Rebellion?

As he moved forward, Kevin’s mind drifted to the history of the Anjou family.

The Anjou family was a massive clan within the human kingdoms.

The true main house of this family was situated within the Holy See.

Branch families of the Anjou were spread across the other seven nations.

On the surface, they appeared to be independent, separate families.

In reality, all the Anjou families in other nations operated according to the will of the main house in the Holy See.

This gave the family immense influence throughout the human world.

They were undoubtedly a top tier family among humanity.

However, the branch of the Anjou family within the Kingdom of the Moon was not particularly powerful.

They ranked among the seven secondary families after the four major noble families, and their influence was even lesser than that of the two rising families.

Despite that, the Anjou name still carried significant prestige.

The primary seat of the Anjou family in the Kingdom of the Moon was Twin-Wing City.

This place, however, was High Ridge City in the northwest.

There was a distance of at least several thousand kilometers between the two, but that did not mean the Anjou influence was absent here.

This small city was also an Anjou property.

These nobles were like spiders weaving a web across the territory of the Kingdom of the Moon.

Every province and city served as a seat for a major family, but their branch families were also strategically placed within the domains of other families.

For example, High Ridge City was the primary seat of the Norman family and the Lancaster family.

Yet, a branch of the Anjou family had also taken root here, and this specific city, located less than two hundred kilometers from High Ridge City, was an asset belonging to the Anjou family.

Furthermore, it was a major mining city.

Eighty percent of the minerals in the entire Kingdom of the Moon originated from this area.

Final City in the northeast and Twin-Wing City in the southwest were also major mining hubs.

However, the minerals from Twin-Wing City were primarily for export.

Because of the constant instability and demon incursions in the northeast, mineral development in Final City was very limited.

Comparatively, this place was the mineral backbone of the entire Kingdom of the Moon.

It was also the largest city controlled by the Anjou branch outside of Twin-Wing City.

According to his understanding, with such rich mineral resources, the quality of life for the people here should have been quite good.

Yet, as he walked through the streets, he noticed that many people in the city looked sallow and thin.

They appeared to be suffering from chronic malnutrition.

What was going on?

Could a major mining city really not afford to feed its people?

He looked up and scanned the surrounding residential areas, and the city’s level of wealth was immediately apparent.

The buildings here were quite old, appearing to be at least forty or fifty years old.

Then he looked into the distance, where a cluster of luxurious buildings stood, clearly constructed in recent years.

Seeing this contrast, a thought suddenly rose in Kevin’s mind.

Could the lord of this city be exploiting the populace?

He felt he should perhaps investigate the matter.

However, the most important thing right now was not to investigate the lord, but to ensure the knights rested well so they could rush to the front lines.

No matter what, they could not allow the Demon Marshal to cause large scale destruction.

They arrived at the castle.

Outside the moat beneath the castle, several local nobles and the city lord were already waiting, their faces filled with smiles as if they were eagerly anticipating his arrival.

The man standing at the very front was undoubtedly the master of this city.

"Knight Kevin, on behalf of all of Buck City, I welcome your arrival."

The man stepped forward, a flattering smile on his face.

"I am the lord of this city, Bill Anjou. It is an honor to meet you, Lord Kevin."

Seeing how polite the other party was, Kevin quickly dismounted.

"Lord Bill is too kind. There is no need for such formality. Please, rise."

Based on their relative statuses, the man’s etiquette was perfectly appropriate, but Kevin did not care for such tedious formalities.

He urged the man to stand up quickly.

Upon hearing this, Bill rose and gestured toward the interior of the castle with a smile.

"Lord Kevin, I have prepared a modest banquet. Please, join us for the feast."

"After you."

Kevin matched the gesture, and after a few more pleasantries, the two entered the castle.

Just as Kevin entered the city, several figures quickly departed from the area.

Yuna was currently managing the ten thousand knights.

This city appeared to be quite large, likely housing at least five hundred thousand residents.

A city of this size would have no problem accommodating an army of ten thousand.

