Filed To Story: Queen of the Battlefield Her Return to Glory Novel Online Free
Ministry of Defense and presented it to the king.
During these recent days, Salvador had come to appreciate the benefits of working with Rafael. Though the investigation into Yuvan’s private army was still ongoing, he had found that his tasks were going remarkably smoothly. Ian’s abilities were far from being on par with Rafael’s.
Moreover, when Salvador praised Rafael, the latter had casually mentioned that he was just someone suited for handling tasks. Salvador understood perfectly what that meant it was a way of establishing his position and making it clear. Salvador couldn’t help but feel a touch of regret. The cannon blueprints were in hand, but research would likely take years-three to five years, or even seven or eight. Still, it was only a matter of time before they succeeded, so this small regret hardly mattered. With the six-barrel matchlock, at least they didn’t have to fear a resurgence of Sandoria or Westhaven causing further border disturbances.
“Reward him-reward him richly!” Salvador muttered to himself in excitement, still caught up in the frenzy of triumph. “Restore Sage Adrian’s title as an honorary monarch!”
“Your Majesty, I advise that another reward be given instead,” Davis quickly interjected. “Please, do not reinstate Mr. Russell’s title as an honorary monarch, not yet. Otherwise, he could be blamed for possessing such a precious item.”
In his excitement, Salvador momentarily forgot the consequences.
Adrian’s ancestors had once been given a royal title, but the hereditary line had long since ended. Granting such a title again, especially without a major accomplishment to back it, would surely raise suspicion.
At present, the six-barrel matchlock had yet to be mass-produced and an elite shooting unit was still not established. It was far too early to grant a royal title, and doing so now would only draw the eyes of the entire kingdom to Meadow Ridge. “Yes, you’re right. We’ll hold off on it for now. There’s no rush,” Salvador said, his eyes gleaming.
It was the brightest light Rafael had seen in his eyes since he had ascended the throne.
Salvador was eager to see the full power of the six-barrel matchlock for himself. He ordered the Nightsteel Guard to seal off the Cold Palace, forbidding anyone from entering.
The Cold Palace was vast and uninhabited since Sigmund’s reign. Out of kindness, the women who had lived there had been relocated to a royal convent for their care.
When Salvador saw how the six-barrel matchlock nearly pierced through the Cold Palace’s wall, he was stunned beyond measure.
“Can it also fire steel pellets?” he asked.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Davis replied. “It can, though we haven’t fully figured out its maximum power yet. I’ll have the armory chief and the weapon smiths study it further when I return.” Davis understood some of the contents of the notebook. The most powerful part was the gunpowder pellets, which could explode on impact and cause greater damage to the enemy. “Good. I entrust this important task to you, but make sure it’s in trusted hands.”
Salvador was also nervous. He had obtained a great treasure and wanted to make the most of it, but he was also worried about others taking notice. He felt both excited and uneasy. “Yes, Your Majesty. I will obey your command,” Davis replied solemnly.
Salvador flipped through the notebook again. There were some disorganized parts, but also areas that had been corrected. It was clear that the ideas were continuously being refined. Adrian hadn’t hidden anything-he had given everything, including the design for the cannon. Unfortunately, there were no blueprints.
Salvador reflected for a moment.
Adrian had always been particularly fond of Sophie, his young apprentice, Rafael, too, had come from the Pathfinders Guild. Although they both held positions of authority, they were still warriors at heart. In the event of war, they would surely be called to the battlefield. At least, that seemed like how Adrian had always envisioned it.
So, Adrian had no reason to hide anything. In fact, his dedication to research was driven by a desire to protect Sophie and Rafael on the battlefield, to help them fight and win without suffering unnecessary harm. After leaving the palace, Davis hurried back to the Ministry of Defense, practically bouncing with excitement. However, Rafael didn’t return to the Supreme Court. Instead, he headed back to the estate to meet Isaac. Isaac was nibbling on a slice of chilled melon that Violet had brought him. It was especially refreshing after being chilled, and he seemed to savor it.
Violet had just come by to thank him, saying that old grudges were now forgotten. He shrugged and told her it was fine, but as long as he was in the capital, she would have to provide him with all the fine wine he wanted.
As someone wealthy and influential, why wouldn’t Violet agree to such an offer? Not only that-if Isaac wanted to visit entertainment houses or theater halls, Violet wouldn’t mind covering all the costs either.
As he finished his melon, Isaac glanced at Violet. “Fine. Next time, I’ll come asking for money.”
Once Violet left, Rafael came inside. Isaac had just finished the melon and was wiping his hands with a handkerchief.
“What did the king say?” Isaac asked casually.
“He’s pleased,” Rafael replied. “He wants to reward Sage Adrian, but since the matchlock hasn’t been mass-produced yet, it’s still under wraps. The reward will have to wait.”
“Sage Adrian doesn’t care about that. After all, he doesn’t lack anything,” Isaac said with a nonchalant shrug. “But if he could send a few jars of palace wine, that would be a perfect gift.”
“I’ll ask for them on your behalf,” Rafael said, pulling Isaac inside and pressing him into a chair. “You only have that one formula, don’t you?”
