Chapter 12: The Royal Capital

Title: 【Bloody Tempest】

Acquisition Condition: Upon completing the first combat mission, kill four or more Chosen Ones to have a chance of obtaining this title.
Quality: A
Rarity: S
Effect when equipped: Grants the "Inspection" ability, allowing you to detect some attribute panels of Chosen Ones of the same rank and identify their allegiance.
If their mission or allegiance is hostile to yours, apply a "Mark" to them, enabling you to view and track their location at any time.
Current marking slots available: 1/1.

The title reward was clearly a pleasant surprise, and Mo Xuanyu immediately chose to equip it.
Usually, Chosen Ones cannot view each other's attribute panels or data, as such information is kept highly confidential.
Once your attribute panel is exposed, others can exploit your weaknesses in battle or send someone with attributes that counter yours to confront you.
Being able to view hostile Chosen Ones’ mission details and mark their location is an incredibly powerful skill, effectively granting you the initiative in the mission.
Although Bloody Tempest does not directly enhance Mo Xuanyu’s strength, it indirectly allows him to maximize his gains during missions, no wonder its rarity is S-level.

Snapping back to reality, Eric ordered the convoy to stop briefly by the river to let the horses and soldiers replenish water.
Mo Xuanyu stood by the riverbank, scanning the bushes across the water to confirm there were no ambushes since they would soon cross the river.
“Sir, would you like some water?” Mo Xiao asked, handing him a water flask.
“Thank you,” Mo Xuanyu said, taking a few sips. The water, free from industrial pollution, was sweet and thirst-quenching.
After drinking, he returned the flask to Mo Xiao and ordered two junior knights to cross the river first to scout ahead.
Watching Mo Xuanyu’s serious demeanor as he commanded, Mo Xiao felt no surprise at how deeply the knights and soldiers respected their teacher.
Silently finishing the water, Mo Xiao glanced at the time and estimated they would reach the capital by sunrise.

Mo Xiao’s estimate proved accurate.
When Mo Xuanyu and the group arrived at the capital, the sun had just risen, casting rays over iron hooves and sheathed swords.
“Open the gates!”
Prince Eric presented his token; the guards at the city gate hastened to open it without delay.
The carriages passed slowly over the moat, and Mo Xuanyu rode his warhorse, flanked by the two junior knights, entering the capital.
Soldiers guarding the kingdom stood on both sides, saluting respectfully toward Prince Eric’s carriage, welcoming their prince’s return.
Though Eric had lost his status as crown prince, overshadowed by the so-called Sun’s Child, his influence and residual power remained.
The Sun King had few offspring; aside from Eric, there were only two illegitimate sons who had long been exiled to remote lands, forgotten.
According to the kingdom’s tradition of primogeniture, many nobles and citizens believed Eric was the rightful heir.
Eric drew back the curtain, gazing at the respectful soldiers with a deep sense of satisfaction.

Soon, news of Prince Eric’s return spread through the capital’s social strata and nobility, and Mo Xuanyu naturally caught their attention.
Countless people wondered about the identity of the mid-level knight who had safely escorted Eric back.
“Mora, why not stay at my residence?” Eric invited Mo Xuanyu at the street corner.
After the assassination attempt, Eric saw Mo Xuanyu as someone to be won over. Though supported by many nobles, he lacked strong confidants among top-tier warriors.
Faced with Eric’s olive branch, Mo Xuanyu remained silent, instead raising a sealed secret letter he had received upon entering the city.
The Sun King wished to see him personally.
“Apologies, Your Highness, but I cannot disobey the Sun King’s orders,” Mo Xuanyu said with regret.
Seeing the letter, Eric’s expression turned cold; he realized Mo Xuanyu was likely loyal to the Sun King from the start.
Yet unwilling to give up, Eric said,
“The king is old, the realm is in chaos, and the people no longer support him. I hope you will reconsider.”
Mo Xuanyu did not respond, turning his horse with the two junior knights and Mo Xiao, heading toward the royal palace.
Eric watched the departing figure, then cast a cold gaze toward the palace, as if he could see the tall figure seated on the throne beyond the walls.
In a daze, Eric envisioned himself ascending that throne.
Soon, very soon, he would overthrow the tyrant ruling the kingdom and do as he pleased.
“Go to the duke’s mansion,” Eric commanded coldly.

