Translator: Cinder Translations
...
"Father, you... what did you say?"
In the study, aside from the King and his father, there was no one else present.
Rodney XVIII trembled all over, deeply shocked by the report that Prince Jassim had delivered to him.
Jassim Rodney, as his full representative, had actually ceded the kingdom's territory north of the Cordova River—almost the entire northern and northeastern regions—to the orcs in exchange for peace between the two sides.
It felt like a sharp dagger had been thrust into his heart. His body swayed as he sank into his seat.
"I did it out of necessity," Jassim said calmly from across the table.
"The kingdom's army was utterly defeated. Even if we refused on paper, those territories are already, in fact, under the orc's control."
The King shot up from his seat, fire seeming to blaze from his eyes as he looked at his father. "But if we don't sign this agreement, we could still send troops to take them back!"
Jassim was taken aback by his son's attitude. In his impression, his eldest son had never been so "defiant," even after becoming King, he had always shown respect.
"Your sister didn't manage to turn the tide. She didn't even know where she sent the elite forces of Crystal Glare. The orc army swept through the north, and now, the Fertile Plains—the heart of the kingdom—is about to face the orc army's assault!"
Rodney XVIII raised the letter in his hand, arguing strongly, "No! She's in the northwest, and she, along with the army there, defeated the orcs!"
Jassim glanced at the letter dismissively. When Rodney XVIII had first excitedly shown him its contents, he hadn't been impressed.
"An insignificant victory!"
The King was furious. "How can you say that!"
Jassim didn't even lift his eyelids. "You're still too young. The generals fighting outside love to exaggerate their victories. If they kill 100 enemies, they'll say it was 1,000; if they kill 1,000, they'll say it was 10,000! Didn't the report say it? The orc army retreated of their own accord. They didn't win any decisive victory."
The King's body was trembling in anger.
"Regardless, as the King of Aldor, I cannot agree to such a ceasefire agreement. If I do, what face would the Rodney family have to continue ruling this country?" His tone was firm.
Jassim sighed heavily, not surprised by his son's attitude towards the agreement.
"Listen to me, Gerd..." He called his son's name, hesitating for a moment.
Rodney XVIII sat there, fuming, not looking at him.
"Do you want us to be branded as usurpers?"
Rodney XVIII froze and finally looked up at his father. "What are you saying?"
Jassim lowered his voice. "To ease your uncle's burden, I made an agreement with certain people... or rather, an organization. Of course! I was only planning to use their strength in the future, nothing had been concretely done yet. I swear on the Lord of Light, that's all I planned! But now, that agreement... has become something that others can use as leverage."
Rodney XVIII furrowed his brow tightly, a terrible premonition exploding in his heart.
But he still spoke. "What are you talking about? I'm not sure I understand."
Jassim stared at him intently. "There's a huge organization—The Arcane Order. Their influence spans this continent beneath our feet. They have extraordinary powers, incredible means... and I, in a moment of folly, was deceived by them."
He slowly recounted a hidden past, and the more Rodney XVIII listened, the more shocked he became.
"Now, these bastards have connected with the orcs. They appeared during my negotiations with Abal, forcing me to sign this shameful treaty."
When Jassim finished speaking, the study fell into a long silence.
Rodney XVIII sat motionless behind the desk, his body still, while his heart churned with tumultuous emotions.
He knew his father had always harbored ambitions for the throne, but that wasn't unusual. Anyone with the Rodney bloodline must be prepared to inherit the throne.
He had even supported his father up until now.
But the so-called "easing of your uncle's burden" was a vague way of saying something inappropriate.
His father had just claimed that nothing concrete had been done—was that true? But why had his uncle's health deteriorated so rapidly in his final years?
Gerd Rodney had always trusted his father, but now, he felt he needed to re-evaluate this close relative.
Once the seed of doubt was planted, it began to take root and grow.
After a long silence, the King quietly asked, "Do they have any irrefutable proof? If it's just..."
But Jassim nodded grimly. "Unfortunately, they do. But... my child!"
He suddenly looked up, his eyes glowing with intensity. "Everything I did, I did for you. For your crown, for your glory! You can call a meeting, place all the blame on me, and it won't diminish your authority."
Rodney XVIII looked at his father with a complex expression, letting out a long breath.
If the evidence really did involve treason, there didn't seem to be any good way out. If that so-called Arcane Order exposed the proof, the four of them would be finished.
"Father!" He spoke seriously, "I cannot do that."
A glimmer of light appeared in Jassim's eyes.
"But..." Rodney XVIII said, in a resolute tone, "Some things must change."
Jassim's brows furrowed again.
"Some of the things I wanted to do... many things... you have stopped me with inappropriate reasons."
The King waved his arm, and the usually calm man seemed somewhat agitated.
"Yet, we've already lost the south in practice. Now, we've lost half of the north. The once prosperous and expansive Aldor now only has the royal domain and a bunch of broken, nominally loyal lands."
"I am now certain that Aldor is stagnant—a stagnant, rotting pool of water. If we don't make changes, it will inevitably face a humiliating demise."
"So!" He looked at his father with an unyielding tone, "From now on, I will exist as a true king."
The two of them saw a side of each other they had never witnessed before.
"Fine! Your Majesty," Jassim slumped weakly in his chair. "Do as you wish."
(End of the Chapter)
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