Chapter 69
The incident happened yesterday, after the projection of the Ambrose ruins ended.
The sharp-eyed dean spotted the dilapidated body of the third prince in a corner of the ruins.
Um?
Garcia pondered for a moment, then turned that part—the fleeting projection that lasted only a few seconds—into a photographic record and sent it to the Elders' Council.
It means that the Elders should quickly kick this scoundrel out of the royal family.
Somehow, the news leaked out and reached the Queen's ears.
That evening, the Queen announced her recovery and, to thank the Presbyterian Council for their assistance in managing state affairs during this time, hosted a small banquet, expressing her deep repentance for her sins.
As expected of the Queen, everyone showed her respect and went to the palace.
Prince Ethan was originally supposed to go too, but with the start of the Royal Academy, he was busy handling government affairs and applying for a postponement of the start of classes at the Royal Academy. He had been running back and forth for the past few days. During the day, he stayed in the kingdom with the ministers. After finally finishing his government affairs, he had to rush to the Royal Academy to submit the report for the postponement of the start of classes.
The deaths and injuries of those who participated in the trials of the secret realm did not affect the composition of the court officials; it only caused great losses to some nobles.
Busy with work every day, I've long forgotten what my mentor taught me since graduating from the Royal Academy. Forget about fighting, when I meet my colleagues at court every day, I feel like I could collapse and fall asleep right there in front of the council hall, as if I've been working for not just two or three years, but two or three hundred years.
The ministers were unaffected, and the nobles wouldn't be foolish enough to send their heirs to the secret realm. Most of them would send a few offshoots, or if they had too many children, they would pick the strongest one to try their luck.
Others were hoping to get a spot at the Royal Capital Academy.
Those who can't even pass the first screening stage are merely stepping stones for others in the secret realm.
Soldars had said many times before that the secret realm was extremely dangerous, and that it was not an exaggeration to say that one had a nine-out-of-ten chance of dying. Whether the artifact was more important or one's life was up to one's own judgment.
There seem to be a lot of people signing up, but you should know that these thousands of people are less than the number of new students applying to any random district college in the kingdom. It's just that the number of people at the Royal Capital Academy is small, so it seems like a lot in comparison.
The Third Prince initially wanted to enter the secret realm through Soldas's connections to obtain the same teleportation mark as the newborn, so he wouldn't risk losing his life in vain. If he performed well in the secret realm, the other ministers would see that he not only had a good reputation but also great strength, making him more competitive among his brothers.
The king is now old, and his princes have grown up; it is time for them to vie for the throne.
After all, even his mother, the Queen, fully supported him, unlike his other brothers.
Just when the third prince felt he still had a good chance, the queen suddenly told him that he was not actually the king's biological son, but rather the child of her and her first love. Back then, when Garcia had come to power, the other princes were fighting back, and the capital was in turmoil. The king hadn't paid much attention to the queen, which allowed her to take advantage of the situation.
Therefore, the Queen only doted on the third prince, and didn't pay much attention to her youngest son, Ethan.
That being said, the Queen still maintained considerable control over Ethan.
The third prince also only saw his younger brother as an assistant to him in ascending the throne.
But! In reality, he doesn't even have the right to inherit! He is an illegitimate child, a stain on the royal family, an imposter who has enjoyed the offerings of the kingdom's people for over twenty years, yet whose title is illegitimate!
The third prince is going crazy; he's determined to ascend the throne before anyone discovers his true identity.
Did the king know? Maybe he did, maybe he didn't, but his attitude towards the third prince was always no different from that of the other princes.
But that's the problem. The Third Prince prides himself on standing out among his brothers. How can he be reduced to the same level of treatment as Ethan, a useless fool who has no ambition and even went to the Academy of Pharmacy instead of the Royal Academy?
Fear and arrogance, anxiety and ruthlessness, were intertwined in his soul.
However, all of that has come to an end.
From the moment his body was taken away by Ambrose.
When the third prince got into trouble, the queen knew she couldn't escape blame.
Upon learning of the death of the third prince, the queen went mad, though she maintained a cheerful demeanor and invited the elders of the council, as well as other princes and nobles.
She also sent Garcia an invitation, saying it was a family dinner and asking him to make sure he came.
