CHAPTER 247: CHAPTER247-THE ELDER IN WHITE

Watching Stonemonkey disappear, the king then addressed those present, "Go about your duties!"

The figures stationed along the fortress walls vanished one after another.

Observing their departure, the king pressed a hand to his forehead, visibly struggling to recover from the day’s revelations about his brother’s death.

At this moment, his sole desire was to identify the true murderer of his sibling.

The king was aware that Balder was merely a pawn in someone else’s game, yet he remained uncertain about the identity of his adversary.

Finding the mastermind behind the scheme was now imperative.

He needed to understand their motives and devise a strategy to retaliate and eliminate them.

Servants assisted the king as he exited the underground fortress, leading him to the bank of a hidden river.

This subterranean channel, flowing directly to the palace’s rear garden, served as the fortress’s exit.

The king was helped onto a special wooden boat for his return to the palace, a vessel unlike any ordinary craft.

Crafted from teak wood, this boat was not made from ordinary teak.

Its surface was adorned with various runes and a lifelike carving of a water dragon, whose eyes were inlaid with azure pearls, granting the boat the ability to navigate underwater.

Thus, this unique vessel could travel back and forth between the rear garden and the underground fortress.

With the servants’ assistance, the king settled into the boat.

As it glided through the water, the river’s currents were repelled by the azure pearls mounted on the boat, allowing it to move swiftly underwater without any need for rowing.

This remarkable speed was attributed to the runes carved into the boat’s structure.

Once ashore, the servant continued to support the king as they disembarked from the wooden boat, making their way to a pavilion located in the middle of the garden’s lake.

"Your Majesty, the nights are still somewhat chilly in March. Please, consider returning to the palace to rest," the servant suggested.

The king, slightly irked, responded, "I am not yet so old that I can’t withstand a March night’s breeze. If I can’t handle the wind of March, how can I continue to govern this vast empire?"

"I am at fault, Your Majesty."

"No need for self-reproach. I was merely reflecting on the passage of time. It seems I truly am getting old, given your concern."

"Your Majesty is not old. May you live for ten thousand more years."

"Ha-ha-ha, you know, it’s impossible for someone to live that long. If I were to live so many years, I wonder if it would be a blessing or a curse for this empire?"

"Your Majesty, you are definitely the empire’s fortune. Without your youthful campaigns to the east and west, how could we have the vast lands of the Northern Mountain Empire today? Without your diligent governance, how could we enjoy the current prosperity and peace of the Northern Mountain Empire? Your Majesty is the greatest fortune this empire has ever had."

Hearing the servant’s flattery, the king let go of the day’s resentments and laughed happily.

Seeing the king’s laughter, the servant quickly added, "Congratulations, Your Majesty. I am overjoyed."

Puzzled, the king asked, "What is there to be happy about?"

"Since the unfortunate events concerning Arthur, I have not seen Your Majesty laugh so heartily. Your happiness is my greatest joy."

Hearing the servant’s flattery once more, the king laughed again, "You, you! You have indeed suffered much over these years."

"It’s not suffering, not suffering at all. As long as I can continue to serve Your Majesty, I consider it far from suffering."

The king sighed, "I am old. Sooner or later, the empire will have to be passed on.

When I am gone, whom will you serve then?"

Upon hearing this, the servant’s expression darkened, prompting an involuntary internal question: If His Majesty is no longer here, how will I survive in this palace?

The king, noticing the change in his servant’s demeanor, broke into his thoughts, "Korri, how did you come to enter the palace? I realize now that I have never known."

The servant, prompted by the king’s question, shared with a sense of nostalgia, "Your Majesty, when I was a child, I encountered a sage who told me that half a lifetime of wealth and honor awaited me."

Intrigued by the servant’s story, the king’s interest was piqued, "What? Korri, you met a sage in your youth? Ha-ha, do tell."

Seeing the king’s eagerness, the servant began his tale with zeal.

"I was born into a humble and struggling family. My parents were killed by bandits on the road while my mother was visiting her hometown. I was too young to accompany them, so I was spared. My elderly grandmother took care of me until I was seven, but then she passed away due to a severe illness."

