Yorko requested to present himself on the court meeting the following day.

As the two kingdoms had just formed an alliance, his request was soon approved, and two magnificently armored knights escorted him to the palace hall.

Over the past two to three months, Yorko had made numerous vain attempts to see King of Dawn. He wished now, however, that King Appen could have ignored him like he had usually done.

Unfortunately, the reality was always cruel.

By the time he entered the hall, the court meeting was close to its end.

The young king was leaning against his throne, talking animatedly with the ministers. He did not sit up until Yorko bent his knees. "Please rise. I've heard you've brought a letter from Roland Wimbledon?"

"Yes, Your Majesty," Yorko answered mechanically. "He congratulates on your coronation and has expressed his earnest desire that the two kingdoms will establish a long-term relations.h.i.+p of cooperation and friends.h.i.+p."

Appen Moya smiled. "That sounds something new. Did he send any presents?"

"Well, of... course." The Amba.s.sador revolved his reply rapidly in his mind. "The fleet carrying those presents are currently on the way. The letter was actually delivered by post horses."

"I remember when King Wimbledon III was crowned, my father sent a delegation of 200 people to celebrate his coronation. There were 11 wagons full of presents, including goldware, fine wines, silk as well as pretty maids. I'm very curious about what Roland would gift me as a return."

The ministers in the hall burst into a fit of laughter.

Yorko swallowed hard, completely having no idea how to shoot back an answer. He doubted the validity of the story and wondered why Roland had not said anything about presents in the letter. As an amba.s.sador, he had a good reason to be ignorant of the matter. However, for Roland, he should have known the gift-giving etiquette.

"Did he say anything else?" Appen asked.

For a second, Yorko wanted to excuse himself. Yet when he weighed the consequence of such an act, he forced himself to stay put. The outcome of infuriating King of Dawn would be no more than being shut out by n.o.bles in the king's city. If he disappointed Roland, however, he would probably be relieved from the position as an amba.s.sador.

Yorko ground his teeth. "His Majesty... um... also hopes that you stop persecuting witches and treat them as free peoples. Otherwise, the Kingdom of Graycastle would have to employ force to settle the matter, just as what they did to the church."

The hall was deadly silent after he finished.

The amba.s.sador felt sweats started to bead on his forehead.

After quite a while, Appen Moya broke off. "Did Roland Wimbledon really say that? Give me the letter."

A knight approached Yorko at once and s.n.a.t.c.hed the parchment from him.

Yorko could sense the coldness in King of Dawn's tone even without looking at him.

He was almost about to wail at the thought of the lengthy condemnation and warns in the letter.

As he expected, Appen threw the letter to the floor straight away after reading it. The young king obviously had a hard time controlling his temper. He rose to his heels and growled in a red rage. "So this is the att.i.tude of the Kingdom of Graycastle to its ally? Witches are innocent, so we have to set them free? Rubbis.h.!.+ Look at what those d.a.m.n witches did to House Moya. They invaded the palace, killed the guards and took my father as their hostage to force me to yield to the church! If they didn't poison my father, he should have been right here, alive and well!"

"But he's dead, and it's his death has made you the king." Yorko left the remaining word unsaid.

"Your Majesty, please calm down. As far as I know... witches trained by the church are different from innocent ones, just as there're good and bad ones among ordinary people..."

"Shut up!" Appen hollered. "You don't have the faintest idea how vile these people in possession of demons' power are. Even G.o.d's stones fail to stop them! Tell me then. How could it be possible that such a community, which is literally bounded to nothing, submits to our ruling? The Kingdom of Dawn will be more peaceful without witches. I have to fulfill my obligations of protecting my people!"

Looking at Appen's purple face, Yorko realized reasoning would no longer work. The shadow of his father's death was still haunting him. Although Appen was of about the same age as Roland, he was almost as petulant as the old Roland back in the king's city, and perhaps even worse.

In merely a year after Roland had left the king's city, he had become the real sovereign of the state. Appen, on the contrary, was still acting the boy.

"I'll write a letter to the King of Graycastle and advise him to be vigilant about the Fallen. It's just ridiculous to threaten the Kingdom of Dawn because of those Devil's minions!" Appen paced back and forth indignantly. "It's true that the Kingdom of Graycastle is powerful. but don't forget who bestowed him such power! Without the support of local n.o.bles, Roland couldn't garrison his troops in here! If he invades our royal domain out of such absurdity, he'll suppress his feudatories in the same way he treats us. By that time, neither my people nor n.o.bles in the Kingdom of Graycastle will support him like they always did when he battled against the church!"

"Well, It appears that Roland has already weeded out the n.o.bles." Yorko thought to himself. He did not really know how His Majesty had defeated the church, but he dimly remembered that Roland had not relied on any n.o.bles when conquering the king's city. At that time, out of the entire Kingdom of Graycastle, few people had believed that Prince Roland Wimbledon would have eventually won the game of thrones. All the great n.o.bles had later been rooted out during the trial, which was why he could get this job as an amba.s.sador.

In the end, Yorko was ordered to leave the palace by Appen Moya just as Hill had antic.i.p.ated.

Fortunately, none of the ministers in the court chimed in. They were simply too dumbfounded to utter a word. This was better than what Yorko had expected.

But Yorko was pretty sure that after they read the letter on the floor, they would dismiss it with a laugh.

As soon as Yorko returned from the palace, Otto Luoxi paid him a visit.

"King Roland really views this matter in this way?"

"Do I sound like I'm lying?" Yorko collapsed in the recliner. "Well, are you mocking me now?"

"No... I just think Appen's new policy is rather thoughtless. He does want civilians in the Kingdom of Dawn to have a peaceful life, but the hunting measures he takes actually terrifies people."

"Then you should talk him out of it."

"He doesn't listen..." Otto smiled bitterly. "He acts like a different person every time we talk about witches. You can't blame him though. If you witness what happened in the palace..." Otto bit his lip. "No, nothing. The death of the late king greatly shocked Appen. Technically, he shouldn't have ascended the throne until he comes of age five or six years later. I've heard King Wimbledon III was also killed by the witch from the church? If only Appen can be as composed as King Roland."

Yorko gazed at Otto in surprise. He felt like Otto did not sound like the eldest son of one of the three major families in the Kingdom of Dawn but a n.o.ble from the Kingdom of Graycastle. Had Roland become so invincible that he could now make n.o.bles in the neighbor country stand on his side?

"Anyway, I'll try to talk to Appen again. He doesn't even listen to Earl Quinn now."

Otto was about to take his leave after the tea when No. 76 suddenly darted into the room.

"Sir... the witch you purchased has come back!"