After parting from the convoy, Mo Xuanyu first reported to the knight order’s barracks within the capital, where someone awaited him.
The supreme commander of the royal guards, the kingdom’s grand general: Carmen Lans.
This man was the Sun King’s absolute confidant, commanding the royal guard — no one dared provoke him.
He wore black armor, about forty years old, tall and robust, with a steady temperament and unmatched strength in the kingdom.
He was the strongest without equal; even the acknowledged strongest of the Sun Knights, Weilen, had once been defeated by him.
The Sun King sending such an important figure to welcome Mora placed Mo Xuanyu in a delicate position.
He dismounted, “Good day, General Carmen.”
“Good day, Master Mora,” Carmen greeted politely, his solemn expression showing no disdain.
Just a glance exchanged between them revealed their extraordinary nature.
Mo Xuanyu roughly estimated the general’s strength attribute was no lower than 18 points!
A bloody aura radiated from him — the aura of a warrior who had slain thousands, forged through countless battles and bloodshed.
Before coming here, Carmen had learned from the Sun King about Moravinas’ identity as an assassin, and he held a favorable impression of the former master assassin.
This was because those Moravinas had killed were all people Carmen despised — corrupt nobles and politicians he had long grown weary of.
Notably, Moravinas’ assassination missions indirectly helped the Sun King eliminate many political rivals.

Those noble families had long leached off the kingdom’s great tree.
Despite the Sun King’s outward glory, he was constrained by these centuries-old clans, relying on their power to govern the vast kingdom; without them, royal decrees beyond the capital were worthless.
Thus, the Sun King welcomed the dusk assassins dispatching these clans one by one, enabling him to promote his own confidants and consolidate power.
When Moravinas failed to assassinate the Sun King, he was spared out of the king’s appreciation for talent.
“The king will hold a banquet tonight. You may rest here with the knight order and then come to the palace at night,” Carmen said, handing Mo Xuanyu a token granting palace access.
“I understand, thank you, Your Majesty,” Mo Xuanyu nodded, accepting the token.

After Carmen left, Mo Xuanyu rested briefly in the barracks and ate breakfast with Mo Xiao.
Upon returning to his temporary quarters, he found another secret letter on his desk.
He opened it and decrypted the contents using the Free Commune’s internal cipher.
The letter was from none other than Mr. Peter, the supreme leader and one of the founders of the Free Commune and an assassin mentor.
Within the commune, Mentor Peter wielded immense influence; he had founded the Dusk Assassins, personally guiding and formulating their rules, training several master assassins.
Moravinas was one of his students.
Assassins in the Dusk Assassins were generally ranked as: novice — skilled — elite — master — mentor.
Master level was exceedingly rare, and mentor level even more so, requiring not only great strength but also exceptional leadership and strategic vision.
The Dusk Assassins were established to counter the Sun Knights, an ace against ace.
Originally, there were nine master assassins, but sadly, all had fallen in recent intense wars.
Currently, Moravinas was the only master-level assassin left, and mid-tier assassins had suffered heavy casualties, leaving the organization nearly extinct and unable to continue opposing the Sun Knights.
Of course, the Sun Knights suffered severe losses fighting these assassins too.
But with the Sun King’s backing and the kingdom’s logistical support, they were far stronger than the Dusk Assassins.
Continuing to fight the Sun Knights in attrition warfare was a losing battle.
For this reason, Mentor Peter made a daring decision:
To have Mora feign betrayal and infiltrate the Sun King’s inner circle, becoming a pivotal figure who could turn the tide at a critical moment.
In the letter, Mentor Peter’s views on the kingdom were as follows:

“The old Nora Kingdom stands on the brink of collapse, yet the pope and the Sun King refuse to admit defeat, desperately hyping the so-called Sun’s Child to boost morale — it is laughable.”
“As long as the Sun’s Child dies or suffers a few defeats, the old kingdom will crumble entirely.”
“Mora, by the time you read this, you will have arrived in the capital. Proceed to the location below; our people will offer you the greatest assistance.”
“The sun will set one day; its name is dusk.”
“For our great ideals, for that brand-new dawn.”

— Peter Manchester