Titan Beneath the Heavens Chapter 144

The never-ending Alps guarded the Titan Empire's south territory. In general,, people were used to calling the territory the three Southern provinces. This included Bordier Province, Rylie Province, and Bodega Province; these areas were geographically identified as mountains and hills. However, from the Imperial Guards defense point of view, after the year 791's rebellion, the capital's army expanded the south army, the empire's five south providences were all merged to form South Army Group. To ensure the area's stability, in recent years, the South Army group has maintained both the forty-five division's and eleven independent Brigade's highest establishments.

"However... Under current circumstances, our job right now is to focus on the three main provinces." Imperial Marshal O'Neil Andrew Morisette his Imperial Highness Prince knocked loudly on the map hanging on the blackboard in the spacious guest room.

"The Imperial Guard's sixth region's Bordier Province, eight region's Westria Province and fifth region's Burton Province!" Oscar said while using a red chalk to circle the three regions mentioned on the map.

"As everyone knows, the sixth and eighth region's Border and Westria Provinces are in the midst of the mountains, to expand military operations here will prove to be challenging and insufferable! Because of this, the Southern mountain's main four groups of uprisings are all gathered in these two provinces. And the fifth region's Burton province..."

His Imperial Highness Prince paused, "The Burton province in the fifth region is the uprising peripheral personnel's underground operation center! The Burton province has flat terrain, smooth traffic, is a developed business economy, and with Vielonna's city population of a hundred thousand, it can provide thugs with the cover that they wish they had."

"Then under… We'veinvited the South Army Group's Chief of Staff, General Dario Gonzalez who just arrived at the capitol, to further explain the current situation of the five Southern Provinces."Oscar moved slight, the aged General Dario Gonzalez leaned on his cane as he walked into the guest room, this veteran general saluted the Imperial Guard's Marshal and a roomful of Military Intelligence Analysts after he got his footing.

"Everyone, just like what Marshal O'Neil has said, the South Gangsters are mainly in the Bordier and Westria Province, near the mountains of the Faran border. Earlier, in September of year 794, the South Army Group has already lockedthese two critical areas down. However it wasn't until this year's April that we estimated that there were five thousand to six thousand armed thugs who are protesting strongly within these two areas. They've built a hidden base in the mountains andusing Guerrilla warfare as their main unconventional tactic, they're attacking from every direction relentlessly, stealing food ordinances, destroying churches, killing imperial guards and the local administration staff as well. Their evil deeds are too many to be mentioned! Their…"

"Cough... Cough!" Oscar held his throat as he coughed. When he invited this veteran general to the capital, he did not intend for him to give a speech.

"Oh…" General Dario Gonzalez caught on after he was interrupted, and quickly changed the subject.

"Members of the floor. In summary, the actions by these thugs are appalling! We've to use an effective strategy to cleanse the armed uprising! Now, let me introduce the south army guard's recent arrangement, please look at the map!"General Gonzalez said as he used the pointer in his hand to rap on the map's random location.

"Here… My army has already surrounded the Alli Mountain Valley and the nearby areas. The eight province's first army is currently surrounding and securing the area for the fifth time and the eight area's third army has tried to expand it's defense dimensions. Although the uprising army still possesses a chance to flee to Italia, the border is getting more secure because the commander-in-chief has already added a mountain brigade to the border.

The general turned around just at the moment, "Then, lets look at another side! To view the south mountains as a whole, the Bordier Province is historically the poorest among them all.he main reason is that it's too steep, and is flooded with huge spaces of unoccupied land and natural forest. The thugs' illegal army mostly gathers in this inaccessible area and on average, our cleansing operations have already resulted in several failures."

"My army general will be using both offensive and defensive strategies here. However, the uprising's has significant strength Everyone, please don't neglect this issue."

Oscar turned around to look at the roomful of military analysts, knowing full well that there are only a few brilliant ones among them. The rest are mere robots whose only aim is to follow orders, these robots have proven to be useful as a combat unit, however there seems to be more than enough Military Intelligence Special Forces for brainstorming.

The First Lieutenant Muktha Singh suddenly barged into the meeting room, he ran towards the stunned prince without saluting the generals on stage.

Oscar listened to the Confidential Secretary's whispers, it was only a short sentence, but the Military Intelligence Bureau Chief had already widened his eyes in fear.

"North Battlefield report?"

