Chapter 311: Change Again
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
This was not an easy question, therefore, Benjamin was forced to think carefully— if he spoke it out, how would things play out in the end?
Firstly, the king’s decision had to be seen.
If he got furious and immediately tore down all amicability with the Mages Freemasonry, that would definitely cause an upheaval. The Mages Freemasonry still had its influence. If Aldrich could inspire most of the mages in Ferelden, it was even possible to bring the entire kingdom to ruins.
Of course, a person who could be king would not be so impulsive. The bigger possibility would be the king acting as though he was being kept in the dark on the outside, but was secretly undermining the Mages Freemasonry. Both parties then fell into battle in an unknown place. As for who would emerge victorious, it was very difficult to predict.
The point was, who should Benjamin help?
As a matter of principle, he should help the mages; as a matter of morality, he should help the king. If the Mages Freemasonry wished to be like the Kingdom of Helius and vacate the Royal Family so the mages could take over this nation, that would not be without advantages for Benjamin. But... What if there were other people behind them?
Did that Mage Vinci not keep in constant contact with the Icor side? Also, his relations with the Mages Freemasonry was not bad. In the event that the manipulator behind everything was Icor, and Benjamin had helped Aldrich, the queen would turn about and ascend the throne with a laugh. Then where could he go for a cry?
But, concerning the king, all that he understood was limited to this one meal. The monarchy is very complicated, who knew if the king would also come up with some tricks in the future, like the queen, and forcefully control the mages for his own use?
It could be so, it could also not be so...
This was so damn tangled up.
Benjamin felt an abnormal headache.
Enough with this gang of people, was it not good to be peaceful? Were they so bored that they had to go around causing trouble? Was it not alright for everyone to develop in peace, and wait until he had collected hundreds and thousands of mages before he started a group?
Also, how could he had imagined that his moment of curiosity this afternoon at the Mages Freemasonry would push him onto some sort of important, historical point.
And so, in the process of Benjamin’s thoughts, the matter of the king searching for the princess had almost been arranged completely. The ministers in the meeting hall dispersed, and the king turned around, giving Benjamin a look.
"Mage Benjamin, my personal guards have checked the entire Palace, there should not be anymore danger." He patted Benjamin’s shoulder, saying, "now, I need to go and interrogate some relevant people. There are trustworthy mages amongst the personal guards, they will protect me. My apologies for troubling you."
Hearing this, Benjamin looked at the personal guards standing on either side, and suddenly drew closer to the king, muttering in a low voice: "Your Majesty, I have something very important to tell you."
Finally, he had made a decision.
Who knew what the future might hold, but at least, in such an important thing, he needed to intervene.
"Oh?" The king’s expression was one of utter surprise. He looked at the personal guards on both sides, and finally said in a small voice, "Just say it. These are trustable men, there is no need to send them away."
Is that so...
There was still doubt in Benjamin’s heart.
It looked like the king still did not trust him enough, and was worried that Benjamin might have bad intentions, so was unwilling to speak with him alone and needed a few guards nearby.
This was probably the problem that came with being an emperor.
"The assassin that assassinated His Majesty in the dark, I had met this afternoon at the Mages Freemasonry’s headquarters." however, Benjamin had no tricks, and said in a lowered voice.
For a moment, the king’s expression changed slightly.
"Are you sure?"
"I am sure." Benjamin continued in a low voice. "If you do not believe me, you can check it yourself. You should be able to find leads to the princess."
The king’s expression was subtle; Benjamin could not make out what his feelings at that moment were. However, his face was back to normal very soon, and once again he patted Benjamin’s shoulder strongly, and opened his mouth, speaking for everyone nearby to hear: "It’s no problem, you can stay in the living room and rest well for a night. There is no need to hurry off. You have been a great help in today’s matters."
After that, he waved his hands, and left with a few personal guards.
Seeing that, Benjamin knew what the king intended to do. Because of that, he did not object, and followed a servant that had just walked out to return to the previous guestroom.
He also knew, from this moment on, he had completely trickled into these muddy waters.
Standing next to the window in the room, looking at the personal guards and the servants coming to and fro outside the window, Benjamin once again fell into deep thought. He kept on thinking about what he ought to do to be able to gain the biggest advantage for himself.
Once the king had tested Benjamin, Benjamin would then get the king’s trust. This would be his most straightforward gain.
But... but... To only be trusted, it did not seem to be enough.
Following the ticking of time, as minutes and seconds passed by, Benjamin looked at the pitch black sky and guessed what was currently happening in the City of Snow. However, at that moment, he could only wait in this tiny guestroom.
One hour later.
"Teacher Benjamin."
With a call, the door to the room opened, and the king, dressed as a soldier, quietly walked in.
"Your Majesty." Benjamin gave a bow, and slowly said, "How? Have Your Majesty tested everything that I have said? Is her highness the princess at the Mages Freemasonry?"
The king closed the door and shook his head, saying: "No, unless I send troops directly to the Mages Freemasonry, there is no way to verify this. But about that assassin, I have managed to get something out of the interrogation."
No verification.....
There was some disappointment in Benjamin’s heart.
However, if he had not verified him, the king had still come to see him alone. Did this not mean that the king had started to trust him?
"Your Majesty, what clues?" Because of that, Benjamin asked.
"The assassin who snuck into the palace, came in by hiding in sacks of food." The king answered, "The palace had always been careful when buying food, there would be experts checking the sacks one by one. Only, the person responsible for checking this afternoon was the ex-gatekeeper of the Mages Freemasonry. Only, when I wanted to interrogate him, he had died."
Hearing that, Benjamin was not in the least bit let down: "Your Majesty, does this not verify my words? The mastermind behind this assassination and the kidnapping is the Mages Freemasonry."
However, in his heart, he secretly disapproved. This infiltration technique was a little too crass.
Doing things this way, was the Mages Freemasonry too confident?
"It is not completely verified. But, I believe you." The king sighed, saying, "Although you are still wanted at Icor and they say you are some traitor sent from the Kingdom of Helius. Nevertheless, I feel you are not that kind of person."
Benjamin also swore eagerly, saying, "Those are all words used by the queen to slander me."
The king laughed. Suddenly, his smile disappeared, and with a grave look on his face, he spoke: "You should also know, what the Mages Freemasonry’s betrayal mean for the whole of Ferelden."
Benjamin nodded.
"I will not publicly cut ties with them. However, I need the help of more mages." The king continued speaking, "I know you have some mage friends in the City of Rayleigh. You should also understand that these people are far from enough."
Hearing that, Benjamin’s heart leaped in glee.
It surely could not be... The king was ready to support them?
However, at the moment, a knock on the door sounded, and interrupted the king’s next words.
The king furrowed his brows, turned around and opened the door.
Outside the door was the servant who had escorted Benjamin.
"What is the matter?" The king did not dodge and asked immediately.
"Your Majesty, it is her highness the princess..." The servant was somewhat nervous. He took a deep breath before continuing in a small voice, "Sir Mage Aldrich has caught the assassin, and has even found her highness the princess, and is now waiting in the meeting hall!"