Orvalis was simmering — quietly, invisibly.In a secluded wing of the palace, Ken sat behind his crowded desk, staring at the papers as though looking into a trap he'd only just realized he'd been living inside all along.
The candles had melted halfway down, their trembling light casting restless shadows across his hardened features, while Marvin read aloud in a low, steady tone:
"The latest reports from Eren, my lord.Every one of the Seven Crises is linked to a financial transfer bearing Darius's signature… or one of his subsidiary companies."
Ken lifted his eyes slowly.
"All of them?""All. Without exception."
Marvin placed another document before him — dated orders of transfer, perfectly aligned with the timeline of each national collapse.Each one carried a small golden insignia pressed into wax: D.O.
Ken remained silent for a long moment, his eyes scanning the dates, the names, the numbers — every page a wound.When he finally spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper:
"He didn't save the kingdom… he built its ruin."
Marvin nodded grimly.
"With precision. Every downfall was engineered — a fall followed by his own hand of rescue.He destroyed with one hand… and rebuilt with the other."
The sound of light footsteps broke the stillness.Eliana opened the door softly, her face pale, worry shimmering in her eyes.
"Ken… Father has agreed. The alliance with Savina will be signed three days before the wedding."
Ken froze. Then he stood abruptly.
"Three days before?"She nodded faintly."It was Darius's suggestion. He said it would ensure stability and prosperity."
A long silence hung between them.Then Ken spoke — calm, but sharp enough to wound.
"The prosperity Darius sows… bears the fruit of servitude."
She stepped closer, then hesitated when she saw the chill in his expression.
"Be careful, Ken… he's not the man he used to be.""Neither am I."
Eliana left quietly, the soft click of the door fading into silence.Almost immediately, Gray entered — tense, breath uneven.
"My lord… reports from command confirm it. Darius ordered special units stationed around the palace for the royal ceremony.They claim it's for protection — but they're armed like they're expecting war."
Ken lowered his head, muttering under his breath, slow and deadly:
"Protecting the ceremony from what? The people… or the truth?"
Marvin stood by the window, his tone cautious.
"If you expose him now, without solid support, the entire council will turn on you.""I've had enough of silence.""Silence is a weapon, my lord. You only break it when the word becomes a bullet."
Gray added softly, uneasy:
"He fortifies himself every day. Time isn't on our side."
Ken shut the files with a single, decisive motion.
"Then we'll break time itself. We face him — in his own council."
The next day — three days before the alliance's signing.The hall glowed with ceremonial light, crowded with nobles and ministers.King Val Orvalis sat at the head of the long table, and beside him stood Darius — dressed in dark finery, calm and composed, the storm hiding behind his eyes.
When Ken entered, every conversation stopped.He carried a stack of brown files tied with black string.His steps were slow, deliberate, each one echoing off marble.
He stopped at the center of the chamber and spoke in a voice quiet but cutting clear:
"Before we celebrate our new alliance… there's truth to uncover.These are not accusations — they are figures, orders, and signatures bearing the seal of Darius Orvalis."
A ripple of surprise moved through the room.The king straightened in his seat.Darius remained still, his gaze locked on Ken's like a drawn blade.
Ken opened the first file and placed it on the table.
"The First Crisis — the mining collapse.Three major mines shut down under claims of contamination.Days later, the 'Dawn Metallurgy Company' emerged to save the industry.Its capital? A bank registered under the initials D.O."
One of the ministers shifted uneasily.
"But he saved us then — without him, the mines—"
Ken cut him off, sharp as a whip.
"He created the collapse to sell you the rescue.The only difference between a savior and a criminal… is who writes the story."
He opened the second file.
"The Second Crisis — the currency flood.Counterfeit notes flooded the capital, the markets crashed, and then came the 'Secure Mint Union,' funded by D.O. institutions."
Then the third.The fourth.The fifth.Each document landed like a blow — every page a thread pulled from a golden web of deceit.
Ken's voice rose slightly as he laid down the final files:
"This — this is the truth you've hidden beneath your parades of progress.Every crisis in this kingdom was another step toward an invisible throne —the throne of gold."
For a long moment, silence reigned.Then Darius finally moved.He stepped forward, calm, composed, a faint smile touching his lips.
"Are you finished?""Not yet.""Good. Because what you've shown them… is only half the truth."
He lifted one of the documents and turned it toward the nobles.
"Yes. These signatures are mine.But do you remember the night the treasury collapsed? Who saved it?When the factories shut down — who brought them back?When the poor starved in the streets — who reopened the markets?"
Murmurs spread among the nobles — uncertain, fearful, wavering.Some nodded.Darius's voice grew steady, authoritative.
"I didn't create the chaos.I stood against it when you all hid behind your walls.I didn't sow disorder — I restored balance.And if that's a crime… then I'm guilty of saving Orvalis."
The king sat motionless, his gaze shifting between his sons — between steel and gold, conviction and control.Finally, one noble broke the silence.
"The truth is… we wouldn't have survived without Darius."
Another followed:
"He rebuilt our wealth. Our cities."
The whispers swelled into approval, the tide of the room turning — drawn toward the safer, shinier choice.Darius bowed slightly toward the king, his voice silk-soft.
"Your Majesty, I hope no one mistakes devotion… for ambition."
Ken stood still, watching the hall with cold, heavy eyes.
"When the man who started the fire becomes the hero for putting it out,"he said quietly,"you are no longer living in a kingdom… but in ashes."
The king's cane struck the table.
"Enough! The council is adjourned."
Darius bowed in false deference and passed by his brother without looking at him, murmuring as he went:
"Politics isn't won in chambers… but in accounts."
Ken said nothing — only watched his shadow disappear into the corridor.
In the long marble hall, Ken stopped before the cold stone wall, the files still clutched in his hand.Marvin approached, his voice low.
"They believed him, my lord.""No," Ken answered, eyes distant."They chose to."
Gray stepped forward.
"What now?"
Ken's reply came calm and deliberate, every word measured.
"Public confrontation was never the sword… it was the snare.Now he thinks he's won.Let him.He'll make his mistake when he feels untouchable."
He turned toward his chamber, the shadows following his stride.And in the silence that followed, one thought burned bright and cold in his mind:
The throne wasn't seized by the sword… but by gold.And if this is war, then I'll fight him with his own currency.
End of Chapter.