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Seeing Eris purse her lips and nod with a simple expression, as if the person who had just kicked someone hard enough to split them in half wasn't her.
Allen couldn't help but smile.
Ariel's mansion's front courtyard was large; wind flowed from the mountains, sweeping before his eyes.
It carried a different kind of information.
The source was on the white stone steps of the mansion's main gate.
He straightened up and turned to look.
At this moment.
Voices buzzed, figures flitted.
Passing by and lingering beside the figure standing on the white stone steps of the mansion's main gate.
Ariel simply stood quietly in the wind.
Casting a gaze.
And waiting for a return gaze.
At this moment, two gazes intertwined.
His dark gray eyes were still as an ancient well.
Her cerulean eyes, however, flashed with the light of 'greed'!
After the incident, she hadn't said a word from beginning to end. She hadn't ordered anyone to be saved, hadn't comforted Pilemon, hadn't put on the air of a mansion owner.
She simply remained unmoved.
This already spoke volumes.
What kind of host doesn't show any concern for the victim when a conflict occurs between their guests?
Thus, her intentions revealed themselves.
—"Can you still be 'sincere'?"
The answer was already laid bare on the table.
—"Yes. I, Ariel, towards you, Allen Boreas Greyrat, am naturally sincere."
Allen's lips curved upwards, but he didn't indicate anything. He then turned back to look at the 'salvage' operation.
—This most beautiful, most dazzling, most captivating ornamental fish in the royal capital.
Was completely hooked.
This was the 'role' he had assigned to Ariel in the royal capital stage he was setting.
The ornamental fish had to be dazzling enough to show how real the things surrounding it were.
The 'supporters' grew hotter, the 'value' grew clearer.
'Allen Boreas Greyrat.'
Became an even rarer commodity.
Refusing recruitment?
It was simply a matter of getting what he wanted, when he wanted.
His thoughts flashed, and in his line of sight.
Pilemon was stomping anxiously by the edge of the pond.
Allen narrowed his eyes.
'As for this head of one of the Four Great Noble families before me.'
'That's another 'role'.'
'I also need a sufficiently noisy, short-sighted insurance policy to put ample pressure on James in a few days, to give motivation to my relatives in distant Buena Village.'
'In that case...'
'Some pre-arranged words could be smoothly implanted into James's mind, and certain reasonable actions could smoothly [Persuade] this future head of the Boreas family...'
'Ultimately, to successfully make the other party, with an obedient posture, calmly step onto...'
In his line of sight, a green glow flashed. Luke, pulled out of the water, retched and vomited. He lay miserably on the bank, his pig-like face, which had been kicked, finally returning to normal.
Footsteps sounded! Pilemon turned and walked towards Allen! His face filled with rage! Clearly intending to demand an explanation!
Allen lifted a smile.
'...the dead end I had already arranged.'
"Orchestrating ambushes, deceiving Her Highness the Princess, you filthy junior of Boreas! Allen Boreas Greyrat!! You clearly conspired with your father, deceived Her Highness the Princess, and staged a play! Betting on both sides! Despicable and shameless!"
Allen tilted his head, looking at Pilemon, who had reached him, his face contorted in fury.
He spoke gently.
His voice, however, was colder than a knife.
"You've misunderstood."
Pilemon, seeing Allen show weakness, his expression softened slightly. But then, hearing Allen's subsequent words, his pupils suddenly constricted.
"James is trash and doesn't deserve to be my father. He also has no right to put on a show with me."
"I returned to the royal capital to kill him."
"Your worries are illogical."
Pilemon froze, looking at Allen in astonishment.
In an instant, he burst into laughter.
He waved his arms, as if emphasizing some truth.
"Haha!! Absurd!! Absurd!! You actually want to commit patricide and seize power???"
Allen simply stared at him impassively, his expression unchanged.
Pilemon lowered his waving arm to his side, his expression calming. It was as if his earlier mockery and loss of composure had been an illusion.
He looked intently into Allen's eyes for a long time, then repeated his words expressionlessly.
This time, however, it was a statement, word for word.
"You actually want to commit patricide and seize power."
"What, as the third son of the family, you're already so impatient at this critical juncture?"
Seeing Allen still not respond, he shook his head and sighed.
"So this is it. I see. Reckless, foolish, naive, laughable."
