Work Prophet
Chapter 563 - 181 Red Rock Island

Chapter 563: Chapter 181 Red Rock Island

Kieren and Silver Hand performed outside while gathering intelligence without fail.

This included information regarding Duren, who had been imprisoned in the guard’s dungeon for slandering the new Emperor Gars and spreading rumors that the Wing Tribe was about to invade.

However, the new Emperor was still hesitant about how exactly to deal with Duren.

Duren’s disruption of the coronation ceremony had left Gars with an extremely poor impression of him.

If it hadn’t been for that Wing Tribe assassin setting fire at Junlin Tower afterward, Gars might have, in a burst of anger, already ordered the former Imperial Forest Guard Captain to be flogged.

But no sooner had Duren been taken down than another Wing Tribe member emerged and attacked the Imperial Palace, leaving Gars somewhat embarrassed.

He summoned the guard commander Essos, Minister of Military Affairs Ollis, Chief of Intelligence Ivan, and Prime Minister Elwin to inquire about matters concerning those Wing Tribe members.

The Minister of Military Affairs was the first to speak, still in that confident manner, "Your Majesty, my view remains the same, if there really were a so-called Wing Tribe army, their sea crossing would surely not go unnoticed.

Chief Intelligence Officer Ivan added, "The Empire’s maritime trade has been thriving, with hundreds of merchant ships docking at our ports every day, bringing various kinds of news, yet to date, not a single merchant ship has seen any unidentified fleet.

"Could it be that those Wing Tribe people silently handled any merchant ships they encountered along the way?" Gars frowned and voiced his concern.

"It’s not impossible, but then we would expect to hear more about missing merchant ships recently, yet as far as I know, there’s been no significant difference from usual."

Upon hearing this, Gars slightly relaxed, "So it seems that the appearance of that Wing Tribe assassin the other day was just a coincidence?"

Essos took responsibility upon himself upon hearing this, "This is my negligence, the guard wasn’t able to identify the Wing Tribe spies in the city in time."

"No, it’s not your fault," the new Emperor said. "My father insisted on reopening the martial contest, which led many Foreigners to flood into Lion Heart Castle. With the guard’s manpower, it was certainly impossible to conduct a detailed investigation on everyone, so it’s not unusual for spies to have infiltrated.

It was then that Prime Minister Elwin suddenly spoke up, "The late emperor had mentioned similar words before he died, warning us that those Wing Tribe members were coming."

Gars waved his hand dismissively, "My father was talking nonsense," he paused before adding,

"He has wanted to wage war against Elves and Dwarves to completely unite the Bratis Continent for more than a day or two; this has been his dream for as long as I can remember. Claudius, Allister, and I all knew about it.

"It was only in recent years, after he married that woman, that he gradually stopped bringing it up. Who knows why he suddenly made such a decision recently.

"But I must admit, involving the Wing Tribe was a good excuse; it enabled him to persuade the Imperial Conference and his vassals to march with him."

"Because if anyone showed less enthusiasm, my father could claim that they had long been conspiring with those Wing Tribe members."

Because the matter involved Emperor Edward II, the ministers remained silent, respectfully listening on the side.

After Gars finished speaking, he added, "Alright, let’s conclude the discussion about that non-existent Wing Tribe army. Now, who do you suggest I appoint to carry out the flogging of Duren on my behalf?"

"I recommend the champion of this martial contest, Sir Ireya," declared the Minister of Military Affairs, Ollis.

"Ireya, why?"

"Because Duren has always been well-liked among the nobles in the Royal Capital, and if you want to punish him, it’s best to pick someone from the outside."

"Then I recommend Sir Robson from Snake Island, the Sea Snake. He’s always been ruthless and fiercely loyal to the Imperial Family," the intelligence chief, Ivan, also chimed in, "With him as the executioner, there’s no worry about him holding back."

Gars shook his head, "The Sea Snake won’t do; I do want to punish Duren harshly, but I don’t want his life. My family has always had good relations with Duren’s Betak family behind him.

"He has also served as the Imperial Forest Guard Captain for my father for so long. How would the other nobles in the Royal Capital perceive me if I were to kill him right after my father’s death?"

"Your concerns are valid," the intelligence chief, Ivan, also praised, "Then let Miss Ireya carry out the execution."

Gars was still hesitant and looked towards the side at the commander of the defense forces, "Do you have a good candidate, Sir Essos?"

"My recommendation is to release Duren," Essos stated.

Seeing Gars appeared surprised, the commander of the defense forces explained, "As you mentioned, the Betak family has deep ties with the Vespasian family.

"Of course, Duren did commit a serious mistake by slandering you, and you have already taken back his side sword. If you still wish to vent, you could banish him from the Royal Capital, never to return."

"Isn’t that punishment a bit too lenient?" Gars was somewhat dissatisfied, "Such a measure might encourage other nobles to continue challenging my authority."

"No, on the contrary, I think it would demonstrate your magnanimity and mercy," Prime Minister Elwin also spoke.

Gars pondered for a moment, "I can forgive his offense against me, but his false rumors about the Wing Tribe approaching will cause unnecessary panic and bring instability to the Empire, I must punish him for this.

"Well then, let’s whip him thirty times first, and then send him to Red Rock Island, which is on the farthest eastern border of the Empire. He said the Wing Tribe was coming, didn’t he? Let him keep a close watch on the nearby seas for us," Gars said with a cold laugh.

...

When Li Yu returned, he heard about the matter from Kieren.

The reason Prime Minister Elwin spoke for Duren was the result of his efforts; Li Yu gave Elwin fifty pieces of giant dragon blood, along with a faux crystal necklace for the prime minister’s wife, which swayed Elwin to speak those few words.

As for Essos, Li Yu had not given him anything, uncertain of his stance, and it was somewhat unexpected for Essos to be willing to take the risk of displeasing the new Emperor to speak up for Duren.

Unfortunately, Gars was still resentful over the coronation being interrupted and was not inclined to simply let Duren off easily.

Li Yu was not too disappointed with this outcome. After all, Duren’s life was still spared, and concerning his banishment to Red Rock Island, Li Yu could still opt to intercept him on the way.

Since the Imperial Palace was already burned, one more incident wouldn’t make much difference. The only concern was whether Duren would be willing to be taken, as the former Imperial Forest Guard Captain was a fairly upright noble and cared deeply for the Empire, prompting Li Yu to worry that he might not come around.