I, the prince in distress, send money

Harry's Joy in Chapter 452
Late that night, the study in Baron Nehari’s mansion was brightly lit by candlelight, but a chilling sense of panic permeated the air.

The study door was almost kicked open, and the officer who had led the kids into the palace during the day stumbled in, his face pale, dressed in civilian clothes, and breathing as rapidly as Jerry being chased by Tom.

"Baron... Your Excellency, something terrible has happened!"

The sergeant's voice was hoarse and trembling, almost incoherent.

"He's dead... His Majesty..."

Nehari was holding a glass of wine, trying to calm his uneasy mind caused by the impending conspiracy, when he heard this, his hand suddenly trembled, and the crimson wine spilled onto his expensive silk vest.

"Shut up, what's the panic!"

Nehari gave a low growl, trying to appear calm, but his heart was pounding wildly, almost bursting out of his chest.

He now had a very ominous premonition.

"Explain yourself! Who died? What happened?"

"It is Your Majesty, King Charles!"

The sergeant was panting heavily, his eyes filled with fear as he looked back, as if pursuers were right behind him.

"Just three hours ago, in the side hall corridor... he was... shot in the head, and died on the spot!"

Nehari felt a sudden darkness before his eyes, and a chill ran from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head.

Did the conspiracy succeed?
How could the plan have been moved up?

According to the plan everyone is talking about, shouldn't the assassins take action with swords at the victory banquet the day after tomorrow?

How could it be a shooting?!

He jumped up suddenly, grabbed the sergeant's arm, and his nails almost dug into the other's flesh.

"Who did it? Who is the assassin?!"

The sergeant winced in pain, his face contorted with even greater fear, and he stammered.

"It was...it was one of those new recruits you had me arrange to go in today, the one who was in charge, he...he suddenly pulled out a flintlock pistol and pointed it at His Majesty..."

Nehari felt as if he had been struck by lightning; his blood seemed to freeze instantly.

The people he sent in... the people protecting Charles... killed Charles!?

This sudden, completely off-track success brought no joy, only boundless fear and a sense of absurdity!
This was like a wild bull tearing open a completely unexpected hole in his meticulously woven web of conspiracy!

"Are you...are you sure!?"

Nehari's voice also began to tremble.

"It's absolutely true. Although I didn't see that kid fire the gun myself, many other people did!"

The sergeant's voice trembled with tears.

"Your Excellency, it's all over now. The palace guards have gone mad and are searching the entire palace for accomplices. They'll soon find me, and then you..."

Nehari forced himself to calm down, his brain racing in extreme panic.

Now is not the time to investigate why those Bagnians went mad; the key is the consequences!
He took a deep breath and stared intently at the sergeant.

"Where are the assassins? Have they been captured? Are there any survivors?"

This was his biggest concern; if the assassin died, the trail might end there.

The sergeant quickly shook his head, his tone even carrying a hint of relief.

"They're all dead. The three who were there killed seven or eight people in the struggle before being hacked to pieces by His Majesty's guards. The other three, who were patrolling elsewhere, were also captured by the enraged guards. They resisted and killed about ten people before being shot to death. There wasn't a single survivor!"

Dead... all dead...

Upon hearing the news, Nehari's tense nerves relaxed slightly, like a drowning person grasping at a thin straw.

The fact that there were no survivors meant that he couldn't be identified immediately, which was a stroke of good luck amidst the misfortune.

But he knew that was far from enough.

The terrified sergeant in front of us is the biggest loophole, and those old foxes in the palace will soon be able to trace it back to Nekhari through the personnel transfer records.

The sergeant stared at him expectantly, his eyes filled with undisguised fear and greed.

He risked his life to deliver the message, not out of loyalty, but for the last bit of money to save his own life.

Nehari understood instantly.

He released his grip, trying to keep his expression calm and even slightly approving.

"You did a good job... You notified me in time. Now, leave Taiwan immediately and never come back!"

He turned and quickly gave instructions to the old butler beside him, who was also pale-faced.

"Go, go get a bag of silver dollars, quick!"

The butler staggered away and soon returned carrying a heavy, coarse cloth bag.

Nehari didn't even look at it, and shoved the bag into the sergeant's arms. The weight made the sergeant stagger, but his face instantly lit up with the ecstatic joy of surviving a close call.

"Here, that's enough for you to squander for the rest of your life. Now, leave through the back door and run as far away as you can!"

Nehari urged.

"Thank you, Baron! Thank you!"

The sergeant thanked him repeatedly, clutched the money bag tightly, and rushed out of the study without looking back. His footsteps quickly disappeared at the end of the corridor.

