Chapter 221
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The Royal District.
The Supreme Council.
In the magnificent Hall of Fire.
The king once again proposed his expansion plan.
"…The Dark Tide has caused significant changes in the forces of monsters in the dark world. Many areas have become weak, and according to the observations of the White Tower, we will have a long period of good days in the future."
"This is a great opportunity. With the Star City as the base, we can control all the nearby areas and expand to the west, taking the Storm Pass, and once again bring the territory lost for six hundred years back into the realm of Thalorian."
Amado shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, we have just experienced a long and bloody battle. When the Doomsday and the Dark Tide arrived, you insisted on not giving up the Star City, which caused us great losses."
"The warriors are all exhausted, all the medical facilities in the royal city are full, and the purification rituals at the Soul Church continue all night."
The head of the Healing Guild stood up and said, "Your Majesty, all of our central healers and healing nuns are working hard to treat everyone, but it is still far from enough to heal everyone, resulting in many permanent disabilities."
The Soul Master Priscilla said softly, "Many warriors' souls are severely corrupted. Our purification ability has reached its limit. The infection of the black mist is not so easy to clear. The warriors have been fighting on the front lines for too long."
The logistics chief Hulen also said, "The Westland military base is full, and the battle rating appointments are already scheduled for next year. The warriors need time to digest their experiences, and the battle system needs time to be updated, so that in the future we can allocate combat power more accurately and efficiently."
Some high-ranking figures also lamented.
"Your Majesty, your new tax law is too harsh."
"The tax burden is too heavy."
"Why ban the flesh and blood mill?"
When you're just trying to make great content at bit.ly/3iBfjkV.
"They are all voluntary..."
The king's gaze swept over them coldly, and the noise immediately subsided.
"The flesh and blood mill is absolutely not allowed to exist. If people eat people, what is the difference between them and monsters? What is the difference between the human royal city and the monster's lair?"
"We are now feeling uncomfortable because we have been living in the Red Soil Plain for too long. This land can no longer support so many people. We lack too many resources. How many people cannot advance due to resource issues? How many people have been missed in the Trial of Fire every year due to resource issues?"
"We need a more spacious living space. Now is the time to take another step forward."
As the king's voice fell, there was a long silence in the Hall of Fire.
Whether it was the Elder Council, the ruling officials, or the legion commanders who had just returned to the royal city, the guardians, no one spoke.
In the end, the expansion plan was shelved due to the huge controversy.
The Elder Council believed that after occupying the Star City, it should be used as an enclave to firmly guard the city, only allowing the royal city to mine crystal ore and sunstone ore.
The king intended to use the Star City as a base to bring all the nearby areas into the territory of Thalorian and continue to expand to the west.
The legion commanders had different opinions, and the guardians also had their own ideas.
After the meeting, the various groups of the high-ranking officials gathered separately.
The guardian and candidate for king, Jon, was warmly sought after by the crowd led by the Grand Judgement Chief Manolobana and the Chief Justice Vere.
They urgently hoped that Jon could stand up and speak up for them.
"Lord Jon, His Majesty's tax burden on us is too heavy. The financial pillar of the royal city is originally us. If it continues to be squeezed like this, what will happen if the pillar collapses?"
"Yes, a forty percent heavy tax is too much. Why do those non-contributing commoners only pay ten percent tax? We, as the backbone, have to pay so much?"
"The flesh and blood mill is not something we want to do. Those poor people have no way out. Staying in this world is just a waste of the warmth of the holy fire. Selling themselves to save their families, isn't that the best choice?"
"Yes, they sacrifice flesh and blood and soul to make soul red crystals, extract living spirits, and provide supplies for the frontline warriors. Why should this be prohibited when it is so beneficial?"
"Our territory is already large enough, there is no need to expand further. It doesn't matter if some poor people die."
Jon remained silent.
These people did not understand his advocacy of cruelty and ruthlessness. If he ascended to the throne, he would immediately wipe out all these people and their families. Their assets would be more useful than the empty pockets of those poor people.
Then he would implement iron-fisted rule in the royal city and expand outward with even more brutal means.
In essence, his direction was the same as the king's, just more radical, and these fools actually thought they were on the same side as him.
But his deputy, Vilas, gently tugged at his sleeve, reminding him to gather more supporters.
Jon sighed lightly in his heart and began to respond to their words within limits.
---
The guardian and candidate for king, Green Feather, was sought after much more warmly.
Everyone knew that Lady Green Feather was kind-hearted. As long as the requests were not unreasonable, she could not bear to refuse.
