"Bang, bang, bang..."
"Damn it, you actually dare to disobey orders! Fucker... Bang, bang, bang..."
A flurry of smashing sounds rang out, accompanied by the furious roaring of the First Prince, Lucia.
The knights guarding the doors outside the hall trembled with fear, terrified that the First Prince would charge out and take his temper out on them.
The knights all knew that ever since Grand Duke Kerrac betrayed the First Prince, his temper had become increasingly erratic. This was especially true after Lucy was rescued and the political marriage alliance with the Minister of Internal Affairs, Grand Duke Porken, fell through. Ultimately, these events had caused the First Prince's ascension to the throne to be delayed time and time again.
The current situation in the royal capital was a four-way standoff. The First Prince represented the most powerful faction, while the other three Grand Dukes each harbored their own ulterior motives.
The First Prince commanded an order of knights equivalent to that of two Grand Dukes combined, perhaps even more. If it weren't for the fear that the three Grand Dukes might unite against him, the First Prince would have forcefully purged them long ago.
In reality, with Catherine rescued and Grand Duke Kerrac's marriage alliance with Grand Knight Benson ruined, all parties were now highly wary of each other, simply waiting to see who would break the stalemate first.
Tap, tap, tap...
Deacon Number Three strode over, his face shrouded in dark coldness.
The Luminous Creed's expansion plans had completely stalled. They couldn't reach their hands into the territories controlled by the three Grand Duke factions at all. Only the First Prince's side had permitted them to open churches, but this was far from their ideal goal of dominating the entire Siacan Kingdom.
"My Lord, His Highness has ordered that no one is to enter and disturb him," A knight spoke up.
"Step aside. I have important matters to report," Deacon Number Three said, his face cold.
"But..." The knight didn't dare to give way; the First Prince was fully capable of killing him.
"Let him in," Lucia's deep voice drifted out from inside.
"Yes!" The knight stepped aside and pushed open the door, keeping his head bowed.
Tap, tap, tap...
Deacon Number Three strode in and casually closed the door behind him. The main hall was an absolute mess. Even the tables had been overturned, and numerous wine bottles littered the floor, a clear testament to just how furious Lucia was.
How could he not be furious? Lucia's plans were in complete disarray. His path to the throne was supposed to be perfectly smooth, only to be entirely derailed by a single slip of paper. Now, having no other options, all he could do was drink and vent his frustrations.
"Your Highness, it would be best if you drank a little less," Deacon Number Three said flatly.
"Speak. What is it?" Lucia demanded coldly.
"Your Highness, the Fourth Prince has been captured," Deacon Number Three said, bowing slightly.
"That guy Liam? What happened?" Lucia roused slightly from his stupor. That guy wasn't weak. Very few people had the ability to capture him—at the very least, it would have to be someone within the royal capital, or the Second Prince in the East.
"He was captured by Lucas of Sedona City," Deacon Number Three said with a dark expression.
"Lucas?" Lucia frowned, puzzled. "That name sounds a bit familiar."
"He is the source where Dahlia previously acquired her goods; the creator of the perfume," Deacon Number Three reminded him.
"Oh, I remember now." Lucia suddenly realized. He had previously dispatched men to Sedona City to seize the perfume recipe. Thinking about it now, it seemed those men still hadn't returned.
Piquing a trace of interest, he asked, "How did this Lucas capture Liam?"
"Lucas possesses a thousand knights who are excellently equipped, and he also utilizes incredibly powerful bows and arrows. He launched a surprise attack on Liberty City, where the Fourth Prince was stationed, breached the city gates overnight, and captured the Fourth Prince and all his people," Deacon Number Three summarized.
This intelligence had been relayed back by spies hidden within Liberty City.
"How is it possible to take Liberty City in a single night?" Lucia didn't believe it. He knew exactly what kind of defenses Liberty City had; even if he were to attack it himself, it would take a day or two to conquer.
"Your Highness, speaking of this Lucas, he actually has some connection to you as well," Deacon Number Three said quietly.
"What connection?" Lucia frowned, suppressing his impatience. He hated it most when people left things half-said.
"The disappearance of Princess Lucy, as well as the notes scattered in the city, are all related to him," Deacon Number Three stated coldly.
"What?" Lucia's eyes widened before his face darkened completely. "What's going on? Are you saying his people have already infiltrated my royal palace?"
"Lucas's Sedona City houses many beastkin, among which are birdkin. And the key to breaching Liberty City was the birdkin opening the city gates from the inside," Deacon Number Three said in a deep voice.
He hated Lucas too. If it hadn't been for Lucas's interference, the Luminous Creed would have already expanded its reach into the Western Lands by now…
"Are you saying... These notes and Lucy's disappearance were the work of birdkin?" Lucia asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Yes," Deacon Number Three affirmed.
"Fucking bastard! To actually dare extend his reach into the royal capital!" Lucia roared, his voice dripping with killing intent.
He had previously been utterly baffled as to how Lucy could just suddenly vanish without even a shadow of the enemy being seen. Now, factoring the birdkin into the equation, it made perfect sense.
"Your Highness, this is also an opportunity. I heard that Kerrac's daughter, Catherine, was also rescued by operatives sent by Lucas. You can issue Kerrac an order, commanding him to lead an expedition to subjugate this Lucas," Deacon Number Three smoothly suggested.
"He won't leave." Lucia thought for a moment and countered, "That old geezer Kerrac isn't stupid."
"Your Highness, what if you were to allocate the Western Lands to him as his fief?" Deacon Number Three said chillingly.
"What? You want me to give him such a massive piece of land?" Lucia glared, staring darkly at the Deacon.
"Your Highness, do not be hasty," Deacon Number Three said, waving his hand. "That remote place is much too far away from us. If we throw Kerrac over there, can't we just take our time and deal with him later?"
"Furthermore, Lucas is not a simple character. Let Kerrac go and clash with him, while we free up our hands to deal with the other two Grand Dukes." The corners of Deacon Number Three's mouth curled up slightly; this master plan had been personally given to him by the Lord Bishop.
"Will Kerrac go?" Lucia was starting to be persuaded.
"Your Highness, the Western Lands are dozens of times larger than a standard Grand Duke's territory. It is practically equivalent to a small principality. He will agree to it," Deacon Number Three said with absolute confidence.
Although many parts of the Western Lands were barren wastelands and completely undeveloped, the sheer size of the territory was undeniable. For an ambitious Grand Duke, it would definitely be an irresistible temptation.
"Good. I will issue the order right away to fief the Western Lands to Kerrac, and then demand he leave the royal capital immediately." Lucia thought about it and felt it made perfect sense. Once he eliminated the other two Grand Dukes, he could always come back and finish off Kerrac.
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200 power stones.
Top 100. All time.