NOVPUB
Chapter 130: Visiting the Royal Palace
Duke Valiard, Aldrian, and their group had to use a secret passage to leave the mansion for obvious reasons. The area around the mansion was already packed with people, each with different intentions, and they had no time to respond to them all. The secret passage was one of Duke Valiard’s safe exits for emergencies. When they reached the other end, they found themselves in a dark alley in a secluded part of the city.
This area is quite remote, making it an ideal place for hiding. They emerged from the passage and made their way toward the main street, where a discreet carriage was waiting for them. The journey in the carriage wasn’t long, and they soon arrived at the teleportation station. Everything was pre-arranged, so they could use the teleportation portal immediately, leaving Valiard City without anyone noticing.
At least, that’s what they thought, because hidden in the shadows, some silhouettes watched as Aldrian and his group entered the teleportation portal.
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As Aldrian stepped out of the teleportation portal, he found himself inside a massive building. It was unlike the usual plazas he had encountered when exiting a teleportation portal. This time, he was inside a grand, dome-shaped hall, and he could sense multiple formations and defensive artifacts embedded throughout the structure.
"It serves as a preventive defense mechanism, the teleportation station in the capital is housed within this enormous dome, which is equipped with layers of defensive mechanisms and detection formations. The capital city of the Forgeheart Kingdom, Dalahan City, is full of valuable artifacts—so much so that you can even find random ones along the roads. You can imagine the kind of people with ill intentions who would try to come to this city." Duke Valiard explained, noticing Aldrian’s look of awe.
Aldrian nodded, and they walked outside the building into the bustling streets, filled with people of all races and factions. On both sides of the road, numerous stores offered blacksmithing services—something also common in Valiard City, but here it was even more hectic. After walking for a short while, they were picked up by another carriage that would take them to the royal palace.
"The news of the middle divine grade sword has already spread across the entire continent. The Forgeheart Kingdom will be quite chaotic for the next few days, maybe even weeks. I can already see some young masters and misses from noble families outside kingdom on the streets. They’re likely here for the same reason—to see the sword," Duke Valiard remarked.
Aldrian had already stored the Eternal Spirit inside his storage ring to avoid detection, but given the current situation, he realized he needed a more preemptive plan to avoid trouble. Closing his eyes and remaining silent, he concentrated, sending out a voice transmission in his mind.
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In a dimly lit room filled with scrolls and books, an old man sat cross-legged, deeply focused as he circulated his cultivation technique. Suddenly, his concentration was interrupted by an unexpected voice inside his mind.
"Arson Vuran, my slave, how are you?"
Arson Vuran, leader of the Thunderous Shadow Pavilion assassin group, was stunned. He hadn’t heard that voice in over a year. How could this young man send a voice transmission here? Was he nearby?
"I’m in the Forgeheart Kingdom, you don’t have to worry." As if reading his thoughts, Aldrian answered the question that had just crossed Arson’s mind. This left Arson even more shocked—how could Aldrian send a voice transmission from so far away?
"It’s one of the perks of the Everlasting Demonic Follower technique. You can communicate with your slave no matter the distance. If you want to speak to me, just focus your intent, and I’ll sense it," Aldrian explained. Arson Vuran was taken aback, realizing that Aldrian could not only speak to him over such a vast distance but also read his thoughts. For Aldrian, this was easy due to their karmic link and the Everlasting Demonic Follower technique, allowing him to read Arson’s mind even from afar.
"Master, it’s good to hear your voice. I thought you had forgotten about me." He decided to push aside his amazement and tried to flatter Aldrian, even though it made him want to throw up.
"Okay, stop with the flattery—it doesn’t suit your age, and it makes me want to kill you," Aldrian responded bluntly. "Arson, I have a task for you. You’ve already heard about the middle divine grade sword, right?"
"Of course I know, Master. There’s no way one of the most talked events of the century could escape my notice," Arson replied.
