Awakening

Thanks to the soldiers' efforts, order was quickly restored, and the assassin was captured, but unfortunately, all they caught was a corpse.

The ceremony ended hastily, and everyone's attention shifted from the new king's coronation to the assassination attempt.

The fate of the assassinated Prince Claude is unknown, and the representatives of the Black Forest Kingdom do not allow outsiders to approach or visit him, even Caesar IV has been barred from the door since the past.

The faces of the kingdom's high-ranking officials, including Hudson, were terribly grim as they anxiously awaited news.

Even late at night, the Emerald Palace remained brightly lit.

"Have you found out the assassin's identity? How did he get in?"

Caesar IV asked, his face ashen.

If we can't figure out Prince Claude's fate, then we can only start with the assassins, find out the real culprit, and minimize the responsibility of the Alpha Kingdom.

"Your Majesty, the assassin was smeared with an evil potion. After we captured him, his body quickly turned into a pool of blood, and no valuable clues were left at the scene."

According to those who had seen the assassin, his name was Celus, and he was a fief baron in the Southeast Province.

She has never left the kingdom and should have no connection with Prince Claude, let alone any hatred towards him.

We suspect this person is an imposter, and the real Baron Cerus may have already been murdered.

Further investigation into Baron Cerus's identity requires information from the Southeast Province. The possibility that he may have been provoked and sought revenge against society cannot be ruled out.

The Duke Newfoundland's reply immediately thrust the Southeast Province into the spotlight. Hudson and Count Pierce exchanged a worried glance.

"Sitting at home, trouble falls from the sky."

Deep down, Hudson had already cursed the assassins' entire family. If you're going to cause trouble, at least shift the blame to someone important; why pick on these "minors"?

Hudson stated that his physical strength was limited and he couldn't bear such a heavy burden in the assassination attempt on a King.

He originally thought the current situation was quite safe, and even if a conflict broke out, the war would not immediately spread to the Southeast Province.

Now there's no guarantee, as the assassination of Prince Claude has complicated the situation.

If nothing unexpected happens, the Black Forest Kingdom will definitely demand that the Alpha Kingdom hand over the murderer.

Without a doubt, Alpha Kingdom simply cannot meet this seemingly reasonable request.

The assassins were all reduced to a pool of blood, and all the clues were cut off here. They didn't know where to begin to investigate further.

We can't just find someone to take the blame and scapegoat, can we?

Even if the Alpha Kingdom were willing to do that, and there were selfless people willing to take the blame, the Black Forest Kingdom would never accept it!

If they don't seize this opportunity presented to them, wouldn't it make them seem like political Little White?

"Your Excellency Prime Minister, our Southeast Province will do its utmost to gather detailed information about Baron Serus."

But to say that he was provoked into planning this assassination is far-fetched.

As a minor nobleman, under normal circumstances, he wouldn't even have the chance to get close to Prince Claude, let alone launch an assassination attempt.

This assassination attempt was clearly premeditated. Otherwise, Baron Serus, merely Intermediate Knight, would have been driven away by Prince Claude's guards even if he had happened to encounter him!

Governor Pierce retorted without mincing words.

The blame cannot be placed on anyone. If it is defined as Baron Cerus being provoked and wanting to take revenge on society, then the Governor would also be culpable.

Even investigating in this direction won't work. Although Count Pierce has always been careful about his manners, he's still used plenty of underhanded methods.

"Your Governor, please do not misunderstand. I am merely stating the facts and have no intention of blaming you."

The Duke Newfoundland's explanation did not satisfy the Count Pierce, but since the Prime Minister had already made his point, he could not hold it against him.

"Snort!"

He gave a cold shout to express his dissatisfaction, and then fell silent.

What appears to be merely a probability analysis is actually a profound critique that uses the issue as a pretext.

He warned the nobles not to go too far, otherwise the lesser nobles would cause trouble and make them suffer.

"Alright!"

"There's no need to argue about that. Our next task is not only to investigate the assassin's identity and the mastermind behind it, but also to prepare for the aftermath."

Regardless of whether Prince Claude suffers an accident, the Black Forest Kingdom will not let this go. Another political storm is brewing, and the kingdom must devise effective countermeasures.

As soon as Caesar IV finished speaking, the hall erupted in commotion. The nobles whispered amongst themselves, discussing the matter.

Using his keen senses, Hudson extracted useful information from the conversations of the crowd. Unfortunately, he didn't find any good solutions, but he did come up with quite a few bad ideas.

In fact, such urgent meetings, which require quick decisions, do not allow the great nobles to fully utilize their intelligence and wisdom.

