Chapter 31: The Collapse of Order

　　In Skolo, Lord Wims of Ferranod did not hesitate to grant sanctuary to Skalais, who was fleeing persecution. This act of protection ignited a bitter feud with the usurper of Wormlith. Skalais was the rightful heir designated by the late Sovereign; however, his own brother had enlisted the might of Lebek Das to lay siege to the Lord’s manor. Terrified to find the blades of his own nobility turned against him, Skalais shed his royal robes and disguised himself as a lowly servant to escape.　　Lebek’s actions were a stain upon his military duty and the illustrious name of his house, yet as the primary architect of the usurper’s rise, he enjoyed unprecedented privileges. But his father, Lokos, felt only a crushing sense of shame for his son’s conduct. Lokos had received the deathbed mandate of the late Sovereign to faithfully assist the legitimate heir. To have failed in protecting that heir was a sin; to have his own son serve as the mastermind of the rebellion was unbearable. Ultimately, the father reached a harrowing decision: he would take his son's life with his own hands.　　The sudden death of his right-hand man filled the usurper with suspicion. Though the cautious Lokos left no evidence behind, his cold detachment further fueled the usurper’s distrust. Meanwhile, Lokos’s confidants maintained secret contact with the exiled Skalais, who, desperate to tilt the scales, sought the full military aid of Ferranod.　　However, their conspiracy was unraveled by the usurper’s spies. A lapse in discretion by a subordinate exposed the plot, giving the usurper the intelligence he needed. A squad of heavily armed soldiers shattered the silence of the night, storming the secret assembly and either arresting or butchering everyone present.　　Lokos’s high status brought him a peculiar kind of safety that was also a humiliation; he retained his titles and rank, only to watch helplessly as his colleagues and followers were marched to the execution grounds. Unaware of this catastrophe, Skalais was already advancing towar