The Accelerating Pace of War

"His Majesty has been assassinated!"

Upon hearing this news, Hudson's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

If it hadn't come from his own father-in-law, he would have suspected it was a rumor.

As a monarch, Caesar III was surrounded by an extraordinary guard, making it impossible for outsiders to get close.

"There's no doubt that the news has already spread throughout the Royal Capital. You'll probably receive the official document in a day or two."

Viscount Oran said with a solemn expression.

Upon receiving this shocking news, he was initially startled, but after verifying it from multiple sources, the news was confirmed to be true.

Realizing the seriousness of the problem, he immediately came to discuss it with Hudson.

"I apologize, Viscount Oran, I lost my composure. This news is simply too shocking."

"So many assassins managed to infiltrate the banquet, and in the end, it was just a maid who succeeded... It's truly..."

Hudson is beyond words.

A diplomatic banquet with only a few hundred guests was infiltrated by nearly a hundred assassins. This was no longer an assassination attempt; it was clearly an ambush.

There is no one else besides the King and the Crown Prince who could have let so many assassins in.

If Caesar III hadn't only had one son, Hudson would have suspected that the Crown Prince was plotting to assassinate the king and seize the throne.

"According to the intelligence gathered by the family, the reason why so many assassins were able to infiltrate this banquet was mainly due to the Crown Prince's negligence in not strictly verifying the identities of the guests."

However, it still feels somewhat fake. Even if the Crown Prince was negligent, the palace guards should not have been negligent.

Apart from a few assassins who infiltrated disguised as guests and servants, the remaining assassins mainly infiltrated disguised as close attendants of envoys and ministers from various countries.

These were all close relatives; it's impossible that none of them noticed. It's also unrealistic to think they intentionally facilitated the assassin's actions.

"If something like this happens, they will all be implicated. If His Majesty is unharmed, all will be well; but if something unexpected happens, their whole family will suffer."

Viscount Oran said with a frown.

It's normal for there to be rebels among the nobility, but to say that they are all rebels is absurd.

Although Caesar III was a bit of a troublemaker, this did not diminish his status as a wise ruler, and his prestige among the nobility was by no means low.

The high-ranking nobles may not like this kind of monarch, but the lower and middle nobles are very supportive of him.

"The Crown Prince should have no connection to this assassination attempt. I've dealt with him before. Although he's a bit idealistic and not very magnanimous, he would never commit regicide."

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Many of the nobles in the country want His Majesty dead, but almost none dare to commit regicide.

This assassination attempt was most likely orchestrated by external forces, with domestic nobles at most playing a supporting role behind the scenes.

Your Excellency, I wonder if you have noticed that this assassination attempt was somewhat farcical.

A real assassination wouldn't require so many killers. Even if it were just to distract the guards, there's no need to send out so many people.

Moreover, it seems far too frivolous for a mere maid to injure His Majesty. Most importantly, the murder weapon was simply a dagger used by His Majesty for daily meals.

There are plenty of colorless and odorless poisons, and many of them are lethal. Why use an unknown toxin?

Besides, as a close maidservant, if she truly wanted to assassinate His Majesty, I don't think there weren't better opportunities at other times.

As he spoke, Hudson glanced in the direction of the Royal Capital, his eyes filled with countless questions.

There are too many inconsistencies in this assassination attempt. It's almost on par with the "Zhengde drowning, Tianqi falling into the water" case from my previous life.

The difference is that the person who made the move this time doesn't seem to want Caesar III to die.

"Hudson, do you think this could be a ruse by His Majesty, a ploy to...?"

Before Viscount Oran could finish speaking, Hudson hurriedly interrupted, "Your Excellency, that's impossible!"

Your Majesty only has one son, the Crown Prince. Even if you were to use a self-inflicted injury, you wouldn't risk the Crown Prince's reputation.

As you know, the Crown Prince's reputation in the country is already quite poor. If he gets involved in the assassination attempt, even if he succeeds to the throne, it will be difficult for him to establish prestige in the country!

If it were just acting, those assassins alone would be enough; there's no need to add the unnecessary step of taking a knife.

Suddenly, Hudson understood.

At a normal pace, there wouldn't be that many assassins. But if multiple forces acted together by chance, then anything is possible.

The two exchanged a glance, and everything was understood without a word.

Regardless of which forces are involved, this chaos will have a significant impact on the kingdom.

For newly emerging challengers, turmoil in the kingdom is not frightening; what is frightening is stagnation.

