readbooksol Chapter 438 - 411: Bargaining with a Tiger for Its Hide
Chapter 438 - 411: Bargaining with a Tiger for Its Hide
In the rear garden of Golden Feather Palace, Crown Prince Garrett was talking with Jesus.
After a long moment, Garrett let out a cold laugh. "With my aptitude, becoming a Proud Sun Knight is only a matter of time. Why would I risk my life to try the kind of power you’re talking about?"
A look of regret crossed Jesus’s face as he explained again, "This would just give you more explosive power. It has nothing to do with whether or not you become a Proud Sun Knight! Besides, even after you become one, this power will still allow you to unleash even greater strength."
"I’ve heard many Knights in the Royal Palace talk about your fight with Ronin. Although he surrendered, knowing Ronin, he was likely hiding his true strength and lost to you intentionally. If you two were to truly fight..."
Garrett’s eyes narrowed. "You think I’m not his match?"
Faced with the Crown Prince’s scorching gaze, Jesus paused, but then he said what was on his mind anyway. "In truth, Ronin has already stolen your ’once-in-a-century genius’ title, hasn’t he?"
Garrett snorted. "My dear uncle, you still can’t shake that nasty habit of sowing discord. You should know that Ronin is going to be my brother-in-law. His strength will only make Oduin more stable."
"They say the first Great Emperor, Orland, also married a princess from the Star Kingdom, but what happened in the end? Once a Knight’s power reaches a certain height, he is no longer bound by the codes and unspoken agreements of the nobility."
"Ronin may not have reached that height yet, but a nineteen-year-old at the Silver Moon Level... don’t you find that terrifying?"
One of Jesus’s reasons for coming to Golden Feather Palace for the founding celebration was to stir up trouble.
He understood Garrett’s personality. He was a man so proud it bordered on arrogance, and though he was only the Crown Prince, he already carried himself as if he were the King.
Even if the words he spoke now didn’t have an immediate effect, they had already been planted in Garrett’s mind.
Back in Oduin Hall, after another hour of discussion, the King and the nobles began to disperse.
Although the meeting didn’t result in a declaration of all-out war with the Tricia Kingdom, King Bruno had already signaled the major Duchies and Wushan Territory to actively prepare. At the same time, these nobles would be sending reinforcements to the front lines.
With just a little more favorable news from the Tricia Kingdom, Oduin would be ready to declare war at a moment’s notice.
Sophia glanced back at the magnificent Oduin Hall, her eyes filled with disappointment.
Although the King had stated upon leaving that he would have everyone informed of Faslei Mage’s findings, and had promised not to spare Jesus if there was truly something wrong with him.
But Sophia felt as if she already knew the outcome.
She had arrived full of hope, only to leave disappointed.
"What’s wrong? Feeling disappointed?"
Ronin, walking at her side, offered some comfort. "This is to be expected, really. Setting aside the fact that Jesus is His Majesty the King’s own brother, the rulers are likely wondering if they can harness this power for the Royal Family, especially since Jesus possesses Witch Soul Power yet seems perfectly normal."
"That’s undoubtedly a death sentence!" Sophia said coldly.
"The Witch Soul Race are just Demons in human bodies; they are no longer human. If they aren’t eliminated in time, they’ll spread like a wildfire across the plains!"
As if she had made some kind of decision, Sophia looked at Ronin. "They say a single Witch Soul Pearl can only create a hundred thousand members of the Witch Soul Race, but if a Lord like Jesus has been turned, then Moonlight Valley has surely fallen completely! If the King continues to shelter Jesus, would you be willing to wage war on Moonlight Valley for the sake of the Human Race?"
"Witch Soul Power has plagued Wushan Castle for nearly thirty years. Both my grandfather and I hate this evil power to our very bones."
Ronin stated resolutely, "Even if the entire Kingdom were willing to use the power of the Witch Soul Race to enhance its own strength, I would not."
"Though I have slaves and Peasant Slaves in my territory, I am already in the process of granting them basic human rights. But these... things... they turn people into walking puppets, into cannon fodder for the battlefield, into nutrients to be harvested. That is something I can never accept!"
He met Sophia’s direct gaze. "I will move against Moonlight Valley, and that day is not far off."
Ronin recognized the value of Sophia and her companions’ strength and wanted the five of them to join Wubei Territory to help with his future plans.
