Imperial Crown.

Chapter 621 Even the most meticulous plans can have flaws.
"I'll leave you here. You may proceed." "His Majesty is waiting for you inside."

Upon reaching the steps of the Royal Court, Serafino set everyone down and smiled faintly at Raven.

"Aren't you coming along?" Raven asked, somewhat surprised.

Serafino dismounted from the Windwing Tiger. “His Majesty has made it clear that he will only summon you,” he shook his head. “I cannot go.”

Raven sensed something unsettling, but couldn't quite put his finger on it. The capital city, which he passed through, was far more desolate than before. It used to be teeming with people of all races. Now, it was deserted and quiet, with only occasional caravans of merchants and freighters. Raven didn't dwell on it, however; after all, Cairns was engulfed in war, and entry and exit were restricted by curfews. Its desolation was to be expected. Therefore, Raven nodded slightly and then asked, "Where is Sir Pierre?" Pierre had always personally come to greet him.

Pierre was Habsburg's court jester. Knight was Pierre's honorary title.

"Little Bee," "Now that we're here, don't ask so many questions anymore. His Majesty will tell you all the answers you want to know in person."

Serafino suddenly became impatient. His tone also turned colder.

Since they had coldly given him the order to leave, Raven had no choice but to comply. He led Eric and Link up the steps to meet King Keynes XVI—His Majesty Habsburg.

The grandeur, majesty, majesty, magnificence, and imposing presence of the High Court are beyond description. Gazing upon the hundreds of wide, straight, and level stone steps, anyone would be awestruck, their soul tightening. These steps, like a divine stairway, lead directly to the pinnacle of power within the vast empire of Keynes. The towering statues surrounding the steps further amplify the sense of oppression, giving all those who ascend each step ample time to contemplate their own insignificance and reflect upon their mistakes and transgressions.

April 25, 1210 of the Light Calendar. Raven stepped onto these stone steps for the second time.

It has been exactly 8 years since the last time.

For an ordinary person, eight years might be a long time. But for Raven, those eight years were just a blink of an eye. Yet, those short eight years were enough to make one say, "Things have changed, everything is over, the world has changed, and the waves of time have swept away everything."

It was dusk. It must be said, the Royal High Court, situated in the heart of the continent, was quite remarkable. Even the weather and the sun seemed to favor it. After flying for two months, traversing three provinces without seeing a ray of sunlight, Raven had just stepped onto these stone steps when the orange-red sunset pierced through the clouds, casting its glow. Though it was the afterglow of the setting sun, it now burned like a molten gold furnace, making one feel restless and uneasy. The slightly weathered carvings on the Royal High Court's stone lintel drooped in the heat. The towering, round stone pillars, bathed in the fading sunlight, revealed intricate lines like the cracked texture of marble, casting slanted shadows on the stone steps like the lines on a palm.

From above, Raven and his two companions appeared to be inside a giant "prison".

This seems to be a warning from some kind of "oracle".

This foreshadows that Raven's journey could lead him to the pinnacle of power, or it could plunge him into the prison of fate.

However, Raven seemed completely oblivious, walking steadily with each step. This wasn't his first time here, nor was it his first time walking these stone steps. He wasn't as terrified as Eric and Link, who had just arrived.

Soon, the three arrived in front of the palace, where rows of Black Feather Guards in armor stood, numbering at least a hundred, and all of them were at least Tier 2 Transcendent beings.

"Halt!" "Only Lord Marquis Raven is allowed to enter," the leader shouted.

Raven nodded, gesturing for Eric and Link to wait outside. He went inside alone, only to find Peele there. Peele was originally a dwarf, but despite his short stature, he used to be quite plump and fair-skinned. Now, however, he had lost a lot of weight and become much darker. Raven wondered what had happened to him.

"Come with me," Pierre said calmly. Even the perfunctory formalities from before were gone.

Raven followed him through the empty hall, winding his way through several turns, until they arrived at a relatively small room.

"Marquis Raven," Pierre bowed and gestured. "Your Majesty, we are waiting for you inside."

Raven pushed open the door and entered, which was quickly closed behind him by Pierre. The room wasn't small, but it was cluttered with too many decorative elements, leaving little room to move around. A crackling fireplace. A bubbling teapot. Rows and rows of solid wood bookshelves and collections of books. A coffee table, a dining table, a cluttered sofa, a half-open wardrobe… various monster skull specimens, orc skeletons… and a table displaying a sand table and maps. Habs, meanwhile, sat quietly behind a small round table, seemingly waiting specifically for his arrival.

