Chapter 77: Accusations and Plans
The moment Eric said, "I saw many soldiers of the Roland Kingdom," the whole feeling in the Estorian throne room changed dramatically. It was like a loud thunderclap in the heavy silence.
King Noor IV, who had been leaning forward, listening closely, suddenly straightened up. His eyes blazed with a new, fierce light.
He stood up from his temporary throne, his voice booming across the hall. It was filled with a sudden, urgent energy that made the air shake. "Eric! Are you telling the truth? Are you absolutely sure of what you saw?"
Before Eric could fully answer, Alina spoke up. She had been watching them with wide eyes. Her voice was clear and firm, even though the situation was very serious.
"Yes, My Lord King! It is true! I saw them too! Soldiers in Roland’s uniforms, inside that awful place!"
Hearing Alina’s definite confirmation, the King’s eyes lit up with a sharp, almost scary clearness. The broken pieces of the puzzle, which had been swirling around in his mind, suddenly snapped together.
They formed a clear, terrifying picture. Now, he thought, his mind racing, now, I understand.
The Spider Syndicate. That sneaky, widespread criminal group, a constant pain for countless kingdoms, including his own Estoria. They caused a lot of ongoing trouble even for the mighty Empire itself.
Their influence spread across borders, and they did everything from smuggling and blackmail to kidnapping, assassination, and many other horrible things. For years, their real leaders, the ones truly behind them, had been a secret, a shadowy mystery.
But now, with Eric’s and Alina’s stories, it was horribly, undeniably clear to King Noor IV: the true source, the hidden hand guiding the Spider Syndicate, was none other than the royal family of the Roland Kingdom itself. Their bitter rivals, the kingdom that had so recently welcomed Estoria’s traitor, Sir Karlos, with open arms.
Then, another, even scarier thought dawned on the King, adding to the first one. He spoke aloud, his voice dropping to a very low, almost secret whisper, more to himself than to anyone else in the hall,