Kingdom Bloodline

Chapter 716 Imperial Decree
"One million seven hundred thousand?"

Duke of Starlake, and—though he absolutely could not say it aloud—the current Regent of the Emerald City, Thales Starstar, was utterly shocked. He raised his voice uncontrollably, startling everyone in the study.

After the Duke's voice fell, the study fell silent, the atmosphere heavy with tension.

After a moment, Thales finally snapped out of his daze. He closed his mouth, struggled to put down the ledger, and stared incredulously at the two rows of people in front of the desk:

On the left are three high-ranking guards: Marius, Stoddard, and Hugo. Their expressions are calm and their gazes are serious.

On the right stood six incumbent officials of the Emerald City's Tax Bureau, their heads bowed low, tense and uneasy, occasionally stealing glances at the Duke before quickly looking back down at the ground.

“Your Highness Thales, to be precise,” Lord Myrahovic, the treasurer standing at the front row, who came from the Kingdom of Ligur and had settled in Emerald City for many years but whose accent from the Eastern Continent was still hard to shake, sniffed, looking like he was about to be executed, “is one million, one hundred and seventy-eight thousand six hundred and fifty-three Tormund gold coins.”

Thales' expression remained unchanged, blank and numb.

“And it’s only a portion, Your Highness,” a treasurer couldn’t help but remind him, “it’s the largest portion of it.”

“Also, this is an initial repayment,” another lowly assistant finance officer added in a low voice, “It’s an initial amount with a guarantee.”

“Yes, if we count the total, it’s nearly…” A younger reviewer was stopped by his colleagues before he could finish speaking, who pleaded with him to shut up.

Thales stared blankly for a few seconds, then silently released the ledger from his hand.

If, just if...

If he sold all the land, property, and belongings in Xinghu Fort, including all the cats and dogs, could he raise 1.17 million gold coins?
“Tell me, my lords,” Thales said, his eyes vacant and his voice hollow, “how did you manage to turn the once prosperous and thriving Queen’s City into a bottomless abyss of debt, a mountain of uncollectible debts?”

Compared to this, what is Anke Bailar, that Western Wilderness assassin, whose father owes the Doyle family tens of thousands in debt? It's nothing! It's a drop in the ocean! What the hell is the need to act like the sky is falling and go to the royal banquet to find Thales to kill and shout about it?

You know, this Duke of the South Bank, who owes several million or even tens of millions of gold coins to various creditors and merchant groups, is out there all day running around, living a life of extravagance and waste, and he makes the whole kingdom think that he has oil and mines at home and can cause endless trouble for the rest of his life!

The officials looked at each other, filled with unease.

Under the prince's questioning and Marius's piercing gaze, the officials present trembled and dared not speak.

After a long while, under the watchful eye of Steward Myrahovic, an elderly accountant finally stepped forward, his voice trembling and filled with anguish, and told Duke Thales:
Originally, Queen's City was a rare example of a well-governed city in the kingdom, with no foreign debt, sound finances, balanced income and expenditure, and extremely wealthy.

Around the year of the Bloody Year, the kingdom underwent a dramatic change, with the situation deteriorating rapidly. Rebellions broke out like wildfire, and foreign enemies were also eyeing the kingdom covetously.

In order to support the kingdom's war and for the safety of his own territory, Duke Lenster Kevindir urgently needed a large amount of funds to prepare for war. To this end, he raised funds from various sources, borrowed foreign debt, and even revised the overall budget for Emerald City and the surrounding directly controlled fiefdoms.

“But that was more than twenty years ago,” the Stole logistics officer said incredulously. “Don’t tell me you’ve borrowed for twenty years straight?”

“Of course not,” Myrahovic said sternly, “Since the coronation of His Majesty the noble and great His Majesty Kessel, the kingdom has enjoyed peace and prosperity, and we quickly paid off our debts, until—the Desert War.”

