Chapter 57: Prince Artan's Plan

The man in black naturally knew the rules; even though he was familiar with these two individuals, there were no exceptions. He took a silver token from his ring and removed his hood. Before the guards stood an ordinary, unremarkable middle-aged man, his complexion slightly pale, as if he had lived long in darkness without sunlight.

One of the guards took the token, verified it, and returned it to the man in black.

“No problem. Long time no see, Robert.”

“Long time no see. Where is His Lordship now?”

The man in black, named Robert, took back the token and casually asked.

“The intelligence from the Fis Merchant Guild just arrived. His Lordship should be in the study; you can go directly there.”

“Thank you.”

Robert nodded respectfully toward the guards and, as if familiar with the place, headed toward the study on the east side of the second floor of the small building.

When Robert stood before the study’s door, he nervously rubbed his hands on his clothes and then gently knocked.

“Enter.”

A calm, resonant baritone came from inside. Robert exhaled in relief and cautiously opened the door to step inside.

Facing the door was a spacious walnut desk, neatly arranged with various books and documents, bathed in the gentle morning light that had yet to grow hot.

Seated behind the desk was a blond middle-aged man, leaning slightly back in his chair, frowning as he examined the intelligence sent by the Fis Merchant Guild without paying attention to the newcomer.

Seeing this, Robert did not speak but respectfully stood to one side with his head slightly bowed, silently waiting for the man to finish reviewing the remaining materials.

After a short while, the blond man set down the papers, took a sip from a cup of rich black coffee nearby, then rubbed his tired eyes.

“Lord Yatan, you really need not work so hard,” Robert said softly, full of respect and concern.

“The plans are basically settled; now we only await the arrival of the Sacred Festival. Yet, Your Lordship has not rested properly for more than half a year!”

Indeed, the blond man sitting at the desk was none other than Prince Yatan Fis, the second prince of the Kingdom of Fis.

Yatan waved off the concern indifferently.

“The more critical the moment, the less slack we can afford. I will not allow years of effort to be ruined all at once.”

Then Yatan looked up at Robert before him and inquired,

“How are the various plans coming along?”

---

Yatan had assigned Robert primarily to coordinate with the different factions involved in the plan and to report regularly to him.

To facilitate this, a quiet location near the palace was specially arranged as a center for gathering intelligence and coordinating efforts.

Therefore, its defenses were exceedingly secretive and formidable—beyond the external illusionary arrays and silver guards, a golden-level powerhouse was concealed within the shadows.

When the discussion turned to business, Robert quickly straightened his posture and, as if reciting treasured knowledge, reported:

“The procurement and storage of materials by the Fis Merchant Guild and its subsidiaries are nearly complete. Only final touches remain, and so far, it has not drawn attention from other domestic factions or foreign nations.”

“You have already reviewed the specific quantities—food supplies, weapons, and medicines—enough to sustain the kingdom’s external campaigns for five years.”

“We have secured promises from Duke Lam and Duke Baynam, who have begun reorganizing their forces. Should the kingdom declare war, they will immediately launch a raid on the Bertich Kingdom.”

“My men have secretly communicated with some court nobles, who will voice support for the kingdom’s external war when the time comes. However, we must back them in earning military merits and fiefs on the front lines.”

“Due to Duke Had’s presence, to avoid leaks, we have not contacted most of the court nobles.”

“But from what we know, the remaining nobles mostly support going to war; only a few conservatives, perhaps shaken by the assassination of their colleagues by foreign assassins, may not oppose the kingdom’s retaliation.”

“As for the Bertich Kingdom, last year, displeased with our demands to lower border taxes, they secretly sent envoys to persuade and manipulate. As you predicted, they are preparing to dispatch the kingdom’s golden-level assassin, Bloodblade, to infiltrate our land and seek revenge.”

“We have already activated Bloodblade through special communication. When the time comes, he will not head to Duke Lam’s territory but will come directly to Scanglow City to take orders from Lord Yatan.”

Robert’s voice brimmed with excitement as he recounted each point of the plan’s progress, eyes filled with reverence toward the man before him.

Almost every possibility had been considered. Unless something unforeseen occurred, the outcome would unfold exactly as Lord Yatan anticipated.

The Bertich Kingdom brazenly assassinates its own nobles during the Sacred Festival!

The Fis Kingdom declares war on the Bertich Kingdom!

The Fis Kingdom wins the war, and Lord Yatan ascends the throne!

Yatan showed no sign of joy; his expression remained calm, as if all events were proceeding just as he expected.

“Those Bertich fools are utterly worthless, rotten to the core from top to bottom. If it weren’t for the Church of the Gods, haha...” Yatan offered a brief evaluation of Bertich’s astonishing blunder.

“Indeed, who would have guessed that their secretly groomed ace assassin was actually Your Lordship’s hidden pawn?” Robert flattered at just the right moment.

Yatan rubbed his brow but paid him no mind.

Lately, a sense of unease had taken hold of him—something he had never felt before. Was there something he had overlooked?

Leaning back in his chair, he pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked Robert:

---

“Have the targets for the Sacred Festival been finalized?”

“Yes, Your Lordship,” Robert promptly replied.

“They are Viscount Kane, Baron Leo, Baron Lucas, and Baron Allen. On that day, the four will be positioned about fifteen meters to the left of His Majesty the King.”

“However...” Yatan’s eyes lifted; he disliked this feeling of uncertainty and stared intently at Robert.

“Speak honestly!”

Robert quickly lowered his head.

“As you commanded, Baron Leo, Baron Lucas, and Baron Allen have been tested with no abnormalities found, but Viscount Kane’s case was assigned to Camus and has yet to make progress.”

“Camus?”

Yatan recalled the name—it was a remarkably talented student from the Fis Royal Magic Academy in recent years, who had reached the level of silver mage before graduation.

Even more rare was his humble origin; one of the promising magical geniuses Yatan had personally recruited, so he harbored high hopes for him.

High-level mages were exceedingly rare and valuable assistants; across the entire kingdom, only the Magic Academy had a few more.

As the kingdom’s first heir, Yatan had only one golden-level mage in his service.

He had intended to give Camus a chance to train—could he not even handle this minor task?

Yatan was somewhat disappointed; he had invested considerable resources in Camus.

“Hurry up and ensure there are no mishaps!”

Yatan rose and stood by the window, speaking no more, simply issuing the quiet order to Robert.

“Yes, Your Lordship!”

Robert immediately complied. Seeing that Yatan had no further instructions, he quietly turned and left the study, gently closing the door behind him.

Yatan gazed silently out the window. The nearby district was beginning to stir with noise, but his eyes did not focus on the scene. Instead, in a voice filled with complex emotion, he murmured:

“Taya?”