Chapter 1688: Chapter 1688
Jenkins saw that the Ice Archer chess piece had taken effect, and knew the intelligence was now within his grasp. He glanced at Salsi II, who was seated across from him. The king stared at the image on the chessboard with a grave expression, betraying none of his current thoughts.
Finally, the Duke of Ruen revealed the reason he had entered the city:
"His Majesty intends to take advantage of the royal family's absence from Ruen to carry out a full-scale purge of the disloyal elements in this city. An army is already lying in ambush outside the walls. The operation is set for today—or more precisely, after midnight..."
Jenkins checked the time. That would be in about two turns, or one hour from now.
"I entered the city, on the one hand, to guard the royal palace for His Majesty and prevent its destruction in the coming turmoil, and on the other, to safeguard an important item for him."
He told the truth, but not the whole truth. At the very least, the duke made no mention of Salsi II having a double in Ruen.
Dolores understood this as well, but she didn't point it out. She merely stated that as a member of the royal family, she had a duty to protect the family palace in times of crisis. Therefore, she hoped Duke Rodbayle would hand over command of the troops Salsi II had stationed in the city and the palace for its defense.
The duke, of course, would not relinquish command so easily, especially after hearing that Dolores was not the only Stuart to have returned. Yet, just as when Sarrot had persuaded the city guard, Dolores's rhetoric was technically lacking. However, under the influence of the external item, she ultimately succeeded in gaining command of a thousand soldiers.
Duke Rodbayle wasn't idle either. He would now serve as the second-in-command of this force, assisting Dolores in guarding the palace. However, the duke refused to reveal what item Salsi II had entrusted to him, not even after pledging his allegiance to Dolores. He kept that secret.
Jenkins asked from his seat, but the king opposite him didn't answer. Instead, he posed a question of his own:
"If we weren't having this duel today, in the near future... was Dolores planning to stage a coup and overthrow me directly?"
They had all seen Dolores gathering her people and making arrangements. Based on what they'd witnessed, her control over Ruen was far stronger than that of her siblings. She could find people willing to swear fealty to her from nearly every walk of life. She had taken control of the police department almost without a word, and even a squad from the city guard had secretly approached her to pledge their loyalty. This was clearly premeditated.
In this regard, Sarrot was far inferior to his younger sister.
"How could that be? Is Dolores that kind of person? You know your daughter better than I do. I think such a ridiculous probe is unnecessary."
Jenkins said lightly, his eyes turning back to the board. The main view on the board still showed an overhead perspective of Ruen, while smaller screens in the corners displayed the individual actions of each character.
"I used to overlook this daughter of mine. It's only in the last six months that I've noticed her talent, probably since you exposed the Fabry fraud, which led to financial reforms across the three kingdoms. Before, I just thought she was a child who liked adventure stories."
"In fact, Dolores is just a child who likes adventure stories. When I met her, she hadn't the slightest bit of interest in the throne."
"So you're saying it was you who changed her, who gave her the idea of becoming queen?"
"No, it wasn't I who changed her. Time changed her. The young always grow up."
At this, the three princesses standing by all covered their mouths and chuckled. Jenkins himself was only twenty, and the influence of his elven blood made him look even younger, so for him to say such a thing was rather comical.
The third round began, and once again, it was Salsi II's turn to start.
"After gaining control of the city guard, Sarrot decides that his first priority is not to search for his three opposing sisters, but to find out what exactly is going to happen tonight. He will dispatch troops to search the area around Ruen and, at the same time, deploy soldiers into the city. Tonight, there will be a full lockdown. Ruen is entering a state of war."
"But the city guard alone cannot declare a state of war in Ruen. That order must come from City Hall."
The eldest princess pointed out, "Although all three kingdoms have a parliament, the northern kingdom's is more of a decoration. In reality, the king's word is law. Therefore, to declare a state of war in the capital, there's no need to consult parliament; all that's required is a document from the Mayor of Ruen, authorized by the king."
With Salsi II currently out of the country, its administration is being handled autonomously by the vast government apparatus. Consequently, placing Ruen under a state of war only requires the mayor's approval. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ novel·fire.net
"But Sarrot has the army now, so he calls the shots. Yani, don't be so rigid about procedures. Procedures are merely tools to restrain the weak."
