Chapter 1303 - 558: Maneuvering and Compromise

Chapter 1303: Chapter 558: Maneuvering and Compromise

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Laon’s issue is also a very complex political problem.

Because in the chaos of Mathew Bade, the duke now finds himself in a very awkward position.

If Laon is deemed to have no responsibility for the current situation, it wouldn’t convince the populace; after all, it was under his leadership of the knightly army, and as the main general, he bears undeniable blame for the defeat.

However, if Laine wants to impose severe punishment, it is also somewhat unrealistic.

Brittania’s laws state that members of the initial twelve Holy Grail Knight families are exempt from any charges except for treason and sacrilege.

So, did Laon commit treason or sacrilege?

No.

Mathew Bade is Mathew Bade, Laon is Laon; although they are father and son, they are indeed two independent individuals.

Laon is a Holy Grail Knight of both virtue and martial valor, a knight of glory. His combat efforts are undeniable, and his abilities in internal affairs are equally impressive. Since assuming the position of Kingdom Regent, his capabilities have been unanimously praised by all northern nobility.

Facing the insurrection in Leonais, he worked diligently to suppress it, and facing Musillon’s undead army, he fought bravely to the last moment. He has never betrayed the Knight Kingdom nor failed the responsibilities given to him by the Lake Fairy.

From the knightly path perspective, there is nothing to criticize about Laon. If there’s one criticism, it’s that Laon did not manage himself well when he was young.

But this has nothing to do with treason or sacrilege, nor is it related to the knightly path, which doesn’t have requirements in this regard. In fact, when some Holy Grail Knights are forced to lodge with peasant families, many peasants would have their wives and daughters serve the knights, hoping to "acquire noble bloodlines."

Such occurrences are rare but do happen. Francois once advised Laine to pay a little more attention to this issue.

Therefore, from this angle, harshly penalizing Laon is unrealistic and at this juncture would provoke intense backlash from many duke families, posing considerable obstacles to Laine’s plans.

Laine also felt troubled and asked, "Is Laon seriously injured?"

"Pretty serious indeed. Mogiana used the finest herbs given by the Lady to treat Laon, while employing a great curse technique to detoxify him. The poison from Mathew Bade’s sword is extremely formidable. Laon now has a persistent high fever and unstable condition, while the two sisters, the Lake God Prophets, are continuously chanting divine art to stabilize his vital signs," Bohemond said with a furrowed brow. "Simultaneously, your female courtier has joined the emergency efforts, producing large amounts of ice to help Laon reduce his fever."

"Teresa, is it?" Laine nodded, "No wonder I haven’t seen her around."

"Hmph, serves him right!" Veronica was still a bit disgruntled, intentionally leaning against Laine, whispering, "Who told him not to manage himself well? To have such a son..."

Laine found it hard to maintain his serious expression upon hearing the witch’s complaint, and couldn’t help but chuckle softly, reaching to squeeze Veronica’s small gloved hand briefly, "Don’t be like that! We’re discussing serious matters!"

"Anyway, I can’t talk about serious matters; I’m just a witch, naturally looked down upon by you Holy Grail masters. Can’t I at least complain a little?" Veronica said indignantly, with arms crossed, leaning against Laine’s pillow without speaking further.

Francois thought deeply, stood up, paced around the room for a while, and tentatively suggested, "Perhaps... Laine, we could take a step back on this issue."

"Take a step back?" Laine lifted his head thoughtfully.

"Yes, I think, currently, we should take a step back on this issue, and act as if nothing happened." Francois nodded, his sea-blue eyes glancing around as he pinched his chin. "The contest for the throne is already decided; holding him accountable now would lack grace."

"How can that be?!" Veronica sprang up like a startled cat. The Jialan Witch nearly jumped in anger, exclaiming, "If it wasn’t for his failure, would Laine have been forced to mobilize the peasants during spring? If he hadn’t lost so thoroughly, would we have had to ask the Wood Elves to open their tunnels for us, incurring such massive debts? If it wasn’t for him..."

At this point, Veronica found herself unable to continue because Francois was looking at her with a smile, "Finished?"

"...Finished." Veronica realized her behavior was slightly inappropriate and sat down, turning away, her eyes raised angrily, "I got a bit excited, excuse me."

Francois paused briefly and smiled, "I understand you, Lady Veronica. You care about Laine and feel that this proposal is unfair to him, I get it."

"But the problem is that even if we go all out to hold someone accountable, we can’t do much to Laon. Even if we force him into a penance expedition, what good would that do in terms of restoring order, stabilizing the situation, and helping the country recover from the chaos of Mathew Bade?" Francois said earnestly, "No, besides adding more trouble to the chaotic capital, it wouldn’t bring any benefits."

Bohemond nodded as the Red Dragon Duke continued, "Yes, Francois is right. At this moment, with Laon heavily injured and sick, stepping forward to hold him accountable doesn’t align with the compassion spirit of the knightly path. Moreover, we all recognize Richard’s current state. He chooses not to handle matters whenever possible. If we now force Laon to retreat to a monastery for reflection or to undergo a penance expedition, the desolate northern region of the kingdom would indeed lack leadership!"

