Chapter 318: The King's Disposal

Roning’s argument contained a certain degree of sophistry—something he could not avoid.

After all, within the vast Golden Feather Palace, he was isolated and powerless, while his opponents were scions of the kingdom’s most elite noble families. Without invoking the tiger’s hide and raising the grand banner, he might well suffer dearly in this matter.

Fortunately, he knew the King intended to broker a marriage between him and Blanchette; under such circumstances, his adversary would inevitably lean slightly in his favor.

Yet King Bruno’s words plunged the Grand Hall into an eerie silence.

Minister of Justice Texas was stunned, his mind racing, frantically speculating on the monarch’s intent.

Simultaneously, he scoured his memory for legal statutes, finally stammering: “Your Majesty, if… if their statements truly caused the severe consequences Roning described—endangering national security—the maximum penalty… would be hanging.”

Hanging?

Falcondo, kneeling on the floor, shot wide-eyed with terror—then collapsed like a punctured bladder. Among them, he alone bore no blood of the Audoin lineage. Was he to be the sole scapegoat?

“Minister Texas, did you misstate something?”

Cros’s face darkened, yet he retained his composure. “Because of a single remark, coupled with Roning’s baseless speculation, you would sentence us to hanging?”

“Yes! You’re the Minister of Justice—words like that cannot be tossed about lightly!”

The Gregor siblings of Ferenzburg and Sally of Moonvale also voiced their protests.

Technically, guilt had not yet been established before trial—but that was the norm.

Here, they faced the King and the kingdom’s Minister of Justice. If these two men preliminarily condemned them, it would heavily sway the outcome of any future trial.

“No, no, no!”

Texas hastily waved his hands, cutting off their objections.

“Gentlemen, you misunderstand. I did not say I would sentence you to hanging. I merely stated that if your words truly endangered the kingdom’s security and caused grave consequences, the maximum penalty *could* be hanging.”

Only then did Falcondo grasp the nuance. Like a drowning man clutching a straw, he blurted: “But no harmful consequences have occurred yet, have they?”

“Yes.”

Texas nodded, then turned to the King.

In his view, this was merely a petty brawl. Why would His Majesty escalate it to such severity?

King Bruno laughed heartily, easing the tension in the hall.

“Don’t be alarmed, children. I merely wish to remind you that careless words can bring dire consequences—though I have no intention of executing you over this.”

If he truly did, wouldn’t his aunts, sisters, and brothers storm the Golden Feather Palace to demand justice?

He had no desire to live the rest of his days without a moment’s peace.

Yet his smile softened slightly.

“Falcondo, have you recognized your error?”

Falcondo, still trembling from his near-death scare, knew his life was spared. In the face of such a question, how could he dare to prevaricate?

“Your Majesty, I know I was wrong!”

He immediately pressed his hand to his chest and bowed low. “By the Seven Gods, I shall never speak such words again.”

“And you?” Bruno turned to Cros and the others.

Since Falcondo had confessed, they could no longer hold out. One by one, they lowered their heads, murmuring similar admissions of fault.

Bruno smiled inwardly. These twenty-something youths were so easy to handle—just a little scare, and they crumbled.

Had their fathers or elders been here, they’d still be spitting venom in heated debate.

“Though I shall not impose harsh punishment, you have slandered the fairness of my father, Audoin IV’s, ennoblement, defamed the generations of service the Wushan family rendered to the Audoins, and deliberately smeared and fabricated lies about Roning. For these transgressions, I must still impose penalties.”

Roning’s heart stirred.

Bruno had quietly, without fanfare, labeled Cros’s remarks about him as deliberate defamation and falsehood.

He noticed Falcondo and Cros’s expressions—they were all focused on what punishment they’d receive, utterly indifferent to how their words about Roning had been classified.

Indeed, compared to slandering Roning, the lie about Audoin IV was far more serious.

“Choose one: a fine, or imprisonment,” Bruno declared.

Falcondo exhaled in relief, rising to confer quietly with Cros and the others.

They would never choose imprisonment. Their discussion was merely to determine how much each family would contribute.

“Your Majesty, we are willing to pay the fine. But please, as first-time offenders, do not set the sum too high.”

“Rest assured, I am not as profit-minded as your merchant father, Mauren.”

Bruno chuckled softly, revealing his plan.

“Four days from now, on Blanchette’s birthday, I shall host a tournament. All professional knights and mages aged twenty-five or younger attending the banquet may compete. The champion shall receive fifty thousand gold coins; the runner-up, twenty thousand; third place, ten thousand.”

A spark flashed in Roning’s eyes.

At twenty-five, even the most gifted of the transcendent were barely reaching Silver rank or Grand Mage status. With his full strength, the title was his for the taking.

Bruno had designed these conditions and rewards precisely to covertly fund him.

Then the King added:

“For the sake of your dignity, I shall have your three families cover the eighty thousand gold coins in prize money. I shall not call it a fine, but rather a generous sponsorship from Ferenzburg, Moonvale, and Screaming Isle. What do you think?”

Eighty thousand gold coins.

Falcondo, Cros, and the others exchanged glances.

They had braced for a penalty of one or two hundred thousand. Eighty thousand? Divided among three families, it was less than thirty thousand per house.

An amount they could easily afford.

“As you command, Your Majesty!”

All five agreed.

Bruno turned again to Roning. “Do you have any further objections to this resolution?”

All eyes turned to him.

Cros and the others remembered clearly: Roning had previously demanded seventy thousand gold coins in convalescence and emotional damages.

They could accept Bruno’s ruling—but they still recoiled at Roning’s demands.

Watching the King’s smiling countenance, Roning would not be so foolish as to press further.

“Roning humbly offers his and the Wushan family’s deepest gratitude to Your Majesty!”

Roning bowed deeply. “Your judgment is most just. I have no objections.”

He did not even expect a verbal apology.

Sally muttered under her breath: “Good sense, at last.”

The others snorted coldly—still seething with resentment toward Roning.

Bruno nodded slightly. He had gone this far—if Roning now insisted on additional compensation, it would be unwise indeed.

“Very well. Since the dispute is settled, let this matter end here.”

Bruno rose from his throne.

“The hour grows late. I have ordered the kitchens to prepare a banquet. Join us—all of you—to celebrate your renewed harmony!” (End of chapter)