paranoianovel Chapter 212 Robert's Dilemma and Evan's Reminder
Chapter 212 Robert's Dilemma and Evan's Reminder
Chapter 212 Robert's Dilemma and Evan's Reminder
Count Akhova is now like a candle flickering in the wind. Since the unexpected deaths of his two sons and the loss of his heir, his health has been very poor.
To outsiders, it's incredible that he's managed to hold on this long.
The reason he returned to Backlund under these circumstances was because he felt his days were numbered and wanted to die in the old house.
After seeing Count Akhova, who was still in a coma, Evan followed Robert to his study again.
"The old count just woke up briefly, met with the special envoy sent by His Majesty the King, and then fell into a coma again."
Now the entire noble class of Rune knows that Count Akhova has returned to Backlund, and they also know that he is about to collapse. They have all sent people with gifts to him.
On one hand, there was the need to visit the dying old count, after all, the reformist forces he represented had helped Rune seize the last wave of the Industrial Revolution decades ago, expanding its vast colonies in the southern continent and ultimately leading to the crown of the Byron Empire falling to Rune.
They made contributions to the country's territorial expansion and earned the respect of all social strata.
On the other hand, he was also trying to find out the political plans of the youngest bigwig in the Loen political arena. After the old count passed away, Robert would have full control over the resources of the count of Ahova. Coupled with the influence he had built up, he would truly become a bigwig who would influence the major policies of the entire Loen Kingdom. Every move he made would have a far-reaching impact.
So ever since the old Earl returned to Backlund yesterday, visitors have been coming in droves, almost wearing down the threshold.
After receiving some important figures who required his personal attention, Robert simply handed the rest over to the butler.
"Your reforms during this period have deeply affected and harmed the interests of the Royal Family and His Majesty the King. I have heard discussions about whether you are loyal to the Royal Family, and it is clear that many people are dissatisfied with your reform measures."
"I wonder if His Majesty the King's attitude toward your succession to the title has changed?" Ai Wenming asked knowingly.
Robert's reforms were what King George III had hoped for. Although he would appear very unhappy with Robert's reform measures on the surface, he actually supported them in secret.
George III might even be worried that Robert might back down halfway due to the overwhelming opposition.
One of the core tasks Prince Grove gave to "Evan" was to strengthen Robert's resolve to reform and not to back down easily.
Therefore, it was impossible for George III to change course and prevent Robert from successfully inheriting the title.
As expected, Robert smiled calmly. He assumed Evan was genuinely worried, so he comforted him:
"The old count went to great lengths to ensure that I could inherit the title smoothly. He had signed a occult contract with the royal family regarding this matter, and if the royal family wanted to break the contract, they would have to pay a heavy price."
Moreover, I have converted to the Church of Storms and am considered one of its recognized representatives. Even if they are willing to pay the corresponding price to prevent me from inheriting the title, they still have to consider the Church of Storms' attitude.
Besides, I'm not someone anyone can easily bully; I'm not someone anyone can just lay a hand on!
Robert looked very proud as he said this, a testament to his self-confidence.
His confidence stems not only from the power he has painstakingly built, but also from his own strength.
A demigod is virtually invincible in political struggles unless he commits treason or has a major fundamental problem with his stance. Even Duke Negan and Earl Hall are not as certain of this.
In the original Lord of Mysteries, Klein, in order to impersonate the "Faceless Man," once served as a stand-in for a demigod through the Arbiter pathway, and was subsequently warned by the Twilight Hermits not to let him hinder the tide of history.
This demigod was later removed from his powerful position as commander of the Central Sudanese Navy, but within a few months he returned to the center stage as Minister of Defense.
Therefore, from any perspective, preventing Robert from smoothly inheriting the title is a move that would lead to a complete breakdown in relations and a complete table-flipping incident.
No one can afford the consequences of overturning the table.
Leaving aside the topic of inheriting the title, Robert looked at Evan and asked:
"Did you notice anything unusual today?"
Evan knew this was another test from Robert, but he also wanted to get the latest information from Robert.
So he hesitated for a moment and said:
"I just sensed an unusual movement emanating from the extraordinary properties, a pull from the direction of the palace, but that feeling quickly disappeared. I don't know what happened. Robert, do you know what happened?"
Despite the seemingly intense nature of the angel war, the common people and even the nobility were completely unaware of it all.
The most they'll know tomorrow is that cultists have been performing evil rituals in the dock area, and that the notorious conman, Lanius, resisted arrest and was shot dead on the spot.