She had obtained her one hundred and sixty quasi-royal husbands in this way.
She also had a great influence on the king.
Everyone hoped that she could persuade the king to temporarily calm down Thalorian and not make any bigger moves. Whether it was combat personnel or non-combat personnel, whether it was a Firebearer or an ordinary person, everyone was very tired and urgently hoped to enjoy this rare peaceful time.
White Wolf Vimir stood by Green Feather's side, ready to kick out any malicious individuals at any time.
---
The guardian and candidate for king, Star Song, was ignored by everyone. He was too young and had no influence.
Unless Jon and Green Feather died suddenly, the throne would not be his.
---
The Grand Bishop Horus was also ignored. He was a staunch supporter of the king, so there was no need to seek him out.
For those who did not support the king, there was no need to find him either.
But the Holy Church was not a one-man show for Horus. Other bishops and high priests also had a certain degree of influence.
---
The First Defense Chief Dalin summoned all the legion commanders and those above the rank of squadron leader for a closed-door meeting.
---At the mansion of the first elder Amado, the most people were gathered.
Many people hoped that the second most important figure in the royal city, the leader of the conservatives, could persuade the king to abandon his adventurous plan.
But not everyone held conservative views, and many people also wanted to revive the glory of Thalorian.
They had now reached their most powerful state in a hundred years, but compared to the Thalorian era two hundred years ago, three hundred years ago, six hundred years ago, or even further, they were still far behind.
No one did not want to rekindle the former glory.
In the dark world, only more companions could bring greater security.
They also hoped to persuade the first elder to support the king's plan.
This was not without a chance.
The first elder was the most respectful of tradition, and upholding the inheritance and rules of Thalorian was more important to him than their lives.
Amado belonged to the most conservative group among the first elders of the past generations.
If they could find some basis in the ancient classics, perhaps they could persuade him.
—
Some people supported the king's plan, and some opposed it.
And the chief minister of the royal city, Talynas, was the most opposed among all the opponents.
He had a large number of industries in the main cities of Thalorian, such as the royal city, Iron Furnace City, Mountain City, and Stone City.
If the king's new law was implemented, he and his family would suffer terrible losses.
And the new law was implemented for the purpose of expansion.
Therefore, Talynas was extremely opposed to expansion.
Late at night.
Manolobana and other high-level personnel gathered again at his mansion.
This time, there was no quarreling or arguing. They were all on the same side, just needing to discuss the plan.
From the king's recent series of actions, Talynas accurately analyzed that the king's attempt to appoint Rode as the Hand of the King was to make him the vanguard of the expansion plan.
The chief judge Amoli was puzzled, "Is the king crazy? What use is this inexperienced kid?"
"Yes, he has only been a Firebearer for less than half a year, he is just a waste. Why would he become the vanguard of the expansion plan?"
"If he becomes the vanguard, he will surely be defeated, and then those ambitious fools will have nothing to say."
"No."
Manolobana looked at Rode's file and said, "The king cannot make such a foolish mistake. We cannot underestimate him."
The chief judge Krama sneered, "Apart from obtaining Theodore's soul wave during that time, what achievements does he have to boast about?"
"He has no command experience, has not experienced the cruelty of pioneering, has not even completed his studies. The western part of the Star City is very dangerous, and the investigation corps has already discovered two corrupted nests. His only outcome in the past was complete annihilation."
The chief judge Vere agreed, "That's right."
"No."
Manolobana shook his head.
"You are too arrogant. Think about what the king has done in the past. Could you have imagined today twenty years ago? He controlled the Holy Church, controlled the War Department, and even made opponents like us work for him. No matter how much we protest, we cannot overthrow him."
The faces of the people all became somewhat gloomy.
Only Talynas showed a smile, "Gura, continue."
Manolobana nodded slightly and continued, "If we look carefully, the most suspicious thing is the Black Tide mission, which inexplicably delayed and replaced Rode, as if it was waiting specifically for him."
"Assuming the king foresees the plan's inevitable success, then, isn't this paving the way for Rode?"
The people fell silent.
Manolobana's fingers continued to move on the file.
"According to this logic, the king's purpose is very obvious, to make Rode the Hand of the King, the vanguard of his expansion plan."
"The king knows that forcefully implementing the expansion plan is difficult, but as a second choice, sending a small group of people for a tentative expansion is much easier."
"Assuming Rode achieves great success, the losses from the expansion will be far less than the gains, and the majority of people in the royal city will change their attitudes and support the king's new laws."