Most of the time, they would have their staff analyze various situations before choosing the most advantageous option to implement, rather than devising a plan themselves.

This explains why many noble families, despite having mediocre personal abilities, still prosper. Essentially, the direction their families cultivate in them from a young age is focused on: recognizing and utilizing talent...

"Your Highness, are you feeling any better?"

Count Tatala asked with concern.

As the Hesse envoy to the Alpha Kingdom, he was also responsible for the assassination of his own prince in his territory.

"Don't worry, Count Tatala. The assassin was stopped by my guards as soon as he got close. The assassination attempt and injury during the day were just a show for the outside world."

Since I've stumbled upon such a rare stroke of luck, I should at least try to get something out of the Alpha Kingdom!

Prince Claude said with a smile.

Assassin?

No, this is clearly his benefactor.

Not only was his professional ability poor, but he also chose the perfect location for the assassination.

He had absolutely no interest in the mastermind behind it all. On this issue, the Alpha Kingdom was far more anxious than he, the victim.

If the host country can't find the culprit, then this outsider is even less likely to be able to. Instead of wasting time here, he should think about how to maximize his profits.

"Your Highness, do you mean to take this opportunity to negotiate with the Alpha Kingdom?"

Count Tatala asked, feigning ignorance.

Being a subordinate means you can't be too smart. It's fine if a fiefdom nobleman is exceptionally capable, but for Court Count like him, being smarter than the boss is the biggest taboo in the workplace.

Why negotiate?

"Just have the Alpha Kingdom hand over the murderer and the mastermind. We'll deal with the rest when they come to us!"

Prince Claude said irritably.

Who would directly ask for favors in person? If word got out, wouldn't that make him look cheap?

No matter how great the benefits of the exchange, as a prince of the Black Forest Kingdom, he cannot be objectified.

After dismissing the envoy, Prince Claude couldn't sleep all night. The events of the day had greatly affected him.

However, what provoked him was not the farcical assassination attempt, but the ascension of Caesar IV to the throne.

They were all the same age; Caesar IV had already begun to rule a great nation, while he was still only representing the Kingdom of Hesse, traveling around to various places.

In fact, even the opportunity to visit other people's homes was something he had to fight for. Otherwise, he would be nothing more than a parasite in the Royal Capital.

They were all born at the wrong time, one step behind their older brothers. So those brothers became Crown Prince, while he became just an ordinary prince.

The prince sounds amazing, having surpassed the limits of countless others from birth, but this is also his own limit.

In the Black Forest Kingdom, where class distinctions are rigidly established, everyone guards their fiefdoms fiercely, and even a prince of the King is not given any extra land.

The royal domain is not easily divided, and even if one is granted a title, it is only a nominal one.

While his father, the King, was alive, he was still able to enjoy immense prestige on the continent under the title of prince.

Once the Royal Authority changes hands, all that will remain for him is a nominal title. The rank of the title will depend on his specific performance.

If one excels in all aspects and has made great contributions to the kingdom, then one will have the opportunity to enter the court and participate in government affairs with the title of Grand Duke.

If he achieves nothing, all that will remain for him is a nominal earldom, receiving a royal stipend and becoming a lazy parasite.

His intuition told him that the assassination was the greatest opportunity he had ever encountered. So, immediately after the incident, he ordered a news blackout and forbade anyone from visiting him.

But Claude was confused about what to do next.

The death of Caesar III was also an unexpected event for the Duchy of Hesse.

According to their prior estimates, they believed that Caesar III would live for another three to five years, and their deployment against the Alpha Kingdom was also based on these estimates.

They took advantage of the chaos and were unprepared.

After all, the Aslant Continent is not limited to just these two countries, and when making decisions, the reactions of other countries on the continent must be taken into account.

Otherwise, it would be awkward if a major power intervened right after a war was started.

Moreover, the Alpha Kingdom is no pushover. Even though it has not yet recovered its strength, it cannot be defeated in a short time.

Knowing his father as he did, Claude knew he would never risk the fate of the nation for such a "trivial matter".

Even if the two countries went to war, Claude did not want it to be because of him.

War is a volatile thing; if the Black Forest Kingdom wins, all will be well. But if they lose, he will become a sinner against the kingdom.

I got out of bed, picked up a pen and paper, and hurriedly started writing.

Regardless of the kingdom's final decision, his anti-war stance must be made clear; this is the political awareness of a member of the royal family.