Their survival rests on a fragile balance between gods and angels, perfectly embodying the idea that "destroying you is none of your business."
"The Fate Angel beside the True Creator of the Evil God stormed into Backlund. The Royal Angel intervened to stop him, even bringing out a Hunter-level Angel-level sealed artifact. The archbishops of the three major churches were also on high alert, but ultimately it didn't come to the point where they had to take action."
You feel your extraordinary traits are being drawn towards the direction of the Royal Palace, which is likely due to the extraordinary trait aggregation effect brought about by this Hunter's Path sealed artifact.
Robert glanced at Evan, took a sip of his coffee to calm himself down, but still couldn't contain his excitement as he spoke.
Today, thanks to the sealed artifact on his assistant, he witnessed the entire battle over Backlund, which greatly shocked him.
The appearance of the "Founder of the Nation" and the methods of the two snakes of fate broadened his horizons and made him realize why the Augustus family had been able to stand tall in the Northern Continent for more than a thousand years.
As long as the Augustus family still has angels, they cannot fall.
At the same time, he was convinced of his previous guess: by relying on the main body of the Kingdom of Rune to promote reforms and hold ceremonies for advancement, the rules he established would become the power pillar of the Augustus family's angels. The more he was promoted, the more he would be subject to others.
Because your stuff belongs to someone else, and you don't have the same level of access as them.
When Ouroboros, the "Tail Eater," forcibly pushed the "River of Destiny" to close, Augustus I punished him.
Robert could clearly feel his "rules" uncontrollably giving Augustus I a boost.
The rules established by the demigods who ascended through the arbitrator path generation after generation during their ascension became an integral part of the Augustus family's rule edifice, entirely beyond human control.
This was unacceptable to Robert, who was proud and knew the history of the Horn family.
Furthermore, his discovery that almost no one other than Augustus in the history of Rune became a Sequence 3 "Chaos Hunter" has given him a different idea now.
"Angel Wars? Who won in the end?"
Although he already had a rough idea of the outcome, Evan still asked,
It seems that Urolius the Tail Eater lost, failed to achieve his goal, and could only retreat in the end.
But I have a feeling that this forced entry into Backlund had another purpose, more like a planned retreat after completing a mission, rather than a forced retreat after a mission failure.
Robert could see what the archbishops of the three major churches could see.
It's estimated that everyone who witnessed Ulorus's reaction has realized that his attempt to force his way into Backlund was just a ruse.
Or perhaps the true Creator is planning something big, and may have already succeeded in doing so.
Robert went a step further, realizing that the great scheme plotted by the true creator and Urolius was taking place within the Kingdom of Rune, and that their purpose in storming Backlund was to attract the attention of the Storm God.
None of the other angels were worthy of the King of Angels personally drawing their attention; only the true God was the target of their schemes.
"If it was truly an orderly retreat, then the logic behind the Angel of Fate's forced entry into Backlund is not so simple."
Evan was also puzzled by Ulorus's behavior. He genuinely believed that a great war was about to break out, and even did not rule out the possibility that the Storm God and the true creator would personally intervene.
"The matter of angels and true gods is too far removed from our lives. Let's focus on the present! How have the various secret organizations in Backlund been doing lately?"
Robert immediately interrupted Evan's train of thought; he was well aware of the power of angels, especially those who traverse the path of destiny.
The more they recite, the more likely they are to become entangled with them by fate, which is not a good thing for Evan, who is not yet a demigod.
"Since Duke Negan's assassination, we, along with the three major churches, have plowed through the underworld of Backlund time and time again."
The activity frequency of the secret organization has dropped to an all-time low, and nothing particularly noteworthy has occurred.
Robert, you mentioned that the Witch Cult and the Gnostic Society gathered in Backlund recently, even engaging in a fierce battle outside Red Rose Manor. Could their target be that Hunter's Path sealed artifact in the royal family's possession?
Evan realized that Robert had asked him to report on his work just to change the subject and not to talk about Ulrich.
He readily gave a brief report on his work, and then smoothly steered the conversation toward the Witch Cult and the Hunter Path sealed artifacts in the hands of the royal family.
Robert has been thinking about the true creator and Ulrich and hasn't thought about anything else yet.
But after Evan's reminder, he quickly connected the Red Rose Manor incident, the first assassination attempt on Duke Negan, and the fight between the Witch Cult and the Gnostic.
