As for the infamy, Reinhardt actually doesn't mind it.

On the contrary, he even welcomes it and secretly instructs someone to add more fuel to the fire.

Rumors like "Night battles with dozens of maidservants!" "Can open the city gate with **!" "** bigger than an Earth Dragon!"...

However, these bits of information failed to spread widely, leaving him quite regretful.

Reinhardt couldn't help but feel a wave of sorrow and sighed deeply when he thought of this.

"Alas!"

Seeing the King's sorrowful demeanor, the Duke of Silver Wings fell into deeper silence.

The Duke of Silver Wings wasn't privy to these details; the version he heard merely painted the King as a tyrant that the nobles could verbally crucify.

He felt regretful about this and... a measure of guilt.

"Your Majesty, please don't say such things. The country still needs you, and the people still need your protection."

After a long silence, he voluntarily spoke up: "Sorry, it's all my fault."

He did not blame Herbert, instead taking all the blame upon himself.

"It was my mistake that triggered all this."

Yes.

All errors stem from me.

I failed to educate my eldest son, and only because I didn't make a decision early on did I force him to take extreme measures.

As a result, a series of tumultuous events unfolded, forcing the country into its current plight.

This was one of the reasons he hadn't dared to face Reinhardt earlier; he felt he had betrayed the country and everyone's trust.

Not only did he fail to protect the nation, but he also pushed it into the Abyss.

He believed himself guilty, the greatest sinner.

But what tortured him even more was... he wasn't dead.

No one came to punish him, no one took his life, no one used his head to quell it all.

The Duke of Silver Wings seemed like a lucid observer isolated from the chaos, witnessing everything unfold with his own eyes.

Powerless to stop it, without qualification, without any ground to intervene.

He hoped for punishment, to cleanse himself of sin.

Yet simultaneously, he was unsure whether he deserved redemption.

On this occasion, the Duke of Silver Wings came hoping the King could punish him, judge his sins.

However, after recounting everything and his plea, the King's reaction was something he never anticipated.

"You?"

Upon hearing this, Reinhardt paused for a moment, then carefully scrutinized the Duke of Silver Wings' face—unable to see clearly, he squinted and moved a bit closer.

Finally seeing the expression on his face, the King burst into laughter, delightfully slapping his thighs.

"Hahaha! Cough, cough, cough! Hahaha—"

He laughed so hard he began coughing before finally stopping, ridiculing: "What on earth are you talking about?"

"How is this your fault? Did you think I summoned you today to have you admit your mistake?"

He affectionately hugged the Duke of Silver Wings' shoulder as before, teasing:

"What kind of person do you take me for? And what kind of person do you take yourself for? Do you really think you have the qualification to assume all these sins?"

After the retort, he chuckled with slight sarcasm:

"You don't, my brother, you aren't qualified yet."

"But I am!"

Reinhardt's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable undertone of weakness.

Yet nonetheless, it resounded like thunder in the Duke of Silver Wings' ears.

He said:

"I am the King, I am the one bearing the lives of all my subjects."

What constitutes a ruler?

As a ruler, one must possess the magnanimity befitting a King.

A King carries the kingdom's fate and the aspirations of his people.

This responsibility he would never pass on to anyone.

Seeing his old friend's silent expression, seemingly unable to accept this view, Reinhardt shook his head and continued:

"Moreover, it wasn't your fault to begin with, it's clearly my own error. Don't own up to the blame; it would only make me rather embarrassed."

"Hmm?"

The Duke of Silver Wings finally reacted at this point, pausing puzzled, and looked at the King: "Your Majesty, what do you mean by this?"

"What do I mean? I mean exactly what I said."

The King pursed his lips, indicating him to open the wine bottle as he nonchalantly replied: "Did you really think all these mistakes were merely caused by two idiots?"

The two idiots naturally referred to the Eldest Prince and the Silver Wings' son.

It seemed everything was due to their greed and madness, inviting disaster.

Even the Duke of Silver Wings thought this way.

But now, the King was telling him the truth wasn't that simple?

"Do you really think Terence and the others could easily obtain the potion used to poison me?"

Reinhardt snorted disdainfully, mocking: "Even if they have money, do they have such channels?"

A slow-acting poison untraceable to a Legendary Warrior isn't easy to come by as a common commodity.

Alchemists capable of producing such level poison typically aren't poor and wouldn't sell their creations lightly.

The Duke of Silver Wings realized something amiss, solemnly questioning: "Who gave it to him?"

"Heh, just a defeated opponent."

When Reinhardt recalled that enemy, his smile turned even more disdainful:

"Unable to surpass me elsewhere, attempts to resolve me with such despicable means, utterly cowardly."

"Serves him right to always be a worthless reject!"