No secret stayed hidden for long inside the royal palace. Even though Mermeon’s retirement hadn’t been officially announced, those paying attention quickly found out.
"Why would the new king allow this?" many questioned in disbelief.
Everyone knew the king relied on Mermeon to maintain stability. Without him, the young monarch couldn’t control the clans and sects on his own.
"Maybe the new king wants to eliminate any opposition. After all, Mermeon is still part of the old regime. With him around, the king can’t have full autonomy," someone speculated.
"Without Mermeon, I doubt he can even keep the throne, or his own life, let alone have a real reign," a sect master mocked.
"If that’s the case, then this new king is really foolish. Not that we should be surprised, I mean, did you see that ridiculous coronation?" a cultivator laughed.
A few days later, something strange started happening at the royal army’s camps. To many people’s surprise, they discovered that the army had left the imperial city. By the second day, the soldiers began marching away, disappearing into the horizon.
Meanwhile, the new king was relaxing in his garden, enjoying the breeze and the service of palace maids.
"Your Majesty! Something serious has happened!" Buman came running in.
"What’s the rush? Look how beautiful the day is," Kakarotto replied with a smile, as a maid served him some fruit.
"The royal army withdrew without your orders!" Buman quickly informed him.
"Where did they go?" the king asked, still unbothered.
"We don’t know, but given the situation, Your Majesty, you need to bring them back. While they’re nearby, you still have a chance to control things," Buman explained.
"Really? But we can’t force people to stay if they want to leave," Kakarotto said calmly.
"Your Majesty, we need to at least try. Without them, we’ve lost 60% of our remaining strength."
"Let them go. Some things can’t be stopped," Kakarotto replied lazily.
Bruno sighed as he saw the desperation on Buman’s face and added, "Buman, I understand what you’re trying to say. Don’t worry, just go with the flow. There are things you can’t change, no matter how much you worry."
"…"
In the end, the royal army completely vanished. None of the generals bothered to report to the new king, nor did they even send messengers. This was an unauthorized mobilization, showing complete disregard for the new monarch.
Spies and informants within the palace quickly spread the news. Everyone learned that the withdrawal wasn’t planned by the king.
The royal army had the power to influence the entire empire, so even the eight supreme clans were watching their movements. It seemed like this withdrawal had been carefully planned and wasn’t a rash decision.
"They must have prepared for this a while ago. Maybe they knew about this king before the coronation and started planning their exit. The only reason they helped with the ceremony was to honor the promise made to the late King," murmured one clan leader.
Some finally realized that, from the start, the royal army soldiers hadn’t been in favor of the new King.
"And what about us?" the generals of the central army, the last combat force still under Kakarotto’s command, began asking themselves.
They couldn’t just disappear like the royal army. The generals had their own territories and responsibilities, and running away wasn’t an option. Now, the question was: would they continue to support the young king, or would they start conspiring behind the scenes?
Days passed, and the empire remained peaceful. However, everyone knew this was just the calm before the storm. The air was thick with tension, as factions in the shadows prepared for something bigger.
Meanwhile, Kakarotto seemed completely oblivious and indifferent to the events. Buman, on the other hand, worked tirelessly with his intelligence network, monitoring the movements of the various sects and clans. His loyalty to the king was unwavering, and he didn’t want the empire to crumble. But he knew his abilities had their limits.
And Kakarotto, for his part, remained indifferent.
"Your Majesty, the Shadowveil Clan has brought the consort," Buman announced one day.
"Their golden daughter? They were quick. Bring her to me," Kakarotto responded, excited.
They headed to the palace’s central hall. The girl washed her face and prepared herself before being escorted by the maids to meet the new king.
Soon after, Kakarotto arrived at the central palace. The young girl appeared, surrounded by the maids. She wore an elegant yellow gown, emanating a noble and refined aura.
She was visibly nervous. A young, innocent girl about to marry a man she had never met, knowing nothing about him.
Overcome with nerves, she didn’t even dare to take a quick glance. She simply bowed and hurriedly said, "Greetings, Your Majesty."
"Raise your head," Kakarotto ordered.
Surprised to hear his voice, which oddly felt familiar, she slowly lifted her head. When she saw the faint smile on the king’s face, she nearly jumped, her mouth dropping open in shock.
Behind him, Buman suddenly became serious, his eyes shining intensely. The girl, confused, didn’t know what to do, her hands awkwardly moving around, unable to find a place to rest.
"Young lady, fate has brought us together again," Bruno said with a long sigh.