"If the king further controls the political and internal systems, he will have unprecedented power and can arbitrarily implement various new laws, execute expansion or even expedition plans."
"By then, your belongings will no longer be yours."
As the words fell, the mansion fell silent.
After a long time, the chief judge Vere asked in a tone of fear, "How is this possible? What is special about that kid?"
A cold light flashed in Manolobana's eyes, and he swallowed the real answer and said calmly, "Have you forgotten about Theodore? All these changes have occurred since the Battle of the Giants. Perhaps Theodore has bestowed some kind of magical power on him, gaining the king's trust."
"Yes!"
The chief judge Vere's eyes lit up.
"Maybe Theodore's soul wave has not completely dissipated, but has been hidden, waiting to be used when going to battle."
The chief judge Amoli exclaimed, "I understand! Theodore is not completely dead, and the king's intentional dispatch of him is actually equivalent to sending Theodore. How could the legendary master of magic fail?"
"Exactly! The people in the royal city only see a kid succeeding, not realizing that he has Theodore behind him!"
"Devious, too devious! Fortunately, Lord Gura has seen through it, otherwise we would be in trouble."
"Lord Gura, what should we do now?"
Manolobana sneered, "The best way is to do everything possible to prevent him from passing the combat assessment. As long as he does not pass, the king has no reason to forcibly appoint him as the Hand of the King."
"Yes, yes, let's prepare now!"
"The fifth-level combat assessment includes practical content, and the monsters needed for the trial have been captured. I will go feed it with corrupt matter to make it significantly stronger."
"I will secretly modify the trial mechanism!"
"I will influence the assessment committee!"
"..."
Amidst a series of clamor, Manolobana and Talynas glanced at each other without changing their expressions, revealing a smile as cold as ice.
—
The next day.The royal council meeting was once again convened in the Hall of Fire.
After a night of discussion, the stance of the First Elder Amado and many of the senior members had softened.
The king also made concessions, deciding to first dispatch a vanguard team for a tentative expansion, and based on the results, determine whether to expand further.
This plan received Amado's approval.
Thus, the issue of Thalorian's further expansion was temporarily settled.
The accompanying new laws were also postponed for implementation.
——
Secret branch base.
Following the king's orders, Rode was diligently working to expand his influence within the secret branch, attempting to find more allies.
But the process was not particularly smooth.
Soren flatly rejected his overtures, stating that he only obeyed commands from Lady Olivia.
Teresa agreed, but she was currently breaking through a bottleneck in her soul traits and had to wait until her transformation was complete before she could assist him.
The others did not refuse, but neither did they give a clear commitment.
Kassan, however, did agree.
But she was not yet an official combatant, and aside from completing training-oriented tasks, she could not make her own choices.
Just as Rode was considering shifting his focus outside the secret branch, he received a notification from the Xilan military base—
His fifth-level combat rating trial was ready and would begin at noon the next day.
All weapons and items he intended to use in the fight had to be submitted in advance for the rating committee's review, and the use of unapproved weapons and items was prohibited.
Finally, it had arrived!
Rode clenched his fist in an instant.
Let them witness my true strength.
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The Royal District.
The Supreme Council.
In the magnificent Hall of Fire.
The king once again proposed his expansion plan.
"…The Dark Tide has caused significant changes in the forces of monsters in the dark world. Many areas have become weak, and according to the observations of the White Tower, we will have a long period of good days in the future."
"This is a great opportunity. With the Star City as the base, we can control all the nearby areas and expand to the west, taking the Storm Pass, and once again bring the territory lost for six hundred years back into the realm of Thalorian."
Amado shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, we have just experienced a long and bloody battle. When the Doomsday and the Dark Tide arrived, you insisted on not giving up the Star City, which caused us great losses."
"The warriors are all exhausted, all the medical facilities in the royal city are full, and the purification rituals at the Soul Church continue all night."
The head of the Healing Guild stood up and said, "Your Majesty, all of our central healers and healing nuns are working hard to treat everyone, but it is still far from enough to heal everyone, resulting in many permanent disabilities."
The Soul Master Priscilla said softly, "Many warriors' souls are severely corrupted. Our purification ability has reached its limit. The infection of the black mist is not so easy to clear. The warriors have been fighting on the front lines for too long."
The logistics chief Hulen also said, "The Westland military base is full, and the battle rating appointments are already scheduled for next year. The warriors need time to digest their experiences, and the battle system needs time to be updated, so that in the future we can allocate combat power more accurately and efficiently."
