Chapter 772: Those With Intentions

"Excuse me, how do I get to Ancestor Rock? The huge stone engraved with many names... Thank you. If I remember correctly, the main palace is also in that direction, yes?"

Federico Covendier politely and humbly asked the trembling maid before him. Under the suspicious eyes of the guards, he thanked her for pointing the way and turned from the outer castle courtyard toward Ancestor Rock.

It has been too long.

Federico told himself.

His steps were steady, his expression calm, and he nodded indifferently to the guards and servants he met along the way.

He had been away from Renaissance Palace for too long.

It was time to return.

Federico's steps paused, and he slowly raised his head. The magnificent Ancestor Rock of the Iris family appeared before him.

Behind him, Messenger Trifanov and Punishment Officer Kapon, assigned by the prince to "protect" him, also stopped. They were silent and low-key, yet never left his side.

Fed's gaze swept over one name after another carved on the rock, names that had once shone in history, and finally stopped at the upper left corner, on two names he knew all too well, one higher and one lower, one larger and one smaller.

Lenster Kosa Fabricio Covendier.

Uncle Lenster's name was above, large and silver-plated to display his ducal status.

Sonar Matteo Fabricio Covendier.

His father Sonar's name was attached below it, slightly smaller, as the family's ministerial aide.

Federico's gaze was somewhat lost.

Kosa and Matteo, he looked at Lenster and Sonar's middle names.

Of course.

Federico raised his eyes and found, among earlier names on the rock, those virtuous brothers in Covendier family history:

The eleventh Duke of the South Bank, "Stubborn Rock" Kosa Covendier.

The lord of Windbell Town, "Whale-Hunter" Matteo Covendier.

In the mad years of the kingdom's "confrontation of twin stars," although these brothers stood on different sides, leaning respectively toward the Dusk Party and Dawn Party, they still held fast to the family, kept brotherhood in their hearts, remained loyal to each other, and supported one another.

Even when surrounded and cut off from all news, even when falling into enemy hands and suffering every torment, even when forced more than once into desperate straits by the extreme positions of the Dawn and Dusk parties, these brothers never betrayed each other.

Especially the younger brother Matteo, who would rather go willingly to his death than allow the Iris family to split, protecting Jade City and the South Bank through calamity, and becoming a model for later generations of the Covendier family.

Thus, many years ago, "Ram-Horn Duke" Cork chose this pair of middle names for his eldest two grandsons, the brothers Lenster and Sonar. His intention was obvious.

Kosa and Matteo.

Federico turned his head and looked to Uncle Lenster's right, at the newest and loneliest silver-plated name on the great rock:

Zayen Kosa Lenster Covendier.

Federico was expressionless as he imagined that one day, his own smaller name would be carved beneath it:

Federico Matteo Sonar Covendier.

Yes. Many years later, Lenster and Sonar, who had long since become duke and viscount, also gave their own sons, the cousins Zayen and Federico, the same middle names.

Kosa, and Matteo.

And yet, whether Uncle Lenster and his father, or Zayen and he, Fed, had their two generations truly fulfilled Ram-Horn Duke's hopes?

If they could not...

Federico stood for a while, his expression complex, until the Star Lake Guards behind him urged him on. Only then did he begin walking again.

No.

He reached his conclusion. If they could not...

Then cutting off the wrist to save the body was inevitable.

Even alone, one must still go forward without turning back.

"You came early."

The voice from above woke Federico.

The highest-ranking and most powerful noble in Emerald Palace, the Duke of Star Lake, the Second Prince, the kingdom's heir, Thales Jadestar, was standing on the stone steps above with his hands behind his back, examining the Ancestor Rock of the Covendiers.

Clearly, he had not come early enough.

He was even somewhat late.

Federico said silently.

"Your Highness, how have I earned the honor of troubling you to come so far to greet me?" He bowed respectfully.

Thales lowered his head. His deep gaze circled Federico, then he nodded.

"Come up."

Here it came.

Federico straightened his clothing and walked upward around the great rock, only to be stopped by the Star Lake Guard before the prince.

"Young Master Federico, please forgive us."

"Of course. I understand." Fed smiled faintly, raised his hands, and cooperated with the guard before him as he was searched.

"No need, Toledo. I trust him." Prince Thales's words arrived at the proper time.

"Of course, Your Highness." The guard named Toledo stepped back and showed Federico an apologetic smile. "Forgive the offense."

"No need to mind." Fed shook his head and responded with an understanding smile. "My honor."

Just like that, accompanied by the two Star Lake Guards behind him, he slowly walked toward Prince Thales.

He could originally have skipped the formalities and reached the prince directly.

Federico listened to his own inner voice:

But a guard would certainly come forward to stop him and indicate a search.

He had to show proper courtesy and cooperation, displaying obedience.

The prince would also certainly speak to stop it, showing trust.

The guard would certainly obey and step back, expressing apology.

And he would certainly smile in response, showing gratitude and honor.

