Chapter 1037
The Swan King
For a child, claiming to be the Swan Knight is not unusual.
The title “Swan Knight” in Iris is like Spider-Man, Batman, or Superman – a mysterious, righteous, and invincible hero disguised behind a suit. It’s perfectly normal for children to indulge in the cool fantasy of being a secret hero whose true identity cannot be revealed.
However, for an adult, to still firmly believe they are the Swan Knight borders on delusion, akin to a “Dragon King’s Return.”
And for a prince – or even a king – it’s even more preposterous.
At the same time, he possessed an extraordinary temperament. His beauty and aura made him stand out amongst his siblings, instantly catching everyone’s eye. This was a testament to his exceptional talent on the Path of Beauty. It was known that the entire Iris royal family flowed with the lineage of the Path of Beauty; they were no ordinary people, and any one of them individually would inspire fervent admiration and worship.
Yet, in front of this “Swan Prince,” they appeared so ordinary.
This prince had an ethereal, intuitive sensibility. In his teens, he could offer remarkably sharp critiques of master-level artworks. Despite his breathtaking, captivating beauty, he remained aloof from carnal desires.
He left no heirs, even when he was beheaded. It was as if the Swan Knight, bidding farewell to his wife on their wedding night… Even though he was married, he remained a “virgin king.”
Undoubtedly, he was a peculiar, gentle, beautiful, pure, elegant, and eccentric artist.
A perfect creation of the Twin Mirrors, an avatar of the Apostle of Beauty.
The only problem was that he became a secular king.
Some people adored him fervently, but more envied him. Endless malice rained down upon him.
Politics is the art of compromise, yet this proud Swan King refused to compromise – he always responded to others’ malice with the most radical attitude. He was also too sensitive, needing only to see someone’s face and eyes, or hear their voice, to discern their true intentions and inner thoughts.
If the Swan King sensed malice in someone’s heart, he would immediately alter his demeanor: having giant flowers placed before visitors so he wouldn’t have to see their faces. If he realized someone was using him, he would spontaneously compose a sharp and biting poem to give to them as they left.
If someone asked him to do something unjust, he would immediately turn away; even his own relatives or other nobles seeking favors would be refused entry – he wouldn’t even see them. He preferred to write poetry in his room or sing on his balcony… like a canary trapped in the royal palace.
To him, most people were tiresome. Only the purest… artists or children could engage him in conversation.
Because of this, his enemies grew. Almost all nobles deliberately resisted his commands, and almost all officials delayed his policies – either unwilling or afraid to act.
The government’s efficiency slowed down, or rather, the nobles’ efficiency in “targeting this monarch” grew higher. Finally, the fires of poverty began to burn on the petals of the Iris, causing them to wither and fall.
“This king, too noble and pure, was incompatible with his nobles. He was unwilling to dirty his hands with unsavory deeds, nor would he even execute anyone – not even a minister who openly opposed him. He still hoped to change decisions through speeches, through his songs and poems.
“He seemed to live not in reality, but in a fairy tale.”
Sherlock said slowly.
This monarch appeared to believe that as long as he spoke with heartfelt sincerity, the wicked would repent and the good would be inspired. His worldview was entirely different from others… much like Don Quixote, immersed in his own fantasy filter. Perhaps he wasn’t blind to the real world, but unwilling to see it.
“Under the guidance of public opinion, the bewildered populace, unsure of whom to blame, gave this monarch a new moniker: the Mad King.
“– But even so, people still held some affection for this peculiar monarch.
“Because, like a true knight, he had almost abolished all national taxes upon taking office, and even attempted to adjudicate cases diligently, like a king in a fairy tale – this entertainment was abolished by his queen after he was thrice assassinated by an assassin disguised as a criminal.
“Later, he tried to conduct secret inspections in disguise, to investigate corrupt officials and misgovernance in various places – but he had few confidants by his side, so his every ‘secret journey’ was essentially illuminated the entire way. Wherever he went, he encountered only actors, and his keen insight could detect all falsehood. Thus, after only a few attempts, he lost interest.
“– And after the Iris populace staged two rebellions, which were subsequently suppressed… this Mad King suddenly had a crazy idea.”
Sherlock sighed slightly at this point.
It was a sigh of regret, but also of disapproval and pity.
“He believed that the people’s rebellion against the nobles would only lead to brutal suppression. And he himself was powerless… he didn’t know how many loyal people he had around him, so he intended to use this method to ‘test’ them.
“Just like a common trope in operas – for example, in a play about inheritance disputes, the patriarch fakes his death to see who the truly filial children are; a monarch fakes his death to ascertain who is loyal to the kingdom. He wanted to find out through his faked death which people around him were truly trustworthy.
“– Therefore, he attempted to make this rebellion point directly at himself.”
Upon hearing this, Eivass felt a surge of emotion.
Mainly because both he and Sherlock had faked their deaths before…
Hearing this sentence made him feel inexplicably ashamed.
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“I remember… you mentioned that the Heavenly Envoy was behind this incident?”
Eivass asked, “Was this part of it?”
“Precisely, the Heavenly Envoy was the second driving force behind it.”
Sherlock nodded: “The three Grand Dukes were all aware that this was merely the monarch’s absurd notion – they all learned the truth of the matter from the Heavenly Envoy. Because if the dukes wanted to seize power, the Mad King would be utterly unable to resist, so the three Grand Dukes, who maintained strict neutrality and held power over their own realms, were actually the most reliable… Conversely, without their consent, the rebels could never have reached the capital. After all, military and security powers in Iris were primarily in the hands of the three Grand Dukes.
“For this reason… they did not genuinely suppress the rebellion. And the nobles dared not imagine their monarch would take such a dangerous measure – so, even though some heard about it, they never dared to believe it. However, whether they believed it or not, they played the role of loyal subjects, attempting to stop the rebellion to showcase their loyalty and mock their monarch… it was all a sham, barked loudly but with no real force.
“As a result, because no one exerted any real effort, the rebellion surprisingly succeeded. That ‘hot-blooded youth, Louisov,’ directly captured and beheaded the Swan King.
“Later, that youth mysteriously disappeared. No one knew which faction he belonged to… Iris, caught completely unprepared, lost their monarch just like that. And the nobles who had barked the loudest were swept away by the increasingly fervent crowd – this time, the Grand Dukes still did not intervene, and people dared not move against these dukes who truly controlled the legions.
“– The problem is, who did this suddenly appearing youth belong to.
“Some believe he belonged to one of the three Grand Dukes, some think he was an operative of Eagle Eye, some believe he was a Blood Slave of the Child of the Moon, and others suspect he was a foreigner… perhaps a spy from Star Antinomy. Because of this individual’s existence, the three Grand Dukes have been wary of each other to this day… and all who investigated this youth have mysteriously disappeared.
“It is this sort of matter that the Duke entrusted me to investigate.”
Sherlock recounted the entire affair.
(End of this chapter)