"And here I thought your Boreas family was so cunning! It turns out the Boreas family can't even maintain a single 'voice'."
As Pilemon spoke, he suddenly remembered his foolish older brother, whom he had so easily banished from the royal capital and severed ties with the Notos family.
A faint hint of triumph appeared on his face.
He coldly turned to glance at Ariel, who stood on the steps.
Upon hearing Allen's words, a flicker of surprise crossed her eyes, but when Pilemon looked her way, she said nothing.
The latter snorted coldly.
"Your Highness, since your mind is made up, then go play the childish game of squabbling over the family headship with Boreas!"
"My Notos family will no longer partake!"
He then turned and ordered his guard, "Take Luke away, what an embarrassment!" With that, he was about to turn and leave.
But just as he turned, a calm, even voice pierced his ear.
"That won't do."
"Your Notos family must partake."
Pilemon's footsteps halted. He abruptly turned, a look of mockery on his face.
"Partake? You brat, who do you think you are? Impudent child, arrogant—"
His words were cut off by Allen's voice.
"Rudy, come here!"
Rudy, who had been quietly watching Allen show off and eat melon, was suddenly called out. He pointed at himself with his index finger, looking bewildered.
"Me?"
Though his tone was confused, seeing Allen's serious expression, which didn't look like a joke, he slowly shuffled step by step from the pond side to Allen's side.
As his figure moved from distant to near.
His form gradually became clear, his face exposed to view.
Pilemon's mocking expression froze.
And Allen's lips slowly curved upwards.
Rudy reached Allen's side in a few steps. The latter casually put an arm around his shoulder and gracefully pushed Rudy forward.
"Duke Pilemon, allow me to introduce you."
"My distant relative, Rudyus Greyrat." He emphasized the pronunciation of 'distant relative,' as if fearing Pilemon wouldn't hear.
He then suddenly turned, raising a hand towards the bewildered Rudy, gesturing towards Pilemon, whose expression had darkened.
"Pilemon Notos Greyrat, Paul Greyrat's biological younger brother, your uncle, but they've been estranged for a long time, so no need to call him uncle, just by his name..."
A sudden roar interrupted Allen's words. "Allen Boreas Greyrat!!!!"
Allen stopped speaking, looking up at Pilemon.
Pilemon, however, suddenly broke down.
"Rudyus Greyrat? That good-for-nothing Paul is still eyeing my position as family head! And dares to make a comeback?? Where is he?? The royal capital??"
Allen shrugged. Amidst Rudy's utterly bewildered expression, he said calmly.
"My uncle is not yet aware. The plan to reclaim Notos is still pending. But, a plan is a plan. As for the future reality, who knows where it will lead? So I say, you will probably have to see this through to the end, and my Boreas family will naturally see it through to the end as well."
Allen leaned close to Pilemon, narrowing his eyes and smiling.
"Wouldn't you agree? Duke of Notos, Duke Pilemon?"
Pilemon, an Intermediate Swordsman, was enraged. His entire face flushed with fury. He fiercely pressed the sword at his waist!
Drawing his sword! The hilt was pulled from his waist!
The next instant,
Swish, swish, light scattered everywhere.
Pilemon held out the hilt of his now bladeless sword to Allen, his face stiffening.
Clack!
An inch of cold light pressed into the scabbard, but it was Eris who had sheathed the sword in her hand.
This time, it wasn't a wooden sword.
So Pilemon's sword naturally shattered into pieces of moonlight, falling to the ground.
The latter looked at the bare hilt in his hand in astonishment. He hadn't intended to strike Allen; he only wanted to strengthen his deterrence through this gesture.
But he hadn't expected the other party not to even give him that chance.
He stared blankly at the short Eris.
His expression conveyed utter disbelief.
Voiceless Sword of Light?
So young??
Just then, Allen placed his hand on the end of Eris's sword hilt.
Signaling 'harmlessness.'
"Of course, seeing it through to the end is for another day. I will naturally start by dealing with the Boreas family head. Notos is still somewhat distant, so, you may as well..."
He straightened his posture, reined in his smile, and looked at Pilemon with a serious expression.
"Simply await good news."
The two looked at each other in silence.
After a long moment, Pilemon scoffed.
"Strength? What good is some strength? A lawless and impudent fellow, is what you're saying and doing right now your so-called strategy?"
