales hurriedly left the palace under escort, relying on guards and security officers to forcefully drive back the crowd and squeeze open a path, and arrived at Luhsan Street in the Glory District, his expression had never looked so ugly.

This market street, usually bustling and lively, was now strictly sealed off by the Jade Legion and security officers. A cordon had been drawn, firmly blocking the crowd outside who were standing on tiptoe trying to watch the commotion. Thales and his party crossed the blockade and were shocked by the scene before them.

At some unknown point, the bright and beautiful street had been burned black, its original appearance nearly impossible to distinguish. Many stalls and shops had been destroyed until they were broken and ragged. Countless goods and miscellaneous items were scattered across the ground with no one to pick them up. Bright red blood spread in dots across the site, mixing with soil and dust until it was hard to separate one from the other. This was to say nothing of the severed limbs, broken arms, intestines, organs, and iron rods and blades with curled edges and snapped sections filling his sight...

Countless people were on the ground, lying, sitting, crawling, embracing each other and trembling, struggling and groaning, staring numbly, or desperately calling for help. The medical officers and priests of the Sunset Temple and the church hurried in and out, rescuing the living and transporting the wounded. They were so busy that sweat covered their heads, yet none of them rested. The priests of the Temple of the Night whispered scriptures, directing believers to put together stretchers and carry away the confirmed dead, even charred corpses, amid the grief-stricken wails of families crying to the heavens and earth.

The fire officers were all covered in soot. The last team was still pulling water hoses and pumping water with levers, extinguishing the last few flames amid waves of white smoke. The security officers' faces were ashen, and they never lowered the batons or sword-shields in their hands as they stood guard. The Jade Legion's cavalry moved in groups of three, riding tall horses as they patrolled from this street to that avenue, keeping watch over the surroundings. In the darker alleys farther away, several teams of security officers waved the clubs in their hands, forcing a group of people to line up, place their hands over their heads, and stand against the wall. Then the officers went forward to search them, their movements extremely rough.

The air was filled with nauseating smells of scorching and blood. Groans, cries of pain, sobs, shouts, roars, accusations... countless noises mixed together. Combined with the devastated, shocking sight before them, Luhsan Street seemed to have become hell on earth.

Thales and his party passed through the wounded and blood covering the ground in disbelief and arrived at the center of the street. The supervisors or representatives of Jade City's major government offices had been waiting there early. They were deeply uneasy over the prince's arrival and trembled with fear.

The incident had happened at noon today. It was said that two groups of idle hoodlums had clashed near a warehouse nearby. At first, it had been nothing more than a few verbal frictions, which later turned into a fight.

Originally, the matter was not large, but both sides had no small temper. They each called friends and allies to stand behind them and help. In the short span of one hour, the two groups gathered more and more people, a full two hundred or so. The conflict quickly rose from confrontation and provocation into a large-scale armed brawl. One side gained the upper hand due to its numerical advantage, while the other had no choice but to retreat and flee. The worst part was that they specifically fled toward a place with many people: Luhsan Street.

The incident happened suddenly. Seeing a group of desperate men covered in blood and carrying weapons charging over with murderous momentum, the dense crowd of travelers, tourists, and merchants in the market was caught completely off guard. Many people fled in panic without choosing a path. Families were separated from one another. Amid the panic, someone accidentally knocked over an oil lamp, causing a fire and making the scene even more chaotic.

The fire spread. Amid countless screams, rumors, flames, and thick smoke, the highly dense crowd began to surge uncontrollably. Between the long and narrow street and alley mouths, they fled desperately in one direction, causing even more serious crushing and trampling incidents. At the street entrance, still more passersby were innocently caught in the disaster. In the end, it turned into a human tragedy with severe consequences and terrible influence.

"After the Security Hall and the Jade Legion received the news, they swiftly deployed, taking the protection of citizens' lives and property as their first principle. They arrived in time and immediately took action, stopping the conflict, restoring order, and successfully preventing the situation from worsening further. The Fire Department quickly assembled ten teams and followed its usual training procedures and the instructions of the leaders present..." Jade City's security chief said unnaturally.

"Casualties?" Thales interrupted him impatiently. He did not want to listen to any more official nonsense.