Only then, after going through the process of search, obedience, no search, obeying orders, and thanks, could he truly step forward and arrive beside the prince.

Federico stopped beside the prince and looked up at Ancestor Rock together with him.

Prince Thales showed neither joy nor anger. He merely waved, signaling the Star Lake Guard and palace guards to stand farther away and leave private space for the two of them.

In this process, every step seemed unnecessary. If the prince did not need it, why search? If rules required a search, why stop it? Since the prince stopped it, why apologize? Since there was no need to mind, why be grateful and honored?

But it was precisely the excess of every step...

That hinted at the necessity of the whole process.

And fully expressed the nameless power surging beneath it.

Some people, such as Lausanne the Second, a mere warrior living in the gray zone while still trying to distinguish the world's black and white, did not understand this reasoning. They always explained such processes as external appearances, such as "preventing evildoers," "avoiding danger to noble people," "necessary rules," and the like.

But he understood.

Federico silently stared at Ancestor Rock.

He had understood long ago, in the underground rooms of the blood-drinking monsters, in the cabin crossing the Sea of Eradication, even on the night his father died.

The existence of this process, like all other seemingly cumbersome and redundant etiquette, rules, and conventions, had extraordinary meaning in itself.

For example, once someone wanted to break this process...

"Your family's Ancestor Rock... I heard people say this place was haunted?"

Thales suddenly spoke, and what he said surprised Federico somewhat.

"Hau... who did Your Highness hear that from?"

"Forget it. Nothing."

Thales looked at the great rock full of carved names, then at Federico's astonished expression, and shook his head with complex thoughts.

Hilley had been lying again.

Thinking of what had happened to that girl, Thales's mood sank.

"Perfect timing. Walk with me. We will visit Hilley together." Thales began moving, climbing the steps around the great rock.

Federico's eyes moved, and he followed beside him.

"Hilley? What happened to her?"

"After returning to the palace, she fell gravely ill and remains unconscious. What exactly happened is still unclear, but I have a feeling: you and Zayen may know."

Under Thales's examining gaze, Federico was silent for a long while, but still shook his head.

"Please forgive this humble one for not understanding."

Thales nodded and climbed the steps, seeming completely unconcerned.

"Nothing much. Hilley was attacked, and Lausanne the Second was rescued, that is all."

"Attacked..."

Federico's expression shifted slightly.

"What, after Lausanne the Second escaped, he did not come find you? To get another murder list?"

"No. These past few days, this humble one has been in Emerald Palace, protected by the guards you dispatched," Fed answered very quickly. "Even if that killer escaped from Hilley's hands, it would not be easy for him to contact me. Of course, if Your Highness permits, I can first attempt to contact Lausanne the Second myself. Perhaps we can grasp relevant intel..."

"Have you contacted the kingdom's Secret Intelligence Department recently?" Thales interrupted him. "Or, would the kingdom's Secret Intelligence Department contact Lausanne the Second on its own?"

Federico paused slightly.

"No. Those people suspected to be from the Secret Intelligence Department have always contacted me through a single line, only me."

Federico said seriously:

"If Your Highness suspects I am connected to this matter, you may also send a team of royal experts with me out of the palace. It would be best to have the Jade Legion cooperate. I know several of that killer's hiding places. While it is daylight..."

Sorry, but at least in Jade City, around me, the royal family has no experts.

Thales silently observed him.

And...

He just sold Lausanne the Second out like that?

Or perhaps...

"If Your Highness still does not trust this humble one, you may use me as bait..."

"I trust you."

Federico froze.

"Yes, I just remembered." The prince regretfully patted his forehead, as if his memory were poor. "After Lausanne the Second escaped, a certain royal expert killed him with a 'heaven-shocking sword.' His corpse dried out, so he probably cannot go find you."

Federico choked at these words.

And with what he knew of that awkward killer, even if he were still alive, to him, Federico...

Thales snorted softly in his heart.

"So Lausanne the Second was dead already." Federico was silent for quite some time, his voice carrying a trace of resentment. "Your Highness's way of probing people is truly special."

Thales shrugged.

"Welcome to Star Lake Castle."

"Pardon?" Federico frowned again.

"I know." Thales sighed and patted his shoulder. "No need to thank me."

Federico spent some time adapting to the prince's seemingly casual and scattered chat, which nevertheless contained traps at every step. He took a deep breath.

"Where is Zayen? With such a major incident, and involving Hilley, what was his reaction?"

"We will know very soon. Supposedly, he stayed by his sister's bed and watched over her for an entire night without sleep."

"How sincere and moving," Federico snorted coldly. "If Hilley's disaster was not his fault."

Thales fell silent and did not respond to his sarcasm.

The two slowly climbed the steps. Federico raised his gaze and swept over name after name on Ancestor Rock.

"Fish-Keeper" Traure Covendier.

