Sword of Dawnbreaker

Chapter 577 - 576: Secret Letter

After the "Pathfinders" engineering team entered the Black Forest, the envoys representing Anzu’s royal family and the East finally arrived at Cecil Castle.

At the White River pier square, the newly built Inland Express Passenger Ship "Wavewalker" smoothly approached the dock under the guidance of traction beams. The gangplank extended from the ship’s side to the solid and stable cement bridge, and Cohen Loland was the first to step down.

He glanced back, seeing the massive aquatic beast, a mix of steel and wood driven by some kind of magic mechanisms, now silent. The flag representing the Cecil Clan waved in the wind above the ship’s bow, and half of the envoys disembarking after him staggered as they walked.

Frankly speaking, this strange vessel called a "Magic Machinery Ship" sailed very smoothly, but it was evident that many people still suffered from seasickness. Watching those staggering gentlemen, Cohen knew they wouldn’t be able to engage in wit battles with the Cecil Clan anytime soon.

He didn’t know if this was deliberately arranged by the Duke of the southern borders.

At the pier, Gawain personally chose to welcome these envoys from the north, representing the royal family and the East.

He led a group of Administrative Office officials standing at the end of the hallway of the guards of honor and red carpet, watching the Vice Commander of the Order of Knights with the last name "Loland" approach, a faint smile on his face.

"Salute to you, great guardian of the southern borders, founder of the kingdom," Cohen Loland placed a hand on his chest and bowed slightly in front of Gawain, "I am here by the command of the Moen bloodline—the kingdom needs your strength."

Gawain nodded. The Vice Commander of the Order of Knights, sharing his name with a young mage researcher on his territory, spoke smoothly and cautiously. He used the term "Moen bloodline" instead of "royal family," obviously alluding to the two "Prince Moens" from both the royal capital and the East.

Probably due to his smoothness and caution, he became the "leader" of this special envoy team.

The team, nominally representing "Anzu’s royal family," in reality consisted only half of representatives from St. Soniel, while the other half were from the East. In the team, they may not have specific duties but symbolized their respective factions. Forming this kind of unconventional "mixed envoy" was likely a condition of the temporary ceasefire between the royal family and the East, but such a mixed envoy could not take on the true responsibilities of envoys.

Cohen Loland, a bloodline member of the Loland Clan from the East, gave up his heritage rights within the family years ago for stability, becoming a royal aristocrat. This special status "royal aristocrat" had lived quite awkwardly in recent times, but with the current pause in the civil war within the kingdom, both sides needed someone qualified to represent them in the South; thus, this royal aristocrat found new use.

Gawain didn’t break the topic, instead following the conversation: "I have already received the letter brought by the Elven Messenger; contributing to this country is my duty."

After a courteous remark, he looked Cohen Loland up and down: "Vice Commander, this should be our second meeting."

"Yes, the last time was two years ago when I served as Princess Veronica’s guard," Cohen Loland nodded, with an admiring expression looking at the bustling scene around the pier square, "I must admit, the changes here are astonishing. Even seeing it with my own eyes, I can hardly recognize it."

It seems every person who had visited the southern borders would express similar sentiments upon returning. Gawain was accustomed to it. After a few brief pleasantries, he followed the routine and took these envoys to the Autumn Palace specifically for receiving guests. Afterward, there was the customary welcoming banquet.

This banquet was not grand. Some envoys still suffering from seasickness clearly had little appetite for the feast’s fine wine and cuisine, and others, weary from their journey, longed to rest. Thus, after a cursory acknowledgment of etiquette, the formal welcoming banquet ended. The envoy members, whose main role was to serve as "background for their respective camps," were led to rest by attendants, while Cohen Loland, bearing his mission, requested a private meeting with Gawain right after the banquet ended.

In the lounge beside the Autumn Palace banquet hall, Cohen sat on a dark red leather sofa, with Gawain sitting opposite him.

Amber, acting as a "surface guardian," stood dutifully behind Gawain’s chair, her expression serious yet lost in thought.

After a few polite exchanges, Cohen brought up business: "Your Grace, the supplies designated by the elves are halfway prepared; they will be transported to the southern borders soon, including the construction team’s consumption and the first batch of magic-conducting materials. How are preparations on your end?"

Gawain smiled: "While you were busy deliberating on whom to send, my people were already ready to build a road through the Black Forest."

"...Given the situation, we are willing to acknowledge the previous short-sightedness and prejudice of the aristocrats of the capital; your vigilance concerning the wasteland is correct," Cohen heard the sarcasm in Gawain’s words but accepted it calmly, "We understand the kingdom now faces significant problems, perhaps disappointing you, but please believe most aristocrats wish for the situation to develop positively."

Gawain quietly observed Cohen Loland for a moment, then suddenly asked: "Who does this statement represent? Silver Castle or the East?"

Cohen Loland met Gawain’s gaze: "...I speak for everyone who hopes for Anzu’s peace and prosperity."

"That’s an empty statement."

