Chapter 536: Joint Signature

When Ronin returned to the Square of the Golden Feather Palace, Carlos had already dealt with the remaining crazed heralds, using his control of fire to forge two blazing cages that held Gareth and Ference captive.

Both men had been gravely wounded by Ronin beforehand, and after a bit of petty vengeance from Carlos, they now lay there like stray dogs stripped of all dignity.

"Ronin, what do you intend to do?"

Seeing Ronin’s return, Ference immediately began to plead for his life; the sight of the young duke ruthlessly executing Andrea had struck absolute terror into his heart.

Ronin walked over, knelt beside him, and used a flicker of his mental energy to flip Ference over, revealing a black, winged tattoo etched across the man's back.

This mark was the ultimate proof of his transformation into a wind herald through the Heart of the Storm.

"When you degenerated into a foreign race and conspired with Gareth and Thranduil to assassinate His Majesty, you should have known the price of failure."

"No, no, no, Ronin! If you grant me a path to live, my Duchy of Ferenceburg will swear fealty to you from this day forth, and I will even support your ascension to the throne!"

Ronin looked down at him, his gaze laced with cold disdain.

Though the man spoke the truth, if he actually spared him in exchange for political support, would that not make him an accomplice to the alien races as well?

Furthermore, Ronin desired the crown precisely to reshape this society, and certain aspects of the old order had to be utterly shattered.

For instance, he intended to develop industry and raise productivity, yet the rampant institution of slavery would impose significant constraints upon his plans.

Utilizing war to dismantle the old ruling class and install new blood would facilitate the implementation of his series of policies.

In addition, Ronin had thought everything through.

Granting titles and bestowing lands were acceptable measures, but they required strict limitations.

He needed to reclaim the nobility's right to levy taxes, their authority to enforce their own laws within their fiefdoms, their power to conscript soldiers, and he must restrict the size of the knight orders they possessed.

Such reforms could never be achieved without a spilling of blood.

In the history of his past world, whenever a major reform took place, its instigators rarely met a good end.

Yet, Ronin was not worried.

This was a world of the extraordinary, and events today had shown him that in the face of absolute power, many things became vastly simpler.

No matter how arduous the reforms might prove, his life would never be in jeopardy.

Of course, Ronin would still adopt the strategy of boiling a frog in warm water, ensuring nothing was rushed overnight.

He would first perfect his own territory, cultivating an abundance of steadfast talents who would execute his will blindly, before rolling out the changes on a grander scale.

Clack, clack, clack—

The urgent thud of hooves echoed from the distance as a crowd surged forward, while gryphons descended from the sky above.

From the back of his gryphin, Duke Valgis gazed upon the collapsed Alduin Hall and the devastated square below, a complex tapestry of emotions twisting within his chest.

He had received a missive from Gareth claiming Ronin had assassinated King Bruno, prompting him to rush over at top speed, never expecting to witness a scene like this.

Valgis dismounted his gryphin, staring at the imprisoned Gareth and Ference, before finally looking toward Ronin with a deep frown.

"What in the world happened here?"

He questioned, "Ronin, is His Majesty truly dead?"

Valgis naturally refused to believe that Ronin would commit such an act as killing Bruno; it simply did not align with the young man's character or methodology.

Ronin nodded, casting a glance at Gareth, who was playing dead on the ground, before recounting the entire sequence of events.

"This..."

Valgis fell into a prolonged state of astonishment and grief.

Bruno's death was already a tectonic shift for the Kingdom of Alduin, but for Gareth to be the patricidal murderer undoubtedly dragged the realm into a darker plight.

Among other things, who would assume the crown next?

Or would the Kingdom of Alduin fracture directly, with the nobility seeking external protection or declaring themselves kings?

He finally turned his gaze back to Ronin: "What do you plan to do next?"

Presently, out of the four dukes of the Kingdom of Alduin, only Ronin and Valgis remained; as leaders, they were the most suitable candidates.

Yet Duke Valgis, due to family matters, had effectively withdrawn from the center of power over the past years.

Moreover, his grandson was currently in the Northern Wu territory learning magic under Elrond, so Valgis had no desire to contend with Ronin.

Ronin pondered for a moment, then spoke, "I intend, in my capacity as the Conqueror Duke, to invite the great and minor nobles of the kingdom, or their representatives, to the Golden Feather Palace to try Crown Prince Gareth for patricide and treason."

"Of course, it would be best if you are willing to co-sign the invitation with me," he added.

Valgis deliberated briefly before nodding his assent, "Very well, we shall proceed as you say."

Turning to his accompanying guard captain, he commanded, "Caine, return to Gistana immediately. Inform Commander Nissen of what has transpired here and have him elevate the defensive readiness along the border with the Duchy of Ferenceburg."

Ronin nodded subtly, "Are you concerned that Ferenceburg might attack your territory?"

"The actions of those turned alien cannot be reasoned with through human logic."

Valgis explained, "Now that Ference has been captured, his duchy will inevitably fall into chaos without a leader. A surprise assault on Gistana would not be surprising."

He cautioned, "The same applies to the Duchy of Vera, now devoid of Andrea. They might even throw themselves directly into the arms of an enemy nation."

"Andrea was already stirring up trouble at the border long ago."

Ronin countered, "However, my grandfather has already led forces to handle the border situation. Unless the entire might of the Duchy of Vera is mobilized against him, there shouldn't be an issue."

A nation's full military might could not be assembled in a short timeframe, so Ronin harbored no worries regarding that.

As the two conversed, the kingdom's ministers, who had rushed over upon hearing the news, watched from a distance without drawing near, speaking among themselves in hushed tones.

Though the tide of events had turned incredibly fast, anyone with eyes could see who would hold the reins of the Kingdom of Alduin hereafter.

"In the future, the kingdom will likely belong to this young Conqueror Duke."

Arsenio sighed with deep emotion, remembering when he had accompanied Bruno to discuss bestowing the title of Baron of Jiliu Island upon Ronin.

Texas, the Minister of Justice, shook his head, "Actually, according to the law, after the Crown Prince, Ference, and the others forfeit their rights of succession, the first in line should be Princess Sharon, who married Earl Ibn of the Twin Peaks."

"Furthermore, Duke Valgis’s wife is His Majesty’s aunt, so their son also carries the Alduin bloodline and possesses the right to inherit."

Such was the legal logic, yet as they looked toward Ronin, would he truly be willing to step aside?

Ronin and Valgis concluded their conversation, and only then did the ministers approach them.

Arsenio spoke up, "My Lords, on our way to the Golden Feather Palace, we found the entire capital plunged into chaos. Now that the kingdom faces such a crisis, only you two possess the influence required to quell this unrest."

Ronin and Valgis exchanged a look; neither had brought any significant military force, and relying on individual strength to suppress a citywide riot was an impossible feat.

"Where are the guards and the garrison

My lord and I have already discussed it—we must convene the assembly of noble lords to deliberate on the matter of the Crown Prince. I hope you two can help deliver this notice.

The second matter concerns His Majesty’s funeral. Please make arrangements swiftly, ideally holding it during the gathering of the nobles.

Valgis nodded. “Do as Rowan suggests. I shall go pay my respects to the late king first.”

Arseno and the others bowed in assent.

They had noticed—Duke Valgis clearly had no intention of allowing his only surviving son, Paradru, to lay claim to the throne.

That left only Princess Sheryl of Twinpeaks Ridge.

In truth, at that very moment, Earl Iben of Twinpeaks Ridge was deep in torment.

He had read the letter Garret sent him countless times over, yet still could not bring himself to decide.

“Should I or should I not attack Misthaven?” (End of Chapter)