For the Acdepins, originally the stewards of the "Dignity King", the forest is dark and the leaves are sharp. In the folk stories that have been passed down, almost every act of murder, poisoning, and betrayal can be seen with the participation of its members, so the world regards them as the real culprits behind the assassination of the "Dignity King". It is said that even a blind man can see through the Acdepin's intention to establish the second kingdom of Devora. However, despite producing many talents and holding power multiple times, the Acdepin family has never been able to fulfill their longstanding wish of unifying the Crown. Whenever the throne seems to be within reach, misfortune befalls them, resulting in the death or madness of their patriarch. Therefore, rumors of curse upon the House of Acdepin were widely spread, like the eerie wind that echoes in the coniferous forest, just as their spine-chilling dark legends.
Some say that when the Acdepin males come of age, they will see their hands stained with blood and hear the whisper of the late King Demnitate, "Great Acdepin, unrecognized in life, forgotten in death," ringing in their ears day and night. Despite this, the successors of the Acdepin family still greedily reach for the crown. Therefore, when the Acdepin was overthrown, the people living on the Sawtooth Crown could not help but breathe a sigh of relief, but they did not expect that Acdepin would soon stir up the chilling and bloody wind once again.
Historians would say that Minte II of Acdepin, although showing extraordinary potential from a young age and possessing the qualities that a ruler during a period of revival should have, the credit for the Acdepin's resurgence should be given to his father, "Golden Nose" Old Minte. As his nickname suggests, Old Minte had his nose cut off due to a rebellion by his subordinates in his early years. He then lived quietly in a monastery until the time was ripe, and the usurpers were embroiled in internal strife. Finally, with the support of the people, he regained his position. After the restoration, Old Minte, wearing a golden prosthetic nose, harshly purged the rebels, disciplined the lax military and corrupt bureaucracy. For the protected people of Acdepin, the lord's suspicious nature made them revered, but those scandalous rumors doomed him to never be loved.
According to folk legend, Old Minte was cursed for his debauchery, and none of his children could survive to adulthood except for his youngest son, Infirm "The Cripple".
Since he was young, Infirm was well-read and wise, but due to his physical deformity and disfigurement, he was ridiculed and despised by his father. With the curse of his misfortune about offsprings, Old Minte spent his old age in alcoholism, with Infirm, the person he despised the most, by his side.
Stolen novel; please report.
Infirm started assisting with political affairs at the age of ten, attempting to demonstrate his abilities to his father. When Old Minte suddenly passed away on a stormy winter night, only Infirm, who had been by his father's side, knew whether he had truly accepted him.
When the church rang the funeral bell for "Golden Nose", the people dressed in mourning wiped away their tears with mixed emotions. Although Old Minte was not popular, they still did not know what kind of future the successor, the masked new head of the house, would bring.
After the funeral, Infirm donned the silver-banded hat that symbolized his lordship and grasped the wolf-headed scepter, ascending to the throne as Minte II in memory of his father. Among the common people, he was known as "The Faceless One".
While the people were anxious and uncertain about the mysterious "faceless" ruler, Minte II showed his forgiveness to his subjects. He recalled exiled soldiers, restored the honor of the army, and even put aside past grievances to marry the daughter of a nobleman who had once mutilated his father's nose. This act became a favourite tale.
Minte II also showed the Acdepins' debauchery, having numerous wives and at least dozens of children with his concubines and even private affairs with common women. Despite this, unlike his father, Minte II was not burdened by his debauchery but rather cleverly linked his desires to political calculations.
In the reign of Minte II, the army was thriving and commerce was prosperous, and the black diamonds on the Sawtooth Crown - Acdepin were shining again. The people of Devora, inspired by his radiance, recalled the "Dignity King" title from hundreds of years ago, and urged Minte II to reclaim it. However, the wise lord knew full well that the mountains had not yet been unified and suspicious glances still lurked behind the peaks, so he politely declined his subjects' request. In order to gain the trust of other clans, he sent young princes to various peaks of the Sawtooth Crown as a peace guarantee for both sides.
Around this time, rumors of a "Nameless Prince" in the palace began to circulate on the Acdepin mountain. People who frequently entered and exited the palace knew that the "Nameless Prince" was a real person, a healthy boy with big gray-blue eyes and soft black hair like a wolf pup. However, there was indeed a mystery surrounding the Nameless Prince, even the woman in charge of taking care of him did not know the true identity of his mother.
Some said she was the wife of a nobleman, some said she was a priestess of a temple, and some even believed she was a courtesan summoned to the palace. Perhaps only Minte II knew the truth. On the one hand, he claimed that the Nameless Prince's mother had died of puerperal fever to appease the curiosity of the outside world; on the other hand, he allowed the boy to move around the palace freely and personally took on the responsibility of raising him.
Like other great leaders, Minte II showed a clever, enthusiastic, and amiable side to the outside world. In the eyes of outsiders, he was teaching his son with kindness and wisdom. However, in reality, he kept the "Nameless Prince" by his side only to reveal his true self to the witness he desired after the false political performance had ended.