Chapter 1835 - 507: Sword Against Sword in the Name of the Sacred, Reconciled by the Demon King’s “Plot” (Part 5)

Including himself, they were all just puppets of the Holy Lady.

"Writing a letter to the King?" Comac sneered, casting a sidelong glance at the Earl of Grey Swamp seated beside him, "I think you should give up on that idea; he can't wait for Twilight Province to have no Earls so he can take back the power to his court."

Watching Count Ed, who was timid and afraid, close his mouth, he turned his gaze toward the silent Thelon and coaxed, "Sparrow Wood Territory's Earl, say something, won't you? You're probably the wealthiest person here, and your losses are the greatest!"

He had heard that all the grain in Twilight Province was supplied by Sparrow Wood Territory, clearly, this guy was also someone with means.

After all, Chaos' Apostles are everywhere, only Sparrow Wood Territory can thrive alone, no wonder the Judicial Court sees his family as a pious exemplar!

Comac had no intention of mocking Thelon; "pious exemplar" might be heavy honor for commoners, but for nobles, it's not too bad. Anyway, unsold grain rotting in the warehouse isn't a loss when exchanged for honor.

Seeing Comac's fervent gaze, Thelon forced a bitter smile, guessing this guy thought he was from the Campbell Duchy.

But he actually wasn't.

The Campbell Duchy's army had not even passed through his territory, Erin hadn't given him, the coward, a real glance.

The only reason he sat here was the Holy Lady's bidding.

She hoped he'd listen to the Governor; the Governor had also received the Oracle.

By Saint Sis, why has everyone heard your Oracle except for me, dammit?

"I... think you all have good points."

Thelon put down his wine glass, cleared his throat, and turned his gaze to the equally silent Baron Elaric, "Let's have our Governor say a few words."

Comac looked at him in surprise, then turned his gaze to Baron Elaric, suddenly noticing this Baron seemed different from usual.

Usually, as Governor, Elaric would grin and echo their complaints, then use some correct yet useless nonsense to placate them... but today, he did none of that.

A light in his eyes shone that Count Comac had never seen before.

He seemed like a different person!

"Have you complained enough, gentlemen?"

Elaric's voice wasn't loud, yet carried enough weight to instantly quiet the noisy meeting room.

Leaning forward, his gaze as sharp as a hawk, he looked at the silent three Counts and spoke decisively.

"The Judicial Court will eventually leave; they don't belong in Twilight City. However, the King does belong here, his reckoning will come either this autumn or next."

"For the future of the people living on this land, and for the heads on your shoulders that hang by a thread, we must make a choice."

Seeing their eyes gradually turn to fear, he emphasized each word in conclusion.

"Either unite and fight back."

"Or silently perish!"

"Bang—"

Thelon's wine glass fell to the floor, red wine spilled across the carpet, the crimson liquid flooding the ground like menstruation.

He stared, mouth agape, at Baron Elaric's blatant ambition, almost unable to believe his ears—

What kind of Oracle is this!?

This is clearly rebellion!

More than him, Ed Tully was the first to scream, the Earl of Grey Swamp jumped like a lizard stepped on its tail.

"Are you insane?! What are you rebelling against? The Lion Heart Knight Order or Knight Heigmer of Radiance?"

"Demigods are indeed strong, but not unbeatable. If even the descendants of the Tully family think he's unbeatable, then we're truly doomed."

Ignoring Ed's shouting, Elaric rose, both hands resting on the round table.

"We will form the 'Holy Light Council'."

"Led by Counts guiding Barons, Barons leading Knights... We will unite all the influential people in Twilight Province to form a core of power that's solely ours."

"Externally, we'll claim to resolve the 'Salvation Army's' corruption of us, to reclaim the people of Twilight Province from the witches!"

Thelon held his breath.

He felt the world had become extremely absurd.

The Holy Lady said the Governor heard the Oracle, while the Governor called the Holy Lady a witch, and then they picked up the Church Court's sword to aim at the King behind them.

"Wait!" Count Comac furrowed his brows, "What does this have to do with the Salvation Army? Isn't that the Church's problem?"

He did not think much of the "Holy Light Council," nor did he believe these remnants and defeated generals could confront the entire Ryan Kingdom, even if this Baron seemed to have the shadow of Campbell Duchy behind him.

"Because we can't openly oppose the King."

Elaric looked at him, calmly revealing the strategy set by Duke Edward for him.

"However, we can use the guise of 'opposing the Salvation Army' to force the Judicial Court to side with us. Chief Referee Ximenes is dissatisfied with the King's indulgence, which has mired the Judicial Court, and we can offer them a respectable compromise to return to the Holy City with glory!"

"But..." Ed Tully was still hesitant, wiping sweat from his forehead, his voice trembling, "It's too risky. If the King is enraged..."

"Risky?"

Elaric sneered, interrupting that cowardly speech.

"Don't think I'm joking, gentlemen. Consider Count Solde Wivert dead at Griffin Cliff Castle, bleeding the last drop for Theoden, and what's his end? A statue? A medal? What else?"

Mentioning that name, the faces of the three Counts paled slightly.

The death of Count Wivert isn't squarely on the King's shoulders, but any sane person knows that had the Lion Heart Knight Order arrived a few months earlier, far fewer lives would've been lost on that land.

The King never needs to eat people.

Simply because he doesn't need to personally eat people.

Elaric's gaze swept over the crowd, resting on each person's face, his voice cold as a knife.

"Gentlemen, today it's Count Wivert's family wiped out, tomorrow it will be your children. You can cower, bury your heads like cattle and sheep in the fields, but then I'll precede you to Hell, and by then I'll surely mock you."

"Only by keeping royal power outside castles, like the Campbell Duchy, can we truly control our destiny in our own hands!"

"For the sake of our destiny, it's time to make a choice!"