"Laughable, childish, shallow, completely unplanned."
"This isn't strategy."
"This is nothing but a few boring verbal jabs."
He didn't wait for Allen's response. He turned and ordered the guard who was already helping the dazed Luke.
"Go!"
After a few steps, he tilted his head to look at Allen, his gaze sweeping over the sword at Eris's waist.
"In the royal capital, a blade should obediently return to its sheath. If one could wield a blade freely, I could arrange to have you killed tonight."
He turned back, gazing at Ariel in the distance.
"Your Highness, I bid you farewell!"
With that, he strode away.
However, no one watched him leave.
Isolte, Sylphy, Rudy, Ariel, Derrick Redbat all turned to look at Allen.
Allen, however, merely looked down at the sword in his hand.
Slowly caressing the hilt.
He smiled.
"Obediently return to its sheath...?"
His voice was low, like a question to himself.
Or perhaps to the sword in his hand.
The sword did not respond.
Clatter, clatter.
The sound of the carriage faded into the distance.
Grinding the grass stems erupting from the cracks in the royal capital's streets into a muddy pulp.
Beside the mud, there was moonlight.
Colder than the cold gleam of a late spring blade.
The sword rested silently on the table, sheathed.
Moonlight enveloped a letter.
The handwriting was ornate noble script, signed by:
—James Boreas Greyrat.
This was the Prince's bedchamber council hall. The hall's candlelight was dim, yet it couldn't conceal the opulent atmosphere.
Jewel-encrusted decorative swords lay across the table. Exquisite enamel glass cups, produced in the Carlit Continent, held vintage wine specially supplied to the royal family of the Milbotz territory.
The soft carpet on the floor required daily grooming by maids to ensure its touch remained soft.
Yes, soft.
Two maids knelt before two figures in the darkness, attending to these two men who would one day stand at the pinnacle of Asura's power.
"Doristeena Papelhors, the young lady of the Papelhors family. I heard she went missing last year. I never expected you to have her captive, Darius."
The First Prince—Gravell Zafenn Asura—had a pragmatic appearance unbefitting his status. His square, almost honest face beneath his golden hair, possessed a naturally trustworthy, upright countenance.
He smiled easily, reclining on a chair draped with the fur of a Snow Lion monster, his eyes slightly closed, enjoying this rare moment of relaxation after an entire day of tension.
As his words fell, the obese man beside him smiled, pulling the golden-haired girl's head up with a pop, like uncorking a wine bottle.
His thick fingers wiped the corners of the girl's numb lips. His small, shrewd eyes, nestled in his fleshy face, gleamed with an intelligence unbefitting his bulk. He looked at the First Prince with a smile.
"If Your Highness likes her, she's yours."
"You have the gall to say that? You'd best keep that hot potato for your own enjoyment."
Darius chuckled, then pushed the girl's head back down.
He shifted his corpulent lower body, slumped in the reclining chair, finding a more comfortable position. He stroked the girl's soft golden hair, then leaned back and closed his eyes in contemplation.
For a moment, the only sound in the four-person council hall was the wine sloshing in the glass.
However, the wine glass rested silently on the table.
The wine's surface was still.
After a long while, just as the maid before Gravell was beginning to wonder if the two men had fallen asleep, and was contemplating taking a break.
A voice broke the silence, obscuring the sound of the wine sloshing.
"Did you read James's ambush report?"
"I've read it, Your Highness. The variable that is Allen Boreas Greyrat intervened, thwarting the ambush, and then used that opportunity to join Her Highness the Second Princess's faction."
Gravell opened his eyes and quietly looked at the crystal chandelier above him, which was not lit.
"You say..."
"Did James and his son Allen put on a show for me? James, that flattering dog..."
"He's disloyal."
Darius chuckled, as if he'd heard something amusing, his voice somewhat sharp.
"Your Highness need not probe."
Gravell was silent for a moment, then leaned forward, picked up his wine glass from the table between them, and looked at Darius.
A smile spread across his otherwise honest face, very hearty.
"Hahaha! What do you mean, Sir Darius?"
Darius turned, picked up his wine glass, leaned in to clink glasses with the First Prince, and chuckled.
"Allen Boreas Greyrat is Philip's son. That's easily verifiable. They have no possibility of cooperation."
"You're overthinking it. This is not a scheme I made to get rid of that troublesome dog."
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