After leaving the palace, Hudson and Count Pierce went together to the Dalton Family's residence. Regardless of their previous relationship, they were now in the same boat, both unfortunate souls.

At this moment, all the nobles of the Southeast Province in the Royal Capital had gathered here awaiting news. Upon seeing the two enter, the crowd hurriedly came forward to greet them and inquire.

"Everyone, go back to your seats! Things are much more complicated than we thought, and it's not something we can explain in a short time."

The assassin infiltrated using Baron Cerus's identity. You know him well; have you noticed anything unusual about him lately?

Upon hearing Governor Pierce's words, everyone hurriedly stepped back, saying that they were not familiar with Baron Cerus.

The assassination attempt, which occurred in full view of everyone, had already spread far and wide. A major case like the assassination of a King meant certain death for anyone involved.

No matter how good their relationship was on ordinary days, they had to insist now: they weren't close!

"Enough! I'm asking about your relationship with Baron Cerus, not your relationship with the assassins. Why are you in such a hurry to distance yourself?"

Do you think I don't know who he doesn't know and who he knows well?

If you continue to evade and refuse to tell the truth, then I'm done with you. Go and talk to the investigation team yourselves!

Governor Pierce reprimanded him sternly.

Is it a matter of whether we're familiar with each other or not?

The key issue is that it must be proven: Baron Cerus's identity is false; the real Baron Cerus was killed long ago, and the current assassin is an imposter.

Of course, it would be even more perfect if Baron Cerus's body could be found.

However, this is almost impossible. If someone is going to do something like this, they will naturally handle the beginning and the end properly.

"Governor Excellency, Baron Cerus has been perfectly normal throughout the journey, but on the day before the ceremony, he suddenly became much quieter and hardly spoke to us at all."

We tried to talk to him, but he always used the excuse that His Majesty had passed away and he was in a bad mood to avoid us!

Baron Sikolari's words confused many people.

Baron Serus was already a man of few words; if this is considered unusual, then none of them are normal people.

However, there were some clever people among the minor nobles who immediately understood the implication. Whether Baron Serus was acting strangely or not was irrelevant; the key was that they needed him to act strangely now.

The assassin had already turned into a pool of blood, and his true identity was long gone. At this point, all they had to do was insist that this person was not Baron Serus, and then the assassin was not Baron Serus.

"Your Governor, Sicorari is right. Shortly after arriving in the Royal Capital, Baron Serus became withdrawn and basically stopped contacting us."

He certainly wasn't murdered; the killer impersonated him and infiltrated...

As the nobles chimed in from twos and threes, the scene of Baron Serus being impersonated came to light.

"Cayyo, write down what everyone says, compile it, and hand it over to the investigation team."

If there are any omissions regarding information about Baron Cerus, please contact Viscount Cayou directly afterward.

The issues we are about to discuss concern everyone's lives, property, and family legacy, so please be very careful.

As the international situation continues to deteriorate, my Southeast Province has transformed from the kingdom's rear area into the front line of international conflict.

The existence of the Black Stone Mountain Range has shielded us from countless disasters, but the narrowest part of the Black Stone Mountain Range is less than 100 kilometers long.

It's not impossible that someone would be willing to pay a high price to open a road through here.

If the speculation becomes reality, Blood Moon County will become the front line. The defensive line that once blocked the beast tide will be unable to withstand the enemy's advance.

For the strategic security of the province, after discussing with Count Hudson, we decided to build a defensive line in Blood Moon County as a precaution!

After speaking, Governor Pierce turned his gaze to Hudson.

"The significance of building the Blood Moon Defense Line is self-evident and I don't need to elaborate."

The current situation in the kingdom is complex, and we can only rely on ourselves for many things.

The Governor and I made this decision under duress. Whether the Black Forest Kingdom will use the Black Stone Mountain Range as a route is anyone's guess.

Whether a single Blood Moon Defense Line can withstand the enemy's advance is anyone's guess.

But one thing is certain: having a defensive line is definitely better than having no defensive line.

If the Blood Moon Defense Line is built strong enough, even if war breaks out, the enemy will choose to take a detour.

Given the current situation, this site may be shut down at any time. Please move to the permanently operating site as soon as possible.

After all, the Black Stone Mountain Range are right behind them, and they could be attacked by monsters at any time.

Leaving the army's logistical lines under the watchful eye of Warcraft for an extended period is not a good strategy.

Hudson tried his best to persuade them.

The extent to which the Blood Moon Defense Line can function remains to be seen. However, once construction begins, his steel industry will immediately be able to turn a profit.

Money delivered to your doorstep is money you shouldn't pass up.