🍁Nine Ancient Obelisks

— The graduate listened attentively to the wise royal person's words.

—Idlers? Well, I've always thought it's better to show respect to a high-ranking person and think about whether they deserve it later, in private. —He thoughtfully rotated his clenched fist and spoke honestly. —Perhaps such a cowardly and safe strategy won't lead to the same success as the approach of a straightforward, confident, and brave person, but not everyone has all those good character traits.

He sighed slightly and pondered the royal riddle for a moment.
—Perhaps suitable options would be to trust "only yourself" or "no one," but those don't really suit my nature, heh-heh... I think you can trust close people and friends. Because if you even momentarily think in the back of your mind that they might betray you, then what's the point of having such "close" people? Hmm, but what was the answer in the novel?

- Trust only those you are willing to be betrayed by. - The King took the hand of the warrior standing near them. - Let's say, if my precious daughter were to draw her sword now, stab me in the chest, and stage a coup in an attempt to usurp the throne, that would, of course, be very sad, unpleasant, and hurtful, but I would be ready to accept such a turn of events because my love for her would not change, nor would my desire to see her healthy and happy.
- Ha-ha, Father! I'm amazed by your insight! - Ikusa took hold of the hilt of her blade with her free hand and prepared to strike the King in the chest, but then she put the weapon back in its place. - One might say that a moment ago, the history of Asuguh, and perhaps the whole world, branched out. In a parallel universe, in the one where I, for some reason, took such a terrible sin upon myself, the consequences of such an act could have been unpredictable and colossal.
- Yes, that's true. It is possible that such an incident would be the result of some misunderstanding leading to further resentment and accumulated negativity over the years, according to the so-called butterfly effect. However, I am a man of faith, not natural sciences, so if you, Asmidul, are interested in this topic, it is better to find out about it from experts in the field. Fortunately, that is exactly what your guild specializes in. Tea, coffee, or water? Or how about a Knickerbocker?
Tiozar handed the young man a chocolate bar in a yellow and black wrapper with the following image on it:

- A popular treat from across the sea.