Garcia thought the Queen would definitely make him pay, so he didn't go. After all, he was the one who deliberately sent the photograph of the Third Prince's death to the Elder Council. He had many spies in the palace. He learned most of the story from his subordinates' report that a maid rushed into the Queen's bedroom and screams and cries came from inside.
The Elders' Council, as expected, was still drafty from all sides.
He sighed silently as he sat in the observation room and spoke to Copperfield beside him.
However, he didn't take it to heart. He felt that the queen was targeting him, and since he wasn't there, the queen could only swallow her anger.
I went back to my dormitory at Wangdu Academy to sleep in the middle of the night.
I went to the observation room early in the morning with great enthusiasm. There were fewer people there than the night before, probably because everyone was still asleep.
Today is still the day the Secret Realm Gate opens, and some of the Deans need to go to the plaza in advance to oversee the arrangements.
As he was contemplating whether to go have breakfast first, his subordinate came running up breathlessly, saying that he had been searching for His Highness the Prince all night and had finally found him.
Garcia was puzzled. His subordinate said that the queen had poisoned all the elders and princes.
There's good news and bad news.
Garcia told him to just spit it out and stop being so mysterious.
The subordinate continued, "The good news is that His Majesty woke up in the middle of the night. The bad news is that there was chaos in the palace. His Majesty went outside and heard a commotion outside, with people shouting that the Queen had poisoned the princes. He then fainted from anger."
Garcia was completely baffled.
On one hand, he sent someone to the Papacy to have the other archbishops inform His Holiness the Pope, and on the other hand, he rushed to the palace without stopping.
The Royal Academy is dozens of miles from the capital, and today is the day the secret realm reopens, so the roads are naturally congested again.
Veris arrived at the palace in the papal procession, with Lortheran and the dragon following behind. They were surrounded by a large group of strong priests, whose faces were flushed with excitement. Anyone who didn't know better would think that the king had gained a new son instead of losing a bunch of sons.
Also accompanying them was Archbishop Hilda, who had long dealt with the royal family. She reprimanded the priests for their excitement, warning them not to give the impression that their Pope was eager for the king's death.
He then put on a serious expression.
Lortheran and the dragon originally arrived on horseback, but when they reached the palace gates, Hilda instructed someone to take the horses away, and the man and the dragon walked side by side beside Veris's palanquin.
The dragon glanced every now and then at the jeweled chains on Veris's carriage and swallowed hard.
Once Veris gets back, it will probably sneak off and pluck it.
Veris sat cross-legged inside the curtain, his elbows propped on his knees, while a lieutenant in a prince's uniform spoke breathlessly beneath the sedan chair.
I heard that Garcia has already started running from five miles outside the city.
His Holiness the Pope was puzzled: "Isn't there a horse?"
Garcia's trusted confidant, who had been sent earlier, said with a bitter face, "His Highness hadn't even gotten on the horse yet when it knelt down."
Veris: "..."
I've been saying for a while that this person needs to lose weight.
He shook his head, looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar Lortheran Palace, and ordered his men to head straight for the king's bedroom.
The people on the road were walking in a hurry, their faces pale.
Looking up, I saw a large group of people walking towards me on the road ahead. I instinctively made way for them. They were carrying a sedan chair, which was completely covered by a white and gold gauze curtain and various beaded curtains. I could only see a blurry shadow.
Veris originally intended to come under the guise of his status as the papal envoy, but then he thought that the royal family was in chaos, the king had fallen, and the only remaining prince, despite handling state affairs for a month, was not yet able to win over the people, let alone being just a child.
Garcia won't be back that quickly. More than an hour has passed since he opened the secret realm and returned to the High Papacy, and Garcia's carriage is still moving at a snail's pace.
It would be better to wait until he goes to the Royal Capital Academy and then come back with him.
Veris sighed inwardly.
The palanquin quickly arrived outside the king's palace, where armored guards surrounded the area, and a group of the king's confidants stood on the perimeter, their faces grim.
Hilda walked at the front of the procession, glancing sideways at a few of her men, who quickly stepped forward and announced loudly, "The Pope has arrived!"
Everyone was startled and immediately knelt down on the ground, including the armored guards around them.