"Your Majesty," Raven paused deliberately before saying with a smirk, "Nothing has changed."

"You too."

Habs looked younger than Seraphine; though over 40, he appeared to be only around 30. He was pale, his voice hoarse, and he seemed short of breath. He seemed ill. Even sitting by the fireplace, he was wrapped in a thick monster hide blanket. He then gestured for Raven to sit opposite him.

Unlike Serafino's refined manner, Habs had narrow eyes, a classic hooked nose, and a slightly effeminate air.

Raven sat down. His gaze naturally fell on the only object on the small round table.

That was a deck of cards.

The oldest playing cards in Keynes. Also the first playing cards used after the rise of humanity on the continent of Middlesbrough. Not the well-known Tarot cards, nor the most widely played and circulated poker cards, but a deck of cards called the "Fate Cards."

The so-called Fate cards have very little content and are simple to play.

King > Duke > Marquis > Earl > Viscount > Baron > Knight > Commoner > Serf.

Ultimately, the winner is determined by the rule that "serfs > kings." Therefore, the cards drawn determine the gambler's fate in that round. It's somewhat similar to a combination of bluffing, poker, and "eating turtles" (a card game).

To put it simply, it's actually quite similar to "guessing the size of a dice game".

However, the Fate cards had too few contents and the gameplay was too monotonous, so it gradually fell out of favor. There's even a widely circulated lame joke in the Keynesian Empire that the current class system of humanity was inspired by the Fate cards. Some even go so far as to quip that the current kings and nobles of Keynes were determined by the Fate cards they drew back then.

In reality, this was merely a way for the nobles to use popular entertainment to deeply instill class consciousness in everyone's minds.

"Ugh--"

Raven glanced around, then suddenly twitched his nose slightly, as if he understood something. He sighed deeply, "Even the most meticulous plans can have flaws, even the most meticulous plans can have flaws..." He kept sighing and lamenting, repeating the words he had spoken before in Holloburg.

“Choose.” Habs smiled. That smile carried a complex flavor: a mixture of disdain, self-mockery, and bitterness.

Raven shuffled the cards. For a fifth-tier transcendent like him, drinking or gambling was of little significance. However, Raven didn't use any mental energy. Just like an ordinary person, he clumsily shuffled the cards, mimicking techniques from movies he remembered. After shuffling, he split the cards in half and gave a stack to Habs.

"you lose."

The two played a game of chess, and Raven ultimately lost. Habs said with a smile, then coughed.

Raven had actually drawn the Slave card, but he played it too early. He missed capturing the King from Habs's hand. However, he had no interest in the game at the moment. He threw his cards onto the small round table and said meaningfully, "You didn't win either." Then Raven's expression turned cold, tinged with anger. "Do you know, Habs?" "Actually, between you and me," "it was never a zero-sum game of life and death!" "It was you!" "You pushed us step by step onto the table," "leading us to this mutually destructive outcome."

"Seeing your current state," Raven said, shaking his head slightly. "I feel a little sad, and also a little sympathetic and pitying."

These words seemed to ignite Habs's fury. He glared at Raven, his voice trembling with rage: "My fault?!" "If you hadn't first feigned old age to deceive Thomas into believing me!" "If you hadn't arranged for Vesdon to pretend to trust me!" "And if you hadn't put on that show in front of the Orcish Empire's dragons!?" "If you hadn't orchestrated step by step to make me believe that your life was coming to an end!" "Would I have been so crazy, so desperate, to end up like this?!"

He roared and howled, to the point that blood dripped from his mouth.

Habs then gasped for breath, his face growing increasingly pale. He clutched his chest, laughed a few times, then suddenly lowered his head, demanding angrily, "Tell me!" "What exactly did Seraphim promise you?!" "That you'd willingly bear such a grave crime?!" "Do you know the consequences of your actions?!" "You've essentially buried the entire future of the Griffith family with your own hands!"

