Chapter 654: Act 16 – Siblings V
Levyn Onnesen Siphai, the historical nominal elder brother of Princess Grifian.
In contrast to his great reputation before the Civil War in Erluin, the name of this royal firstborn has become almost non-existent after the war. Some say he perished amidst the chaos, while others claim he was a puppet of Duke Siphai and the queen, and there were also those who asserted that the princess had spared his life, allowing him to retreat into the wilderness. But just as the truth often lies submerged beneath the romanticized tales of folklore, real stories can be both expected and surprising.
After Wood’s introduction, Brendel and Her Highness the Princess waited in the courtyard for about a quarter of an hour, during which no one spoke; only the sound of High Priest Wood trimming branches could be heard. As no one could predict the intentions of the esteemed Ampere Seale, having a sensitive figure like the royal firstborn appear before the public seemed unwise.
The princess may not have wished to see her brother, and did he, as a former enemy, truly want to help them? While it was possible, he surely would attach some conditions to it.
Brendel couldn’t ensure that Her Highness was willing to compromise with her enemy. After a while, he heard faint footsteps coming from behind the holly wall, and everyone turned to see a maid leading a young noble past the leafy wall of shrubs, appearing before him and the princess.
Though Brendel had never seen him before, he immediately recognized that this could very well be the historical prince. The attire of the young man was not particularly exquisite: a plain military uniform of light purple, a long cape trailing onto the lush green meadow, blending into the afternoon sunlight, making him appear to be a knight with considerable assets from Bruglas, Magitan, or Cru, rather than an imperious royalty.
The young man had a sword hanging at his waist, but it was not one of those delicate showpieces; it was a genuine cavalry sword, the leather on the hilt worn, looking hardly royal. However, that did not simply indicate that its owner was a skilled swordsman, for his composed and calm face bore a pair of tightly shut eyes, with long eyelashes gently resting, as if asleep—or perhaps blind.
The prince was very handsome, even striking, yet he was blind. A blind person was obviously unable to practice swordsmanship, and it was difficult to imagine him participating in a series of complex schemes, let alone becoming the king of Erluin.
Brendel couldn’t help but glance at the princess beside him, who looked equally surprised. A hint of hesitation flashed in her eyes, but she still asked, “…Levyn, what happened to your eyes?”
Her tone was somewhat uncertain and astonished.
“A little mishap, nothing to worry about, Grifian,” the prince Levyn replied with indifference, a serene smile on his face. “But on the contrary, after losing my sight, I can see more broadly; often people are deceived by everything they perceive.”
He continued, “Grifian, since our last parting at Winter Castle, we have not seen each other for nearly a decade. If I calculate correctly, you should be seventeen now, and surely you’ve grown much taller than before, and even more beautiful; I often hear people speak about you lately.”
His tone was very casual, as if he were genuinely conversing with his sister, rather than an enemy. Although, in a certain sense, the awkward identity he bore today was caused entirely by this sister.
Princess Grifian fell silent for a moment, then spoke, “That is all in the past, brother. You have made many mistakes this time. The kingdom, Father, the people—all of them will not forgive you, and everything will eventually return to the right path.”
“I will not evade responsibility, but as a son, I must support my mother. Even now she has failed; Duke Siphai is defeated and dead, and I have become a captive. Grifian, you might think I harbor resentment, but in truth, I do not. I am here today not to seek forgiveness; I hope you understand this. No matter how the situation changes, I remain a member of the royal family of Erluin,” Levyn said, lowering his eyelids with a smile.
“Then what do you mean…” Princess Grifian paused slightly, looking at Brendel with some confusion.
Brendel frowned, also speculating about the prince’s intentions. He pondered what the historical Levyn Onnesen Siphai was like. There were myriad rumors about him, yet few genuinely described this royal prince. At least until now, he had no idea this prince was blind, and it seemed he hadn’t recently lost his sight.
What kind of character did such a prince possess? Was he obstinate or exceptionally gifted? All historical legends could not be counted; at least from his current demeanor, this prince was evidently not a simple character. Moreover, whether or not he had been involved in the conspiracy with Duke Siphai and the queen was still uncertain.
Nevertheless, his identity was very sensitive at this moment. As the only son of the queen and King Obergo VII, and the only legitimate heir of the Siphai family, he must understand this point as well.
What could be his purpose, aside from negotiation? But the crux was what the content of the negotiation was; what did this royal firstborn truly want?
If he wished to reclaim the Siphai family, that thought seemed a bit naïve. However, since the royal firstborn said he did not wish for forgiveness, surely he would not present this childish request.
Brendel lifted his head. At that moment, the maid beside Levyn whispered something into the prince’s ear. He saw the royal firstborn turn to him, smiling, “So this is Mister Brendel? I have heard about your achievements. Your performance in the battle of Ampere Seale was indeed heroic; even the late King Eke was no less.”
Brendel glanced at Princess Grifian and saw the half-elf maiden’s expression was not displeased but rather one of agreement. He turned back and calmly replied, “Your Highness is overly complimentary; the hero of Ampere Seale is not just one person, and it’s not that exaggerated; everyone acted out of self-preservation.”
“I wholeheartedly agree. It is because we understand self-preservation and struggle that civilization has endured to this day. The history of humanity and other intelligent races is, in itself, a heavy epic; the emergence of countless heroes is not coincidental but a necessity,” Levyn smiled and nodded, unintentionally drawing Brendel’s attention to the prince’s deep black long hair, flowing down his shoulders like a waterfall. Such hair color was quite rare in Erluin, with a hint of deep purple flowing between the strands.
