(Alphonse Chapter)
Kingdom of Valentino, Alchemy Era 132...
Lucarius I, the first king of Valentino, has passed away.
The devastating news spread like wildfire throughout the kingdom. The entire nation grieved.
When Priscilla heard the news of her father's death from her subjects, she wept uncontrollably in Elphons' arms.
No matter how strong her exterior, her heart couldn't withstand the pain of losing a loved one. Besides, even without everything else, she was still just a young girl.
She returned to the palace, temporarily separating from her lover for a while.
The death of the monarch had a profound impact on the Kingdom of Valentino.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that it was an unprecedented upheaval.
Previously, the Kingdom's regular army, directly appointed and commanded by the King, had always cooperated seamlessly with the Royal Knights of Vanrexor, jointly guarding the nation's territory.
Given the relationship between Vanrexor and the King, the Royal Army and the Royal Knights have never been significantly different in status.
However, the king's death caused a split between the two sides. The royal army, which believed it controlled the kingdom's largest military force, began to stir with ambition after the king's departure.
Van Rexor then began to take action.
He ordered the summoning of the royal cavalry and key figures in the royal army to the royal palace to discuss the distribution of military power within the kingdom.
Commander Saidila of the Royal Army would certainly not agree to the various suggestions put forward by the Royal Knights so easily. Given his stubborn and arrogant attitude, the negotiation process would definitely be filled with a smell of gunpowder that was no less intense than that on the battlefield.
The shrewd Van Rexor had anticipated this.
It was an ordinary, uneventful night. There was no lavish feast, no kabuki performance. All that remained were the solemn faces of the people who had come.
In the center of the palace, there was a large open space covered with a red carpet, estimated to be thirty square meters in size.
An important person was seated in each of the twelve seats surrounding the open space.
On one side are Vanrexo, who is temporarily managing the kingdom in place of the king, the vice-commander of the Royal Knights, and two Royal Knight squadron commanders;
On one side was the arrogant and defiant Wang army commander, Saidila, as well as other key figures in the Wang army, such as the chief of staff.
On one side were four ministers who had previously discussed state affairs with the king.
The arrangement in the hall resembled a three-way discussion, a three-way consultation for the future of the kingdom.
Van Rexor glanced to his left. His four ministers were whispering amongst themselves. He thought to himself, "These lowly ministers are no obstacle for me today."
He glanced to his right. There stood Saidila, the Wang army commander, over fifty years old and known for his tough approach to everything.
Unlike the knights, he wore a solemn, jet-black military uniform and did not remove his hat after entering the palace. His face was covered in white beard, and he looked weathered yet imposing.
He has never taken Van Rexor seriously. If they fail to reach an agreement today, he will likely be the first to start a fight.
As for the other royal troops, they are not a major problem for the Royal Cavalry today.
Today we only have one opponent: Commander Wang Jun, Saidila.
Van Rexor ordered his men to close the palace gates, isolating it from the outside world. Inside, the palace was resplendent.
“Van Rexor, I have something to ask you first.”
Before the meeting even started, Sadila had already spoken. Whether it was due to certain people or something else, everything present at today's meeting made him extremely unhappy.
"Please speak," Van Rexor said politely and obediently to the less-than-friendly guest.
"You didn't know about the commotion four days ago, did you?"
"I have heard a little about it."
Facing Wang Jun's elders, and faced with this man's aggressive language and tone, Van Rexo became even more polite, wearing a smile that greatly displeased Sadila.
"There's this guy who claims to be a member of the Royal Knights. He boasts that he'll challenge me alone and take my heart. He even says that if he wins, he'll transfer all military command of the Royal Army to the Royal Knights."
He wounded over a hundred of our comrades before fleeing. I said to Vanrexor, "The king has only been dead for a few days, and you, so ignorant and presumptuous, have taken over all the affairs of the state, and now you want to monopolize military power? Your provocation is far too obvious for the royal army and the entire kingdom!"
The sharp voice pierced the hall, instantly freezing the atmosphere. Everyone heard it clearly, yet dared not utter a sound. This old man was quite formidable.
"My Royal Knights actually have such a madman? I think the most imposing person I've ever encountered is Commander Sedila." Vanrexor replied to the commander with an enigmatic smile.
Seidila was about to explode when confronted, but he restrained himself and continued, "If the Royal Knights had someone like this, and they offended the Royal Army, you might not dare to admit it, would you?"
"How could that be? The Royal Knights have always maintained strict military discipline; after all, they are one of the kingdom's regular armies." Vanrexor raised his glass and toasted the commander, "Drink this first to calm your nerves!"
Suspicious of the liquid in the glass, the commander ordered one of his men to bring a steel needle that had been enchanted with antidote magic. He stirred the liquid in the glass a few times and observed that there were no signs of poisoning.
This was truly indecent in the palace.
However, everyone present knew that Sadila was suspicious, and since he was the oldest person there, they couldn't say anything.
After the commander finished his drink, Van Rexor continued, "I also have something interesting to say."
Seeing that he was not getting to the point of the meeting and was just rambling on, Sadila interrupted him with dissatisfaction: "Are we here to gossip today?"
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