Royal Capital Harongze. A group of nobles walked out from the main hall of the royal palace.
Along the way, they appeared to chat idly, but in truth, they were exchanging information.
This incident was far too important.
Not only were nobles from every region required to send reinforcements totaling one hundred thousand troops, but the King himself would also personally lead the expedition to the front lines to oversee the battle.
If the King was going to personally oversee the battle, then it meant these nobles couldn’t simply sit back and enjoy the benefits. They had best accompany the army as well.
Of course, they themselves didn’t need to go to the front lines. They would only remain in the rear camp, to show their own [Army-Breaking King] an attitude.
After all, when the kingdom was in peril and the King himself was personally donning his armor for battle, they couldn’t just laugh it off and hide at home in leisure.
“Everyone, chip in!”
Just as everyone was thinking this and discussing heatedly, a frivolous greeting suddenly came from the side.
Everyone turned their heads and saw a tall, well-proportioned man with a pair of mustaches under his nose.
At the moment, he was raising his hand and waving it nonstop in their direction.
His target was Grosset, who was being escorted by a crowd of Eastern Capital nobles walking ahead.
That was…
“Grand Duke Kelvidi!”
“Grand Duke, greetings.” The nobles present stopped in their tracks and bowed to the suddenly appearing Nutcracker Archduke.
“Alright, alright~ I’ve heard all about your valiant deeds. Truly the pillars of the kingdom, the hope of humanity!”
Looking at the nobles before him, Grand Duke Kelvidi smiled and nodded.
Whether these people volunteered for this war or not, the fact that they were willing to send troops to help the kingdom resolve the crisis was a good sign.
But…
The Grand Duke stroked his beard while turning his eyes to the side at Grosset, who was surrounded by the Eastern Capital crowd and forming a faction of his own.
That guy… as difficult to handle as ever.
Back when the [Army-Breaking King] approved Lansifude’s “Recruitment Plan”…
As the top leader of the Eastern Capital, Grosset should naturally have put in considerable effort—everyone knew that.
But for him to say it out loud so publicly…
Even if he wasn’t afraid of the [Army-Breaking King]’s suspicion, this exceptionally ambitious monarch was also his uncle…
Though he didn’t want to say it, his life might come to an end within these few years.
By then, would the current little prince, the future new king [Gilgamesh], still trust you enough to hand over the entire Eastern Capital, including military command, to you, Grosset?
Of course, the Grand Duke’s doubt haunted all the nobles.
Even some of the marquises in the Eastern Capital who were close to Grosset had secretly advised him to hide his strength a little.
But… no one could know what this guy really thought.
Grosset, who ascended to the throne of “Eastern Capital Carefree King” from the rank of marquis—how could his wisdom be seen through by these ordinary people?
Among the nobles present, the lowest rank was viscount, and each was sending one to two thousand troops.
That number was not small, but definitely not large.
If forced, or if their own interests were threatened, Grosset could guarantee that every person present… had the ability to raise ten thousand troops.
They just couldn’t bear to part with them.
And the Gilgamesh V on the throne… couldn’t he see that?
No. This aging king could certainly see it, and very clearly.
It was precisely because he felt his time was running out that this [Army-Breaking King] did this.
He appeared to be asking who could contribute troops, but in reality, he was selecting whom to entrust.
In truth… the King might not know exactly how much wealth each noble below had, but he definitely knew better than anyone how many soldiers each could raise and how many private troops they kept.
So at a time like this, rather than hiding it, it was better to show one’s strength, and at the same time, show one’s loyalty to the royal family.
This point… didn’t need to be seen by others. As long as the Army-Breaking King and he himself knew, that was enough.
Of course, besides this, another important factor was that “Loluste,” the eastern gateway of the kingdom, had been breached.
This was also a latent threat to the Eastern Capital.
At this moment, the two people Grosset cared most about—his beloved wife and daughter—were both at his own stronghold in the Eastern Capital.
What the Marquis could not tolerate was having the people he cared about threatened.
Even when he heard the news, he had wanted to travel light back to Shuichang Capital, personally reorganize the army, and crush those foreign races… so that his wife and daughter could live in peace.
However… this behavior was stopped by his eldest son, Ileya’s elder brother [Oz Bateos].
If he left like that, it would be an open defiance of the King’s summons.
Then the Marquis’s mansion would truly become a target of public criticism…
Ah~ The power of the throne really is troublesome.
Thinking this in his heart, Grosset watched Grand Duke Kelvidi smile and walk toward him.