He was unaware that the royal family possessed a Hunter's Path seal artifact capable of confronting the Angel King. This was one of the Augustus family's trump cards, which had never been revealed to the public before.
He found it strange from the beginning. The Aurora Society and the Rose Cult used to be the most active secretive organizations in the Kingdom of Rune, so why are the Witch Cult and the Gnostic Society so active this year?
These two organizations used to be mainly active in the Intis and Fussac Empires, so why are they now in Backlund?
After Evan's reminder, he began to realize what their goal really was.
No, it should be that they now understand what the Witch Cult's goal is.
The psychopathic witches of the Witch Cult have their eyes on the Hunter's Path sealed artifact in the hands of the royal family, while the Grimm Society, knowing the inside story, is deliberately causing trouble.
The fact that the sealed artifact can target the Angel King clearly indicates that it is a special characteristic of Hunter Path Sequence 1. Anyone who wants it must be a Sequence 2 witch, and perhaps more than one witch has her eye on this characteristic.
Robert constantly assessed in his mind what benefits he could gain from this.
Should I give the royal family a heads-up? No, I was unaware that the royal family possessed the Hunter's Path sealed artifact, so I was unaware of the Witch Cult's purpose.
The royal family is aware of their own situation, yet they haven't revealed a single detail. Why?
Furthermore, the royal family's reaction after the Red Rose Garden incident was rather strange! The third prince has not appeared in public or given any explanation. What exactly is the royal family trying to do?
Robert, who had already harbored rebellious thoughts towards the royal family, was now very interested in King George III's secrets. However, he had another purpose in bringing Evan to his office, so he could only suppress his curiosity and casually ask:
"When 'Tail Eater' Urolius stormed into Backlund just now, there was quite a little incident in between!"
"Oh? An interlude? What interlude?" Evan asked in surprise, though he already had a guess in his mind.
Robert looked directly at Evan and said in a calm tone, "Just as the two angels were facing off, Lanius suddenly appeared. He had transformed into a vessel for the true creator's divine descent, hiding in the dock area, intending to sneak into Backlund while everyone's attention was diverted from the angelic battle!"
"So that's how it is. No wonder MI9 and the three major churches couldn't find any information about him despite using all their methods."
This explains everything.
only------"
Evan suddenly realized something and excitedly slapped his thigh, but his tone immediately changed.
"Just what?"
"But the royal family's reaction to the Lannus incident was a bit off!"
The royal family sent men to arrest Lanius, but the attempt failed, resulting in heavy losses and nearly their demise. I later learned that the men they sent were very capable, so I didn't think much of it.
But if Lanluus is the vessel for the true Creator, then this kind of thing can be explained. The royal family must have known that something was wrong with Lanluus, but they didn't tell anyone. What are they thinking?
Although Evan has already decided to stand on Adam's side in driving the tide of the times, using Adam's influence to pave the way for his own promotion.
But that doesn't mean Evans really wanted to see George III ascend to godhood.
Being part of the Kingdom of Rune's system and having been appointed by the Augustus family, from the perspective of order and law, one must forever be subordinate to them and bound by the "rules".
It is especially unforgivable that George III wanted to become a "black emperor" through the legal profession.
Robert and Evan were both nobles appointed by the royal family of Rune, and they were to serve the Augustan royal family in accordance with ancient contracts and established customs. However, people are flexible and can always find a way to circumvent various restrictions.
However, if a "dark emperor" were to emerge in the royal family, as the shadow of order, and combined with the rules of order, loopholes would certainly decrease, and the right to interpret the rules would be entirely in his hands. This would block any possibility of any extraordinary individuals under the Ruen royal family surpassing the royal family.
In this way, Evan would have a natural ceiling above his head and would never have true autonomy, which is absolutely intolerable for Evan, who is determined to continue and has the ambition to become a god.
During this time, Evan had been observing his brother and felt that Robert was not the kind of rigid person who believed that "if the king commands a subject to die, the subject must die," but he was also a loyal person to the country.
However, the world is still in a stage where the king is regarded as a symbol of the state.
Since he was certain that he could not support George III's ascension to godhood and would even have to sabotage it if necessary, Evan needed to make preparations in advance to prevent his brothers from reading the wall in the future.
Revealing the truth about Lannault was the first step Ivan took to undermine Robert's loyalty to the royal family. George III's concealment of the fact that Lannault possessed the true divine nature of a creator was essentially a betrayal and irresponsibility towards the country.
As expected, Robert's face fell immediately upon hearing Evan's words. Although he was unwilling to be bound by the Augustus family, it did not mean that he had no feelings for the Kingdom of Rune.