However, the issue was not the capacity, but whether these ten thousand knights would behave themselves while staying here.

These were ten thousand knights, after all.

If there were a few ill intentioned individuals among them who went out to harass the citizens, it would be a disaster.

As the second in command of this expedition, her task while Kevin was away was to supervise these knights and prevent such incidents from occurring.

"You over there! Get back in line and get some rest! No one is allowed to leave tonight!!"

Seeing two knights trying to sneak away, Nara quickly pointed them out and shouted a reprimand.

"Get back!"

The two flinched upon hearing her and hurriedly returned to the ranks.

"Lady Yuna."

While she was inspecting the ranks, a knight tasked with gathering intelligence returned.

"Knight Kevin has entered the castle at the invitation of the city lord, Bill Anjou."

"Bill Anjou?"

Yuna’s brow furrowed slightly as she instinctively looked toward the castle.

This city had an outer layer, an inner city, and the castle itself.

The innermost castle was almost invisible from her position.

All she could see were the walls of the inner city.

It seemed Kevin would not be coming back out tonight.

Her burden of responsibility had just grown heavier.

But that wasn't the point.

Before she left Brilliant City, Augus had specifically sought her out for a talk.

That conversation had made her understand the current friction between Kevin and Her Highness.

It was precisely because of this that she had joined the expedition to manage half of the army.

And that was also why she had sent someone to keep watch.

"Are you certain they entered the castle?"

"Yes."

"I see. Return to your unit."

"Yes, ma’am!"

As she watched them return to the ranks, Yuna’s thoughts began to wander.

Kevin had been invited into the city, so what was he doing?

When Augus came to see her, he had specifically instructed her not to let Kevin leave her sight alone.

But she couldn't exactly have someone tailing Kevin constantly, could she?

After all, she was a Guardian Knight, while he was a Heavenly Punishment Knight.

Given the gap in their ranks, she had no authority to restrict his movements.

"Augus, you bastard, you really gave me a difficult task."

Yuna turned her head to look in the direction of Brilliant City.

They had been out for two days, and she wondered how things were going back there.

Augus was naturally frail, and with her gone, all the problems of the New City were now resting on his shoulders.

The thought of him staring at official documents while wrapped in a cloak and coughing incessantly made Yuna wish she could return to Brilliant City right now.

She wanted to give him a good thrashing and force him to go to sleep.

Arranging rest for ten thousand people on short notice was not easy for any city.

Fortunately, the scale of this city was massive, but even so, it took time to get all the knights settled.

The units had to be split up among various inns.

Some were led by others to rest within the noble district.

By the time everyone was settled, more than half an hour had passed.

Yuna looked up at the moonlit sky where stars were sparse.

She could feel the cold seeping through her armor.

"I’m still uneasy. I should go take a look."

Yuna pulled the reins and galloped toward the inner city.

Meanwhile, inside the castle.

Kevin’s face had turned as dark as stagnant water.

Before him, all the nobles in the great hall were kneeling on the ground.

Every one of them wore an expression of extreme grievance.

"Lord Kevin, it is not that we wish to do this, but we have been driven to desperation!"

Bill Anjou’s face was filled with pain, looking as if he might burst into tears at any moment.

"Lord Kevin, now is the perfect opportunity. As long as you give the word, we will immediately lodge a protest with the Holy See. Our main house has already agreed to support us. Lord Kevin, for the sake of our shared nobility, please, give us your word!!"

Looking at the nobles kneeling before him, Kevin felt a ripple of unease in his heart.

Just moments ago, these nobles had revealed a plan that had shaken him to his core.

They... wanted to appoint a King and strip the Saintess of her governing authority!!

And the person they had chosen was none other than Kevin himself.

Kevin understood the gravity of this matter. That person had spoken to him about it before.

It seemed these nobles were truly prepared this time.

"All of you, stand up."

Kevin looked at them with a grim expression.

However, not a single person stood. Instead, they all looked up at Kevin.

At the front, Bill Anjou looked up with a pained expression.