The words the Grand Duke had just said—like “in-laws”—had already been automatically ignored by the Marquis.
Although he had tacitly approved of Kelvidi’s behavior before, all of this depended on his own Ileya’s decision.
If she fell in love with that boy from the Kelvidi family, he might… just might grit his teeth and agree to the marriage.
On the other hand, if Yaya didn’t take a liking to that boy…
Even if this old man knelt down and kowtowed to him, he wouldn’t give in.
In Grosset’s eyes, his daughter’s happiness far outweighed the benefits of a political marriage.
After all… thinking of something, Grosset’s blood-red eyes suddenly narrowed.
For some reason, the moment their eyes met, Kelvidi suddenly felt a chill around his neck, as if something was tightly strangling him!
For an instant, he felt difficulty breathing.
But… it was only an instant, so fast that he himself didn’t even react before the feeling disappeared.
“Uh…” Although it felt more like an illusion, Grand Duke Kelvidi knew that his old friend was dissatisfied with him…
For nobles, especially those with high status and power, Grosset was indeed too much of a family man.
But… without such a personality and constraint, the royal family would not trust him so much.
This “flaw” of loving his family actually made him what he was.
“Heh heh…” The Grand Duke shook his head and smiled helplessly.
“I sent my eldest son to Xueyam a month ago. Have you received any news from your side?”
In response to the Grand Duke’s words, Grosset frowned slightly and shook his head.
“Not at all.”
Huh? Grand Duke Kelvidi blinked in confusion.
For the past month, there had been endless royal affairs, and as a duke with royal blood, he was naturally too busy to catch his breath.
He was confident that his eldest son could handle the matters he had entrusted.
But… that couldn’t be. The man in front of him definitely kept close correspondence with his wife. How could there be no news of Rogers going there?
“That’s strange… Could Rogers have been delayed on the way?” The Grand Duke puzzledly twisted his mustache.
When I get back today… I need to ask about the situation at home.
And at that moment, as the nobles below were exchanging words…
At the top floor of the royal castle, by the window of the spire…
The elderly Army-Breaking King stood with his hands behind his back, looking down at the nobles conversing below.
At this moment, there were others behind him.
Among them, the youngest was in his thirties; the oldest… even appeared younger than this Army-Breaking King.
Without exception, they were all members of the royal family.
“You should all be clear about this matter, right?”
Compared to his stern demeanor in the royal hall, the Army-Breaking King’s voice was still harsh, but a hint of weakness could be heard in his words.
Hearing the King’s words, the royal family members behind him all slowly lowered their heads.
Some secrets of the royal family were fully understood only by the elderly several king’s uncles among them.
“Has He returned?” After an unknown amount of time, a richly dressed, skinny old man spoke shakily.
He…?
Some of the younger royal family members were slightly startled and looked at the old man.
“Fourth Grandfather… what do you mean by ‘He’? Could it be the [Ancient Rock Dragon]?!” A young royal asked.
When he said “Ancient Rock Dragon,” his lips trembled visibly.
“I hope so…” The Army-Breaking King slowly spoke, but what he said was somewhat hard to understand.
Hope it is?
What did that mean?
Among those present, only the few elderly royals understood the King’s meaning at that moment.
If it was the Ancient Rock Dragon, that would be okay.
Because He was already dead. The existence attacking must merely be a former subordinate.
But if… the attack on Loluste was not from the dragon’s followers, then things would truly be troublesome.
Because it was very likely… that He had returned.
The [Supreme Being] that once made all humans worship and fear…
“This time… will no Supreme Being participate in the battle?”
After a long while, a relatively young royal asked subconsciously.
“I hope not.” The Army-Breaking King gazed at the nobles gradually dispersing below, speaking with a weary tone.
I hope it’s not what I guessed…
“Then… Your Majesty, should we first send some people to place all members of [That Family] under surveillance?”
The old royal who had spoken just now suddenly asked.
His words made the Army-Breaking King silent for a moment.
Finally, he slowly nodded.
“Mm, send people to do it. Be discreet…”
“What about the one in Crystal Capital? Should we also watch him? Then what about Marquis Grosset’s side…”
“As long as they are members of that family, they must be watched at all times…”
The King waved his hand.
Then he turned and left the window, his eyes falling on the royal family members who looked puzzled or contemplative.
“This is a matter of life and death for the kingdom, even for all of humanity. There can be no slack. Put away your own petty schemes. This is not the time for you to offend people. Understood?”
Hearing the stern words of the Army-Breaking King, all royal members, old and young, knelt on one knee and answered in unison.
“Yes, our King!”