Another treasurer, in the prime of his life, took over the conversation and spoke eloquently, saying that at that time His Majesty Kessel required all the vassals of the country to contribute to the war on the western front, but the old duke was kind-hearted and unwilling to impose conscription and taxes, so he had to borrow money again. Most of it was invested in the form of military funds to support the kingdom's war, and the remainder was used for the construction of facilities and the maintenance of order in Emerald City and South Bank.

“But even the Desert Wars happened more than a decade ago,” Hugo’s standard-bearer pointed out, frowning.

“Yes, we were almost done paying off the debts from the Desert Wars,” Myrahovic rubbed his forehead, “if it weren’t for the unexpected situation…”

The tax officials burst into tears, each speaking in turn, saying that first the Duke was assassinated, then the Iris Flower was embroiled in internal strife, then the South Bank was devastated, and the entire Emerald City was in a state of panic, with war and chaos, rampant military and police activity, and merchants avoiding the city. The South Bank towns, which had once recovered after the war, were now becoming increasingly desolate.

Therefore, after Duke Janne succeeded to the throne and quelled the rebellion, he had to borrow money again to reorganize the market, maintain order, and win back confidence and business for Emerald City.

However, this period of prosperity was short-lived. Lord Jann's reign was brief, and before his various measures had even begun to show any improvement, the hardworking and hospitable citizens of Emerald City were struck by another devastating blow—a terrifying edict from the Star Kingdom arrived hastily from the capital, sounding the horns of war once more.
The Exte mission was killed en route, the Northern army amassed troops on the border, the Dragon Fortress was under constant threat, and the Star Kingdom was on the verge of collapse.

With war imminent between the two nations, and the prospect of a repeat of the horrific bloodshed of that year looming, the people of the Southern Coast were thrown into a panic. Before departing for the capital to attend court, the decisive Duke Janne ordered the entire Emerald City to immediately raise funds for war, hoping to serve His Majesty. As for the method of fundraising, the benevolent duke, mindful of his father and unwilling to increase taxes, naturally opted for borrowing—

“As far as I know,” Thales interrupted him, “that battle never took place.”

“Yes, in a way, we have a lot to thank for His Highness…” Myrahovic said with a broad smile, “but the budget has already been made, the loan agreements and IOUs have been signed, and the subsequent financial and economic crisis proved the Duke’s foresight…”

"crisis?"

Tax officials speak out again:

Shortly after Exter's withdrawal, to celebrate the establishment of an heir to the kingdom, Duke Jann donated vast mineral deposits, fields, and related properties to the royal family. This was a significant source of income and seriously impacted the financial health of the South Bank Territory. The donation took place around—

“After I went to Exeter,” the prince said, his face darkening, “believe me, Jenn’s gift of land to the royal family was not just a congratulatory gesture.”

Myrahovic told him with a troubled expression that they had no choice but to borrow again to cover the deficit. Over the past thirty years, after experiencing countless crises and calamities, Emerald City's debts had been constantly renewed and increased day by day, until today, with interest...

Thales glanced at the number and felt a wave of dizziness wash over him.

"So, gentlemen, what is the schedule and arrangement for repaying the debt?" Marius asked softly.

The officials looked at each other.

“Such a large debt,” Marius said with unwavering certainty, “you must have had a repayment plan arranged long ago, instead of waiting until the last day to scramble for money to pay it off?”

Thales realized what was happening and his eyes lit up.

“Of course, of course. In fact, Duke Jann was busy with this matter before the celebration, planning to resolve it one by one…” Lord Myrahovic hurriedly said, “And now that Your Highness is in charge of the central government and handling matters wisely, we are naturally more confident in repaying the debts!”

Thales took a deep breath, reminding himself that life was still beautiful and he couldn't let reality defeat him.

“So, gentlemen,” Thales raised his head, crossed his arms, and spoke in a steady voice, appearing very professional and knowledgeable, as if he possessed a wealth of strategic wisdom, “how much of Emerald City’s treasury can currently be used to repay its debts?”

