T0 Gaming Guild Saves the World.

Chapter 662, Section 661: The Lion King's Tears

In the garden where Kurien was having a picnic, an inner guard quietly reported on the capture.

One detail caught the Lion King's attention.

"Oh, you mean that while you were on your mission, some of Thiago's core members were actually exchanging assets, packing their bags, and preparing to escape?"

The guard nodded vigorously: "We suspected him of leaking secrets, so we detained him separately, but no matter how we interrogated him, he remained silent."

Kurien stroked his beard, gave a light hum, and said with a sharp look in his eyes, "Interesting, bring him here."

Before long, a middle-aged man appeared in the garden. He had clearly been subjected to the Inner Guard's Great Memory Restoration Technique. The blood on his mouth and nose was still wet, and he looked disheveled and unkempt.

He was held down by the guards on both shoulders and could not move. He could only raise his head with difficulty after being given permission.

The moment Lu Gao met the Lion King's gaze, he trembled all over.

Kurien wasn't always warm; that gentleness was unique to his close advisors.

At this moment, he was as majestic as a lion, his eyes filled with chilling coldness.

"Lu Gao, is that your name?"

"Yes Yes."

The oppressive aura of the superior was fully displayed at this moment. Unlike Thiago, whose psychological defenses crumbled with just a glance, Lugo's superior's authority was completely exposed.

"Who in the inner guards leaked the information to you?"

"No...nobody's here."

"You had already made preparations for your escape before the internal guard operation, and you took out quite a lot of magic crystals and gold." Kurien sneered. "My son is quite capable; even the internal guard under your command, Wick, has been leaked."

Wick gave Lu Gao a cold look, preparing to take matters into his own hands.

Jiang Heyi and the fries both got goosebumps.

Kurien spoke in a calm tone, revealing no emotional fluctuations, but sitting next to him, one felt a chill run down one's spine.

"No, it has nothing to do with anyone else, it was me... I suddenly realized Your Majesty, it was intentional."

"..."

"..."

Kurien waved his hand, signaling the guards to let go.

With his shoulders freed, Lu Gao collapsed to the ground.

"Convince me, or Wick will resort to some old tricks; the traditional techniques of the Inner Guard contain many exquisite tortures."

Lu Gao did not hesitate and recounted in detail the process of the analysis that had taken place two days earlier in the dark room at the round table.

He spent two days thinking it over and over again, and finally realized with horror that Thiago was probably beyond saving, so he quickly tried to protect himself.

Bertrand couldn't help but show his appreciation.

A fallen nobleman, who almost started from scratch as a commoner, actually analyzed things very logically.

"If Thiago listened to you, maybe..."

Kurien sneered, squinting as he scrutinized Lu Gao once more.

Wick understood what he meant and had the guards take him away.

"He's a capable person; you can use him in the future."

One sentence sealed Lu Gao's fate.

The Lion King has always been like this; as long as he approves, one's origins are never an issue.

Upon seeing this, Bertrand stepped forward and knelt on one knee.

"I don't have to."

"Ok?"

“Father, I would rather be free to kill.”

"..."

"..."

Bertrand's brief remark silenced the room so completely that you could hear a pin drop.

"Do you know what you're talking about?"

“Father, I know very well,” Bertrand said. “You should know that I have never gathered any power; they just think that I am cheering for them.”

“They came to me voluntarily, and I never made any promises to them.”

"I like killing alien races because I like it."

"They shout to kill other races because they can profit from it."

Kurien couldn't help but facepalm.

From any perspective, Bertrand's remarks were sincere and heartfelt.

Under the shadow of Thiago's recent bloody assassination of his kin, Bertrand's decision to withdraw from the competition was undoubtedly for the sake of the Empire and Kurien.

only……

His motives were truly terrifying.

“Father, to be honest, I really can’t imagine what it would be like to become the Lord of Anna.”

"Once you become emperor, you'll have to be like me, sometimes mending clothes, sometimes serving water."

“Using the emperor’s private power to kill a few foreigners would only give the nobles something to criticize and condemn, which would be too boring.”

"Why not let Sloan do it? That way, I can hunt down these inferior criminals in Anna, but if I try them and they are executed, he can cover for me."

"stop!"

Kurien felt dizzy.

He was both shocked by Bertrand's humility and horrified by his outrageous behavior.

Less than two years after the wolf queen's death, Bertrand became an elegant butcher of the alien race.

Every now and then, he would take two or three personal guards to the imperial border to replace the lord and cut off the scalps of lawless and disorderly foreign tribes.

The reason he turned a blind eye was because Bertrand always had a legitimate reason for his actions.

He could bypass the lord's autonomous jurisdiction, go to their home, and kill criminals openly protected by the lord. This kind of outrageous behavior was so controversial that the word that nobles couldn't help but use when discussing him was "extreme".

He maintained this excellent mental state for more than a decade, remaining restrained and stable.

Was the wolf queen's education good or bad?

After much deliberation, Jiang Heyi decided that once the cycle ended, it would be best to find the wolf queen's spirit and have Bertrand's brain checked...

