Chapter 1689: Chapter 1689

"In our duel, this coin also serves as a tool for bribery. But mine is more valuable than yours. So, while it functions just like the one you hold, if we happen to bribe the same target, this coin—a representation of the profound depth of time—will have priority."

Jenkins explained the function of his Jewel of Ages.

"Are you targeting me specifically?"

"No," Jenkins replied. "It's just a coincidence that I had a coin on me."

Time wouldn't pause for Jenkins and Salhir II's conversation. While the two players in Nolan conferred, the situation in Ruen was in constant flux.

On Jenkins's side, Dolores and the other two princesses under his command were acting according to his plans. While pulling all their forces back into the royal palace, they also dispatched search parties throughout its halls. Dolores herself didn't know what she was supposed to be looking for, but it was clear from their conversation that she believed her father must have hidden something in the palace before leaving Ruen.

The situation on Salhir II's side was less optimistic. The move he made was to abandon the search for Dolores, dispatching part of the city guard to maintain order within the city and another part to stand watch outside Ruen's walls.

But the first prince's ideas were completely different from his father's, and so his actions didn't align with his father's move. As soon as the round began, he immediately deployed every person he could muster to every corner of Ruen. His goal was to find Dolores, Wendy, and Praise.

This led to Sarrot achieving almost nothing in the third round. Furthermore, a conflict broke out between the city guard and the police force, and the two sides nearly ended up in a gunfight in the streets.

The fourth round was about to begin, Jenkins said quietly. Salhir II glanced up at him but ignored the taunt.

"Sarrot has been this way since he was a child," the king said. "He has talent, but his impatience for quick results often makes him lose sight of what truly matters."

"In one more round, the Northern Garrison from outside the city will enter. I imagine the princes will be forced to begin defending the city."

"No. Sarrot may have his flaws, big and small, but at least he's willing to trust his followers."

Salhir II pointed to the game board, where a red star had appeared on the edge, just outside the city of Ruen.

"My eldest son may have overlooked the potential risks tonight, but his younger brother noticed. So..." Orıginal content can be found at ɴovelfire.net

On the board, Sarrot Stuart suddenly received a letter from a servant. His expression changed drastically as he read it, and he immediately went to find the commander of the city guard.

Although the observers in Nolan couldn't see the letter's contents, they could roughly guess that the first prince's side had discovered traces of army movements in the mountains outside the city.

"No one is perfect or omnipotent, not even a king. To lead a country well, the most important thing isn't to be all-powerful yourself, but to know your own weaknesses and find followers who can compensate for them."

Salhir II said this to the three princesses at the table. They didn't understand why he was telling them this, but they could only nod to show they had heard.

"So, in the next round," Jenkins asked, "do you plan to have your sons defend the city, or will they attack the palace to capture Dolores?"

"That's quite clever," he continued after a moment. "If the Northern Garrison successfully enters the city and purges the nobles, you achieve your goal. But if Sarrot and his brothers manage to stop them, then your pawns become the heroes who defended Ruen... It seems that either outcome is favorable for you."

"That's why, when making any decision, you must do your best to secure a position from which you cannot lose."

Salhir II smiled. He lifted his teacup and took a sip, and Jenkins noticed his hand was trembling. Though his mind was sharp, his body was failing him. He couldn't stay up all night like a strong, healthy young man such as Jenkins.

"Then in the next round, Sarrot will use the walls of Ruen to mount a full-scale defense. He will search the Ruen armory and find something unexpected inside."

"You didn't happen to hide a few steam cannons in the Ruen armory, did you?"

"Only small-caliber ones."

The king said, "And only just over thirty of them."

The princesses at the table looked unsettled, and Jenkins, too, was surprised.

Perhaps due to certain principles and aspects of steam technology that Jenkins didn't understand, the steam cannons of this world were far more powerful than any weapon that could be called a "cannon" in his former world. Furthermore, due to issues of safety, cost, and transportation, even a city like Ruen shouldn't have possessed so many.

"So you really were prepared all along," Jenkins said, before voicing a new question.

"Since you said tonight's duel was a spur-of-the-moment decision, what were these steam cannons hidden in the armory for in your original plan?"

The three princesses were also curious about this, but they didn't dare ask so directly. Salhir II covered his mouth with a handkerchief and coughed twice before slowly answering.

"If the army's 'purge' of Ruen didn't proceed as planned, then I would switch to these cannons to do the 'purging'."

His tone was perfectly placid, but the meaning behind his words was enough to make one's skin crawl.

"But that's your capital city. Were you really prepared to do that?"

Jenkins couldn't help but ask again. He knew that kings were iron-hearted, but he hadn't imagined the man could be so ruthless.

"A capital can be rebuilt. If we run out of citizens, more can be moved from elsewhere. If doing this ensures a peaceful transfer of power for the kingdom, then it is worth the cost."

Jenkins couldn't help but click his tongue in disapproval. Seeing his reaction, the king of the northern kingdom spoke to him again.

"If you intend to inherit Fidektri, you will sooner or later understand my way of thinking. When you bear responsibility, you are bound to see things from a different perspective. When you reach my age, you will no longer think as you do now."

Although Salhir II's directive for this round was defense, a round was only half an hour long. Ruen was a vast city. Even using the ancient city walls as a foundation and abandoning the slums around the perimeter for a better defensive position, it would be extremely difficult to deploy their limited forces and get everything prepared in just thirty minutes.

Salhir II had, of course, thought of this. So, before Jenkins could begin his own preparations, the king took a folded, yellowed sheet of paper from his pocket. It wasn't modern paper, but a small, neatly cut piece of parchment.