Moreover, Laine is already the victor; Laon can no longer threaten him for the throne, so he should show more magnanimity." Francois also added, "At this moment, if we take the initiative to step back, Laon will owe us a significant favor, and we could potentially reap more benefits. I might even suggest, Laine, that you propose to Richard to continue appointing Laon as Kingdom Regent."

"Continuing to appoint Lorne as the Kingdom Regent?" Laine pondered over this question, gently stroking his chin, and began to gain further insight: "Are you suggesting using Lorne’s influence to ease the tensions between the North and the South?"

"Yes, from the perspective of the northern knightly nobility, Lorne is their representative," Francois nodded repeatedly, confidently speaking. "Now, the northern knights have suffered heavy losses in a series of wars, and no one is capable of opposing your ascent to the throne anymore. On the contrary, they urgently need our food and military support."

"Hmm." Laine lowered his head, carefully weighing the pros and cons: "At this moment, if I were one of the northern knights, I’d be very worried. In a situation where they need food relief and help with public security, would you and Francois tamper with our vital interests, such as territorial sovereignty, trade tariffs, and population?"

"If we choose to be magnanimous and not hold Lorne accountable and, instead, let him continue as Regent, then this sends a strong signal." Laine immediately understood: "This way, the northern knights won’t feel oppressed or excluded from the decision-making circle, and our generosity is bound to make Lorne grateful. Having him as Regent, after losing the chance to inherit the throne, would not harm us but benefit us!"

"Hehehe~ I’m glad you’ve figured this out," Francois said, looking at his son-in-law with satisfaction. He was learning so fast.

After exchanging a few more words, the three Holy Sanctuary Holy Grail Knights had been chatting for quite some time. Francois and Bohemond stood up: "You’re injured, so we’ll let you rest, Laine, take care."

As they were leaving the room, Bohemond casually asked, "By the way, when do you plan to start the recovery of Musillon?"

"Ten days of rest! While the Wood Elf Army and you are here, our troops will rest here for ten days and then march south to reclaim Musillon!" Laine said earnestly: "Now that the army’s morale is high, there can’t be any delays. We must seize Musillon in one go!"

"Is your injury not a problem?" Francois nodded in agreement, thinking the same.

"No problem."

"All right, then, we’ll rest for ten days and head south."

After Francois and Bohemond left, Laine glanced out the window, realizing it was already late at night. He shrugged it off with a smile, then turned to the Jialan Witch sitting beside him: "Angry? Dear?"

"How dare I get angry with the noble Duke of Musillon, future Knight King, and esteemed Master of the Holy Grail!" Veronica snorted sarcastically, crossing her arms and turning her head away: "You’re now the most powerful person in this kingdom. This isn’t a witch’s business; does Master Laine now need a wizard to offer advice on the kingdom’s internal affairs?"

"Hahahaha!" Laine couldn’t help but laugh. He reached out with his uninjured hand to wrap it around Veronica’s slim waist and kissed her on her swan-like soft neck: "Dear, thank you for bearing with me. I’m very happy. I know you’ve sacrificed a lot for me. Rest assured, no matter what, I’m still the same Ranger Knight who stood before you, with my face blackened by the Fireball Technique, showing only a set of white teeth."

"Hmph~ you laughed like a bum, I almost forgot!" Veronica recalled the past, feeling a sweetness in her heart, unable to maintain an unhappy expression. She cautiously leaned on Laine’s shoulder, mumbled: "Is this how you fool women? No wonder so many women like you, the Female Prince-Elector, the Lake God Witch, the female dark elf, and Lady Surya?"

"You’re teasing me," Laine retorted: "Now, if a thirty-year-old vagabond gave you the highest praise, would you be moved... Oh!"

"Damn man! You always ruin the mood!" Veronica pinched Laine’s side in annoyance: "Tonight, you sleep alone!"

"Don’t be like that, dear, chat with me tonight~" Laine held Veronica’s waist, signaling her to come closer.

Veronica vaguely understood Laine’s intentions, blushed and nodded, reached out her hand to unfasten the strap of her high heels. Her dainty nylon clad feet slipped off the shoes and into the covers, she said coyly: "Just a chat?"

"Of course, just a chat!" Laine smiled mischievously: "We’ll just change the method a little."

......I am the dividing line for just chatting......

After resting for ten days, Laine, whose injuries had somewhat healed, wasted no time in leading the Knightly Army, Dwarf Army, and Wood Elf Army to march south, officially sounding the horn for the reclamation of Musillon!

At this point, the undead forces entrenched in Musillon no longer had any power to resist Laine’s assault.

By the end of May, Richard Castle and Waz Castle fell, and all the undead guards were annihilated.

In early June, Biocari Castle fell, Pide-Ocon Castle fell, and all the undead armies were completely wiped out.

By mid-June, Krechatt Forest was cleared, with all the Beastman Tribes entrenched in the forest being exterminated.

In late June, Freya Ancient Church was conquered by the Knightly Army. The undead tombs there were purged, and three Corpse Demon Kings were slain on the spot by Laine, Francois, and Kaled.

By the end of June, the Green Skin Tribe of Orphan Hill was completely eradicated, with green skin corpses strewn all over the foothills. A great fire burned for a day and a night.

As early July arrived, almost the entire Musillon territory had been reclaimed; only Musillon Castle stood at the Grismore River estuary, its high walls silently awaiting the arrival of Laine’s Knightly Army.

The final battle to reclaim Musillon was to be fought here!