However, he spoke these words from the bottom of his heart; there wasn’t a hint of pretense in them.
While he harbored no lofty ideals of building a society where all people were free and equal, he could not stand the inhumanity of treating people as mere puppets and raw materials.
’How is this any different from those who perform live human experiments? From Unit 731?’
So, regardless of what choice Bruno made, he was set on attacking Moonlight Valley.
Sophia nodded, her estimation of Ronin rising. ’Now, we’ll see what His Majesty the King chooses,’ she thought.
But regardless of the King’s choice, she wouldn’t mind cooperating with Ronin.
"After we return, I’ll have Uncle Simon write down the blueprints for the Dawn. When you need to start building ships, I’ll have him assist you."
A look of delight crossed Ronin’s face. "I need to start building ships right away!"
Although Wubei Territory’s navy wouldn’t be used in an attack on the Tricia Kingdom, it wasn’t something you could wait to build until the moment you needed it.
Besides, setting aside Screaming Island, if Wushan Territory ever entered into a conflict with the Villa Duchy, Wubei Territory’s fleet could sail south along the East Coast, reach the Villa Duchy, and open up a second front beyond Purple Thunder Territory.
Sophia gave a slight smile. "Alright. Once you’re back, find enough assistants for Simon. Prepare the iron ore, and I’ll help as well."
What she could do was use her Magic to purify, strengthen, and shape the iron ore.
In fact, one of the reasons the Human Race Alliance of the Crescent Continent had sent her was precisely for her ability to assist Simon’s shipbuilding with her Fire Attribute Magic.
Meanwhile, after leaving Oduin Hall, Bruno went straight to Garrett’s manor.
By this time, Faslei Mage had already completed his examination of Jesus.
"Well?" Bruno asked.
Faslei looked puzzled. "I did indeed sense a strange Dark Energy within Count Jesus. What is it?"
Apparently, Philimon hadn’t told Faslei the specifics of what had transpired in Oduin Hall.
Bruno’s breathing hitched, and his mind fell into turmoil.
Although he thoroughly disliked his younger brother, the thought that he was no longer human was still difficult to accept.
"Thank you for making the trip, Faslei. You may go now."
Bruno gestured for him to leave. "If anyone asks you about this, you are to say that everything is normal with Jesus."
"I will, Your Majesty." Faslei removed his hat and bowed before leaving the room.
Only then did Bruno let out a heavy sigh. "Broel told me how terrifying the Witch Soul Race is. They not only lose their humanity, but they also spread relentlessly, like a virus! Since Jesus is one of them, he cannot be spared. This just has to be done in private, otherwise it will damage the Royal Family’s prestige."
"I don’t think so, Father!"
Garrett offered his own view. "Jesus has told me everything about the Traits of the Witch Soul Race. They can create a hundred thousand members at most. Although ninety percent of those hundred thousand are just cannon fodder converted from ordinary people, they’ll still be a formidable deterrent on the battlefield when they fight to the death."
Bruno’s brow furrowed. He had always been supportive of his son’s ambitions, but this was simply too dangerous.
"If we cooperate with Demons, we could easily fall into their trap," he warned.
Garrett, however, was confident. "Whether it’s Jesus or Mephisto, the source behind him, their only chance of survival is to cooperate with us."
"A hundred thousand cannon fodder are nothing in the face of the Kingdom’s Knight Orders!"
Bruno nodded slightly. That much was true.
Thanks to the previous propaganda, the Witch Soul Race was already a public enemy, hunted by everyone.
Without the protection of the Royal Family, they indeed had no way to survive.
"But I still feel the risk is too great," Bruno said, still apprehensive.
Garrett shook his head. "Father, you are too cautious. Only absolute Power will allow us to achieve our dream of unifying the continent and establishing the Oduin Empire!"
He said earnestly, "This Power isn’t just about our own strength, but also about how we leverage other forces. The Witch Soul Race is like a mad dog. As long as we handle them correctly, they’ll bite whomever we point them at!"
"Besides, Wushan Territory has become unexpectedly powerful. We can’t allow them to continue developing unchecked."
Bruno sat on the sofa, pondering for a long time before finally letting out a sigh.
"Fine. You’ve convinced me. But if they ever become uncontrollable and threaten Oduin’s rule, we must immediately unite with the other nobles and eliminate these creatures!"
Garrett said confidently, "Don’t worry, Father. We are the ones in control."