He was the brother-in-law and milk brother of the Far Sail King, the youngest son of the family who reversed fate to inherit, and also the actual commander of the great Borasco sea battle. One needed some historical knowledge to understand the horrifying meaning inside his nickname.

"Wave-Chasing Knight" Perry.

Born at sea, raised in adventure, diligent in expansion, and dead in the waves, this Covendier duke who once sailed to the end of the world was the oceanic pioneer who brought Hanbol bloodlines and Eastern financial routes, including Everlasting Oil, into the Iris family tree.

The family's history was full of outstanding figures.

Of course, not all of them were outstanding.

"So many names," Thales noticed Federico's gaze and could not help slowing his steps. "Are all the names carved on this great rock the past Guardian Dukes of the South Bank?"

"Only those inlaid with silver or pitch-crystal alloy are," Federico said. "Some ordinary inscriptions in smaller lettering are outstanding members of the family. Most are siblings of the same generation as a duke, engraved on the rock because of brilliant achievements or deep trust."

So that was it.

That meant on the great rock, he could even see women's names.

Of course, most of them were Supreme Queens. Thales caught sight of one name among them and instantly remembered her connection to the Jadestar family tree:

"Mute Queen" Cecilia.

As the wife of the Height-Seeking King, her nickname represented misfortune:

After the human tragedy of the Height-Seeking King sacrificing his son, this devout South Bank queen never again spoke a single word to her husband for the rest of her life.

After the Height-Seeking King died, she, as Queen Mother, simply moved into Star Lake Castle's monastery. Thales seemed to have seen her tombstone in the castle cemetery. He just did not know whether this queen mother's ashes were buried beneath it, or ultimately sent back to Renaissance Palace to be interred beside the Height-Seeking King.

Thinking to this point, Thales suddenly thought of Chapman Lampard, far away in Black Sand City, and the latter's mother, who had been born in Dragon Clouds City and killed herself because her two sons killed each other.

Because of her maternal family, she had forever lost one son and still had to face the other son, the murderer.

As a mother, how despairing must she have been then?

"Have you heard?" Thales spoke faintly. "A major event happened in Jade City."

"A major event?"

Federico looked at the inscriptions on the great rock.

"Does Your Highness mean the matter of Sunset Temple's Deputy Chief Priest Fable gathering worthies to enter the palace and meet Your Highness? Of course, this matter has spread throughout..."

"No. I mean the matter of your family's Ancestor Rock being haunted, and the 'Fatal Iris' manifesting at midnight to catch substitutes."

"Manifest... what?"

Federico was caught off guard. He stopped and looked at him in complete confusion.

Thales patiently waited for a while, until he discovered Federico was still looking bewildered and waiting for him to explain. Only then did he sigh heavily.

"Nonsense. Of course I mean the rotten matter of the deputy chief priest leading a crowd to force the palace. What else?"

The prince knocked on Ancestor Rock and shook his head helplessly.

"Shit, do you not have even a little sense of humor?"

Federico came back to himself and frowned deeply.

"Forgive this humble one's stupidity. I did not understand the joke..."

"Laugh, Fed You have to laugh."

Thales, whose humor had failed, sighed and lowered his head as he climbed.

"Life is already heavy enough."

One had to laugh to make it a little lighter.

Federico only managed to digest the Second Prince's terrible sense of humor after some effort. He forced a smile and quickly followed.

Why was this prince...

Talking so much nonsense today?

Was it because...

The pressure was too great?

"Then, regarding the deputy chief priest's audience later... they will certainly press for the truth about Priest Chadwi's assassination and demand that Emerald Palace give an explanation." Federico's eyes moved. "Has Your Highness thought of how to respond?"

Thales's smile instantly vanished.

"Do you have any suggestions?" Thales said sarcastically in passing. "Why do we not tie up Zayen and bring him over, doing the noble arbitration together with it: 'Here, this fellow did the case, and by the way, he also killed the old duke. Let us hang him and be done.' Would that work?"

It would work very well.

Federico said silently.

If this prince could truly do it.

Unfortunately, he could not say that.

On the contrary, he had to cautiously tame the nameless power hidden behind this prince.

"This humble one speaks boldly: this matter is no coincidence."

Thales gave a perfunctory mm to show he was listening.

"Your Highness had just reached a compromise with Zayen and me and pacified the whole city when Hilley's friend was attacked. Then Hilley herself was attacked and met with trouble. Now even Sunset Temple is personally entering the scene, its spear pointed directly at Your Highness." Federico analyzed, "Those with intentions are using the temple to come forward and incite the hearts of the whole city, while secretly aiming at Hilley to provoke the alliance the three of us reached."

"Good. I am glad to see you no longer insist on saying, 'This must be Zayen's doing, Your Highness, hurry up and destroy him.'" Thales was somewhat listless.

"But the consequences are just as serious." Federico remained composed and calm, ignoring the prince's sarcasm. "Your Highness went to great effort to force Zayen and me into compromise, precisely to stabilize people's hearts and give Jade City another breath of life. Now all that work is on the verge of being wasted."