“Quite a lot, Your Highness,” an examiner said, puffing out his chest and raising his head. “You must know that Emerald City is a capital city with a substantial financial foundation and considerable revenue…”

Thales nodded in satisfaction.

"Compared to debt?" Sterling said sinisterly.

The finance official immediately turned his head away.

“Not enough, Your Highness, not enough,” the accountant, who looked old and senile, said tremulously. “You must know that Emerald City is a capital city with complex expenses and very high expenditures…”

Thales' smile froze slightly.

Seeing that the atmosphere was tense, Manager Myrahovic quickly spoke up:

"In fact, we still have several ways to raise the funds, such as flexibly changing the budget, advance payments or even diverting other less urgent accounts, such as urban construction, disaster relief and relief reserves, or delaying the payment of salaries and subsidies for certain temporary staff members, and then finding an opportunity to make up the difference later when cash flow is more readily available..."

“We’ll cut some redundant and unnecessary town jobs,” the assistant treasurer quickly added. “Of course, positions at a certain level, such as finance and tax collection clerks, are crucial to the city’s operation and cannot be easily changed.”

“We can find a pretext—like celebrating the prince’s visit—to collect this quarter’s transaction and property taxes ahead of schedule,” a tax official added.

"Use each business's previous year's revenue as the standard, and increase it by 10% to 20% to collect taxes in advance?" another tax official whispered. "After all, people's lives are getting better and better, and prices are rising steadily."

“A disaster relief fund was allocated a few days ago, but we can postpone its implementation and let those farmers wait a little longer…”

"Let's save on the expenses of various official banquets during the Jade Festival..."

"And the Emerald Legion's equipment ordering plan can be postponed until next year, although I think those green hats' copied stuff can still be used for a few more years, just to patch up the rusty parts..."

"Of course, we can also negotiate with the creditors to reach some debt extension agreements, but we will inevitably have to pay more interest."

"In the southwest of Shuori Town, there's a piece of wasteland that was just reclaimed from a bankrupt lord. There are already buyers inquiring about it. We might as well urge them to speed up the process..."

"This includes the sale of franchises in certain industries, as well as exploration and mining rights for newly discovered asphalt deposits, and fishing rights for deep-sea whales. Of course, there are a few border areas where taxes are difficult to collect, so we might as well outsource them entirely..."

The tax officials discussed ways to raise money to pay off the debts, which made Thales' head spin, and Marius and the other two frowned repeatedly.

But Thales soon realized something.

"Alright, alright, gentlemen, let me put it this way," the prince interrupted them, tentatively asking, "Well, after using all the methods you've mentioned—regardless of how many of them were bad ideas—to raise funds and repay that 1.17 million..."

"One million seven hundred and seventy-eight thousand six hundred and fifty-three, Your Highness."

Thales frowned and changed his words:
"Very well, now that we've repaid this debt totaling 1,178,653..."

“Part of the debt, Your Highness,” a finance officer cautioned, “is only the largest portion of it.”

Thales took a deep breath and spoke again:
"So, after we've repaid this portion, totaling 1,178,653..."

"And it's only initial debt..."

"If we calculate the total..."

"boom!"

Unable to contain himself any longer, Thales slammed his fist on the table, startling everyone.

"Enough!" His Highness gritted his teeth, and the officials bowed their heads. "Just tell me directly, how much money will Emerald City have left after that?"

The officials exchanged glances, looking around with apparent doubt.

Marius and Stoddard exchanged a glance.

Until an old accountant shuddered:

"In fact, Your Highness, we have nothing left—"

Seeing through the situation, Myrahovic quickly stopped his subordinate: "Your Highness, how much would you like to keep?"

Thales let out a breath.

Well, there are still some knowledgeable people out there.