"Yes, your highness! It is the report from the north!" Muktha nodded definitively.

The military compound seemed to be even more irritable under the blazing sun, the soldiers have all gathered in groups lowly bickering. When Marshal O'Neil Andrew Morisette passed by them, these soldiers immediately shut up and robotically saluted the Marshal.

The grand ballroom of the Operations Command Center was empty, only a few highly ranked generals at the square table in front of the big map, Chief of Staff of the Imperial Guards Robin Sparse calmly held to his coffee, as the few generals from the combat department had expressions that make them look like they just ate flies.

Even though the soldiers sitting here were all above thirty years of age, but when the young Marshal O'Neil rushed into the hall, everyone still stood up to pay their tribute accordingly.

Oscar was saluting and walking at the time, he knew that this was not the time to be polite.

"Update me!" The Military Intelligence Bureau Chief sat down on the left-hand side of the Chief of Staff of the guards, he eyed the combat commander on duty today.

General Beldom Alfonso immediately opened the document in a green envelope.

"Your Highness, the battlefield report just now, it came from the Marshall Alan Northern Army command, hmph..."

"Quickly! What did Marshal Alan say?" Oscar was impatient.

"Oh no! The battlefield report stated that it's Northern Army Group's Chief of Staff General Krasius, he only said... The north army is currently retreating completely!"

"What do you mean?" Oscar glared.

"I... I am not too certain!"General Beldom shook his head embarrassingly.

Prince O'Neil rolled his eyes maliciously.

"General, you mean to say the north battlefield has experienced such a huge twist that our combat commanding system does not know what is going on?

Beldom shot a pleading look to his colleagues, but he realized that everyone was deliberately looking away. In the end, this general had to nod upsettingly.

"Fine, Oscar!" Marshal Robin finally came to the rescue. "We have to believe Marshal Alan, even if Marshal Alan will lose he will lose devastatingly.

The Chief of Staff's demean made the few from the combat department even more embarrassed, they wanted to refute, but they could not find any reason convincing enough.

"What do we do? Do we just tell His Majesty the Emperor that the North army has retreated? Then nothing else?" Oscar glared at Combat Department's Duty Personnel.

"Hmph, Your Majesty," General Beldom stammered, "If... If it's possible, can... we…...delay in handing the Northern Army Report to the Emperor…...

"Wait!" Oscar interrupted the general, "Do you know what you are talking about?" This is a serious offense!" We need to be responsible for this incident! I don't wish to….."

"Oscar!" Marshal Robin suddenly stopped the agitated prince.

"That's it for today! Thank you for the Combat Department's coffee" The old marshal said while standing up, he also grabbed onto the prince sitting next to him.

As Oscar was being dragged out the combat command center by marshal Robin, the little marshal with a stomachful of frustration finally manifested.

"My teacher, do you know how these people usually treat me? They can't wait to turn their mind into crests! I finally have this chance to humiliate them!"

Robin Sparse only smiled and pat on the young man's shoulder. "They have their reasons for looking down on you but they will remember this incident, now when they are given a chance to save their dignity, they will make it easier for you in the future, this is an easy thing. We are soldiers, soldiers will need to be able to look at things from a wider perspective, if not the situation will get out of hand."

"I understand this!" Oscar nodded, "So to be able to drag me out of this stupid place, didn't I say much?"

"What do you plan to do now?" Marshal Robin looked at little Oscar worriedly, now this child seemed to be agitated.

"How do I know?" Prince Oscar said while glancing at the surroundings, the soldiers were far away, he pulled the old Marshall to an even deserted corner.

"I say, you still don't know?" The palace chief Marquis Laston Cambre has already been quarantined yesterday, according to my guess... He may be questioned by the special forces!"

"Laston Cambre?" The old Marshall blinked, he seems to not be understanding something.

"If it wasn't for Alfa III His Majesty being poisoned! Do you think Count Rudolf Hoss will openly investigate palace chief?"

"How is this related to him?" The Chief of Staff stared at the prince in disbelief.

"How is this not? Laston Cambre is the king's most trusted minister, he knows Alfa III His Majesty enjoys the company of which ladies, on top of that, he was always the one to plan these parties for the emperor."

"Oh..." The old marshal finally understanding, " However….. It's better if you don't let me hear these dirty incidents!"

"Why do you not seem too concerned about the poisoning?" Oscar looked at his mentor weirdly.

