550 What Rationality

Ever since he had revealed his family background, the hostage-taker in the banquet hall caused quite an uproar as tongues wagged.

Count Godwin, who was in charge of the negotiations, sighed.

"Please accept my condolences, young man,"

"Your father's heroic act aided Constellation in the return of its heir. If he died for this, he deserves to be commemorated."

Anker did not speak.

The count changed the topic and said in a slightly admonitory tone, "But this does not justify your choice to carry out such an act."

Anker remained silent, but his gaze was hazy.

At the sight of the youth's expression, Count Godwin frowned. It dawned on him that this incident tonight perhaps could not be resolved so easily after all.

The count looked upwards subconsciously, but the king's seat was empty.

Only the Duke of Star Lake, the young man said to be a genius, remained. He was being surrounded by a group of guards on the first tier.

His expression was somber as he lowered his head in silence.

Thales stared at Anker in a daze.

He still remembered the time when he woke up at Ghost Prince Tower.

Yodel told him that:

A whole day had passed since the orcs attacked Blade Fangs Dune and Legendary Wing returned to provide military support.

Thales opened the window at the tower and saw the bleak aftermath left by the battle at Blade Fangs Camp after Roman regained victory.

But what he could not see, or what he thought he did not see, was the true carnage of the battle that day.

And those whose fates have changed because of it.

"Death? Sacrifice? Interests? Costs? Victory and defeat? These are the most superficial aspects of the war…The fate of thousands and thousands of people…will be put to the test in this cruel furnace."

The words of Old Crow, Hicks rang in his ears.

"Please keep this in mind…Aside from the hypocritical moral condemnations, simple calculation of interests or damages, and pointless decorations of honor for the combatants…Do not underestimate the concept of war itself—it is not as simple as you think it is. It is not a game about victory and defeat, interests and costs, survival and death."

"While you and I—an influential suzerain and a powerless commoner—are the weakest chess pieces on the board, because it is not up to us most of the time, even if you are the one instigating or the one who won the war."

A noise that came from behind interrupted his thoughts.

"New report from Flag Bearer Division."

Vice-captain Vogel took the few pieces of paper handed to him by his subordinate and said cautiously, "Anker Byrael is indeed a Western Desert noble, and the eldest son and heir of the Baron of Crow Caw City,"

"You were right. Before this, he had been studying at Tower of Eradication, until his father's passing."

Mallos pondered for a while before saying, "His father died in the operation to secure the prince's return, so this young Byrael feels aggrieved and intends to ruin the prince's banquet?"

The watchmen shook his head. "Doesn't make sense."

Vogel nodded, apparently doubtful as well.

"Also," he switched to another piece of paper, "A few days ago, Anker Byrael applied to the Nobility Affairs Center to be included in tonight's nobility appointment ceremony for the supreme king to appoint him in order to inherit his father's title."

Thales started thinking.

He recalled that, at the nobility appointment ceremony tonight, of the several nobles who were given hereditary titles, there were both self-made new nobles and old nobles who inherited from their fathers, including a bastard from Blade Edge Hill whose legitimacy was dubious.

But there was no Anker Byrael.

Vogel scoffed and continued reading, "The Affairs Center responded: 'Byrael is a vassal of the Duke of Western Desert. To bypass a master in appointing his servant would go against convention.'"

Mallos frowned.

"Go against convention?"

"I seem to remember, amongst the candidates for tonight's ceremony, there was a son born out of wedlock, which could also count as 'bypassing a master in appointing his servant'?"

Vogel cast a glance at him, calmly folded the paper in his hands in half and said, "The royal family is close to the Archduchess of Blade Edge Hill, there would naturally be no issues."

"As for Western Desert…"

He did not finish his sentence.

Bypassing a master in appointing his servant, go against convention?

Thales suddenly thought of the National Sword of the Ancient Empire that Duke Fakenhaz gifted him.

"Fine," Mallos pondered, "But why is he after Baron Doyle?"

Vogel scoffed, "Revenge, resentment, to benefit, to harm—it won't be anything outside of these four reasons. Whatever combination you come up with, there will be truth to it."