Nehari knew that this person would disappear as quickly as possible, and that he would never show his face again in order to survive.

Only Nehari and the butler remained in the study.

Nehari's feigned composure crumbled instantly, leaving him pale and sweating.

"master……"

The old butler's voice trembled.

"quick!"

Nehari's voice was urgent.

"Proceed according to Plan Three!"

The old butler was startled and immediately nodded, then rushed out of the study.

Soon, a sense of oppressive haste enveloped the entire Nehari mansion.

The steward, under the pretext that "Master has received an urgent order to leave the city secretly on official business immediately, and everyone in the manor must return to the family territory at once," stuffed a large sum of travel money into the hands of each bewildered servant and guard, ordering them to pack their valuables immediately, leave through different city gates, and not to reveal a single word.

Although the servants and soldiers were filled with doubt and suspicion, they didn't have time to think much before they were offered a large sum of silver dollars, and they scattered like birds and beasts.

In just half an hour, the once bustling mansion quickly became empty and deathly silent.

Baron Nehari had already changed into an inconspicuous set of coarse cloth clothes. He didn't even glance at the exquisite art ceramics, the precious spices, and the silk that was smoother than milk hidden in a secluded place in his study.

Saving your life is the most important thing right now!

He strode into the bedroom, escorted by several absolutely loyal bodyguards, and turned a mechanism behind the bookshelf. After a slight scraping sound, a dark opening, just wide enough for one person to pass through, appeared in the wall, emanating a damp and cold atmosphere.

This was an escape route he had been secretly preparing, never expecting to actually use it; the exit led to an inconspicuous house outside the city.

Nehari went inside without hesitation, followed closely by his confidants.

The wall slowly closed behind him, shutting out his former glory and heinous crimes from the chaotic and maddening night in the capital.

He only has one thought now.

Run, run as far away as possible!

He no longer cared about the enormous waves that would be unleashed on Taiwan.

The secret passage was cold and damp, filled with the smell of earth and rock. Only the trusted confidant leading the way carried a dim oil lamp, barely illuminating the narrow, rough steps beneath his feet.

Nehari followed behind, his steps uneven, the cold air gradually cooling his feverish mind.

The initial panic and urge to flee gradually subsided, replaced by a belated, chilling doubt.

It’s so easy…

Once the thought arose, it coiled around his heart like a venomous snake.

Charles, that cunning and suspicious fox who became king through intrigue and the murder of his brothers and sisters, is dead?
He died at the hands of an assassin who appeared out of nowhere, someone Harry had "arranged" to infiltrate his country.

He died in a secluded corridor, in full view of everyone.
Moreover, it was a shooting.

This was indeed an accident. Even Nehari was unaware that the assassins he had arranged were carrying flintlock pistols, let alone that the kingdom's inspection had failed to detect this dangerous weapon.

But with just a flintlock pistol, Nehri thought it unlikely he could kill Charles.

Perhaps the Charles who was killed was just a stand-in, because the real king would not have only such a small amount of protection, and would not allow a new guard to get close to him so easily.

Regardless of the circumstances or considerations, such a thing should not have happened; Charles's death was unreasonable.

Therefore, it is highly likely that the person who died was not the real Charles.

Because Nehari himself also has a double, who is currently safely hidden in a safe house outside the city, preparing to appear in his place at that dangerous banquet tomorrow night, serving as bait and insurance to deceive Grey and Charles.

This is one of the fallback plans he prepared for himself.

What about Charles?

Would the king, who was even more afraid of death and had more power, not have made similar arrangements?

A terrifying, almost intuitive guess formed in his mind, making his hair stand on end and his steps falter. Fortunately, he was supported by his confidant behind him.

That's not Charles!

The death of the body double might have been an accident, because there are too many things that no one can predict.

Charles did not secretly leave the palace; his arrangement of a body double to leave was merely part of a performance.

He may have suspected that someone wanted to harm him, but he couldn't find concrete evidence or the hidden source.

So he deliberately created a loophole, using a decoy as bait, hiring someone to walk past the people Harry had arranged, and then pretending to be exposed, trying to play a fishing game outside the kingdom!
However, the body double was shot and killed.

This was completely unexpected by everyone.

Then, the real Charles took advantage of this opportunity to fish, loosen the kingdom's control, release the bribed officer, and then arrange for someone to follow him to see where he would go.

And he himself... Baron Nehari, at the climax of the play, perfectly jumped out, frantically dismissed his servants, and scurried into the secret passage that only rats would take!
This is practically a death knell written all over its face!

"Hehe...hehe..."

Nehari let out a few bitter, suppressed laughs in the darkness, filled with self-mockery and despair.

