"It's difficult," the King sighed, leaning back in his chair. "The obstacle isn't entirely my own will; it's the Sage Council and the deep-rooted grievances of the demi-human race."
"Your Majesty," Regulus interrupted, his tone turning sharp. "I want to know one thing: is this country truly ruled by you, or by the old men in the Sage Council?"
In the entire Kingdom of Lugnica, perhaps only Regulus dared to utter such treasonous words directly to the monarch's face.
This blatant disrespect indeed displeased the King. However, despite his deeply furrowed brow, he did not immediately flare up in anger. Apart from him and Regulus, only the King's most trusted personal Royal Guard was present in the study.
Regulus looked at the conflicted King.
"Recently, I received a very interesting piece of intelligence. Stride Vollachia, a member of the Royal Family of the Holy Vollachia Empire, has been traveling incognito within the Kingdom. And not long ago, he seems to have made covert contact with the Demi-Human alliance."
The King's frown instantly deepened. Even if his political maneuvering against the Sage Council was weak, he knew this was definitely catastrophic news.
"Is the source of this intelligence accurate?"
"Before settling down here, I had been traveling extensively," Regulus lied smoothly. "During that time, I made many friends, including, of course, some from the demi-human race. And this particular friend of mine is quite capable. She has now obtained a very high position in their ranks. Just recently, she specifically came to inform me of this Vollachian interference, advising me that it would be best for me and my wives to leave this land before the Empire steps in."
"..."
The King's expression grew exceedingly grim.
If the Vollachia Empire were to get involved in this internal strife—even if not declaring direct hostility, but merely indirectly funding the rebellion—it would make Lugnica's geopolitical situation highly dangerous. Or worse... if it truly escalated into open warfare.
It would be fine if the Divine Dragon Volcanica appeared to honor the ancient covenant, but if the Dragon remained silent, coupled with the exhausting internal strife... the saying 'when a wall falls, everyone pushes' might truly happen to Lugnica. No matter what, the Kingdom absolutely could not be destroyed during his reign.
Of course, the premise of this panic was that Regulus's words were completely true. But regarding this point, the King actually believed about seventy percent of it.
"Your friend... can you tell me her specific identity?" the King asked carefully.
"Actually, there's nothing to hide," Regulus smiled. "My friend is Sphinx, one of the three Great Commanders of the Demi-Human army."
"The Witch Sphinx?!"
This time, the King was genuinely shocked.
After all, Sphinx's lethal traps and necromancy had contributed greatly to the demi-human race's ability to confront the Royal Army for so long. At the same time, the King instantly understood why Regulus had suggested peace talks. If the Witch Sphinx, a supreme commander, had this inclination, perhaps this bloody civil war could truly be ended through negotiation rather than extermination.
"Then, since your friend is a demi-human general, why do you still stand on the side of the Kingdom on the battlefield?"
"First, I am human. And second, I can clearly distinguish between helping a distant friend and protecting the homeland of my wives."
"That is true. I was confused, asking such a trivial question," the King nodded.
It was a test to confirm Regulus's true loyalties. Even as an invincible outsider, Regulus was still tethered by his family.
"Did your friend tell you anything more specific regarding Vollachia's involvement?"
"The treasonous alliance you are concerned about has not been formalized yet," Regulus reassured him. "Even if the demi-humans are deeply dissatisfied with their unfair treatment, and even if they take up arms to resist the Crown, they still fundamentally identify with this country. They see themselves as citizens of Lugnica, not Vollachian pawns."
The King felt a surge of immense relief. Not only because the Empire's plot had stalled, but also because of the demi-human race's underlying loyalty to the land.
But this relief was soon replaced by a suffocating gloom.
He regarded the demi-human race as his subjects... and they still considered themselves part of the Kingdom of Lugnica. This meant that his cowardly, tacit approval of the Sage Council's war of attrition was completely destroying the lives of his own loyal people.
'I really am getting senile and weak,' the King thought bitterly. As a monarch, what he needed to do at this pivotal moment was not to remain silent, but to step up, protect his subjects, and ensure they could live better lives.
"Regarding the demi-human side..." the King looked up. "Are you sure she can make the final decisions for their entire faction?"
"While I can't guarantee one hundred percent right this second, once a few 'internal obstacles' are cleared, there shouldn't be any problem."
"I see… Then I will draft a proposal to discuss with the Sage Council tomorrow, to see what their opinions are on a peace treaty."
"Your Majesty, I will repeat what I said earlier," Regulus sighed, shaking his head. "Is this country ruled by you, or by the decaying ministers of the Sage Council? As for what their opinions will be, don't you already have the painful answer in your heart?"
Regulus spoke the harsh truth. The King already knew exactly what kind of hateful, stubborn answer those conservative ministers would give him, even without asking.
"I understand what you mean," the King murmured. "Goodness... I never thought I'd see the day where I am being lectured on rulership by a junior."
A helpless, self-deprecating smile appeared on his face.
Looking at the King's newly resolute eyes, Regulus knew his political goal had been achieved.
'Indeed… people become indecisive and complacent as they age,' Regulus thought. 'If I didn't forcefully push this old man, who knows how long he would have agonized in silence.'
At the same time, the main pressure point used to force the old man's hand was actually a blatant fabrication by Regulus. But it wasn't entirely made up out of thin air. Stride Vollachia, the exiled Imperial Prince from the neighboring Empire, was indeed wandering the lands of Lugnica, plotting his own twisted schemes.
Since Stride was planning to cause massive trouble here anyway, if Regulus threw this political 'black pot' onto his head to scare the King, Stride certainly wouldn't mind taking the blame, right? Of course, even if the Prince did mind, he would still have to take the fall.
"Your Majesty," Regulus continued, shifting his tone. "Besides the political matters we've discussed, I actually came here tonight for another urgent reason."
"Speak."
"Assassins will appear in the Capital tonight."
"Assassins?" the King stiffened.
"Valga Cromwell, the Demi-Human general, will launch a decapitation strike against the Capital tonight."
The moment Regulus spoke, the Royal Guard standing beside the King immediately drew his sword halfway, going on high alert.
The King calmly waved his hand, instructing the guard to stand down.
"Did your friend inform you about this assassination attempt as well?"
"She did. She doesn't want the war to continue, nor does she want to bring greater chaos to the Capital. If peaceful negotiations are possible, that is her ultimate hope," Regulus lied smoothly. "However... if she wants to gain absolute, unquestioned authority over the demi-human side to force a surrender, the prerequisite is that the other two generals who share power must be eliminated or permanently restricted."
.....
.....
.....
Support me and read advance chapters on patreon.com/ImmortalDaoWriter