The God of Jesters
Chapter 359 - 6.06.2 Amir and his employees.

Chapter 359: 6.06.2 Amir and his employees.

Amir could clearly hear the misery in the colony, he could hear their cry for help and even the fights that broke out between the soldiers and the workers who had just lost their jobs.

The tensions were high enough that even a blind man like him could see it. So why were the ones leading the colony so mute about it?

’Who am I kidding, I know very well why they don’t care.’ The skilled laborers were already in the good part of the colony and living somewhat well compared to most of the low-skilled workers, who made the majority.

These so-called low-skilled workers were also the ones suffering the most. A suffering that they earned for being ignorant. An ignorance forced onto them by the rulers who built this country.

Because ruling over the ignorant is easier than ruling over the smart ones who could question one’s authority. Which Amir understood all too well.

From his older school experience, he knew well how lowly the commoners were considered. And if not for his secret identity as a Prince, it would have been impossible for him to even join such a prestigious school based on his intelligence and merits alone.

The name sells here, the background is what’s more important. An old monarchy that didn’t wish to see any competition of any kind. And it worked.

The misery that Amir can see so well was constrained between the workers themselves with some rare events where the soldiers were dragged into it, with consequences that didn’t prove too good for those commoners.

Some of which Amir learned about from time to time, but he knew that this was how life was and even with his identity, he couldn’t do much. ’Yes, I can’t do much.’

It was while having those thoughts, that Amir silently ate his food with absent mind. A mind that tried to distract itself from the surrounding misery. He used anything to distract his mind.

From the art on the walls to the books on his table. An empty mind needs to be kept active otherwise, some bad thoughts would take root in him.

Making him so desperate in search of distraction that he even started to count the grains on his plate.

It was then that he noticed a weird oddity.

’The rice grains, the burnt pattern on the bread... this, this shouldn’t be.’ Something only he would notice due to his habit of pursuing knowledge more than anything.

’Morse code? This can’t be.’ The food, when it tastes the same, there will be some codes. So he knew that only one person was sending it, which was none other than his one and only permanent chef.

’L - E - T - S - T - A - L -K!’ Such were the words spoken to a prince.

The Chef’s move seemed audacious and stupid, in his current situation, where he was being treated as a criminal and bound in his manor, if Amir were to expose these words to his Butler, one can imagine the fate that an unknown chef might face, along with his family.

But should he do it?

’This can be the only clue to where she is.’ He thought for a bit, before sighing and finishing his breakfast.’

"More than a month since the attack and people still go in and out of the fortress. But down below, the situation keeps getting worse. Is our country really this inefficient when dealing with threats?" Amir asked out of some curiosity, but it was obvious, he was mocking the lack of any progress made on finding who the culprit was.

Or so he thought, but Burghim remained quiet. "Everyone wants to be the head of the dragon, conflicts are bound to rise. And those are the things that your grandfather is currently facing."

Burghim’s reasoning was simple. Although his Grandfather was a Grand General with a royal identity, even he can’t make a legendary figure move by his will. Instead, in a way, his grandfather was a level below in seniority and authority when it came to figures of such level. Making it much harder for him to do as he wishes.

More so, when Burghim was well aware of what was going on in the mind of a certain Legendary figure.

A figure that was not even in Luthanza, but his will has shaken the Fortress to the core and Amir’s Grandfather was trying his best to prevent his grandson from falling into a cursed fate. Because even Burghim understood, that no good comes from earning the interest of that monstrous figure.

"Then end the occupation of the people down below, they are eating each other and things will get worse with time. Is this what my grandfather wishes to be remembered by? By all this carnage?" A carnage that Amir hasn’t seen, but he has smelled it, heard it and even felt it somewhat.

"Although Prince might not like how the situation is handled, it’s still for the betterment of the people at the end of the day. The Mehmet’s fortress is here to protect and not to harm anyone."

"I would have believed those words if not for the state of things outside the window."

Amir stopped speaking. Even a blind man could see what they were doing.

He had some inkling over what was going on, but he was not sure and hence chose to stay silent. It’s never good to show your ignorance based on half-assessed predictions. He needs to be sure of it. And finally, he might have a way to just do that.

So, a few days later, finding similar messages in his food, he started to call for some servants from time to time.

Which was odd at first, and Burghim probably found it suspicious, but when hearing the questions, he was sure of one thing.

Prince Amir was bored and hence started to show interest in the lives of those who worked in the castle.

He would ask about their history, their interest, and even what they thought about the current situation. And the answers Amir got were varied, but one thing common among all the answers was fear.

All of them treated him as someone out of reach, a monster of sorts that could take their life if Amir wished as such. Which he found a bit disheartening, but he also understood their situation. ’It feels dirty.’

He knew that what he was doing was disgusting. These people can’t consent, they can’t refuse a question from him, nor did they dare to lie about anything. They just did as was asked and Amir listened calmly while granting them some money at the end.

It was then the time for the chef. Who went by the name of Garland Lata, a man from a fallen noble house of Lata that once used to rule in the east. But fell due to certain political incidences outside of one’s control. Or so the story went.

How this man of a noble background ended up becoming a chef was an interesting one. But in truth, Amir had no interest in the words of this man after meeting him for the first time.

Although he was suspicious earlier, he was sure of it now. This man was really the man who he says he was. He was neither a spy nor an assassin hiding under a plane site.

No one has even replaced him. No one could, as there were constant gazes of Legendary beings on his manor, and Burghim had thoroughly checked each and every employee that was working in the manor personally with various means. So it was really impossible for the chef to be affected in any way possible.

So what of the messages? Amir wondered for a bit before he noticed an odd pattern on the apron of the chef. A pattern, awfully similar to the old messages. But this time, it said.

’TAKEOFFTHELOCKETMEDALSKINBELOWCOLLARBONE’

’Take off the Locket, Medal, and skin below collarbone?’ The two things he did understand, but what he didn’t understand was the last one.

’This should be a coincidence, a bizarre coincidence, and nothing more.’ Sending the chef away, Amir didn’t know what to think of the message.

The Medal was given to him by his grandfather, it carried the insignia of the royal blood and was a sign of his heritage. Taking it off is the same as besmirching the name of the Bloodcrow family. But it’s not like he carries it all the time, he does take off the medal when he is all alone in his room or sleeping.

Then there was the locket, a keepsake of the parents who might not be his real parents, but they were closer to him than anyone else in the world.

’Medal I can understand, but my parent’s locket and the skin?... Am I being bamboozled? A play by her?’

This was too intricate to be considered a prank, the danger was just too high.

’Should I?’ He wondered, Amir even gave this a thought for a bit.

A thought that he chose to forget the next day. As the rice grains in his food were arranged in a curious way.’

’Welcome him.’ They said the first day after the meeting.

Followed by. ’Welcome me.’ Soon after. Which creeped Amir out.

’This is getting too dangerous.’

Amir can’t complain to Burghim anymore, the fact that he hid such a thing for so long will add to suspicions over him. The best case of action is for him to forget about it all, act ignorant, and wait for Hemant for answers.

That is if he has any answers, to begin with.