"What is there to say? It is a plot! The people who poisoned Alfa III His Majesty gas already reached their goal! This means that his majesty is very safe for the time being, what more is there for us to be worried about?"

Oscar observed his surroundings again, he lowered his voice.

"Marshall, I don't quite understand what you mean!"

"Oscar!" The old man moved closer to the prince's ear. " If it wasn't you who found the trace of Alfa III His Majesty being poisoned, then the Emperor would probably be in danger! Then... You don't have to even think about leaving Dulin, is it not like that?"

"You disappoint me by saying this!" Oscar's face changed, "I have sworn to the emperor, I will find out the culprit of the poisoning and the motive behind it, and you are suspecting me of trying to divert the attention as the thief, right?"

"It's not you?"

"Of course it's not me! Do you think I'm mad?" Oscar exasperated.

"Oh?" The Chief of Staff looked at the prince's face, he already seemed doubtful. "This is too peculiar! Have I lost my mind? I thought you were trying to reach your goal, henceforth, created this opportunity to save his majesty."

"Are you joking!" Oscar was so close to giving the old marshal a few kicks in the head. "It was all the God of Light's doing that I was able to save his majesty!"

"If not you... Who would it be?" Robin was confused again, "Who would want to murder Alfa III His Majesty?"

Oscar laughed coldly, "To be honest, it could be anyone! Even the emperor's most trusted palace chief is already being questioned, what more can we expect?"

"Does that mean... You are going to set off?"

"Yes!" Oscar felt happier as he said this. "I want to wait for the North to settle down, maybe it'll be next month or next week."

"Why?" The chief of staff looked questioningly at his student. "Are you then waiting for Alan to return? To be honest, that doesn't seem to be a good idea!"

"No! I am definitely not waiting for him to come back!" Oscar shook his head. " I am waiting for my Red Tigers, the northern battlefield has to be completely peaceful before the Red Tigers can retreat, but I have not heard any battle reports from the Red TIgers, if my Red Tigers suffered any loss under Alan's command..."

Oscar suddenly gritted his teeth in anger, " If this incident is so... I think I don't have to to be too polite with the Silver Fox! I will definitely put a cannon in front of his house!"

"It won't!" Marshal Robin chuckled and patted the young man's shoulder, " I've said it before, even if Alan loses he will lose devastatingly! The northern army retreating is not hopeless, General Krasius's battle report couldn't actually explain the issue."

Oscar nodded slightly, but he was still worried.

"Alan will accept the Imperial's arrangement made for me? He may use his status to create interference!"

"Hasn't Alfa III His Majesty already spoken? The old man said as he slowly pulled the younger man out of the building's shadow. "Our emperor has proven to be quite trustworthy, you can peacefully await his appointment!"

Oscar smiled at the sunlight beaming on the group, he felt at peace, it's like as carefree as taking opium, but his mind still lingered on the incident of the emperor's poisoning.

Common sense told him, the motive behind the murder should be a very hidden culprit. This person was like a lone hunter, he used the coldest look to review the whole political situation! But Oscar could not figure it out, the passing of the emperor will only result in the coronation of his elder highness Lobble because Lobble was the legal successor of the Titan Empire, there was no one who can doubt Lobble's position after the passing of Alfa III His Majesty! Then... Who else can possibly benefit from this happening?

Speaking of benefits, important figures and commoner are not the same, they both have two drastically different fates! The former, he was very hard to satisfy because of greed, his evil heart can be seen through the benefiting of materialistic things and the search for political benefits; The latter takes the rough and frank form of innocence and naivety!

"So, to compare with an important figure, I would prefer to be a commoner!" Marquis Laston Cambre confessed helplessly to the Special Service officer. "Because a cautious commoner will never interact with the Special Services in their life, but an important figure? Any small matter will mean the gallows."

As the Titan Empire's palace chief, as the capital's most precious bachelor, Marquis Cambre's life can only be described using brilliant highlights! His life has been disguised to reflect the late Alfa III His Majesty's daily travels, because this palace chief spends more than ten hours a day next to the emperor himself.

"Laston! Let it be!" Rudolf

Rudolf Hoss said while rubbing his sore eyes, "Look at the sun outside, it's already noon, I have already wasted tens of hours here chatting with you, we have already talked from astronomy to geography, from ladies to philosophy, you have already clarified the differences between an important person and a mere commoner! Can we talk about something much more serious?"