He scratched his chin and sniffed like a cat smelling fish:
"If, just if, the Kingdom is going to war, and Emerald City wants to show its patriotism, for example, by upgrading the Wrath of the Kingdom's Guard, repairing their equipment, changing their horses, and buying them a pair of height-increasing boots, or by equipping Dragonbreaker Fortress with twenty magic-powered guns, reinforcing the walls, and getting a batch of imported tobacco for the Fortress Flower, or something like that..."

Or help a king who loves his people and loves his country like his own home to assemble a new standing army that is good at fighting.

The tax officials, including Myrahovic, paled and shrank back, not daring to look up or reply.

Thales initially looked hopeful, but gradually his smile became increasingly stiff and awkward.

isn't it?
"Your Highness," Myrahovic finally asked cautiously, "I wonder what kind of tobacco Lady Sonia of Dragonbreaker Fortress prefers?"

Looking at his expression, Thales understood.

"I understand……"

Thales took a deep breath and stared at the accounts on the table with a grim expression.

Therefore, Emerald City is barely managing to operate and is doing quite well just to support itself...

If debts still need to be repaid, then Kongming Palace will have even less money to spare for some brilliant and ambitious supreme king.

Unfortunately, one of the conditions he had used to persuade King Catherine V to allow him to participate fully in the game was...

Thales swallowed hard.

Not good.

Pretty bad.

unless……

Thales said quietly:
"You guys think the royal family doesn't have any 'the Star Family always pays back their debts' mentality, right?"

Marius frowned:
"what?"

Thales realized what was happening and forced a smile again:

"It's nothing, don't worry about it, it's just a local saying from the north."

He quickly rallied and tentatively asked:
"So, sirs, or rather, if we were to have various unavoidable reasons and not repay this 1.17 million, what would happen?"

As soon as the words were spoken, the officials were all stunned and looked at each other in bewilderment.

General Manager Myrahovic coughed:
"Your Highness, most of the creditors are influential figures both inside and outside the South Bank Territory, who can wield power in Emerald City: property owners from several major guilds, big merchants, several long-established vassal families, foreign tycoons, oh, and even the Royal Bank..."

“Of course, of course, they are all big shots, very wealthy people, but,” Thales waved his hand, “what if I told them ‘give me some more time’? They can’t force me to pay my debts, can they? Like sending an army to fight me, ‘the creditor doesn’t die because of the deadbeat’?”

The treasurers were speechless, and they looked at each other again, as if they were encountering such a ruler for the first time.

“They, they… but our credit…” Manager Myrahovic was somewhat taken aback.

Seeing the other party's reaction, Thales' eyes darted around.

“They cannot force you, Your Highness,” Marius coughed, interrupting the conversation. “After all, they have neither an army nor authority, and are powerless to stop your breach of contract. And I recall that there are precedents for this in the kingdom’s history…”

Thales's demeanor changed, and he nodded sternly: "Then let's examine this further—"

Hugo Forbes' standard-bearer interjected coldly:

"The last person to do this was John the Red King."

Thales' expression froze on his face.

“Yes, he borrowed money to raise an army and launched a coup. After successfully taking power, he used his royal authority to send all his creditors to prison and threaten them to postpone, reduce or even cancel their debts,” Marius added softly. “Those who were unwilling were framed as traitors by the Secret Service, their homes were confiscated and they were beheaded. In this way, the Red King’s debts were naturally wiped clean.”

The tax officials tensed up, hesitating to speak.

Thales frowned deeply.

Marius picked up his teacup and calmly took a sip.

Why don't you continue with your questions?

Marius turned his head in surprise: "Your Highness?"

“Go on, as is your usual habit, you should be asking me instead,” Thales said, looking annoyed. “‘Guess what happened to the Red King after that, Your Highness Thales?’”

Marius froze.

A few seconds later, he raised his teacup to the prince and gave him an apologetic smile.

“Alright, I understand what you mean,” Thales said without waiting for a reply. He covered his face with his hands, looked up, and sighed. “The Iron Treasury cannot afford to be late.”

