Did You Have Anything To Do With It?

So, for those who skipped the last chapter, the important point is that Leon killed Viscount Kale, his wife and his children. Also, a song was made telling of their fate.

With that said, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

....

"When disciplining unruly vassals, most lords send armies."

"Give out threats."

"But House Aurellion only need to send a singer."

"Nothing quenched the fire of an ambitious lord more than hearing The Kales of Raebershire."

"A song that stabs fear into the hearts of even the most stalwart lords who suddenly turn into meek lambs bleating to House Aurellions tune no matter how uncomfortable they may find it."

"Lest they join the Viscount Karstan Kale in his grisly fate."

"But everyone agrees on one thing."

"Out of every noble house of every dynasty in the game, no one uses the carrot and stick as well as House Aurellion."

It is as enviable as it is terrifying.

Lee Smith, CEO of Emart and head of House Erendis

….

Lyra was a servant girl in service to house Kale who yawned loudly as she woke up.

The day started as it usually did with an early morning, as she had to get up at the crack of dawn just as the first beams of daylight came out from the horizon and broke through the clouds to get to work on time.

While House Kale paid the servants who were not slaves well and ensured they had everything they needed to live and even a few extra silvers for a joy-filled night in the local tavern, they had high expectations for their staff.

Tardiness was not accepted, and absolute loyalty was expected. As a result, no one dared to be late or disloyal, especially when the cost was flogging or dismissal with their family's livelihoods on the line.

As nobles go, House Kale was one of the better noble houses under which to live.

Taxes were as hard as they always were to pay but not as harsh as some lords take.

A reasonable 40% land tax on all produce and profits was charged. It did not matter if you were a peasant working in the fields or a merchant running a stall all subjects paid the same to the lord, and in return, they received his protection from the many dangers of the world.

And today was supposed to be like any other day for Lyra, and it was until she reached the castle that she screamed in terror and crumpled to the paved stone road leading from the castle to the town.

Hanging from the gatehouse by a rope, blood still dripping from his wrist where it had been cut, was the lord of Raebershire, Viscount Karstan Kale, with a resigned look of despair on his pale, lifeless face.

Hanging beside him were his wife, children and the two master fighters who served House Kale, all of them dead and swaying in the late spring breeze.

After looking on, shocked at the macabre scene, the servant girl ran back to the town, fear etched into her face, to get help.

Not that it would help their lord now.

It also allowed her to get as far away as possible from the hellscape that had become the lord's castle.

….

Weeks passed, and the news of Viscount Kale and his family's grim fate swiftly travelled throughout the Kingdom of Nathia, shocking all the nobles who heard about it, who all began to fear for their family's lives.

Castles were locked down, and men who were usually left to work in the fields while not a war to help increase the harvest for the winter were called to arms as every noble family that did not have the services of a grandmaster did all they could to ensure they would not be the next victims of whoever or whatever had killed everyone in House Cale's castle within a single night.

It also did not take long for people to find out that it was a grandmaster responsible for the death of the main branch of House Cale. One look at the injuries to many of the dead and the two master fighters made such a thing evident to anyone above the rank of expert.

It was also a reminder of the immense damage a grandmaster fighter could cause if they so wished.

The world once again understood why grandmasters were so respected and feared throughout society.

For a grandmaster's rage, as blatantly displayed in the fate of Viscount Kale and his family, was not a laughing matter.

Instead, it could become a matter of life and death, a matter that could shake an entire country down to its very foundation.

Duke Robar Rounten, the Duke of Ryre, sat in his office looking over a report that had just come to him, a disbelieving look on his face.

"Is this a fucking joke!"

Duke Robar asked, his eyes still wide with surprise.

He still couldn't believe that such a thing was true at all.

Nobles didn't just die, not without a just cause anyway.

People were not supposed to be able to kill them in their homes at will.

Especially not in their own bloody castles surrounded by guards.

But grandmasters were capable of such things.

It is why everyone is careful around them because unless you have your own to combat them, offending a grandmaster can lead to not only your own death but that of your family, too.

As grandmasters come in all shapes and sizes, from the most honourable of knights to the most vicious villains.