Thales's mood sank.

"Once this case appears, all sides will inevitably be startled and uncertain. The Queen's City will again be filled with panic. No matter who the mastermind behind it is or what their purpose may be, since even the detached Sunset Temple has suffered, who will be the next scapegoat unlucky enough to be dragged in? Whose business? Whose estate? Whose life, wealth, and status?"

Federico looked at the names on Ancestor Rock from different eras and said with emotion:

"When will great figures fighting for power ever come to an end?"

Thales's steps paused.

"When will it ever come to an end..."

Thales said faintly:

"I truly did not expect to hear those words from your mouth, Scarlet Iris."

Hearing this new nickname he had gained among the people, Federico's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

Thales's gaze swept over a name on the rock:

"Parrot Duke" Federico.

To repay the trust and grace of the Wise Ruler, this namesake of Emerald Palace and his three disappointing children worked diligently, but unfortunately, ill-timed fortune and one careless move nearly caused the entire Jade City to vanish in ashes overnight, countless commoners' families destroyed.

As the price, Parrot Duke was almost forced to die in apology and eventually abdicated in gloom, living secluded deep in the palace and dying depressed.

Of course, the Covendiers' inheritance was long. It was impossible for every generation to be outstanding.

More people were in truth only of middling talent.

Doing their best.

"Tell me, when you set out from the Eastern Continent to return home for revenge and seize position, did you think about the cost of this journey?"

Thales looked at this Federico's name on the great rock, his feelings stirred.

"I mean the cost that the whole of Jade City and even the South Bank Territory would have to pay."

Federico's expression instantly darkened.

Cost?

Perhaps he should ask the unjustly dead from eleven years ago, those purged, persecuted, and silenced by Zayen and his party, including his father.

Why did no one dare question the new duke then: what cost had Jade City paid?

"Do not misunderstand. I only spoke from feeling."

Thales turned back and saw his expression, then smiled to ease things.

"We racked our brains, negotiated, mediated, and finally balanced interests and calmed the situation. Yet in the end, there are still 'those with intentions' who cannot bear to see Jade City steady."

Federico took a deep breath.

"Your Highness..."

"The history of Star has never lacked blood."

Thales thought of the sky-splitting earth-shattering Night of Dragon Blood, of his desperate flight and all-or-nothing gamble that day, of the Shield District of Dragon Clouds City, completely destroyed, and could not help feeling sorrow.

"Tell me, for some people, are these rare days of peace truly worth nothing?"

Federico was silent for a long while. His gaze also fixed on the name of Parrot Duke on the rock.

"Perhaps it is not that they cannot bear to see Jade City steady," Fed said faintly. "Only that they cannot bear to see Jade City steady 'like this.'"

"Oh?"

Thales chewed over his words and stopped.

"You mean the current sort of 'stability' that the three of us created through mutual concessions and collective compromise has displeased certain 'people with intentions'?"

Federico's gaze sharpened.

"Precisely. Therefore, when Deputy Chief Priest Fable brings people to audience later, Your Highness should, in the face of the whole city's expectations, respond directly and impartially, set out interests and reason, and deter the villains behind the scenes."

Thales frowned.

Villains behind the scenes.

He feared they were not that small.

"Your Highness may take the chance to tell the whole city: it is not that you do not want stability, but that 'people with intentions' are endless and unwilling to have stability."

Thales gave a soft snort and continued climbing the steps.

"People with intentions... very good. Is it you, or Zayen? Or simply myself?"

"None of us," Federico calmly replied. "But there will always be someone who is. There will always be someone who 'must' be."

Thales abruptly raised his head.

"You must know, no matter how well the three of us put on a posture of laughing and chatting, declaring that the matter has been peacefully resolved and implying that no one will be reckoned with, there will always be people in Jade City who are unwilling and unreconciled."

Federico's deliberately tilted emphasis made Thales glance sideways.

"Because anyone with eyes can see: after this matter, Jade City and even the South Bank Territory will inevitably welcome a great change."

Great change...

"Not great change," Thales said somewhat unnaturally as he thought of the conditions he had negotiated with the two Covendiers. "At most... small change."

Only the addition of a viscount and several reforms.

If it were truly great change...

Then he would not even need to bother with the three-way compromise. He could simply accuse Zayen of murdering his father, shove him headfirst into a toilet, and flush him away. Would that not be perfect?

Except that in all likelihood, the Covendiers and even Jade City would have to be buried with him.

Incidentally splashing him, perhaps even the kingdom, with blood.

Perhaps.

The voice in Thales's heart considered:

Perhaps that was exactly what those with intentions thought.

Especially those who felt that peaceful days, compared with their purposes and interests, were worthless.

"Of course," Federico immediately adjusted his words and tone according to the prince's statement. "And in this 'small change,' those first to suffer the heaviest losses are undoubtedly the beneficiaries who previously relied on established advantages to earn heavily from Jade City and eat until their bowls and basins overflowed."