Everyone present looked at each other, completely bewildered.

"It's nothing, just a common saying among the people of the Western Wilderness... So now, yes, pay back the money..." Thales came back to his senses, looked at the numbers on the account, and felt uncomfortable all over.

“In fact, Your Highness,” Steward Myrahovic reminded him with concern, “if we do default on the deadline, there’s no need to worry. We still have other solutions, and we don’t have to go astray as the Red King.”

"Oh?" Thales perked up immediately upon hearing this.

The steward nodded:
"According to the loan agreement and following the precedent set by the wise ruler, when we took out the loan, we pledged the future tax revenue of Emerald City and even the South Bank Territory..."

"Future taxes?"

Thales was taken aback: "What are they?"

“Many kinds, Your Highness,” another tax official said thoughtfully. “Besides the traditional land rent from the Emerald City’s directly controlled fiefdoms, and the land tax, agricultural and forestry land tax, and service tax paid by the vassals, we also collect transaction taxes, property taxes, commodity taxes, security taxes, water and land passage taxes, customs duties, license taxes, deed taxes, notary fees, recognition fees… a total of thirteen major taxes, which are further divided into forty-four different sub-taxes, and each sub-tax is further divided into detailed categories…”

"Enough, enough!" Thales' ears hurt from listening. "God, I'll never understand finance."

But when he realized what was happening, his expression changed again!
"Wait, you mean if we default, we'll have to hand over the revenue of the entire South Coast Territory for the next few quarters or even years?"

“Not all, Your Highness,” the old accountant said tremulously, “depending on the amount of the debt principal, the degree of default and late payment, and the amount of the penalty for each debt contract, there is also a rough ratio for mortgage taxes…”

"Approximate proportion? What is it?"

“Not much, Your Highness. After all, Emerald City is a regional capital…” The chief financial officer exuded confidence and waved his hand.

Thales's mind started racing again: "What if, just what if, the Western Front needs money—"

“Not enough, Your Highness,” the tax collector replied swiftly, extinguishing Thales’ last shred of hope. “After all, Emerald City is a regional capital.”

Thales' smile vanished, and the study fell silent.

“Okay, to put it simply, because of this damned portion of the initial debt,” Thales tried not to think about it any further, “Emerald City is currently burdened with debt and short of funds, unable to access a large amount of capital in the short term to support national construction and the great cause of revival?”

The officials quickly turned their heads away.

“And if I can’t repay my debts, it will be even worse,” Thales said, his face growing increasingly grim. “Because the income of the South Coast Territory will not be guaranteed for several years to come, let alone be able to serve the kingdom in the future.”

After the words were spoken, the officials lowered their heads deeply, not daring to utter a sound.

Thales stared at the tops of their heads or hats for several seconds, but received no reply.

Thales pressed his hand to his heart, took a deep breath, and then exhaled forcefully.

"Then I-"

Thales struggled to suppress his agitation and the words he was about to utter:

What am I supposed to do sitting here?
"I'm so sorry, the Finance and Taxation Department is not capable enough and has disappointed Your Highness." Chief Steward Myrahovic looked ashamed.

"disappointment?"

Thales suppressed his temper and forced a smile:
"No, no, no, how could I be disappointed? The disappointment belongs to someone else..."

The prince's smile faded, and he stared blankly at the account report before him:
"Haha, haha, as for me..."

I'm doomed.

Seeing the Duke seated, his face grim and silent, the atmosphere in the study grew increasingly somber and oppressive. Until—

“Wait a minute,” Thales said, suddenly realizing something, “these debts were all taken out in the name of the Kevin Deer family with Janne’s signature and approval, right?”

The officials were all taken aback.

Lord Myrahovic rolled his eyes:

"Well, Duke Janne himself did indeed guarantee the repayment of the debt when it was due..."

