Deposed Crown Prince: After three years of service on the frontier, the entire court knelt and begge

"So, you were convinced? You betrayed the Illuminati, you betrayed me?"

Viktor King's tone was no longer furious, but filled with deep weariness and inquiry.

“We have not betrayed the Illuminati’s ideal of enlightenment, if it still exists. I vaguely remember that the Illuminati’s ideal was to support some people.”

"Then, the nobles were asked to use their achievements to help ordinary people change their lives... This was indeed something that people did before... and followed this practice... But as time went on, everything seemed to change... This belief no longer seemed to be mentioned... Everyone had betrayed their original intentions..."

Jack looked directly into Victor King's eyes. "We just... don't want to be tools for crushing the innocent, and ultimately, for ourselves."

We saw another possibility, a way of life that was...less cold and hopeless. Ms. Morgana let us leave, but I was the only one who returned. The others volunteered to stay at the camp; they wanted to spend the rest of their lives proving whether this 'way of life' truly existed.

Viktor King fell silent. Only heavy breathing filled the tent.

The news Jack brought was not only about the destruction of the scout team and the escape of the refugees, but also a violent blow to the very foundation of their beliefs.

“So…” Victor King began slowly, “You came back just to tell me this? To tell me that my scout squadron was moved to defect?”

“No, President.” Jack bowed slightly.

"Firstly, I'm here to deliver a message from Ms. Morgana."

She asked me to tell her that a cornered beast's struggle is not the act of a brave person.

You are in dire straits. Will the Light forgive this defeat? If you still wish to find a way to survive for yourself and those who follow you, then come alone with me to the place she has designated to see him. He will give you a satisfactory explanation…”

"Secondly, you have been kind to me, and no matter how much I don't support your decision... I can only repay this kindness with my life... Therefore, whatever you decide, I will follow you to the end..."

"She's sending me alone?!" Victor King frowned and said sharply, "What does she want? To lure me to my death? Or is she trying to persuade me to surrender, just like she did with you?"

“I don’t know, Vice President,” Jack answered honestly.

"That's all Ms. Morgana said. But I can assure you that, based on everything I just witnessed, she is not the kind of person who would betray her trust and set a trap to kill someone."

If she wanted to kill you, my brothers and I would never have left the camp alive, let alone sent me back alone to deliver the message. What she's giving you is an opportunity to talk. An opportunity that could change everyone's fate.

The aides standing nearby, hearing these words, seemed less than willing...

"If he wants to speak with Chairman Viktor, he can just come to you directly. If Chairman Viktor agrees to the conditions he proposes, then it's acceptance; if he doesn't agree, then it's rejection... isn't that enough?"

"The insistence on having someone go there suggests something fishy is going on..."

After one of the aides spoke up, the others chimed in, and then expressed their agreement...

"That's right, that's right... Vice President Victor, you absolutely mustn't go... It will be extremely dangerous there..."

At that moment, after hearing Viktor King's words, the staff members muttered to themselves with conflicted expressions, "Change fate?"

He recalled their previous discussions: the slim hope of seeking help from Sean, the suicidal nature of returning to report, and the fact that fleeing would solidify their reputation as rebels.

It seems that no matter which choice you make, the path ahead leads to an abyss.

Morgana's invitation was like a vine hanging from a precipice, seemingly fragile yet radiating a unique light and hope.

Watching Viktor King mutter to himself, everyone around him held their breath...

Viktor King fell into deep thought, weighing the pros and cons.

A moment later, a resolute glint appeared in his eyes...

"Alright!" Victor King said in a deep voice.

"I'm going to meet this Morgana, the scout captain I trust most who has turned against me! Let's see what kind of 'way out' she's talking about."

"Chairman! You mustn't!" Several aides exclaimed in alarm and immediately tried to dissuade him!

"This is a trap! She has definitely set an ambush! You must not risk your life!"

"Yes, President, who knows what that woman's intentions are? It's too dangerous for you to go alone!"

Victor King raised his hand to stop everyone, saying, "It's alright, this isn't necessarily a bad path... If he wanted to kill me, he would have had all sorts of ways, and obviously wouldn't have chosen this one... Since he chose this path, it means he might have other concerns..."

As he spoke, he looked sharply at Jack: "Jack, tell me, where is the camp? How is it defended? How long will it take me to get there alone?"

Jack said to Victor King, "Morgana isn't far away. It's not where their current base is, but not far from here, to the northwest, deep in Eagle's Beak Valley. Although I'm sending you alone, I'm permitted to go with you..."

The advisors standing nearby didn't seem to trust Jack, who had already betrayed him...

“No need to say anything more.” Victor King interrupted them before they could speak, his tone leaving no room for argument. “My mind is made up. If she is sincerely negotiating, this is my only way out. If she is setting an ambush…”

"Hmph, I, Victor King, have lived a life of triumph and I am not one to sit idly by and wait to die! Even if I die, I'll see what tricks she has up her sleeve!"

He abruptly stood up, unsheathed his sword, and slammed it heavily on the table in front of him. "My sword remains here! Captain of the Guard!"

"Yes, sir!" The head of the personal guards, who had been waiting outside the tent, immediately responded and entered.

Victor King stared into his eyes and commanded, word by word, "Listen! If I haven't returned in two days, or received any news of me... you will immediately lead all your personal guards to escort these gentlemen..."

His gaze swept over his loyal advisors. "You all leave here first. Go to our Victor Island, pick up our families, take my accumulated wealth, and leave... go to East Asia... I've heard there are quite a few Westerners there too... My wealth is enough to keep you rich for generations..."

