Prince Nolan was not a merciful or gentle man. Even when he heard Lady Min sobbing, he didn't go after her, nor did he open the embroidered box. He simply turned away with indifference, as if nothing had happened at all.
Only when he ran into the steward did he calmly instruct him to deliver the box to the study.
After dinner, Nolan was in his study handling official business. When he put down his brush, he noticed the embroidered box in the corner, reached out and picked it up, turned it in his fingers, and with a cold little smile, snapped open the hidden lock.
Inside... were two safety charms.
The yellowed cloth signified that these two charms came from the imperial family.
The faded color showed these charms had endured the passage of time.
The worn corners suggested they had often been handled, yet their owner cherished them, for they remained intact and spotless even now.
"Safety charms?" Nolan took them out and placed them in his palm.
The stitching was fine, and the edges joined with a special palace technique—only the imperial embroiderers knew it. Once unpicked, it could never be restored.
Now, with the stitches still intact, it meant these charms had never been opened.
On the hidden lower corners, a dragon and a phoenix were embroidered, one on the left and one on the right—clearly meant for a prince and princess.
These were indeed relics from the Former Dynasty. But after all these years, could they really have survived intact?
Nolan frowned in doubt, closing his hand around them. They felt hard—what could be hidden inside these charms?
Nolan opened his hand and stared at the charm for a long moment, then let out a quiet laugh, picked up a pair of scissors, and carefully cut open one along the sealed seam.
The delicate charm instantly turned into a scrap of cloth, but Nolan felt no regret, for inside he found a piece of parchment folded into a tiny square.
"As expected..." Nolan unfolded the parchment, a knowing smile appearing in his eyes.
Following the same method, Nolan cut open the other charm. Sure enough, he found another fragment of the Nine Provinces Map inside.
All nine map pieces were finally complete.
Nolan gazed at the two map fragments on the desk, a meaningful smile on his lips: So this is Liancastle's goal? Are they really so confident they can use him to find the Former Dynasty treasure?
Liancastle has no idea how many pieces of the Nine Provinces Map he already holds, nor that he possesses the Heaven-Son Sword. Delivering the map fragments to him now—aren't they afraid he'll swallow them whole?
Or perhaps it's all just a coincidence, and he's overthinking it. His mother, that supposedly kind and innocent woman, might not even know the map fragments were hidden inside the charms.
But whether it's an accident or not doesn't matter. Now that he has the Nine Provinces Map, Nolan is satisfied. He doesn't even mind the trouble Lady Min brought him so much anymore.
Whatever the case, his mother has proven useful—at least she saved him the wait.
Nolan put the empty charms back in the box, took the two new map fragments, changed clothes, and strode out.
No sooner had Nolan left than word reached Lady Min.
"Looks like he knows what was inside the safety charms now." Gone was the gentle kindness of daytime—Lady Min now shed all weakness, like a deadly blossom blooming in the dark, beautiful but lethal.
"No wonder he's that man's son. So cold-blooded—he figured out the secret inside the charms so quickly. Eastlyn's Ninth... don't disappoint your mother. To get these two map fragments to you, I've made plenty of sacrifices. You must gather all nine pieces soon and unearth the Former Dynasty hoard." Lady Min's right hand curled into a claw, grasping at the air, her red lips parting—dangerous and seductive...
With the last two map pieces in hand, Nolan naturally went to find Serena Feng. Together, they assembled all nine fragments, ready to search for the Former Dynasty treasure once the wars ended.
With this hoard, barring any mishaps, he could join forces with Prince Titus of Westlyn and their troops, then simultaneously attack Southlyn and Northlyn to destroy both kingdoms.
As for the remaining six cities, Nolan was certain Jade City and Cloud City would surrender without a fight. That would leave only four cities to deal with. With the combined might of Eastlyn, Westlyn, and the Phoenixfield Clan, crushing them wouldn't be much trouble.
Unifying the Nine Provinces Realm—he wouldn't have to wait until his hair turned white. He could accomplish it in his lifetime.
The day he ruled the realm was just around the corner...
"Are these the last two pieces of the Nine Provinces Map?" Serena Feng was stunned to see both fragments appear at once. She gazed at Nolan with open admiration: "You're incredible! You actually found two at once—so strong, so overpowered."
All this time, they'd been quietly searching for news about the map, but hadn't found a single useful lead. Just when Serena thought they'd have to rely on luck and might never collect all the pieces, Nolan showed up with two at once.
So extravagant.
"Now that the map's complete, barring any surprises, we can piece it together and find the location of the Former Dynasty treasure." Serena smiled so wide her eyes turned into slits.
"The Phoenixfield Clan can finally stop hiding. As long as you rule the realm, my people can live like ordinary folk, no more skulking in the shadows." That was the Phoenixfield Clan's long-held wish. As for the title of King of Phoenixfield, they were confident—give them a chance, and they'd earn it by merit.
On the battlefield, the Phoenixfield are born kings!
"Once the realm is unified, all the people of the Nine Provinces will belong to one nation. There won't be any divisions, and life will only get better for everyone." Unifying the realm and reviving the Former Dynasty's prosperity had been Nolan's goal since birth, and he'd always acted toward it.
Now, with that goal nearly in reach, Nolan found his ambitions growing.
The Former Dynasty imperial clan never acknowledged him, so he had no intention of changing his surname to Lan. He was Eastlyn's Ninth, the ninth prince of the Eastlyn royal house, and the future king of the Nine Provinces Realm.
He wanted to unify the realm, not just to revive the old dynasty, but to build a country stronger and richer than the Former Dynasty ever was. He wanted a world where commoners could eat their fill, not sell their children, and where all four seas sent tribute!
That was the ambition of the man at her side, and the goal of a true king!
"The map is assembled." While Nolan was planning his future, Serena laid out all nine pieces, fitting them together one by one.
All nine pieces, not a single one missing. But...
"I can't make heads or tails of this map. What is this place supposed to be?" Serena stared blankly at the spots marked as treasure locations.
The map was far too abstract, just a series of lines with no sense of direction. No matter how Serena tried, she couldn't connect this treasure map to any Nine Provinces geography she knew...