Chapter 614 – Hidden Conflagration.

‘It will be fine, right?’

Arthur asked himself as he watched Roland being escorted out of the chamber. He knew that his friend disliked being seen without his helmet, and now, after this gathering, several nobles had learned his true face. Roland’s past was something he preferred to keep hidden, but now it might have been revealed.

The palace his father ruled over was known for keeping secrets, and Roland’s involvement had been played down. The Duke seemed concerned only with Roland’s technology and its connection to the abyssal cult relic, which appeared to be the central issue. Roland’s display of strength during the battle did not hold much interest for him. Most of the nobles had been under the spell’s influence, and it remained uncertain who truly remembered what had taken place within the barrier.

‘At least I will get to see her.’

Though much had happened and guilt weighed on him for Roland’s sake, Arthur’s thoughts quickly shifted to his mother. He had not been able to visit her even once since leaving this place, and he had dreamed of this day for a long time. He doubted he would be able to bring her back to Albrook, the home he had made for himself, yet simply seeing her here and knowing she was well would be enough. His father seemed pleased with his performance, which might mean he would be allowed to visit more often.

“Julius, step forward.”

Arthur’s thoughts were interrupted as the Duke called upon Julius, the firstborn. Julius obeyed and walked forward, the sound of his boots echoing against the polished floor until he stood before their father’s throne. As he passed Arthur, his gaze shifted briefly to the side, and a gentle smile appeared. Arthur did not miss it. Their shared struggle against the cult had brought them closer, yet he still did not know how his brother truly regarded him.

“Your achievements are second to your younger brother’s, but considering your position, they are still meager.”

To Arthur’s surprise, Julius was not praised. It seemed the Duke had expected far more from him. Looking back on the events, Arthur recalled how Julius had begun somewhat unsteady and emotional, taking time to grasp the situation. Yet in the end, he had proven to be a valuable ally.

Arthur wondered if his father’s disappointment came from the way Roland and he had overshadowed his brother. It was Arthur who appeared to direct the mission, or at least that was how it seemed on the surface, even though most of the effort had truly been driven by Roland. To outside eyes, however, it was natural to assume that Arthur, the noble, had been the one pulling the strings while his knight was merely an accessory rather than the main factor.

“You have survived, Julius, but do not mistake survival for triumph. You were tested last night, tested not only by the cult’s hand but also by mine.”

The words rippled through the hall. The nobles shifted uneasily, sensing that there was more to this speech than Julius’ performance.

“You were not the only one being judged. All of you were, and most of you have failed.”

The Duke turned toward the other nobles in a revelation that Arthur had somewhat anticipated. During his early days in the palace, the nobles had abandoned proper decorum in order to make him look foolish. They dressed Roland in rusty armor to amuse themselves, but even then, they lost in the end. This, Arthur realized, was exactly what the Duke was calling out as he continued.

“I have seen how you behaved, how you used my name and hid behind it.”

The nobles lowered their heads in fear as the Duke pressed on. His awareness of their conduct and his displeasure were unmistakable.

“I was testing you. I was testing your resolve, your loyalty, and your judgment when the eye of authority was absent. And what did I see?”

His hand tightened on the armrest, fingers drumming against carved adamantium.

“Petty rivalries. Weak displays of pride. A willingness to mock vassals, diminishing a proud Valerian knight as though he were a lowly servant. That is what you thought was clever? That is how you honor House Valerian?”

His voice thundered and shook the people here to their very core. His tier four might was unmatched, and everyone lowered their heads and trembled in fear. Arthur, on the other hand, felt great. The knight the Duke mentioned was his, and it seemed Roland had won the rare praise of his father who did not usually commend anyone.

“Hear me well. The Valerian name does not stoop to trivialities. It is beneath us to strip someone of dignity or to treat those sworn to your side as playthings for your amusement. That is the behavior of lesser houses, not mine. Never mine.”

No one answered as the Duke continued.

“The knight you belittled is the same one who gave you the chance to live through this night. In your arrogance, you sought to humiliate him. You have shamed me with this display. You have shamed House Valerian, and for that you will be punished.”

When he finished, the Grand Knight Commander stepped forward and nodded. Immediately, multiple guards moved to seize several nobles. The commander then spoke.

“Do not resist. You have been deemed untrustworthy and must prove your allegiance. Some of you have colluded with the enemies of this house, a sin punishable by death.”

Some nobles protested and begged the commander for mercy, while others bowed their heads and followed the guards. Arthur watched and confirmed his earlier suspicions about the whole affair. The Duke had gathered the malicious factions conspiring against him in one place to expose their true loyalties and remove them in a single move.

Though Alexander Valerian had failed to decipher the cultist relics, it was clear that evidence had been gathered behind the scenes. Many of these nobles would never see the light of day again, and no one seemed particularly disturbed by that fact. The people who remained showed no pity in their eyes, only disdain. This left the young noble wondering if his father’s way of ruling through fear and strict adherence to tradition was truly the path he wished to follow.

‘Mary is probably worried sick, but I doubt I will see her until this is all over’

Arthur thought to himself as the nobles were escorted away. His own vassals were waiting outside the inner palace in the middle quarter, likely overcome with worry as well. He, however, would remain here for a time in order to see his mother. His only hope now was that Roland, the one who had made this outcome possible, would not be held back for too long. Arthur feared that if his father realized how valuable Roland truly was, he would refuse to let the runic craftsman leave so easily.

*****

‘Whoever made this must like puzzles…’

Roland walked carefully down the dimly lit passageway. At first, it looked like nothing more than a narrow corridor of strange greenish bricks, yet the walls shifted ever so slightly as he moved. He could sense that a mechanism was at work, altering the space around them and creating a path that had not existed before.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

‘It is some kind of space distortion. We are going much deeper than it seems.’

Although he appeared to be walking forward, in truth, they were steadily descending. He was not alone. His escort consisted of two mages leading the way and two knights following behind, all of them tier three. In the main kingdom, it was rare to encounter class holders of that rank, but here under the Duke it felt as if they were produced in endless supply.

After several minutes, they arrived at the first checkpoint. It was a circular chamber, empty except for a single pedestal in the center. Upon it rested a crystal orb that glowed faintly blue. The mage at his left finally spoke.

“Touch the orb, Sir Wayland. Only then will the path open.”

Roland frowned but did as instructed. The moment his hand brushed the surface he recognized the nature of the spell. It was a device meant to record his status and imprint his mana signature, something he disliked cooperating with. The orb flickered a few times, then suddenly went still, leaving the mage staring at it in surprise.

The mage’s brow furrowed as he tapped the surface of the orb. It gave no further reaction, the faint blue glow dimming until it resembled little more than cloudy glass. His colleague moved forward, muttering a spell under his breath, but the result was the same. The orb refused to respond.

“Impossible.”

The first mage whispered as he studied Roland for signs of foul play.

“Maybe it was damaged in the attack?”

He tried to dismiss the problem as a failure caused by the fight between two tier four class holders. Yet the four people present could sense that something was wrong. The knights standing behind Roland shifted instinctively, hands ready to draw their weapons.

“Maybe you should check it again?”

Roland spoke once more while the mages continued to fiddle with the device. They began to argue among themselves as they struggled to find the cause. In the end, they all reached the same conclusion. He was somehow responsible. Their eyes turned toward him with a faint hostility, and he wondered whether disabling the device had truly been the right choice.

“What trickery is this, Sir Wayland? Do you resist the Duke’s command?”

Roland tilted his head slightly and raised his hands in protest.