Chapter 524: Framing

In the Hall of Alduin, Crown Prince Garrett stood before the throne. He was not yet fit to sit upon it—until the formal succession ceremony had been completed in the presence of the assembled nobles.

Below him stood several rows of people.

One row consisted of ministers elevated by Bruno: Chancellor Arseno of Civil Affairs, Minister Texas of Justice, along with the Ministers of Finance, Commerce, and Intelligence Advisers.

Another row held the knights loyal to Garrett—old retainers like Matt and Lowsahn, but also former enemy lords who had surrendered, including Count Ural and Count Alons, standing side by side. At their head stood a strikingly graceful woman.

Beyond them stood Duke Fergus, Duke Andreia, and other nobles great and small.

At this moment, many in the hall wore solemn expressions, heavy with unease.

During the two days since Bruno’s sudden claim of injury, Prince Garrett had unexpectedly summoned them all here. A sense of foreboding hung thick in the air.

“My friends,” Garrett said, drawing a deep breath, his voice laden with sorrow, “it is with great regret that I must tell you—His Majesty, Alduin V, did not suffer grave wounds from a mere accident in cultivation.”

Bruno’s death had already been delayed by two days—a remarkable feat. In that time, Garrett had completed his plans. There was no longer any need for concealment.

By speaking now, he could better steer what came next.

“What?”

“Then what happened to the King?”

“Your Highness, we beg immediate audience with His Majesty!”

“You and the Queen—why have you deceived us with lies?”

Garrett’s words struck like a stone cast into still water, sending ripples through the crowd. The ministers and nobles erupted in questions, desperate to know the truth behind Bruno’s fate.

Garrett’s face darkened with grief. “I am deeply sorry, my lords. On the night five days past, my father was assassinated by a Solar-rank assassin. My father… did not survive.”

Silence swallowed the Hall of Alduin.

Garrett paused, then spoke again, each word heavier than the last:

“My father… died by the blade of an assassin.”

Roar!

The hall exploded.

Those who knew the truth remained composed, but the rest—those unaware—were seized by shock and fury.

They could not believe it. Just days ago, Alduin V had laughed with them during the New Year celebrations. Now, suddenly dead? Slain by an assassin?

“Who was the assassin? We must avenge the King!” cried one noble, enraged.

“Yes! We must find the murderer and make him pay!” added another minister.

“Revenge!”

Though Bruno had never earned the respect of men like Fergus or Andreia, among many lesser nobles and ministers, his name carried weight. During his reign, he had secured privileges for mid-tier officials and minor lords, shielding them from the crushing dominance of the highest aristocracy.

Chancellor Arseno, Earl of State Affairs, spoke gravely: “Your Highness, what exactly has transpired? Why did you and the Queen conceal the truth at first—only to reveal it now?”

Truth be told, Bruno’s closest ministers were well aware of Garrett’s character. While Bruno lived, they had not needed to face the prince directly. But now that the king was gone, pledging loyalty to Garrett filled them with dread.

“This,” Garrett said, raising his hand for silence, “is precisely what I shall now explain.”

“Because the assassin’s identity is extraordinary, I required two days to prepare.”

As he spoke, he turned his gaze downward, toward Broll. “Broll, recount the events of that night.”

Broll nodded and began his tale.

He had arrived after the intruder had already entered the royal chambers. That missing segment was filled in by two Royal Knights who had stood guard that night.

Together, their accounts revealed two crucial facts:

1. The assassin was immensely powerful—undoubtedly a Solar-rank knight.

2. He had descended from above, and hovering in the night sky had been a vast, dark cloud.

Arseno and Minister Ludwig exchanged glances. As Bruno’s trusted men, they possessed political acumen—and because of their closeness to the late king, they were also privy to the conflict between Garrett and Rowan.

These two details pointed unmistakably to one man.

Worry flickered in their eyes. Yet as ordinary transcendents, they hesitated to speak freely before a prince known for his volatile temper.

Then, stepping forward from the front rank of nobles, Duke Fergus broke the silence.

