[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-reborn-king":3,"chapter-the-reborn-king-the-reborn-king-chapter-152":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The Reborn King",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},1100909,1437,"Chapter 152: Home and Obsessive Desire","the-reborn-king-chapter-152",152,"\u003Cp>Horace sat on the deck of the ship, his back leaning against a pillar as he looked into the sky. It was peaceful if he didn’t think about who owned the ship. He could feel it coming to a stop, and confused, he got up and looked out. In the distance, he saw the Ammary navy approaching the single ship and smiled, knowing he was home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Horace picked up his bag and walked towards the Captain. \"I think this is as far as we can go.\" The captain looked into the distance at the approaching fleet and gave a single nod. \"It has been a pleasure.\" Horace gave a small bow and walked off. He already knew their ship couldn’t dock at Far-mile, and they had planned for him to row his way back to shore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You two. Send our guest back.\" The captain called down in a commanding tone, and two crew members gave a nod, preparing a small rowing boat for Horace. They were quick, and within a couple of minutes, he was on the large sea in his tiny boat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sasha looked down at the small boat coming towards them. It was strange to see pirates acting like this, and she watched with careful eyes, ready for a trap. She knew from her mother the Empire’s plans with the pirates in the Commonwealth and wondered why they had come so far west. Readying her men, she had a small force go out on their own rowing boat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it was a trap, she was going to intercept it before they could get close. She made her way down the deck to the front to get a clear view, and pulling out a telescope, she watched. With a clear view, she was more confused. She recognised those who were pirates instantly, but the man wearing a suit was out of place with them.’Was it a trap? Only time would tell.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two small boats intercepted each other, and she watched as the man in his suit pulled something out of his pocket, showing her men. They gave him bows, and he boarded their boat, not before handing what could only be gold to his two escorts. With that, they turned around and left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything about it was confusing. That being said, if her men let the man aboard, he must have been someone influential. She could only wait as they hosted them back up onto the boat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Horace, aboard, gave a long stretch and looked around at all the suspicious eyes on him. That being said, he noticed one person who could make his life easier. Walking over, he gave a deep bow. \"Admiral Sasha Godwin.\" He reached into his pocket, pulling out the symbol of the Underwell family. \"It’s a pleasure.\" Sasha snatched the gem from Horace and gave it a quick analysis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing the symbol of daggers crossed over a crown, she smiled and raised her hand, waving her men off. \"Why is a member of the Underwells with pirates?\" Sasha asked, handing back the gem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I guess the news wouldn’t have spread this far yet. Allow me to reintroduce myself. Horace Underwell. Heir to the Underwell family. I have returned after completing my mission in the Commonwealth.\" Horace spoke formally, understanding how to talk to soldiers. Sasha looked at him wide-eyed. No one had truly seen the heir of the Underwells. He was a man shrouded in mystery, and only those like her Mother knew his true appearance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m sure you must be tired after your journey. Please follow me.\" Sasha made sure to tread carefully. She knew from her Mother that despite their rank, the Underwells were dangerous, even to the Dukedom. Even though she was someone who cared more for the sea than her future role as Duchess, she knew the tales of Esmond and the history of his family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How was your time there?\" She asked with interest, and Horace smiled with pride.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A greater success than I could have hoped. I was lucky that I made the right connection so quickly.\" Horace practically bounced with each word. His words caused a smile to blossom on Sasha’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Empire interests have been secured, then?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"More than you could imagine. But you should speak to your Mother about preparing. As I have said, the news hasn’t arrived yet, but the Commonwealth may blow up soon.\" Horace thought about the assassination. Whilst he didn’t have the full report of it, he trusted his people’s ability. It was just a matter of whether they could escape. \"Moving on. Do you know where my father is?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sasha shrugged her shoulders. \"My Mother would know. Last I heard, he was sent on a mission by his Majesty. If I had to guess, it was something to do with Nakhla.\" Horace let out an exaggerated ’ahhh’ as he nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then I will have to speak to His Majesty first. I assume he has received my reports, but he won’t know if I have come back yet. It became difficult to write back. I also have things to return to him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I will drop you off at the nearest port. In the meantime, is there a message I should give to my Mother? You said we should prepare.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s nothing too serious. Just be prepared for His Majesty’s orders. I don’t know how quickly he will want to begin the next phase.\" Horace’s smile was mysterious, and Sasha could only wonder what he was hiding behind it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Commonwealth Palace. Whilst a tense atmosphere always existed in it, today every servant made sure to complete their orders quicker. Have their heads lower. And walk faster. It felt heavy and everyone knew why. Word had spread quickly in the three days and almost everyone inside knew of Izaak’s murder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Konrad sat alone in a spire that towered over the city. He looked down and saw the city in its full glory. Yet not a single emotion showed on his face when doing so. His usual angelic smile had disappeared. With a knock on the door, it opened, and he looked back, seeing Aleksander give a nod. He wasn’t surprised seeing Konrad without his smile, knowing it was his true face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How is the Princess?\" Konrad asked, looking back down on the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"She doesn’t particularly care. She is more annoyed that her future husband had a bastard.