Chapter 262: 2nd Prince Jin Fang's Circumstances
In the Brassaint kingdom's royal capital.
Inside the throne room, seated upon the throne, sat Brassaint's current king. He possessed a sharp and powerful aura, with hidden sword energy contained within his body. Every gesture and movement betrayed the practiced ease of an expert. The crown atop his head was encircled by four tiny swords that gleamed with sharp brilliance. His name was Zheng Fang.
(Author's Note: While this was not brought up in previous chapters, all names are written in the western format with the surname last. In a typical Chinese novel, his name would be Fang Zheng.)
Standing before him were three young men of noble bearing and heroic presence. The first was the Crown Prince of Brassaint. He strongly resembled a younger version of King Zheng, carrying a stern demeanor and the weight of a seasoned sword expert. His aura sat at the peak of Golden Lord.
To his right stood the Second Prince, Jin Fang. He wore a slightly anxious expression as he struggled to keep his thoughts in check. Light bandages were wrapped around parts of his body, likely earned during battles in the Pocket Dimension. His aura was also at the peak of Golden Lord.
To Jin Fang's right stood a teenager with spirited eyes and an arrogant demeanor. Though arrogance was clearly embedded in his nature, the youth easily restrained it in the presence of the king and his brothers. He was the Third Prince, Peng Fang, a Gold tier 3 expert.
These were the three sons of King Zheng, all of whom had turned out to be extraordinary geniuses.
With a calm voice filled with authority, King Zheng spoke. "It is good that you have all made it here. Where is your sister?"
Peng and Kai glanced toward Jin Fang, prompting him to give a wry smile. "Well, you see… she has been a bit depressed these days, ever since we dragged her back from the Pocket Dimension."
King Zheng's brows furrowed before he shook his head. "Hmph. Has that girl been spoiled too much? That should not be the case. Just like the rest of you, even if less frequently, she was trained to be an exceptional battlefield warrior, even as a mage. To disobey my orders so blatantly—"
At that moment, Crown Prince Kai interrupted. "Father, there is no need to worry excessively. For her to act so openly, I am certain Grandmother is involved."
For the first time, a trace of helplessness flickered across King Zheng's face before he quickly regained his composure. His father had never truly broken through into the Mortal Shedding Realm and had settled for becoming a False Mortal Lord many years ago. However, the same could not be said for his mother, the former Queen. If Brassaint were not a patriarchy, she would likely still sit upon the throne even now.
"Hmph. Very well," King Zheng said. "Let us move on. Certain matters have already been discussed with Parliament and the high nobles."
The conversation shifted toward global events, much of it revolving around the continental war and its indirect impact on Brassaint. The Brassaint Royal Family, along with many of its nobles, maintained close ties with the Bright Brilliant Blade Sect, allowing for a long-standing harmonious coexistence. Numerous sects and clans were embedded throughout their territory, but in the distant past, the Bright Brilliant Blade Sect itself had begun as a small sect founded by a man known as the Bright Bladed Hero, who had also been a prince of Brassaint. Its origins were further influenced by the ancient Red Star Empire of that era.
Eventually, the discussion turned to the crisis unfolding in Brawlmanica. Naturally, this led to talk of the White Star Radiance Sect and its recent movements, along with the actions of various other forces. Jin Fang's expression darkened. He knew exactly why this topic had surfaced now.
"Jin, my son," King Zheng said, his expression unreadable. "Tell me your thoughts on the situation."
"Royal Father," Jin Fang replied with a stern gaze, "you are already aware of my stance. In the past, I wished to interact with the White Star Radiance Sect on my own terms. However, it was on your orders that I embedded myself within their ranks. You also ordered our younger sister to do the same. I wonder… did you foresee how these events would unfold?"
"Mind your words when speaking to Father," Kai cautioned lightly.
"…Yes, Da Ge," Jin Fang acknowledged. He sighed before continuing. "It is just that Xiao Lali and I have formed genuine bonds within the sect. I am especially worried about her, because she has completely fallen for the Dragon Spear Hero of León."
"Wh—what?!" Peng Fang burst out laughing. "That overly arrogant and pampered sister of ours? The one who never liked being around people? No way that can be true."
Peng had been closest to her in age, and while he deeply respected his powerful father and accomplished brothers, he had once followed his sister's lead during their youth.
"Has Xiao Lali truly fallen for Sir Ramiro León?" Kai asked, equally startled.
