CG Chapter 55: The Greed of Flameheart

 

A soldier hurried towards Folek's office, hiding his worries from the guests. The scene he had just witnessed was too much for him, and he feared the baron would kill him once he heard it.

 

Once he reached the door, he knocked quickly before entering.

 

"Baron, urgent news, urgent news," the soldier stammered, struggling to gather his thoughts. However, a stern shout swiftly brought him back to his senses, restoring his composure.

 

"Gather your thoughts, then speak; you are wasting my time," Folek said, moving the brownish drink he held as he looked at the soldier.

 

"We suddenly heard screams coming from the morgue and rushed there to investigate, but, but…" The soldier began to scratch his hand in nervousness before continuing, "We found Lord Timothy's dead body lying on the ground in the hands of his butler."

 

The soldier expected rage or anger from the baron, even sadness. However, all he heard was, "I see. Did you check for the cause of death?" Folek taps on the table echoed in the room.

 

"We are not sure yet. Our best guess is that it's due to shock."

 

Folek ordered, "Prepare both of their bodies; we will hold their funerals together. Oh, and Call Edward for me." His face didn't display any emotions, as if the person who had just died wasn't his son.

 

"Yes, right away."

 

…

 

Walking toward the funeral ground, Tom asked, "Lady Selina, I was going to ask, among your adventures, which kingdom did you like the most? I am planning on going on a trip soon." Tom wanted to build a solid story for his journey. If he suddenly told Folek that he would leave, then he might become suspicious.

 

Although the castle provided a safe place to increase his strength, without going out and exploring the world, he would miss the chance to truly understand the depths that it held.

 

He didn't want to be confined within the castle walls; this would restrict his chance at acquiring information, and without information, strategy becomes useless.

 

Selina thought about it before smiling, "Well, it depends on what you want to see. Every kingdom of the seven has its unique characteristics, and I might be a bit biased when I say this, but I think you should visit Aeolantis first."

 

"I thought you would suggest another kingdom since I already saw the harbor city," Tom asked curiously.

 

"The harbor you saw was but a small trade city laying between the border of Aeolantis and Daybreak. The beauty of Aeolantis lies in the diverse creatures that no other kingdom has. You could ride or go for a swim with the divers, and if you go there, you must remember to grab yourself some moanberries; it's a fruit that grows deep within the sea, and it has a uniquely cold and creamy berries taste." Selina spoke with passion. The thought of the berries made her blue eyes shine like jewels.

 

The two walked side by side toward the funeral; however, they were stopped by the soldier, "Lord Edward, the baron has important news for you. He summoned you to his office."

 

'What will be your next move, Folek,' Tom wondered as he walked behind the soldier, "Lead the way."

 

…

 

Upon reaching the office, Tom concealed his smile. He was intrigued by how long it would take Folek to discover his actions. 

 

Although he was cautious, he knew that there was a clear yet hidden link for anyone who wanted to investigate between the person who wanted to kill Timothy and him. The person who would gain the biggest benefits from Timothy's death was none other than himself.

 

"Did you do it?" Folek questioned once Tom stepped in.

 

'What, how I thought that he might find out, but this is too fast, isn't it.' Tom's thoughts raced.

 

"Did what? I am not sure what you mean, father." Tom acted all innocent, not caring how shameless he needed to be.

 

Folek questioned, "You know what I mean? Don't play stupid with me. I don't care if you did kill him or not, but what I want to know is if you conspired with anyone outside of the family and what you promised for their help." 

 

Seeing that he won't be able to keep it hidden, Tom's thoughts raced, the personality of Folek, the things he cherished, and the things he loathed. 

 

"Fine, I did kill him. He will eventually become an obstacle in my path to get stronger, in getting this family stronger." Tom spoke with genuine emotions; he already saw Flameheart as his own personal property, and he didn't plan on letting anyone else use it; he would be the person who would milk it dry.

 

Folek tilted his head. He thought in silence while looking at Tom as if he was making a critical decision.

 

"Kings and queens, do you think they are worthy of their thrones? Are you satisfied with being under them?" Folek suddenly asked out of nowhere.

 

Tom knew that he couldn't hesitate at the moment, "No, we have fought enough for their wars, we have lost enough people, it's about time that we become the ones who rule." His speech was resolute. He looked as if he despised everyone who wasn't of Flameheart.

 

A grin suddenly appeared on Folek's face, followed by a laugh. "Well said; I think I can finally rely on you. Have you wondered why, despite our strength that rivals multiple noble families, we are only a Baron family?"

 

"The seven royal families use these titles to control the nobles without them realizing it. Even if they understood this fact, they wouldn't have the ability to break away. They would have to follow the royals like loyal dogs due to the simple fact they lack the strength to change anything."

"There is a rule in life that goes like this: what the strong says is always right, and you must follow."

 

"We, as the weaker side, need to hide and build our strength slowly; a plan that has been passed through generations in our family, the plan to overthrow the royal family."

 

The last words would have struck thunderstorms if heard by any outsider. The greed that Folek held was much higher than Tom expected, and whether that would eventually lead to the destruction of this family wasn't something that Tom concerned himself with; he planned on building enough strength by that time and going to a higher world.

 

"So, what do we need to achieve that? Our difference in strength is too great. Without enough power, we would simply seek death," Tom asked; the facade he built for Edward needed to be accompanied by a display of enough environmental awareness.

 

"We need to hold the same assets they have. We need a grand knight to be born within Flameheart. However, despite the power that a grand knight holds, he would only have the ability to face an army of a hundred soldiers; that is why, with a grand knight, we would need a strong enough army, an assassin group hidden in the mountains, would have such an effect on the battlefield." Folek's greed grew bigger the more he spoke. It extended far beyond that of Daybreak; he wanted to devour the seven kingdoms whole.

 

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Image of the Seven Kingdoms (Take it with a grain of salt):