"What do you want to know?" The palace chief yawned wearily, he is completely messing with the Special Services officer.

With that, Rudolf Hoss yelled impatiently.

"Laston! Wake up! Do you not know what I want to know? You know the severity of this incident better than anyone else!"

"Alright alright!" Maquis Cambre dug his ear and scratched his armpit, "To be honest Rudolf, I am aware of the severity of this incident, but doesn't your investigation eliminate all the women who have had sexual contact with emperor over the last two months? Then I think I have no more business with her! You know, I am very busy! Especially when the emperor is on bedrest!"

"You still owe me an answer!" The Special Services officer pointed to the files that were open on the table between the both of them.

Laston rolled his eyes, "My old friend, I have answered many times! I have nothing to inform on this question! Why don't you go ask the emperor yourself! His Majesty is clearer about this than anyone else!"

Rudolf glared at the palace chief as though he was an idiot, Laston! You think I am the type of person who likes being in people's business? Will I go to his Majesty to ask which woman has he bedded? Even though it is what I wish to do, because it could clear this thing up, but you should consider on my behalf if this is worth doing, I am not mad, I am not an idiot too!"

Laston sighed in distress, he took his eyes off the Special Services officer's face.

Rudolf shook his head at the now silent palace chief, he finally decided to give up on continuing. Rudolf would not be wasting so much with the other party if the one being questions was not this palace chief in front of him.

"Then... Old friend, let me ask you one last time, why is that the Imperial Secretariat's concubine record and his majesty's travel record does not tally?"

Lanston tightened his mouth, it was as if he made up his mind to not reveal anything to the Special Service department. As Alfa III His Majesty's closest senior attendant, the emperor is sure to hide some country secrets in him, but it is impossible that Laston Cambre would hide the identity of the women he bedded.

"Old friend, I have said it many times, this is my last time asking you about this incident!" Rudolf gave his last attempt.

"Let me explain to you for a bit! Maybe this will make you think of other things." The special service department office flipped the pages of the concubine record on the table, he will be able to find the doubts quickly.

"Here! This year June 17! To put it accordingly, the women who are spending the night with the emperor will leave their name in this record, but this day's record is empty, which meant that the emperor is alone in his bedroom! Is that so?"

The palace chief helplessly nodded.

"But why is it that the emperor's travel record showed that there is an entry for March 3rd at 4 in the morning? Rudolf Hoss pointed at the file, "The same thing happened on March 5th, March 11th, April 7th, April 19th and May 8th, a total of six times, the emperor only went back to his room at dusk for six nights... His Majesty has a new favorite, and this girl's status is quite distinctive, so distinctive that her name doesn't appear on the compulsory concubine record."

"Enough! Enough!" The palace chief held on to his forehead and yelped, "Rudolf! Are you stupid or do you pretend to be an idiot? If you are so clear on the woman's distinctiveness! Why are you still asking about this?"

The cell's door suddenly opened, the special department office turned around in fury, who dares to disturb him at this time?

"Empress... Your majesty the empress?" the suddenly aware Rudolf Hoss quickly saluted Rolyn Kate.

Laston Cambre followed behind, even though the palace chief knew that he can leave the Special Service Department's interrogation room immediately, but his eyebrows furrowed even more, as if he does not see the arrival of the empress as an event worthy of celebrating.

"Sirs, not done yet?" Rolyn Kate, who was leaning on a chair after entering, sat down, she wearily rapped on her shoulders.

"Have you been waiting outside for long?" Rudolf Hoss looked at her majesty is disbelief. Rolyn Kate's isolation seems like, anything that could make her leave the Westberg Fort would be so refreshing.

"Not very long! An hour and a half!"

Rudolf immediately went down on one knee, "Your Majesty! I apologize if I have gotten the notification..."

"Never mind!" Rolyn Kate waved, "I know you were discussing official business, but you can also tell, I was becoming impatient, I am here for the palace guard about an urgent matter."

The special service department official immediately stood aside, but the empress does not seem to be satisfied, Rudolf Hoss then realize, he glared at the seemingly unrelated palace chief, then walked out of the cell, and close the door of this tight and dark house.

"Okay!" Rolyn Kate's face became sinister the moment the door closed. "Laston, you know I am as easy to dismiss as Rudolf! Talk! But you should be clear, that I only ask questions once! That woman's name!"

