Chapter 182 - 178 The Ruthless and Tender Old King
Chapter 182: Chapter 178 The Ruthless and Tender Old King
Morton Feis closed his eyes; making this choice was actually not difficult for him.
As the revitalizing leader who led the rise of the Feis Kingdom, he might have grown somewhat tender-hearted toward his children as he aged, but when it came to matters concerning the future of the kingdom, Morton did not hesitate much.
“Yatean, my child.”
Morton, with his eyes closed, spoke gently, his body seeming to collapse in on itself as his slight frame was completely enveloped by the sofa.
“Father…”
Yatean lifted his head, remembering his father had never spoken to him in such a gentle tone.
...
Always preoccupied with state affairs, under his leadership, the Feis Kingdom had leaped to become the leading human power on this continent.
Thus, even though Yatean had few opportunities to be close to Morton since childhood, he always aimed to become a wise and insightful ruler just like his father.
He studied diligently from a young age—statecraft, military affairs, personal management… and so on. Anything related to becoming king and better managing the country was something Yatean strived to learn.
His efforts also won the praise of some. Even now, ministers and nobles regarded him as the best successor to the throne, the next king of the Feis Kingdom.
Yatean once thought so too!
But one day, his expectations—or rather, the goal he had always striven for—were shattered.
Morton Feis, his father, brought a little girl into the Royal Palace.
She was a rather adorable child.
Upon first meeting Taya, Yatean thought as much and did not mind that his father brought his illegitimate daughter back to the Royal Palace.
But everything soon changed!
Taya began to reveal her terrifying talent, and her astonishing rate of progress amazed everyone.
Even the Legendary Monk, “Broken Mountain” Avin Dern, praised Taya’s gifts.
“She will be the kingdom’s first Legendary Warrior!”
After this, His Majesty the King immediately locked down all news concerning Taya, but such things could not be kept secret from Yatean.
Yatean, who had studied for many years and matured in thought, knew well that if Taya truly broke through to become a Legendary Warrior, then there would be no other choice for the Feis Kingdom’s throne.
It wouldn’t matter how exceptional Yatean was.
Perhaps Yatean could become a respected duke, assisting Taya in governing the nation, but was that really what he wanted?
So, Yatean chose to rebel without a second thought.
He had to make everything settled before Taya made her breakthrough as a legend.
Start a war, seize the glory, and ascend to the throne early!
This was Yatean’s plan, as well as his ambition!
Lis shook his head. Even with all this clear, he held no sympathy for Yatean.
He was no Holy Mother, ready to generously forgive someone who had once thought of harming him.
If one chooses to strike a snake, one must crush it completely, not allowing it any chance to fight back.
“My children are not many, now only you and little Taya remain.”
“Actually, I had vaguely sensed it before and roughly knew what you were thinking in your heart.”
“Taya, she is the future of the kingdom!”
“Perhaps I should have stopped you when I discovered your plans, instead of being soft-hearted and giving you a chance.”
“This might just be fate mocking me.”
Morton spoke with a trace of emotion, and Yatean had no response, just listening quietly to his father’s words.
King Morton opened his eyes but did not look at Yatean, who was kneeling before him. Instead, he turned his head to speak to Lis:
“Lis, since you did not have that person act prematurely, you must have realized as well.”
Lis sensed that King Morton, sitting on the sofa, seemed even older now, his vitality drained.
“Yes, I wanted to push for a war against the Boditch Kingdom. You ultimately chose this path as well, didn’t you?”
“Indeed, the kingdom has developed to where it is today, and I am old. I no longer have the energy to maintain internal balance,”
“So why not throw all these conflicts into a war.”
Morton shook his head and spoke with a tiredness in his voice.
Lis understood naturally what King Morton meant.
The Feis Kingdom had developed to its present state, and almost all of its internal potential had been tapped. Until a new wave of productive forces emerged, domestic tensions would only continue to accumulate.
The border Nobles wished to establish new territories to expand their influence.
The Court Nobles yearned to start wars so they could capture military achievements and become Sealed Nobles.
The merchants hoped for a broader kingdom, no longer subject to the heavy taxes of the incompetent minor nations.
Even the commoners at the very bottom, under covert incitement, quietly harbored hopes to break through the class barriers via war.
With so many driving forces, in truth, all the preconditions for war had already been met.
After the Church of the Gods gave up mediating conflicts between nations, choosing to stand aside rather than prevent the outbreak of war.
The arrival of war was unstoppable, which was why King Morton had consented to Yatean’s scheming and why Lis had requested Joyce to capture the assassin only after the Blood Blade’s successful murder.
Regrettably, Morton Fis was unaware that his choice would lead to a war that would engulf the entire Fanor Continent.
Lis sighed inwardly, but did not speak out to warn him.
This was the overture to an era’s tidal wave; even the gods had chosen to abandon it, so what could he, a mere Silver Mage, do to prevent the spark of war from igniting.
Under circumstances that could influence the fate of the Kingdom and even the entire continent, those four dead Nobles seemed so insignificant.
“War is coming, but it cannot be Yatean who drives it,” said King Morton, his voice firm. This was the essential point.
If outsiders were to learn that the nobles were murdered by the Second Prince, it would bring an unimaginable impact on the situation of the Kingdom.
Lis nodded, obviously agreeing, which was why he had not directly identified Yatean as the culprit on the spot.
“As for Yatean…”
Morton Fis looked down at Yatean, who kneeled before him, and his withered right hand still couldn’t help trembling a few times.
“Lis, I… have a request.”
Hmm?
Lis frowned. The old king couldn’t be confused, could he? His words had been so clear, yet did he still wish to let Yatean off the hook?
Morton waved his hand and said gravely:
“Yatean has made a grave mistake, and I will naturally not forgive him so easily.”
“If I depose or even execute him now, it would be equivalent to letting outsiders know what happened.”
“Since the war has begun, it must continue.”
“When the war is over, I will announce that all this was Yatean’s conspiracy and strip him of his prince’s status.”
“During this time, I will keep him under house arrest in the Royal Palace, to prevent him from causing more trouble.”
“Lis, you need not worry. I will ask Judgement Flame to take action and place restrictions on Yatean. If he still harbors ill will against you, he will die instantaneously.”
“Once the war is over, if you still insist on executing Yatean, I will have no objections.”
Having said this, Morton stared intently at Lis.
Lis couldn’t feel a hint of His Majesty the King’s aura coming from the old man; it was merely the request of an elderly father.
Besides, to be honest, His Majesty the King’s plan was quite severe, much more drastic than anything Lis had imagined.
For Yatean, it would be even more painful than a direct execution.
No hope for the throne!
He would bear the full brunt of the blame for instigating the war!
Life-long house arrest!
And he would be sealed by the Legendary Mage!
Morton had considered all of Lis’s concerns, and naturally, Lis trusted the methods of his own teacher.
Yatean was thoroughly finished!
All he had left was a life clinging desperately to existence!
“Then… as you wish!”