"Thank God!" Thales pumped his fist first, then realized he'd gone a bit too far and quickly sat up straight. "I mean, even if they default on their debts, it's Kevin Deer's credit that's damaged, right? 'Kevin Deer is bound to go bankrupt if they're in debt'?"

Everyone was stunned again.

Seeing everyone's expressions, Thales stopped smiling awkwardly and coughed.

"Don't be nervous, I'm just kidding. The debt still needs to be paid off, but... just how much wealth does Kevin Deer actually have?"

"Your Highness?" Myrahovic realized something, his expression filled with horror.

Marius's eyes also turned cold.

“If, and I mean if,” Thales scratched his chin, “from the Kongming Palace’s inventory to the properties under Iris’s name, or Little Flower’s private stash of money, how much are all these things worth in total?”

The old accountant's face changed drastically: "Your Highness, you're going to... you're going to confiscate the Kevin Deer family's property..."

The officials all turned pale!
Thales shrugged:

"What? He left behind a mess, he signed off on debts, and I used his money to pay them off, and even helped him stabilize Emerald City's finances. Isn't that just a matter of course, thank goodness?"

The chief treasurer said, trembling:
"But Lord Jen..."

Thales waved his hand:
"I believe that he is loyal to the country and considers the overall situation, so he will definitely not object."

Right?
As soon as he finished speaking, the entire study fell silent.

Both the tax officials and Marius looked at him with strange expressions.

Thales' smile froze on his face.

"Alright, just kidding. I didn't intend to raid Kongming Palace," the prince coughed, waving his hands repeatedly as if trying to turn back time. "I've sent a letter to His Majesty. Don't worry, Fuxing Palace will reply soon and decide on the relevant matters..."

At that point, whether it's selling off ancestral property or mortgaging it to repay debts, it won't be up to Jenn or himself to decide.

Thinking of this, Thales' expression darkened.

That was the time when he truly turned around and faced King Kessel.

His eyes darted around:
"But of course, whether for arbitration or for financial reasons, it's also necessary to find out how much money is in the Kevin Deer family's private accounts, right?"

The study was silent; no one dared to answer him.

Thales had no choice but to stop smiling and wave awkwardly.

"Go on, get on with your business, your daily affairs, raising money to pay off debts, and..."

Looking at the timid and hesitant tax officials before him, Thales sighed:

"So be it."

At the prince's urging, Stoddard and Hugo sent all the officials away to their jobs as soon as possible.

After all, he has a lot of things to worry about.

As soon as the door closed, Thales slumped into a chair:
"What a mess this is."

Marius, who remained behind, seemed lost in thought, slowly pacing with his arm still wrapped in bandages.

"With a single order, a duke of a fiefdom was stripped of his title, his property confiscated," the Watcher said quietly. "Do you know who the last person to do this was?"

“Ha, let me guess,” Thales said listlessly, picking up his teacup. “Was it a king? The kind who died a horrible death? So you can compare him to me?”

"No, not the king."

"Thank goodness, then there's nothing to compare."

“He was an emperor,” Marius said softly, “the last emperor in the world.”

Thales's hand holding the teacup froze.

"Hey, Thor, how's your injury?"

A second later, Thales smiled and changed the subject before the other person could tell him about the tragic end of the 'last emperor' Sebastian IX.

Marius looked at the bandages on his body.

"It's alright. Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. Congratulations on taking control of Kongming Palace without losing a single soldier."

“It’s nothing, it’s not my achievement anyway,” Thales said with a headache as he closed the account report on the table. “I was just taking advantage of the situation and temporarily stepping in to keep an eye on Kongming Palace.”

Screw impromptu decisions.

He remembered something, looked up and said:
"Oh, by the way, thank you, Thor. If you hadn't arrived at the arena in time, Jenn would have..."

"He won't."

Thales looked up in confusion.

Marius's gaze was resolute:
“Even if I didn’t show up with that flag, Duke Jann would still back down. It might be a bit more difficult and awkward, but you would still sit in this position and take charge of Kongming Palace safely and smoothly.”