A heavy sense of oppression followed, and everyone's face turned pale. They didn't dare to raise their heads. After listening to the sound of the sedan chair landing, a while later, the sound of footsteps, neither too loud nor too soft, sounded as they went inside.
Hilda went inside ahead of time and told the people inside to come out and wait.
During this time, no one dared to look up at His Holiness the Pope.
Once the previously open doors of the King's bedroom were closed, the people from the High Papacy stood outside and dared to get up, only to find that their backs were covered in a thick layer of sweat and their eyes were sore and sore, as sweat had dripped into their eyes.
However, they were wrong; it was not the Pope's authority, but a dragon.
On the way, Lortheran discussed with the dragon that they would release their aura to scare people when they saw them.
Veris listened from inside the carriage but paid no attention.
He never does this when he goes to these important events. Why would he scare these innocent people?
The dragon nodded excitedly.
Ever since discovering the extraordinary splendor of the Kingdom of Lortheran, the dragon's excitement had not subsided. Veris cast a soundproofing spell on them, and the priests and servants of the kingdom could not hear their conversation.
Otherwise, the dragon would be the first one arrested.
"Will something like this happen again? I want to come back," the dragon said. The palace no longer belonged to Lor'theran, and even if it were a descendant of Lor'theran, it felt it had no legitimate reason to stay.
Or should we take advantage of this opportunity to secretly steal the jewels from the palace?
Lortheran gasped; if this happened a few more times, he really would be childless.
The king's bedroom was much simpler than the outside. The furniture wasn't as glittering as the dragon had imagined; instead, it was simple wood, only painted with a glossy finish. The carpets had intricate and beautiful patterns, but the colors were somber. In this entire vast palace, there wasn't a single priceless item to be found.
Although Veris arrived in papal retinue, he was still dressed as a papal envoy, not bothering with the papal crown and robes.
When he reached the king's large bed, he looked down at the ashen-faced old man, sighed softly, and waved his hand.
A sliver of pale golden light entered the king's brow.
The old man coughed twice, slowly waking up. Seeing the young man standing before his bed, his eyes filled with pity, he was startled, then quickly sat up: "My lord..."
The young boy has never seen the Pope before, but hasn't he?
Veris pulled up a chair and sat down, gesturing for him not to bow, and then said, “What has become of you, King Charles?”
The king seemed to remember something, his face paled even more, and he sighed, "It was because I was too lenient that we have ended up in this situation, Your Holiness, it is all my fault."
Undoubtedly, Charles, who could get Veris to agree to ascend the throne, was no tyrant. Although he was already quite old when he ascended the throne, Garcia said that his brother was a noble man and a benevolent ruler.
During the time he was cursed, Charles was conscious, but he was unable to regain consciousness for a long period of time.
Lortheran's earlier statement about delaying his awakening was merely a ploy to tease Ethan. The curse was rather complex; waking up too early would only rapidly corrode King Charles's body.
"I never thought of passing the throne to him, nor have I ever shown any particular fondness for any child. Why... sigh." King Charles couldn't understand, but over the past few days, he had come to see some things more clearly.
After sighing, he mustered his strength and solemnly said, "My body is broken, my child has been killed by my wife, and my days are numbered. I only hope that Your Holiness the Pope can return this throne, which does not belong to me, to Garcia, my dear brother."
Veris stared intently at the aged face. The last time he saw the King was more than ten years ago. At that time, although he was already in his forties or fifties, King Charles was still quite energetic. Now, however, he looked like he was ninety years old.
For humans, this is already an age when death is imminent.
After more than a decade of diligent work and hard work, the Kingdom of Lortheran, once ravaged by its previous king, is now thriving under the leadership of King Charles.
His Holiness the Pope also sighed and said, "You should see one person first."
He stood up, and King Charles was taken aback, wondering who the Pope wanted him to see.
Is it the youngest son, Ethan? No, he has already had his trusted secretary-general arrest Ethan.
Perhaps because his body was so badly damaged, before he could think of a second candidate, an eighteen-year-old young man walked over.
The young man was always there, but King Charles was only concerned with the Pope and didn't pay attention to the others in the bedroom.
When he saw the young man, he was startled, feeling that the young man looked very familiar.
