Chapter 133: The Pawood Family

"Crash!"

The crystal goblet shattered against the floor. Seeing this, the captain of the guard dared not even take a full breath; he kept his head bowed, burying it like an ostrich in the sand.

"An outsider noble, daring to provoke the Palwood family on the Eagle Plateau?! He has immense gall!"

The old man sitting before the desk had hair and a beard as white as snow, yet his dignified, intimidating aura and his stiff, spear-like posture radiated heavy pressure. Not only did the captain of the guard refrain from breathing, but the attendants nearby were also drenched in cold sweat, heads lowered, standing in silence.

"Father!"

Just then, a middle-aged man strode out from the crowd. His brow bore a strong resemblance to the old man's, though he appeared much younger. Dressed in a black formal suit with a long sword hanging at his hip, he carried himself like a drawn blade—an imposing and fearsome sight.

"Please, let me go. I guarantee I will bring that villain who provoked the Palwood family to justice!"

Strictly speaking, collecting a debt was hardly a major affair; logically, the Palwood family should not have treated it with such gravity. However, because the one provoking them was a noble, the entire situation changed instantly. This was deeply tied to the history of the Eagle Plateau.

Following the Second Great War, the Temple and the Underdark had fought to a mutual exhaustion, forcing the former to withdraw from the dark subterranean world. For a long time afterward, as the Temple’s power waned, secular authority grew. Royal power and religion began to diverge, and the Nine Holy Kingdoms, once founded to resist the demons, underwent significant shifts during this series of transformations. The elves retreated into the Star-Moon Forest, activating their Mythals and completely severing contact between the mortal realm and the Elven Kingdom.

The Kormando Empire, once founded by the Silver Saintess Seron, disintegrated amid the struggle between crown and clergy. The two sides warred for over a century until they were finally forced to divide the land into north and south, separated by the Abyss of Condemnation. The Spring Kingdom of Spree, sheltered by the Great Mother Chati, split into four smaller states due to internal power struggles. The Azure Kingdom of Skall, established by the Verdant Goddess Edas on the Eagle Plateau, fared even worse. In October of the Year of the Broken Sword, following the sudden death of King Dardaniel V, Skall plunged into prolonged chaos. Dardaniel V had no heirs and died abruptly shortly after taking the throne, leaving the entire nation in disarray. The Chancellor, Pakasi, who managed state affairs, declared that the son of the King’s sister, Princess Cyprian, would be named the Prince.

However, not everyone accepted this outcome. The Royalists argued that while the Princess's son was of royal blood, his lineage was impure. The candidate they put forward was even more shocking—a scion from an estate in the northwest of the Eagle Plateau, rumored to be the child of Dardaniel and a maidservant, conceived during a drunken stupor. Although the status of an illegitimate child was problematic, he was still of direct royal blood, making his claim far more legitimate than that of the sister’s child.

Neither side would yield, leading to total war. In the end, the noble faction led by Chancellor Pakasi was defeated by the Royalists. Yet, this did not mark the end of the conflict. During the final stages, though Chancellor Pakasi and his cohorts were slain, they succeeded in assassinating the illegitimate prince, resulting in a mutual disaster.

Consequently, the national situation became even more chaotic. The Royalists lost their support, and ambitious lords, unwilling to remain idle, rose in rebellion one after another, attempting to unify the country.

This turmoil lasted for decades, causing countless casualties. The former Azure Kingdom was effectively swept into the dustbin of history. This gave the nomadic barbarians of the north an opportunity; taking advantage of the internal strife and the suffering of the populace, they swept southward, occupying vast swathes of territory with unstoppable force.

As the saying goes, troubled times create heroes. Realizing that further fighting would only benefit outsiders, these local lords and nobles finally decided to unite against the common foe. A noble named Ulna took the lead, gathering the scattered Eagles and ultimately combining their strength to defeat the barbarians, driving them out of the Eagle Plateau.