“My elder brother may not have been mighty in strength, but in ruling this kingdom, none could match him. Garrett—tell me, who killed him?”

Fergus fixed the crown prince with a stare sharp enough to flay flesh, as if already tearing the assassin apart.

“Yes, Your Highness!” Andreia echoed. “You said the assassin’s identity is ‘special.’ So—you already know who it is, don’t you?”

Garrett suppressed a smile. Everything was unfolding exactly as planned.

He drew a slow breath, then spoke, his voice heavy with feigned sorrow:

“Yes. I know who the assassin is.”

The hall tensed. All breaths stilled, waiting for the name.

“It is Rowan.”

Garrett finally uttered the name, his voice laced with the faintest trace of vengeful satisfaction.

The hall erupted once more.

Rowan—the King’s son-in-law, the Kingdom’s Guardian Knight, recently ennobled by King Bruno himself as the Duke of Conquest—was the assassin?

Unthinkable!

“Impossible! How could Rowan do such a thing?”

A noble shouted, unable to contain himself.

He did not know Rowan well, but a Solar Knight, a rising duke—such a figure commanded silent reverence in many hearts.

“Yes! The King always favored Rowan. Duke Rowan has given much to the realm. How could he betray us?” another minister chimed in.

“Heh. Do you truly believe a mere duchy could satisfy a Solar Knight’s appetite?”

Fergus sneered. “Rowan clearly seeks to emulate the ancient Emperor Orlandt—to become the sole ruler of this continent. The King’s existence was in his way.”

“A twenty-year-old Solar. Tell me—who would believe he has no ambition?”

In an instant, the hall split into three factions: those who doubted, those who believed, and those who stayed silent.

The argument raged until Garrett raised his hand once more, commanding silence.

“You have all heard Broll and the two knights. Now I ask you—across the kingdoms of Alduin and Trisia, how many Solar Knights are there?”

The hall quieted.

Solar Knights were as rare as phoenix feathers—fewer than the fingers on one hand.

In Alduin alone, only two existed: Rowan and Garrett himself—plus the reclusive Archmage Berola, who took no part in worldly affairs.

Garrett continued: “This assassin was not only Solar-rank—he rode a colossal flying magical beast. Though the night obscured its form, can such a massive creature truly be mistaken for another?”

He smiled coldly.

“If not Rowan… then who else could it be?”

Those who had just been questioning now joined the ranks of the silent.

Arseno let out a slow breath. "Then, Your Highness, how do you intend to handle this matter?"

Facing an opposition that boasted two Sun-rank powerhouses and nearly ten potent knights of Meteor rank or higher, even a coalition of the kingdom’s nobility would pay a devastating price.

Furthermore, the aristocracy was far from a monolith; there were many who had absolutely no desire to square off directly against the Duke of Conquerors and the Marquis of Thunder.

Complex emotions flickered in Arseno’s eyes. The Kingdom of Alduin, which had enjoyed over twenty years of stability and peace, was perhaps on the verge of erupting into civil war.

This ran entirely counter to His Majesty Bruno’s singular ambition of conquering Tricia.

"I have already taken action."

Garrett sneered, "Perhaps we will have results very soon."

The words had barely escaped his lips when the roaring of a dragon echoed from the skies outside.

"They're here!" Garrett said in a deep voice.

A collective chill ran through the crowd; the arrival of a dragon signified the appearance of Ronin.

High above the clouds, Carlos was hurtling forward at breakneck speed.

Its velocity was staggering; the moment it departed the Black North Territory, it had instantly left Bob and the other two Gryphon Knights so far behind they vanished from sight.

Now, less than an hour later, it had already arrived in the airspace above the royal capital.

Blanche stared at the distant silhouette of the Golden Feather Palace, her heart knotted with intense anxiety.

"I hope Father is still alive!"

Even as she prayed in her heart, she pleaded, "Please, Elrond, do everything in your power to treat him when we arrive!"

"Rest assured, my Lady. I have brought antitoxins with me, and the potency of my Empowered Healing is quite formidable. As long as His Majesty the King still draws breath, I will certainly bring him back to life!"