Isaac wiped his hands on his clothing and then smiled, giving his handsome features a mischievous look. “Of course not. Sage Adrian is far too wise to give everything away at once. He said he’s keeping some back to safeguard Sophie.
“Who knows, the king might turn on us. Sage Adrian doesn’t care about national affairs, but he’s doing this. out of his own interest. Plus, by offering some well-placed gifts, the king will treat Sophie better. That way, she won’t always feel bothered and upset. We can’t hand over bigger stuff yet unless Sage Adrian feels it’s safe to do so.”
Rafael sighed Adrian really was a man who thought ahead. It wasn’t that he was.unwilling to give it, but he would only do so when the time was right. And based on what Isaac was saying, it sounded like the cannon was already under development.
These past few days, the talk on the streets and in alleys was all about Yuvan and his family. No one mentioned a word about Violet.
Violet’s apprentices were no pushovers. Not only did no one dare to criticize her, but when someone even lightly mentioned the connection between Violet and Molly, they quickly found someone to lash out at those people. Sisters in unity? Violet and Molly were cousins with different parents. Molly had married out and become part of her husband’s family. What connection did she have with the Spencer family or Violet?
As for the incident at the western mountain pass, Thomas had sent someone to investigate. It was confirmed that witnesses had seen a group of men abducting a young woman who appeared to be disoriented. Some common folk had even tried to help, brandishing hoes. However, none of them could make out the woman’s face, as it had grown dark and she had been struggling. Her hair had been a mess, obscuring her features.
Thomas was relieved when he heard they couldn’t see her face.
On the other hand, Yuvan and his household had borne the brunt of the people’s anger. The king himself had issued an edict reprimanding them, showing just how serious the situation was. People cursed the powerful, venting their anger, but they also praised the king’s wisdom for not shielding Yuvan just because he was his uncle.
Yuvan’s wounds had taken a turn for the worse. His stubborn nature was partly to blame. He refused to believe that his condition was grave. He insisted on reading erotic literature to see if he was really incapable of performing, which only worsened his condition. He had summoned nearly every famous physician in the capital, but only a few had turned up. The royal physicians had also visited. After all, he was still royalty. Plus, Ruth had heard about his condition and had begged Victoria to assign a few royal physicians to attend to him.
All the physicians gave the same grim diagnosis. The damage had been done, and recovery would be difficult. However, they mentioned that if Yuvan could somehow get Sebastian to treat him, there might still be a glimmer of hope.
In a fit of anger, Yuvan ordered Wayne and Fiona to fetch Sebastian. If they couldn’t bring him back, he would beg his mom.
As luck would have it, Sebastian had left the city the day before. He had claimed it was to gather a rare medicinal herb that only bloomed once every hundred years. He had spoken to someone at Arcane Sanctum and was expected to return in about half a month. Half a month? By then, it would be too late.
Yuvan could only lie in frustration, powerless due to his rib and leg injuries. Confined to his bed, he was unable to return to Valken. His situation felt no different than imprisonment. His impoverished estate also required many purchases.
The money Molly had brought was now all spent, so she wrote a letter seeking help from the Spencer family.
Meanwhile, the head of the Spencer family, Eustace Spencer, had already received a detailed letter from his beloved daughter, Violet.
Eustace had initially planned to travel to the capital, but the messenger stopped him. The latter explained that since Violet was safe, his arrival in the city could raise suspicions. After all, no one suspected it was Violet who had been abducted.
Eustace was still fuming with anger, and he convened a meeting with the family elders. They discussed the scandal Caused by Yuvan and the investigation’s findings-that it was Molly herself who had administered the aphrodisiac to Violet, making her an accomplice.
They agreed that such behavior was disgraceful and unworthy of the Spencer family name. To avoid further tarnishing their reputation, they decided Molly could no longer remain a part of the family.
The Spencer family officially expelled her and filed the necessary paperwork with the authorities. They even made a public announcement, declaring that Yuvan’s princess consort, Molly, was no longer affiliated with the Spencer family.
Without the Spencer family’s support, Molly became useless to Yuvan.
When news of this reached the capital, Yuva@grew utterly disgusted with Molly. However, at this point, it was too delicate to outright dismiss her. Instead, he ordered that she be sent to Verdant Monastery-the same place Avis had been sent to recover from illness and await her death.
Yuvan’s fury toward Molly was intense. Not only had she been of no help in the grove, but she had also confessed everything, leaving him in such a precarious position.
In truth, this was nothing more than his excuse to shift the blame. Even if Molly had kept silent, the situation would have remained hopeless. He had been caught red-handed and quickly surrounded by a large force, leaving him no chance of escape.
By placing the blame on Molly, Yuvan could convince himself that the disaster was not due to his own lust, which had led to this irreversible downfall.
Seeing that Yuvan was unable to leave the capital, Wayne deliberated for several days before saying, “Your Highness, you need time to recover and cannot return to Valken. However, it is concerning that Prince Harvey has been managing affairs there for so long. I fear he Yuvan stared at Wayne, stunned, and then his face shifted into anger. “So, you’re abandoning me here and going back to Valken? How do you expect me to handle this mess on my own?”