Viktor King paused for a moment, then continued, "I have only one request... that if I... don't return, you will be my last remaining flame! Support our Viktor clan!"

He took a deep breath, his tone softening, carrying a hint of weariness and relief, "If I could come back... perhaps, the fate of all of us would be different."

The staff members were surprised and taken aback, and also touched, upon hearing Viktor King's words...

After Victor King finished speaking, he glanced at Jack beside him...

"Let's go!"

His staff tried to follow, but Viktor King told them, "Maintain the situation and act like nothing's wrong. If anyone asks about me, say I've gone to gather intelligence..."

Jack looked at them firmly and said, "Don't worry, I will definitely bring the Vice President back safely..."

Viktor King's personal guards had already selected a strong and sturdy horse for him...

Jack had already changed into a fine horse, and the two of them, one in front of the other, headed down a small path hidden in the mountain valley.

The night wind was biting. Jack led the way, with Victor King following behind.

Jack didn't even turn around to check, after all, he had always believed that this was a good thing for Victor King...

Victor King followed Jack on the bumpy mountain road for almost an hour.

Because the paths were all narrow, the usually dignified vice president of the Illuminati appeared somewhat disheveled.

Finally, the outline of Eagle's Beak Valley in the distance gradually became clear, and a cluster of wooden houses built against the mountain formed a hidden campsite.

Contrary to his expectations of a heavily guarded scene, only two men dressed in coarse cloth stood outside the camp. One was leaning against an old locust tree, smoking a pipe, while the other was fiddling with a dagger at his waist.

When they rode over on horseback, he merely glanced up casually, without even getting up to question them.

"We've arrived." Jack was the first to pull on the reins, and his horse snorted. He dismounted swiftly, clearly very familiar with the place.

Viktor King hesitated for a moment before awkwardly jumping off his horse. He stumbled as he landed, losing his balance.

He subconsciously gripped the short pistol hidden in his sleeve, which he had specially asked his guards to prepare before he left. But touching the cool metal casing, his unease did not lessen at all.

After all, he knew perfectly well that his weapon wouldn't be of much use here...

After dismounting, Viktor King looked around and found that the area was not exactly secure.

"Ms. Morgana doesn't like to make a show of things. It looks relaxed here, but there are eyes watching from the shadows."

Jack seemed to read his mind, and while leading him toward the camp, he whispered a reminder!

“Vice President, you’d better not have any ulterior motives. Here, we can’t hide our every move from her.”

"Vice President, as long as you listen to me, even if her demands don't meet your expectations, I promise I'll take you with me..."

Victor King nodded in agreement: "Okay... I understand. This is actually a camp?"

Jack nodded: "It's more of an outpost, not their main base... I heard they plan to build a road connecting the mountains, which will allow them to move freely through the forests..."

Viktor King nodded in agreement and didn't ask any more questions, feeling more shocked than anything else.

I just followed Jack inside.

The scene at the camp hidden in the valley surprised him.

The dirt road was swept clean, wild chrysanthemums were placed on the windowsills of several wooden houses, and occasionally you could hear women coaxing children in soft voices, and a few half-grown children chasing and playing around the wooden fence, their laughter crisp and clear.

This didn't resemble a refuge for displaced people at all; it was more like a peaceful little village, completely different from the ragged and filthy displaced people camps he remembered.

After walking for about half an incense stick's time, they stopped in front of a wooden house that was slightly larger than the surrounding area.

The door of the wooden house was made of wood from the mountains and forests, and a blue cloth curtain hung at the entrance.

At this moment, a girl was standing at Morgana's door. The girl was none other than Luna.

When Luna saw Jack and Victor King, her expression didn't seem too surprised.

If Luna had seen Victor King, the Western president of the Illuminati, before, she would have been incredibly shocked...

However, seeing Viktor King's travel-worn appearance, Luna understood even more deeply the importance of true justice and equality...

Little Luna greeted the receptionist, "Jack, you've finally arrived..."

He then bowed slightly to Viktor King, saying, "Mr. Viktor King, Ms. Morgana has been waiting inside for quite some time..."

Viktor Jin glanced at Luna but didn't respond. He took a breath, suppressed his anxiety, and stepped inside.

The furnishings inside were very simple, with only a wooden table with a missing corner, a few simple chairs, and a few bundles of hay piled in the corner with a coarse cloth mat on top.

Morgana was sitting behind the table, holding a yellowed map in her hand, her fingertips lightly sliding across it.

Hearing footsteps, she slowly raised her head and saw Morgana, but her face showed no surprise whatsoever.

A faint smile played at the corners of his lips, as if he were casually greeting an old friend he hadn't seen in a long time: "Vice President Viktor, you must have had a long journey. The mountain roads must have been difficult."

Viktor King didn't dare sit down, remaining upright with his hands behind his back, trying to maintain his composure: "What exactly do you want by sending someone to invite me here? If you're trying to persuade me to betray the Illuminati, don't waste your time."

Morgana put down the map in her hand, pointed to the chair opposite her, and said in a tone that was somewhat casual but also carried an undeniable power: "Vice President, please sit down. It's tiring to talk while standing. In your current situation, you have no right to talk tough to me! After all, you're not even sure if you can save your own life right now."

Morgana paused for a moment, then continued, "And also, betraying the Illuminati... You actually betrayed the Illuminati a long time ago, didn't you? The Illuminati of the past, or the Illuminati of today?"

As she spoke, Morgana looked intently at Viktor King.

Viktor King was completely taken aback by Morgana's question...

I was speechless for a moment, unsure how to respond.