In the center of the hall, Count Godwin took a deep breath. "Young Byrael, your father sacrificed himself for his kingdom and died a worthy death, you should not defile his legacy."

Anker pulled himself out of the grief of losing his father.

"You're right, my lord, I shouldn't."

He was shaking as he breathed, as if suppressing something, and kept repeating, "I shouldn't."

But Anker's expression quickly turned sinister.

"Until I, who hurried home, discovered," he looked at everyone and said through gritted teeth, "that my father borrowed money to raise military funds to recruit troops…"

"And got himself into debt, owing a mountainous sum that he could never repay within his lifetime."

The crowd was stunned.

In the next instant, Anker hauled Old Doyle up by the collar and yelled, "Come on, you old varmint!"

The hostage-taker's tone was brisk, "Tell His Highness, tell everyone, tell the entire kingdom what you did!"

"Tell everyone the sin you committed against my father and the Byrael family!"

Baron Doyle scowled miserably. "I didn't do anything…"

But Anker's blade immediately pressed up against the old baron's neck, even drawing a few trails of blood.

"Think again?"

Old Doyle trembled from head to toe and corrected himself, "I, I, I lent money to your father to get him through hard times…"

Thales frowned.

Anker spat loudly in contempt!

"Bullshit!"

He kicked the old baron in the back. The latter stumbled onto strewn food and was covered in filth, panting.

Seeing his father suffer, Doyle clenched his fists. But Glover was quick to grip his shoulder and stared sternly at the former.

"I looked into it. As soon as the mobilization order by the Duke of Western Desert arrived, you appeared!"

"Precisely when my father was in financial distress and at the end of his rope."

Anker glared furiously at Baron Doyle as he stomped on his back. "You sweettalked him, loaned him an enormous sum, beguiled and deceived him, assured him of great profits, and instigated him to recruit as many troops as possible, arm them and set out on an expedition into the desert to pursue the battle.

"In the end, his entire army was wiped out. He lost everything and ended up knee-deep in debt."

He roared, "Dying an agonizing death!"

Count Godwin looked grim. His head was aching as he wondered how to continue the negotiations.

Baron Doyle said in a sobbing tone, "Your father was loyal and devoted. He was the one who wished to answer the call to mobilize and head into the desert to fight for the kingdom…It wasn't like I could stop him…"

Anker interjected angrily, "No! You! You concocted the pretext that 'war could bring immense profits', pretended to be generous in loaning him money, and baited him into a trap!"

The old baron gasped in pain. "I didn't lie to him! Many people made a fortune in the previous Desert War…"

Make a fortune.

Thales felt uneasy: he recalled what happened at Blade Fangs Camp, recalled the exploitative troops of Fakenhaz who collected tolls at the camp entrance, recalled the hoard of goods that Tormorden had prepared to smuggle out.

Anker chuckled ironically. "You mean those wartime merchants?"

He strode forward and hoisted the old baron up again. He made the baron face everyone in the banquet hall. "Those vampires that somehow got wind that my father was preparing to mobilize and join the battle, and took advantage of that fact to sell him supplies?"

"Half of them were conspiring with you, or even in partnership with you! You've been colluding and plotting this for a long time."

Baron Doyle got a taste of the youth's interrogation methods. He replied hastily, "Well we have business dealings with each other, it's only normal that we know each other…"

"Shut up!"

The hostage-taker glared at the old baron in fury, and said bitterly, "You took advantage of my father's generosity and unfamiliarity with financial matters, used baiting words and confusing numbers to trick him into signing an unfair contract which resulted in him owing a sum that was several times the original debt."

Old Doyle seemed to have given in as he forced a smile that said 'please understand'.

"It's a loan after all, how can interest not be included? What's more, yours is a noble family with a huge enterprise, it's only natural that your interest would be a little higher…"

Anker reached a hand out to grab Baron Doyle's hair on the back of his head, forcing the latter to look up!