Ksha couldn't help but mutter, "Why are all Kurien's children so bizarre..."

Upon hearing this assessment, Kurien could only cover his face with his hands, at a loss for what to do.

"Prince Thiago has arrived."

The report from the internal guards brought everyone's minds, which had been in a complete mess thanks to Bertrand, back to their senses.

The moment Thiago stepped into the garden, his face contorted with fear, his muscles trembling uncontrollably.

His lips moved, and he roared, shouting in a broken voice.

"Father, I know I was wrong!"

As he spoke, ignoring the stares of countless eyes present, he knelt down with a thud, crawled to Kurien's side, and grabbed his leg.

"They were the ones who encouraged me, repeatedly encouraging me. I was bewitched, and suddenly..."

“I really didn’t intend to kill Sloan, I…” Thiago cried, grabbing at Kurien’s trouser leg and pressing his head against it. “The original plan was to kill Giza, like this… like this… like this…”

Thiago had clearly thought through his words on the way here, but he cried so hard that his mind was deprived of oxygen and he got stuck.

It's so clumsy.

Kurien laughed in anger, his gaze towards Thiago softening with a hint of helplessness.

"Still trying to argue? Your core members have all spoken up." Kurien sighed. "What makes you think the inner guards can't get a group of people to talk?"

Thiago's voice was hoarse: "Father!"

Kurien stretched out his large, powerful hand and forcefully shook off Thiago's hands that were wrapped around his thigh.

"Be honest, tell me why you did this. If you're still trying to brush it off... look at Ksha, look at the envoys of the Fallen Star Sea. You almost caused a war between land and sea."

Thiago dejectedly reached out to Kurien, but Kurien forcefully pulled his trouser leg away, avoiding his hand.

Knowing he couldn't deny it, Thiago trembled all over.

Wick offered him a glass of fruit wine to calm his nerves.

After a moment of silence, he finally revealed the whole plan.

It all started with the appearance of rainbow rain.

"What's our relationship?" the jailer asked, dumbfounded. "Can't you talk, you brain-damaged idiot?"

She's also very outspoken and says whatever comes to mind.

But Thiago couldn't retort.

He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, longing to see Kurien reprimand the other man, but when he looked up, he only saw a stagnant face.

He continued explaining, his voice trembling. Rainbow Rain's arrival in the capital caused a great uproar, and soon he became a guest of honor in Kurien.

At first, Thiago didn't think much of it, but when he heard that Sloan often contacted the Jailer Master in private, and that the Jailer Master was actually a member of this mysterious group, he could no longer remain calm.

Since Bertrand's mother's betrayal, Kurien has always been strict and cautious in judging outsiders.

Aside from a few trusted confidants whom he personally promoted, few people have become Anna's focus and been so highly regarded by Kurien as Rainbow Rain.

Contrary to his usual behavior, Thiago suddenly realized the "truth".

Rainbow Rain is the elite force that Curryne had Wick train outside!
Only in this way can we explain the rapid recognition and full treatment that Rainbow Rain received.

By introducing powerful external forces and allowing them to exist in the public consciousness in a neutral manner, and then at the right time, inducing them to side with the chosen successor to the empire, the power can be strengthened naturally without others suspecting favoritism.

After much thought, Thiago felt that this speculation was quite reasonable.

Hearing this, Kurien breathed heavily, trying to suppress the irritation rising in his heart with alcohol.

The onlookers looked at each other in bewilderment.

Hearing this, it seems that it really does have something to do with them, especially the prison guard.

Sloan frequently commissioned articles, which naturally led to him being "misunderstood".

"What are you doing? It makes sense here, but does it make sense to assassinate someone in the port?" the jailer roared. "The Siren's declaration of war is in our hands, and a major battle is just around the corner. You're telling me a normal person would do something like this?"

Kureen, suppressing his anger, asked, "Why choose to attack when the Siren and Sloan are at their crossroads? Is this also part of your long-term plan?"

Thiago lowered his head, his voice trembling: "I think that even if they suspect the siren attack, the old nobles in the country will definitely not let the rising stars get a share of the pie. They will... will try their best to avoid the outbreak of war."

“You think!”

Kurien's voice suddenly rose, his roar like thunder.

Thiago's head was almost touching the ground, and he was trembling.

This time, Jiang Heyi understood.

Thiago's plan was full of subjective speculation.

Sloan was killed, and the old nobles became a moat, prompting them to say things like, "We can't fight a war, how can we make money if we fight a war?" This created a counterbalance within the country.

Thiago also included his elderly father in his scheme.

For the sake of domestic harmony and stability, even if Sloan were to die, her father would try his best to calm the situation and avoid a direct conflict between Anna and the Siren.

"So, you suddenly had a brilliant idea and framed Bertrand?"

Thiago dared not look up.

He also felt that doing so was playing with fire, but he was also very tempted by the potential profits from such a risky endeavor.

So they added a patch to the plan—to assassinate Sloan while also assassinating Giza.

