Tonight, the king was giving his speech at 6 pm. King Michael felt it was his duty to tell his people about the importance of the tournament of the families. He usually summed up the years of his rule, talked about his plans for the future, prospects and shared the most important news of the Iron Throne and Rosarrio. It was something out of the ordinary, but the number of people present at his speech was bound to be greater than last time. It had to do with the fact that the king hadn't appeared in public in three years. All these years he had remained a very private person for a public figure. His royal highness did not even deign to attend the recent reception in honor of the imperial family. There were some strange rumors going around. That's why everyone was eager to know the truth. People wanted Michael to answer a simple question: why did he stop going out in public?

The time was about to start the speech. Dozens of thousands of Bostoners had gathered in the central square around the elevated stage owned by the Grands. The high-status people enjoyed their greater authority standing closer to the stage, with one exception. The Stones.

«How dare you come here today?! Shameless Stones!» … «Give the Browns back the money you have stolen!» … «No one has forgotten your dirty lies about winning at the party! Stephan was after the truth, and you acted like savage barbarians! It's unworthy of the first-rank family! Shame!» … «Give way to the Browns! They deserve to be up front!» … «Liars! Get out of here!»

Thousands of people summed up the mood of many shouting out their opinion of the Stones. Such taunts and obscenities hadn't been heard in a hundred years, not addressing the first-rank family. The future elite of the kingdom, the Browns, had provided ma.s.sive disinformation, and it had a great effect. Their words carried a lot of weight. They would never lie.

The few Stones who had come to listen to the King's speech already regretted their rash decision. They were looking down, red with shame. It hurt them to know that they were right but had no chance to prove it to others. It was so unfair!

Stephan crossed his arms behind his back, grinning like a cat who got the cream. His unsuccessful attempt to catch Kyon left him furious. It was the reason why Stephan had been spreading the rumors about the brazen robbery. At the height of general contempt for the Stones, the news spread like wildfire. Stephan's efforts yielded success. He could be proud of himself. Each obscenity addressed to the hated family caressed his ears. Stephan hoped that old Bai would die of shame or get a heart attack. There it was, the sweet taste of revenge!

Moreover, the elders from other families approached Stephan to greet him politely. The rumor about the robbery seemed to made Stephan look good. He turned out to have come with good intentions to the den of despicable bandits. This brave deed deserved respect!

The patriarch's reaction left Stephan especially pleased. But now Herman looked irritated and taciturn for some reason. He kept giving the Stones a dirty look, a frown on his face.

Kiyan, Stephan's eldest son, was standing next to him. He was a promising Brown number 2 of the younger generation. His vanity, pride and arrogance were written across his face. Hundreds of respectful bows had contributed to this att.i.tude. He respected his father for his sharp mind and ability to weave intrigue. Kiyan had already got over the hurtful feeling of humiliation that his stupid younger brother had inflicted on him.

Tsayan was silently standing nearby, dropping his eyes to his foot. He couldn't care less about the Stones. Tsayan was overwhelmed by the hatred emanating from his father, his elder brother and the peers among the golden youth. He longed to get his revenge on Kyon. However, this b.a.s.t.a.r.d had become the untouchable patriarch's grandson. It's so sad when life is against you...

Patriarch Bai stepped on the stage, dressed in smart clothes that looked like a military uniform. His short gray hair and worn-out face betrayed his difficult fate, but his piercing eyes had the look of authority.

Bai had arranged with the Grands to give a short speech on behalf of the Stone family. He was given five minutes as the head of a first-rank family because there was still time before the king's speech.

«What the h.e.l.l is he doing here?!» - Herman asked, shocked. His eyes bored into the hated patriarch.

The whooping crowd quickly subsided and focused on Bay. How dared he go out in public? Did he want to aggravate the situation of his pathetic family?!

The atmosphere grew tense and full of suspicion. However, Patriarch Bai was completely calm like a proud eagle in front of a herd of wild rabbits. He spoke loudly, with an air of measured confidence so that everyone could hear him:

«Dear Bostoners! The tournament of the families will take place soon. It might shatter the position of the rich and the powerful in the kingdom. Most of you have pinned your hopes on the Browns, the worthy, righteous, and great family. I want to put a little fly in the ointment and reveal the true nature of our future leaders.» - He paused.