Beneficiaries who previously relied on Jade City to earn heavily and eat until their bowls and basins overflowed?

Was that not...

Hm?

Thales suddenly sensed something wrong and stopped to look at him.

"Therefore, these people joined together, using conspiracy to incite the people. For example, sending an assassin to make trouble at the temple, and for example, attempting to harm the duke's sister, shaking Your Highness's prestige and sowing division among the three of us, fearing nothing more than Jade City not falling into chaos."

Federico spoke slowly, word by word:

"And they will pay the price."

Thales could not help looking at him in surprise.

"This is the answer the deputy chief priest and the others will receive: Your Highness will respond with thunder, killing the chicken to warn the monkeys."

This Federico...

Could he perhaps have Arunde blood?

"I spoke too soon." Thales frowned and clicked his tongue, his feelings complex. "You are no longer eager to use the opportunity to kill Zayen. On the contrary, you are thinking of how to remove his power base and kill his supporters."

That was digging up Zayen's roots.

"Your Highness overstates it. This humble one absolutely dares not accept that."

"You dare not accept it, yet dare say it?"

Federico was silent for quite a while.

"I cannot deny that doing this benefits me, nor do I deny that I may carry selfish motives when offering advice."

"But if Jade City's future truly follows Your Highness's expectations, governed by Zayen after the 'small change,' while this humble one supervises from the side," Federico's words turned. "Then some matters must be planned before the rain comes, especially before Your Highness returns in glory, the triangle loses one corner, and Jade City falls out of balance once more."

Thales could not help thinking of the barber Balta's words:

"...Only after calamity truly arrives, destroys, ruins, reshapes, and forces everyone on this land, especially those who benefited most from Jade City's rise, to change again and reach balance again... only then can Jade City's problem be considered truly solved."

"Before that, all rescue measures are merely carrying firewood to put out a fire, not only futile, but self-righteous."

"Do you know what that means for Jade City?"

Thales's expression was grave.

"Do you know that to reach compromise, I used threats and benefits and finally managed to pull in and appease all of them, especially Zayen's supporters, from top to bottom..."

"So this is when Zayen becomes useful and displays his ability," Federico said coldly. "If I remember correctly, among the three who clasped hands and swore alliance, he was one as well."

Thales raised his head and looked at him in disbelief.

"His sister is injured and bedridden," Thales sighed. "I thought you could at least spare your cousin for one day."

"Precisely because of that, he may compromise for his sister. The earlier he accepts, the safer Hilley will be."

Thales's steps paused.

With hands behind his back, he raised his head and looked at the names on the rock, recalling what he had learned in history lessons:

"Dry Fish" Turnbull, deeply suspicious, ambitious, dazzling in his early years but proud of his achievements and trapped by his own schemes. He was manipulated by Iron-Thorn Queen Mother for his entire life and ultimately died in a foolish and ridiculous internal conflict.

"Eternal Queen" Priscilla, the widow of the Regretful King, a legendary woman who carried the king's posthumous child into the royal family's "blood debt conflict." She first married the Regretful King for family interests, later remarried the "creditor" for the safety of her young son, and finally married the "Surviving King" for the kingdom's greater situation.

People of the time had a saying: "Kings may change, but the queen remains." Enduring humiliation and shouldering burdens, crowned queen three times, she had not so much married kings as married the kingdom itself.

Of course, in the writings of bards and novelists, the friendship, grudges, sister-in-law conflicts, and even hidden affections between Priscilla and Princess Iris, who married into Jade City, were undoubtedly more eye-catching. Some later works starring the two of them could not even be publicly distributed.

"Golden Duke" Ballard, as Eternal Queen's younger brother, lived under his sister's protection. Though he was a son-in-law of the royal family, he failed to understand the situation, first offending Erica the North-Conqueror and later angering the Red King. As he was brought to the execution platform, he finally received pardon from the newly crowned Wise Ruler and escaped death, but from then on lost his mind.

As for why he had that nickname, one explanation was that when he was young, Jade City unearthed pitch-crystal mines and became wealthy enough to rival a kingdom. Another explanation was that when the Royal Guards dragged him onto the execution platform and the punishment officer read out his crimes, in full view of everyone...

He lost control of his bladder.

"So this is your proposal? Find a political enemy to be the unlucky scapegoat and kill the chicken to warn the monkeys? You think this will satisfy that Sunset deputy chief priest coming to demand accountability? That the panicked Jade City will feel at ease?" Thales's brow was tightly locked.

"Before the great trend, whether they are satisfied or at ease is already secondary. What is truly important," Federico said coldly, "is that only this way can the 'people with intentions' possibly be satisfied."

In that instant, Thales felt as if a basin of ice water had been poured over his head.

He resisted the urge to clutch the bone ring in his pocket.

"Federico, you truly have no channel to contact the kingdom's Secret Intelligence Department?"

Thales said softly:

"Even if they contact you through a single line?"