"Humph"

Raven snorted coldly, leaning back in his chair. "Didn't I learn all this from you?" he said. "When I first came to the capital, you painstakingly orchestrated a series of illusions." "You wanted me to believe the entire empire was corrupt, decadent…on the verge of collapse!" "To lure me into revealing my weaknesses and ambitions, then crush me in the capital." "I didn't fall for it." "I was just giving you a taste of your own medicine!" "How could you believe that?!" "Habs"

"I admit that, aside from your narrow-mindedness, you are a qualified ruler." "You are skilled in military training, compassionate towards your soldiers, and concerned for the common people." "You also possess unwavering faith and grand ambitions." "You wish to unify Keynes and rebuild the glory of the empire." "You wish to trample Insa and wipe away the shame of your people!" "You wish to dominate humanity and destroy the orc dynasty!" "You wish to be remembered for eternity, your name forever etched in history!"

"But you're too impatient!"

"They don't understand the principle that every little bit counts, and no effort is wasted."

"Furthermore, they lack the willpower to remain steadfast and unyielding, and to remain undisturbed by any distracting thoughts!"

"It also possesses the mature spirit of standing firm amidst turbulent seas and towering peaks amidst majestic mountains!"

"You're too petty!" "Your vision is too narrow!" "To the point that you have no capacity for tolerance."

"so"

"You cannot succeed; failure is inevitable."

Raven's eyes flashed like lightning as he stared at Habs, recounting the cruel truth. He finished with a sigh, a hint of pity flickering in his eyes; after all, Habs was far too young. His impatience was understandable. Raven paused, then said in a deep voice, "I did indeed cooperate with Serafinu. But I didn't know the price would be this." "You were schemed against, and I was manipulated as well." "So neither of us won." "As for your promise, I suppose it was just to survive." "After all, without siding with them, I really can't think of a way to fight you."

"hehe…"

Habs chuckled wryly upon hearing this. His tone gradually softened; he had no choice but to, his body was completely exhausted. He spoke in a casual, conversational tone, like a close friend: "Raven," he said, "If I'm not mistaken, I should be older than you, right?" "If I remember correctly," Habs replied, "you're six years older than Vesdon, and I'm six years older than you."

"so"

“It’s not that I can’t tolerate people.” “It’s not that I’m not mature enough.” “It’s that the moment I became the emperor, standing in this magnificent, gilded royal court, I could no longer hear a single word of truth.”

"You were too cunning." "Too despicable." "You fooled everyone with your shameless yet superb acting skills." "The Prime Minister," "The old school," "The new school," "They either knew or were fooled, but not a single word of truth came out of their mouths." "That led to my misjudgment!"

"Why?!"

"You're clearly younger than me!" "Yet your reputation surpasses mine, that of an emperor!" "Why did you suffer defeat because of Ferdinand's stupidity and recklessness?!" "Why do I have to bear all the blame?!" "Why are you the hero of the empire, receiving applause, flowers, and the praise of the common people?!" "While I, the emperor, can only bear the scorn of incompetence, mediocrity, and the ridicule of the nobles!" "You!" "You stole the glory that should have been mine!" "You even stole the woman I loved most!" "Every time I think of Lux writhing gracefully beneath you, I want to kill you with my own hands!"

As he spoke, Habs suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood, spitting it onto the small round table and staining the Fate cards.

"Don't get agitated." "Your Majesty." Raven sneered, "You still stubbornly insist that you're not narrow-minded." "Do you want to hear what you're saying?!"

Habs leaned back, closed his eyes, and after a long pause, said, "You make it sound so nice." "It's not a zero-sum game between us." "But you know what?" "Perhaps we can be militarily opposed, economically cooperative," "But," "politics and power," "it's always a matter of life and death!" "What else could it be but a zero-sum game?!"

“The three principles of politics.” “I was required to memorize them from childhood.” “In politics, there are no truths, only lies.” “In politics, there are no loyalties, only opponents.” “In politics, to climb the ladder, you have to rely on your opponents making mistakes.” “But my father once privately taught me a fourth principle.” “He said, “A truly shrewd politician will not wait for his opponents to make mistakes, but will actively lure his enemies into making mistakes.”

"Thinking about it now..." "Isn't this exactly your doing?" "Everyone thinks you were arrogant for killing Anthony!" "Killing Ramsay Bolton was even more heinous!" "But that's what's most disgusting about you!" "You deliberately provoked me so I would deal with you!" "Because you knew that if things remained peaceful, you would never rise to the top!" "Now everything is as you wished." "Everyone thinks I'm the one persecuting you!" "And you've become the innocent victim!"

