Durin's Diary

Chapter 9, Chapter 7.5: Robert Walter I

After hanging up the phone, the white-haired old man lay down in the rocking chair.

There was still some sunlight on the balcony of Sanssouci Palace, so he stayed covered with a blanket until his gray-bearded peer pushed open the balcony door.

"The operator said you just received a highly confidential call from the Eastern Elven Territory, and the head attendant also said you sent someone to find Madam Saleen." The gray-bearded old man lowered his head and asked, "Is there anything I can do for you, Your Majesty?"

"Old man Ish just called me and said that his grandson wants to come to Copenhagen to study at the Art Academy next year." The old man on the recliner said with a smile.

Graybeard chuckled, "Your Majesty, I heard correctly, didn't I? Duke Ish's great grandson wants to come to our art academy. Will his military and engineering association agree?"

"It was your subordinates who were responsible. The Circle of Truth sent a young man here who had some exposure to the New Northerner doctrine. He then reported it to my foolish eldest son, who arrested him while you were away. He then died of a hunger strike in prison. Ish must have been responsible for this matter. What do you think of him?"

The old man's gray beard whitened at this, then he turned to look at the setting sun. "What he's telling me now is that I should take care of Du Lin. And I, Fisher, will have to keep a close eye on those young men under your command. Last time you were away, my eldest son led your men to do something good. We can still negotiate with our counterparts in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Circle of Truth. The worst that can happen is I'll lose face and pay some money. But if you touch Du Lin, I've had enough of life anyway. I wonder if those little bastards under you and their families have had enough of life too."

"I will definitely warn them not to cause trouble to Dulin. Do you have anything else to tell me?" the gray-bearded man named Fisher asked in a low voice.

"That's right. Also, tell Sean that the Northern Kingdom Academy of Art should start teaching people how to make movies. Tell them straight up that Ish's grandson wants to come and learn how to make movies."

"Your Majesty, Yi Xu's grandson is really here."

The owner of Wuyou Palace and the head of the secret police fell silent for a moment after their conversation reached this point.

Finally, the white-haired old man sighed in his recliner, "Really? Logically speaking, for such a good grandson, the right path would be to join the Cardinal Academy Intelligence Department under the name of the Ring of Truth. This Eastern Elf Territory doesn't seem to be peaceful."

"It seems that the loss of the child this time really made the Ring of Truth very angry, so much so that the Duke placed a heavy bet." Fisher thought.

"I've inquired about Faris Dada Ayeh, a graduate of Oak Hall from the Central Bank Province's Zhongsi Academy. Both his parents died in combat rotations on the eastern front. He was a devout believer in the Primordial Creator and committed suicide by starvation to avoid betraying his comrades, which corresponds to one of the Primordial Creator's Seven Virtues of Sacrifice..." After a brief silence, the white-haired old man looked at Fisher and said, "Fisher, find a chance to return the body. Such a young righteous man should not be kept in your basement."

"I understand, Your Majesty."

"Go do something."

The conversation ended here. Fisher took the order and left, while the white-haired old man lay there, looking at the sea and sky in the distance. The sun was slowly setting towards the intersection of the sea and the sky as usual.

Someone opened the balcony door again. The old man turned around and found that the person who walked in this time was a white-haired woman.

Mrs. Salin Feddra, Ish's old lover, is also the old man's cousin - she took her mother's surname, otherwise she would have to be named Walter like the old man.

"I've received a call from Ish. Your secret police department is truly impressive, having been able to force him into this state." She stared intently at the old man in front of her. "Robert, what do you want from me?"

"Du Lin is here to learn how to make movies. Yi Xu will definitely ask you to take care of him, right?" The old man didn't care. His cousin has been like this since she was a child, and he has long been accustomed to it.

"Yes, do you have any plans?" Mrs. Salin sat down in an empty chair nearby. "Movie production? I've never seen such an outrageous excuse. Ish's grandson doesn't look like he needs to stay out of the spotlight. How can he be preparing for his coming-of-age tour next year? I always thought this kid would join the Cardinals' Intelligence Department under the Circle of Truth."

"Ish told me that someone proposed to the Ring of Truth that Durin come to the Northern Kingdom to oversee intelligence gathering." Lady Saleen said as she picked up the fruit knife and apple on the table.

"Good fellow, are you trying to drive Durin out of the Eastern Elven Territory? What offense has this kid committed that's so serious that even Ish can't protect him?" The old man said this and looked at his cousin: "Ish must have told you about it. Tell me."

"Dulin and a girl named Anta have been together since they were little. They are childhood sweethearts." Salin stopped talking here and began to peel the apple carefully.

"They've been friends since childhood. I understand. This girl named Anta is incredibly talented, and many people think Dulin isn't good enough for her, so they came up with this awful idea. And Ish, that old man, is a smart guy. Since he can't stay in Lublin anymore, he might as well let his grandson leave. If that girl truly loves Dulin, she'll overcome all odds and dangers to come to him. By then, no matter how much those people object, it won't help."

The old man smiled happily as he muttered to himself, looking at the setting sun. "I'm sure Du Lin has confidence too. How wonderful! Before we know it, our generation has grown old, and the children have grown up. But there are always young children who leave their hometowns, and begin their naive lives to explore this cruel yet beautiful world."

At this time, Mrs. Salin had peeled the apple in her hand and handed it to him.

"Thank you." The old man took the apple and took a bite.

"Durin is known to be very opinionated, not at all like a child," Lady Salin said, looking out onto the balcony. "Intelligence says he hates evil. If he were to be exposed to Northernism, he might be even more dangerous and more difficult to deal with than Faris to your throne. Aren't you worried?"

"What do I have to worry about? I've spent most of my life getting to this point. I've fulfilled my mission, Saleen. The future will be the era of the young. My sons have their own ideas, and those young people their age will also make their own choices." The old man looked toward the setting sun. "The day Faris was arrested, Fisher was in the south handling other matters. My eldest son was in charge. Old Ish didn't take action out of my kindness, but what if I'm no longer around? What do you think?"

"You said that a second son is more lenient than the eldest son, which may not be a bad thing."

"But he also values ​​the crown on his head more than the eldest son, and people change."

At this point in the conversation between the cousins, the old man noticed the loneliness on his cousin's face.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"You are really old. There are more wrinkles at the corners of your eyes, spots on your face, and even your body is hunched..." she replied.

“Silly girl, this is what people are like. People have different classes. Some are born princes, some are born beggars, some become legends before they are fifty, and some cannot escape their mortal body until they die. Death is the only fair existence on this earth.” Having said this, Robert Walter of the Northern Kingdom, the master of the land beneath their feet, sighed in his heart.

When I was young, so many of my peers died in front of me.

I've come this far...it's my turn now.

Only love cannot be betrayed, and only death is inevitable.

(End of this chapter)