The silence in the hidden chamber was shattered by the heavy tread of armored boots. Captain Valerius of the Royal Guard, a man whose loyalty was as rigid as the plate he wore, stared at the horrific machinery. His eyes shifted from the churning tank of gray fluid to the shattered rune on the floor, and finally to Liam, who stood amidst the wreckage, breathing hard.
"Explain this," Valerius commanded, his hand hovering near his sword hilt. "What is this... abomination? And why is a Lithian lord standing in the center of it?"
Before Liam could speak, Lord Baren stepped forward, his broad frame placing a physical barrier between the Captain and his son.
"He is standing there because he just saved the King's life, Captain," Baren rumbled, his voice carrying the weight of the North. "While the Royal Guard stood watch at the doors, a viper was eating the crown from the inside."
Baren gestured to the wall of portraits—decades of Ser Alistair, unaging, vibrant. "Look. Do you see the resemblance? The Steward hasn't aged a day in twenty years. Does that not strike you as unnatural?"
Valerius frowned, his gaze following Baren's hand. The realization dawned slowly, horror replacing suspicion.
"Ser Alistair..." Valerius whispered. "He claimed it was an alchemical regimen for his health."
"It was theft," Liam interjected, his voice raspy. He deactivated his Obsidian Scales, allowing the spectral armor to fade, though the ache in his bones remained. "That tank contains the King's vitality. I severed the tether. That is why the King screamed—the shock of his soul returning to his body."
As if summoned by the mention of his name, a breathless messenger burst into the room, wearing the livery of the King's personal attendants.
"Captain! The King! He... he is awake! He is sitting up! He demands to see the Steward immediately!"
Liam met Valerius's eyes. "The Steward is gone. He fled through a portal of shadow magic. If you want to serve your King, Captain, secure this room. Do not let a single drop of that fluid be spilled. It is evidence of high treason."
Valerius stiffened, then slammed his fist to his chest in a salute. "Secure the perimeter! Seal the palace! No one leaves!"
As the guards scrambled to obey, creating a cordon around the dark machinery, Sir Lucas moved to Liam's side, offering him a shoulder to lean on.
"You cut it close, boy," Lucas muttered, eyeing the burns on Liam's tunic where the shadow bolts had struck.
"Close enough," Liam replied. He checked his internal status. His mana was regenerating thanks to the Ring of Azure Depths, but his stamina was dangerously low.
[System Notification]
[Emergency Quest Update: The Rot in the Crown]
[Part 2: The King's Justice]
[Objective: Present the evidence to the King and clear House Lithia of any suspicion.]
[Time Limit: 1 Hour]
The Royal Chambers were a flurry of activity. Healers in white robes fluttered like panicked doves around the massive four-poster bed. But in the center of the chaos sat King Roderick.
He looked dreadful—his skin was papery, his hair thin—but his eyes were open. And for the first time in years, they were clear. The cloudy haze of magical suppression was gone, replaced by the sharp, icy blue of the royal line. Lady Isolde, the Royal Physician, was checking his pulse, her face a mask of stunned relief.
"It is... miraculous, Your Majesty," she murmured. "Your heartbeat is stabilizing. The atrophy seems to have halted."
"Halted?" Roderick's voice was a dry rasp, but it held a core of steel. "I felt like I was drowning in warm syrup, Isolde. For years. And then... a snap. A shock of cold air."
The doors opened. Valerius entered, flanked by Lord Baren and Liam. The room fell silent. Prince Arthur, who had been standing by the window looking deeply unsettled, turned sharply. His eyes narrowed when he saw Liam.
"Father," Arthur said, stepping forward. "These northerners have caused a disturbance in the lower levels. I was just about to order their arrest for disrupting your rest."
"Silence, Arthur," the King croaked.
He looked at Liam. "You. The boy from the duel. The one with the golden will."
Liam stepped forward, bowing low, wincing slightly as his bruised ribs protested. "Your Majesty. I apologize for the disturbance. But it was necessary to save your life."
"Save my life?" The King leaned forward. "Explain."
Baren nodded to Liam. This was the moment.