"The Temple of the Night is still counting, Your Highness, but more than thirty bodies were carried away on the spot alone, and many more are critically wounded..." another younger administrative officer said, sweating profusely. Covered in soot and blood, he no longer bothered to conceal faults or shirk blame. "The priests of the Night recalled all their people. They had no choice but to temporarily place the bodies in the shade outside the temple, because the interior is being renovated and there are not many funeral rooms available. There are enough leaching crystal passing platforms, but the high-purity eternal oil used for cremation is still waiting for delivery. Since the Bloody Year, they have never dealt with casualties on this scale..."

"There are even more wounded. From the most serious burns, knife wounds, and fractures to blunt injuries, trampling injuries, crushing injuries, impact injuries... We coordinated with the Sunset Temple and the church. By the Sunset, the priests sent out every medical officer and nun the temple could spare. The clerics also opened the churches and monasteries, freeing them up as wards. Iris Academy even mobilized a large group of therapeutic apprentices, and even the medicine reserves saved for war have been used..."

"Every merchant on Luhsan Street has suffered heavy losses, Your Highness. Every household is demanding compensation, but that is not the worst of it," another market officer said anxiously. "What is truly damaged is probably people's confidence in Jade City's order. Now the citizens and travelers, especially those living near the Glory District, are very frightened. During the Emerald Celebration, Luhsan Street should have been at its most prosperous, but now... and every household has closed its doors, while merchants are keeping away after hearing the news. If this continues, what will happen to business..."

The more Thales listened, the heavier his mood became.

"Many families are still gathered outside the temples and the Security Hall, crying and making a scene, demanding to find their missing relatives... Of course, Your Highness, toward those who have been instigated by unknown forces and dare to come make trouble at the gates of Emerald Palace, we will absolutely not be lenient. We will arrest and deal with every group we catch..."

"The Security Hall reacted too slowly and arrived too late. If they had intervened in time when signs first appeared..."

"What kind of talk is that? Wasn't the market under your management? How exactly did you manage the market and supervise the guilds? You did not receive even the slightest hint in advance and prevent trouble before it happened..."

"We are only responsible for managing the market and transaction order, not maintaining public security! It was clearly your arrangements that were inadequate, and you did not have enough manpower! If the follow-up security officer reinforcements had arrived in time..."

"Then open fewer markets and earn a few fewer coins. You will not die! Do you know how late my people have to work every day during the celebration?"

"Do you know where your salary comes from? We can open fewer markets, as long as you can obediently accept pay cuts and stay quiet when the time comes..."

"It is all those damned unruly commoners. Barbaric and low, selfish and despicable. What conflict or grievance could they not properly negotiate and resolve? Is Jade City's law and civilization just for show? Do they not know to report things to the security officers when something happens? Go to the Judgment Hall and file a lawsuit! All they know is to cause trouble and disorder all day..."

"Many of them were already petty criminals and thieves. Their nature is low and their quality poor. There are plenty of bold criminals and vicious men who wanted to take advantage of the chaos and loot during the fire..."

"In my opinion, we should learn from the capital and carry out a cleanup operation, removing many of the vagrants, beggars, outsiders, and cowardly bandits hiding in the corners and gutters of the city, all these parasites lying on Jade City and sucking its blood-"

"Enough!"

The prince shouted violently, pressing all the officials present into silence.

Mallos coughed softly.

"Please give your instructions, Your Highness."

His Highness the Prince frowned. Only then did he remember his own identity.

He looked at the shrinking, trembling officials before him and had no choice but to sigh. He put away his anger and imitated the calm, rational Zayen from his memory. First, he gently soothed the officials, praised their response, forgave their mistakes, and went through a round of polite hypocrisy. Only then, amid the officials' gratitude and praises, did he change the subject and solemnly issue orders:

The Jade Legion and the Security Hall were to urgently work overtime, strengthen patrols in several bustling districts, maintain order, and absolutely ensure that such a thing would not happen again, letting people know Jade City was still safe. The Administrative Office was to promptly post notices telling the truth, pacify public sentiment, and at the same time do its utmost to treat the wounded, bury the dead with dignity, and properly handle the aftermath. Market officials were to use every method they could to visit and comfort damaged merchants and shops, compensate losses, and restore reputation and confidence.