Salsi II spoke, then reached into his pocket again. This time, he pulled out a black coin.
Jenkins's heart skipped a beat; for a moment, he thought it was some kind of Sin Coin he had never seen before. But upon closer inspection, he saw the size was wrong. Although the materials and patterns of the Sin Coins he'd encountered varied, their dimensions were always identical.
"This is 'Mr. Prankster's Prank Coin'."
"I know it. Designation B-06-2-4929. One side depicts a sun with radiating lines, the other, two overlapping crescent moons. If you toss it and it lands on the sun, your luck improves until midnight. If it lands on the moons, your luck worsens. The actual degree of improvement or decline is determined by the user's will."
Jenkins recited the information he knew.
"What if it's neither heads nor tails?"
the youngest princess at the table asked, though she was still a bit older than Dolores.
"If it's neither heads nor tails, the user disappears. No one knows where they go."
Jenkins said, though he privately suspected they were sent to the otherworld, 'Prankster's Castle'. Mr. Prankster was probably very interested in people who could make a coin land on its edge.
"So that's how this thing works~"
Salsi II listened with keen interest. He seemed to be in high spirits, perhaps because the engaging match had allowed him to relax a little.
"This is an ancient coin of unknown origin. Beyond its intrinsic value when it was minted, it represents the ages, history, and civilizations now lost. It's a priceless treasure. Therefore, its holder can use this coin to bribe anyone, within what human reason would deem a plausible range. The one being bribed will be so astonished by the coin's value that they will be unable to refuse."
As he spoke, he slapped the coin down on the table, deliberately placing it sun-side up, likely because of the information Jenkins had just provided.
At that very moment, in the display for Sarrot Stuart on the board, the prince was conversing with his men in a speeding carriage. Suddenly, he paused, glanced up at the sky, then reached into his pocket and pulled out the coin Salsi II had just placed on the table. The one he held was not the physical coin on the board, but likely a symbolic manifestation of its power, as its design was slightly different.
"This coin is in effect for the entire match?"
"Yes, but it can only be used once, to bribe one person to do one thing."
His Majesty the King replied.
"That's hardly fair. You've been preparing since before this duel even began; this coin is obviously a very specific, targeted item. But I was summoned here completely in the dark, without even a chance to tell my family I wouldn't be home tonight. I've had no preparation at all. That's not fair to me."
"But life is unfair."
"I am in the prime of my life, yet I must stay up all night playing a game with you to decide my next successor. Do you think that is fair? Williams, you may use any means you can think of to win this game. In turn, I will do everything in my power. There is nothing unfair about it, because this is life."
"Those were your words. 'Nothing unfair about it'."
Jenkins confirmed, and without waiting for a reaction, announced his move.
"After taking command of the troops her father left to guard the palace, Dolores receives intelligence from her people that her brother has taken control of the city guard. In response, Dolores first dispatches all on-duty officers from the police headquarters into the city, shouting in the streets to warn the citizens to be vigilant tonight, as something might happen. On another front, she abandons the urban districts of Ruen, gathers all those loyal to her, and retreats with her forces into the royal palace, where she actively sets up defenses. Of course, Wendy, Priestley, and Angelina are also with her."
"Let me remind you, this means your side is taking a purely defensive posture, ceding all of Ruen outside the palace to Sarrot. Are you sure you want to do that?"
Salsi II asked, resting one hand on the table.
"Yes. And this isn't just my idea. It's what Dolores would certainly do."
Jenkins leaned back in his chair, stroking his cat.
He couldn't care less how many tricks Salsi II had up his sleeve. Alexia was already on her way to Ruen to summon the snowman army from the ice castle in the mountains—Jenkins had given her his own staff as a token. Once that army arrived in Ruen, it would be impossible for Dolores to lose.
Naturally, Jenkins had to use an item on his turn as well. He considered what he had on him and finally produced a Sin Coin: the 'Gem of Ages'.
"This is a true crystallization of age and time. It represents a closed time loop and a self-consistent fate. This is no mere equivalent of value minted by any intelligent race; this represents the deepest secrets of this world."
He gave a brief introduction before pressing the round, gem-like coin onto the chessboard. The cat immediately lunged for it but was held back by an already-prepared Jenkins.