The Kingmaker System
Chapter 276 - 275. Fragmented Truths (4)

Chapter 276: 275. Fragmented Truths (4)

The next day, I accompanied Damon Lancaster to the Royal Palace as a substitute for his aide.

I was disguising as a young man with light blonde hair and deep blue eyes, strangely enough, my disguise seemed to be weaker against the mana concentrated into my eyes.

Whatever eye color I chose it went back to the original eyes that I had.

I let it be and wore a pair of glasses to keep my eyes from being noticed.

Damon sat across me in the carriage as we were on our way to the castle.

"Damon, is there something strange about the castle these days that you felt?" I asked.

"Pardon? In what sense, if I may ask?"

"You can sense mana, right?" I asked and he nodded.

"Yes,"

"Then some sort of resistance while entering the castle or the similar feeling while you’re inside the castle?" I asked and he seemed to ponder over it for a moment.

"Come to think of it, I did feel the sense of repulsion whenever I was near the gates of the palace and sometimes when around specific places inside the palace."

"What places?"

"Um... it wasn’t in one specific place but, often times in different places at different times. Like, I felt it once when I was inside the royal library but the next time when I visited it, the feeling was gone."

I listened attentively and tried to make sense of this information. Was the anti mana device being moved around? Or was it on someone? But who could it be on for the force to be so strong that the person sensitive to mana to sense it?

"Since when has this been happening?" I asked.

"Since the past couple of months," Damon answered.

"Did anything specific happen in the palace for it to start?" I asked.

"I can’t say for sure but, there was a banquet and-"

He suddenly stopped and I understood why.

The repulsion of the anti-mana barrier was affecting us, I gritted my teeth as the opposite energies clashed but I inhaled deeply forcing my mana to subside and for us to get through this barrier without raising any flags.

The knights checked the people riding the carriage and asked about my identity. I simply had to show a fake crest of the small noble family. I was pretending to be an apprentice of his aide who was accompanying him since the aide was sick.

The guard eyed me carefully before Damon cleared his throat, his gesture reminding the guard of his rudeness of delaying a Duke’s carriage.

"Apologies, Your Grace." The guard quickly backed away and our carriage was allowed to pass.

I had to give all I had to keep my Dragon’s Presence from lashing out the moment we passed through the anti mana barrier. My heart seemed to be under a lot of pressure until we were fairly inside the castle.

"A-Are you all right, Lord Dragon?" Damon asked watching me and I nodded.

"I’m fine,"

The carriage stopped and an attendant opened the door, I got down first since I was of a considerably lower status and looked back at Damon who stepped down maintaining the grace and authority of his position. He must have had a hard time establishing his power considering how suddenly he became the Duke.

He already had a lot of pressure because of the resistance from the other forces but still he managed to keep himself rooted and here he was now facing an even greater problem.

[Goddess of Wisdom says that it’s always the ones who could handle the pressure can shoulder responsibilities.]

"I agree,"

[Defender of Divine Glory says that even in the times of crisis, a person’s strength and faith in himself is what helps him come through with a valuable lesson.]

"Yes,"

[Giver of Gifts says that it’s also a refreshing experience whenever they watch humans go through their hurdles and emerge as victors.]

"Are you boasting about being the audience watching the fighters doing their best in the arena?" I asked.

[Goddess of Wisdom laughs at your analogy.]

[Giver of Gifts insists that she didn’t mean it like that.]

[Defender of Divine Glory says that human life is filled with challenges that they must face in order to grow up, each hurdle shapes them into a new person.]

[Goddess of Wisdom has assigned you a task.]

"Oi, I thought we were having a good, philosophical conversation here!"

[Find the cause of mana repulsion.

Reward: One step closer to solving the mystery.

Failure: Destruction of Denril kingdom.]

"You guys... sometimes you give me no penalties and sometimes it’s as grand as this!"

I followed behind Damon keeping a mask of stoicism while having this internal battle with my Patrons.

I could also faintly hear the voices of the nobles looking at me trailing behind Damon wondering of my identity but I didn’t give any heed to them.

The nobles and their aides whispered amongst themselves, their hushed voices carrying thinly veiled mockery.

"Who’s that with the Duke? A new aide?"

"His appearance is far too plain. Surely the Duke could afford better help."

"He looks like he doesn’t belong here," another muttered, loud enough for me to hear.

Their laughter and snide comments buzzed around me like gnats. I ignored them, keeping my head high and my focus sharp. I was no stranger to gossip, and their pettiness hardly fazed me.

"Foolish, simple-minded people," one of the other nobles’ aides muttered under his breath, clearly assuming I couldn’t hear him.

These guys weren’t my target. I needed to do my work and uncover the mystery here.

There were various nobles gathered there, most of them of high social standing and with good influence.

The nobles exchanged polite yet calculated pleasantries, each interaction laced with the subtle undercurrents of rivalry and ambition. Damon moved among them with practiced ease, securing alliances and preparing his faction for the King’s arrival.

Damon talked with them, preparing his faction before they went before the King.

I lingered near the back, continuing my observations.

I looked around assessing the place with Mana Eyes and Mana Sense activated simultaneously.

After a couple of minutes, Damon and his team was ready to go ahead for the meeting and I lingered behind.

"Hey, why are you loitering behind like this, hurry up!" One of the aides of other noble called for me and I cursed under my breath before I hurried ahead.

"Foolish, simple minded wretches..." I heard him mutter and Damon who heard him turned his head looking at him sharply.

I touched his arm fleetingly, signalling him to not do anything as we entered through the large double doors and faced the huge conference table.

The nobles took their designated seats while their aides stood behind them. Damon was a Duke so his seat was rather closer to the King and with that now there were only two vacant seats now remaining. One belonged to the King and the last one was probably of some advisor.

We waited for the rest two empty seats to be filled while I scanned the area. There weren’t any devices around this place which had seemed like they were made of anti mana alloy. The nobles also didn’t seem like they were carrying anything suspicious.

The air grew tense as we awaited the King’s arrival. I exchanged a brief glance with Damon. The weight of the upcoming meeting loomed heavy over us both.

My task here was far from simple. The source of the mana repulsion and the mystery surrounding the anti-mana barrier had to be uncovered. Failure was not an option.

The sound of a herald announcing the King’s arrival pulled me from my thoughts. I straightened, preparing for the next phase of this investigation.

The grand doors opened, and the King entered the hall with measured steps. Everyone in the room bowed deeply, showing their respect to the sovereign.

The King looked as I had seen him a few days prior, though the strain of his duties was even more evident now. His complexion was pale, and the vibrant, fiery hue of his eyes was dulled by the shadows beneath them. His regal attire, though immaculate, seemed to weigh heavier on him today.

He took his seat at the head of the table, his gaze sweeping across the room, commanding silence. Just as I thought the meeting was about to commence, the herald’s voice rang out again, startling everyone.

"Lord Zale Turquoise is entering the conference hall."

I remained calm at first, my expression neutral as the herald’s voice echoed through the grand chamber. But it wasn’t the King’s arrival that stirred the unsettling shift within me. No, it came the moment the next figure stepped into the room.

A sharp, overwhelming wave of mana repulsion struck me like a crashing tide. My composure faltered, just for a heartbeat, as my Dragon’s Presence reacted violently. The energy sizzled and lashed out, barely contained as it surged through my being.

Instinctively, I whipped my head toward the entrance, my gaze locking onto the person responsible for evoking such a visceral response.

Zale Turquoise.