Thereafter, based on this alliance, a new form of governance called the Skall Federation was formed to balance the interests of all parties. Simply put, all the lords within the newly established Skall Federation continued to rule their own independent states, merely joined together by a covenant. The ruler of the Skall Federation was chosen via a rotation system, changing every four years. While the federation ruler lacked absolute governing power on the surface, they could issue orders for the entire federation, provided two-thirds of the lords agreed.

Under this unique system, the authority of the lord in each territory was naturally paramount. As a ruler of one such territory, the Palwood family could not allow an outsider noble to provoke their authority so casually; otherwise, once their prestige was tarnished, their influence within the federation would diminish. This was precisely why they were so enraged by Jan’s provocation. Regardless of whether the other party was insane or had a calculated plan, the Palwood family could not let the matter rest simply because of the words spoken. There are no secrets among nobles; if this were to spread, how could they continue to hold their status in the federation?

The captain of the guard was well aware of this. If he could, he would never have wanted to be involved. He was just a minor guard officer; the backstabbing and political maneuvering of the nobility were not things he could handle. Unfortunately, duty left him no choice.

Hearing his son speak, the elder Palwood wore a look of satisfaction. He nodded and was about to speak when, suddenly, a clear, elegant voice echoed.

"Please, wait."

Everyone present froze at the sound. They turned to see a young woman in white robes with thick, golden hair, sitting and frowning in thought. Sensing their gazes, she shook her head and looked at the old man before the desk.

"Father, I believe there is a problem here."

"A problem?"

Everyone was stunned. Had anyone else said this, they might have scoffed, but since it was the daughter of the Palwood family, the Pearl of the Star-Shine Tower and a mid-level mage, they had to reconsider the implications.

"What kind of problem?"

Hearing his daughter, the elder Palwood also frowned. In truth, after hearing Jan’s words through the guard officer, he had been so furious he wanted to send someone to teach the man a lesson immediately. But now, he hesitated, sensing that there was indeed something subtle and wrong, though he couldn't put his finger on it.

"Don't you all find it strange? If he were a commoner, it would be normal for him not to know the Palwood family, and if he were a passing traveler, he wouldn't care. But a noble, when arriving in someone else's territory, would never fail to do his research. He should know perfectly well that Pasus is under the jurisdiction of the Palwood family. Yet, he still chose to provoke us, which means he came prepared. This shows that either he was sent by a certain faction to cause us trouble, or..." The young woman paused in contemplation. "...or he holds the Palwood family in absolute contempt. In either case, I believe we should not act rashly."

"Then what do you propose we do?"

The elder Palwood nodded, acknowledging his daughter's insight. He had felt something was amiss, and her words confirmed that there was indeed something suspicious afoot.

This time, the young woman did not answer immediately. She frowned in thought for a moment before looking at the guard officer.

"You mentioned that the gentleman gave you a bag of gold coins?"

"Yes, yes, My Lady. A bag of gold coins. I counted them; there were exactly one hundred..."

"Let me see."

"Very well."

Hearing this, the guard officer reached into his pocket and presented the coin purse respectfully. The young woman took it and glanced at the surface. The moment she saw the pattern embroidered there, her beautiful brown eyes widened significantly.

"What is it?"

Noticing her reaction, the elder Palwood asked curiously. The young woman let out a long breath, stood up, walked to her father's side, and placed the purse before him.

"Father, it seems this time, we must endure."

"?"

The old man looked at his daughter in confusion and then at the purse.

On the surface of the fabric, a crest was embroidered. On the dark cloth lay three white rings surrounding a hexagram. In the center of the hexagram, a bright red serpent twisted its body, biting its own tail.

Seeing this emblem, the old man’s expression turned grim.

"The Three-Ring Hexagram..."

"That is correct, Father."

Watching her father’s expression, the young woman sighed softly.

"This is the mark of the Temple Order. If I am not mistaken, the person we are facing is an ordained noble."