[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-reborn-king":3,"chapter-the-reborn-king-the-reborn-king-chapter-341":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},1100998,1437,"Chapter 341: A Final Chance","the-reborn-king-chapter-341",341,"\u003Cp>Horace scanned the halls as he walked, holding the tray of tea. Trying to find where Oskar was was like finding a needle in a haystack. He had a rough idea where high-ranking visitors were kept, but walking into random ways was a surefire way to get himself killed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guards stood outside many of the rooms. If finding Oskar was a hard task, all he could do was use his surroundings to narrow down the options. Looking at the guards, it wasn’t obvious if they belonged to the Royal family or a random noble, but there were signs. Some had different postures, showing the difference in their training. The armour differed, some having exceptionally high quality and others standard plated armour.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Horace watched them. The best quality armour could only be for the royal family or the Laskas, which narrowed things down, but it was not enough. The guards watched him like hawks. This was the lion’s den right now. One wrong move and he was gone. It was a risk to even see Oskar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking ahead, Horace nearly stopped and frowned. From ahead, he saw one of his people walking towards him with a flat expression. He didn’t expect anything to get this far. The two made eye contact and instantly recognised each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Oskar.’Horace mouthed to the man. Like a natural twitch, he subtly flicked his head backwards. The two passed each other without arousing suspicion from those around them. Horace walked a little quicker. Looking at the guards, he saw the ones he was looking for.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A posture that differed from the other guards wearing high-quality armour, but they had their own. Stopping outside the door, the guards looked him over. Horace didn’t show any emotion and kept his back straight like a perfect servant. He carefully moved his arms to avoid his hidden weapons being revealed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a nod between the two, they knocked on the door. \"Enter,\" Oskar called out, and the guards let Horace in. Oskar looked up, and his eyes instantly went wide from shock. Horace prepared his weapons. All it would take was for Oskar to call out for him to get caught. It was obvious Oskar toyed with the idea in his mind, his mouth opening and closing. Eventually, he sighed and, seeing the door closed, offered the seat before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hello, Oskar,\" Horace said, devoid of any warmth. Pouring the tea for the two, Oskar chuckled at how perfectly he could disguise himself as a servant. He lacked some technique needed to fool someone like him, but he was good enough to fool most nobles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Playing butler now.\" Oskar picked up the tea and sniffed it, as did Horace. The two looked at one another, neither daring to take the first sip. Silence followed, and the two genuinely chuckled with Oskar taking the first sip. \"I’m surprised you got in. I didn’t want to call the guards and ruin it yet. I mean, it’s unbelievable.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A few had to get caught for it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So that was the reason for the bells.\" Oskar sighed and leaned back, \"You chose a good time. A lot of the peasants have been climbing the fence in protest against the war.\" Oskar took another sip and watched Horace. \"Why are you here?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You broke the rules, Oskar. I remember asking for you not to tell anyone about our meeting.\" Oskar shrugged in reply, making Horace smile, \"But I don’t care. If you won’t meet me, I will simply come to you. After all. That much is simple for me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don’t doubt it.\" Oskar leaned forward, his eyes going cold. \"But seeing as how you’re here and my uncle didn’t return...\" Oskar paused and took a deep breath. \"Did you kill him?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Horace put his hand on his chest in an exaggerated manner as if offended, \"I can’t believe you would think I could do something like that. No, I just knocked him unconscious and dumped him on the road. He’s fine, and if anything happens, it wasn’t me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oskar smiled and took another sip of tea. \"So are you here to make the offer again?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oskar. I broke into the Palace for this. Are you not even tempted?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No,\" Oskar said quickly, but Horace watched his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are you sure?\" Horace asked again and paid close attention to his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m sure.\" Once again, Oskar blinked two times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’He’s lying. I need to be sure.’\"Okay.\" Horace looked at Oskar, \"So you’re fine if I kill you? And your uncle.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Didn’t you just ask me how I could assume you killed my uncle?\" Oskar said mockingly, but Horace didn’t smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Deflecting.’Horace stared him in the eyes, \"This isn’t a joke, Oskar. I will kill you if I deem you a threat to the Empire. Your guards. You can call for help, but I guarantee I will get to you first.\" Oskar crossed his arms and looked at Horace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Do it then. I’ll die happy, knowing it got you killed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’He blinked again.’Horace smiled, \"Oskar. Just accept my offer.