"Lord Kevin, Her Highness the Saintess has already executed several nobles. If this continues, there will be no path left for the rest of us. This time, the main house used the migrants from the Kingdom of the Sun to lure Her Highness out of Brilliant City. As long as you agree, we will do everything in our power to help you take the throne!!"

"Let me... think on it."

Kevin’s brow was locked in a tight frown. He was well aware of Her Highness’s current attitude toward the nobility.

But surely it hadn't come to this yet, had it?

While Her Highness’s policies were harsh toward the nobles, she hadn't reached the point of exterminating them all.

Furthermore, the nobles who had been dealt with all had their own reasons for being targeted.

It hadn't reached such a desperate state.

"My Lord, this is our only chance! If we fail this time, that woman will surely deal with the Anjou family. There are tens of thousands of us in the Anjou family throughout the Kingdom of the Moon!! You cannot simply stand by and watch us die!"

Bill knelt on the floor, weeping bitterly.

"Furthermore, Lord Kevin, look at the state of the nation over these past few years. It is declining day by day!!"

"Is this not because all the power is concentrated in Her Highness alone?"

"Look at the other nations. Every one of them is wealthy and powerful. Have they not all separated imperial power from divine power?"

Kevin looked at the people kneeling on the floor and took a deep breath.

Generally speaking, what they said was not entirely without merit.

At the very least, having divine power and imperial power combined in one person was a poor situation for any nation.

If these powers could be separated, then imperial power could govern the nation while divine power controlled the knights.

Overall, it could be considered a balanced solution.

However, even if a change was needed, it shouldn't happen this quickly!

Furthermore, the current Saintess was not some incompetent fool.

Even though Kevin knew he was being marginalized by Her Highness, he still held a great deal of respect for her.

To embark on a path of rebellion like this... it felt wrong.

After all, though Her Highness distanced herself from him, she had never actually moved against him.

"I need... more time to consider."

Gritting his teeth, Kevin rejected the idea in his heart.

No matter what, Her Highness truly cared for the nation.

He could not simply stab her in the back.

"My Lord!!"

Before Kevin could rise and leave, Bill suddenly stood up and let out a loud shout.

"Are you truly going to watch as she slaughters every family one by one!?"

Kevin took a deep breath.

"No, she won't. As long as I am alive, such a thing will not happen!"

His gaze became sharp as he stared directly at Bill Anjou.

"This time, it is indeed the fault of your Anjou family. No matter what, you should not have used those seventy million people as a bargaining chip."

"But if we hadn't, how could that woman have ever been lured out of Brilliant City!?"

Bill took a step forward, looking Kevin in the eye.

"My Lord, no matter what, I will not watch my family be destroyed by that woman. Lord Kevin, the joint petition from all of us nobles has already been submitted. Whether you agree now or not, it no longer matters."

"What!?"

Kevin was stunned, his eyes widening in shock.

He lunged forward and grabbed Bill by the shoulders.

"What are you saying!? Say that again!"

Bill’s gaze had become calm as he looked at Kevin’s frantic face.

"The joint petition from all the nobles has already been delivered. This time, whether you agree or not, nothing can be changed. If you truly refuse to agree, then all of us nobles can only... revolt together!!"

"You're mad!! You've all gone mad!!"

Kevin’s eyes were bloodshot as he roared at everyone present.

"Where is the petition!? Bring it out and destroy it immediately!!"

"My Lord, the joint petition has already been handed over."

Bill’s steady gaze left Kevin momentarily dazed.

He released Bill and staggered back a step, scanning everyone in the hall.

There were many representatives from the branch families of other clans here.

There was no doubt about it. Except for the few families that had already completely sided with Her Highness, every other family was involved in this incident.

What was this?

This was a blatant attempt to force a sovereign's hand!

Seeing the confusion and helplessness on Kevin’s face, Bill gritted his teeth and knelt on the floor, shouting:

"We implore King Kevin... take the reins of power and ascend the throne!"

The other nobles all fell to their knees as well.

"We implore King Kevin, take the reins of power and ascend the throne!!"