Amidst the baron's howls of pain and his wife's cries of alarm, Anker said through gritted teeth, "But in the deliberate trap of your contract, those unpaid debts were secured by the land and people of Crow Caw City!"

"Land, people!"

The crowd exclaimed.

"Ah, sss, no." Old Doyle refused to yield despite being in severe pain. "Collaterals and such, these are contractual terms that have been made under the witness of authoritative accountants of the Royal Family Bank. It's only right and proper that a debt be repaid…"

"Unless this was premeditated!" Anker roared.

"Unless you loaned him money in anticipation that his expedition would fail, his debt would accumulate to the point where he was incapable of repaying them, and he would have to give up a piece of his land to you!"

In the next instant, Anker suddenly spun around and raised his sword, pointing it at a guard that was looking to launch a sneak attack.

The guard and his emulators were forced back to a safe distance away.

"This is ridiculous," the old baron's rebuttals were sharp, "How could I be certain that he would be defeated? Did I predict that the orcs would attack?"

Thales started pondering.

Certain that he would be defeated…

Predict that the orcs would attack…

The Duke of Star Lake frowned.

'Unfortunately, someone did know about both these points.

'And the Doyle family…'

Thales glanced at Doyle beside him. '…belonged to the highest tier of immediate vassals under the royal family, Seven Jadestar Attendants.'

Clearly, Anker was dissatisfied with the baron's words. "Stop pretending! I know everything!"

The hostage-taker looked up and yelled towards the guests in the hall, "Old varmint, you've extended your evil clutches into the Western Desert since long before, into our Crow Caw City!"

"Our families are under different territories, but border each other. For years, you've leveraged your geographic superiority, made threats and promises, taken from us by force and trickery, and conspired with some scum vassals and corrupt officials of Crow Caw City, and have harbored malevolent intentions for a long time."

Anker continued enraged, "Those scums pledged loyalty to you behind my father's back, illegally sublet to tenant farmers, covertly divided up the land, underreported taxes, and had the farm labor of Crow Caw City farm and produce for your benefit.

"You conspired to defraud and even fixed the transport route through Central and Western Desert that connected Mirror River to Crow Caw City."

Old Doyle tried to defend himself, but Anker's grip on him became more forceful, so all he could manage was close his eyes and whimper in pain.

"So my father could only watch as his territory was gradually drained from diminishing harvests, and became poverty-stricken…"

Upon hearing this, the old baron, despite being in pain, could not help but retort, "I rented land from them by mutual consent, your father was well aware…"

But Anker roared in anger again, "Aware my foot!"

His blade pressed against the baron's neck. "Do you want to go confront him yourself?"

The guests exclaimed.

Seeing that the scene was out of control, Count Godwin interrupted, "Mr. Byrael!"

His tone was stern, "Without proof, you can't accuse Baron Doyle so arbitrarily, let alone mete out a private punishment…"

Anker sneered when he heard this, "Proof?"

The hostage-taker sneered for a few seconds, then finally withdrew the short sword from Old Doyle's carotid artery.

"Doyle, your fiefdom had a bumper harvest this year, didn't it? To the extent that you could export?"

The old baron hesitated.

Anker furiously slapped Old Doyle. "Speak!"

In pain, Baron Doyle immediately responded, "It's a prosp… prosperous year…"

"Prosperous year?" Anker chuckled sarcastically. "But it wasn't just this year!"

He gritted his teeth and looked towards the spectators.

"There was the year before, and the year before that, and the year before that… For almost a decade, grain production kept on having 'bumper harvests', driving the circulation of goods and commodities as well as a booming market! You have enough financial surplus to feed a small army!"

"Merely relying on the narrow land of Mirror River? On the worst soil in the entire Central Territory? Merely relying on the Central Territory subjects who have had their appetites spoilt by the prosperity of the capital, who have their hearts set on making it big in Eternal Star City but are arrogant and lazy, you are able to have such plentiful harvest and reap so much wealth?"

"And you even have surplus grain and goods to export out of your border, selling it to the Desert and even Northland, making a fortune?"

Upon hearing this, Thales was stunned!