"This humble one swears on my father's honor: I have not communicated with them for many days, and in this matter I have absolutely no involvement."

Thales raised his gaze.

"You are certain?"

"Yes."

Federico was decisive.

"But it is not only this humble one who must be certain. Your Highness must also be certain. You must be certain, and can only be certain in this way. Even Jade City must be certain."

The Bloody Iris slowly raised his head.

"Behind the temple assassination case, and even behind the matter of Hilley's attack that has not yet spread, the masterminds are Zayen's supporters. They can only be Zayen's supporters. They must be Zayen's supporters."

What an enormous pot.

Thales said in a low voice:

"Even if they actually... are not?"

"I know Your Highness has superb methods and disdains slander and framing, so I have also thought of a path that satisfies both sides."

"Oh?" Thales's eyes lit up.

"As long as the masterminds first 'are' them," Federico said in an orderly way, "then whether they truly 'are' the masterminds, and which of them 'is' the mastermind, can all be decided flexibly and judged freely by Your Highness afterward."

Federico deliberately emphasized the final words, making Thales's brow jump.

"At present, Your Highness only needs to display posture. The specific damage and targets are controllable," Federico said with full confidence. "I believe that in the face of great calamity, as long as the situation is explained thoroughly, whether among Jade City's old men or Zayen's supporters, there is no lack of clever people. As for those who are not clever, I also believe that with Your Highness's exquisite, all-sided methods in mediating between Zayen and me, you will certainly be able to control future damage within an acceptable range."

Thales's eyes moved.

"You mean..."

As if he still felt it was not enough, Fed leaned a step closer and lowered his voice.

"And I heard that while you were running about mediating, whether Karabeyan of Walla Territory, Lassia of the Marshlands, or whatever other dogs and cats, all showed much disrespect to you, even obeying in public while defying in private. I think that is because you have only just arrived and disdain using your identity to pressure others, so for the moment you lack leverage to seize and subdue them and fully control Jade City and even the South Bank Territory. 'For the moment.'"

After hearing this whole string of words, Thales could not help turning his head to stare at Federico again.

He recognized one point once more:

The thin, refined man before him was a true and genuine Covendier by blood.

"Moreover, Your Highness, do not forget why we came, or what 'people with intentions' can do," Federico said with deep concern. "I know Your Highness has other ideas, but at present only this, seeking the straight through the crooked and displaying attitude and position, can prevent similar accidents from occurring again, and only then can your plan to mediate the situation and lower Jade City's price have hope of being achieved."

Thales sank into thought at these words.

Why had they come?

"Depose the duke. Destroy Zayen."

"But what if doing this is useless?"

The prince stepped forward, and Federico followed in orderly fashion.

"This is still better than doing nothing..."

"You think that if people with intentions are willing to create something like this, aim at Hilley, make trouble at the temple, and even kill or injure my subordinates," Thales abruptly raised his head, "they will continue allowing us to maintain the original plan and the 'triangular balance' where you and Zayen coexist?"

Thales stared at Federico until the latter politely avoided his gaze.

"Fed, do you truly not know what they want, what they will bring, and what price they are willing to pay?"

Or perhaps he knew.

The voice in Thales's heart sighed.

Perhaps he simply did not care.

Perhaps he wanted to watch the alliance fracture and balance collapse under outside force.

Federico lowered his head and was silent for a long time.

When he raised his head again, his enunciation was cold.

"I know what Your Highness suspects, and I understand what Your Highness worries about. I also know what Your Highness is cautious of, and can even faintly guess what Your Highness is hesitating over, dissatisfied with, and even angry about."

Thales clenched his fist.

"I am very calm. I am not angry."

There were others who were not calm in the face of the situation.

"But Thales," this rebellious Covendier son, exiled for many years, said the prince's name directly with rare and discourteous firmness, "whether you or I, only when we first hold weapons and possess leverage are we qualified to speak of resistance."

But Thales frowned.

"By that logic, people with empty hands are not qualified to resist and deserve to suffer in silence?"

"Precisely because their hands are empty, they must seek weapons," Federico calmly refuted him. "Otherwise, even if they resist, they can only leave behind a failure for others to mock."

Especially when overwhelming power presses down and there is no room to breathe.

"You mean resistance only has meaning when one can win?"

"I did not say that. But indeed, only when water arrives can the channel form." Federico's emotion was sincere, his wording obscure. "Especially when time and the future both stand on your side."

Thales's brow remained tightly furrowed for a long time.

"I know these words will disappoint you," Federico said faintly. "But Your Highness, perhaps it is time for you to make a choice..."

Choice.

What choice?

Thales did not answer. He only turned to look at the other side of the great rock, wanting to escape the suffocating pressure before him.

At that moment, the prince's steps stopped.

He suddenly realized that, without noticing, they had already walked to the center of the great rock.

Upward was the main palace.

Downward was the outer castle.

And at the center of Ancestor Rock, a huge name impossible to ignore was carved upon it.