"Ser Alistair," Liam began, his voice steady, "has been practicing forbidden blood arts. He created a parasitic tether between his life force and yours. For years, he has been draining your vitality to extend his own youth and power. That is why he never aged. That is why you grew weaker."
"Lies!" Arthur shouted, his face flushing. "Alistair has served this family since before I was born! He is the most loyal—"
"He fled, my Prince," Captain Valerius interrupted, his tone grave. "We found a hidden chamber behind the servant's quarters. Machinery designed to harvest souls. Alistair attacked Lord Liam when he discovered it, then escaped through a portal of dark magic when the device was destroyed."
Arthur froze. He looked at Valerius, then at Liam. The betrayal was too massive to comprehend instantly, but the Captain's word was iron.
The King closed his eyes. A single tear leaked out. "Alistair..." he whispered. "My friend."
Then the King's eyes snapped open, grief replaced by a cold, regal fury.
"Isolde. Verify this. Go to the chamber."
"At once, Sire."
The physician hurried out. The room waited in tense silence. Ten minutes passed. When Isolde returned, she was pale, clutching a handkerchief to her mouth.
"It is true, Your Majesty. The... the tank. It radiates your specific mana signature. It is undeniable blood alchemy of the vilest sort."
King Roderick took a deep, shuddering breath. He looked at Liam—really looked at him—with a gaze that stripped away titles and pretense.
"You discovered this? A boy of fifteen?"
"I have been trained to see what others miss, Your Majesty," Liam said carefully. "My master, Sword Sovereign Eldrin, taught me to perceive the flow of intent and mana. I sensed the drain on your guards, and followed the trail."
The King nodded slowly. "Eldrin. Yes. The Unbroken would not suffer a fool."
Roderick beckoned Liam closer.
"You have done the Crown a service that can never be fully repaid. You have cut the parasite from my flesh."
The King looked at Arthur, then at Baren.
"Let it be known," Roderick declared, "that House Lithia is the Savior of the King. Any debt, any slight, is washed away."
He glared at Arthur. "Do you hear me, my son? No more feuds. No more duels."
"Yes, Father," Arthur muttered, though his eyes burned.
[Status Update - Arthur Razakia]
[Emotional State: Humiliated, Vengeful, Suspicious]
[Intent: Bide time. Destroy Liam Lithian covertly.]
Liam didn't smile. He knew he hadn't won Arthur—he had forced him into the shadows.
"Lord Liam," the King said. "Kneel."
Liam knelt.
"For your bravery, and for your wisdom beyond your years, I grant you the title of Royal Aegis. You shall have free access to the Royal Archives, and the right to bear arms in my presence."
[Quest Completed: The Rot in the Crown]
[Rewards Received]
[+2000 EXP]
[Level Up! Stars: ★★★★ (Elite Knight) → ★★★★ (Elite Knight - Peak)]
[Title Acquired: Royal Aegis]
[Access to Royal Archives Unlocked]
Liam rose. "I am honored, Your Majesty."
"Now leave me," the King said, leaning back. "I must recover. And I must plan. Alistair is out there. And he knows my secrets."
As they left the Royal Chambers, the corridor felt longer than before.
"Royal Aegis," Baren mused, a rare smile touching his lips. "A high honor. It protects you from petty legalities. Vorian cannot touch you legally now."
"Legally, no," Liam said softly. "But Alistair is loose. He has the Book of Shadows. And he hates me."
Sir Lucas grunted. "Let him come. You beat a Prince and a Warlock in the same week. I pity the next fool who tries you."
Liam didn't share the optimism. He looked at his hand. The Ring of Azure Depths pulsed.
He had saved the King—yes.
But he had also changed the timeline.
In his past life, the King had died of a "mysterious illness" a year from now, plunging the realm into civil war. By saving him, Liam had delayed the war... or perhaps he had simply reshaped it.
[System Alert]
[Destiny Altered: The Razakian Civil War has been postponed.]
[New Threat Detected: The Shadow Concordat.]
Liam stared at the notification.
The board had been reset.
And the pieces were moving faster than ever.