"I want you to send some of the Fingers to the Forgeheart Kingdom to assist with reconnaissance. There are too many things I need to monitor. With so many nobles from across the continent gathering here, I can’t watch them all, and I fear the devils might be planning something during these chaotic times."
"Understood. Oh, speaking of devils, it seems the Golden Swan Commerce is in quite a difficult situation, Master."
"How so?" Aldrian asked.
"As we know the rumor of their involvement with the devils has already spread across the continent. Initially, most people didn’t believe it, since the source came from the demon territory. However, with the Ivory Empire despite not having close relations with the demons tacitly agreeing with their actions in suppressing Golden Swan Commerce in Ivory empire, many have begun to doubt the truth behind the rumor."
"The Golden Swan Commerce is experiencing internal strife because of this. Outwardly, they’re still operating as usual, but internally, they’re starting to break apart. Also, I took this opportunity to withdraw from our mission to eliminate you and the Yu family. We refunded their payment, Master," Arson Vuran explained.
"Good, very good. Keep me informed if anything new comes up."
"Yes, Master."
"Oh, I almost forgot—if you hear any news about the movement of Flamecrest family, inform me immediately."
"As you wish, Master. Do you have a grudge against them?" 𝒏𝒐𝙫𝙥𝙪𝙗.𝒄𝙤𝙢
"No, you don’t need to know the details. Just keep an eye on their movements."
"Understood."
After Aldrian cut off his communication with Arson Vuran, he sighed. He also wanted to learn about the movements of his mother’s family, but he didn’t know their family’s name. There were too many noble families that fit the description he had of her. All he knew was that his mother came from a noble background, but that wasn’t nearly enough. He needed more specific information to uncover her family’s identity.
Looking back outside, Aldrian noticed the road was packed with carriages and people, slowing their journey. Since they were on a secret mission, they couldn’t afford to be conspicuous. As they moved along, he spotted many artifacts displayed on the streets.
Just as Duke Valiard had said, there were various artifacts casually placed along the side of the road, as though they were worthless—despite their clear quality. To Aldrian’s amazement, he even saw Sky-grade artifacts, and, to his shock, there were Heaven-grade artifacts openly displayed, free for anyone to inspect or even take—if they dared.
"This city is full of active blacksmiths, all competing with each other to attract customers," Duke Valiard explained. "Every city in the Forgeheart Kingdom is similar, but none are quite like the capital. Here, Sky grade and even Heaven-grade artifacts are displayed on the roadside. The competition is fierce."
Aldrian was truly amazed. He now fully understood, with this bold method of promotion, it was no wonder such displays would attract bad intentions. If he were in someone else’s position, even he would be tempted to steal these Heaven-grade artifacts. As they neared the royal palace, the level of artifacts on display grew even higher. He had already spotted some middle Heaven-grade artifacts—something usually reserved for nobles and high-ranking individuals.
After a few minutes, they finally arrived at the royal palace. The massive palace was surrounded by white walls and many watchtowers. Aldrian could sense that each watchtower housed both defensive and attack artifacts and formations. They passed several sentries and defensive lines before reaching the main gate.
There, the steward they had met the previous day was already waiting for their arrival and gave them a respectful bow.
"Welcome to the royal palace, ladies and gentlemen. This way, please. His Majesty is already expecting you," the steward said, before leading them towards the throne hall.
As they walked through the hallways, Aldrian noticed they were lined with artifacts, similar to those he had seen in Duke Valiard’s mansion—but on a much grander scale. Many of these artifacts were even Heaven-grade.
They finally arrived at the double doors of the throne hall, and as the doors opened, Aldrian’s group was greeted by a crowd of dwarves in noble attire. He could see various expressions on their faces as Duke Valiard entered the throne hall. Aldrian then looked to the center, where a dwarf sat on the throne—he was the most impressive figure in the room, his aura demanding reverence.
This was the king of the Forgeheart Kingdom, Douwin Forgeheart!