"N-no, Y-your Grace, it is not. We have confirmed that Viscount Kale, his wife, children and everyone who worked there that night died from the lowest slave to the most highborn guest. The Viscount and his family were found the morning after the supposed incident by a servant girl named Lyra, who usually works at the Cale's castle during the day and returns home at night hanging from the walls in the early morning hours like common criminals."

A nervous assistant said, stuttering slightly, still shocked at what had happened to the powerful noble.

"You're telling me that 300 soldiers, two master fighters and an entire bloody castle were slaughtered within a single night, and all we have to go on is a fucking two-word bloodied note found in the lord's solar and wounds made by a grandmaster!"

"IS THAT WHAT YOU ARE TELLING ME?"

The duke roared angrily.

Only a week ago, everything was peaceful, and it was business as usual.

He once cursed about the monotonous tasks he had to do daily, dealing with one boring case after another. He yearned for a major incident to occur for him to solve as the person with the most achievements would take the position of justice minister after that old, stubborn fool Leo Lochlow died.

Now, that was a stubborn old goat who couldn't keep up with the times, remaining steadfastly neutral in the current political turmoil within Nathia and refusing to take a side prosecuting people for crimes no matter their status or faction affiliation.

But now that such an important, high-profile case had appeared, he wanted nothing to do with it.

In fact, nobody within the Ministry of Justice wanted anything to do with it as it was a hot potato no one wanted to deal with, not wanting to offend whatever power had killed Viscount Kale.

After all, everyone quite liked living and didn't want a one-way ticket to the afterlife, which may include free tickets for their family to tag along to.

How generous!

No one could say they would be lonely even though it was a journey you would want to take alone.

Yet, unfortunately for Robar, he did not have such a luxury as the second prince wanted answers, and as his go-to guy in the Ministry of Justice, it was his job to provide them whether he wanted to or not.

Until this unprecedented murder that had shaken the country and even the world, it was always a theft here, a murder of some lowly street rat in the slums there that no one could give two shits about and the odd dispute between merchants and visiting nobles that were so minor they could deal with it without his help or judgment.

At times, he nearly fell asleep hearing the same arguments and excuses day after day from one nameless person after another.

Then suddenly, an entire castle is butchered for no apparent reason, and not only can anyone not find the culprit, but they can't even find out why such an atrocity that went against every convention of society occurred.

Noble families were at the top of society. They could only be killed by other noble families for justifiable reasons.

They couldn't just be murdered at night on a whim or without any apparent reason.

Especially not by someone either not of noble decent or with a position of significant power or backing.

Even knowing that this was someone's personal grudge is enough to calm people's hearts as at least people knew why such a thing occurred and would not be afraid that it could suddenly happen to them.

After all, in a political battle, retaliation for schemes and plots, especially against someone's life, is typical, and everyone is okay with it because they understand that it happened due to a political or personal conflict.

Not like now when it appeared that there was a killer on the loose.

A killer who could slaughter a castle within a night for no apparent rhyme and reason.

Such an event is unprecedented in the history of Dynasties Online.

As a result, is it surprising that these wealthy nobles, used to being protected by their social status who had never felt such fear before, would feel uncomfortable and paranoid after finding out such status won't protect them?

Of course, it's not!

This was a problem that needed to be dealt with quickly. Otherwise, the lower nobility and those without a grandmaster under their control would forever live in fear.

Calming down, Robar began to look back on what could have caused this, asking a most critical question, one that may help unravel this entire mystery, for there was no smoke without a fire.

Who had Karstan recently offended that has the power and backing to dare to pull such a stunt?

It was then that the answer came to him.

An answer that should have been so obvious, but it went against the way that person usually did things and so no one would ever suspect him of committing such atrocity that could put such fear into the noble class.

Robar had his suspect and that suspect's backer, even if he could never prove it in a court of law.

Quinten Amberguard and Kodjis Kendari, the crown prince of Nathia.

Robar then started heading to the crown prince's residence. He was surprised that he was not the only person there. Already waiting at the doors to the crown prince's residence for an audience was the current prime minister of Nathia, the Marquis of Vantarnor Winsten Lanwood, an old man loyal to the current King of Nathia, King Luther Kendari.

The old fox looked at him, cracking his tense shoulders and wearing his customary wry smile.

Winsten Lanwood had been prime minister of Nathia for thirty years now and was not a man to be underestimated, taking the position shortly after King Luthor had a major falling out with the previous one.

