Chapter 286: Chapter 273 Let’s storm into the palace and seize his throne!
After the routine eting at the palace ca to an end, Hattar didn’t tarry at all and rushed back to the manor. He summoned Anthony and recounted the events of the eting without delay, then expressed his confusion.
“Master Anthony… what on earth is going on? Why would my father suddenly change his stance like this?”
After hearing Hattar’s account, Anthony pondered for a bit and quickly ford a hypothesis.
If they had only defeated the armies of Duke Rickman, the Kingdom of Basel wouldn’t have had such a trendous reaction.
But now things were different. The slaughter of the tens of thousands of troops and dozens of nobles headed to the Earl’s domain not only severely affected the internal balance of power within the kingdom, but the strength they demonstrated naturally instilled fear in His Majesty the King!
However, this was precisely the outco Lynn desired. Without flexing their muscles, how could those fickle nobles believe that they were capable of contending with the powerful church?
...
“It seems my earlier estimations were sowhat incorrect; your dear father is probably not preparing to place you on the throne, but rely using you and as pawns to balance the powers of the clergy,” Anthony said with a shake of his head and a sigh.
He had underestimated the King of Basel, who had been at the helm of the kingdom for decades.
Anthony initially thought that the other party was dissatisfied with the church’s excessive interference in secular affairs, hence the determination to seat Hattar, who had anti-clergy tendencies, on the throne.
But given His Majesty’s current reaction, it wasn’t as simple as he had believed. Basel simply wanted to use their strength to weaken the church’s influence, thereby strengthening royal power, without any real intention of breaking with the church.
Under Anthony’s explanation and analysis, Hattar’s pupils constricted, and he felt a chill in his heart. He didn’t want to believe it, but recalling his father’s reaction in the great hall, he couldn’t help but accept it.
The recent defeat of Harold’s line in the campaign against the rebelling miners directly resulted in the loss of nearly half of the kingdom’s elite forces. While the unexpected strength of the enemy played a role, his dear father had imposed no punishnts, and there was not even a single reprimand for Harold, making the favoritism painfully obvious.
“Master Anthony? What should we do now?” Hattar asked, suddenly feeling panic-stricken. Before, all he had to think about was how to please his father, hoping the latter would allow him to ascend to the throne. Now, that notion had vanished into thin air.
“That depends on whether your supporters are backing the current King Basel or you, the newly appointed King…” Anthony said dispassionately.
Hattar paused for a mont, his gaze flickering. He clearly understood Anthony’s aning, but he was hesitant to make such a decision imdiately.
Facing major nobles like the Rickman family and Joyce, as well as Harold’s supporters, he could order massacres without hesitation. But when it ca down to actual rebellion, Hattar found himself indecisive.
Noticing Hattar’s hesitation, Anthony promptly reminded him.
“Now is when the kingdom’s opposing forces are at their weakest and it is the best opportunity for you to ascend the throne.”
The death of Rickman and the dozens of nobles ant that the kingdom’s faction loyal to the clergy had suffered an unprecedented blow. If at this ti Hattar could seize the opportunity, sway the undecided nobles, he could rise to power by physical ans and take the throne!
“Additionally, your defense and reactions in the great hall exposed quite a few flaws; I doubt you have much ti left,” Anthony continued to add.
These wizards being able to stay safely in the palace did not rely solely on the assistance of the second Prince; King Basel’s tacit approval was also a crucial factor. However, now it seed that the situation was at the brink of a one-hundred-and-eighty-degree twist!
Hattar’s face changed color again and again, thinking of all his efforts and flattery, only to be t with his father’s indifference. His gaze grew increasingly fierce, and he had already made a decision in his heart.
The struggle for the throne often only ended in victory or death. If his brother Harold ascended the throne, there was no chance he would spare him!
“Master Anthony, I have a question. To annihilate Earl Rickman’s legion, how many wizards did you deploy? And how many Arch-Wizards were there?” Hattar calmly asked.
“I think you may have misunderstood; the re ten thousand plus n were not enough to make the Wizards take to the battlefield,” Anthony said with pride. “Those who took action were rely soldiers holding alchemic creations, who had undergone so basic training.”
Hattar was shocked beyond belief. The reports from Nord and others in the great hall and the secret reports sent by Gard’s ssengers, everything described could be terd as exaggerated.
Hearing that the whole sky was covered in fire rain, thunderous booms loud enough to burst eardrums, rows of soldiers continuously falling, the entire battlefield seed like hell… Could this really be the work of re ordinary people wielding alchemic creations?
Archbishop Nord had vehently asserted that there must have been incredibly powerful Arch-Wizards appearing on the battlefield, conducting a despicable surprise attack.
At first, when he heard this intelligence, he thought that Anthony himself had made a move, but after asking his spies, he found out that this Arch-Wizard had not left the capital…
“Without such power, what would we have to contend with the Church and the Empire…” Anthony said with a sneer.
The words of Anthony were undoubtedly like a reassurance pill to Hattar, to the extent that this second Prince even developed an illusion that the Empire and the Church were nothing to worry about.
Luckily, Hattar was not blinded by such fantasies but instead asked a second, extrely crucial question.
“After I inherit the throne, what rewards will you require?”
“Of course, to let the wizards walk openly and honorably among the mundane. As for the rest, just like before, Magic to the Wizards, the secular to the Kingdom!” Anthony said with a smile. “Of course, it would be best if we could have a portion of land to call our own.”
“Good, no problem!” Hattar agreed without hesitation. The royal family’s direct territories were not many, but upon ascending the throne, he would have to deal with a few oblivious folks, like the fallen Rickman family, reclaim their lands, and then allocate those as new fiefs.
Hattar wasn’t particularly worried about these wizards turning on him after crossing the bridge. After centuries of indoctrination by the Church, the notion that wizards represent evil was deep-rooted. They needed to rely on them to survive in this kingdom, not to ntion the common great enemies of the Empire and the Church.
Thinking this over, Hattar began to discuss plans for the seizure of the throne with Anthony…
Reviews
All reviews (0)