Berserk: The Prophet

Green was suddenly startled; this was an open conspiracy!

The Grand Duke is about to take action against Gurunberdo!!

You have to understand, what methods hasn't China used in its three thousand years of history? This is a blatant, overt scheme, a replica of the "Two Peaches Kill Three Warriors" plot!

Green looked at Glenn Belluddo, Heikell, and Edward with a sense of foreboding.

The plan went smoothly; no matter how they argued, none of the three of them could escape!

Sure enough, Edward let out a cry that sounded almost like a wail in the hall, “To give my mother to…! Beren’s wife?”

Edward felt a tightness in his chest. His already fragile pride shattered instantly. He was already inferior to Glenn Belludo, like a shadow, and now, his brother, whom he considered as close as a sworn brother, was actually going to be his father!

What man could accept this?! Damn it... Has his bastard father lost his mind?! He won't allow it!!

"Wait, who is Hickel's fiancé...?" Edward gripped the messenger's shoulders tightly.

Seemingly somewhat guilty, the envoy stammered, "It's...it's the eldest son of the Olsen family."

"The eldest son of the Olsen family?!" Edward's face was filled with disbelief.

Was that bastard who always bullied him as a child because of Folda's scandal?! Damn it!! He absolutely wouldn't allow it!!

Edward was instantly enraged, like a mad peregrine falcon, his only right eye seemingly spitting fire. "This is absolutely impossible! This is a conspiracy, a blatant conspiracy!" His voice echoed in the hall, filled with anger and resentment.

Hickel's face also turned extremely pale. She bit her lip tightly, her eyes revealing determination. "I will never accept such an arrangement!"

Gurunberdo sat in his chair, his hands clenched into fists, knuckles white. He tried to calm himself down and think of a solution.

Green was extremely anxious; he knew the complexity and danger of the situation. "We must find a way to deal with this; we can't just let ourselves be manipulated like this."

The envoy appeared somewhat frightened amidst the crowd's anger, but still managed to maintain his composure. "This is the Grand Duke's decree, and it cannot be disobeyed."

"Can't we defy them?" Edward roared. "We risked our lives for this country, and this is how we get treated?"

The atmosphere in the hall was extremely tense, filled with anger and anxiety. They knew that this was a huge crisis, and the consequences of any misstep would be unimaginable.

Edward, who is usually calm and collected, rarely loses control like this.

Besides them, Princess Furda was also present. When they arrived at the hall, the envoy had not yet arrived. Princess Furda was also a little puzzled, so she followed.

As a member of the royal family, Edward quickly realized what Grand Duke Hokun was up to; that old man had actually used royal methods here!

Damn it! Damn it!!

Are you going to take even what he has left? Bastard!

No wonder Madwood follows him around all day; he really thinks he's a fool!

This is exploitation, and even more so, provocation!

It was one thing for him to never care about his existence, but now he was even going to take away what he had. A terrifying look appeared in Edward's sharp eyes.

The messenger was terrified and felt a chill run down his spine. Heckler, feeling cold all over, still used his icy hands to pull Edward's hand away from the messenger's shoulder.

"...Hickel?"

Edward had gradually calmed down, and his crazed and unfocused eyes looked at Hickel as he came back to his senses.

"Why are your hands so cold, Hickel?" Edward held Hickel's hands tightly, as if the tenderness hidden deep in his heart was about to leave him.

He knew that Hickel was feeling just as uneasy as he had been. How could childhood sweethearts not know each other's inner thoughts at this moment?

Hickel didn't answer, but simply shook his head at Edward, his light blue eyes more melancholy than ever before, filled with sadness and confusion.

Edward's heart skipped a beat, but he quickly regained his composure. "I apologize, Your Excellency. I lost my composure just now. Please rest in the Dragon's Nest for the time being."

"Yes...yes," the messenger replied tremulously, then hurriedly left this place that seemed ready to devour people at any moment.