It was his former best friend, Fredrick Fornon, the current Duke of Qworf and staunch supporter of the second prince and arguably the most influential and powerful man in the entire faction.

Even at the ripe old age of 65, Winsten's mind remained as sharp as ever and was a large contributor to the country's relative stability until the crown prince and second prince began to fight for the throne.

Now, he, alongside the current justice minister, remains neutral, not taking a side in the growing political conflict and acting as a mediator between the two sides and the king's enforcer when things get out of hand as they have now.

The fact that the prime minister had appeared here too could only mean one thing.

The old fox came to the same conclusions that Robar did, and if Winston knew about a potential link between this incident and the crown prince….

Then the old king also knew, too.

The only question was how he knew about the potential link between the crown prince and this event in the first place. By all accounts, the king was a mediocre ruler who should not have the insight to see through such a matter so quickly.

'It must have been Winston.'

'It was always that bloody old fox Winston.'

Robar thought, for there was no other logical explanation, and everyone knew just how terrifyingly capable he was despite being a pain in the ass for everyone to deal with.

He was so trusted by the king that he even had a detachment of royal guards to oversee his protection, and even now, Robar could see their purple cloaks by the prime minister's luxurious carriage, watching the surroundings like hawks for any sign of danger.

It sent a clear message to everyone inside and outside the kingdom.

Marquis Winston Lanwood was not to be harmed, and all who attempted to would feel the full wrath of the crown's terrifying power.

It was always he or the justice minister, a man equally annoying to deal with, who gave the king suggestions and seemed to help him navigate the intricacies of royal politics.

"Lord Routen, I didn't expect to see you here. It seems you have business with his royal highness, too."

The old minister said in his usual quiet, raspy voice, so far from the young, passionate boom it had in the past.

Old age affects even those with the youngest of souls.

"I do. What is it you are here for?"

Robar asked calmly as the old prime minister's intelligent eyes judged each word he said.

"I imagine it's for the same reason you are. Remember, nothing happens in the capital without the knowledge of his majesty."

"Nothing."

Winston said the last word with a bit of bite, an underlying threat never to go too far, reminding him and everyone else of the crown's power, ever dutiful in his duty of bringing stability to the country.

"So what is known to the public is known by his majesty, as well as what is not known and hidden behind the scenes is also known by his majesty."

"Please remember to toe the line. We wouldn't want another Baron Klio, would we?"

The old minister said, chuckling slightly as the opulent residence gates opened and Vice Commander Vale of the royal guards came out.

"His Highness will see you now, your graces."

The vice commander said calmly, gesturing for both men to enter. The crown prince had long expected someone from the second prince's faction to come to find him and so had left orders to allow them to come in with the prime minister when he inevitably showed up.

After all, while some of the nobles may think that they could keep secrets in the capital from the king, the crown prince knew better and also knew who the only man the king would trust to oversee such an important matter.

Walking through the manner, Robar noticed that it was business as usual, not that he was surprised. Like most dukes and powerful nobles within the Kingdom, the royal family had at least one grandmaster under their command, so it would take more than a single rampage to shake them, unlike those viscounts and barons who were currently fearing for their lives.

Entering Kodjis Kendaris' solar, Robar noticed that he was calm and utterly unaffected by the recent events, unlike everyone else who was scrambling to discover what had happened and why.

"Your Royal Highness."

Both ministers said respectfully as they bowed deeply before two chairs were brought for them to sit down on.

"Your graces, what brings you to my humble abode?"

The crown prince said, raising an eyebrow as he casually twirled a jewelled silver goblet in his hands as if he hadn't a care in the world while his good friend Flintorus was snoring, seemingly passed out drunk, on a nearby sofa.

"Questions."

The old prime minister said succinctly with his usual wry smile.

"Questions?"

"Yes, Your Royal Highness, questions, some to be answered now, others later."

The old fox continued nodding towards Robar, a man known for his loyalty to the second prince.

"I see. I assume this has something to do with the unpleasantness that happened to House Kale."

The crown prince said with a sigh as both men's gazes hardened. They looked at him with suspicion, though it was Winston's gaze that had the most effect on the heir to the throne more than any other.

"It does, and the most important question that both of us will need answers to for the good of the realm is simple."