If things really went as he thought, then he would become the first fish Charles had caught!
Panic gripped him again, but this time it was not from the fear of death, but from anger and regret for his foolishness in falling into the trap.

However, in this abyss of despair, he suddenly grasped at a straw.

fortunately! fortunately!
Charles could at most uncover that Baron Nehari was involved in this failed... no, now it's a successful plot, but the one who died was likely a double assassination plot.

All he could think of was that Nekhari was trying to disrupt the situation out of political opportunism or personal ambition.

But they could never have imagined that Nehari's true trump card and loyalty had already been given to His Majesty Chris of Bagnia!

They would never know that he was a pawn that His Majesty Chris had planted deep within the island.

This means that Sir Doron, another captain of the Bagnia Blue Banner Army with an even lower status who was also lurking in the city, is still safe!

Because of his unremarkable public identity and his knightly background as a commoner, Sir Doron was carefully excluded from the inner circle by those schemers, who were afraid that his name would be leaked.

In retrospect, this was incredibly lucky!
Charles's purge might catch this self-righteous little fish, but it has no chance of touching Sir Doron.

As long as Sir Doron remains safe and sound, Bagnia's strategy on the island still has a chance of being realized, and His Majesty Chris's plan has not failed.

Thinking of this, Nehari's cold and desperate heart was strangely filled with a sense of relief and twisted comfort.

He was exposed and became a pawn, but His Majesty's great cause was not harmed.

This... is perhaps the best ending for people like him.

"hurry up."

Nehari's voice sounded unusually hoarse in the secret passage, but he regained a semblance of composure.

"We must get away from the island before dawn."

He now only hoped that the exit of this secret passage had not yet been blocked by Charles's men.

That would be his last, uncertain path to survival.

"Safety……"

The confidant who had been pushing open the barrier at the end of the passage quickly peeked back out and reported some good news to Nehari.

There were no outsiders outside, and there were no signs of forced entry inside the house.

"very good……"

Nehari let out a long sigh of relief, his tense nerves relaxing slightly.

It seems that this secret passage and his secret hideout have not yet been exposed.

Nehari led his men out of the secret passage and rested briefly in the house, eating some of the dry rations stored there.

Just as Nehari was quickly devising his escape route, a strange tremor came from beneath his feet.

At first it was very faint, like distant rumbling thunder.

But soon, the vibrations became clearer, more intense, and closer... It was the dull thud of countless hooves striking the ground.

At the same time, a cacophony of shouts, the clanging of metal, and a chaotic yet massive sound of marching approached from afar, surging like a tide towards the quiet village on the outskirts of the city.

Nehari's heart skipped a beat, but he quickly regained his composure, because capturing him wouldn't require deploying the army.

So he quickly went to the window, slightly parted the curtains, and peeked out with one eye.

Through the gap, he saw endless columns of soldiers carrying various family crests and banners marching towards Taiwan from the main road not far away.

The banners they carried were numerous and varied, including roaring black bears, coiled golden snakes, and eagles with outstretched wings… Nehari recognized them as the coats of arms of the noble families involved in the conspiracy!

These soldiers were also dressed in a mixed array of armor—leather, chainmail, and plate armor—and they carried spears, axes, halberds, and arquebuses. Torches formed a writhing fire dragon, illuminating faces distorted by excitement, greed, and a thirst for blood.

Some officers, clearly minor nobles, rode on horseback, shouting hoarsely, urging the troops to speed up.

"...The king is dead. Eliminate the traitors and protect the island!"

"...For the Duke, storm the palace!"

"...Those who block the way will die, and wealth and land lie ahead!"

The sporadic roars carried intermittently on the night wind, confirming Nehari's guess.

News of Charles's assassination has spread like wildfire. The scheming nobles who originally planned to act after the banquet the day after tomorrow were obviously overjoyed by this sudden success and could no longer resist the temptation of power. They simply launched a military coup ahead of schedule!
They no longer needed to hide or plot; the nobles drew their swords directly, determined to use their most familiar force to forcibly control the island and divide the spoils of victory!

The entire island instantly transformed from a turbulent undercurrent into a raging inferno!
Nehari leaned against the window, feeling a sense of peace.

Ah, war has broken out, and it is very likely that the island will be reduced to ruins. Perhaps the nobles will win easily, or perhaps Charles will turn the tables and kill all the nobles involved in the conspiracy.

However, that's all in the future. For Nehari right now, the presence of the army actually means safety.

Because once a fight breaks out, neither Charles nor the conspiratorial nobles will be able to control a Nehari who is determined to escape.

This is simply great!

Nehari was overjoyed; he could use this opportunity to escape to the Kingdom of Bagnia.

(End of this chapter)