Edward held Hickel's hand tightly in his palm, trying to warm it again, just as Hickel had comforted him when he was a child.

Edward had never hated his powerlessness as much as he did now, and he had never longed for power so much.

In contrast, Folda, though somewhat surprised, gazed at Gurunberdo with seemingly affectionate eyes.

The moment Edward turned around, he noticed the change in Folda's face. His sharp eyes became even more gloomy, and his thoughts became even more unpredictable.

He knew perfectly well that this was He Kun's scheme, but the Grand Duke was, after all, his biological father, and for a moment he didn't know what to do. On one hand was the person he had been determined to protect since that time, and on the other hand was his blood relative who longed to be recognized by him.

Damn it... and judging from Gurunberdo's stupid look, he probably has no idea what happened.

Should we use the Grand Duke to get rid of him? A terrible thought actually sprouted in my mind.

No, Grand Duke Hekun doesn't just want to get rid of Gurenberdo now, does he? He also wants to use him, otherwise why would Hikel be suddenly arranged into such a marriage?!

The so-called "bowing down to take a wife" means that the king gives his wife or mistress to a servant. This is something that only kings in polygamous systems would come up with!

Although it was intended to strengthen the relationship between the ruler and his subjects, in reality, it was just a means to eliminate the royal family members who were a thorn in their side, and there were precedents for this.

However, from the perspective of ordinary people, this matter has a different meaning: it means that the king is preparing to abdicate.

If Edward hadn't known that Hickel's fiancé was the eldest son of the Olsen family, and if Edward hadn't confessed his feelings to Hickel just a few nights ago, he would have really thought that Hokun was planning to give way to Gurenberu.

He Kun's plan is truly malicious; is he trying to drive his only son, who can be considered normal, insane?

Edward narrowed his eyes. He had never imagined that Hokun's intentions were even more malicious than he had thought. Truly, he was a product of the filthy bloodline of royalty. However... Edward admitted that he had almost gone mad just now.

"I must not let Heechul become a victim of this game of power," Edward vowed to himself.

He decided to sabotage the wedding, even if it meant going against his own father, but he had to do it according to plan.

Edward, regaining his composure, began to plan in his mind. He knew that the only way to protect Hikel was to expose Hokun's conspiracy, but if he decided to go against the Grand Duke, he would have to discard some unnecessary things.

Although he had once fantasized about the crown, he could tell from He Kun's face that it would be a path devoid of love, and everything he would do in the future... including marriage and love, would be for political purposes.

Power is both control and a shackle.

What he truly craved was clearly not something that left his heart empty; what he wanted from beginning to end was love that could fill his soul... that was Heike.

How could the offspring of a venomous snake not know the methods of their kind? Although he didn't want to admit it, he couldn't deceive himself into making excuses for He Kun right now.

More than the crown, he craved freedom. He didn't know what Hickel was thinking, but he wanted to take her away, away from this noisy place. He was capable enough, and the two of them were skilled enough to protect themselves. They could travel light and take some property, enough to buy a manor across a continent.

If Hickel were with him, he would rather be a farmer who only knows how to till the land.

Although Gurenbeldo is not of royal birth, if the Grand Duke were to abdicate and Fulda were to temporarily assume the regency, it wouldn't be impossible for Gurenbeldo, as the leader of the Knights, to rise to that position with the approval of the military and the High Priest.

Moreover, Gulen Belludo is deeply loved by the local people of Grant's faith.

"...Anyway, let's discuss this with General Kirsten first." Gurenbelud ignored the tenderness in Folda's eyes; he couldn't quite explain what he was thinking. He wasn't someone who understood love, but he didn't want to rush into marriage either. Right now, he only felt somewhat lost and at a loss.

All Gulenberudo wanted at that moment was to see the girl named Benedict.

"If you feel lost, come find me." The girl's words echoed in Gurenbeludo's mind.