After a brief silence, Cohen Loland suddenly said: "Your Grace, I have something private to discuss; please excuse others."

Gawain’s expression remained calm, though Amber standing behind couldn’t help but speak: "Hey, isn’t that a bit too much to ask, this place..."

"It’s alright," Gawain raised his hand, interrupting Amber, "Everyone may leave—I am curious about what the Vice Commander of the Order of Knights wants to say."

Amber pouted, waved her hand to the nearby servants and guards, then left the lounge with everyone else.

A few seconds later, she stealthily returned while invisible, standing by Gawain’s side, making faces at him mischievously.

Gawain ignored the half-elf’s antics, while Cohen Loland, unable to see the invisible Amber, only confirmed that there were no others present before reaching into his robe and taking out a letter sealed with arcane symbols.

"Forgive my small deception—I have nothing confidential to say. I am here to deliver a letter to you."

"A letter?" This time, Gawain was truly surprised. He picked up the letter curiously, wondering who had sent him a secret missive—one clearly kept from the entire envoy group. Until this moment, its existence was probably known only to Cohen Loland himself. "The royal seal..."

The envelope bore the sword-and-shield emblem of Anzu’s royal family.

Gawain cast an inquisitive glance at Cohen Loland, who slightly bowed: "The person on the throne of Silver Castle sends their regards to you."

Sitting on the throne of Silver Castle currently was Wales Moen, the nominal crown prince of Anzu.

This certainly piqued interest.

Gawain hid his surprise, waved his hand to dispel the seal on the envelope, and took out three neatly folded sheets of letter paper. Amber, standing beside him, dramatically turned her head away, indicating she wouldn’t peek.

"Salutations to you, creator of the kingdoms. I address you in the capacity of a successor to the Moen bloodline. This should be our first conversation, albeit through a piece of paper and across half the kingdom. I can only use plain and straightforward language, hoping to convey my attitude and true intentions.

"I know of the Mithril Oath Board.

"I know your succession rights."

The beginning of the letter sent a shock through Gawain’s heart.

He concealed his internal surprise with a calm expression and looked at Cohen Loland sitting opposite him. But Cohen’s face showed no emotion, making it impossible to gauge whether the Vice Commander knew the contents of the secret letter.

Gawain calmed himself and continued reading the rest of the letter.

Following this, Wales Moen didn’t continue discussing Gawain’s special "emergency succession rights," but instead talked about the internal aristocratic dynamics within the kingdom, the intricate relationships among the aristocrats of the capital, and the mutual constraints, spying, balancing, and friction among various fiefdoms.

In these three pages, Wales dedicated two to discussing these matters. In this seemingly brief space, he almost outlined the characteristics of all contemporary Anzu’s powerful aristocrats, even explaining the rough genealogy of these influential figures.

Even the finest masters of heraldry, the most knowledgeable historians of nobility, and seasoned palace advisors might struggle to fully grasp these utterly complex matters, let alone distill them into a concise framework, finally condensing it onto two pages of letter paper—this requires not only exceptional wisdom but also prolonged research and observation, alongside a unique gift for extracting and combining crucial information from vast data.

Gawain gently took a breath. Wales Moen couldn’t possibly be as mediocre and unremarkable as rumors suggested.

He reached the end of the letter.

"...Duke Cecil, you should have already realized that the kingdom you and your comrades founded seven hundred years ago has undergone lengthy transformations. Like magnificent cities erected upon barren plains, the bloodlines of those once simplistic, straightforward, and honest pioneers have evolved into a vast and complex group...

"It is like Silver Castle itself, immense and splendid, yet beneath its dome hides countless dark and sordid passages and corners, similar to a long-entangled ball of thread, from which extracting even a single straight strand is exceedingly difficult.

"My brother—you know who I refer to—recognized this early. He attempted to untangle, or rather destroy, the threads and cleanse the sordid elements accumulated over seven hundred years in the kingdom, risking great danger to do so.

"Sadly, he, like me, is part of this tangled thread.

"Fortunately, you are outside that skein.

"Wales Moen, descendant of Charlie Moen, once again salutes you."

Gawain carefully read each letter on the page. At the end of the letter, he saw a phrase written in special font:

"Burn after reading"

As his gaze swept over the letters, the three pages immediately erupted into flames.

Gawain quietly observed the papers as they were reduced to ashes, which were then completely broken down into basic elements by arcane light, making it impossible even for the best secret mages to restore. He then looked at Cohen Loland: "You are loyal to Wales Moen."

"His Highness left Silver Castle for twenty years, yet a few royal aristocrats remain loyal to him."

"Do you know what he wrote in the letter?"

"I don’t know. Spying on one’s master’s letters is unbecoming of a knight."

Gawain looked at the Vice Commander of the Order of Knights in silence for a while, then withdrew his gaze and slowly said: "After returning, you can report that I am aware."

Cohen Loland stood up, and with the most standard knight’s salute, he bowed and said: "Yes."