Chapter 540: Eben's Ambition

When Ibn departed from Twin Peaks, he had not anticipated the current state of absolute chaos in Golden Feather City.

However, having served as a border count for so many years, he was quick to discern the opportunities buried within the turmoil.

Garrett had committed such a heinous crime that any chance of ascending the throne was entirely lost; even with backers, the nobility, led by Ronin, would surely oppose him.

His sharp mind recognized this as an opening.

Without Garrett, and with Ference stripped of his eligibility, the crown might actually fall into the hands of his own wife.

Could the Torrance family truly produce a queen?

With his strength capable of challenging a Sun Knight, coupled with his years on the frontier and his excellent rapport with renowned and formidable nobles like Gushan, backing Sharon’s ascension should have been a simple matter.

Yet, he remained deeply concerned about Ronin’s attitude.

Though the North Wu Territory had only been developing for a few years and Moonlight Valley was still in a state of rebuilding, Ronin was simply too powerful.

While Silver Moon Knights were no match for a Sun Knight, the latter would still hesitate to act recklessly if outnumbered.

But a Legend was a different matter entirely.

In the recent ambush against Ronin, wiping out his opponents was secondary; the crucial point was that he had emerged completely unscathed, without even exerting his full strength.

Such a man could not be easily offended; if pushed too far, a targeted assassination from him would be completely impossible to survive.

To have the life to fight for the throne, one first needed the life to sit securely upon it.

Therefore, he wanted to gauge Ronin’s stance.

If the man openly demanded the crown with no room for negotiation, Ibn would settle for the next best thing and secure greater benefits for the Torrance family.

At the very least, a dukedom and territory would be the baseline, would they not?

Of course, if Ronin had no intention of having Blanche contend for the throne, Sharon would gladly accept it.

Regardless, stripping Garrett of his right of succession was the vital first step.

Ronin nodded slightly, "From my personal perspective, I agree with your assertion. However, the precise outcome must still be judged collectively by Texas and the kingdom’s legal officials alongside the nobility."

He continued, "Arsenio and the others have already set the dates. the nineteenth and twentieth will be His Majesty’s funeral, followed by the Grand Assembly of Nobles, where we can deliberate on the matter."

Ibn smiled, knowing that while Ronin’s statement was cautious, it supported his view, as many nobles likely would.

This first step could be considered a smooth success.

"If Garrett is punished and barred from the throne, and Ference fares no better, then according to the laws of the kingdom, the succession falls to my wife, Sharon."

At this point, his tone shifted, "Yet over the years, there has never been a case of a daughter inheriting the crown, so this branch of the law remains imperfect. If Sharon is eligible, her younger sister, your wife Blanche, also possesses the right of succession."

Ronin smiled, "That is a novel perspective... speak your mind directly, what are you trying to say?"

Ibn spoke candidly, "Ronin, I say all this primarily to make you understand. Though Garrett and I spent many years together on the border, there is no animosity between you and me, nor are we rivals."

He paused, then continued, "If you require the throne, Sharon and I will step aside willingly and offer our full support. Naturally, as a supporter, I hope the Torrance family can replace the current position of Ference Castle and become a great noble house on par with Wushan and Gistana."

Ibn was direct; he could support Blanche’s ascension, but once accomplished, he, Ibn, would become a duke, with the current Duchy of Ference Castle as his domain.

The man possessed ambition; had Ronin not been so overwhelmingly powerful, he would have directly backed Sharon to become the new ruler.

Yet it was equally undeniable that his immediate abandonment of the royal ambition upon sensing potential risk showed immense decisiveness.

However, Ronin had no desire to see a new duke emerge, much less one possessing such a vast fiefdom.

As previously considered, he could enfeoff his subordinates as nobles, but the privileges of the nobility needed to be restricted, unlike the current system.

"I have spoken with Blanche, and she has no interest in the throne."

Ronin shook his head, "She only desires a peaceful life."

Ibn’s heart leaped, but he quickly realized, "Then your intention is..."

"Though King Bruno has passed away, as the Guardian Knight of the Kingdom and the Conqueror Duke he enfeoffed, I will resolutely carry out his last wishes."