The audience looked at each other, puzzled. The first chuckles turned into loud laughter. Snide comments and taunts belittling the Stones filled the air. Everyone found the old man amusing. Did he want to raise his family by defaming the other? Was he really hoping to convince someone? The pathetic decrepit senile should have retired a long time ago! How dared he speak out from the place where King Michael would be standing in a few minutes?!

«What is he up to?» - Herman asked Stephan, still frowning.

«I have no idea…» - The elder had a bad feeling. The last Bai's performance was quite revealing... The old man was n.o.body's fool. He must have something up his sleeve.

Bai continued after a moment of silence:

«I'm not going to convince you with empty words. It's a waste of time if there's no solid proof. I will show you everything.» - He pointed with his hand to the dark evening sky. Bright light poured up from the nephrite in his palm, forming a screen at the height of a hundred meters above.

Bai used his energy to broadcast the recording in the nephrite into the sky. He also used a sound enhancement nephrite to increase the volume.

Dozen thousands of people could witness Stephan's conversation with Bai in the patriarch's office. The special effects didn't surprise anyone. The visual formations were often used during grandiose events. Moreover, they couldn't be forged.

Everyone calmed down at once to hear the details.

Patriarch Herman slowly turned to Stephan stone-faced, a silent question written all over it.

The elder flinched and turned pale. His heart seemed to stop beating. Bai, the old rogue, was one step ahead! Stephan could not even imagine that their conversation was being recorded!

Herman was about to shout out "why should we waste our time on this nonsense?!" when he changed his mind. It would be reasonable not to disturb the curious crowd. Stopping the recording would only cause more suspicion. It might ruin the image of his family. Stephan couldn't have said too much in Bai's office.

The broadcast lasted several minutes. The mood of the crowd was changing rapidly. Many jaws were subjected to the force of gravity. The audience was shocked to the core. It seemed to have cleared their minds. People knew they had learned the truth for the first time.

The recording made it obvious to everyone that the Stones hadn't lied about Kyon's victory at the party. There were at least two pieces of evidence: Kyon had become Bai's grandson, and more importantly, Tsayan pa.s.sed out from fear when he was given the task to catch Kyon! And that's considering his advantage in the whole phase!

«So, what's your point?!» - Herman asked with a deliberately calm look. However, his face had treacherously turned red with rage.

Stephan, who was standing next to him, trembled like a wet dog. His face turned blue. The patriarch would make mincemeat out of him! It was a disaster... Stephan was about to spit blood. His career was over!

His sons weren't much different: Kiyan clenched his fists, restraining himself from beating his younger brother to a pulp right in front of everyone. As for Tsayan, he coughed blood and fainted. He wanted to die.

Bai put the nephrite in his pocket and answered Herman with a pleased smile:

«The recording said everything for me. Let people listen to their hearts. They must be more cautious when dealing with the Browns.»

«Do you really think that…»

«Thank you all for your attention. Be kind to each other.» - Bai said gently and left the stage, leaving a lasting impression on the whole of Boston.

The Bostoners exchanged glances. The first comments were followed by the roar of the crowd. – «Did the Browns lie? Could a Kyon have defeated Tsayan?!» … «Tsayan pa.s.sed out! Hа! It's pretty convincing!» … «What happened to the brazen robbery of two hundred thousand spheres?!» … «They talked about a hundred thousand. And was it robbery at all? I would never sell my son even for a million! Well, maybe for two, at the very least…» … «Our kingdom is coming to an end with these deceitful leaders. That's it. I'm packing my bags.»

In just a couple of minutes after the broadcast, the Bostoners had changed their opinion of the Stones and the Browns. Only those who continued to believe that the truth was on the Browns' side kept quiet.

Herman's hands curled into fists when he heard hundreds of cries. The day before yesterday, he screwed big time when his family was given a huge fine. Today the Stones played a dirty trick on the Brones. Or was it Stephan? The wretched b.a.s.t.a.r.d dared to ruin the reputation of the great Browns! He must be punished!

All of a sudden, everyone heard the greeting hymn. The luxurious golden carriage drawn by four beautiful white horses approached the central square.

The strife between the two families had been forgotten at once. The audience burst into triumphant cheers. They were going to see King Michael, the holder of the Iron Throne and pride of the Empire!

