Chương 61

The royal council room was a magically shielded inner sanctum hidden deep behind the King's personal vault. It had to be. It was the only room in the palace completely safe from the Empire's scrying spells. It smelled faintly of old stone and burning wax. Rudra stood quietly near the back wall, leaning comfortably on his wooden staff. He didn't say a word. He was just observing. Elysia stood right beside him, her dark hood pulled back to reveal her bright red hair.

The King looked completely different from last night. He sat at the head of a thick, round wooden table. His back was straight, his eyes were sharp, and a healthy color had returned to his face. Princess Seraphina sat to his right. Commander Vane and the Chief Mage stood near the maps. To the King's left sat a tall, broad-shouldered man with short blonde hair. The First Prince. Rudra watched the Prince closely. The man didn't look arrogant or dismissive.

When the Prince noticed Rudra looking, he gave Rudra a polite, deeply respectful nod. Rudra nodded back. Nice, Rudra thought. No messy royal family drama. He actually seems like a very solid guy. The King tapped his knuckles on the wooden table, bringing the quiet room to order.

"Let us begin," the King said. His voice was calm but carried a heavy weight.

"The slow poison slipped into my meals, and the Troll King sent to ambush my daughter. These were not random accidents. They were calculated strikes from the Saharan Empire." The First Prince leaned forward, pointing to a large map of the continent spread across the table.

"The Empire is moving against us in the shadows," the Prince said.

"But they are not trying to conquer us." Rudra tilted his head.

"Why not? They have an army of ten million soldiers, don't they?"

"They do," the Prince answered respectfully.

"But those ten million are spread out across the entire continent, desperately suppressing various other races and keeping the other fifteen kingdoms in line. Among those sixteen kingdoms, the Murray Kingdom currently holds the strongest military and the wealthiest economy. If the Empire pulls their troops to declare open war on us, they will suffer massive casualties and leave their other borders wide open."

"So they want to break us from the inside," Seraphina added, her voice hard.

"Exactly," the King nodded.

"Our nobles are incredibly tight-knit and loyal. The Empire knows they cannot simply bribe our lords to start a rebellion. So, they decided to cut off the head of the snake." Rudra understood perfectly.

"If you and the Princess both died, there would be no clear heir."

"Yes," the Prince agreed.

"Our united nobles would be completely paralyzed. Without a royal leader, they would be stuck in endless political debates over who should take the throne next. That complete paralysis would cripple our kingdom's military response. We would remain a weakened, fearful tributary state, forced to pay our massive taxes to the Emperor without ever growing strong enough to fight back." The room fell into a heavy, uncomfortable silence. The reality of the Empire's massive, quiet scheme was chilling.

Then, the First Prince turned his attention away from the map. He looked directly at Elysia.

"Lady Elysia," the Prince said gently.

"The Second Knight of the Saharan Empire." Elysia met his gaze with a calm, stoic expression.

"Former knight," she corrected quietly.

"Of course," the Prince nodded, his expression filling with genuine disgust.

"What the Empire did to your captain and your comrades was an absolute disgrace to the concept of honor. But I have some news that might bring you comfort." Elysia frowned slightly.

"News?" The Prince smiled softly.

"You are not the only survivor." Elysia froze.

"Three weeks ago," the Prince explained, "my border patrols found a man bleeding out near the northern cliffs. A squad of Imperial assassins was hunting him down. I brought my personal guard, intercepted the assassins, and killed them myself." Elysia took a sudden step forward. Her hands were trembling. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. The Prince looked at her kindly.

"He is resting in my private estate right now. It is Singuled, the Third Red Knight." Elysia let out a shaky, sharp breath. For the first time since Rudra had met her, the tough, stoic alchemist looked like she was about to cry. The heavy burden she had been carrying alone for so long finally cracked.

"Big brother Singuled..." Elysia whispered, her voice breaking.

"He's alive?"

"He is," the Prince promised.

"He took heavy wounds, and he is still recovering, but he is entirely safe. As soon as this meeting concludes, I will take you to him." Elysia wiped her eyes quickly and gave the Prince a deep, respectful bow.

"Thank you, Your Highness. You have given me more hope than I thought possible." The Prince nodded, his face turning serious again. He looked across the table at his sister. Seraphina met his eyes.

"The succession matters," she said quietly.