Thales' expression froze.

"how do you know?"

Marius glanced at the ledger on the table.

Thales frowned and fell silent.

“If, I mean if,” Thales chuckled after a long pause, “if I had hanged those useless, incompetent finance officials…”

He raised his head:

"Then do you think the remaining staff in the Finance and Taxation Department will be more dedicated to helping me resolve my debts and generate revenue?"

Marius frowned slightly.

"Guess what, Your Highness," he said quietly after a few seconds, "what happened to the Red Prince after that?"

Thales stared at him for several seconds, then snorted coldly.

"All right!"

Thales stopped dwelling on the topic and opened his arms:

“You know, what surprised me even more than this was the Emerald City’s Tax Bureau. Their size and manpower are more than three times that of the Kingdom’s Tax Bureau.”

he mused.

Look at that Myrahovic and his men, no wonder Steward Juke and his accountants and tax collectors can't handle them.

“Not only that, there are also municipal officials, trading officials, judges, guards…” Thales murmured absentmindedly.

“Indeed,” Marius said, looking at the accounts on the table. “It’s astonishing.”

“Let me tell you, Thor, from administration to law enforcement to the market to finance, I’ve had four meetings this morning alone,” Thales said, snapping out of his reverie and feeling utterly frustrated. “Most of the time I could only smile and nod, watching officials come and go so respectfully, spouting correct but utterly useless nonsense…”

“Thank you for your trouble,” Marius replied respectfully. “I don’t know how many meetings Duke Janne used to hold a day.”

Telston was speechless for a moment.

A few seconds later, he sighed deeply.

"Have Wyatt come over later, Thor. I need to write another letter to that person at the Palace of Restoration to remind him."

"You mean you want to write a letter to ask for money to pay off your debt?"

Thales' fingers froze.

how is this possible.

Even if money is needed, it can only be mentioned in the letter after that.

Marius squinted:
"His Majesty is probably not very satisfied."

Thales turned to Marius and sighed helplessly.

“Yes. But he will never be satisfied, Thor, at least not with this ledger,” the prince slammed his hand on the table, explaining to the Watchman and himself, “but if he thinks this place is like the North, where he can easily take over with just a team of supervisors and royal envoys and happily collect the money, then he is wrong, terribly wrong, utterly wrong…”

"uh-huh."

“What’s worse is that he’s not someone who can be honest and forgiving of his own mistakes,” Thales muttered to himself, lost in thought. “On the contrary, as a ruler, he will only be stubborn and persistent until he makes his mistakes known to the whole world.”

As for the cost, everyone has to share it with him.

"Because that way, his mistake won't be apparent?"

Thales looked up and glanced at Marius in surprise.

He never expected the other person to respond, especially with such...unseemly words.

“Yes, if a cow doesn’t drink water, he won’t force it,” Thales chuckled. “Instead, he’ll dig down the dam until the floodwaters are raging, then point to the cow that’s sunk to the bottom and say, ‘Look, it’s drinking water now.’”

“And he’s had his fill,” Marius said softly.

Thales met his gaze and chuckled softly.

"Exactly."

“Then, Your Highness,” Marius changed the subject, “have you decided how to mediate between those two ‘homely’ Kevin Deer?”

Thales's face darkened.

"No."

“But now that things have come to this, it’s probably beyond my control,” Thales pointed to the sky. “At least until the Palace of Restoration replies, there’s nothing we can do.”

That's when his battle truly began.

“But they have,” Marius said, “so I suggest you prepare yourself and do something first.”

Thales frowned.

"You mean..."

“Finding the truth behind the assassination of the Duke of Leinster back then,” Marius said, “is the key to arbitrating this case.”

Marius looked at the account report on the table:

"Perhaps, there are more cases than just this one."

Upon hearing this, Thales' expression darkened, and he remained silent for a long time.