Some high-ranking figures also lamented.
"Your Majesty, your new tax law is too harsh."
"The tax burden is too heavy."
"Why ban the flesh and blood mill?"
When you're just trying to make great content at bit.ly/3iBfjkV.
"They are all voluntary..."
The king's gaze swept over them coldly, and the noise immediately subsided.
"The flesh and blood mill is absolutely not allowed to exist. If people eat people, what is the difference between them and monsters? What is the difference between the human royal city and the monster's lair?"
"We are now feeling uncomfortable because we have been living in the Red Soil Plain for too long. This land can no longer support so many people. We lack too many resources. How many people cannot advance due to resource issues? How many people have been missed in the Trial of Fire every year due to resource issues?"
"We need a more spacious living space. Now is the time to take another step forward."
As the king's voice fell, there was a long silence in the Hall of Fire.
Whether it was the Elder Council, the ruling officials, or the legion commanders who had just returned to the royal city, the guardians, no one spoke.
In the end, the expansion plan was shelved due to the huge controversy.
The Elder Council believed that after occupying the Star City, it should be used as an enclave to firmly guard the city, only allowing the royal city to mine crystal ore and sunstone ore.
The king intended to use the Star City as a base to bring all the nearby areas into the territory of Thalorian and continue to expand to the west.
The legion commanders had different opinions, and the guardians also had their own ideas.
After the meeting, the various groups of the high-ranking officials gathered separately.
The guardian and candidate for king, Jon, was warmly sought after by the crowd led by the Grand Judgement Chief Manolobana and the Chief Justice Vere.
They urgently hoped that Jon could stand up and speak up for them.
"Lord Jon, His Majesty's tax burden on us is too heavy. The financial pillar of the royal city is originally us. If it continues to be squeezed like this, what will happen if the pillar collapses?"
"Yes, a forty percent heavy tax is too much. Why do those non-contributing commoners only pay ten percent tax? We, as the backbone, have to pay so much?"
"The flesh and blood mill is not something we want to do. Those poor people have no way out. Staying in this world is just a waste of the warmth of the holy fire. Selling themselves to save their families, isn't that the best choice?"
"Yes, they sacrifice flesh and blood and soul to make soul red crystals, extract living spirits, and provide supplies for the frontline warriors. Why should this be prohibited when it is so beneficial?"
"Our territory is already large enough, there is no need to expand further. It doesn't matter if some poor people die."
Jon remained silent.
These people did not understand his advocacy of cruelty and ruthlessness. If he ascended to the throne, he would immediately wipe out all these people and their families. Their assets would be more useful than the empty pockets of those poor people.
Then he would implement iron-fisted rule in the royal city and expand outward with even more brutal means.
In essence, his direction was the same as the king's, just more radical, and these fools actually thought they were on the same side as him.
But his deputy, Vilas, gently tugged at his sleeve, reminding him to gather more supporters.
Jon sighed lightly in his heart and began to respond to their words within limits.
---
The guardian and candidate for king, Green Feather, was sought after much more warmly.
Everyone knew that Lady Green Feather was kind-hearted. As long as the requests were not unreasonable, she could not bear to refuse.
She had obtained her one hundred and sixty quasi-royal husbands in this way.
She also had a great influence on the king.
Everyone hoped that she could persuade the king to temporarily calm down Thalorian and not make any bigger moves. Whether it was combat personnel or non-combat personnel, whether it was a Firebearer or an ordinary person, everyone was very tired and urgently hoped to enjoy this rare peaceful time.
White Wolf Vimir stood by Green Feather's side, ready to kick out any malicious individuals at any time.
---
The guardian and candidate for king, Star Song, was ignored by everyone. He was too young and had no influence.
Unless Jon and Green Feather died suddenly, the throne would not be his.
---
The Grand Bishop Horus was also ignored. He was a staunch supporter of the king, so there was no need to seek him out.
For those who did not support the king, there was no need to find him either.
But the Holy Church was not a one-man show for Horus. Other bishops and high priests also had a certain degree of influence.
---
The First Defense Chief Dalin summoned all the legion commanders and those above the rank of squadron leader for a closed-door meeting.
---At the mansion of the first elder Amado, the most people were gathered.
Many people hoped that the second most important figure in the royal city, the leader of the conservatives, could persuade the king to abandon his adventurous plan.
But not everyone held conservative views, and many people also wanted to revive the glory of Thalorian.
