Chapter 65 : Chapter 65
Chapter 65. A Conversation Between Two, Winning Hearts
Early the next morning, William finally arrived at Qila City with his remaining forces.
At the city gate, the Third Princess, Jessy, was already waiting with a group of noble youths. When she saw William, a trace of joy flashed through her eyes and she hurried forward.
“Little William, it’s wonderful that you’re safe!”
The surrounding nobles also stepped forward and offered their greetings, genuine smiles spread across their faces.
After all, the fact that this Fourth Prince had managed to escape such a desperate situation was enough to prove his resilience.
Jessy had originally wanted to immediately host a banquet to welcome him, but William politely declined.
“There’s no need to hold a banquet, Third Sister. Father is still on the Ice and Snow Plains…”
Jessy smiled when she heard this.
“You don’t know yet, do you?”
“Father has already announced it to the entire kingdom. We achieved a great victory on the Ice and Snow Plains. The alliance of Kadiya and the barbarians has completely collapsed.”
“A great victory?”
William’s heart stirred, and his eyes instantly lit up.
Winning the war meant a large number of prisoners—and prisoners were the most direct source of slaves.
Ningshuang City had been destroyed. Qila City, as an important hub heading south, would inevitably become a key point in the transportation of slaves.
William immediately made up his mind to remain stationed here.
“That’s wonderful. The Kroll Kingdom has won this war.” William nodded slightly, and there was now genuine emotion in his voice.
That night, Jessy still insisted on organizing a small banquet at the City Lord’s Mansion, inviting William and the core nobles of the city.
Although William disliked social gatherings, he understood that it would not be wise to appear too distant at this moment, so he accepted the invitation.
At the banquet, candlelight flickered while the sound of clinking wine glasses rose and fell.
Jessy was clearly in high spirits. She frequently raised her glass with William and spoke about the good news from the battlefield.
William quietly held his glass of fruit wine and listened, occasionally responding with a few words. His gaze, however, drifted toward the noble youths present. His thoughts had already wandered to the slaves who would soon be transported here.
The noise of the banquet was blocked by a screen. Jessy pulled William into a corner, gently swirling the wine in her glass. Under the candlelight, the liquid glowed with an amber hue.
“Little William, during your escape from Ningshuang City, did anything interesting happen?”
Her tone sounded casual, but her eyes secretly observed him.
William raised his gaze to meet hers but said nothing.
Jessy took a sip of wine and suddenly laughed, the curve of her eyes carrying a hint of understanding.
“I never expected that our dear elder brother would actually dare to make a move against us.”
When she saw William’s expression darken slightly, she continued.
“Judging by your face, I know you must have encountered an assassination attempt too.”
“No… that can’t be right. You have Shadow Guards with you. Our elder brother shouldn’t be foolish enough to attack someone protected by Father’s Shadow Guards.”
William looked into her sharp, probing eyes. After a moment of silence, he spoke calmly.
“Kokoro Fortress was slaughtered by the Kadiya Legion. I was lucky enough to encounter Dragon Riders from the Dragon Kingdom and barely survived.”
Jessy’s smile instantly froze. She stared at him in disbelief.
The boy before her still had a slender frame and the lingering innocence of youth on his face, yet the words he spoke were as cold as ice, as if he were describing something that had nothing to do with him.
She frowned subconsciously.
Could such a small body truly contain nothing more than the soul of a child only a few years old?
Back then, their father had personally used a magic array to examine all the princes and princesses, confirming that none of them had been reincarnated or possessed by a necromancer. William could not possibly be some evil entity.
Yet the calmness and ruthlessness he displayed, far beyond his age, was deeply perplexing.
“Can someone… really mature this early?”
Jessy murmured softly, as though asking William, or perhaps asking herself.
She set down her glass and unconsciously rubbed the rim with her fingertips. Looking into William’s calm, unreadable eyes, she suddenly felt as if he were a stranger.
William did not answer. He simply lifted his glass of fruit wine and took a sip.
The laughter outside the screen faintly drifted in, making this quiet corner seem even more silent.
Jessy looked at William’s tense profile and suddenly sighed.
“What are you planning to do about our elder brother?”
William lifted his gaze, a faint smile curling at the corner of his lips. His tone was gentle, as if discussing ordinary family matters.
“What do you mean by ‘what should I do’? He is my respected elder brother, my family. Naturally, I should care for him and support him.”
Jessy was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter, her shoulders trembling.
“Little William is right. He is our elder brother. Of course we should support him.”
With that, she picked up the wine jug on the table, filled her cup to the brim, and drained it in one gulp. A bit of wine slipped down the corner of her mouth, but she paid no attention to it and casually wiped her lips.
“Alright, Little William. Your sister is going back to join the fun.”
William nodded, indicating that she could do as she pleased.
As he watched Jessy’s back disappear into the lively crowd, the smile on his face slowly faded. The fingers holding his wine glass tightened slightly, and a trace of cold light flickered in his eyes—unnoticed by anyone.
The banquet’s noise continued, but William had no intention of staying any longer.
He quietly left the hall, walked through the silent corridor, and first went to Tos and the other knights’ quarters.
When he pushed the door open, the heavy smell of blood and medicine rushed out.
Most of the knights were sitting against the edges of their beds or on the floor. Some were bandaging their wounds, while others rested with their eyes closed. When they saw William enter, they struggled to stand and salute, but he stopped them.
“No need for formalities. Rest well.”
William’s voice was very gentle. He walked to each bedside and examined their wounds.
Tos’s left arm was wrapped in thick bandages stained with blood.
Another knight had suffered a magical injury to his shoulder blade, causing pain whenever he moved. Several others had already fallen unconscious.
William frowned slightly and asked about their recovery. He reminded them to take their medicine on time.
Before leaving, he placed down a heavy pouch of coins and more than a dozen High-Grade Healing Potions glowing with a soft light.
“Take these. Divide the gold coins among yourselves. Don’t be stingy with the potions—recover as quickly as possible.”
“Later, I’ll send some maids to take care of your daily needs, especially for those knights who are unconscious.”
The knights looked at the potions, gratitude appearing in their eyes.
High-Grade Healing Potions were extremely expensive, yet His Highness had given them so generously.
Tos struggled to sit upright and said in a deep voice, “Your Highness can rest assured. We will not fail your trust.”
William nodded without saying anything further and left the room.
He then went to the slaves’ quarters.
Several remote rooms housed the thirty-eight slaves, with several of them sharing each room. The air was filled with the smell of sweat and blood.
When they saw William enter, the slaves immediately knelt to the ground, not daring to raise their heads.
“Stand up,” William said calmly.
He walked forward and carefully observed them. Then he took out thirty-eight High-Grade Healing Potions from his robe and distributed them.
“These are High-Grade Healing Potions. Drink them. Your injuries will heal quickly.”
“Losing a limb is not something to fear. Do not lose confidence in yourselves.”
“As long as you break through to Gold Knight-level combat strength, I will reward you with potions capable of regenerating severed limbs.”
The slaves trembled slightly as they held the potions in their hands. Their voices choked with emotion.
“Th… thank you, Master, for your generosity.”