The king didn't imdiately announce his successor.
After a few opening remarks, the banquet officially comnced.
Just like a gathering in an ordinary household, they ate and chatted.
The atmosphere remained fairly harmonious.
As the banquet progressed, the conversation gradually veered toward current affairs, especially the recent conflicts between the western border and the elf clan, which had garnered widespread attention among the populace of the seven nations and inevitably beca a topic discussed at the royal table.
"Now, how is the situation? Is a war with the elf clan inevitable?" The queen looked worriedly at her husband.
"It's unavoidable, sooner or later. Saren has been preparing for this day for a while now."
The king maintained a composed deanor but scanned his five children seated at the table before posing a question, "The cause of this conflict: the elves claim soldiers went missing within our borders. Do you think it's true or an excuse? Brad, what do you think?"
Brad, the second prince ntioned, suddenly stiffened, hastily straightened up, swallowed his food, and hurriedly responded, "Obviously, uh, obviously, it's an excuse."
The king lifted his glass and took a sip, observing Brad, "Analyze."
Brad flushed red, choked briefly, drank so wine during the pause, swallowed the food lodged in his throat, gasped for air, cleared his throat, and analyzed, "Normally, even if a soldier goes missing, even if it's clear that our side detained the missing person, they wouldn't recklessly send troops to invade our territory. That's almost an act of declaring war, bound to lead to conflict. The standard procedure would be negotiations, resolving the issue through dialogue. But they completely skipped this step, clearly aiming to provoke conflict."
The king nodded in agreent.
Brad silently breathed a sigh of relief, casting a grateful glance toward his younger sister seated at the end.
Luckily, during their previous ga of Broken Arm, she had ntioned this matter in passing.
His answers just now were all what she had told him.
Karen noticed his gaze and couldn't help but roll her eyes, thinking, "This big fool, being so obvious! Thinking Father won't notice your little moves?"
Father's ability to observe on all fronts was truly honed in the battlefield.
"However, why hasn't the elf side officially declared war yet?" The king raised another question, "If their provocation aims for war, what are they waiting for? Sait, your opinion?"
The third prince set aside his food, pondered for a mont, and cautiously said, "Perhaps they're waiting for an opportunity. The outco of a war depends on many factors: climate, terrain, morale, and more. Maybe they are waiting for the best mont."
"It's like when you're dueling soone, initiating the fight after sharpening your weapons. Do you think the elves are that foolish?" The king shook his head, dismissing his idea, "Karen, what's your take?"
Karen had already thought about this matter and answered without hesitation, "I believe the purpose of this conflict isn't directly to start a war but to test."
"The test of our reaction?" The king probed further.
Karen calmly continued, "A test of our side, or rather the reaction of the entire seven nations, is just one aspect. They probably also intend to test the internal response within the elf clan."
"As my brother said, the factors influencing a war are nurous. Initiating a war is never a small matter; it's not just a matter of starting it abruptly. If the mainstream sentint among the dostic population is for peace rather than war, it's not a good ti to wage war. Surely, Erald City is currently using this conflict to stir up hatred among our people."
"That's a good line of thinking," the king didn't directly judge whether her answer was right or wrong but used her words to convey a strategy, "Rember, even apparent enemies can have internal divisions. Sotis, focusing on this aspect can yield twice the result with half the effort, or even win without fighting."
The king swiftly moved to another question, "So, what do you think we should do in response to this crisis?"
The third prince rushed in, "In my opinion, since they currently don't want to start a war, why don't we take the initiative and catch them off guard!"
"..."
Karen wanted to facepalm.
Isn't this playing right into the elf clan's hands? Originally, they wanted to start a war without a pretext. If you initiate the attack, it triggers their defensive counter, doubling their morale.
The third prince's line of thinking might work for surprise attacks in local skirmishes but clearly isn't suitable for political affairs.
Subsequently, the king let the other children express their views in turn.
Tisyara believed they shouldn't solely focus on the western front. Diplomatic work with the other six nations should take prioritythat's the key.
In the best scenario, if the seven nations unite and open their doors against the elf clan, they won't dare to enter.
But obviously, this scenario can only exist in an ideal world.
Their current task was to do everything possible to get the other six nations to contribute as much as possible.
Tisyara's words were comprehensive, considering all aspects.
The subsequent speakers, even Karen, had no new perspectives to offer, so they echoed the Grand Princess's opinion in agreent.
After the exchange, the banquet neared its end.
The king wiped his mouth with a napkin and addressed each child with a few words, offering fatherly advice.
Starting from the second prince:
"I never oppose your entertainnt; in fact, relaxation is necessary. But, everything should have a limit; don't get excessively imrsed."
The second prince nodded obediently.
Next was the third prince:
"Your bravery is comndable, and on the battlefield, you will surely shine. But rember, a successful leader doesn't rely solely on personal strength; you need to stay calm and use your brains."
The third prince nodded solemnly.
The king then turned to the fourth prince, pausing longer than before, finally saying, "I hope you can create puppets that can rival the living armor; perhaps they can be useful on the battlefield."
The fourth prince appeared uneasy, "That... I'll do my best."
Then ca the Grand Princess:
"Tisyara, from a young age, you've been interested in political matters. While your siblings played, you stayed by my side, reading those tedious governntal reports. Now, you've grown into an outstanding politician, not inferior to . I believe you can showcase your value in Comit City."
---
Until the last sentence, Tisyara maintained a composed deanor.
Just as usual.
However, when "Comit City" was uttered by the king, Tisyara paused, her eyes slightly widened. Though she quickly regained her composure, her face noticeably darkened.
Comit City, located northeast of the Turlon Kingdom.
It's the second-largest city after Modu and is also known as the Second Capital.
The king's words were clear; he intended to send her to govern Comit City.
In other words, she wasn't the chosen successor.
Because the heir must surely remain in Modu and couldn't be dispatched elsewhere.
This was truly unexpected for everyone present.
Except for Karen, they all doubted if there was a mistake.
If the Grand Princess isn't the heir, then who?
To avoid suspicion, Karen mimicked their expressions
, raising her eyebrows, looking "perplexed" at the king.
Directly eting the king's gaze.
"As for you, Karen, I hope you're prepared to share the administrative burden with ."
With this statent, the gazes at the table all turned towards the youngest princess.
Karen was half-open mouthed, completely frozen.
Only when the queen lightly coughed did she snap out of her daze, abruptly standing up, accidentally knocking over her empty wine glass in her fluster.
"Yes, yes, Father. I won't disappoint your trust!"
As she said this, she inwardly chuckled, "If I weren't born into the royal family, I'd surely have beco an excellent actress."
The queen sought confirmation from the king once more, "The heir is Karen?"
"Indeed." The king finished the last bit of his drink and, with his final words, announced the end of the banquet, "In the prophetic dream, the one who ascends to the throne is her. After , she will beco Turlon's next monarch!"
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