The young man looked at King Charles with a disrespectful gaze, without offering any greeting or bow. After he finished looking him over, he said, "You should remember me."
Yes, yes, that voice must belong to the papal astrologer who interprets his stars day and night!
King Charles smiled politely and was about to thank the young man, who was said to be a ninth-level astrologer, when he heard the young man say, "My name is Lortheran, and my surname is Martin. You should be more familiar with that name."
The old king's smile froze as he looked at the young man with golden-brown curly hair, gentle yet sharp eyes, with suspicion and uncertainty. He then looked at the pope who had walked to the side and was talking to another young man.
Clearly, His Holiness the Pope did not notice his gaze.
Lortheran did not sit in the chair that Veris had sat in; he simply stood and looked at the old man, saying, "Orlando has resurrected me. I will rule the kingdom for a time. The next king, Orlando means, your youngest son, Ethan."
King Charles opened his mouth, recalling how his youngest son had made time to visit him every day recently, chattering on and on. In a flash, something occurred to him.
"Now that you have returned to the mortal realm, why not take over the administration of the kingdom sooner? This is not difficult for His Holiness the Pope," King Charles asked.
“It’s very simple.” Lortheran raised his eyes. “If it weren’t for your good queen doing these things, I wouldn’t want to come here anymore. I only help Ethan because he’s likable.”
The old king's face darkened upon hearing the first sentence, but upon hearing the last sentence, he nodded: "Ethan is a good boy. He is never harsh on his servants and does well in his studies. It's just that I always thought he was too good-natured because of his mother's upbringing, and he's not suitable to be a king."
“Indeed, he dares not kill,” Lortheran agreed. “So he is not yet fit to be king.”
For ordinary families, the idea of an ancestor coming back to life is a terrifying thing.
But for King Charles, who was now facing a great calamity, it was as if a huge weight had been lifted from his heart. He was cursed, and his already poor health meant that even if he survived this ordeal, he probably wouldn't live much longer. The country was relatively stable, but there were still many government affairs that needed to be addressed: selecting civil servants, reforming official positions, improving the training methods of the army, strengthening the defense of the northern border... Now that he had collapsed, he could only entrust the kingdom to his younger brother, the former king, now Prince Garcia.
...Garcia is most likely not happy about it.
Garcia, who has already switched allegiance to the Pope, becoming king again will likely cause some controversy.
Even though His Holiness the Pope only selects princes suitable to be kings and rarely interferes with what the princes do after they ascend the throne, the conflict between papal and royal power has become increasingly acute since some point in time—even in the eyes of the world.
All the ministers chanted the slogan that a crown prince without faith is a good king.
The Pope simply didn't show his face for several years. He only learned some things from Garcia, but Garcia was vague, saying that the Pope was not in the capital.
Undeniably, King Charles breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the news. The feeling of unease he had felt vanished, giving him the courage to implement his policies.
As he had expected, the Pope's side remained stagnant and made no move in recent years.
The fact that he didn't express his opinion means that he approves of his approach.
As his thoughts returned, King Charles looked at the young face beside the bed and finally remembered that when he was very young, he had seen a portrait of his grandfather when he was young. At that time, his grandfather was the youngest grandson of King Lortheran and was said to look seven parts like King Lortheran, so he was very much loved by King Lortheran II.
This young man looks very similar to my grandfather when he was young... No, that's a bit of a reversal. It should be that my grandfather looked similar to this young man when he was young.
However, this young man possessed a sharper, more imposing presence than his grandfather, who had been pampered since childhood. The pressure of his high position and power accumulated over the years was something his grandfather's soft, aristocratic air could not match.
King Charles let out a sigh of relief and bowed his head respectfully: "Your junior, Charles, sends his regards to our ancestor and wishes him all well."
He had lost all feeling in his lower body and couldn't even stand up to bow.
Lortheran looked at the frail, elderly king and grunted, "Aren't you going to question my identity?"
King Charles's breathing was long and steady, he was completely relaxed. His aged voice rang out, his breath short: "No, just by standing before me, I know that you are the born king."
Once you've sat in that supreme position, you can easily discern certain things.
Just then, Veris walked over and said, "Garcia is here."
