There's definitely something wrong with this murder mystery game
Chapter 892: 738 The Silver Shield Legion is Definitely Not There

Chapter 892: Chapter 738 The Silver Shield Legion is Definitely Not There

The winter night was heavy.

Unlike previous cold winters, this year’s season was remarkably warm. The sun blazed brightly during the day, and the night lacked the harsh biting winds.

However, the mild climate seemed to accentuate the tense and volatile atmosphere of this winter.

The Royal Capital was in chaos.

The King abandoned the royal heirs and the citizens of the capital, fleeing alone, his whereabouts still unknown. This upheaval had caused unrest to spread across the entirety of the Eastern Continent.

Most ordinary folk were still unaware of this, and farther regions hadn’t even heard of the empire’s turmoil yet. But the nobility had already foreseen the inevitability of war.

The disappearance of the lords’ private armies left the city-states relying solely on the City Defense Forces under the Governors.

But the City Defense Forces only numbered around ten thousand.

The empire’s armies were scattered across various military districts. If chaos arose, the City Defense Forces could only stabilize the situation temporarily, as the true combat power would need to be mobilized from the military districts.

Yet the chaos within the Royal Capital—

Instead of suppression by nearby districts, the forces from several military districts surrounding the capital had been transferred entirely to Fahl City.

This left several neighboring cities devoid of military strength.

…

Late at night.

The city-state was alight.

Inside the heavily-guarded Governor’s Castle.

A few individuals gathered under the dim glow of an oil lamp, deliberating around a table with a map spread upon its surface. Standing flags reflected the flickering firelight from around them.

Some wore luxurious garments, while others were clad in armor, exuding a fierce aura.

The topic of discussion was the chaos in the Royal Capital.

Amid their heated arguments, a man with gray-gold hair sat off to the side, his eyes shut, his silence contrasting sharply with the fervent atmosphere in the room.

“Enough squabbling! All of you, leave!”

Suddenly, the person seated at the head of the table spoke gravely, cutting off their incessant disputes.

The man in fine clothing immediately grew anxious. “Duke, if—”

“Out!”

The Duke bellowed, his voice thunderous.

Instantly, everyone in the room fell silent, as if chilled to the bone.

Forced to leave, they exchanged glances of frustration before filing out, though the gray-gold-haired man at the table remained unmoved.

The room was left with just the two of them.

The Duke exhaled deeply and said, “I beg your pardon, Your Majesty. I never shared the truth with them, which led them to assume you fled and abandoned the royal family without a fight.”

The young man with gray-gold hair opened his eyes.

A smile curved at his lips. “No, they’re not wrong. I did flee without fighting.”

Upon hearing this, the Duke’s expression grew even more resigned.

The Eastern Continent’s military districts were mainly concentrated in the Royal Capital.

Yet now, the forces from these nearby districts had been entirely gathered in Fahl City, leaving surrounding city-states devoid of military support. This left local officials worried they would be defenseless against an invasion by the Holy Court’s army.

Although the Franks City-State wasn’t close to the Royal Capital—

Nor was it part of the surrounding region—

Even so, people continued to fear that the Holy Court’s army might launch an attack. Their anger toward Wald XVIII’s retreat was undeniable, which fueled the rising discord.

But in truth, Duke Brown had long anticipated these events and had already quietly mobilized forces from other districts.

However, this had been kept secret.

Even his most trusted aides knew little of it.

“Your Majesty, the Holy Court’s forces have consolidated in Weile Fort. It’s highly likely they are preparing to launch an attack on Fahl City,” Duke Brown said grimly as he studied the map on the table.

The gray-gold-haired man shifted his gaze toward the map. “No, they won’t. At most, they’ll use harassment tactics against Fahl City, but they certainly won’t launch an assault tonight.”

The certainty in his tone caused Duke Brown to pause in surprise.

He looked up to scrutinize the man across from him.

