Contact with the "King's Shadow" had been lost.
And True King Yurian felt a slight wave of dizziness upon learning of the total annihilation of the special agency he had personally cultivated.
He would take promising orphans before they even reached the age of reason and train them up.
He gave the members numbers instead of names and drilled into them that they were his personal pieces.
The survivors were the elite twelve, the best of the best.
He had issued orders to recruit a promising youth named Alan into their ranks — the same Alan who had taken out two Electors.
It seemed that hadn't gone well, and he had also ordered the boy eliminated if that was the case. But then his son's bride, Katarina, had suddenly gone missing, so he had reassigned that task as well.
And yet — total annihilation.
Why? As a covert unit, they had carried out numerous dirty jobs and earned enemies from multiple directions. There were far too many possibilities.
That was troublesome enough, but recently, factions within his own court had been acting uneasily.
It felt as if defection was imminent.
On top of that, the heavy taxes and conscription for the True King's Temple were building up public discontent.
There was only one option left.
A Royal Council.
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"Gathered well, all of you. I have a momentous announcement."
Standing before the assembled nobles, Yurian declared:
"From this day forth, I shall invade the Raging Kingdom!"
*Murmur… murmur…*
"Kuh…!"
Yalurt, son of Kelurt, gritted his teeth.
The man who had killed his father — Yurian — stood before his very eyes, but having heard how his father had been soundly defeated, he knew he couldn't act.
His father, a renowned warrior, had been utterly powerless against this man. If even his father couldn't win a single bout, what chance did he have now?
He had no desire to attend such a farcical council, but he had been warned that absence would be treated as treason, leaving him no choice.
"Your Majesty, may I ask why we are attacking the Raging Kingdom?"
A noble under Marquis Round asked cautiously.
The Marquis had already sided with the Yalurt faction, but officially he was still part of the True King's camp.
Regarding Katarina, the Marquis was pretending to search for her, biding his time to bare his fangs at the king when the moment was right.
"Oh? You wish to know? Then I shall tell you. It seems that among the former Electors, there was one who — against all reason — had formed a friendship with a noble our kingdom was holding as a hostage."
Yurian looked directly at Yalurt.
For the record, Harold was not present at the council.
He was not a noble of this kingdom.
"That noble's country of origin is the Raging Kingdom. And as it happens, the foolish king Sarvan has died, and his successor Geese has been steadily bolstering the nation's strength. This should be viewed as evidence of hostile intent toward our kingdom."
"Nonsense! That country harbors no such intentions! This is a baseless accusation!"
Unable to hold back, Yalurt retorted.
"Hmm? Why, Yalurt, that almost sounds as though you have been in league with the Raging Kingdom yourself. Will you and your father's legacy both oppose me?"
"That's right, Yalurt! If you have nothing to hide, then as a loyal subject, you should march alongside His Majesty into battle against the Raging!"
Following the king's lead was Marquis Garm.
He harbored a grudge because Kelurt — before dying — had threatened him never to retaliate against the son whose arm he had cut off.
Now he seized the opportunity to pay the son back in kind.
"I'm glad you understand, Marquis Garm. And let me make a promise to all of you: once the Raging Kingdom has been brought to heel, I will restore our nation's taxes to their previous level and impose that burden upon the people of the Raging Kingdom instead."
"As expected of True King Yurian Radius! A once-in-a-generation ruler! Our kingdom's prosperity is more assured than ever!"
Marquis Garm, still nominally part of the True King's faction, heaped praise upon the king.
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Skills: [Reverse] [Divine Eye] [Sword God] [Fist God] [Spear God] [Scorching Magic] [Freezing Ice Magic] [Clear Storm Magic] [Rock Iron Magic] [Holy Magic] [Dark Magic] [Space-Time Magic] [Thunder God Sword] [Phantom Thief Gentleman] [Ninja Master] [Truth Seeker] [Superhuman Strength] [Windfoot] [Pain Relief] [Complete Status Abnormality Resistance] [Dark Spirit's Protection] [Super Intuition] [Heaven's Gate] [Abyssal Contractor] [Magic Hand] [Treasure Search] [Temptation] [Incitement] [Tele-Mesmerism] [Eloquence] [Strong Luck] [Growth Speed ×10] [Growth Limit Breakthrough] [Afterimage Magic] [Dark Stalker]
Rank: Orichalcum