On the holy mountain, Pope Pius VII looked at the intelligence report in his hand and smiled a long-lost smile.

In recent years, he has been stabbed in the back by those King quite a few times.

Caesar III was undoubtedly the most active among them. Had the Alpha Kingdom not been so weak, Charles III probably wouldn't have been the first to declare the Pope illegitimate.

"Ulise, the Sacred Hand did a good job this time, removing another stumbling block for our Church."

Send someone to tell the Beastfolk it's their turn. Warn them that they must make their act convincing; any slip-up will result in their extermination!

"Pope Pius VII said menacingly."

Having connections with Beastfolk doesn't mean he likes Beastfolk. From the human perspective, Beastfolk are also enemies of the Church, only this enemy poses no immediate threat.

The cooperation was brief, only because they were useful to him. Once their usefulness outweighed the trouble they caused, Pope Pius VII wouldn't hesitate to eliminate them without hesitation.

"Your Majesty, Caesar III has been rescued. Our mission this time..."

Before Ulise could finish speaking, Pope Pius VII interrupted with a chuckle, "Not dead, that's for sure!"

If Caesar III were to die, it would be a catastrophe.

Those who kill their rulers will never have a good end.

From the very beginning, I didn't believe that rabble could accomplish anything. If they really wanted to kill Caesar III, why involve those rats from the underworld?

My Church doesn't need a few more suicide soldiers!

With so many flaws left behind, who do you think Caesar III would eventually trace back to if he continued to investigate?

They were already enemies, and now they're involved in the assassination attempt. How long can Caesar III tolerate them?

The Church has a lot of hatred, so they can cover it up completely. It was just one assassination attempt on the monarch, and it wasn't even one of their own people who did it.

But the nobles of the Alpha Kingdom were in a much worse situation. While Caesar III couldn't do anything to the Church, he certainly had no shortage of ways to torment them.

Such a tangled mess of assassination cases, with far-reaching implications, is better left uninvestigated; otherwise, an investigation would definitely implicate a whole host of nobles.

The assassination was merely a means to an end; what Pope Pius VII truly desired was to exacerbate the internal conflicts within the Alpha Kingdom.

Ulise was speechless. He had originally wanted to say that the maid assassins were not his doing, but now there was no need to.

I'd rather not refuse a free credit. As for the truth of the matter, there is no truth to it.

The aftershocks of the assassination attempt on the emperor continue to reverberate.

For the first time since its construction, the noble prison in Canglan City is full. The original noble suites have now been involuntarily converted into multi-person rooms.

A whole host of cries of injustice, complaints, and wailing of filial piety seemed futile and powerless at this moment.

Before the matter is fully investigated, suspects can only stay inside.

With the King recovering from his injuries, the investigation into the assassination naturally fell to the Crown Prince and a group of ministers.

"Your Highness, based on the current investigation, the assassins come from multiple assassin organizations."

It is said that someone in the underworld placed a huge bounty: two million gold coins, two Magic Core of Holy Domain beasts, and an artifact of unknown efficacy, which led to this large-scale assassination.

A thorough investigation revealed that the bounties were posted by three different factions. The bounties were withdrawn shortly after the assassination.

All those who knew about the incident were silenced, and the lead has essentially been cut off.

The fact that so many assassins were able to infiltrate the palace indicates a clear weakness in its security.

Just as we were about to investigate, twenty-eight guards suddenly committed suicide; all of them were responsible for the security of the Royal Capital that day.

The Prime Minister Grand Duke Newfoundland, said with a grim expression.

The clues weren't completely exhausted, but the findings were so astonishing that the trail had to be temporarily halted.

This involves not only foreign powers but also many of the kingdom's powerful noble families. A slight misstep could allow it to be exploited by malicious individuals, leading to unpredictable consequences.

Who knows if the few clues found in the open are true or false?

Framing and framing are all too common in political struggles. What if it's a deliberate arrangement by a mastermind behind the scenes? Wouldn't that just be playing into the enemy's hands?

"Prime Minister, we can't have found out all of this, can we? At least one of the masterminds can be confirmed to be Beastfolk. Let's dig deeper and find out the rest!"

Crown Prince Caesar said coldly.

He already knew the investigation results; what he's presenting now is all embellished information.

The reality is far more complex than that. Several powerful noble families within the country are suspected of involvement in the assassination attempt. While there is no evidence to prove they were the masterminds, it can be inferred that they were aware of the plot beforehand.

For the royal family, failing to report something is tantamount to betrayal. Unfortunately, this information is simply not enough to convict these people.