Having watched over Wald XVIII as he grew up, Duke Brown was well acquainted with his youthful appearance. Yet, after decades of rule, the King’s enigmatic character had become increasingly difficult to decipher.

He wasn’t even sure when the King had gained the ability of rejuvenation.

Half a month ago, Wald XVIII suddenly approached him and, without warning, orchestrated today’s Royal Capital rebellion.

From beginning to end—

Duke Brown had been somewhat bewildered.

Even now, he failed to grasp the rationale behind such actions.

If the goal was to counter the Holy Court, there were numerous strategies available. Yet the King had opted for an extreme, almost irrational approach—sacrificing the dignity of the Varo Royal Family.

After this event—

The Varo Royal Family might still retain control of the empire, but its foundation would undeniably be shaken.

“Your Majesty…” Duke Brown hesitated to speak.

“Uncle Brown, I might not need to sit on the throne, but the Holy See of Light must be eradicated. I hope you understand this,” Wald XVIII suddenly looked at him.

Duke Brown was momentarily speechless.

Having successfully silenced him—

Wald XVIII’s expression showed a hint of satisfaction.

He chuckled and continued, “If my assumptions are correct, the Holy Court won’t launch an attack on Fahl City tonight. Instead, they should seize control of three surrounding city-states, securing strategic advantages before awaiting the arrival of the Silver Shield Legion.”

Duke Brown’s eyes flickered. “Two days ago, our scouts detected a military unit departing from the Irracks City-State. If the Silver Shield Army has indeed defected to the Holy Court, they might strike at Suwalte Fort to advance toward the Royal Capital.”

“Which is why I withdrew from the Royal Capital,” Wald XVIII laughed. “The capital is truly a poor position for battle, offering no geographical advantages at all.”

These words left Duke Brown somewhat resigned.

Yet were it not for the coronation ceremony deliberately drawing the Holy Court’s forces into the Royal Capital, the mere ten thousand troops of the Holy Court would have never been able to breach the defensive lines of the military districts.

Thus, how could they have possibly gained access to the Royal Capital?

“However…”

Suddenly, Wald XVIII changed the subject.

He reached out to take a small flag and placed it firmly onto the map, his deep blue eyes shining with sharp intent.

“The Silver Shield Army won’t strike from Suwalte Fort,” he stated with certainty.

“How is that possible?”

Duke Brown froze, staring down at the map, where the small flag had been planted in an open region among several city-states of the Eastern Continent.

The positions of these nearby city-states were equivalent to Franks, neither too close nor too far from the capital.

Wald XVIII rose from his seat, fixating on the map. “Such an easily-discovered maneuver—opponents wouldn’t be foolish enough to act that way.”

“But…”

“Knock knock knock!”

Just as Duke Brown was about to speak, a sudden knock on the door interrupted him. He waved toward the door.

Moments later, an officer stepped inside.

The officer appeared anxious and shocked. “My Lord Duke, the scouts have reported: Suwalte Fort was captured by a mysterious army half an hour ago!”

After detecting anomalies in Irracks City-State two days prior, Duke Brown had dispatched scouts to infiltrate Suwalte Fort.

Having learned about the disruptions in the Far North Mountain Range—

He had wondered whether the Silver Shield Army might have betrayed them.

Conveniently, at the same time, the Irracks City-State had inexplicably increased its defenses. After analyzing the situation, Duke Brown suspected the Silver Shield Army might infiltrate the Eastern Continent from Suwalte Fort.

Yet Wald XVIII remained indifferent.

Thus, no additional troops were deployed to defend Suwalte Fort, save for a few City Defense Forces drawn from the surrounding city-states as a precaution.

All the empire’s forces followed the original plan and consolidated in Fahl City.

Now—

After listening to the officer’s report, Duke Brown dismissed him, then silently turned to look at Wald XVIII.

Didn’t you say the Silver Shield Army wouldn’t be there?

…