Compared to the Royal Capital of the Fiore Kingdom, the Royal Capital of the Gioa Kingdom seems somewhat lacking, though it is stronger than it was six years ago.
The residents by the roadside, curious as to what kind of distinguished guest warranted such a reception, engaged in animated discussions.
Some knew insider details. They were either excited, frowning in thought, or quietly leaving the crowd to report to someone.
The knights had serious expressions, their sharp gazes fixated ahead, yet they constantly scanned the roadsides, as if apprehensive of potential assassins suddenly emerging.
Rhode grew increasingly curious about what the King intended to do.
The journey to the Royal Palace went without incident, and under the guidance of the attendants, Rhode and Mira entered the reception hall arm in arm.
A young man rose to greet them, smiling warmly, "Mr. Luo, Mrs. Luo, welcome from afar. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Constanton Shargate, the King of Gioa Kingdom."
The King had at least made an effort to learn his surname properly. Rhode smiled slightly, "Mage Rhode, together with my wife Mirajane, greets you. We apologize for our abrupt visit and any inconvenience we may have caused."
Mira followed his lead, lifting her skirt slightly in a courteous curtsey.
In fact, both were somewhat surprised by the King's appearance and demeanor.
This white-haired king, wearing a crown, appeared exceedingly young, possibly not yet twenty years old.
His looks were best described as handsome, with gem-like adornments around his eyes, accentuating his graceful and noble aura.
More importantly, these decorations, along with his eyes and brows, bore a striking resemblance to Shargate, Carla's mother whom they were acquainted with from the Cat Kingdom.
They couldn't help but think that Constanton Shargate might just be Queen Shargate from the Cat Kingdom in this world's context.
Both parties took their seats, and attendants served tea and snacks.
It seemed Constanton had heard from Panther about the two gangs and thus expressed gratitude, praising Rhode and Mira's past exploits.
Rhode admired how he could dig up events from six years ago to compliment them. After exchanging pleasantries, he also thanked Constanton for the reception.
After some chatting, the topic naturally shifted to noble titles, prompting Rhode to voice his confusion.
Constanton waved the attendants away, sighed, and said, "To be honest, although I'm the King, my situation is not pleasant."
Mira asked, "Because of the bandit issue?"
"Yes, but that's not all." Constanton clenched his fist, "Take the Petlyura Gang, for instance. Originally, they were supported by certain nobles."
"Nobles... supporting bandits?" For Mira, this was quite an unfathomable notion.
Rhode immediately thought of the phrase "raising bandits to hold self importance," and also thought of Master Huang and Others, but he remained silent.
Constanton nodded heavily, "For most of these domestic gangs that achieved notoriety and grew in scale, they initially received noble support.
"The story begins when my father passed away. At that time, I was only nine years old, and although I inherited the throne with the support of some loyal ministers, a considerable portion of power was held by the nobility..."
Perhaps due to a lack of confidants to vent to, Constanton poured out his experiences and grievances over the years.
Rhode wondered where Constanton found such deep trust for someone he just met—was it because the title of the Ten Wizard Saints inherently implied moral integrity?
In summary, his experiences boiled down to inheriting the throne as a child, noble power struggles, fostering banditry for personal power, and losing authority.
Despite some loyal ministers' support, the young king struggled as the economic and military powers directly under him were insufficient, leading to worsening conditions.
It wasn't until Constanton came of age—when an adult king's prestige is vastly different from that of a child king—that some began to side with the King.
Constanton also aimed to reclaim his rightful power, but the nobles started employing underhanded tactics.
Many of the ministers loyal to the King faced situations where their families were kidnapped by gangs.
Such incidents increased with the intensifying struggle between the King and the nobles, and the gang's actions became increasingly excessive, eventually leading to direct assaults on the ministers themselves.
During the darkest periods, some loyal ministers were forced to 'die, flee, or suffer injuries.'
The King deployed military forces to suppress the gangs, but even if dozens or hundreds of bandits died or were injured, the nobles were unfazed, as they could always back another group.
The King's situation grew increasingly dire.
However, just as the nobles were about to pop champagne, the gangs spiraled out of control.
In the process of continually targeting ministers' families and the ministers themselves, the gangs slowly developed ambitions.
They realized that even those high and mighty lords were nothing special—no matter how high their status, a single stab could end them.
Thus arose the Petlyura Gang's rebellion.
The sudden upheaval left both the King and the nobles dumbfounded.
At this point, the nobles became more anxious than the King, as a kingdom overturned by gangs would not bode well for them either.
Thus, the lead role in suppressing the gangs fell on the guilty nobles.
What followed was a long period of civil unrest. Though Petlyura was eventually defeated and fled, other gangs gradually spiraled out of control as well.
They began kidnapping families of lesser nobles, growing increasingly dangerous.
To this day, a bizarre balance has been struck among the gangs, the nobles' private armies, and the King's guard.
The King hopes for the gangs to vanish and for the nobles' power to weaken, while the nobles wish for the gangs to remain marginally alive to distract the King.
Only the gangs lack any long-term plans, getting by as best as they can. They dare provoke anyone, but being too disorganized, they fail to significantly harm any side.
Rhode roughly pieced together the situation, "So when Your Majesty said my arrival was already a contribution, you meant..."
"Your very presence serves as a significant intimidation. They must think I invited a member of the Ten Wizard Saints for a major operation."
Constantine said sincerely, "Panther conveyed the message without any exaggeration. I wish to bestow upon you the title of Count and grant you the best fief outside the Royal Capital.
"The subsequent matters don't require your involvement, nor will they affect your reputation. I am confident that under these conditions, I can deal with those pests!"
This young King spoke with enthusiasm and vigor, dispelling the gloom of past narratives, exuding confidence.
Rhode had to admit, if he wished to become an outstanding leader, there might be things he could learn from this King.
Rhode gazed at him, asking, "What if I, like those nobles, have ulterior motives?"
"I bet you wouldn't." Constanton looked at Rhode with confidence, "Even if I lose the bet, the situation wouldn't worsen. I even think that if the country were in your hands, it would be much better than with those people!"
Rhode laughed out loud.
He had to admit, he somewhat liked this King.