They had now reached their most powerful state in a hundred years, but compared to the Thalorian era two hundred years ago, three hundred years ago, six hundred years ago, or even further, they were still far behind.
No one did not want to rekindle the former glory.
In the dark world, only more companions could bring greater security.
They also hoped to persuade the first elder to support the king's plan.
This was not without a chance.
The first elder was the most respectful of tradition, and upholding the inheritance and rules of Thalorian was more important to him than their lives.
Amado belonged to the most conservative group among the first elders of the past generations.
If they could find some basis in the ancient classics, perhaps they could persuade him.
—
Some people supported the king's plan, and some opposed it.
And the chief minister of the royal city, Talynas, was the most opposed among all the opponents.
He had a large number of industries in the main cities of Thalorian, such as the royal city, Iron Furnace City, Mountain City, and Stone City.
If the king's new law was implemented, he and his family would suffer terrible losses.
And the new law was implemented for the purpose of expansion.
Therefore, Talynas was extremely opposed to expansion.
Late at night.
Manolobana and other high-level personnel gathered again at his mansion.
This time, there was no quarreling or arguing. They were all on the same side, just needing to discuss the plan.
From the king's recent series of actions, Talynas accurately analyzed that the king's attempt to appoint Rode as the Hand of the King was to make him the vanguard of the expansion plan.
The chief judge Amoli was puzzled, "Is the king crazy? What use is this inexperienced kid?"
"Yes, he has only been a Firebearer for less than half a year, he is just a waste. Why would he become the vanguard of the expansion plan?"
"If he becomes the vanguard, he will surely be defeated, and then those ambitious fools will have nothing to say."
"No."
Manolobana looked at Rode's file and said, "The king cannot make such a foolish mistake. We cannot underestimate him."
The chief judge Krama sneered, "Apart from obtaining Theodore's soul wave during that time, what achievements does he have to boast about?"
"He has no command experience, has not experienced the cruelty of pioneering, has not even completed his studies. The western part of the Star City is very dangerous, and the investigation corps has already discovered two corrupted nests. His only outcome in the past was complete annihilation."
The chief judge Vere agreed, "That's right."
"No."
Manolobana shook his head.
"You are too arrogant. Think about what the king has done in the past. Could you have imagined today twenty years ago? He controlled the Holy Church, controlled the War Department, and even made opponents like us work for him. No matter how much we protest, we cannot overthrow him."
The faces of the people all became somewhat gloomy.
Only Talynas showed a smile, "Gura, continue."
Manolobana nodded slightly and continued, "If we look carefully, the most suspicious thing is the Black Tide mission, which inexplicably delayed and replaced Rode, as if it was waiting specifically for him."
"Assuming the king foresees the plan's inevitable success, then, isn't this paving the way for Rode?"
The people fell silent.
Manolobana's fingers continued to move on the file.
"According to this logic, the king's purpose is very obvious, to make Rode the Hand of the King, the vanguard of his expansion plan."
"The king knows that forcefully implementing the expansion plan is difficult, but as a second choice, sending a small group of people for a tentative expansion is much easier."
"Assuming Rode achieves great success, the losses from the expansion will be far less than the gains, and the majority of people in the royal city will change their attitudes and support the king's new laws."
"If the king further controls the political and internal systems, he will have unprecedented power and can arbitrarily implement various new laws, execute expansion or even expedition plans."
"By then, your belongings will no longer be yours."
As the words fell, the mansion fell silent.
After a long time, the chief judge Vere asked in a tone of fear, "How is this possible? What is special about that kid?"
A cold light flashed in Manolobana's eyes, and he swallowed the real answer and said calmly, "Have you forgotten about Theodore? All these changes have occurred since the Battle of the Giants. Perhaps Theodore has bestowed some kind of magical power on him, gaining the king's trust."
"Yes!"
The chief judge Vere's eyes lit up.
"Maybe Theodore's soul wave has not completely dissipated, but has been hidden, waiting to be used when going to battle."
The chief judge Amoli exclaimed, "I understand! Theodore is not completely dead, and the king's intentional dispatch of him is actually equivalent to sending Theodore. How could the legendary master of magic fail?"
"Exactly! The people in the royal city only see a kid succeeding, not realizing that he has Theodore behind him!"
"Devious, too devious! Fortunately, Lord Gura has seen through it, otherwise we would be in trouble."
"Lord Gura, what should we do now?"
Manolobana sneered, "The best way is to do everything possible to prevent him from passing the combat assessment. As long as he does not pass, the king has no reason to forcibly appoint him as the Hand of the King."
