"Cough, cough …"
The old emperor sat weakly on his throne. His face was flushed as he coughed. It took him a while to recover. He waved his hand to signal the waiter who was walking over with a cup of water not to come over. He gently changed his sitting posture and straightened his body.
"Your Majesty, forgive me for my foolishness, but I don't see any merit in summoning almost half of the feudal lords of the empire to attend your birthday banquet. The situation in the empire is deteriorating. What you need to do is to slowly reform it."
In front of Bodinar The Great was Saint-Rame's Prime Minister, Benders. His hair had turned completely white and he was balding. However, his hooked nose gave him a decisive aura that ordinary people could not match.
Since the first year of the old emperor's ascension to the throne, Benders had been Charnak's right-hand man, assisting the emperor who wanted to save Saint-Rame from the swamp of nobles.
Benders could be said to have given his all after decades of hard work. However, after so many years of hard work, the situation in the empire only seemed to be improving on the surface. The root of the problem could not be shaken at all!
Nobles!
The united nobles!
They were like the foundation of a building. If they collapsed, the building would collapse. If they decayed, so would the building.
The united power of the nobles was enough to resist a monarch who did not have a centralized power. This was a fact that had not changed in the empire for thousands of years.
The prosperity of a country started with the nobles, and the decline of a country started with the nobles.
The old Emperor sighed. His wrinkled face could not hide the exhaustion on his face. He smiled at the old man who was standing not far away from him. "You still say what you want to say. After all these years, you really don't know how to save me some face."
"If I save you face, then you won't save me face."
Benders sighed as well. Both of them felt old. It seemed like the world was no longer the one they knew.
"Change slowly?
Sigh, it's been decades. If we slow down any further, I'm afraid we can only watch as this great empire crumbles in our own hands. "
"Your Majesty, then …"
Benders wanted to say something but was interrupted by the old emperor with a wave of his hand.
"Let's not talk about this first. Karan, get Stu here," Charnak said to the messenger who was guarding the door of the meeting hall.
The latter bowed and immediately turned to look for His Highness Stu — Charnak's only son.
Not long after, His Royal Highness, who was wearing a gold-trimmed cloak and a gorgeous Miranyan armor, strode into the meeting hall.
He exuded a heroic spirit like Emperor Charnak, but there was an indescribable femininity to him. It was as if he, who was in his twenties, did not have the hot-blooded vigor that a young man should have. His brows were filled with a gloomy expression. His footsteps seemed powerful, but if one looked closely, it was as if he was holding on with great effort.
Gently knocking on the emblem of the royal family on his chest, Stuart knelt down on one knee, lowered his head and said, "Greetings, Father."
"Get up."
The way Charnak looked at Stu wasn't like how a father would look at his child, but more like how a craftsman would look at his failed work.
"Tell me, what have you been doing these days, my son. It seems like we haven't seen each other for a long time."
"Father, for the past half a month, I have been studying the history books in my bedroom. The day before yesterday, I accepted Count Lawson's invitation to go hunting in the western hunting grounds. After returning yesterday, I have been staying in the palace."
Stu listed out what he had done in an orderly manner without any pause or hesitation.
"Oh?
Lawson seems to be quite free recently. Come, my son, tell me about the recent undead attacks. What do you think? "
Charnak's body relaxed slightly as he leaned back in his chair.
Benders, who was standing not far from the prince, took a step back unnoticeably.
"In my opinion, there are two possibilities regarding the undead attacks. One is that the news is pure nonsense. According to the history books, the undead disdain using despicable tactics such as assassination. It is very likely that some people are spreading rumors to cause panic among the people. As for the purpose, I do not know," Stu answered smoothly, as if he had thought about this question for a long time.
Stu answered smoothly, as if he had considered the question for a long time. "The other possibility is that the news is true, and it was indeed done by the spectres. In my opinion, they did it to divert people's attention, because all the cities where the assassinations happened were at the border of the Elf Empire. According to reliable sources, the border of the Elf Empire was also attacked by the spectres at the same time. Obviously, they were creating a false impression!"
"Oh?
What false impression? "
"The undead made us think that they have already prepared an attack plan and will attack the cities where the leaders were assassinated at any time. But in my opinion, it seems that they are only trying to restrain the mobile troops who came to reinforce and prepare for defense.
Their real purpose is something else! "
Emperor Charnak clapped his hands in satisfaction and said, "Well said, my son. Take care of yourself and go back to say hello to Flora. It is not convenient for me to go out."
"Yes, Father."
Stu sensed that his father was unwilling to continue the conversation. He immediately bowed and left without looking back.
After a while, the meeting hall was as silent as a public cemetery.
"What do you think?"
Charnak suddenly asked with a hoarse voice.
Prime Minister Benders was still standing straight. He hesitated for a moment before saying, "I cannot speak about His Majesty's family matters."
"You do know what I'm asking. Tsk tsk." Charnak placed his gaze on his fingers, gently rubbing the calluses that had formed from holding the longsword for decades. However, he continued, "The tragedy of the royal family!
I can see his dissatisfaction towards me from his eyes. He is dissatisfied with all kinds of dissatisfaction towards me!
"He is dissatisfied with my attitude towards him, towards his sister, towards his mother. He is even dissatisfied with everything I have done for this country.
"But he does not understand. Sitting here, in this position that seems to be filled with temptation and danger, can I satisfy everyone?"
"No!"
He slammed his hand heavily on the armrest of the throne, making a muffled "dong" sound.
"Arrogant, impetuous, and impatient." He sighed and said, "He is still too immature!"
Bandes silently looked at the old Emperor's disappointed expression, but he also felt a sense of sorrow in his heart. There was no one to take over the throne, and there was no successor!
This was the saddest thing for the royal family.
Outside the palace.
"Prepare the horse. Let's go back."
Stu gently tidied up his armor and said to the servant.
Not long after, a tall and luxurious carriage was prepared. It stopped in front of Stu with the noble aura of the royal family.
Stu silently boarded the carriage and sat on the soft sofa in the carriage. He lifted the curtains and looked at the heavily guarded Sisfel Palace not far away. His eyes were filled with disdain and disgust.
"Muddleheaded old man!"
He cursed in a low voice. Then, as if he suddenly thought of something, he looked around vigilantly. However, he did not say anything else. He did not say anything for the rest of the journey.
After the carriage had traveled far away, a black figure suddenly appeared in the air.
He looked very hunched, as if he could not straighten his back. His black clothes were tight-fitting, but he did not have any weapons on him.
Under the black mask was a pair of tightly squinted eyes. He looked at the carriage in the distance in a daze. Then, he snorted and his body melted into the air.