Chapter 74. Human Nature, The Return of Kroll II
Inside the Queen’s palace, candlelight flickered, casting shifting shadows across the tapestries hanging on the walls.
The First Prince stood by the window, absentmindedly rubbing the wooden lattice with his fingers as he spoke in a low voice.
“The books have all been delivered according to the plan. A few were placed in the Western Side Hall, and others were sent to the Slave Manor outside the city. Someone received them.”
The Queen sat upright on a cushioned couch, pinching a jade thumb ring between her fingers. Upon hearing this, she let out a cold laugh.
“Hmph. That boy William can actually see a person’s aptitude. He does have some tricks.”
“Even magical tools cannot measure that kind of potential now, yet he can identify it at a glance. That makes him troublesome.”
She paused, her gaze darkening slightly.
“No wonder he could open his eyes the moment he was born. He was never going to be an obedient one.”
The First Prince turned around, a hint of anxiety on his face.
“Mother, those forbidden books about Soul Magic… will they really work? What if Father discovers them?”
“And if he does?”
The Queen interrupted him, her voice carrying a sharp edge.
“Those books were delivered along with the food shipments. No one can trace them back to us.”
“Besides, a slave who crawled out of the mud—once he suddenly finds a way to free himself, how could he possibly refuse it?”
“As long as he dares to touch those things, he will be entangled by them. When the time comes, we will not even need to act. The royal laws will not tolerate him.”
She lifted her teacup and took a sip, a calculating glint flashing through her eyes.
“William wants to build his own power through those slaves?”
“I will make sure that the ones he personally nurtures become festering tumors.”
“When those slaves suffer backlash from the forbidden arts or commit unforgivable crimes, let us see how he can still stand before his father.”
Only then did the First Prince relax slightly, though he still looked uneasy.
“But those slaves were personally selected by William. What if—”
“There is no ‘what if.’”
The Queen set down her teacup, her voice turning cold.
“Human nature cannot withstand temptation, especially for those who have tasted life at the very bottom. Once they see a chance to climb upward, every rule and taboo will be thrown aside.”
“We only need to wait and watch the show.”
Outside the window, the wind swept fallen leaves across the courtyard. The candle flames inside the hall suddenly flickered violently, stretching their shadows long across the floor like two lurking phantoms.
Neither of them noticed that beneath the corridor outside the hall, beside a dry leaf blown down by the wind, a figure appeared silently—and disappeared just as silently.
Over the next month, William almost went to the Slave Market and the Slave Auction House in the Royal Capital every day.
At some point, a swift and capable figure began following closely behind him—Zoe.
She had successfully broken through to become a Gold Knight. Her silver-white armor made her posture appear even more upright, and she was now almost inseparable from William.
The scale of the Slave Manor had quietly expanded to five thousand people. With the reserve of Golden Aptitude slaves reaching saturation, William stopped deliberately purchasing more. Instead, he shifted his focus toward refining the slaves he already possessed.
During this time, Tos returned to the Royal Capital with the remaining Palace Knights and twenty-three slaves.
Among those slaves, twelve had already advanced to Silver Rank, while the rest were at Bronze Rank.
William simply purchased another manor and used it specifically to house the Silver Rank slaves, increasing their resource supply fivefold.
At that time, fierce battles were raging between the Barbarian Royal Court, the Orc Kingdom, and the Kadiya Kingdom. A large number of slaves were flowing into the Royal Capital along trade routes. The markets were crowded with people, and the sounds of shouting merchants rose endlessly.
From among them, William selected quite a few slaves possessing Sky Aptitude and even Legendary Aptitude. He placed them in the Fourth Slave Manor, using it as a kind of blood transfusion station to supply talent to the Third, Second, and First Slave Manors.
Everything progressed in an orderly fashion.
During this period, William himself also broke through to become a Bronze Mage. Compared to Zoe’s progress, however, his speed was far slower.
He could not see his own aptitude, but he could guess with his toes that it was probably not impressive. Still, he was not impatient, because those slaves with extraordinary talent were his “wings.”
Early the next morning, William woke unusually early.
Today, he could not go to the Slave Market again.
His father was returning to the Royal Capital with the accompanying nobles. The entire city was filled with a festive atmosphere, and flags representing the royal family had even been hung along the streets.
He stood by the window watching the lively scene outside when Vivian walked over at some unknown moment and gently patted his shoulder.
“Come on, William. Stop daydreaming. Your father should be arriving outside the city soon.”
Without waiting for a response, she grabbed his arm and pulled him outside.
Before long, they arrived at the palace plaza, where more than a dozen luxurious carriages were already waiting.
The Queen, the First Prince, the Third Princess, several royal consorts, and many other members of the royal family arrived one after another. After exchanging a few polite greetings, they boarded their respective carriages.
The Queen glanced around. Seeing that everyone had arrived, she gave the order in a deep voice.
“Depart.”
The carriages slowly began moving. Members of the Palace Knight Order, dressed in shining silver armor, lined both sides of the convoy as it proceeded out of the palace.
The wheels rolled over the stone-paved road with rhythmic sounds, blending with the faint clinking of the knights’ armor, like a prelude welcoming the returning king.
William sat inside the carriage and lifted a corner of the curtain to look outside.
The streets were packed with citizens who bowed and cheered toward the convoy, their faces filled with genuine joy.
He understood clearly that his father’s journey to the Northern Frontier had not only stabilized the border defenses but had also brought back news of victory. That glory alone was enough to excite the entire kingdom.
The convoy soon arrived at the reception point outside the city.
Everyone stepped out of their carriages one after another.
The nobles of the Royal Capital stood on both sides according to rank, while the royal family members stood at the very front, all gazing toward the distant road.
Before long, dust rose along the horizon.
The figures of Kroll II and the accompanying nobles gradually came into view. Behind them followed the formations of the First Monster Legion and the Second Monster Legion.
The soldiers wore armor stained with the smoke of battle, their spears angled toward the ground. Their steps were steady as stone, and even from a distance, one could feel the murderous aura of veterans hardened by war.
Kroll II rode at the front on a jet-black warhorse.
He wore a dark royal robe, and the lion emblem on his shoulder armor gleamed coldly in the sunlight. Though there was fatigue on his face, his gaze remained sharp as an eagle’s.
“Greetings, Your Majesty.”
All those who came to receive him bowed together, their voices echoing across the open plain.
“Rise.”
Kroll II raised a hand. His voice was not loud, yet it carried unquestionable authority.
As everyone stood up, many noticed that the king’s gaze lingered briefly on the Queen and the First Prince.
That glance carried a meaning difficult to interpret, causing both of them to instinctively stiffen their backs.
Then his gaze fell upon William.
A faint smile suddenly appeared on his face—gentle, yet filled with scrutiny.
The Queen and the First Prince felt their hearts jump violently. An inexplicable unease crept up their spines.
That look from the king clearly meant he had noticed something.
William, however, felt somewhat confused.
He could not see through the deeper meaning hidden within his father’s smile. He only felt that the gaze seemed to be weighing an object that was about to be carefully polished.
Kroll II turned his horse and looked over the crowd before him, his voice ringing out loudly.
“The Northern Frontier has been secured. The traitor Duke Derek is dead, the Derek Family has been completely annihilated, and Despair Fortress has been reclaimed.”
“From today onward, the entire kingdom shall celebrate for three days.”
“Long live His Majesty!”
Cheers erupted instantly, and the soldiers’ roars shook the air itself.
Standing within the crowd, William kept replaying his father’s gaze in his mind.
What exactly did that look mean?