"Yes, yes, let's prepare now!"
"The fifth-level combat assessment includes practical content, and the monsters needed for the trial have been captured. I will go feed it with corrupt matter to make it significantly stronger."
"I will secretly modify the trial mechanism!"
"I will influence the assessment committee!"
"..."
Amidst a series of clamor, Manolobana and Talynas glanced at each other without changing their expressions, revealing a smile as cold as ice.
—
The next day.The royal council meeting was once again convened in the Hall of Fire.
After a night of discussion, the stance of the First Elder Amado and many of the senior members had softened.
The king also made concessions, deciding to first dispatch a vanguard team for a tentative expansion, and based on the results, determine whether to expand further.
This plan received Amado's approval.
Thus, the issue of Thalorian's further expansion was temporarily settled.
The accompanying new laws were also postponed for implementation.
——
Secret branch base.
Following the king's orders, Rode was diligently working to expand his influence within the secret branch, attempting to find more allies.
But the process was not particularly smooth.
Soren flatly rejected his overtures, stating that he only obeyed commands from Lady Olivia.
Teresa agreed, but she was currently breaking through a bottleneck in her soul traits and had to wait until her transformation was complete before she could assist him.
The others did not refuse, but neither did they give a clear commitment.
Kassan, however, did agree.
But she was not yet an official combatant, and aside from completing training-oriented tasks, she could not make her own choices.
Just as Rode was considering shifting his focus outside the secret branch, he received a notification from the Xilan military base—
His fifth-level combat rating trial was ready and would begin at noon the next day.
All weapons and items he intended to use in the fight had to be submitted in advance for the rating committee's review, and the use of unapproved weapons and items was prohibited.
Finally, it had arrived!
Rode clenched his fist in an instant.
Let them witness my true strength.
The Royal District.The Supreme Council.In the magnificent Hall of Fire.The king once again proposed his expansion plan."The Dark Tide has caused significant changes in the forces of monsters in the dark world. Many areas have become weak, and according to the observations of the White Tower, we will have a long period of good days in the future.""This is a great opportunity. With the Star City as the base, we can control all the nearby areas and expand to the west, taking the Storm Pass, and once again bring the territory lost for six hundred years back into the realm of Thalorian."Amado shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, we have just experienced a long and bloody battle. When the Doomsday and the Dark Tide arrived, you insisted on not giving up the Star City, which caused us great losses.""The warriors are all exhausted, all the medical facilities in the royal city are full, and the purification rituals at the Soul Church continue all night."The head of the Healing Guild stood up and said, "Your Majesty, all of our central healers and healing nuns are working hard to treat everyone, but it is still far from enough to heal everyone, resulting in many permanent disabilities."The Soul Master Priscilla said softly, "Many warriors' souls are severely corrupted. Our purification ability has reached its limit. The infection of the black mist is not so easy to clear. The warriors have been fighting on the front lines for too long."The logistics chief Hulen also said, "The Westland military base is full, and the battle rating appointments are already scheduled for next year. The warriors need time to digest their experiences, and the battle system needs time to be updated, so that in the future we can allocate combat power more accurately and efficiently."Some high-ranking figures also lamented."Your Majesty, your new tax law is too harsh.""The tax burden is too heavy.""Why ban the flesh and blood mill?"When you're just trying to make great content at bit.ly/3iBfjkV."They are all voluntary..."The king's gaze swept over them coldly, and the noise immediately subsided."The flesh and blood mill is absolutely not allowed to exist. If people eat people, what is the difference between them and monsters? What is the difference between the human royal city and the monster's lair?""We are now feeling uncomfortable because we have been living in the Red Soil Plain for too long. This land can no longer support so many people. We lack too many resources. How many people cannot advance due to resource issues? How many people have been missed in the Trial of Fire every year due to resource issues?""We need a more spacious living space. Now is the time to take another step forward."As the king's voice fell, there was a long silence in the Hall of Fire.Whether it was the Elder Council, the ruling officials, or the legion commanders who had just returned to the royal city, the guardians, no one spoke.In the end, the expansion plan was shelved due to the huge controversy.The Elder Council believed that after occupying the Star City, it should be used as an enclave to firmly guard the city, only allowing the royal city to mine crystal ore and sunstone ore.The king intended to use the Star City as a base to bring all the nearby areas into the territory of Thalorian and continue to expand to the west.The legion commanders had different opinions, and the guardians also