This operation was a bait, intended to make those present realize that someone was trying to cover something up, and upon their return, to question the possibility of the siren's assassination attempt, thus preventing the nobles in the country who were clamoring for war from actually gaining an overwhelming advantage.

Sloan understood.

"Then you use your own bodyguards to stir up trouble and shift the suspicious gaze to Bertrand."

Thiago replied in a low voice, "But... it failed before it even got to that point."

Kurien stood up, took a few steps, and nearly fell.

Bertrand and Sloan, who were beside him, rushed to support him and called out urgently for their father.

Thiago tried to get up, but was knocked to the ground by Kesha's tail.

Because of this fool's self-righteous "world-shaking wisdom," Anna and Falling Star Sea were on the verge of war, almost resulting in a bloodbath.

Squid was speechless: "It's like a card player who brings a bunch of counter cards, imagines the opponent playing this first and that second, and shouts, 'Hehe, just as I expected, I have all kinds of counter cards,' and then counters them all, naturally winning the game."

Thiago never considered that such a complex scheme, with its interconnected steps, would be riddled with flaws if even one link went wrong.

This genius doesn't think there's anything wrong with the plan at all; he only thinks he was unlucky and failed to kill Sloan in the first stage.

Once Sloan is killed, the subsequent plot will inevitably fall like dominoes.

He was completely immersed in his own "art" and couldn't extricate himself, fantasizing that everyone would cooperate with him like puppets.

Sloan's personal guards certainly wouldn't have the courage to risk their lives to save him.

The Fallen Star Sea will not declare war because their bloodline is scarce.

Anna will not pursue the matter, because the nobles are united in their efforts.

Kurien's inner guards are useless; even with the large-scale operation of the secret guards spreading rumors, no clues can be found.

As long as he writes the script well, A will win!

Jiang Heyi covered his head and yelled, "You fucking lunatic!"

He, who even tricked the world's consciousness, was so captivated by Thiago's astonishing wisdom that he couldn't find any clues.

A disgrace for life!

In the game, in order to fill in the missing information about Anna, the Overlord sent out the most outstanding literary masters to conduct profiling and deduction, forming the later story of the sea and land war that Anna could not effectively obtain information about, as seen at the boundary between reality and illusion.

I wonder what they would think if they saw this.

Hopefully, even the ruler will be stunned, so that they can find peace.

"Father, Father... I really know I was wrong, I won't do it again!"

Seeing the disappointment in Kurien's eyes, Thiago felt a chill run down his spine and begged for mercy at the top of his lungs.

"I don't want to see you... never."

“Father…”

"Put him under house arrest for now."

Thiago's eyes lit up instantly. He looked up with teary eyes, his pale lips, sticky with saliva, struggling to open and close.

“Father…you mean…”

“I will inform all of your disgraceful deeds, and you will no longer be a prince.”

"Yes, yes, I...I was wrong, I don't deserve it!"

Thiago wiped away his tears and snot, his heart filled with ecstasy.

As long as you're alive, there's hope!
Father truly cherishes blood ties and family bonds!

After the guards took Thiago away, Curryn remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking.

He will never appear again.

Bertrand and Sloan's eyes widened instantly.

"Your Majesty!" the two called out solemnly at the same time.

“Whether it’s His Majesty or Father… I won’t listen to anything you say.” Kurien raised his head, gazing at the sky. “It was him who said it…”

"I don't want anyone to use family ties to escape punishment."

“Since they’re not family, then they’re subjects… Wick, tell me, what crime is punishable under the Anna laws for assassinating a prince?”

Wick knelt down in fear.

"You're going to plead for me too?"

"Your Majesty...he..."

“He’s not my child. He murdered his brother, framed others, and will stop at nothing for power.” Kurien laughed. “He was the one who asked for the death penalty, so let’s grant his wish.”

Kurien pursed his lips and forced an awkward smile at Jiang Heyi, French Fries, and the other two.

"Kesha, can Jingxin stop now?"

Kurien let out a long sigh, as if he had aged more than ten years, and slumped into a soft chair, his words sounding like delirium.

"I even killed my own son, Giza, so why can't I kill someone else?"

As he spoke, tears streamed down his face.

The lion king, who had made Lu Gao's hair stand on end, was now as helpless as a child.

"Once you become king, you can no longer shed tears. Letting others see your weakness will only bring endless trouble."

His father's words of admonition still echoed in his ears, but he... couldn't help himself.

Kesha trembled all over and swallowed hard.

“I immediately informed Queen Jingxin… there was indeed a misunderstanding between Anna and Falling Star Sea.”

"Your Majesty, would you like to see him one last time?"

Wick was the strongest pillar of support for his frail old friend.

There are some things that only he can do.

Bertrand suddenly spoke up: "Father, I think we should redefine Thiago's identity. He may not be human anymore, so I can do it for him."

With his brothers' blood on his hands, the throne was no longer his for the taking; his mind was made up.

Kurien, of course, understood Bertrand's thoughts and waved his hand.

"Wick, tonight, send him on his way!"

(End of this chapter)