He subconsciously looked towards the other seats and found that Bowl Cut among the crowd standing on their tiptoes.

Levi Trentida.

This Northlander from Reformation Tower had his head lowered discreetly, unaware of the gaze cast at him by the Duke of Star Lake.

"I was going to buy some souvenirs home… food, clothes and stuff to play with…That darned market bureaucrat and businessman conspired to alter weights and raise prices…"

Damn it.

The youth gritted his teeth.

"Those are our arable land, our food, our wealth! And god knows if there are any other victims aside from Crow Caw City?" Anker's cold words rang in everyone's ears.

The crowd started murmuring again.

This time, there were fewer debates; most of it was just hushed whispers.

At this point, Mallos groaned, "Speaking of this, Glover…"

The watchman looked up suddenly. "Do you remember what your brother, Viscount Lozano Glover said to His Highness before the banquet commenced?"

'Zombie' Glover's expression changed.

He subconsciously looked towards a table at that calm and composed 'other' Glover.

"Lozano?"

Glover, who seemed unusually sensitive about this name, mumbled, "Lo... Lozano, told Doyle, to have his father stop sending money to—the Department of Finance?"

Doyle, who was firmly held by Glover, shuddered and looked at his colleague incredulously.

Mallos nodded.

"It was respectful of Viscount Lozano to greet His Highness. He didn't even bother to acknowledge his own half-brother,"

"Why did he find Doyle and bring up what is arguably an internal matter of the Department of Finance? Just to badmouth the Doyle family?"

Doyle froze. Glover looked unpleasant.

"I remember now," Zombie recalled, his face ashen, "Lozano also told Doyle, that even if the money was sent, land audits and tax inspections for this year would be unavoidable?"

Land audits…

Thales took a deep breath and refocused his attention on the center of the venue.

Anker waved his short sword and sneered. "So, old varmint, how long did you originally plan to do this for?"

"Did you intend to have it go on forever? Since it was personal gain to the detriment of others, why not?"

Old Doyle was on the brink of tears. "I told you, that's not…"

The hostage-taker interjected. "But you did not expect."

"That six years ago, in the face of Eckstedt's war crisis, the vassals would kick up a fuss at the National Conference, complaining about financial difficulties and insufficient harvest, as well as the difficulties in military recruitment and long expeditions…"

"So as soon as the crisis passed, King Kessel resolutely passed the 'Land Assessment Order' of King Aydi's era to revitalize the agricultural industry and encourage production,"

Anker's smile sent chills down Old Doyle's spine.

"Currently, based on the Order, the buffer period has passed and the deadline for land auditing is fast approaching. You wouldn't be able to conceal your dealings any longer."

Many in the hall started to whisper again.

"Seeing that audits are imminent, in the face of a looming threat, you couldn't afford to plan elaborately, but you were unwilling to sacrifice your source of wealth for survival."

Anker's words cut at the tip of his tongue to the point where it bled.

"All you could do was rush and use the most straightforward method to wrap things up, kill it off, make it seem like an open-and-shut case,"

Anker's gaze dimmed. "For example, my father's loan contract."

Beside Thales, Mallos let out a long sigh.

"Viscount Lozano works at the kingdom's Department of Finance. Whether it was bribes or production volume, taxes or land, he must have discovered the hidden peril of Mirror River Region,"

"What he said before the banquet started, was actually directed towards his fellow Seven Jadestar Attendant, the Doyle family…"

But at this point, another voice interrupted him.

"Not just that."

The watchman and vice-captain looked up in unison. Both were taken aback when they discovered who the speaker was.

"He meant more than that," Thales said distractedly.

Vogel narrowed his eyes.

What?

"According to the royal family etiquette lessons I've been taking, Glover is a subordinate vassal of the royal family. And I am the Duke of Star Lake cum heir to the throne, his future supreme ruler."

Thales looked towards the center of the hall at the Anker who had successfully stolen the prince's thunder today.