Laston does not seem to notice that he has bitten his lip till it bled, he was weighing the severity of the whole incident. Empress Rolyn really was not easily dismissed, looking back at previous experiences, this woman has a temper like a beast!

But if this name is exposed... The palace chief yelled "No!" in his head Alfa III His Majesty will want his life! Laston knows the emperor too well, he can see that, Alfa III His Majesty favors this woman, it's definitely very different! Too bad not everyone will consider, this fifty-eight-year-old old man's last part of his life would welcome the craziest and deepest love!

Laston gnashed his teeth absentmindedly, he has to make a decision, this decision would expose the century's dirtiest, most disgraceful palace scandal of all!

"This woman is Ashfin Kristen! A Faran princess!" The Titan Empire's successor used the fan in his hand to point to the beautiful lady on the dance floor.

"Oh la..." Oscar shook his head helplessly, "Lob, you should have introduced her like, this is your wife, and not simply call her as a Faran princess!"

"My wife?" Lobble Alfa Morisette frowned, "So sorry! My dictionary still does not have the concept of a wife, maybe a little about a boyfriend!"

The prince poured a cup of grape wine for his university's old friend, he used the opportunity of his majesty's grumbling to survey the huge hall.

The Navona dance hall, this six hundred square meters rectangle of a hall is on the third floor of the Navona palace, it was always served as the Titan emperor's private entertainment hub.

The dance hall's layout and furnishings itself had nothing too outstanding, just a few decades old paintings and sculptures that was respectable. However, there were many moving stories circling the group of the capital's noble's about the Navano dance halls, in reality it's talking about a bunch of young men and women who fell for each other here, or some gigolo encountered a noble lady at the dance hall, or a noble gentleman meeting an exciting prostitute! The Dulin scholars' IQ seem to be similar, the stories they fabricated are more or less the same.

Feeling his old friend suddenly touching his arm, Oscar immediately came back to present time, but his view has been blocked by a graceful figure.

"Could you be... His Imperial Highness Prince O'Neil Andrew Morisette?" The successor's French wife said as she fell into a curtsy.

Oscar immediately jumped up from the sofa, he saluted the Faran princess and kissed the back of her hand.

"I am honored, my lady!"

"Ashfin Kristen blinked her amber eyes, she is very young, with the lightest makeup, her lip line is slightly raised, highlighting her sharp nose; eyebrows were detailed with a charcoal pen, with green eyeshadow that seemed to enhance her eyebrows even more.

The princess fiddled with her light brown hair, "Aren't you very busy? If I remember correctly... You rejected the invitation to come to the Navona palace twice!"

"Oh la... I am only able ..."

"Oscar! Ignore her! I know you were busy, that's why I never invited you, she was assertive about it!" Lobble interrupted his old friend impatiently.

"Don't be like that!" The prince huffed softly.

"Really? It seems that I was the one who was assertive!" Ashfin only gave a little smile, it was as if her husband's disdain did not matter.

Lobble smelt a strong gardenia perfume smell after sitting next to his wife, he could not stand the Faran lady's pretending, and also the Faran's wig and Kristen Royal Family's old doctrines.

"Oscar, did you know? Faran women simply do not wash their hair for weeks at a time!" Lobble said as he pointed at his wife's complicated hairstyle, "They use garbage and hair from a dead corpse to create those kinds of weirdly styled hairdo, and then wear it for months! My God of Light, it makes me want to throw up!"

Oscar looked at the Faran Princess sitting beside the Emperor, he admired the tolerance of this woman, Lobble's criticism of these "Faran woman" are not general statements, instead, it was said to his wife deliberately.

"Should we be changing places?" Lobble was feeling extremely awkward and he could no longer take it, he was admirable of his wife's mind, most women would be enraged after being humiliated, but his wife was able to maintain the most serious face.

"Why are we changing places? This place is not bad!" Oscar rejected the Emperor's suggestion absentmindedly.

Lobble widened his eyes, pointed at the foreign princess, "You want to sit with her here? Her barbaric ways will be passed on to you.

"You got it!" Oscar once again redetermined his own wish. He saw that the way Lubb looked at his wife like looking at a pile of feces! The prince suddenly pitied the Faran princess.

"Alright! As you wish!" Lobble stretches his arms and shrugged his shoulders. He quickly disappeared into another crowd.

