Chapter 60 The Game of Power

Westum City, Upper District, Iris Palace.
The Iris Palace was the residence of the Westler Dynasty, the royal family of the Westum Kingdom, and the core of the kingdom's government.
While it might not be the most magnificent and towering building in Westum City, it was definitely the most luxurious and elegant.
The main part of the Iris Palace was built 150 years ago. Its builder and designer were the same person—the kingdom's first female monarch, Queen Yuna. She also directly obtained the title of master architect because of this.
To be honest, compared to governing the country, Queen Yuna's talent in architectural design was obviously more outstanding.
After that, the successive kings of the Westler Dynasty, who ruled the Westum Kingdom, almost all further expanded the palace and built new halls.
The construction and design of the Iris Palace were said to have been based on the Baroque style of the classical era before the Great Catastrophe. Therefore, the entire complex of the Iris Palace was unique in the entire Westum City, and even in the entire New Era, it was hard to find something similar.
On the long corridor of the Iris Palace, two men walked past corridors with intricate and exquisite reliefs.
The sunlight shone, the walls were splendid, but the conversation between the two men was so dark.
"Those fools of the Skull Party! They are more than capable of making a mess!"
The leader, a middle-aged man with a serious face, said indignantly. He was dressed in a magnificent black robe with gold trim and held a pure gold cane in his hand.
If someone familiar with the upper echelons of the kingdom were here, they would definitely recognize him: Duke Norman Hagreaves, the most powerful noble in Westum.
Beside him was one of his most important allies, Luman Feyn. He was the current chairman of the Blackbird Heavy Industries and a famous capitalist in the Westum Kingdom.
Feyn was old, and the man in a suit found it a bit inconvenient to move. He had to use a cane and exert all his strength to keep up with Duke Norman's pace.
He said, "When they discovered Princess Yasha's whereabouts before, they couldn't even confirm if it was really her. They also mobilized their core forces to intercept, but they didn't expect the Hunter Guild to intervene so quickly..."
"Enough!" Duke Norman interrupted Feyn angrily. "Feyn, there's no need to speak well of those greedy and shortsighted fools. Barnelt, that greedy old rat, if it weren't for his intention to take my dear niece for himself, using her as a bargaining chip to ask for more from me, how could he take matters into his own hands after receiving the intelligence and not report the princess's whereabouts to me? I'm fed up with the incompetence of the Skull Party. Barnelt must pay the price for wasting such a good opportunity!"
Feyn sighed lightly. He mourned for Barnelt, the leader of the Skull Party, in his heart. The man in front of him was a hero, but also a ruthless tyrant. He personally said he would make Barnelt pay, and that guy would definitely be finished.
Although Feyn felt a bit reluctant, after all, he had invested money to support Barnelt. But that bastard had gone too far this time, too excessive. Greedy people would always die because of their greed, and he deserved what he got.
"Barnelt is going to pay for his greed. However, Your Grace, you don't need to worry too much. I have arranged thousands of semi-mechanical creatures in the Biochemical Research Center on Merlin Avenue. Using the chaos caused by the riot in the Biochemical Research Center as an excuse, we launched a riot, covering our top experts' ambush on Princess Yasha's convoy. According to the news from the front, Princess Yasha should have died on the spot in this disaster."
"Should?" Duke Norman sneered, "You dare to say 'should' to me?"
Feyn said, "Our spies in the Hunter Guild saw the car being burnt into scrap metal."
"I ask you, has anyone confirmed the body of my niece?"
"Well...Mars from the Hunter Guild arrived immediately after the battle. All of us who saw the scene didn't escape, and no one had the opportunity to confirm the body."
"Then how dare you say Yasha is dead? Go and investigate at all costs. I want a completely certain result, not this ambiguity!"
"Yes, Your Grace," Feyn replied, then asked another question, "Your Grace, how should we handle the aftermath of the riots on Merlin Avenue and Four Leaf Community?"
"Let the Hunter Guild worry about it," Duke Norman said. "Those guys, they don't accept my goodwill and insist on neutrality. In the end, they even dare to help the royal party! Just pretend, don't deploy any forces in Four Leaf and Merlin Avenue. It would be best if their Four Leaf branch is destroyed!"
Feyn frowned and said, "Forgive me for being blunt, Your Grace, but I think our strategy towards the Hunter Guild was wrong. We threatened them that if they didn't stand with us, they would be restricted in the future. We are pushing those hunters towards the royal party."