"Whether based on status or vassal relation, our interactions should be initiated either by my sending out an invitation, or by Viscount Lozano putting in a request to visit, followed by obtaining the necessary approvals. Only then can he have an audience with me. But…"

Mallos' eyebrows twitched as he recalled it too. "But he unorthodoxly and ambiguously invited you to disregard your status and pay him a visit at his manor in Eastern City District."

Thales felt a weight in his heart as he nodded.

"That was Viscount Lozano's reminder and warning to me,"

"It's just that we didn't understand it at the time."

Doyle shuddered as he looked remorseful.

The prince did not harp on but merely sighed. "And my guess is that Lozano did not expect this hidden peril to erupt so violently, so quickly,"

"Within the span of a meal."

Thales shifted his gaze. He realized the mood of the Seven Jadestar Attendants had turned somber: Patterson, the oldest among them, was biting his lip, panting and glaring; Stone and Adrian were expressionless and silent as they continued to observe the situation; Lady Elainor was preoccupied with her son; the aforementioned Lozano who had previously warned them lowered his head and stared at the table, as if indifferent towards the current happenings.

But in the hall, as Anker's narrative became clearer, many guests could not help but look at the composed Duke of Star Lake himself.

"The problem is," sensing their gaze, Thales felt his head throb, "how do we clean up this mess?"

Vogel scoffed.

"It's okay, Your Highness," the vice-captain cast a disdainful glance at the infuriated Anker, "By publicly putting on a show, he's merely trying to capitalize on your name and the banquet to sensationalize the crowd, bring attention to his family matters, and make a big thing out of the issue,"

"After he finishes spouting nonsense and achieves his purpose, Your Highness, you can console him, reciprocate comforting words, and he will have no reason to continue acting,"

"But the main thing is: no matter how he induces you and embellishes his words, you should not make a judgment, much less pick a side. You should not exhibit any preference towards any party, even if it's just a smile or rolling your eyes."

Thales looked up. "Any party?"

Vogel looked at him. This time, there was only sternness left in the vice-captain's eyes. "Any party.

"As for the remaining investigation and interrogation, or trial and conviction, those should be dealt with tomorrow, by the court, the Nobility Affairs Center, or even the Imperial Conference.

"This man's actions, apart from adding some gossip material to tonight's banquet, will not harm your reputation."

Thales pursed his lips, but Mallos frowned.

"At least let the assassination team take their positions and be on standby?"

Vogel glanced at him but did not respond.

In the hall, the confrontation between Anker and the old baron was still ongoing.

"You, you and those lowlifes under my father, you conspired and coordinated from the inside out, biding your time until the loan was due, and forced father who was at the end of his rope to cede parts of his territory.

"You acquired new land seamlessly and in compliance with the regulations, avoiding future troubles and land auditing. Whereas they took on a new lease of life by changing their military banner, and legitimately became your lackeys.

"But you didn't expect Father to pass away under the strain, and someone as obstinate as I would take his place."

Anker raised his short sword and pointed it at the old baron's nose, his tone turning colder, "Tell me, when you set the trap and plotted against my father, ultimately killing him, did you think such a day would come?

"Did you think his legacy, his bloodline, his heir would one day seek revenge against you in public?!

"Doyle of Mirror River!"

Old Doyle trembled at the sight of the blade pointed at him!

The baron froze for a while as his entire face turned beet red. All he could manage was sputter a few monosyllables. "No, you, you…He, he…"

At this point, Count Godwin's roar rang through the banquet hall, "Anker Byrael!"

His tone was harsher than ever, unsparing, "No matter what your grievances or reasons, don't forget that the kingdom operates under the rule of law, and there is rationality in this world!"

Anker was lost in thought.

"Rule of law? Rationality?"

He put down his sword and turned around.

Count Godwin breathed a sigh of relief.

"As a noble, you are educated and sensible, you understand loyalty and morals. You should know how to seek justice through lawful means and proper channels, whether it be protection of rights and interests through reason-based appeals, or settlement negotiation through rational communication,"

The count's tone was righteous and stern, "Why would you go so far as to bring a sword to a banquet, take someone hostage…"

"Take such a risk and resort to violence at Duke Thales' banquet!"