Ronin stood up, smiling as he spoke, "As for the specifics, let us leave them for the day of the Grand Assembly; I shall present my views then."

With a polite nod, he turned and stepped back into the room.

Ibn frowned, silently pondering what Ronin’s true thoughts could be.

As the days passed, more and more nobles arrived in Golden Feather City. After paying their respects at His Majesty’s ice coffin, they visited the Wushan family estate to see Garrett.

Fortunately, the guards overseeing Garrett were drawn from various families, so outsiders would not suspect Ronin of using foul means to drive Garrett mad.

During this period, Rulance was actively making rounds; many nobles granted him face, though they deferred even more to Ronin.

The world knew that whatever the Marquis of Thunder spoke was highly likely to reflect Ronin's will.

Aside from the Wushan estate, the manor where Ibn resided was also frequented by nobles of all ranks.

According to the kingdom’s laws, Sharon would be the next monarch.

If Sharon insisted, Ronin would have no legitimate reason to stop her unless he killed her.

Yet Ronin was a legendary powerhouse, and since he was punishing Garrett on similar charges, he would hardly abandon his dignity to follow Garrett’s shameful path.

While the capital was thick with intrigue, the same was true for Ference Castle and the Duchy of Vera.

One of their lords was imprisoned awaiting trial, while the other had been slain outright, yet none dared speak for them; both families knew exactly what this portended.

They had only two choices: accept the purge and punishment to become lowly slaves or be executed, or defect to the enemy for sanctuary.

At this juncture, the envoy from King Tyro provided them with a better alternative—wholesale defection.

While relocating their family members and wealth, they began mobilizing troops to launch simultaneous assaults on the Duchy of Gistana, the Wushan Territory, and the Purple Thunder Territory.

Soon, the funeral of King Bruno commenced as scheduled.

Unlike the previous funeral of Hesus, this ceremony was draped in a solemnity, gravity, and grief that enveloped all of Golden Feather City.

Flags hung at half-mast throughout the Golden Feather Palace, and every breath of air bore the memory of Auduin V.

Bruno had reigned for twenty-four years, reversing the decline following the defeat three decades prior, maintaining the balance among all factions, and ushering the Kingdom of Auduin into a period of prosperous development.

The eldest princess, Sharon, read the eulogy, while the nobles, clad in dark formal attire with solemn expressions, paid their final respects to the departed King Bruno.

Following the two-day funeral came the second event drawing everyone's intense focus—the Grand Assembly of Nobles.

The Auduin Hall had been destroyed and could not be repaired within a short time.

The venue chosen for this meeting was the grand banquet hall of the royal palace.

As notices had been properly delivered, nearly all direct vassals of the kingdom were present, numbering no fewer than two hundred within the banquet hall.

Of course, at least half of them were honorary nobles without actual fiefs.

Nonetheless, their influence could not be discounted because of this.

Their lack of land was not due to the king refusing to grant it, but rather because they did not desire it.

Take the honorary Count Gushan of Red Pine Castle, for instance; had he wished for it, would the king deny him a fief?

It could only be said that different men possessed different ambitions and preferences.

The melodious tolling of the assembly bell rang out, echoing into every corner of the banquet hall, as if raising the curtain on the impending game of power.

Sharon entered the hall slowly, her arm resting on Ibn’s.

As Bruno’s eldest daughter, though she had married out, her status in the current environment was exceptionally elevated.

The master of ceremonies for this aristocratic assembly was, once again, Princess Sharon.

Following them, Blanche entered the hall on Ronin's arm; in contrast to Sharon's mature opulence, the young princess possessed a gentle, more delicate demeanor.

Yet it was known to all that despite her youth, Blanche was soon to become a mother.

"My lords,"

Sharon's voice resonated through the hall, clear and commanding.

"We gather here today not only to mourn His Majesty Bruno, but to secure the future of the kingdom. Though the King has passed, we must not allow his realm to wither away with him!"

Her voice carried a faint trace of grief and hoarseness. "And our first order of business shall be the trial of the executioner who murdered His Majesty—the former crown prince, my brother... Gareth!"

As she spoke these words, she sank back into her seat as if drained of all strength. "Next, I call upon Arsenio, Broll, Ronin, and the others to recount the events of that fateful day."