A cold wind blew through the lush treetops, gently brushed against the thick brown trunks, and swirled and danced in the courtyard in front of the banquet hall.
Several knights in armor patrolled the courtyard on horseback, their hooves echoing in the quiet night.
The eldest prince secretly avoided everyone's gaze and quickly hid in a secluded corner of the banquet hall.
Only then did he dare to speak to Victor in a low voice.
So, what do you want to say to me?
Viktor squinted, scrutinizing the eldest prince in his magnificent golden robes, and asked a question.
"There are some things that are not suitable to be discussed in front of Miss Liya, nor should they be heard by other nobles."
Seeing Victor's hesitation, the eldest prince considered for a long time before continuing:
"I sense that the unusual activity in the Southern Rift and the rampant monster infestation must have some hidden reason behind it."
The Crown Prince had given this matter considerable thought before revealing it to Victor.
Ever since returning to the capital, this matter has been lingering in his mind, and the more he thinks about it, the more uneasy he feels.
The situation in the south of the empire was originally stable, with adventurers and monsters in a delicate balance.
But when exactly did the problem begin?
The eldest prince fell into deep thought.
If we had to find a starting point, it would probably be the time when Victor took the princess to the kingdom.
Immediately afterwards, news arrived from the capital that Princess Aurelion had been chosen by Auberleigh to succeed to the throne.
In fact, the stability of the Southern Monster Rift is extremely important to the Empire.
It not only provided a livelihood for adventurers in the south, but also ensured the security of the empire's southern border.
These adventurers see every monster that emerges from the rift as a treasure, and they are willing to risk their lives for the rich rewards.
During this phase, the royal family intervened relatively little in the Rift, allowing adventurers to freely divide the spoils.
At this point, the adventurers' satisfaction level was undoubtedly at its maximum.
Because they can make a fortune here.
However, as time goes on, the number and strength of the monsters in the rift continue to increase.
This makes it difficult for adventurers to cope with on their own.
The empire was forced to send troops to the southern border to strengthen control over the monster rift.
Even with military intervention, the adventurers' profits remain substantial due to the sheer number of monsters.
However, although the adventurers did not have much objection to the existence of the army, there was a clear polarization within the group.
The monsters are becoming increasingly powerful and difficult to deal with.
Therefore, some adventurers choose to join or create guilds.
Joining a guild not only guarantees their safety, but also offers them a higher reward compared to lone rangers, even if the rewards are not necessarily greater.
But their advantage lies in their greater stability.
Even so, the situation in the south was originally able to maintain a certain degree of stability.
But now, monsters are continuously pouring out of the rift, and the adventurers, despite their best efforts, are unable to penetrate it.
Monsters swarmed outside the rift, their ferocious attacks relentlessly assaulting the army's fortified defenses on the southern border.
The adventurers had no choice but to fight alongside the army and defend the front line together.
But the problem now is...
When exactly did the original balance get lost?
Before the monster rift erupted into chaos, a tacit order was maintained between the adventurers and the army.
Adventurers are responsible for venturing deep into the rifts and clearing out most of the monsters, while the army guards the front lines to prevent the proliferation of monsters on the periphery.
However, the situation has now become complicated.
Only by relying on a large number of main forces can the stability of the South be guaranteed.
If you were to ask the adventurers at this time how satisfied they were with the South.
The answer is undoubtedly utter dissatisfaction.
They came here without any sense of righteousness, nor did they ever consider protecting the safety of the people in the south.
It's purely because they earn more money.
But now, even making money has become difficult.
The spoils on the battlefield were far less than when they ventured deep into the rift.
The eldest prince realized this, and while stroking his chin in thought, he said to Victor:
"Therefore, I suspect that someone may have deliberately widened the monster rift, leading to the current situation that is so difficult to defend."
Viktor opened his eyes, looked at him, stared at him, and pressed for an answer:
"Do you already have someone you suspect?"
The eldest prince lowered his head, his brows furrowed, and a hint of heaviness and pain flashed in his eyes.
He was reluctant to readily reveal his inner thoughts, because that name meant immense contradiction and pain to him.
But in the end, he slowly spoke:
"The only thing I can think of is Oweiser's doing."
A month ago, although the monsters in the lower levels of the Monster Rift began to surge upwards, making the monsters in the upper levels more numerous and stronger.
However, with the military present, the situation was still brought under control.
However, this has also led to a sharp decline in income for some adventurers.
The eldest prince felt that this situation might exacerbate the adventurers' discontent with the army, and their resentment might gradually accumulate.
After all, they came to the South to make money, but now they can't achieve their goal.
But the military's primary concern is protecting the safety of those living in the south.
In order to maintain the stability of the southern front and ensure the safety of the people, the army had no choice but to take such action.
But ever since the Second Prince came to the South and was scolded and sent away,
Soon after, the number of monsters emerging from the monster rift increased dramatically.
This is great; from the adventurers' perspective, these people are going to make a profit.
All day long, as long as you want to kill monsters, you can kill monsters, and making a fortune is no longer a pipe dream.
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