\" Konrad gave no reaction to his words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What is it you wished to ask?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aleksander, unlike most, didn’t fear the man who sat before him. He was extremely wary but never scared. \"Did you place a spy on my nephew?\" A small reaction was noticeable in Konrad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not right now. I pulled off under the King’s order to keep the peace.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aleksander wasn’t surprised. He knew that the alliance between the King and his family wasn’t as tight as everyone believed, and small concessions had to be made. But it wasn’t the main question he wanted to ask. \"At any point was a man called Jedrick Mikos employed to do so?\" Aleksander watched the man before him turn in confusion, and it was a welcome sight to see such an emotion in him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mikos? That tiny family.\" Konrad scoffed. \"No. They are too small to get close.\" Aleksander nodded and walked forward, leaning on the railing. Taking out a cigar, he took a deep inhale of it and looked at a certain district.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A house under that name was found burned down a couple of days ago.\" He turned to look at Konrad in his eyes. \"That same man had gotten close to my nephew and also made anyone I sent after him vanish.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why have you only told me about this now?\" Konrad curled his fists in anger, only getting a shrug from Aleksander.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I believed him to be one of your men. But with everything that has happened. I’m not too sure.\" Konrad looked into his eyes, both refusing to look away. \"Do you have any ideas?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clicking his tongue, Konrad looked away. \"That idiot. Chimel.\" Konrad said distastefully. \"More specifically, those behind him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Piast?\" Aleksander asked, getting a nod from Konrad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I thought that, but he has kept too much of a distance from them. They did meet, but only once. Intercepting his messages is nearly impossible as well. He’s always been a careful man.\" Konrad tapped the armrest of his chair, thinking. \"No.\" His eyes opened wide as he thought deeper. \"A Mikos never went to those meetings.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aleksander let him think as he watched Konrad’s brain go into overdrive. It was always a wonder to see. Getting up, he looked down on the city, hoping for some inspiration. \"The killer was never caught, right?\" Konrad asked, getting a nod. He looked into the far west and passed the city. Finally, a chuckle escaped his mouth, and his angelic smile returned. \"That old bastard.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His quiet muttering didn’t go unnoticed by Aleksander, who looked to where Konrad was looking. He turned back to him with a face of disbelief. \"The Empire?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Konrad could almost burst into laughter seeing Alexsander’s face as he gave a slow nod. \"If the killer isn’t caught, there is only one place he can go. West.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A bit of a stretch, don’t you think? We all know that the Empire has spies within the Commonwealth, but to take such bold actions is not like them.\" Aleksander couldn’t agree with him as he continued to look west.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In normal circumstances, I would agree. But we played our hand first. Those weapons shipments to the Khors rebellion were already provocative enough.\" Konrad’s smile widened even more. \"This Jedrick. What did he look like?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aleksander had only seen him briefly, but it was enough. The man reminded him too much of Konrad in ways he didn’t like. \"His eyes were fake, like he was hiding his true self. Late twenties. Dark hair. And his voice. It was strange. Almost like an actor putting on a performance. It felt a lot like you.\" He watched as the smile grew once more on that angelic face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What about the Old Snake? Did he resemble him?\" Konrad asked, and Aleksander could only shrug. He knew of Esmond but had never interacted, let alone seen him in person. He had seen paintings, but they never did justice to the actual person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Konrad finally got off the railing and retook his seat. He leaned back, rubbing his eyes and chuckling. \"He won again.\" It was an exhilarating feeling for him. He knew he shouldn’t have felt that way about his enemy being able to cause so much damage, but he couldn’t help it. Ever since he learned of Esmond, he had wanted to become like him, to finally destroy him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was the perfect rival for him and the thing he wished to personify. Despite that, he always found himself lacking. Aleksander saw the mad desire on his face and only shook his head at it. He knew Konrad’s abilities were the real thing. How many plots against Snowid had he destroyed to prove it? Yet he also knew of his strange obsession with his one-way rivalry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We still don’t know if it was the Empire.\" Aleksander had to reel him back in before he jumped to conclusions and Konrad shook his head in defeat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And we never will. I’m sure they made preparations to distance themselves from it completely.\" He let out a sigh as he thought about all the issues he had to deal with before the murder took place. \"But someone or an organisation within the Commonwealth helped.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You sure?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"100%. Too many things happened before it. I was stretched thin. We will investigate Chimel and all his supporters. That’s the primary target. In the meantime, look into this,s Jedrick. If it’s the Old Snake’s man, there will be something. He’s good but not omniscient.\" Aleksander gave a nod, and seeing Konrad look out to the city with his smile, he threw his cigar over the railing and left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Esmond,\" Konrad spoke to himself. \"Why couldn’t you work for us?\" His voice was full of pity for the Commonwealth. How much he wanted to defeat the man and remove him from the world. Only then could he show he was better. \"To even send your son.\" He chuckled after saying that. He knew of Horace’s name, and when he heard Aleksander’s description, he couldn’t help but think of him. Esmond always hid his snake-like eyes behind an emptiness, and it seemed his son did the same.\u003C\u002Fp>",2099,"2026-06-03T11:17:48.775Z","2026-06-03T11:17:51.400Z",1,"novelbin.me","a0a3539bde77f6e76c3dd3685d204c06b556ed1db1565a875cecfe7eb976538b","the-reborn-king-chapter-153","the-reborn-king-chapter-151",487,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-reborn-king-cover.jpg"]