had their own ideas.After the meeting, the various groups of the high-ranking officials gathered separately.The guardian and candidate for king, Jon, was warmly sought after by the crowd led by the Grand Judgement Chief Manolobana and the Chief Justice Vere.They urgently hoped that Jon could stand up and speak up for them."Lord Jon, His Majesty's tax burden on us is too heavy. The financial pillar of the royal city is originally us. If it continues to be squeezed like this, what will happen if the pillar collapses?""Yes, a forty percent heavy tax is too much. Why do those non-contributing commoners only pay ten percent tax? We, as the backbone, have to pay so much?""The flesh and blood mill is not something we want to do. Those poor people have no way out. Staying in this world is just a waste of the warmth of the holy fire. Selling themselves to save their families, isn't that the best choice?""Yes, they sacrifice flesh and blood and soul to make soul red crystals, extract living spirits, and provide supplies for the frontline warriors. Why should this be prohibited when it is so beneficial?""Our territory is already large enough, there is no need to expand further. It doesn't matter if some poor people die."Jon remained silent.These people did not understand his advocacy of cruelty and ruthlessness. If he ascended to the throne, he would immediately wipe out all these people and their families. Their assets would be more useful than the empty pockets of those poor people.Then he would implement iron-fisted rule in the royal city and expand outward with even more brutal means.In essence, his direction was the same as the king's, just more radical, and these fools actually thought they were on the same side as him.But his deputy, Vilas, gently tugged at his sleeve, reminding him to gather more supporters.Jon sighed lightly in his heart and began to respond to their words within limits.---The guardian and candidate for king, Green Feather, was sought after much more warmly.Everyone knew that Lady Green Feather was kind-hearted. As long as the requests were not unreasonable, she could not bear to refuse.She had obtained her one hundred and sixty quasi-royal husbands in this way.She also had a great influence on the king.Everyone hoped that she could persuade the king to temporarily calm down Thalorian and not make any bigger moves. Whether it was combat personnel or non-combat personnel, whether it was a Firebearer or an ordinary person, everyone was very tired and urgently hoped to enjoy this rare peaceful time.White Wolf Vimir stood by Green Feather's side, ready to kick out any malicious individuals at any time.---The guardian and candidate for king, Star Song, was ignored by everyone. He was too young and had no influence.Unless Jon and Green Feather died suddenly, the throne would not be his.---The Grand Bishop Horus was also ignored. He was a staunch supporter of the king, so there was no need to seek him out.For those who did not support the king, there was no need to find him either.But the Holy Church was not a one-man show for Horus. Other bishops and high priests also had a certain degree of influence.---The First Defense Chief Dalin summoned all the legion commanders and those above the rank of squadron leader for a closed-door meeting.---At the mansion of the first elder Amado, the most people were gathered.Many people hoped that the second most important figure in the royal city, the leader of the conservatives, could persuade the king to abandon his adventurous plan.But not everyone held conservative views, and many people also wanted to revive the glory of Thalorian.They had now reached their most powerful state in a hundred years, but compared to the Thalorian era two hundred years ago, three hundred years ago, six hundred years ago, or even further, they were still far behind.No one did not want to rekindle the former glory.In the dark world, only more companions could bring greater security.They also hoped to persuade the first elder to support the king's plan.This was not without a chance.The first elder was the most respectful of tradition, and upholding the inheritance and rules of Thalorian was more important to him than their lives.Amado belonged to the most conservative group among the first elders of the past generations.If they could find some basis in the ancient classics, perhaps they could persuade him.Some people supported the king's plan, and some opposed it.And the chief minister of the royal city, Talynas, was the most opposed among all the opponents.He had a large number of industries in the main cities of Thalorian, such as the royal city, Iron Furnace City, Mountain City, and Stone City.If the king's new law was implemented, he and his family would suffer terrible losses.And the new law was implemented for the purpose of expansion.Therefore, Talynas was extremely opposed to expansion.Late at night.Manolobana and other high-level personnel gathered again at his mansion.This time, there was no quarreling or arguing. They were all on the same side, just needing to discuss the plan.From the king's recent series of actions, Talynas accurately analyzed that the king's attempt to appoint Rode as the Hand of the King was to make him the vanguard of the expansion plan.The chief judge Amoli was puzzled, "Is the king crazy? What use is this inexperienced kid?""Yes, he has only been a Firebearer for less than half a year, he is just a waste. Why would he become the vanguard of the expansion plan?""If he becomes the vanguard, he will surely be defeated, and then those ambitious fools will have