Chapter 381: Identity Is Shaped by Perception

Henwell places his longsword back on the weapon rack. “Spit it out. What brings you here this time? You’re a busy man, so you’re definitely not here just to congratulate me.”

Newwood scratches his toes casually. “Nonsense! My good buddy’s getting married. I’m here to celebrate! It takes a real iron bro to come see you on a day like this.”

Henwell pulls up a chair and sits down. “Perfect timing. I’ve got a problem that needs your help. No one around the wedding is causing trouble, but the Veil Organization is a different story. When I was in the Western Federation, they tried to ambush me. I ended up killing a few of their men...”

After Henwell finishes, Newwood waves his hand confidently. “No problem! In a couple of days, I’ll go clean up a few of their spots.”

Henwell adds, “Can you make it look like the Western Federation did it?”

Newwood laughs, “You’re really nasty, huh?”

Henwell then asks about any new intel from the recent westward trip.

Newwood stays silent.

Henwell knows this means he can’t talk about it, so he tries a different approach. “The Western Federation is a warden, right?”

Newwood remains quiet—an unspoken confirmation.

Henwell presses on, “If the Western Federation is the warden, then this place is a prison. So, are the continent’s residents prisoners or descendants of prisoners?”

Newwood glances at him but still says nothing.

This proves Henwell’s guess is partly right, but not entirely.

Henwell gets up and paces the room. “Not all are prisoners. Only some are. The others are descendants from the Abundant Continent. Due to certain special circumstances, those who were supposed to be wardens ended up merging with the prisoners.”

Newwood lowers his head to eat.

Henwell’s guess hits the mark this time.

After a moment’s thought, Henwell continues, “Fury Spirit and Lightchaser are pure prisoners. The Western Federation is pure wardens. The Golden Grand Tent, Northern Mountain Raiders, Frostborne Warriors, Tidehunter Pirates—they’re descendants of prisoners.”

”Every so often, these prisoner descendants stir up trouble, trying to seize control of the entire prison. The royal families of various countries are descendants of wardens, tasked with suppressing these prisoner descendants to keep them from expanding.”

”As for the common people on the continent, they’ve lost their stance. They’re mostly neutral, focused on survival and development above all else.”

Newwood waves him off. “Stop guessing. These aren’t things you need to know right now. Focus on building your own power. When the time comes and you still don’t know, I’ll fill you in on the details. There’s too much I can’t say. At most, I’ll answer three questions. And even then, I might not give you the full answer.”

Henwell’s eyes light up immediately. He starts thinking carefully about what to ask. This is a rare chance, so he needs to pick the most crucial questions, but they can’t be too sensitive. He has to find the right balance, or Newwood will just shut down.

After a long moment, Henwell asks his first question: “Is it difficult for me to become king? I mean, in terms of bloodline.”

He’s asking whether his prisoner lineage or warden lineage is stronger.

Henwell’s starting to realize something: every kingdom’s king needs the Western Federation’s approval. This isn’t just about the Western Federation asserting dominance.

He used to think that crowning a king required the blessing of the two Western Federation leaders so they could control the continent’s politics. But after visiting the Western Federation, Henwell notices that those top leaders aren’t too concerned with the kingdoms’ political affairs.

Instead of controlling each country, they focus more on how to return to the Abundant Continent.

So then, what’s the real reason for the coronation? If it’s not about control, there’s only one answer: it’s a mission.

Why would the Western Federation send people personally?

It must be to verify something, like bloodlines.

This also clears up another mystery in Henwell’s mind.

The Veil Organization definitely belongs to the prisoner faction.

Veil is incredibly powerful, with elite forces far surpassing those of the kingdoms. If they played their cards right, they could easily install puppet rulers and effectively control the countries.

But after all these years, Veil hasn’t done that, which means there’s another reason holding them back.

Now it seems there’s some kind of bloodline verification system that makes it hard for Veil to carry out such plans.

Newwood frowns at Henwell’s question. “It’s difficult, but not the kind of obstacle you’re imagining. It’s not about bloodlines, it’s about perception. Bloodlines are just the surface; the real issue lies in your will and soul. Think of it like a scale: the more you know, the more you lean toward the prisoner side. You get what I mean?”

Henwell feels a chill run through him. So that’s how it is. No wonder Newwood has been holding back so much, there’s a deeper reason behind it.

It’s easy to understand, like a blank sheet of paper stained with red and blue ink. Whichever color covers more of the paper ends up defining it.

Now that Henwell has uncovered so much, when the time comes to seize a kingdom or found an independent state, he’ll have to face the Western Federation. If he fails their scrutiny, he’ll become an enemy of the nations.

Seeing the sudden change in Henwell’s expression, Newwood sighs, “I told you, some things you’ll learn when you’re meant to. But you couldn’t resist your curiosity and had to dig deeper. Now things are complicated.”

”We have our roles: I handle the investigations, and you focus on vying for power. Depending on your stage, I’ll reveal secrets step by step to minimize risks.”

Henwell rubs his forehead. “So what do we do now? Support someone else to rise? There’s no time!”

Newwood tosses him a piece of fruit. “Don’t worry. I’m here to handle the mess! Like I said, it’s difficult but not impossible. Also, you might have misunderstood something. Let me ask you: now that you know about the prisoner and warden factions, which side do you lean toward?”

Henwell catches the fruit and takes a bite. “I don’t support either side! It’s not my business.”

Newwood claps his hands. “That’s exactly it! I said the root of the problem is will and soul. You don’t lean toward either side, so you’re neutral. For the wardens of the Western Federation, as long as you’re not part of the jailbreak faction, there’s room for negotiation.”