As soon as he finished speaking, the door was hurriedly pushed open, and Garcia's obese body tumbled in, rolling like a ball of flesh on the ground. His usually well-maintained hair was now covered in sweat and stuck to his forehead, which was covered in a layer of fat. His narrow eyes were closed because of the scorching sun outside and the intense light.
"Oh, oh, my dear brother, how could this have happened?" Garcia rushed to King Charles's bedside, panting heavily. He was about to cry, but after rushing all the way, his head was throbbing, and even the tears that fell were like sweat, sliding down his cheeks.
But King Charles wiped his face, which was burning hot from the scorching sun, and said seriously, "Garcia, you are a prince, how can you bow down and shed tears over such things?"
"My dear brother, who cares about these things right now!"
Lortheran walked over to Veris and asked in a low voice, "Have you seen it? The stars."
Veris, with his hands tucked in his sleeves, answered him in a low voice, "Didn't you already know that?"
The star was dim, indicating that King Charles was nearing his end. Lortheran had previously pointed this out to Ethan, but he had Ethan look at his third brother's star.
Garcia initially rushed to the palace intending to take charge of the overall situation. If those elders were really dead, it would be a real problem. Putting aside the issues involved, just handling the funeral arrangements would give him a huge headache.
Later, halfway there, they heard from scouts that the elders of the council had all been poisoned, and not only that, even the princes had not survived.
Something terrible has happened in Garcia's secret passage.
After walking another mile, a messenger hurriedly brought a message, saying that the doctor said the king's health was very poor.
Garcia couldn't sit still any longer and tried to ride back, but the horse couldn't support his weight. He threw off his magnificent robe and ran like a madman towards the palace.
He hadn't gone far when the people of the High Papacy came to pick him up.
Garcia's heart sank. Ophelia was there to pick him up, saying that the Pope's palanquin had already gone to the palace.
The last time the Pope's palanquin went to the palace was when he was clamoring to pass the throne to his brother Charles.
Of the brothers who once vied with him for the throne, only Charles remains.
But isn't it the same for Charles?
Upon seeing Garcia, his spirits were dampened considerably, and he felt as if he could die without regrets after seeing his brother.
His cloudy eyes cleared a bit. Holding his younger brother's chubby hand, it was as if he had returned to when he was very young, with his brother's tender and fleshy hand in his palm. The two brothers said goodbye to their teacher and went to ask their mother for fruit.
Over the past decade or so, Garcia has lost his former vigor and spirit. He has become addicted to pleasure, and his once robust and standard warrior physique has become so fat that he is no different from an ordinary nobleman.
They indulged in horse racing, playing, eating, drinking, and merrymaking, frequently leaving the capital to visit estates in other places. Almost everyone forgot the majesty and ruthlessness of King Garcia in his prime.
Over the years, he had asked many times why Garcia had handed the throne to him.
Garcia waved his hand impatiently, telling him to just do it.
Now, he asked the question again.
Garcia stared intently at his aged brother: "When I was little, my teacher said that a country needs to be handed over to the right person in order to last a long time. You are the right person."
King Charles instinctively wanted to retort, but then Garcia said, "You will surely have a place in the history of Lortheran today, my brother. The kingdom will not forget your contributions, and the people will remember your kindness."
"You are the great Lord Rotheram VIII."
In future historical records, Charles's name will be engraved in the texts passed down through the ages. He swept away the ills of the reign of Lortheran VI and led the Kingdom of Lortheran into a new era.
For more than a decade, he has remained steadfast and diligent, never daring to slacken his efforts even for a single day.
Veris stood to one side without saying a word.
I simply looked up and gazed at the huge arched window that emitted a blurry light and shadow.
The next king will surely be remembered in history.
Because an era belonging to literature, to thought, and to humanity itself is about to arrive.
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Author's Note: The new volume "The Song of Lortheran" has begun, and is expected to last two years, with a faster timeline.
Several parts of the new volume: The Hero Squad's life at the Royal Academy, Sylvain's confused memories, Ethan's path to becoming Crown Prince, Granvar's rise (?), and the riot in the Demon King's Forest.
Current progress: Lortheran has temporarily taken over the kingdom to train Ethan.
This period was crucial, which is why Viktor decided to reinstate Lortheran into the ruling system.
Writing in my diary will be so satisfying (I'm sure of it)
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