The king came out of the carriage, accompanied by his entourage. He was wearing the royal garments encrusted with precious stones. There was a sceptre in his right hand. The impressive golden crown adorned his head. King Michael walked slowly, majestically, without looking around. People bowed respectfully to him.

The prince was walking behind King Michael. His face was hidden under a dark hood. He wanted to avoid drawing attention to himself for some understandable reasons. Unlike the d.a.m.ned demons, Charles had arrived with his father because he truly loved him. He was the only one to notice the lack of will in his father's strange behavior, and the dark emptiness in his eyes. The prince knew that the king had long turned into a weak-willed puppet. What he was unaware of was the reason why Vlada had allowed the king to speak today. Michael would fail to give his usual speech, the audience was bound to feel that something was wrong.

Charles wished he could run out onto the stage and scream loudly: "Kara and Vlada are demons!" However, no one would ever let him go to stage, and if he made noise, they would quickly calm him down and kill him afterwards.

While the king was heading to the stage, the royal announcer had informed on the arrival of his Majesty, making everyone line up in neat rows.

King Michael came up on stage, stood in the center, took the nephrite-amplifier and calmly looked around the excited crowd.

Charles didn't have a chance to catch his father's eye, which made his heart shrink painfully. Suddenly, he felt fluctuations of the elemental energy nearby. When he turned around, Charles saw someone throw an ultrafast needle. Time froze for the youth prince. Realization hit him hard. He knew at once why Vlada and Kara allowed the king to hold a speech. He instantly realized who would be his father's killer: the Black Queen.

The sharp, lightning-fast needle pierced Michael's throat through. The huge crowd gasped all together. A trickle of scarlet blood sprinkled on the stage. The king's face froze in silent surprise. He fell to his knees and then to his chest. He died without looking at his son once.

«FAATHER!» - Charles roared in despair.

The stunned audience couldn't believe their eyes. Old men, women, and children stared at the fallen king with the blank eyes. They seemed to have lost their souls. Charles's blood curdling scream brought them back to their senses.

«А-а-а-а-а-аh! They killed the king!» … «Murder! Catch the killer!» … «Who could possibly kill our king?!» – Screaming voices were heard everywhere.

When the prince saw the commotion in the crowd, he had no doubt that the killer would easily disappear. He could not allow it to happen. Therefore, he took the lead and ordered the guards of the late king to block ways in the certain area.

When the powerful elite security forces of the Grand family clad in gilded armor heard the order and saw the prince's furious face, they immediately obeyed him.

«I could feel her! She is over there! Go after the killer!» - The prince yelled, waving frantically. He found the invisible person through spiritual scanning.

The elite guard of the Grand family reacted instantly.

~flash~

A bright blue flare illuminated the evening Boston. A moment later, the sound of scratching ice arrived. Then the guard, or rather his cold corpse, flew at the speed of a cannonball into the crowd along the arc-shaped trajectory.

Thousands of people scattered from the site of the ma.s.sacre in a panic.

The killer took off running. The king's guard rushed after her, and the prince followed the guard.

In just a few seconds of the high-speed pursuit, they left the central square.

«She ran into the building! Do not let her go! KILL HER!» - Charles roared.

A dozen guards entered the restaurant, a two-story building.

The prince wanted to follow them when suddenly a chill ran down his spine as if he felt a dagger against his throat. He turned around and saw the killer dressed in skin tight black clothes. It was the beauty from the library who had ruined his reputation for life! Her cold eyes burned into him like ice. Charles faced the embodiment of death that was searing his soul with her dangerous aura. The prince felt extreme fear to repeat the sad fate of his father and made a step back... However, the mysterious girl did not care about his existence. Her fist flashed with moonlight.

~BANG~

A single blow sent the foundation of the building downhill. A dozen of elite guards were buried under the rubble. The girl had conned them all.

«a.s.sa.s.sin… G.o.ds, I swear you will pay for my father's death! l will never forgive you! I will kill you!» - Charles cried out in hatred.

The girl turned her gaze on the prince, who was trembling with fear. - «Keep it up in the brothels, boy.» - She said and disappeared.

Charles stood there totally zoned out, then he collapsed to his knees and cried in a low wailing tone, mourning his father's death.