Norman snorted, "I don't want a future Westum that has such a group of disobedient and trouble-making hunters. They must be restricted, and if they really dare to get too close to the royal party... I don't mind banning them in the future!"
"Alas..." Feyn sighed. He knew he couldn't persuade Norman. In his view, the Hunter Guild was an organization with a deep heritage. Their history was even longer than that of the Westum Kingdom, and it was said that they could be traced back to the era of the Great Catastrophe.
Offending such an organization was not a wise choice.
Norman was a bit arrogant in this matter.
But what else could he do? He couldn't persuade this overlord, so he could only do his best to cooperate.
As they spoke, they had already walked to the end of the corridor.
Beyond the corridor was a garden.
The maids had been standing at the entrance of the garden, waiting quietly for a long time.
"Where is Her Majesty the Queen?"
"Please follow me, Your Grace."
Following the maid, Duke Norman and Feyn saw a woman sitting on a stone bench, holding a harp in her hands.
She was the current head of state of the Westum Kingdom, Queen Mayne.
It must be said that the most beautiful woman in Westum, this title was not at all excessive for Queen Mayne. Thirty years ago, at the age of sixteen, Princess Mayne, who was then still a princess, had already made countless nobles bow down to her. And now, thirty years later, her beauty was unaffected, her face was wrinkle-free, and her figure was still slender and elegant. It was as if time had not cursed her but instead had given her better gifts.
The girl of the past had become a beautiful and still elegant lady.
Every time Norman saw the Queen, the jealousy in his heart would burn fiercely. He was very angry. If he had married Mayne back then, instead of his stupid brother, how different would the situation be now?
He exhaled and expelled the fragrance from his heart. In front of the Queen, he must maintain his demeanor.
"Your Majesty, Duke Norman and Chairman Feyn are here," the maid announced respectfully.
Mayne stood up and smiled at the two of them. "Please come in, Norman, Luman. I've been waiting for you for a long time."
"Your Majesty, you are too polite. We should be the ones waiting for you." Duke Norman and Feyn both bowed slightly and walked into the garden.
The garden was not large, but it was exquisitely arranged. There were various flowers and plants, and the fragrance was refreshing.
Mayne put down the harp in her hand and said, "I heard that the situation in the city is quite tense. Is the Skull Party causing trouble again?"
Norman snorted, "Your Majesty, I'm afraid the Skull Party is no longer a problem. Barnelt's fate is already doomed. But the aftermath of this incident..."
"I understand," Mayne interrupted Norman and said calmly, "The people need an explanation, and the situation must be handled properly to avoid further chaos. Luman, what's the situation on your side?"
Feyn reported, "Your Majesty, the Biochemical Research Center has been completely burned down, and all the research materials and experimental records inside have been destroyed. The riots in the Four Leaf Community and Merlin Avenue have also caused serious casualties. The casualties are still being counted, but the preliminary estimate is in the hundreds."
"Hundreds of casualties..." Mayne's expression became solemn. "We must find a way to calm the people's anger and prevent the situation from escalating further. Norman, I want you to work with the Hunter Guild and the city guard to maintain order in the city. Luman, I want you to use your influence to help the injured and support the families of the victims. We must show the people that the government cares about them and is taking action to address their grievances."
Norman and Feyn both nodded in agreement. They knew that the queen's words were not just orders but also a warning. If they didn't handle the situation properly, they would be the next targets of the people's anger.
After discussing the details of the plan, Norman and Feyn took their leave.
As they walked out of the palace, Feyn said to Norman, "Your Grace, I have arranged for the injured to be treated at the Blackbird Hospital. The families of the victims will also receive financial support from Blackbird Heavy Industries."
Norman nodded and said, "Good. The people must see that we are taking action to help them. As for the Hunter Guild, I will personally meet with their leader and discuss the future relationship between our two organizations."
Feyn hesitated for a moment and said, "Your Grace, I think it's better to be cautious in dealing with the Hunter Guild. They are not an easy organization to deal with."
Norman snorted disdainfully. "I know what I'm doing, Feyn. The Hunter Guild may be powerful, but they are not above the law. If they dare to challenge the authority of the crown, they will pay the price."
Feyn could only nod and say nothing more. He knew that once Norman made up his mind, no one could change it.
As they parted ways, Feyn couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. The situation in the city was tense, and the actions of the Skull Party had only made things worse. He could only hope that Norman's plan would succeed and that the city would soon return to normal.