"If we fight each other now, we are just doing the Empire's work for them."

"Agreed," the Prince said firmly. He reached across the table and shook his sister's hand.

"The succession is officially on hold. We will unite our factions. We will gather our resources in secret, strengthen our borders, and provide absolute sanctuary for the Red Knights." The King smiled proudly at his children. Then, he turned his sharp gaze toward the back of the room. He looked right at Rudra.

"Which brings us to you, Sir Rudra," the King said. Rudra stood up a little straighter.

"Yes, Your Majesty?"

"You saved my daughter from a Troll King," the King stated.

"You saved me from a Imperial poison. And you brought a powerful, honorable ally to our doorstep. A simple bag of gold or a mercenary's fee does not even begin to cover this debt." The King stood up slowly.

"My children and I spoke before this meeting. We have reached a unanimous decision." The Chief Mage stepped forward and unrolled a massive parchment map across the wooden table. It showed the entire Murray Kingdom, with various cities, mountains, and forests heavily detailed.

"Sir Rudra," the King announced, his voice echoing in the quiet room.

"I officially bestow upon you the noble title of Marquis. You may look at this map and choose any one vacant territory that falls under the royal family's domain. It will become your personal land, to rule and develop as you see fit." The room went completely quiet. A golden flash briefly blinded Rudra. [You have become the first player to become a Marquis!] [In accordance with the laws of the Murray Kingdom, a Marquis can have 50, 000 soldiers and ten knights, and can have up to five spouses. You will receive a monthly salary of 5, 000 gold.] [The Title 'First Marquis' is obtained!] [First Marquis] [A user has become a Marquis for the first time. - Dignity +400 - Charisma +700] Rudra blinked behind his mask. His brain stalled for a second. Just a few days ago, the gaming forums had exploded because Zibal, the number two ranked player in the world, had finally become a Baron. It was huge news.

Zibal was the first player to ever become a noble, proving that players could actually climb the political ladder. But Baron is the absolute lowest noble rank, Rudra thought, staring blankly at the system message. Marquis is three steps higher. Zibal grinded kingdom quests with an entire guild for a year to get a Baron title. I just skipped the whole ladder by making a bowl of spicy soup and slapping a Princess. He walked over to the table and looked down at the map.

He traced the lines of the different forests and valleys. A whole territory, Rudra thought. That means a permanent farm for rare ingredients. A massive, safe workshop for Elysia's alchemy. But then, his practical mindset kicked in. Wait. A territory also means paperwork. I'd have to manage taxes, settle local NPC disputes, and hire guards. I would be stuck in one place. I wouldn't be able to travel to the deep dungeons or hunt boss monsters. My cooking grind would be slowed down infinitesimally.

Rudra took a step back from the table. He looked up at the King and gave a polite, respectful bow.

"Your Majesty," Rudra said evenly.

"I am deeply honored. Truly. But I must respectfully decline the land." Seraphina blinked in surprise.

"Decline? Mr. Rudra, do you understand what my father is offering?"

"I do," Rudra smiled beneath his mask.

"But my path requires me to travel across the continent. I need to fight new monsters, find rare ingredients, and hone my skills in the wild. If I take a territory right now, I won't be able to manage it properly. I would be doing your kingdom a disservice by ignoring the people living there." The King stared at Rudra for a long moment. He was completely caught off guard. Most men would have killed for a single acre of royal land.

This masked man had just turned down an entire Marquisy so he could go wander in the woods. Slowly, a wide, booming laugh escaped the King's lips.

"Remarkable," the King chuckled, shaking his head.

"You are a very strange man, Marquis Rudra. I have never met anyone with such a clear, practical view of their own path." The King reached into his robes and pulled out a thick scroll sealed with golden wax. He held it out.

"Take this Royal Writ," the King ordered kindly.

"It is an open promise from the crown. Whenever you finish your travels, or whenever you simply decide you want a place to settle down, bring this writ to any royal office. You may claim your vacant territory then." Rudra gladly took the scroll and slipped it into his inventory.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. That works perfectly for me."

"Excellent," the King smiled, sitting back down.

"Now, I believe my daughter promised you two items from the Royal Vault?" Rudra grinned. His eyes practically sparkled behind his mask.

"Yes, she did," Rudra said cheerfully.

"Can we go now?"