"Thor, do you really believe that Janne murdered his father to seize the throne and framed his uncle?"

“I’m not sure, Your Highness.”

"So Federico framed him to avenge his father?"

"I am also not certain."

"So, would you rather the truth be the former, or the latter?" Thales asked softly.

Marius sensed something amiss: "Your Highness?"

“Anyway, no matter how much we investigate, it boils down to these two results,” Thales said absentmindedly. “Federico wants the former, and Jenn wants the latter.”

Marius frowned:
"They all only want results that benefit themselves, Your Highness. This is only human nature."

Thales sneered.

"In that case, what does it matter whether the truth of what happened back then is true or just a frame-up? What's the point? All we need to know is that many years ago, Janne rose to power because of this, and many years later, Federico used it to bring him down. Isn't that enough?"

The prince, recalling the events of the past few days—from the silencing to the orphanage incident—felt only vexation and nausea.
"The truth, Thor, is nothing to some people."

The study became quiet.

“But you are not ‘someone,’ Your Highness,” Marius said softly. “For you, the truth means everything.”

Thales was slightly moved.

"And no matter what the outcome, only those who know the truth can truly take the initiative."

This time, Thales remained silent for a long time.

“Alright, Thor, send men to investigate the old case from back then and find out the truth,” Thales sighed. “Especially the feud between the old Duke of Renster and his brother, Viscount Sona. Although I highly doubt how many clues or evidence Janne will have left for us after all these years.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Marius bowed slightly. “In fact, I have already sent people to handle this matter.”

Thales was taken aback, then said unhappily:
"Hmph, I knew it."

Marius turned and left without expression.

“But Thor,” Thales suddenly spoke up just before Marius left the study, “you and I both know what kind of outcome the one in the Palace of Restoration wants.”

Marius's expression hardened.

"You know, even if we find out the truth, it's not as good as a letter or an imperial decree from the Palace of Restoration."

Thales said absentmindedly:

"That was us, no, it was the toughest battle I was ever going to face."

Marius remained silent for a moment:

"Do you really think so? Should we be worried about the Palace of Resurgence?"

Thales chuckled upon hearing this:

"if not?"

Marius turned around, his face solemn: "Where are you, Your Highness?"

Thales was taken aback. He looked around:

"Uh, the VIP study? The study used by a wise ruler more than a hundred years ago?"

“No,” Marius shook his head, emphasizing each word, “I’m asking: Where are you right now?”

Thales was stunned.

“Kongming Palace,” he pondered for a long time before finally realizing, “I am in Kongming Palace—the ancestral palace of the ‘Iris’ Kevindale family.”

Marius nodded:

"I would rather die for a friend than for an enemy."

Looking at his expression, Thales unconsciously became nervous.

"which one?"

The prince solemnly said:

"In this palace, Thor, which Kevin Deer are you truly worried about?"

Marius did not answer; instead, he asked in return:

"Which one isn't Kevin Deer?"

Telston was taken aback.

But they were quickly interrupted when Wyatt and several guards entered the study, excitedly and respectfully informing the Duke of Starlake:
From yesterday evening until now, thanks to the tireless relay of several of the fastest messenger crows flying day and night, the reply from the Palace of Restoration to His Highness Thales has finally arrived.

With a heavy heart and a sense of impending battle, Thales took the letter tube that Wyah had been protecting as if it were his own life, pulled out the scroll containing the decree of the Supreme King, and slowly unfurled it.

This time, however, the king neither wrote him a lengthy and complicated guide to seizing power, nor sent him a long list of officials to take over the Emerald City, nor did he offer any opinion on the handling of Janne himself or the old case, nor even a harsh (as Thales was used to) accusation or reprimand.

Under the expectant gaze of the Star Lake Guard and the wide-eyed stare of Thales, the unusually short reply from the king contained only a few words—not even as wide as the nine-pointed star printed on the outside:
You decide what to do.

(End of this chapter)