Chapter 529: Counterattack in Public Opinion

The Ushan family manor, nestled in the outskirts of the Golden Feather City.

Carolina paced back and forth across the room, her movements tight with anxiety.

Through the night, she had already dispatched urgent couriers to Ushan Keep, bearing heavy news of His Majesty King Bruno's death and the swift-spreading rumors throughout the capital that named Ronin as the assassin.

Her intuition warned her that a violent tempest, explicitly targeted at the House of Ushan, was about to break.

Even as she felt a fleeting relief that she, positioned at the very eye of the vortex, had not yet been singled out, a profound dread weighed on her for the looming chaos.

Her family had sworn fealty to the Ushan bloodline for three generations, and her husband, children, and kin all resided within Ushan City.

Should the Ushan family fall, the fate awaiting her own loved ones would be nothing short of wretched.

The foreign nobility would never show the same mercy and benevolence to conquered lands and commoners as Duke Ronin did.

"Carolina."

The voice materialized so abruptly in the quiet room that a violent shiver ran down her spine; she spun around in terror toward the sound, only to find Ronin already seated there, though she had no inkling of when he had arrived.

"You... Your Grace? How did you get in here?"

Carolina rushed toward him, her words spilling out in a frantic rush, "Forgive me, Your Grace, it is not that you are unwelcome, but the capital is treacherous right now. You must leave at once!"

"I am aware, but I came to learn the truth of His Majesty's condition," Ronin replied. "I heard he was gravely wounded by an assassin and was lingering on the precipice of death."

After finding Blanche and Elrond, he had attempted to locate Bruno as well, but his search had yielded nothing.

"No, Your Grace, your information is outdated. King Bruno is not lingering on the precipice—he is dead."

Hearing this, Ronin let out a quiet sigh.

Though he had long suspected that Bruno's chances of survival were grim, a deep sense of regret still settled over him upon receiving the definitive confirmation.

Reflecting on his numerous encounters with Bruno, the king had left him with a predominantly favorable impression.

As a professional knight, the man had been ordinary enough, but as a sovereign, Bruno had been undeniably capable.

Ronin recalled their conversation back at the Mist Castle; at that time, Bruno had been filled with grand ambitions of unifying the continent of Orlant, never imagining that Death would claim him so soon.

"A pity," Ronin murmured softly.

Carolina’s expression grew exceptionally grave. "Your Grace, now is not the time to mourn the king. You may not yet know, but the Crown Prince has already declared you the assassin, and this accusation has spread like wildfire through the capital, Horn Bay, and beyond."

Ronin nodded slowly.

Garrett had always viewed him as a mortal enemy; with Bruno gone, the prince would inevitably rally various factions to crush him, making this attempt to shift the blame a predictable maneuver.

Without Bruno's restraining hand, Garrett's actions had truly become reckless and unhinged.

"Do you know who stands with Garrett at the moment?" Ronin inquired. "From what I know of his intellect, he is incapable of orchestrating something this meticulous."

"A knight under Viscount Luther Cox informed me privately that Ferens Castle, Screaming Island, the Principality of Vera, and the Viscount of Horn Bay have already voiced their support for the Crown Prince's decree. Most others remain silent, save for the Minister of Justice, Texas, who openly questioned the claim."

Texas?

The image of a stern, elderly gentleman surfaced in Ronin's mind, and he committed the name to memory.

Furthermore, it was intriguing that this intelligence had been leaked by the Minister of Finance, Viscount Luther.

This implied that at least three ministers did not approve of Garrett's methods.

And that was merely on the surface; those harboring secret dissent were likely far more numerous.

It seemed Garrett’s favor among the court was tenuous at best.

"Your Grace, there is another matter of utmost gravity," Carolina reported. "Crown Prince Garrett has forged an alliance with the foreign races. Your dragon was ensnared by a dozen winged beings working in tandem, and your lady wife and Magister Elrond are currently held captive within the Golden Feather Palace."

Ronin gave a terse nod.

He had already learned of this from Carlos; by aligning himself with the foreign races, Garrett had signed his own death warrant.

In fact, Ronin strongly suspected the prince had integrated himself into the Holy Storm organization; otherwise, he could not possibly be acting with such madness.

"Carolina, I need you to perform a task for me."

"Speak it, Your Grace. If it lies within my power, I shall do it without fail."

Ronin stepped over to the desk, taking up a pen and parchment to record the history of grievances between himself and Garrett.

The text he composed was divided into three distinct proclamations:

First, it detailed Garrett's collusion with the Witch Soul Race, which had directly resulted in the horrific slaughter of over two hundred thousand innocent citizens in Moonlight Valley.

Second, it exposed how Garrett had defied and forged the decrees of King Bruno to usurp the command of the Battle of Mist City from Count Gushan, noting how his tactical incompetence had led to the deaths of Viscount Willis of Black Jade Bay and numerous other brave knights.

Third, it chronicled Garrett's treasonous alliance with foreign entities to assassinate his own biological father, plunging the kingdom into an abyss while attempting to frame the Conqueror Duke for the crime.

"Find men to transcribe the contents of this parchment as many times as possible. I intend to have these pages carpet every corner of Golden Feather City and Horn Bay."

Since Garrett had already tarnished his reputation, Ronin had no intention of calling a formal assembly to defend his honor.

If it was a war of ruin they wanted, then they would burn together.

Carolina took the parchment from Ronin's hand, a resolute gleam flashing in her eyes.

She understood that this was no mere administrative errand; it was a battle for survival that concerned the very honor of the Ushan family and Duke Ronin.

"Your Grace, I will gather everyone to copy this as swiftly as possible. I shall ensure we have at least several hundred copies by daybreak."

Ronin nodded. "My thanks for your hardship."

Given Ronin's current strength and renown, he had long amassed a following of devoted admirers across the realm.

Garrett's slander had branded him a regicide, leaving the common folk, who once idolized him, hesitant to voice their support for a supposed traitor.

However, once Ronin distributed these pages to the masses, it would provide his sympathizers with the exact arguments and evidence needed to vindicate him.

Backing these revelations with Ronin’s undeniable might would lend immense weight to the public skepticism directed at Garrett.

Moreover, this act served to sway public sentiment, laying the psychological foundation for Ronin to shatter the existing order.

After all, if Garrett had murdered the king and conspired with foreign monsters, would it not be entirely righteous to overthrow such a tyrant?

Carolina went to work immediately, summoning every clerk and literate servant within the manor to begin the tireless transcription.

Meanwhile, Ronin entered a state of deep meditation, restoring his mental focus and magical energy to prepare for the direct confrontation awaiting him at dawn.

Soon enough, the first rays of the morning sun pierced the horizon, banishing the shroud of night.

In those few hours, Ronin had not only restored himself to peak condition but had also distributed the fourteen hundred attribute points he had accumulated over recent days.

With his progress as a Legendary Knight now standing at twenty-six thousand and thirty-two out of forty thousand, Ronin was at the absolute zenith of his power. Even if Thranduil and the others confronted him together, he felt no fear.

"This battle shall establish my authority, and it shall strike terror into the hearts of all who harbor treacherous designs."

To deliver a single, devastating blow to deter a hundred future strikes—that was the essence of his strategy.

Only by forcing the vacillating onlookers to witness the absolute disparity in strength would they be deterred from joining Garrett's camp.

By doing so, he could alleviate the external pressure threatening the Ushan domain and Moonlight Valley, minimizing unnecessary warfare and bloodshed while preserving the kingdom's strength to confront the foreign races advancing from the south.