Chapter 472: Choice

Upon hearing these words, Garret scented a profound and perilous danger.

He scanned Ference warily from head to toe, a cynical sneer playing on his lips. "My dear uncle, is your skull stuffed with swine dung, that you dare utter the word patricide to me?"

Garret possessed a fair understanding of Bruno's character; though his royal father would likely remain a mere Silver Knight for the rest of his days, the man held fast to his own political convictions.

As previously murmured, whenever Bruno forged a resolution, scarce anyone could bend his will.

Presently, Bruno chose to place his faith in the Wushan Fief, choosing to bind Ronin with the fetters of honor, power, and station; thus, unless the youth betrayed an explicit sign of treason, the King would never risk a mutually destructive clash to strike him down.

So long as this equilibrium held, so long as the Alduin dominion endured, the rest was but a matter of time.

Though Ronin was mighty, a mortal's lifespan remained inherently finite.

After all, in the grand tapestry of history, even one as formidable as the first Emperor Orlant had ultimately vanished into the long river of time.

The royal line would need three generations at most to outlast a Blazing Sun, or even a Legend.

Therefore, the path Ference offered appeared to Garret to have but one translation—regicide, followed by his own usurpation.

Arrogant and conceited as Garret was, with a temper that veered toward the radical, he yet held the honor and the countenance of the Alduin royalty in immense regard.

Were he to slay his own sire merely to claim the throne, it would be an indelible stain upon the royal house.

He could easily foresee that once the deed was done and Ronin successfully dispatched, Ference and his cohorts would likely brandish the sins of regicide and patricide, declare him unfit for the crown, and unite to bring him low.

Faced with Garret’s foul invective, Ference showed no ire, but instead waved his hands in soft dismissal.

"No, no, you misunderstand me. I never suggested you commit such a deed."

He explained smoothly, "To command the nobility of the kingdom in your father’s stead, it is by no means necessary to end his life. Throughout history, there is no shortage of precedents where a king, incapacitated by illness or other circumstances, surrendered the administration of state to the Crown Prince or the Hand of the King."

Garret’s voice cut through the air like ice. "Strip away the poetry, and are you not still asking me to bear the infamy of framing my own father?"

"If you but give the word, I shall perform the deed for you," Ference countered.

"This is treason!"

"No, this is for Alduin! It is to ensure we do not live beneath the shadow of the Wushan Fief!"

Ference's voice suddenly rose to a crescendo. "Rulans harbors grudges, and Ronin is insidious. What we once inflicted upon the Wushan clan, they will surely repay tenfold, a hundredfold! When that day comes, Alduin, and myself—an Alduin who took the name Grigo—none of us shall escape the doom of annihilation!"

"Yet your father chooses to trust such men. By doing so, he will only squander the centuries-old foundation of Alduin and bring down ruinous catastrophe upon our heads!"

He gazed intently into Garret's eyes, his expression brimming with absolute sincerity. "For the sake of Alduin, I am willing to bear that infamy in your stead!"

Garret leveled a low, menacing threat. "Are you not afraid I might relate these words to my father, and have him ally with Ronin to level your Duchy of Ference first?"

"You will not!"

Ference reached out and struck a hand upon Garret's shoulder. "I know you. You prize your own honor and the rise and fall of the kingdom above all else. Furthermore, even if you were to reveal this to my brother, my testimony would remain unchanged."

"For Alduin, I shall harbor no regrets!"

Garret lapsed into a long, profound silence.

After a great while, he brushed Ference's arm aside. "I will not consent to your schemes. If you dare employ underhanded machinations against my royal father, I shall never grant you quarter!"

"As for Ronin, before long I too shall ascend to the rank of a Blazing Sun Knight. The Wushan family is not nearly as terrifying as you claim!"

He turned his back, issuing a cold dismissal. "Begone. I shall act as though you never set foot here today."

Ference stared at him for a long moment, then let loose a despondent sigh.

"As you wish. In any case, I have said what needed saying and done what needed doing. If a day comes when you and your father follow in the footsteps of Jesus, do not regret it, and do not blame me for failing to warn you."

He turned, turning his back to Garret. "However, should you perceive the wisdom in this, you may seek me out at any time. Provided, of course, it is before Ronin ascends to a Legend."

With these parting words, Ference strode away, never casting a glance backward.

Whatever Garret’s thoughts, the seed had at least been planted deep within his heart.

Whether it would sprout lay entirely in the hands of destiny.

Garret watched Ference’s receding figure, standing rooted to the spot for a full half-hour before he finally shook his head and departed the training grounds.

"No matter the cost, I shall never permit such a thing to transpire!"

"Relying on my own strength, I too can find a way to counterbalance the Wushan Fief."

On the other side of the realm, having seen off Duke Valgis, Ronin also initiated his plans for the return journey.

First came the matter of the griffins.

The griffin nests under construction in the Mountain Forest Town were largely complete; though austere, they were sufficient to afford the beasts shelter.

Thus, Ronin contacted Bror and Missy, instructing them to make ready for the transport of the griffins to the Mountain Forest Town.

As for the several hundred specialized personnel required for the breeding and care of the griffins, Ronin dispatched Carlos back to the North Wushan Fief. Aside from escorting Elrond, Carlos was to notify Knight Rhys, directing him to sail a vessel from North Wushan Port to Cowhorn Bay to collect these hundreds of keepers and transport them to the Mountain Forest Town.

Two days later, at the estate of Duke Valgis.

"Haha! I never imagined Master Elrond would appear so youthful and yet already be a Grand Magus!"

Valgis welcomed the arrival of Ronin and Elrond with immense warmth; he had not expected Ronin to bring Elrond over in so short a span of time.

"May the Light protect all souls,"

Elrond greeted him with polite grace. "Lord Ronin has already apprised me of the matters concerning the Gistana family. I hope that on this journey westward, I may be of service to you."

The cadence of his voice washed over Valgis like a spring breeze, causing the Duke to wonder if Grand Magi of the Light attribute were naturally endowed with the talent to soothe the weary mind.

"The Duchy of Valgis lies thousands of miles from the royal capital. Though we return upon the backs of griffins, it will yet require two or three days. For this arduous trek, I must trouble the Grand Magus to endure the fatigue!"

Ronin could perceive that Valgis held Elrond, upon whom great expectations were placed, in the highest reverence.

He smiled and said, "In that case, I shall take my leave. Elrond, exert your utmost to assist the Duke in discerning the cause, and should any anomaly arise, deploy your full strength to resolve it."

Elrond bowed slightly. "Rest assured, my Lord, I shall dedicate myself wholly to the task!"

On the road thither, Ronin had already given Elrond his instructions.

During this venture, if the plight of the Gistana family was truly resolved, there would be no need for false modesty; he was to propose a pact of cooperation, securing for the North Wushan Fief a dedicated cultivation base within the Gistana Duchy for the rearing of Flame Grass.

This base would rely on Elrond for technical stewardship, while the Gistana Duchy would supply the labor.

Once the cultivation proved successful, the Flame Grass harvested from the base would be delivered directly to the North Wushan Fief, rather than being sold to the royal house.

Regarding the division of profits, Ronin was far from miserly; an eighty-twenty or seventy-three split would suffice, and he believed Duke Valgis would not prove overly parsimonious.

Naturally, should the journey yield no great harvest, Elrond would still alleviate the afflictions plaguing the Duke’s son and grandson, endeavoring to restore them to health as best he could.

In like manner, Elrond would seize the occasion to propose a partnership on Ronin’s behalf, with the sole distinction being that he would concede a more generous portion of the profits.