Chapter 286: What are you planning to do with 286?
The palace, the area dedicated to the king.
When the sensation of solid ground returned, the "Fog of Nothingness" that enveloped Reiger dispersed once again, bringing Reiger back to this place, away from the treasure vault that held the Kingdom of Ginas’ centuries of hoarded wealth.
Touching the emerald pendant hanging around his neck, Reiger confirmed that everything that had just happened was real, not a fantasy or dream conjured up in a moment of distraction.
This brought a smile to his face.
This time, his gains were substantial.
Although he had only acquired one Ancient Secret Treasure, its value was undoubtedly extremely high, and its effects were incredibly powerful, instantly making it the most precious item he possessed.
It was nothing short of a massive, unexpected windfall to reap such rewards simply by taking advantage of the royal family once.
However, this experience also taught Reiger to never underestimate a kingdom, especially one with a history spanning hundreds to nearly a thousand years. Its power should never be taken lightly. Such a nation might harbor unknown treasures and wield unknown methods. Such a foundation was not something that could be dismissed by becoming a Sword Saint or a strategic-level Magician.
Reiger slightly adjusted his attitude.
Ever since advancing to Lv.6 and acquiring strength on par with a Sword Saint, Reiger had begun to act with a certain recklessness. Although this had always been his style, daring to tackle any dangerous situation and even seeking thrills particularly, it didn’t mean he could afford to underestimate those dangers.
Recognizing danger and then facing it with a fearless heart is one thing, but underestimating danger and approaching it with complacency is entirely different. The former is called adventuring, excitement, and moving forward with courage; the latter is courting death, arrogance, and carelessness. The two should never be confused.
After realigning his mindset, Reiger finally turned to King Hemulinp, who had appeared beside him.
"Thank you for your gift, Your Majesty," Reiger said with a slight bow.
"This is not a gift, but compensation," King Hemulinp shook his head, smiling. "Your family should now be escorted by knights to the Fransel home as well. I hope you won’t mind overlooking the mistake my unworthy son has made."
At these words, Reiger’s brows subtly furrowed.
They’ve been sent to the Fransel residence, huh?
... Forget it, let them be sent. Later, I’ll have Yuri take care of it.
After all, Reiger had no intention of meeting that family, much less recognizing them as kin.
"I shall take my leave, then," Reiger nodded towards King Hemulinp, "and thank you again for your generous gift, Your Majesty."
Having said that, Reiger turned around and walked towards the grand doors of the king’s area.
King Hemulinp watched Reiger’s retreating figure attentively. He gazed at the man who’d become famous in the capital in a single month, from being unknown to notoriously formidable, and suddenly asked a question.
"The matter concerning Solok, it truly wasn’t your doing?"
As soon as these words came out, the air in the king’s area seemed to freeze.
Reiger’s steps halted, and he stood still.
He could feel the piercing gaze of King Hemulinp on his back, filled with an acute sharpness.
It gave Reiger the sense of a revealed dagger, a gesture of courtesy before confrontation.
Perhaps King Hemulinp had wanted to ask this question all along?
Maybe, King Hemulinp had pondered whether to confront him on the spot before he had even entered the palace.
Or perhaps, it was an impulsive move from the King.
This provoked a light chuckle from Reiger.
"Well, suppose it was me," Reiger said, no longer speaking to the king with formal honorifics, but as if speaking to an ordinary person, a commoner no different from himself.
"If it were me, what would you plan to do?"
His tone and the counterquestion caused a hint of discomfort to King Hemulinp.
However, he didn’t comment on this. Instead, he latched onto Reiger’s question with one of his own.
"What do you think I shouldn’t do?" King Hemulinp said coldly. "A member of the royal family, a future heir to the throne, a son of the current king, was nearly killed. Should I not seek justice, not impose punishment?"
Hearing this, Reiger’s voice didn’t exhibit any change; it remained calm.
"Well, isn’t he still alive?"
That was Reiger’s response.
"You...!"
King Hemulinp finally lost his composure, his face showing anger.
Yet, what Reiger said next was like a bucket of cold water poured over King Hemulinp’s head.
"Actually, you’re relieved by the current situation, aren’t you?" Reiger’s voice slowly reached King Hemulinp’s ears.
"If that Prince had died, there would probably be no possibility of coexistence between me and the kingdom, and it’s likely we would become direct adversaries, right?"
"But he hasn’t died, and there’s room for reconciliation, which must be a good thing for you, isn’t it?"