"She has," Jin Fang confirmed. "That man is extremely charismatic, even to me. It becomes even more apparent when you consider those around him. The now-legendary White Lightning Sage Solman, Black Devil Blades Zoro Tatsumaki, and who I strongly suspect is the so-called 'goddess with the divine eyes,' Heavens Star Eyes Christy Hucklebare. It is easy to be swept up in his pace, his energy, and his warmth. His right hand, Seralily of the Lion's Spearhearts, is also a significant influence, though that is mostly my suspicion."
King Zheng wore a calm expression though no one realized the inner turmoil that racked his mind as he forced himself to keep his composure. He secretly took a breath before calming himself and entering his thoughts. He had a slightly nagging feeling that things had completely fallen off of his original plan's trajectory. His mother appearing alongside his daughter giving her the excuse to not be able to show made this feeling more concrete.
"Are they aware of Xiao Lali's identity? Unlike you whose name has long since been well known, she was much more hidden from the public." King Zheng said with a stern expression.
"Well… about that. I'm sure that the vast majority of people including Sir Ramiro himself are completely unaware, but there are a few people such as Miss Seralily who I fear I'm not able to say for sure." Jin Fang replied honestly as doubt clouded his mind on that in particular.
"So we can assume that they know. In fact, with Princess Helga there who met her years ago as small children it's inevitable." King Zheng simply accepted it though a faint irritation was ladened within his words.
"Royal Father, I would like to request that you allow me to aid the White Star Radiance in their pursuits to aid the Brawlmanica Kingdom." Jin Fang declared as he lowered his head with a bow.
Kai Fang and Peng Fang both looked towards him with calm expressions before looking towards the King once more.
"Your request is denied." King Zheng firmly said without much thought.
Jin Fang rapidly lifted his head as he began to plead. "But Father-"
"No buts." King Zheng cut him off mid reply. "Have you forgotten your current status as 2nd Prince of our Brassaint Kingdom? On top of that you are still a member of the Bright Brilliant Blade sect. Putting aside the White Star Radiance's actions, sects are not allowed to interfere with a country's politics unless said country offers a great tribute. Even then this usually applies to sects that are within said countries boundaries. We are Brassaint not Brawlmanica."
"Royal father is right Jin er. As much as you wish to aid them you cannot do that as it will set forth a negative precedence. This goes for not just our 2 countries but the various countries in the southeastern region as a whole." Kai Fang also gave his input with narrowed eyes.
With a helpless expression Jin Fang sighed before a calm expression once again appeared on his face. "If that's the case, then I'd like to take some troops on an excursion to deal with the demons and demonic cultivators who have been running wild around and outside of our countries boundaries. I would also like to hunt down certain fugitives likely to appear who are threats to our kingdom."
"Jin Ge really is something to give so much attention to those low born. Heh I also understand though because a lot of trash should definitely be cleaned up." Peng Fang commented with folded arms.
Kai Feng furrowed his brows trying to find a reason why this shouldn't be accepted. Before he could say anything a voice spoke from the entrance of the throne room.
"Xiao Zheng, or rather 'His Majesty Zheng', why don't you just let Jin Er take on this mission. As long as he doesn't step foot into Brawlmanica's territory it won't cause any real problems." A young noble woman with stern yet beautiful features spoke as she walked in. Behind her was an even younger beautiful noble woman appearing to be in her late teens. If Ramiro saw the younger woman he would instantly recognize her as his companion Lalinata.
(Author's note: a reminder. Lalinata appeared in Chapter 246.5 as the hooded woman who encouraged Ramiro while explaining Apex Mortal Lords to him.)
"Mother. What is the meaning of this?" King Zheng asked with a slightly frustrated expression.
"The meaning of what? I'm simply giving you a suggestion. Oh and I also suggest that Xiao Lali go along with him as well." The woman said with a faint smile.
Peng and Kai simply stood silently. Peng didn't have as much interaction with his grandmother because of certain circumstances but he still respected her greatly enough as his elder. Kai on the other hand placed her on a similar level to his father in many ways and would not dare to interject.
"Mother, you know very well the complications that are taking place involving the entire continent, much less dealing with the major issues regarding our southeastern region alone. I was even reluctant to let them participate in the battle in the Pocket Dimension and my suspicions were right on many fronts it seems. Not to mention those people from the Night's Light Devouring Church are involved with their hands entrenched into more places than imagined." King Zheng said with a snarl.
"Well it's alright. I've received a notice from the Bright Brilliant Blade sect about something important. In the end its probably best to make a move sooner than later." The woman said with a sharp tone and a stern expression as she waved her hand and sent a document floating before the King.
King Zheng became slightly startled upon reading it. A look of struggle appeared in expression as he weighed a few decisions within his mind.