Perro did not expect to revisit the place so soon.
He had no intention of leaving his cozy home in such a bitter winter, especially when the evil beasts were rampaging. Yet Duke Lain insisted he deliver the burning letter to the Fourth Prince.
He was well aware of the document's contents—indeed, the entire upper nobility of Graycastle had been discussing this shocking news: the king of Graycastle had died in a murder, committed by Goron Wimberton, the king's eldest son. The second son then rushed to the capital, declaring that the kingdom could not endure without a ruler, and he would ascend the throne as the second in line to the succession.
However, this action was not universally accepted. Some criticized the trial of Goron as highly suspicious, noting that throughout the entire interrogation, he only appeared a few times, remained mute, and had his hands tightly bound. They hoped to wait until the matter was thoroughly investigated before deciding on the succession to the throne.
Rumors circulated that this was merely a staged drama orchestrated by Prince Tifecko Wemberton, the second son, while the true culprit was Prince II, who feigned sorrow yet eagerly awaited the throne.
Regardless of the outcome of this dispute, Prince II, with the full backing of the Prime Minister, temporarily assumed the supreme authority of Graycastle as the acting King. He simultaneously issued a recall decree to all rivals—The Crown War had ended, and all princes and princesses were ordered to return to the capital by the end of winter. The new King would formally grant territories and titles based on his six-month governance.
Perro could certainly read the urgency in the order.
Prince Philip's claim to the throne hinges entirely on the other princes and princesses' reactions. Should they all relinquish their claims and return to the Royal Capital, he would naturally become the undisputed fourth Prince of Wales.
The document destined for Border Town would first be forwarded to the Castle of Long Song, while Duke Lain himself scoffed at the recall decree. During the King's reign, he maintained strong control over the Lords across the realm. As for the Second Prince, his forced ascension to the throne was executed with such abruptness that it seemed contrived. Given Goron's precedent of being sent to the guillotine, it was unlikely anyone would return to the capital alone.
Yet to the six members of the fortress, this was a timely order.
Over two months ago, the Duke was deeply displeased by the Count of Milu's unauthorized scheme, especially since it had failed. Prince's reaction was equally fierce, and he directly sentenced Hills Mead to death by hanging. This incident marked a public rupture between the two factions.
The Duke had originally planned to wait until the Demon's Month ended to free up his forces for this mission. Now, with this official document, he could act with greater legitimacy. Roland Wimbledon's return to the capital would naturally place Border Town under Duke Lain's control. Should he refuse to return, the Duke could resort to force—under the banner of the new King.
As for who would ultimately receive the crown, the Duke was not particularly concerned.
As the ambassador, Perro was clearly uneasy. Last time, he had sworn solemnly to bring new trade contracts, but instead received the Black Hand from the Elk House. Now he arrived with equally grim news—whether it was the death of King Wimbledon III or the recall order of the new king, Perro believed the Fourth Prince would not want to see either.
The voyage went smoothly. Graycastle, a southern country on the continent, had rivers that never froze even in winter.
Perro occasionally peered through the window at the riverbank, yet along the way he neither saw the starving corpses nor the fleeing people, proving that Border Town had still not fallen.
This slightly surprised him, since during his last visit to the city walls, he had witnessed firsthand how they were constructed. Perro had little faith in these mud-tying stone walls.
Then came the shocking revelation: a sailboat bearing the flag of Willow Leaf Town glided past the river's right bank. The scene felt eerily familiar, but this was the Moon of Evil! How could they possibly trade while battling the demonic beasts? Unless all miners were deployed to the defenses, how could they possibly withstand those savage creatures?
Three days later, the ship arrived at the Border Town dock.
The dilapidated wooden dock remained, now with a makeshift shed beside it. When the boats docked, two guards emerged from the shed, watching the boatmen's every move.
Pero immediately understood Roland's purpose in setting up this outpost.
The Fourth Prince clearly didn't want anyone to sneak away from the town by water.
He leapt over the ship's rail, introduced himself to the guards, and then a man led a horse to escort him to the castle.
As with the previous occasion, Prince Roland Wimbledon received him in the drawing room. Moreover, despite it being outside mealtime, the Prince instructed his attendants to prepare a lavish meal.
Charcoal-grilled pork legs, dried fish slices, a bowl of unnamed wild vegetable salad, and the ever-present buttered bread and vegetable soup at any banquet.
It seems Prince really prefers to eat before getting down to business.
Perro thought this while his hands kept moving, for such a full meal was rare. Even the Golden Flower Clan would only serve potato bread with salted dried meat when entertaining guests.
After the main meal, as the dessert was served, Peiluo respectfully handed over the documents.
Roland took the knife, cut open the wax seal, pulled out the paper roll, and quickly scanned it before freezing in shock.
The king is dead?
Roland harbored no affection for this nominal father. Having crossed over to Border Town without ever meeting him, and with the Fourth Prince's memory filled only with resentment toward his own father, he found himself in an inexplicable dilemma—should he display sorrow or not?
The following content made him suspect a conspiracy. Did King Wimbledon III die at the hands of his eldest son? Did Prince II, now the new king, declare the end of the succession struggle and order his immediate return to the royal capital of Graycastle?
Roland cleared his throat twice, then looked up to meet Pei Luo's eyes, which were filled with regret.
He realized the Duke of the Fortress would likely welcome the outcome. Whether to obey the new king's orders or not, he was caught in a dilemma.
The arrival of the ill-omened news, devoid of any formal agreement, left him with a heavy heart. Roland chuckled inwardly as he folded the document neatly. "I understand." "Your Highness, then your plans..." "Even if I wish to depart, I must await the conclusion of the Demon's Month. With the frozen landscape now, what of Border Town's people if I leave?" Had it been anyone else, Perro would have offered a perfunctory response like "Rest assured, the fortress will handle it properly" or some diplomatic retort. But before the Fourth Prince, whom he had met only twice, he hesitated. The first time, Perro had felt repulsed by his ambassador's role, and he merely nodded. "I understand. Do I need to deliver this reply for you?" Roland summoned his squire, who promptly prepared the letter. After stamping it with his seal, he handed it to Perro. The latter glanced at the envelope, which bore the address: To Prince Tefiko Wamberton of Graycastle, not the King Wamberton IV.
He has already made his position clear, Perro thought.