Chapter 488: The Cruel Truth

The conversation turns back to Ulysses. After that battle, Ulysses is forced to make some concessions to Veil.

Fortunately, Veil’s higher-ups understand that controlling a kingdom isn’t easy.

They don’t make overly harsh demands but plan to manage things steadily over time.

As for the Marquess of Nothing, he arrives in Yinxin City shortly after.

Within two or three years, the Marquess completely dominates Yinxin City.

Veil sets up its base here. Industries like the Bloodhorn Arena firmly establish themselves.

Besides the Bloodhorn Arena, there are secret training camps as well, all arranged by Ulysses within the noble territories controlled by Veil.

One of these is the Forge Furnace training camp, where Henwell once stayed.

In addition, Yinxin City harbors a shadowy force, the White Butterfly’s Fun House.

So, it wasn’t Michelle who tried to assassinate Ulysses; it was Veil pulling the strings.

Hearing this, Henwell feels terrible, his face clouded with frustration.

Nearby, Ruper sighs, “Ah, it’s all fate! Henwell, don’t blame yourself. At that time, the choice you gave White Butterfly was the best one!”

Henwell presses a hand to his forehead, “What the hell is this nonsense? I basically handed Michelle over to Veil myself!”

Ruper falls silent, then curses under his breath after a long pause.

Over the years, Ruper and Michelle have maintained a good relationship. After all, as core members of Pi, the two are among the few familiar faces in this city of sin.

Michelle helps Ruper handle some shady business, while Ruper acts as Michelle’s public protector.

They support each other, climbing the ranks together.

Their alliance is rock solid. Ruper becomes the garrison commander of Yinxin City and is also the Marquess of Nothing’s nephew-in-law.

With Ruper’s skills, it’s very likely he’ll become the city’s lord in the future.

Michelle, meanwhile, becomes one of the master of Fun House and will control it going forward.

Both have bright futures ahead, just on the verge of breaking through, when this mess happens.

If they had known it would turn out like this, they might as well have stayed with Henwell and returned to Peace Haven together!

Henwell can’t help but joke, “Flying Ant, why don’t you just marry White Butterfly?”

Ruper shoots Henwell a sharp glare, but Henwell doesn’t catch the strange look on his face.

He goes on without missing a beat, “Ah, that won’t work. That would just drag both of you straight into Veil’s fire pit. Damn it! Back during the marriage alliance battle, I should’ve forcibly taken you both away!”

“It’s not too late now. Ruper, get ready to come back with me to Peace Haven. I’ll guarantee your safety. I’ve always needed people there, and you can take over for Horace. He’s really not keen on working in my Constabulary. As for Michelle, I’ll figure something out. I’ll get her out first. This is only going to get worse, and if she waits any longer, she might not survive.”

The Marquess of Nothing snorts coldly. “Henwell, openly poaching people like that, is this the noble etiquette you’ve learned?”

Henwell rolls his eyes. “I’m not some noble lord right now. I’m just a gladiator trying to save his comrades!”

The Marquess of Nothing grumbles, “Do you even want to hear the rest of what I have to say?”

Henwell falls silent, signaling him to continue.

The Marquess goes on, “Now you understand, right? Ulysses wasn’t assassinated. Instead, the curse within him was triggered, that was Veil’s warning. Before the marriage alliance battle, Ulysses secretly contacted the Western Federation’s top brass. From them, he got a mysterious device that could suppress the curse inside him.”

“But that device is fragile and must be fixed in place. So Ulysses installed it in the palace. Even using rare extraordinary materials, the device only guarantees his safety within the palace walls. Ulysses had planned that after Archbishop Atwood presided over the transformation ceremony, he would invite him to Billie. He had set a trap to deal a heavy blow to the Veil Organization and free himself from their control.”

“But things didn’t go as planned! Who would’ve thought that archbishop would be targeted by an assassin? We’ve long suspected the assassin was from Veil. This led to a grave consequence, Ulysses can never leave the palace again.”

Only then does Henwell understand why Catherine and the other princes have been steadily rising in power since the marriage alliance battle.

It turns out Ulysses is stuck on his golden throne, unable to leave the palace.

Otherwise, how could the younger generation grow so strong right under his nose?

Henwell also realizes why Billie’s response during the marriage alliance battle was so weak.

Ulysses must have poured most of his energy into finding a way to break free from Veil’s control.

That left Vorry with an opening to reap huge benefits from Billie.

At the same time, behind the scenes of the marriage alliance battle, the Veil Organization’s shadow looms large.

It seems Veil had already sensed Ulysses’s rebellion and was preparing to strike this disobedient king.

Understanding all this sends a chill down Henwell’s spine.

Veil truly lives up to its reputation as a powerful organization lurking in the continent’s shadows.

From the moment Henwell was born until now, every major event he’s witnessed bears Veil’s mark.

It’s like a grand director, using the entire continent as a stage and various heroes as actors, orchestrating one brilliant drama after another.

The Marquess of Nothing sighs, “Ah, it’s all been for nothing. Once Veil realized what Ulysses was planning, they bared their fangs immediately. They didn’t need to drag Ulysses out of his heavily guarded palace. All they had to do was send someone inside, someone who could get close to Ulysses.”

“That person didn’t need to be powerful, just an ordinary individual. But this person carried a different kind of blood curse that could bypass the device and trigger the curse inside Ulysses. So, an ordinary person with a deadly curse, unsuspected by anyone, was placed right next to Ulysses. Then his curse erupted. Now, Ulysses has less than three months left to live.”

“Once the curse is triggered this way, it becomes irreversible. That miraculous device can no longer suppress the lethal curse inside Ulysses. Unless he gives in and becomes Veil’s puppet again, but that’s the last thing Ulysses wants.”

Henwell grasps the situation. “You mean Ulysses isn’t confining his children out of control, but protecting them. His Majesty is trying to choose the most suitable heir within this limited time and crown them king?”

The Marquess of Nothing smiles strangely. “Heh heh... of course not! But that’s a different piece of intelligence. I’ve already given you this crucial information. Now it’s your turn to pay me. So, what do you think this intel is worth?”