In fact, given the wide scope of the case, even if evidence were found, it cannot be released now.

The basis for turning against each other is strength. The nobles suspected of being involved together possess nearly 40% of the kingdom's power. Lifting the lid means the start of civil war.

The fighting is still ongoing at the front lines; if internal strife breaks out in the rear, it would be completely against the kingdom's interests.

If things really escalate into a chaotic mess, it's still uncertain which side the neutral nobles will take.

For the young and impetuous Crown Prince, forbearance was a disgrace. Especially this assassination attempt, which also branded him as incompetent.

Having just calmed the troops, Hudson received news that the Orc Empire had claimed responsibility for the assassination.

The noble officers, who had finally calmed down, became active again, clamoring for revenge for the King, which made Hudson's scalp tingle.

"Damn political correctness!"

He muttered to himself that this was the first time he had ever realized how disgusting political correctness could be.

The allied forces are wreaking havoc in the Orc Empire; as long as they do their job well, they are contributing to the revenge.

They all insisted on going to the front lines, completely disregarding the importance of their current mission. The lower-ranking officers could act recklessly, but Commander Hudson could not; ensuring the logistics of the Allied forces was his responsibility.

"Bang!"

The documents in Hudson's hands were thrown heavily to the ground.

"Have you made enough of a scene?"

"If that's not enough, then continue!"

"You keep saying you're avenging His Majesty, but in reality, you don't even listen to His Majesty's orders."

OK!

They've all become more capable.

You want to take revenge on the Beastfolk, right?

Then I'll grant your wish today!

The adjutant was responsible for compiling the list.

Those who want to go to the front lines, come and sign up! I guarantee I'll send you to the very front. If you can't cut off the heads of the five Orc Emperors, don't bother coming back!

As soon as Hudson finished speaking, the group of noble officers who had been shouting instantly calmed down.

It's just empty slogans; how can you take them seriously?

Those present were all high-ranking military officers of the kingdom. Apart from Hudson, who was an outlier, the youngest of the rest were all in their thirties, long past the age of adolescent delusions.

Originally, everyone just wanted to ride the wave of popularity and gain some political prestige. But encountering a serious and meticulous coach has made things a bit awkward.

If they were actually sent to the front lines to serve as the vanguard for the allied forces, it's uncertain whether they could avenge the King, but Caesar III could certainly arrange their affairs after death.

"Count Hudson, are we not going to avenge His Majesty?"

Duke Pias stepped forward and questioned him.

The two sides had already fallen out, so they didn't care about adding another blow. He certainly wouldn't pass up the opportunity to annoy Hudson.

"His Majesty decrees: The Kingdom Army shall prepare for logistical work, ensure the supply of materials to the front-line troops, and shall not launch any attacks without authorization!"

Is it possible that Duke Pias cannot understand such a straightforward command?

Why are you so eager to jump out and go against His Majesty's orders? What are your true intentions?

What unspeakable secret are you trying to hide?

Hudson retorted.

Seeking revenge for the King is a way of showing loyalty, and strictly carrying out the King's orders is also a way of showing loyalty.

A classic clash of magic, with both sides pushing the boundaries of political correctness.

The only difference is that Hudson is the head coach, which gives him a natural advantage.

"You... you... you're making baseless accusations!"

Duke Pias said, feigning annoyance.

He was already feeling incredibly guilty about the assassination of Caesar III, and now that Hudson had outmaneuvered him, he had no choice but to continue playing along.

"Snort!"

After a cold shout, Hudson said sternly, "I don't care what you think, on the battlefield, military orders are absolute. Anyone who dares to disobey orders will be killed without mercy!"

The allied forces are already working on avenging His Majesty. There's no need for some self-righteous fools to go to the front lines and cause trouble.

These are all the truths. Ever since the Orc Empire claimed responsibility for the assassination, the Allied Forces have intensified their offensive against them.

Many teams that wanted to relax and enjoy life have become quite busy in the past few days, clearly due to pressure from their respective domestic leaders.

Documents condemning the Beastfolk' atrocities are now flying everywhere, as if they will not rest until the Annihilation of the Orc Empire.

What appears to be a general outcry against the Beastfolk stemming from intense discontent over the assassination of Caesar III. In reality, however, is a reflection of the fact that all sides have run out of patience and are eager to end this unprofitable war as soon as possible.

There's no way around it; the Alpha Kingdom's coffers are about to be drained. If the war continues, then it'll be everyone's turn to chip in.