"You are standing up for your father and your family, but do you intend for your father's honor and your family's reputation to be completely ruined by your hands?"

The last sentence was clearly quite effective. Anker trembled from head to toe and looked at Godwin in a daze.

"I did."

Count Godwin was stunned.

"Did what?"

"When I returned home initially," Anker said dejectedly, "Lawful methods."

"At first, I wanted to wait for the harvest in the upcoming year and repay the debt steadily."

He looked at Count Godwin in anguish and howled, "Afterwards, I wanted to invoke nobility regulations to appeal for an extension."

He stared at the short sword in his hand and mumbled, "But I was informed that I had not yet inherited the title and had no right to appeal for an extension."

"Finally, I wanted to inherit my father's title earlier." Anker looked around at everyone in despair. "But was informed that the recognition fees would be costly, so I had to wait for next year's harvest."

Count Godwin was lost for words, but after hesitating for a moment, said, "If you couldn't solve it on your own, you could have asked for help…"

But Anker roared back louder and fiercer!

"I did!"

His blade continued to sway with his movements, waving futilely under the glimmer of the lights.

"I went to the Ruins and Brave Souls Fort to seek help from the upper crusts of Western Desert, but they told me that the battle at Blade Fangs Camp had just been resolved, that it was trying times, and they did not want to displease the vassals of Renaissance Palace, that this was a personal matter between my family and the Doyles, and they had no right to intervene.

"I came to Eternal Star City, and filed a complaint to the courts in accordance with procedure, but was rejected repeatedly. A bribed secretary told me in confidence that the Doyle family had affiliated themselves with the Duke of Star Lake, and Mindis Hall was of great significance, they couldn't afford to offend them.

"I went to the Nobility Affairs Center to file for title inheritance, but was told that the prince had just returned the kingdom was prospering, everyone was living in hope, and I shouldn't be a wet blanket by raising my trivial issues."

Thales listened to his account with a solemn expression. He discovered uneasily that these reasons were all related to himself.

Anker inhaled sharply.

"So, finally, all I could do was go to Renaissance Palace, wait at the palace gates for His Majesty. When I saw His Majesty's entourage, saw the royal guards, and approached to speak to them…"

He cracked a smile, revealing calm and despair.

"I was sent to prison."

Amidst the soft but noticeable buzz of the crowd, Count Godwin was speechless for a while, clearly trapped in a dilemma.

"When I talk about rationality, you talk to me about the law. When I talk about the law, you talk to me about custom. When I talk to you about custom, you talk to me about reality. When I talk to you about reality, you come back around and talk to me about rationality."

"I did it," Anker rested his blade on old Baron Doyle's shoulder. His gaze was listless as he muttered distractedly, "All those means, all those methods, all those possibilities…"

"I did it all."

He raised his head slowly.

"There's only one way left."

The disquiet in Thales's heart grew heavier.

"Three days ago, I paid the police station with the last of my travel funds to secure my release."

Anker gradually strengthened his grip. The old baron's expression changed as he groaned in pain.

"So I found him. I said to this old varmint: I am willing to comply with the contract and give up land to him.

"All I ask for is the burial fee for my father.

"And that considerable burial fee bought me an entrance into Mindis Hall tonight, and a seat at the outermost fringe of the hall."

Anker smiled.

He was ecstatic.

"Anker!" Count Godwin seemed to have a premonition of what he was about to do; for the first time there was a panic in his voice.

"No—" Doyle struggled to rush forward, but Glover clung on to him tightly.

Anker said coldly, "Without bloodshed, no one will listen,"

His wrist slowly sank.

"Without a grandiose act, there is no way out,"

He slowly clenched his teeth.

"Those who are unwilling to debase themselves will have to swallow the bitter pill."

His gaze clouded over.

"Tell me, Count Godwin, Duke Thales…"

Amidst Old Doyle's howls of pain, Lady Doyle's heart-wrenching wailing, and the horrified gazes of the guests in the hall, Anker looked up.

His defeated gaze pierced through the bright lights and landed on Thales.

"What rationality is this?"