"Public opinion," "the nobility," "even the Papacy and other empires," "all think I'm the villain!" "But who could know that the war between us was actually started by you?!"

Habs straightened his back, looked at Raven, and said, word by word, "If I keep tolerating this, you will still kill more nobles, won't you? Until we completely break ties!"

Raven's expression clearly froze for a moment, but instead of answering the question directly, he uttered a cryptic statement, "I said I'm actually 57 years old." "Do you believe me?"

"Hahaha"

Habs laughed for a while. "That's a good joke." "I'll tell it to our ancestors when I get down there." "I was unwilling." "Before you killed Ferdinand, I was indeed unwilling." "But when I saw with my own eyes how you killed Ferdinand step by step through the recording stone," "I suddenly felt relieved." "I understood." "Fighting with you," "I was destined to lose." "It was only a matter of time."

"You're too cunning, Raven." "You're despicable." "If even one person could truly understand and comprehend this, they would be terrified."

"Until this moment," "combined with Ferdinand's death," "only now do I understand every move you've made!" "Unfortunately, it's too late." "If I could do it all over again," "I would never confront you directly," "I would make you the sharpest sword in my hand," "and cut down and destroy all eight dukes of the capital!" Habs's eyes were already slightly glazed. His face grew increasingly pale, devoid of color. The stench of blood in the room grew stronger.

Raven sighed softly, "You're pretty smart." After a pause, Raven added, "That's true."

Suddenly, thunder roared outside! At first, it was only a few hundred people, then several thousand, and then ten thousand—all shouting in unison!

"Raven the Kingslayer!" "Raven the Kingslayer!" "Raven the Kingslayer!"...

The roars intensified, like monstrous waves from an abyss, echoing through the heavens. They shattered gold and split rocks! In less than half an hour, at least 10 people had roared in unison!
"Thank you."

Hearing the thunderous roar outside, Habs's lips curled into a vengeful smile. He then nodded and thanked him; this was perhaps the first truth he had heard within the Royal Court. Suddenly, Habs raised his hand and beckoned to Raven with his index finger: "Do you want to turn the tables?" "I can leave you a trump card." "But you have to kneel down and call me 'Dad.'"

Once branded as the "Kingslayer," the Griffith family would have no chance of ever becoming nobles within human territory. Seraphim's scheme was truly ruthless and terrifying. Two geniuses of the Keynes Empire, one dead, one crippled. No wonder Seraphim said he could save Raven's life. Of course he would; without him, who would bear the stigma of "Kingslayer"?
Raven seemed extremely interested. He slowly stood up, walked around the round table, and went to stand in front of Habs.

Habs was quite satisfied with what he saw, and straightened his back, ready to accept Raven's kneeling. Even if he couldn't actually defeat Raven, it would be good to satisfy him mentally.

wow-

However, Raven abruptly ripped off the monster-skin blanket covering Habs, revealing a horrific scene. Habs's internal organs had been nearly ripped out, leaving only a crimson heart still beating deathly. Inside his hollowed-out abdomen lay a head. The iconic goatee was so conspicuous—it was Gottfried's head.

The monster-skin blanket was ripped off, as if stripping Habs of his last remaining dignity. He trembled uncontrollably, shaking, unsure whether from fear or the cold. His life was nearing its end. He gripped Raven's arm tightly; clearly, he didn't want to die, but he didn't want Raven to see him in such a wretched state, nor did he want to beg for mercy. With his last ounce of strength, he hoarsely uttered, "Mayflies don't see tomorrow," "Grasshoppers don't understand next year," "Life doesn't know reincarnation," "Raven," "No," "Don't forget the shared aspirations and shame of our ancestors!"

Then his voice suddenly lowered, and after whispering for a while, he released his hand, his head slowly tilting to the side, still muttering, "My request will be granted," "My request will be granted..."

This is precisely Keynes's native language.

"Ugh"

Raven sighed softly.

Even though he tried his best, he couldn't overcome the slightest oversight.

Then Raven gently stroked Habs's face and closed his eyes. "Life is as fleeting as a spring dream, everything is predestined." "Rest in peace." "I will definitely..." "I will avenge you."

Having done all that, Raven walked steadily out of the house, ignoring the roars and howls outside.

……

(End of this chapter)