As for Thales himself, under the suggestions of several officials, he went under heavy guard to the Sunset and Night temples to visit and comfort the wounded. Amid crying and wailing, he mourned the dead, while telling the people present that Jade City's authorities had already taken measures to protect citizens' safety and ensure that such incidents would not happen again.

Finally, the officials patted their chests and assured Thales that they would certainly do their utmost to handle the aftermath, guide public opinion, and tell everyone that this tragedy was a natural disaster, accident, and coincidence. It had nothing to do with the newly governing Prince Thales, and they would absolutely not allow anyone to doubt the Duke of Star Lake's governing ability and level...

The more Thales listened, the darker his face became. But hindered by all kinds of constraints, he could not lose his temper on the spot. "Why don't they simply call me the 'disaster star' to my face?" His Highness the Prince complained to the stuffed bear. He could only return to the palace in haste.

"This is absolutely not a coincidence," Paul swore on the way back to the palace.

"Of course not," Neshy rarely agreed with him. "Such a thing happened on the first day His Highness took power, and casualties 'not seen since the Bloody Year' at that. Who would believe it?"

"Covendier. It must be him manipulating all this from behind the scenes," Neshy said with righteous indignation. "Although he himself is imprisoned, there are absolutely people inside Emerald Palace secretly communicating with him and arranging all this, trying to sabotage His Highness' rule and ruin our reputation..."

"Fortunately, Jade City has money," Komuto said with lingering fear. "All these things can be settled with money..."

Sitting in the carriage, Thales' face was dark. Hearing this, he frowned slightly.

Mallos and Storo, who were leading the group, exchanged a glance.

"Ha," Storo laughed sarcastically. "Believe me, the only thing that can be settled with money is money itself."

"Then what do we do?" Wya asked anxiously. "Before His Highness came here, Duke Zayen was Jade City's highest ruler. In all of Jade City, those who do not secretly communicate with him are probably the minority."

"The first priority is to maintain stability and consolidate rule."

Paul pondered for a moment.

"Block the relevant news from the scene. Post notices to the outside, blaming the matter on foreigners causing trouble. Then arrest a few foreign criminals with prior records and tell the citizens that this was local traitors colluding with foreign forces, intending to sabotage Jade City, such as the barbarians of Eckstedt or the pirates of Karkal. If that still does not work, say it was a certain great country across the sea..."

"Really? Foreign forces?" Morgan, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke with sarcasm in his words.

Paul was somewhat surprised, but still answered in a deep voice:

"This matter was deliberately caused by someone. That is the truth to begin with. We would only be slightly adjusting the wording. At least it can draw attention away and calm outside doubts toward His Highness..."

"Before the Bloody Year," Morgan sneered and interrupted him, "those damned nobles of Blade Fief posted notices and gave speeches every day, saying that the rebels at the border were just bandits, a small handful of villains, funded by foreigners hostile to the kingdom, bewitched and incited. They said there was no such thing as vassal lords extorting and overtaxing the people, no such thing as noble masters grinding flesh from bone, and certainly no such thing as people's dissatisfaction and complaints. 'Under King Aydi's rule, the people live in peace and the court is clear, and petty scoundrels in the shadows have nowhere to hide'..."

Morgan looked at him with contempt.

"Hmph. Back and forth, whatever those above said and taught, those below praised and coaxed along with. One played the fool, the other played along. They said it so much that they even believed it themselves."

Paul was left speechless and closed his mouth.

"Until one day, the great figures drunk on luxury in Bloodgate Palace turned around and found rebels everywhere in every direction, each of them so hungry their eyes were red, gripping bloody pitchforks and wishing they could skin the nobles and pull apart their bones."

Everyone in the group was quite surprised. It was the first time they had seen Morgan speak this much.

"This rotten excuse of foreign forces is fine if you use it a few times at critical moments," Morgan stared fixedly at the distant sky, his gaze full of hatred. "Use it too often, rely on it every time, and it loses all force."

"Even if it is true, no one will believe it anymore."

When his words fell, the entire group fell silent.