At this point, the servant’s voice choked up.

The king had initially sought to divert his thoughts from his worries about the future with casual conversation.

Now, learning of his servant’s tragic past, he could only listen silently.

The servant continued without pausing, "After my grandmother passed away, I was left all alone, surviving only with the help of the villagers."

"One day, as I was playing with the other children under the old locust tree at the entrance of the village, we saw an old man in white approaching us. The old man in white came up to us and asked, ’Is this Brookside?’"

"Seeing how kind and amiable the old gentleman appeared, my friends and I told him that this indeed was Brookside."

The old man in white kindly patted the head of the tallest boy among us and then pulled out a handful of candies, asking him to share them with the rest of us.

The sight of candies got us swarming around the tall boy, trying to grab the sweets from his hand.

It was at this moment that the old man in white noticed me among the crowd, let out a ’hmm’, and called me out from the group.

At the time, I was quite upset, thinking the old man in white singled me out because of my ragged clothes and didn’t want me to have any candies.

But after calling me out, he reached into his pocket and took out even more candies for me to eat.

I realized then that the old man in white didn’t intend to deprive me of the sweets; instead, he wanted to give me even more.

So, I eagerly took the candies from his hand and began to eat them joyfully.

The elder in white stroked his long beard and laughed, saying, "Young lad, I’ve divined that your fate holds a fortune of great wealth and prominence for half your life. You are destined to rise high."

Hearing this, I eagerly asked, "Grandfather, are you saying I am destined for great wealth? But how can that be when I can hardly fill my stomach with food? Are you just trying to make a child happy?"

"Ha-ha, child, your destiny carries the aura of an emperor. You are meant to be close to a sovereign. I believe a certain opportunity awaits you, one that will propel you to great heights."

"Really, grandfather?"

"Yes, young one. I have other matters to attend to, so I cannot stay and chat with you little ones any longer."

After he spoke, I watched as the elder disappeared from my sight in just a few steps.

Seeing how quickly the elder in white vanished, I became certain his words were true.

I believed that one day, I would indeed live without worries and achieve great success.

The king listened, both amazed and deep in thought.

"You’re saying that in your youth, that sage predicted you’d find half a lifetime of prosperity upon entering the palace, right?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Why only half a lifetime of prosperity? That doesn’t make sense. As long as I’m here, you’re assured a life of wealth and honor!"

Hearing the king say this, the servant also snapped back to reality, thinking: Yes, why only half a lifetime? If what the white-clad elder said has been proven true, does that mean a great misfortune awaits me?

The thought sent a chill through the servant, who instinctively asked, "Your Majesty, are you suggesting my prosperity is nearing its end? Could some misfortune be awaiting me?"

The king, upon hearing the servant’s question, fell into contemplation.

Seeing the king deep in thought, the servant refrained from further questions, silently waiting beside the man who might soon reveal something of significance.

Regardless of what was said, as long as he remained, the servant believed he would live a carefree life within the empire.

This realization brought some peace to the servant’s mind.

Let fate decide! It all depended on his own destiny.

The king, reflecting on recent events, wondered if his reign was in jeopardy.

Humph! How could that be possible?

The Northern Mountain Empire had withstood nearly a thousand years of history, from its founding ancestors to him.

No tempest had ever shaken the banner of the Northern Mountains.

Under his rule, the Northern Mountain Empire had reached its largest territorial extent in history, and he was destined to be the most meritorious emperor in its annals.

How could the empire possibly fall under his watch? Impossible.

"Report!"

The call drew both the king and the servant’s attention towards a kneeling imperial warrior by the lake’s edge.

"Your Majesty, the crown prince awaits in the study room, claiming urgent matters to report."

"Very well, you may leave now."

"Yes, my king."

"Let’s go and see what urgent matters my eldest son has to report."

The king looked towards the sky, noting the dawn’s early light.

Sighing, he realized another night would pass without rest as he slowly made his way to the study room.

"Father, I have urgent matters to report to you."

"Speak! What matters?"