Chapter 1271  When the news reached Valken, chaos erupted at Horizon Estate.  Yuvan was beside himself with fury, and he hurled a glass cup across the room.  “Useless fools! 5,000,private soldiers–how could they be wiped out without a word of warning? What is Tiberius even doing? So many men went to Lunvale, and he had no precautions in place! Not even a messenger to report this!”  His face was contorted in a fury so terrifying that even Harvey, standing quietly nearby, dared not speak.  This was a blow they had not seen coming.  Yuvan’s group had been solely focused on the private army in Stonebridge County. None of them ever imagined that problems would arise in Lunvale.  Stone Village had been concealed so carefully. How could it have been discovered?  Lunvale should never have drawn any attention in the first place!  Its terrain was perfect–hidden tunnels and a stronghold backed by mountains on three sides. Yuvan had always thought that should their plans fail, they could retreat there and remain safe for years, gradually plotting their next move through the tunnels. The natural defenses were so formidable that they had been certain no one could reach it.  But that naturally fortified position–so easy to defend and nearly impossible to breach–had been taken down just like that.  The situation was grim, and Wayne spoke with a solemn air. “Your Highness, anger will not change what has occurred. What matters now is swift action. They will focus on Lunvale, and it’s clear the mistake lies with Tiberius. If he is captured and brought back to the capital, he will most certainly reveal your involvement.”  Yuvan’s brow furrowed deeply. “They are acting under the pretense of eradicating bandits. They suspect, but they have no solid evidence. The only link to me is Tiberius. What if we get rid of him on their journey back to the capital?”  Wayne immediately rejected the idea. “We shouldn’t consider that at all. The men Prince Rafael has now are all from the martial world. How many suicide soldiers do you think would need to die for such a cause? Forget killing General Tiberius–we’d be lucky to even sneak in  for a glimpse.”  Yuvan stood abruptly, too quickly–his injured body protested, pain jolting through him. He gritted his teeth, barely suppressing a wince as he sank back into his seat, agitated.  “Just Tiberius alone isn’t enough to tie this to me.”  “Don’t forget they’ve already captured those suicide soldiers,” Harvey added.  +25 BONUS  Chapter 1271  “Suicide soldiers are notoriously tight–lipped,” Yuvan replied dismissively. “If they could have been coerced, they would have spoken by now.”  Harvey shook his head. “The problem is, everyone knows the suicide soldiers were captured. The suicide soldiers are in their hands, and they can claim whoever they want as a suicide soldier. Our men won’t confess, but theirs will. And just like that, those ‘confessions‘ can be used to back up General Tiberius‘ testimony. That’s enough to brand you a traitor, Yuvan.”  Yuvan sneered. “Me? How clever you are, Harvey. You’ve cleaned your hands of the matter. Why aren’t you mentioning ‘us‘ now?”  Harvey flushed with embarrassment. “A slip of the tongue, of course–I meant ‘us‘.”  Wayne stepped forward and bowed deeply. The fire in his eyes spoke of unwavering resolve.  “Your Highness, even in old age or difficult circumstances, one remains ambitious and determined to achieve great things. We’ve planned for years and held back all this time. Now, we are at the edge–there is no retreat left. Please make your decision. We shall follow you to the death.”  Harvey quickly joined him and said, “Yuvan, if we do not act now, when will we?”  A vision of the sky griffin throne flashed in Yuvan’s mind, symbolizing absolute power. It was the driving force behind all his schemes. No matter how difficult, he had endured. He held on to the dream of one day sitting upon that throne, gazing down upon the world from above.  But now, he was silent.  He felt it wasn’t the right time.  There had been better opportunities before, ones where the chances had been higher. Yet, he had refrained from acting.  Now, with Eleanor’s fall, all their efforts in the capital had been destroyed. The private army in Lunvale had been wiped out. The Spencer family’s warhorses and weapons had not yet arrived, and all contact with Westhaven had ceased.  This was far from the right time to act.  But now, they had been pushed into a corner.  Wayne and Harvey exchanged a glance. They both thought the same thing–Yuvan was indeed a coward.  All these years, Yuvan refused to make a move. He claimed it was because he didn’t want the stigma of being labeled a traitor, insisting he would wait for the chaos to naturally create the perfect opportunity.  But the truth?  Yuvan had the ambition to plot a rebellion—but not the courage to act on it.