The royal family knew perfectly well that Lanius possessed the divinity of a true creator, yet they kept it a complete secret from everyone. This irresponsible behavior infuriated him.
However, he could not easily show his dissatisfaction. Instead, he comforted Evan, believing that George III must have had his reasons for concealing the matter and let it go. But he had already decided to investigate the matter in private.
Evan, who already knew Robert very well and understood his anger, knew there was no need to add fuel to the fire. So he continued the conversation by asking:
"So, has Lanluus infiltrated Backlund? Should I apprehend him immediately?"
"No need. Lanluus has already been eliminated by a high-ranking expert using a powerful sealing artifact. There was no trouble at all!"
Robert's expression softened slightly as he remembered the main purpose of his conversation with Evan. He stared at Evan and then spoke.
"Oh? Do you know which high-sequence powerhouse it is? It's not like the second assassination attempt on Duke Negan a few days ago, where a demigod not listed in the records appeared, is it?"
"Not some unknown demigod, but the eldest daughter of Emperor Roselle, the queen of pirates, and the mysterious queen Bernadette, the founder of the 'Elemental Dawn'!"
For some unknown reason, she also came ashore and arrived in Backlund.
They even found Lanius at a crucial moment in Backlund and eliminated him!
That was a huge help! She's so kind! I even think she should receive the Backlund Good Person Award this year.
Robert's words implied his doubts about Bernadette's involvement.
He never believed in coincidences, firmly believing that there were no coincidences and that all coincidences were the result of long-term planning. Moreover, Bernadette was a Sequence 3 demigod, and to some extent, she herself was a kind of weathervane in the mysterious world, with every move she made having a far-reaching impact.
But the question is, which way is the wind blowing now?
He and Amanda had just pulled her into their group's party when this happened, so he was eager to find out why Bernadette was able to find Laneus and why she eliminated him.
The most direct way to find out Bernadette's purpose is through Evan.
Robert knew very well about a deal that Evan and Bernadette had discussed at the party, a deal that was very secure.
Because Amanda didn't investigate in order to avoid suspicion, she was unaware of the details of the transaction.
However, Evan could not answer directly. If he did, it would be to show Robert that Bernadette's actions to eliminate Lanius stemmed from him, which would mean that he knew Lanius's whereabouts.
But since Robert had already asked so directly, Evan couldn't help but reveal something. Although he didn't understand why Robert wanted to know the purpose of Bernadette's operation, the fact that an angel was going to appear at his gathering with Amanda and the female group of thousands was indeed something he should be reminded of.
"Ren doesn't believe in coincidences. How could she have such a good grasp of the situation? With everyone distracted during the angel war, how did she manage to find Lanluus's position and eliminate him? This operation must have been premeditated!"
Moreover, people are driven by self-interest, and Ren believed that even becoming a demigod would not be an exception!
I don't believe the Mysterious Queen eliminated Lanius to save the people of Backlund; it was out of a ridiculous sense of compassion. She must have had some ulterior motive!
"What benefits do you think she can gain from eliminating Lanluus? You know, the sealed artifacts she displayed were extremely powerful, no less so than those displayed by the royal family. What could possibly motivate her to take such a risk in Backlund and hesitate like this?"
Robert frowned and muttered to himself.
"There's nothing I can't understand. For extraordinary individuals, there's no better reward than a successful career advancement and reaching a higher level in their skills."
Evan's words enlightened Robert: Emperor Roselle had created blasphemous tablets that recorded 22 divine paths during his lifetime, a fact known to most people in the extraordinary world.
It's not surprising that Bernadette, as the eldest daughter of Emperor Roselle, knew the corresponding potion recipe.
Furthermore, based on MI9's investigation and her records of several actions, it's clear that she has been a Sequence 3 for quite some time now.
Based on the news from the Ascetic Order of Artemis, Robert believed that she must have digested the potion and collected the extraordinary properties.
With everything in place, the most important thing for her was the ceremony to ascend to angelhood.
Although the specifics and contents of the ritual for the Ascension of the Angels through the Path of the Seekers are unknown, the divine status of the True Creator in Lannus is high enough that it seems to meet the requirements of the ritual.
Robert suddenly understood and concluded that Bernadette's elimination of Laneus was for the ritual of ascending to angelhood. Thinking of this, Robert had mixed feelings. He and Amanda had never expected that they would have an angel-level member so quickly when they formed this gathering.