Chapter 132 - 59: Revenge Officially Begins

Chapter 132: Chapter 59: Revenge Officially Begins

The coup unfolded without a sound.

Lilia did not choose to seize the throne by force. After all, the Light Kingdom had just endured a protracted war; neither the civilians nor the military could withstand a second ordeal. Therefore, she opted for a gentler approach to force the King to abdicate.

During a Royal Court assembly, Lilia, clad in Silver Armor with a sword in her right hand, strode fearlessly to the front of the hall. Watching the young girl approach with her head held high and sword in hand, both the Royal Family and the Nobles couldn’t help but stare. Some looked surprised, others furious, but they all shared one thing in common: not a single person dared to speak up, not even the King seated upon his high throne.

Over the past half-year, everyone had seen the Princess’s true capabilities. Not only did she know how to lead armies into battle, but under her instruction, Belmont of Navia and others had introduced a highly productive crop. This had greatly alleviated the food shortages caused by the war, saving the lives of tens of thousands of displaced people.

Furthermore, her personal combat prowess was formidable, mastering both Body Techniques and Magic. It was said that just recently, the Mage Association had awarded her the certification badge of a High-level Mage, proving that she had reached the forefront of the magical path.

Nobles valued their lives. Against such a ruthless figure with no apparent weaknesses... no matter how dissatisfied they were, they dared not openly challenge her. The Nobles who resided year-round in the Royal Capital often harbored an innate fear of those who had returned from the battlefield. These veterans of war didn’t know the meaning of "using words instead of fists." If provoked, she might just cut them down with a single swing of her sword. By then, there would be nowhere to cry about it; they could only accept their terrible luck.

Since no one dared to object, Lilia’s succession became a matter of course.

Given that the King had not yet passed away, Lilia had no intention of ousting him immediately. Instead, she temporarily assumed the position of Crown Prince. Regarding this, Veronica and the others might have felt a subtle hint of reluctance, but everyone knew perfectly well that without Lilia, the Light Kingdom might have already fallen into the hands of those Demons. Whether in terms of achievements or power, Lilia was entirely deserving of the title of Crown Prince.

As for the King, when he initially saw Lilia approaching with her sword, he had braced himself to abdicate on the spot and retire. To his surprise, his daughter still held some lingering affection for him. She had given him tremendous face, guaranteeing that he would remain on the throne until his death.

Although those words sounded somewhat like a threat, the King felt profoundly grateful. After some time passed, he would voluntarily abdicate and pass the throne to Lilia. It would still be far better than being driven off the throne right now at sword-point by his own daughter.

And just like that, the coup quietly concluded. Aside from those involved, almost no one knew about it, nor did any news leak out. The Light Kingdom remained completely peaceful. The only topics of discussion among the common folk—apart from the recently passed disaster—were the heroic figure of the Princess slaying enemies, and just how excellent the improved wheat seeds bought from the merchants truly were.

About a month later, once the domestic situation had completely stabilized, Lilia boarded a ferry. According to the plan she had formulated with Lucian, it was now time to head to Ovis.

Compared to Lilia, Lucian’s situation was not as optimistic.

Half a year ago, the forces led by Lucian had assisted the garrison of Seville in repelling the Demons. They later returned to the Capital of Ovis, bringing with them a special method of using Demon Crystals against the Demons. For a time, the pressure on Ovis was greatly reduced. Scoring such a massive victory on his first military campaign, Lucian’s status and reputation within the Noble circles skyrocketed. If not for the fact that he hailed from the Lien Kingdom, his title would likely have been elevated by another Level.

Since an official promotion was off the table, the King of Ovis naturally compensated his meritorious subject in other ways, such as granting a position with greater authority or offering highly lucrative business opportunities.

When news arrived from Lilia indicating she had secured her foothold in Light and firmly established her position as Crown Prince, Lucian knew that the time had come to reveal his identity and officially step into the limelight.

When he initially decided to go public, those around him felt it wasn’t the optimal time. Currently, Lucian’s status in Ovis was high, but not high enough to rival the other Princes. After all, those Princes had been building their networks for years and had the backing of the Nobles. Although Lucian had accomplished a great deal since arriving in Ovis, in the eyes of the locals, he was still a Lien person. No matter how capable he was, he would inevitably face both overt and covert exclusion; they would never truly accept him into their inner circles of power.

As a result, Lucian was practically fighting alone in Ovis. Apart from a few advisors he had brought from the Duke Williams Mansion, he had absolutely no one else at his disposal. However, since Lucian insisted on revealing his identity at this juncture, the butler and the others did not object. Regardless, they were loyal to Lucian and would unconditionally believe in and support his decisions.

Soon after, Declan Marlo privately sought out the King of Ovis and revealed Lucian’s true identity to him.

The King was utterly shocked. It was only then that he truly paid attention to this newly appointed Viscount, surprisingly realizing that... just as Marquis Malo had said, Lucian’s appearance closely resembled his own! The King did not actually harbor any deep lingering feelings for his deceased concubine, but he did remember that exceptionally talented child who had died unexpectedly. The court magician had just prophesied that the boy would become Ovis’s youngest Holy Mage, and shortly afterward, he met a tragic end. It was impossible for the King not to have his suspicions.

He had secretly investigated the truth and eventually discovered that the incident involved several major Nobles. He couldn’t afford to fall out with those Nobles over a son who had not yet come of age; that was not a decision a mature ruler would make. Thus, he chose to suppress the matter, tacitly accepting that the fire which burned everything to ash was merely an accident.

Now, hearing from Marquis Malo that this very son was still alive—and had grown into such an outstanding young man—the King couldn’t help but feel a surge of pleasant surprise. He granted Lucian an audience that very day and hosted a grand banquet that evening to celebrate the return of the long-lost Prince to the Royal Court.

At the banquet, everyone who learned the news was flabbergasted. The achievements Lucian had made over the past few years were truly astonishing. Many Nobles had previously whispered among themselves that if he hadn’t come from the Lien Kingdom—even if he were just a commoner from Ovis—his status wouldn’t have been so limited after accomplishing so much. It was truly a pity. Yet now, the shackles restraining him had suddenly snapped. Not only that, but he had transformed overnight into one of the heirs to the throne! Moreover, judging from the King’s attitude, he harbored no real prejudice against Lucian.

Nobles had always possessed nimble minds. Seeing this, they immediately raised their glasses and swarmed around the newly returned Prince to strike up conversations.

It wasn’t just the Nobles. Several competitors for the position of Crown Prince also chatted with Lucian for a while. They wore polite smiles and behaved with impeccable courtesy. At least on the surface, no fault could be found; it was as if they were genuinely delighted by Lucian’s return.

But Lucian knew. The murderer who killed his mother all those years ago... was one of them.