Final Lord

Chapter 313 Secret Report Enters the Capital

Just as Wang Bufu had found the location of the second obelisk, Pietro returned to the capital, weary from his journey.

His boots were still stained with the mud of the Black Forest, and his dark-patterned silk cloak was full of wrinkles from his journey. After passing through several teleportation arrays, Pietro was quite exhausted.

The young swordsman went straight to his father, the Crimson Flame Sword Saint, without even having time to change his clothes.

The Crimson Flame Sword Saint was practicing his swordplay in the courtyard, his blazing sword energy tracing crimson paths through the air. When he saw his son's disheveled appearance, his brows immediately furrowed. "Pietro? Weren't you searching for Wei Yi? Why are you back looking like this?"

Pietro knelt on one knee, his voice slightly hoarse with urgency: "Father, I have discovered something even more serious than Wei Yi's betrayal." He recited Wei Yi's letters to the Crimson Flame Sword Saint one by one.

The Crimson Flame Sword Saint frowned and listened intently. When he heard the words "Viscount Hank colluded with the Evil Spirit Church," his grip on the sword tightened involuntarily, and the crimson patterns on the blade suddenly lit up. As Pietro recounted the information one by one, the seasoned sword saint's expression grew increasingly solemn, until even his breathing became rapid.

"This...this is impossible!" The Crimson Flame Sword Saint's voice trembled slightly as he repeatedly confirmed every detail of Pietro's intelligence. The descriptions of human sacrifice and emotion extraction, the military fortresses secretly controlled by the border nobles, were like sharp knives piercing his heart.

The Crimson Sword Saint's knuckles turned white from the force of his grip as he grabbed Pietro's wrist with such force that it felt like he was about to crush the bones. "Come with me," he said, his voice low and menacing, like molten lava rolling beneath the earth.

The heavy oak door of the secret room closed silently behind us, and the crimson crystal lamp cast swaying shadows.

The Crimson Sword Saint's fingertips hovered above the sand table, the fine sand trembling slightly with each breath. "First consider Finance Minister Vladimir." He carved the first name on the sand table, the gilded sand grains forming cursive letters gleaming crimson under the light.

"He's been meeting with merchants from the southern border frequently lately, and 30% of the gold coins in the treasury are gone... He controls the kingdom's finances; this shouldn't be happening..."

The Crimson Flame Sword Saint's voice suddenly stopped, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.

“But…” He shook his head abruptly, sparks flying from the crimson patterns on his sword. “No, I know that old fox. Though he’s greedy as a battered wit, he would never gamble with the entire Duchy of Sturgeons.”

"Father, could it be Uncle Howard?"

Howard...

Chi Yan inscribed the name of the Minister of Military Affairs on the sand table with flames, and the temperature in the secret room suddenly rose.

Memories of the Northern Expedition twenty years ago surged in the Crimson Flame Sword Saint's eyes—his old friend who had fought alongside him now always went to the old city alone late at night.

"His daughter's illness requires Moongrass from the elves, and he's been lurking in the underground black market lately, having already posted over a dozen bounties. Desperate, he's resorting to cults..."

The Sword Saint's nails dug deeply into his palm. "No, that's impossible. Howard isn't the kind of person who would sacrifice himself for his descendants. He wouldn't dare cooperate with cultists."

Border Governor... Court Mage Chief... Cavalry Commander... one name after another was mentioned by the Sword Saint, and then questioned by him.

“No. None of that is right.” Veins bulged on the Crimson Flame Sword Saint’s forehead, and sweat trickled down his battle scars. Names on the sand table kept appearing and disappearing, like moths trapped in amber.

Just as Pietro was about to speak, the Crimson Sword Saint was suddenly struck as if by lightning. His stiff body cast a huge shadow in the firelight.

"The Great Expansion Plan..." the Crimson Flame Sword Saint murmured. "The former Duchy of the Stag was stagnant. A craftsman's son was a craftsman, a nobleman's son was a nobleman; no one had a chance to rise above their station. The Great Expansion Plan changed all that."

The Crimson Sword Saint's thoughts drifted back to that tumultuous summer thirty years ago. He vividly remembered how the young King Charles had defied public opinion and, despite the strong opposition of the noble council, insisted on ringing the bells of the Great Expedition. That spirited young monarch had opened the qualification of Expeditionary Knights to commoners, allowing countless adventurers like Hank to leap into the ranks of border nobles.

Charlie was undoubtedly gambling, but he won!
Regardless of background, only ability and talent are considered; only the talented are promoted.

His grand expansion plan transformed the Principality of Bucks, bringing countless people who would otherwise have had no chance onto the table of power.

"Now that I think about it..." the Crimson Flame Sword Saint's voice was terrifyingly low, "those nobles who rose to power during the Great Expansion now control all the border fortresses."

His finger traced a line on the sand table. "Starting from Leviathan Fortress, the entire circle is almost entirely within their sphere of influence."

The most terrifying thing is that Viscount Hank was one of the most successful examples of the Great Expansion Project. If even he became a pawn of the evil cult, what about the others?

The Crimson Flame Sword Saint suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. He recalled how, in recent years, King Charles had been unusually lenient with the border nobles at court meetings, even tacitly approving their unauthorized expansion of their armies.

Even more suspiciously, several strategic locations on the border that should have been directly governed by the royal family have recently been handed over to these nobles under the pretext of "border defense integration".

All signs seemed to point to the traitor's identity, but the Crimson Flame Sword Saint dared not believe it.

"But why?" The Crimson Flame Sword Saint clutched his hair in anguish. "His Majesty is already the ruler of a nation. What is he after?" This question gnawed at his reason like a venomous snake.

Looking at his father's unpredictable expression, Pietro cautiously asked, "Father, what do we do next...?"

The Crimson Flame Sword Saint abruptly looked up, a resolute glint in his eyes: "Immediately summon the Crimson Flame Guard and the Flame Sword Army, but do not let this slip. I need you to personally investigate a few matters..."

He whispered a few words in Pietro's ear, and the young swordsman's face immediately turned ashen.

“Remember,” the Crimson Flame Sword Saint gripped his son’s shoulder, his grip so tight it felt like he could crush bones, “this matter concerns the very survival of the kingdom. If… if the worst-case scenario is true, we may face a situation far worse than war.”

Pietro nodded repeatedly, his breathing erratic.

……

"Your Majesty, urgent military intelligence!" The palace spy knelt on one knee, the hands of his gilded pocket watch stopped precisely at 8:16. "Pietro Crimson Flame has secretly arrived at the Duke's residence, his cloak stained with the spore powder unique to the Black Forest, and his boots studded with fragments of copper ore from the Sunset Mountains—clearly, he went straight for his father without any rest."

King Charlie the Deer chuckled softly, his fingertips tapping lightly on the crystal glass. His playful gaze was reflected in the glass, like a viper eyeing its prey.

“Keep an eye on it.” He took a sip of his amber-colored mead. “It seems that Chi Yanqing’s youngest son has made quite a haul at the border.”

He took my secret order, but the first thing he did upon returning was to go to his father. Interesting.

Let's explore again!

(End of this chapter)