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Im not...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t lie to me.\" Horace cut him off and smiled smugly, \"What is my job. I know when you’re lying to me, Oskar. The fact that you let me into the room and are talking means a part of you wants to accept.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oskar clicked his tongue in annoyance. \"I can’t.\" After a minute of silence, Oskar finally spoke. Looking at Horace, he softly smiled, \"I can’t be a traitor to my homeland.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why not?\" Horace said in confusion, \"Henryk did it, Princess Ada did, and many more nobles followed. Why can’t you? This is a chance. Think about what you could have. All you have to do is shake my hand and finalise the agreement.\" Horace leaned forward and held his hand over the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oskar looked between his hands and his face. His mind was conflicted. He wanted to live. He wanted to have power. \"Are we friends, Horace?\" It was a sudden question that surprised Horace. Pulling his hand back, he let it show.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oskar knew it was a strange question, but he had to be sure. How much was the man lying to him? Was everything he said a lie just to get close? It was the simplest question he could ask. Horace went silent and closed his eyes. After half a minute, he opened them and looked at Oskar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No. At first, you were a tool I used to infiltrate the nobility. Now you’re just a guy, I want to help the Empire. Expendable but useful.\" Horace paused and grabbed his chin. \"You’re quite interesting. Sometimes, like just now, you do things that surprise me. But other than that, no. If I were ordered, I could kill you without hesitation. I’m sure you’re the same. You don’t think of me as a friend. My guess is I’m more of a leech or parasite to you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oskar chuckled and shook his head. \"If you answered yes, you know it would have been easy to trick me. I mean, it would make sense why you are going to such lengths to have me on your side, even if that idea of friendship was weird, toxic, and one-sided.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You wouldn’t believe it,\" Horace said, picking up his tea again. Taking a sip, he didn’t care that it had gone cold. \"Besides, I want you to be my ally. Why lie to you? You wouldn’t be the first to be threatened by an Underwell. My father threatened to kill the Prime Minister if he got any dangerous ideas.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oskar looked at him.’He wants me. But how much can I get?’Oskar played with figures in his mind and nodded to himself. \"The Laskas will lose no land and are not required to pay any tribute after the conquest of the Commonwealth. My father and uncle are allowed to live, but they are to be disinherited. Within the Commonwealth lands, no other house is allowed to hold a title higher than the Laska, other than the Lindonfall’s. We will also be exempt from taxes for five years to repair damages we suffered during the war.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Horace looked at Oskar, his eyes hardening. \"Your father has to die, Ada Sobieski is already in the process of being made Arch-Duchess, so that demand is impossible aswell. As for the rest, it can happen. Not for free, however.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oskar frowned and lowered his head.’Father can’t live no matter what.’Sitting in silence for a moment, Oskar shook his head and snapped out of it. Whilst he loved his father, he knew the man was a brutal pragmatist. His love for the family and its name made him one, and if he was given the chance to sacrifice himself so the family could live and potentially gain more power, he would take it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’He will understand. It is for the good of the family.’Telling himself, Oskar looked at Horace. Horace stretched out his hand. Staring at it, Oskar couldn’t help but wonder if he really was going to do this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew the war was over. They had lost. The fact that Horace could get into the Palace showed how bad the situation was. He was being given the chance to live and protect his family. He was the next patriarch. His job would be safeguarding the family. It was his job to accept. His job was to make sure the family didn’t vanish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oskar gulped and stretched out his hand. It shook like crazy, and the gap never seemed to close. Horace didn’t move, nor rush him. It had to all be Oskar. He couldn’t force anything. Oskar closed his eyes and slammed his hand forward, grabbing Horace’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oskar couldn’t see it, but Horace looked at his handshake and Oskar’s with a wide grin. Getting up, he went behind Oskar and grabbed his shoulders. Leaning to his ear, Oskar could feel his cold breath on his neck. \"Agreeing it’s one thing. But I need proof you are loyal.\" Horace smiled, feeling Oskar’s body tense, \"Set fire to the city. We were going to do it, but things happened. You do it. Prove your loyalty and I will happily accept.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Horace moved back and put the teapot and cups onto the tray. Packing them up, he left the room, thinking about how to escape.\u003C\u002Fp>",1723,"2026-06-03T11:17:48.775Z","2026-06-03T11:17:51.400Z",1,"novelbin.me","ab3c8d54e3a70366e747cfdf9e0b6b16ece3de93a2edc379b0bb3bc47d82ebeb","the-reborn-king-chapter-342","the-reborn-king-chapter-340",487,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-reborn-king-cover.jpg"]