The people of Liancastle had been tense for nothing—there was no way Prince Nolan would ever expose Jason Lan in broad daylight. Whether it was Jason Lan himself, or anything connected to him, those matters could only be dealt with in the shadows.
There was only one thing Prince Nolan would ever reveal before the envoys of the Four Kingdoms and Nine Cities: the search for the Lu family's treasure, and the fate of the vanished naval forces.
When Prince Nolan first arrived in the capital, he had the Emperor send out search parties—now, it was about time for their return. As for why the messenger happened to show up just as all the envoys from the Three Kingdoms and Nine Cities were present, well, sometimes fate arranges things just so.
Whether it was really a coincidence didn’t matter—Prince Nolan had already resolved that today, he would tear the truth wide open, and the Four Kingdoms and Nine Cities would have nowhere left to hide it.
The newcomer’s beard was ragged, his skin burned dark by the sun, his eyes swollen and red as ripe peaches. He walked with his legs splayed awkwardly—clearly, he’d rushed here overnight without a moment’s rest.
"Qi Ming, reporting to the Emperor and the Regent Prince!" Qi Ming knelt—though he called out to the Emperor, his body faced Prince Nolan directly. Everyone present understood the gesture, and silently chose not to acknowledge it.
"Rise." The Eighth Prince was nothing but a figurehead; all true authority still rested in the hands of the Regent Prince, Prince Nolan.
"Thank you, Regent Prince." Qi Ming stood before the throne and recounted every detail of what happened at sea, holding absolutely nothing back.
When Qi Ming described how not a single soul survived at sea—only rotting warships and corpses cast up by the waves—a shadow of dread swept across the faces of the envoys from the Three Kingdoms and Nine Cities.
Rumors had long swirled that the entire navy had perished at sea, but without seeing it firsthand or hearing definite news, the Four Kingdoms and Nine Cities simply refused to believe it. After all, one misstep from the Emperor had doomed tens of thousands to a senseless death on the waves.
Although they claimed they were searching for Prince Damien of Southlyn, none of the kingdoms or cities truly put in the effort. They all believed their own navies would soon return, bringing ships full of gold.
But then Eastlyn’s scouts returned and shattered the last bit of hope they’d been clinging to. The Four Kingdoms and Nine Cities had sent over a hundred thousand sailors to sea, and now they had all died in vain.
"Not a single survivor?" The envoy from Westlyn’s legs gave out, and he collapsed into his seat.
Westlyn’s navy was especially formidable—they’d sent their elite troops to sea, hoping to seize a haul of gold and ease domestic financial strain. But not only did they fail to get any gold, they lost tens of thousands of sailors. For Westlyn, already reeling from heavy losses, this disaster was salt in the wound.
"We searched the area around the map dozens of times—there wasn’t a single survivor. At sea, we saw wreckage bearing Westlyn’s insignia floating on the waves." Qi Ming spoke gravely, detailing every place they’d checked. The Westlyn envoy could tell he wasn’t lying.
"All dead? Not even one survivor? What about the Lu family’s island?" The Southlyn envoy stood up, their expression the most conflicted. They’d once blamed Prince Damien for revealing the treasure to outsiders, but now...
Now, they had to worry whether the Four Kingdoms and Nine Cities would turn their anger on Southlyn.
Qi Ming glanced at Prince Nolan, and only after receiving his nod did he reply, "We circled the sea near the map several times—there was no island at all." He spoke with absolute certainty, then added, remembering the rumors spreading across the Nine Provinces Realm, "Maybe the island was submerged. In any case, there’s not a trace left now."
The envoys from the Four Kingdoms and Nine Cities turned pale. It would be easy to verify these claims—Prince Nolan wouldn’t lie about something like this. Their last hope was gone; those they’d sent to sea were truly never coming back.
The Liancastle envoy stole a glance at Prince Nolan. Back when Prince Nolan advised Liancastle not to get involved and said a token gesture was enough, they refused to listen—wanting financial independence, they secretly sent elite troops anyway. Now, they’d tried to steal the chicken but ended up losing the rice.
The Nine Cities envoys kept asking questions about what happened at sea, and Qi Ming answered each one. When he spoke about the corpses washed ashore, his eyes reddened and he dropped to his knees with a thud: "Regent Prince, tens of thousands of Eastlyn’s sons died so unjustly at sea. Please, you must avenge them."
"I will not let Eastlyn’s men die in vain." Prince Nolan’s words were simple, but enough to reassure everyone. Qi Ming bowed his head to the floor: "Long live the Regent Prince!"
Prince Nolan waved his hand for Qi Ming to step back, then rose and addressed the envoys from the Three Kingdoms and Nine Cities: "I imagine none of you are in the mood to drink tonight. The banquet ends here. Guards, escort our guests from the palace."
"Prince Nolan..." A man in royal blue stepped forward.
"Cloud City Envoy? What is it?" Prince Nolan had a good impression of Cloud City and Jade City—he’d noticed their prudence at sea.
"Prince Nolan, how do you intend to handle this matter?" The Cloud City Envoy’s question made the other envoys pause.
All the Four Kingdoms and Nine Cities had suffered losses; if they could coordinate their response, it would be for the best.
Prince Nolan swept his gaze across the envoys, finally resting on the Night City Envoy: "The dead cannot return, but the living must go on."
"What does that mean?" The Peace City Envoy looked confused, and judging by the faces around him, no one else understood either.
"Those who died at sea were Eastlyn’s sons. Though they’re gone, their families remain, and they will be cared for. As for everything else, once I’ve settled the aftermath, I’ll decide. Eastlyn’s men may die in battle, but never in vain—those responsible for their deaths will pay a hundredfold."
Prince Nolan’s words rang out, echoing through the hall. The Night City Envoy and Southlyn Envoy looked even more uncomfortable, convinced his warning was aimed squarely at them.
The Southlyn Envoy, desperate to avoid trouble, hurriedly distanced himself from Prince Damien: "Prince Nolan, Southlyn has suffered heavy losses too."
"That’s right, Night City has lost countless lives as well," the Night City Envoy quickly echoed, afraid that even a moment’s hesitation would lump him in with Prince Damien as the mastermind behind the naval disaster.
"The truth won’t be decided by the words of a few envoys. Eastlyn will investigate to the very end—those who caused our navy’s deaths will not escape justice, and the innocent will not be wronged."
As soon as Prince Nolan finished, the Lyndarian Envoys and several other city representatives voiced their support: "Exactly! This cannot be allowed to pass. We will uncover the truth, and anyone who dares harm our people must have a death wish."
"That’s right—a mere prince dares to toy with us like this? I’ll report to the City Lord and issue a citywide warrant for Prince Damien. If he sets foot in Peace City, he’ll never leave alive!" declared the Peace City Envoy.
"You people from Night City and Southlyn aren’t any better—you’re all in cahoots with Prince Damien!" someone accused bluntly.
The envoys broke into a shouting match right in the great hall, some going so far as to heap all blame on Prince Damien, never pausing to consider whether the rumors were even true.
And this was exactly what Prince Nolan wanted to see...