Ashfin Kristen smiled, this reserved Faran lady did not answer, looks like she will never publicly criticize her husband.

Oscar suddenly extended his hand, Ashfin stared at him in shock, but she realized that the young Marshal is only reaching for a thread on her sleeve.

"Is it tough?"

"What?" The Faran princess was not sure, what is his majesty talking about?

"I am asking you, is it tough?"

Ashfin Kristen looked deeply into the prince's eyes, the music seemed uninteresting, everyone's gaze is just as cold, and her husband, the God of light! Her husband is definitely a special and rare living creature, he scorns all the women on earth, then is it tough to live in a cold prison like this? There is no need for an answer because to be alive is to be hated.

Princess Ashfin smiled again, she shook her head, "It's not tough! Not even a little bit!"

Oscar looked at the Faran princess in shock, she definitely does not look older than twenty, but her gaze and body language was numb as an old woman who has endured half a century of storms

However... The young man knew this girl was tenacious! The fact that she was still able to smile and say "It's not tough" has already proven that she was a strong girl who knew how to take care of herself.

" I heard... You want to go to the south?'

Oscar frowned, "I do want to go to the south, but this is still a secret operation! Can you tell me where did you hear this?"

Princess Ashfin Kristen clapped her hands to her mouth, "Oh! Forgive me! Have I said something wrong? So this is a secret! I thought... Did you know? It was the emperor who told me the day before yesterday when I was visiting Alfa III His Majesty, I thought I could confirm that with you!"

Oscar was doubtful, his majesty told her? What does the emperor think he's doing by telling her?

"I didn't bring you any inconvenience now, have I?" Princess Ashfin asked, she was already on the verge of tears, the princess was afraid that the Titans would accuse her of being Faran's spy, but she was so idiotic to ask Military Intelligence Bureau Chief about secret missions.

"It's nothing! If Alfa III His Majesty told you then it doesn't really matter!" Oscar waved his hand indifferently, but he already took notice, Alfa III His Majesty definitely will not bring this up with an unrelated person, he must have a hidden agenda!

"Have you not found the person who murdered Alfa III His Majesty?" Ashfin asked softly while a toast was being given.

Oscar's eyes twinkled, "I found them!"

"Who is it?" The Faran lady suddenly yelped, but she immediately realized that she behaved inappropriately, a few of the young nobles nearby already started to look in her direction.

"Do you wish to know?" Oscar's smile does not seem to be the most sincere, this suspicious Military Intelligence Bureau Chief has a train of thought, to ask who will benefit from the death of Alfa III His Majesty? Isn't the princess in front of him one of them? If Lobble becomes emperor, then she will be the future Titan Empress.

But….. poisoning meant that there was sexual contact with Alfa III His Majesty! Oscar laughed to himself, this kind of laughter is layered with thoughtfulness, this is incident is eventful! The prince was silently applauding himself, if it was like how he imagined it, then it would be like the fairy tales, you will only know that the ladies at the Navona dance all is pure or not, at the end of the story.

"Okay! Can you say goodbye to His Elder highness on my behalf? I have to go!: Oscar suddenly rose from his seat but the Faran lady caught a hold of his arm.

"Your majesty, you have not told me who was plotting against the emperor, didn't you say that you already found the culprit?"

Oscar looked at Princess Ashfin Kristen and began to suspect again, is it because her performance is out of this world? Or is she really clueless about everything?

"If I told you that I was lying just now, will you be mad?

Ashfin froze, in the end, she forced a smile.

"What more can I do if you lied to me? This is Titan, I am only a foreign princess that married into the empire, I am no longer defensive or whiny!"

Oscar smiled, he surveyed the dance halls that was flashing red and green lights, he waved at the princess and then, went ahead to leave.

Princess Ashfin Kristen looked at the young man's back for a while, she did not know what she was worried about, but there seemed to be a bad feeling about this.

The sunset seemed to set the Dulin city on fire with its sunrays, the tall palace seemed to be covered with a layer of beautiful golden silk, Indus splashed rays of sunlight in between the small gaps of the leaves. Slanted sunlight, grey stone slabs that reflect the light's timeline, the sunset seems to be on the run, it seems to be carrying the last hours of the day running towards death.

There were tens of beautiful horse carriages in the hall square of the Navona palace, a few of the younger people were stepping out of the carriages and up the steps, then they disappear like ghosts through the huge palace door. The day has not ended yet, but the celebrations of youth seem to have started.