"You don’t want me as an enemy, don’t want me to join forces with a hostile nation, at least not until you’re certain you can eliminate me, a potential threat."
"So even if you get to the bottom of this matter, investigate the results, and end up with conclusive evidence, would you really act against me, pushing me completely onto the opposing side?"
"No, you would surely hesitate."
Reiger pinpointed a flicker of hesitation in King Hemulinp’s heart and magnified it infinitely.
"You need to understand, it was your side that made the first move. Isn’t my self-defense a given then?"
At this point, Reiger turned around to face King Hemulinp.
"Or do you really think that your son can act against me without facing any consequences at all?"
As he spoke, Reiger’s tone became indifferent, and the look he gave King Hemulinp flickered with a hint of cold light.
This made the anger that had just surged within King Hemulinp disappear in an instant.
This was something he truly dared not claim.
If a prince could act against a Sword Saint without regard and with no concern for offense, and if this were to be known, it would definitely lead to great chaos within the kingdom.
It did not matter if it was a prince, even a king did not have that privilege.
Otherwise, those Sword Saints would definitely leave without a second word, flying far away, or even retaliate against the royal family, leading the kingdom into complete ruin.
This could be deduced from the recent protest letters that so many Sword Saints had sent.
They were Sword Saints, the highest-ranked swordsmen on the continent, known to be invincible among individuals of their own level; they were not underlings to be bullied by anyone.
This was also why King Hemulinp had to compensate Reiger for this affair; otherwise, Solok’s actions would never be tolerated by the Sword Saints.
And the kingdom still needed them, needed their power.
If the support and loyalty of the Sword Saints were lost, the decline of the Ginas Kingdom was probably not far off.
Thus, even King Hemulinp dared not say that his son could act against a Sword Saint without bearing any consequences.
Thus, King Hemulinp fell into silence.
Watching King Hemulinp in such a state, Reiger spoke again.
"There is one thing I have not spoken idly of," Reiger said calmly, "Since I am here, it means that I no longer intend to pursue this matter further."
His presence here proved that there was still a possibility for the royal family to maintain this relationship and prevent Reiger from siding with others and distancing himself from the kingdom.
At the same time, Reiger indeed considered his past grudge avenged.
Solok had once sent someone from "Shadow" to nearly kill him, and now he had almost killed Solok.
Both had faced life-threatening dangers because of the other, and both had faced death, yet both had narrowly escaped, surviving the ordeal.
If that was the case, then it could be considered settled.
"The proviso is that the mad dog does not provoke me again," Reiger said bluntly, "Otherwise, I cannot guarantee that he would escape unscathed next time."
This was an outright threat.
After saying this, Reiger did not give King Hemulinp time to respond, and suddenly changed the subject.
"Of course, all this is hypothetical."
Leaving these meaningful words behind, Reiger turned and left, walking out of the King’s chamber before King Hemulinp’s eyes.
King Hemulinp could only watch Reiger leave, his expression fluctuating, and he remained silent for a long, long time.
"Your Majesty."
A familiar voice reached King Hemulinp’s ears after a long while.
"...What do you think I should do?"
Without turning around, King Hemulinp let out a breath and calmly asked.
By now it could almost be confirmed that Reiger was the one who had acted against Solok.
He truly had mastered two different types of elite sword techniques.
He truly possessed hundreds of highly efficient alchemical automatons and seemed capable of controlling them.
He was Sham.
The problem was, there was no evidence.
And...
"...Although I am loath to admit it, what he said is indeed the truth," Rom emerged behind King Hemulinp and spoke after a pause.
"His ability to hide his identity and come here indicates that he did not intend to become our direct enemy, nor has he planned to sever ties with the royal family or the kingdom."
"Indeed, it was Prince Solok who attacked first; there is no denying that."
"Even though attempting to assassinate a prince is unquestionably a serious crime, Prince Solok ultimately did not die; offending this inscrutable Reiger Brillhaut over this matter is not worth it."
Indeed, in Rom’s eyes, Reiger had become an inscrutable person.
Clearly, King Hemulinp felt the same.
"Additionally, according to information from ’Shadow,’ the Codelion Family seems to have been secretly planning something lately, possibly preparing to clear their own and Reiger Brillhaut’s names," Rom told King Hemulinp, "Before long, we may no longer have a reason to move against him."
Upon hearing this, King Hemulinp finally gave up.
"In that case, let’s let this matter rest," King Hemulinp said, showing an exhausted expression.
"When Solok wakes up, remember to inform me."
He needed to seriously warn his own son.
"Yes."
Rom bowed his head.