"I..." She didn’t know how to respond. Not even in her worst nightmares had she imagined that the infamous Young Master Lecher would now be the new king.
That young woman was undoubtedly Minnan. It was curious that her clan had chosen her as the saint for this marriage, a decision that was clearly not hers.
"So, you’re the representative of the Shadowveil Clan?" Kakarotto asked softly.
Minnan’s eyes turned cold. The only reason she had accepted this situation was so that her grandfather, the old man from before, could return to the clan and live out his final years in peace.
"I am a direct descendant of the main branch, so I can still represent the Shadowveil Clan." She bit her lip before answering calmly.
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Her mind was in turmoil, especially with his current position and their brief encounter in the past.
"How interesting," Kakarotto commented casually. "It seems this clan intends to deceive us."
"This has nothing to do with the clan! I... I want to be here," Minnan, anxious, quickly replied, avoiding direct eye contact with him.
Alm and Bruno both smirked to themselves. Kakarotto then turned to Buman: "Send my order to the central army, tell them to march and attack the Shadowveil Clan."
"Your Majesty!" Buman was speechless. This had to be a joke.
"What? Is there a problem?" Kakarotto replied, almost letting out a dark laugh.
"Their deceitful swap is a crime punishable by death. I know you’re angry, Your Majesty, but this is impossible. The situation is too delicate right now, we can’t mobilize the central army," Buman spoke, his eyes reflecting despair.
"No, you’re wrong. I’m not angry in the slightest, especially over something so trivial. However, this is the perfect opportunity. I’ve already wanted to be seen as a warmongering lunatic. They’ve given me the excuse I needed. The time to strike is now!"
Buman was stunned, his eyes wide open. He had thought Kakarotto only wanted to be a debauched king, not realizing that he would dare to challenge powerful forces. Now, he could see just how crazy the king really was.
"Your Majesty, the flames of war will scorch the sky; the people will cry and lament; so many innocent lives will be lost. Please, think of your citizens and their happiness," Buman tried again after taking a deep breath.
"Think of the citizens and their happiness? Buman, tell me, what do you think of the old king?" Kakarotto asked in return.
"The late king was wise and powerful," Buman replied without hesitation. The king deserved that description.
"Would a wise and powerful king make a mistake due to senility?" Kakarotto asked coldly.
"I don’t know," Buman answered, shaking his head.
"A wise and powerful king suddenly passes the throne to a bastard like me, instead of to Mermeon or other talents of the empire? Tell me, what was he thinking?" Kakarotto spoke slowly.
Buman had no answer. The only logical explanation was that Kakarotto was indeed an illegitimate child.
"Many believe I’m his bastard son. But even so, handing the throne to someone as useless and ridiculous as me? Was he really that irresponsible?" Kakarotto continued with a dark smile. "This kingdom was built with his blood and sweat, and yet he handed it over to me? Do you think he cared about the citizens and their happiness when he made that choice? Of course not!"
"If he didn’t care about his own kingdom, why should I, a king by chance, bother to protect it? Why should I care about its citizens? I don’t give a damn. That’s why I’ll do whatever I want and have my fun."
Buman pondered, unsure of what to say. The old king’s decision was one of the empire’s greatest mysteries.
"And, Buman, let’s say I decided to be a good king, wise and capable of ruling. Do you think my legacy will ever surpass that of King Vulke, a monarch of three generations? Will my achievements be more glorious than his in the history books?"
"Impossible," Buman replied honestly.
No matter the new king’s efforts, future generations would always see him as merely the heir who benefited from the grand kingdom left behind by his father.
"Now, what if the empire were on the brink of collapse? If I created a new order, swept the world, destroyed the great powers, and forced everyone to bow before me, how would that compare to Vulke’s achievements?"
"Well..." Buman was stunned. Such a feat would certainly surpass King Vulke’s accomplishments.
"Your Majesty..." Buman finally understood what Kakarotto wanted to do: break everything down to rebuild it.
"I’m just talking for the sake of it. This whole breaking-and-rebuilding thing is just to pass the time. I didn’t choose this. The old king made this decision, understand?" Kakarotto finished calmly. "Now go and carry out the orders!"
"Yes, Majesty." Buman couldn’t do anything but obey.
As Buman left, Bruno watched him in silence. Only a fool wouldn’t see the schemes happening in the shadows of the central army. He was certain that no one would actually die in this confrontation.
Meanwhile, Kakarotto leaned back lazily, and Alm silently murmured to himself, ’The game has begun. Now we’ll see who’s the pawn and who’s the player.’