Lobble Alfa Morisette, apart from his extreme sexist views that do not differ from all the princes of the world, he enjoys lively banquets, enjoys sharing lonesome nights with his friends. The dancehall seems to be having the same performance every day, the only thing that changed was the shuttling plaything and the orchestra from all over the world.

Baron Messier De Quixote was waiting for the prince at the palace for a while now, when he saw a not too tall figure appear in the palace hall's lobby he went over gleefully.

"Your Highness! The VIP you've invited is already in the horse carriage!

Oscar let out a sly smile, "How is Major Luke Citel doing?"

The Baron shrugged, " To be honest I'm not too sure, Major Citel was always very mysterious, I don't know what he would do with our special combat brigade, I am only responsible for providing military needs and all his other requests."

"What about funds?"

Messier embarrassingly pouted, We are able to maintain everything using your financial help, but with regards to future operations..."

"Then we will talk about it in the future, " Oscar interrupted the baron's sentence gleefully, " The south is a gold mine, we don't have to worry about resources."

Snowstorm opened the horse carriage door for the prince, Oscar went int quickly, the carriage door was shut immediately, no one noticed the old soldier hidden in the shadows of the car.

General Beldom Alfonso looked at the youngster unhappily, dragging him on the horse carriage is one thing, the nerve to let a general like him wait for two whole hours.

General Beldom, really sorry, I've let you wait for long enough! His elder highness was more welcoming than I imagined!"

The minister of the combat department delightfully nod his head, he does not wish to entertain this outbreak.

"Your Highness, do you have any instructions?"

"Oh, it's like this!" Oscar took out a jewelry box from the hidden cabinet under the carriage seat, even though it was dark in the carriage, but the jewelry box let out a glittering glow after being opened.

A golden accessory with pearls, diamonds, and mosaic embedded gems, maybe some old coins from mythical times, General Beldom kept his eyes on the shiny thing in front of him, he seemed to be having trouble swallowing, but he quickly put on a face that seemed indifferent.

"You highness, do you plan to...?"

"Bribery?" Oscar finished the general's sentence, "I'm afraid you are mistaken! This is only a gift, I have much admiration for you!

"Your Highness, I am in no position to accept your gift, please keep it!"

Oscar shrugged, and really put away the jewelry box.

"I only wish to have a talk with you, you are too sensitive!"

"What do you wish to talk about?"

Oscar smiled, "I wish to talk to you about the Northern army's problem, and... Marshal Alan's whereabouts! You are the second man for the Imperial Guard Commander In Chief, it's impossible that you don't know something?"

"Ha ha!" Beldom laughed coldly, he looked at the young man mockingly, he thought a jewelry box is all that it takes to bribe a general?

"Your Highness, if you wish to talk about this, then I am unable to help you, I don't know where to begin about this!"

Oscar ignored the old general's contempt, he shrugged.

"Then... Let us change the subject, how is your son? Shouldn't he be graduating from the Imperial Military Academy this year? Found a suitable post yet?

Beldom looked at the prince warily, "Thank you for your concern, he is doing very well!"

Oscar shook his head, "I think... It's not like how you said it was right? You son seemed to have killed someone in an illegal duel, didn't you go to the Ministry of Justice a few times because of this? In the end, it was Marshal Alan himself that vouched for your son and helped him avoid court case after court case."

Beldom frowned, he was speechless, but his face gave him away.

"General, I am also a youngster, sometimes I will also do silly things. As long as no one gets hurt in these things then we can let it be, if another person's life was in danger then it wouldn't be ideal! Don't you think so?"

"You... What do you want?"

"He He!" Oscar smiled happily, "Actually it's nothing, I just want General Beldom Alfonso to be a millionaire, and that his family is safe and sound.

Oscar gave him the jewelry box once again, Beldom thought about it, but he realized that he does not seem to have any say in this. One side is a betrayal, the other side is the fate of his family. The old general finally accepted the prince's treasure, the small box in his hand felt as heavy as his connotation.

"Right! I have given the gift! What more do you wish to say?"

"Marshal Alan left the Northern Army Command when he heard the news of you going to the south, I believe he is secretly rushing back to Dulin!"

Oscar nodded, it was similar to what he suspected, that mischievous old fox is coming back soon!

Chapter end