nothing to say.""No."Manolobana looked at Rode's file and said, "The king cannot make such a foolish mistake. We cannot underestimate him."The chief judge Krama sneered, "Apart from obtaining Theodore's soul wave during that time, what achievements does he have to boast about?""He has no command experience, has not experienced the cruelty of pioneering, has not even completed his studies. The western part of the Star City is very dangerous, and the investigation corps has already discovered two corrupted nests. His only outcome in the past was complete annihilation."The chief judge Vere agreed, "That's right.""No."Manolobana shook his head."You are too arrogant. Think about what the king has done in the past. Could you have imagined today twenty years ago? He controlled the Holy Church, controlled the War Department, and even made opponents like us work for him. No matter how much we protest, we cannot overthrow him."The faces of the people all became somewhat gloomy.Only Talynas showed a smile, "Gura, continue."Manolobana nodded slightly and continued, "If we look carefully, the most suspicious thing is the Black Tide mission, which inexplicably delayed and replaced Rode, as if it was waiting specifically for him.""Assuming the king foresees the plan's inevitable success, then, isn't this paving the way for Rode?"The people fell silent.Manolobana's fingers continued to move on the file."According to this logic, the king's purpose is very obvious, to make Rode the Hand of the King, the vanguard of his expansion plan.""The king knows that forcefully implementing the expansion plan is difficult, but as a second choice, sending a small group of people for a tentative expansion is much easier.""Assuming Rode achieves great success, the losses from the expansion will be far less than the gains, and the majority of people in the royal city will change their attitudes and support the king's new laws.""If the king further controls the political and internal systems, he will have unprecedented power and can arbitrarily implement various new laws, execute expansion or even expedition plans.""By then, your belongings will no longer be yours."As the words fell, the mansion fell silent.After a long time, the chief judge Vere asked in a tone of fear, "How is this possible? What is special about that kid?"A cold light flashed in Manolobana's eyes, and he swallowed the real answer and said calmly, "Have you forgotten about Theodore? All these changes have occurred since the Battle of the Giants. Perhaps Theodore has bestowed some kind of magical power on him, gaining the king's trust.""Yes!"The chief judge Vere's eyes lit up."Maybe Theodore's soul wave has not completely dissipated, but has been hidden, waiting to be used when going to battle."The chief judge Amoli exclaimed, "I understand! Theodore is not completely dead, and the king's intentional dispatch of him is actually equivalent to sending Theodore. How could the legendary master of magic fail?""Exactly! The people in the royal city only see a kid succeeding, not realizing that he has Theodore behind him!""Devious, too devious! Fortunately, Lord Gura has seen through it, otherwise we would be in trouble.""Lord Gura, what should we do now?"Manolobana sneered, "The best way is to do everything possible to prevent him from passing the combat assessment. As long as he does not pass, the king has no reason to forcibly appoint him as the Hand of the King.""Yes, yes, let's prepare now!""The fifth-level combat assessment includes practical content, and the monsters needed for the trial have been captured. I will go feed it with corrupt matter to make it significantly stronger.""I will secretly modify the trial mechanism!""I will influence the assessment committee!""..."Amidst a series of clamor, Manolobana and Talynas glanced at each other without changing their expressions, revealing a smile as cold as ice.The next day.The royal council meeting was once again convened in the Hall of Fire.After a night of discussion, the stance of the First Elder Amado and many of the senior members had softened.The king also made concessions, deciding to first dispatch a vanguard team for a tentative expansion, and based on the results, determine whether to expand further.This plan received Amado's approval.Thus, the issue of Thalorian's further expansion was temporarily settled.The accompanying new laws were also postponed for implementation.Secret branch base.Following the king's orders, Rode was diligently working to expand his influence within the secret branch, attempting to find more allies.But the process was not particularly smooth.Soren flatly rejected his overtures, stating that he only obeyed commands from Lady Olivia.Teresa agreed, but she was currently breaking through a bottleneck in her soul traits and had to wait until her transformation was complete before she could assist him.The others did not refuse, but neither did they give a clear commitment.Kassan, however, did agree.But she was not yet an official combatant, and aside from completing training-oriented tasks, she could not make her own choices.Just as Rode was considering shifting his focus outside the secret branch, he received a notification from the Xilan military baseHis fifth-level combat rating trial was ready and would begin at noon the next day.All weapons and items he intended to use in the fight had to be submitted in advance for the rating committee's review, and the use of unapproved weapons and items was prohibited.Finally, it had arrived!Rode clenched his fist in an instant.Let them witness my true strength.