"Only he is carved here?"

Thales suddenly spoke, interrupting Fed

"The first Duke Lenster had no brothers or sisters?"

Federico turned his head and looked at the name in the center of the great rock, his eyes changing slightly.

Lenster Peritius Trentz Covendier.

The Fatal Iris.

The legendary first Guardian Duke of the South Bank.

A former minister of the Final Empire, the last secret agent of the Secret Army, a participant in the Battle of Eradication, the shadow strategist of the Renaissance King, the founder of the kingdom's Secret Intelligence Department, and the creator of the Covendier family's foundation.

Clearly, his name had remained on the great rock for too long. Even pitch-crystal alloy had faded and blackened, requiring skilled craftsmen to repair it regularly.

"He did," Federico said faintly.

After all, like many ancient surnames passed down to the present, Covendier had another spelling during the Empire era: Clevindios.

"But clearly, none among them entered the eyes of the First Ancestor and his descendants enough to qualify to have their names carved in stone."

"So the Fatal Iris stays here alone," Thales said with emotion. "A little lonely."

"Not necessarily."

Thales turned back.

"In that era when heaven and earth overturned, compared with blood relatives of the same surname, to the First Ancestor, the Renaissance King and the other five comrades were perhaps more like true brothers and sisters."

Federico spoke with implication:

"The Kingdom of Star was the family they all belonged to, the thing that made them no longer lonely."

Thales was silent for a while, then smiled.

"You know, the Jadestar tomb beneath Renaissance Palace is also very interesting. Beside every past king's ash urn are the ash jars of their closest relatives, except the Renaissance King."

The Duke of Star Lake sighed.

"He was not cremated, but lies alone in a coffin according to ancient imperial funeral rites. What accompanies him is probably only a seven-star crown, perhaps plus two gold coins over his eyes."

All alone.

That was not strange.

After all, Tomond I's half-siblings, those brothers and sisters who shared the orthodox imperial blood, including the final crown prince, had probably all been buried beneath the sea together with the Final Empire's imperial capital.

And the Renaissance King, as a "bastard," the only thing he inherited from his emperor father, who "possessed the wealth of seven seas and ruled all stars under heaven," was...

Only the seven stars in the sky.

"And the kingdom."

"Hm?" Thales turned his gaze.

"Like the first ancestor Lenster, His Majesty the Renaissance King was not alone," Federico looked at his first ancestor's name, his gaze firm. "When he closed his eyes and slept forever, what surrounded and accompanied him in the long night was the great kingdom he established through endless hardship, exhausting his heart and overcoming every difficulty..."

He looked toward Thales.

"...It is today, which belongs to you and me, and to the countless commoners of Star."

That was not accompaniment. That was burial accompaniment.

Thales forcefully held back this untimely retort.

"I do not know why, Fed, but I feel you are somewhat different from usual today." He quickened his steps and continued climbing with Federico. "Has the situation changed?"

Federico's gaze focused.

"Yes. After that day, especially after negotiating with Your Highness and Zayen, I thought all night and did indeed understand one thing."

"Which is?"

"Taking the temple assassination case as the example, no matter who did it and why, we need not and cannot dwell on it any longer."

Federico stared steadily at Thales.

"Since the matter has already occurred, we must follow the current and continue along it, respond to moves as they come, dissolve its risks, and seize its opportunities."

Thales kept walking, silent for a while.

"You are certain you have not contacted the kingdom's Secret Intelligence Department?"

"I have sworn."

"Then Your Highness, if you are truly troubled by this," Federico said in a low voice, "why not write directly to Eternal Star City and seek... an opinion?"

Thales tightened his fist and raised his head again.

"Ah, I recognize this one."

Thales frowned at a new name appearing on the great rock.

"'Wild Boar' Cork. He once dominated court and country, raised troops in rebellion, forced the Eight-Finger King to bow his head and admit fault, supposedly even slapped Hayman I hard, yet still lived out his life peacefully and died of old age."

Federico nodded.

"Yes. But Duke Cork's peaceful end was not without reason..."

But beneath Duke Cork's silver-plated name, Thales unsurprisingly saw a female name:

Regina Covendier.

The Emerald Queen.

The protagonist of chapter six of Records of the Emerald Mystery City.

"...He appeared stubborn and barbaric, but in truth was flexible, accustomed to reading the wind, and knew when to stop. The fact that he successfully married his daughter to Prince Hayman alone..." Federico was still speaking.

But Thales was somewhat distracted.

Regina.

This female ancestor from who knew how many generations ago, how exactly had she done it?

How had she, with a weaker body, stepped onto the stage, entered the game, moved the pieces, opposed her family, cooperated with sworn enemies, resisted the darkest and deepest desires and ambitions in the hearts of those in power, mediated every side, helped millions in the kingdom dissolve war, and created peace?

And behind that legendary story, what price had she paid to accomplish all of it?

Thales continued forward and soon saw another name he had once read in books:

"Ram-Horn Duke" Cork.