“Brother.” Princess Grifian interrupted this exchange of flattery, as it was not what she wanted to hear. “High Priest Wood said you have a way to resolve the chaos in the north; is this what you want to negotiate with me?”
The royal firstborn paused, then nodded seriously.
“Indeed.”
“You should understand that this is impossible—” Princess Grifian furrowed her brow, but her words were immediately interrupted. Prince Levyn smiled slightly and said, “I understand, Grifian, but you guessed wrong. I’m not trying to use this as a condition to exchange for something; I want you two to listen seriously to my thoughts, if you would?”
“Brother, your thoughts?” The princess looked slightly taken aback.
Levyn nodded but then addressed Wood beside him, “High Priest, may I have a moment alone with the princess and Mister Brendel?”
Wood, holding his shears, paused in his work, glanced at the royal firstborn, then nodded, casually setting the shears aside and said to Grifian and Brendel, “Your Highness, I know a little about your brother’s thoughts; though somewhat extreme, they are not without merit. At least at this critical juncture, you may want to carefully consider them.”
After speaking, the former high priest of Ampere Seale gently straightened his robe and walked toward the courtyard exit.
The princess frowned slightly as she watched Wood leave, then turned back.
“So, brother, what exactly are your thoughts?” she asked.
“Grifian, as someone who was once an enemy, you must be very suspicious of my intentions, right?” Levyn did not directly answer, instead posing such a question. His tone sounded very casual, as if joking with a friend.
But this question seemed rather foolish; suspicion was natural, even between strangers, let alone enemies. Brendel knew that this royal prince might not be a fool; his statement clearly had its purpose, so he patiently awaited the response.
The princess evidently understood this too, but she still nodded, “On a personal level, I know your character, and I am willing to trust you, Brother Levyn. But given our positions, you should understand that politics does not tolerate personal feelings and weaknesses.”
“Yes, but in fact, you may be mistaken about some things. There is no conflict of interest between us; from a certain standpoint, we should be standing together—Grifian, and Mister Brendel,” the royal firstborn suddenly said.
The courtyard fell silent.
The princess was silent, deeply furrowing her brow as she looked at this man who was nominally her brother: “Brother Levyn, do you think saying this will earn our trust?”
This statement was indeed Brendel’s thought as well, but the fact that Princess Grifian used ‘we’ instead of ‘I’ slightly surprised him.
“No, this is not a lie,” the royal firstborn smiled faintly. “Grifian, you want to resolve the chaos in the north, simply wishing to end the civil strife in this kingdom and bring the country towards unification in the end.”
“Isn’t the state of the kingdom’s division entirely caused by you?” Grifian retorted coldly.
“Is it?” Levyn countered, “Was Erluin ever a unified and stable kingdom before the Siphai family acted?”
The royal firstborn suddenly lifted his head; although he could not see, he gave the impression of being stared at. That gaze seemed tangible as if his ‘sight’ swept over everyone present: “Grifian, you know this deep down. Do you remember what I once said to you?”
Princess Grifian pursed her lips.
Brendel saw her delicate brows nearly knitting together. He knew that Grifian had once met this man, her nominal brother, during childhood, when Duke Anlek forced King Obergo VI to change the garrison law. At that time, the princess was staying in Winter Castle with her father, where she met her brother.
However, historical records of that experience were but a few hurried words, and it was clear they could not include the dialogue between two children. But Brendel was well aware that what this royal firstborn was saying now was not wrong.
Had Erluin ever been unified?
Perhaps so.
Since Eke unified the entire Southlands, Erluin became a unified kingdom. But ever since the late monarch departed from this world, the end of the Siphai dynasty, the loss of the Lionheart Sword, and the decline of royal authority day by day, even during the revival era with Sword Saint Darus and Turiman, the central power over the regions continued to be very weak.
After Duke Anlek forced King Obergo VI to change the garrison law, the kingdom’s unity had become a mere façade.
Had Erluin ever been unified?
As this kingdom gradually approached collapse, the authority of the central monarchy could truly no longer restrain its disintegrating regions. This was precisely everything the princess wished to change.
“Grifian, Mister Brendel, do you merely wish to revert the kingdom to its state before our late father passed away?” The royal firstborn continued, “If so, it would make no difference if we renamed Siphai or Corvado. That is not your true intention, right?”
Brendel and the princess simultaneously fell silent because this was indeed their goal.
“The roots of your discord with the northern nobles, even the roots of Duke Anlek’s betrayal towards you, Grifian, stem from their understanding of your true ambitions. You wish to carry out reforms like those in Cruz and Saint Ausoor, trying to transform Erluin into a truly centralized kingdom—if one day you succeed, it would undoubtedly be a nightmare for those powerful bigwigs of today.”
Levyn replied, “No one will willingly relinquish their interests, so they cannot support you.”
“No… there will always be some who support me, like the Highland Knights, and those who still believe in the ideals of the late king,” Princess Grifian replied.
“And then? Perhaps you can count those bankrupt knights and the homeless among them. You might succeed, Grifian. But don’t forget, time is running out for you.” The royal firstborn calmly analyzed, “Erluin’s enemies come from more than just within.”
These words pierced Brendel’s heart like a thorn, and he couldn’t help but squint. Yes, perhaps for Erluin, reform was unavoidable, but similarly, Erluin’s enemies were not just those feeble nobles.
Every moment counted; this was what he had always been doing.
The princess lifted her head: “Then what do you propose, brother?”
The royal firstborn fell silent.
After a brief moment.
He finally whispered, “Very simple: let me become the king of Erluin, Grifian.”
……
(PS: After a long writer’s block, I took a few days to relax and found inspiration again. Ah, it’s really tough. Also, Meow girl, I’m not joking this time; just wait and see, hum hum.) (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