Supposedly, this duke was indecisive, fickle, addicted to material pleasures, and fond of enjoyment. Yet his subordinates were full of talent, and he often encountered benefactors throughout his life, especially his aunt, the even more famous old woman Mera. As a result, scholars across generations argued endlessly:

How had such a muddled and mediocre ruler, the sort who would be eaten clean in chaotic times, somehow and inexplicably laid the foundation for today's wealthy, strong, peaceful Jade City?

"You know, I sometimes think: a family's descendants continue without end, but there is only one Ancestor Rock."

Thales suddenly spoke, interrupting Fed with emotion.

"If one day this great rock is filled with names, then what should happen next?"

Federico's words stopped.

He looked deeply at Thales, then toward the great ancestral rock full of names before them.

"Please look, Your Highness. That is Matteo Covendier, the fourth Duke of the South Bank."

Federico pointed diagonally upward.

"As Black-Eyed John's son-in-law, during the Battle of Eradication, especially on the South Bank tidal flats after the Great Split and Sinking, he opened wasteland and built castles, established towns and cities, expanded territory. Later generations called him 'Sea-Archer.' He is the one who truly laid down the South Bank Territory's basic map."

Sea-Archer.

Thales's thoughts moved.

"Like everyone else," Federico said faintly. "Once it is full, find a new rock."

Continue carving names.

"What if it never fills?" Thales said with emotion.

"Forgive me?" Federico could not help freezing.

Thales sighed.

"The world is impermanent. Dynasties rise and fall. Forget whether your family's Ancestor Rock can be filled. Even the Jadestar tomb beneath Renaissance Palace may not wait until the day it is filled by the family's ash urns."

He did not know about anything else, but as for the coffins of the empire's emperors, they were in the sea anyway.

Thales curled his lip.

Perhaps...

Perhaps only the merfolk living at the bottom of the sea could still see them.

"That is reasonable as well... but at this moment, Zayen is the one in power over the family." Federico narrowed his eyes, speaking with implication. "What to do if Ancestor Rock is filled, or what to do if it is not filled, are questions only he is qualified to worry about."

Thales was silent for a long time.

Whether Zayen would worry about Ancestor Rock being filled, they might not know.

But clearly, when they arrived at Hilley's bedroom, the current Guardian Duke of the South Bank had other troubles to worry about.

"Thales. Cousin. You have finally come..."

Thales and Federico stood at the bedroom door, their feelings complex as they looked at Hilley lying on the bed, still unconscious.

Before her bed, Zayen Covendier stood, his voice hoarse.

The instant they saw him clearly, Thales and Federico froze together in disbelief.

"Zayen, you..."

"Cousin..."

The once high-spirited young duke now had sunken eyes, a withered appearance, a scruffy beard, and was so haggard he looked like a skeleton.

"I imagine you have already discussed..."

Zayen looked at them through bloodshot eyes and gave a miserable laugh like a broken bellows.

"How to sell me out?"

-----

Sebastian IX held a banquet in the Supreme Palace. Wine flowed, music played, host and guests all rejoiced.

At that time, an illegitimate son entered for audience, his conduct lacking measure, and the crown prince led him in.

The emperor was angered and questioned his name. He said it was Tomond, that his mother had fallen guilty and died of illness, and that he dared to report this to his father, seeking pardon for her burial.

The emperor was drunk, clapped his hands, and laughed:

"Though I possess the wealth of seven seas and rule all stars under heaven, I have nothing to leave to a low-born bastard son. In consideration of your mother's slight labor, I grant you the seven stars in the sky. Now go! Take care not to falsely speak of imperial descent and stain my imperial blood."

Those on the left and right all laughed, and the banquet continued as before.

The illegitimate son defied them and advanced presumptuously, and the whole gathering was thrown into uproar. Guards entered the hall. Only the crown prince spoke gently and dismissed the weapons.

The next day, the emperor rose and heard that the bastard son had fled during the night. At the time, people called him the "Seven-Star Imperial Son."

The emperor was furious and executed more than a hundred palace servants, jailers, and guards, then searched the imperial capital region widely, but found nothing.

At court, some remonstrated. He did not accept it. They remonstrated again and were punished.

He sent diviners and shamans to perform rites, and the prophecy said:

"The bastard son carries seven stars. He may join rebels. If not taken, he will become a worry."

Thereupon, he dispatched the Secret Army to search the whole realm.

The orders reached the North, Shawen, and Greenheart. The bastard son's traces appeared, but the villagers of the three provinces competed to hide and shelter him, and he could not be found.

Not long after, the matter leaked. The villagers were exterminated by clan, and the river ran red for several miles.

The three provinces then joined the rebels.

The emperor fell ill from worry and said:

"So it is true! I regret not recognizing this beast at first. Why did I give him the seven stars?"

Excerpt from Ludwich Anlosous Unailopes, Biographies of the Emperors of the Final Empire: The Last Emperor, Thirteen.