Audis's Contingency

"You... you have all gone mad."

Looking at the nobles kneeling on the ground, Kevin knew that these branch families alone could not possibly stand against Her Highness the Saintess.

The only explanation was that the nobility across the entire nation shared this sentiment.

Kevin stared blankly at them, his mind becoming a tangled mess.

In this moment, he had to admit that a thought had suddenly flared within his heart.

However, it was something he could not tolerate.

On the day he became a knight, he had sworn before the statue of the God to protect the Kingdom of the Moon and the Holy Church.

Yet today, a sliver of ambition had actually risen from the depths of his soul.

This feeling was like a prairie fire, continuously eroding and burning away his reason.

The conflict in his heart left him dazed.

The scene before him left him helpless.

He stumbled backward, sinking into a chair.

He was completely trapped in a state of self-torture.

Raising a hand to support his forehead, he did not dare look up at those people.

He was afraid that a trace of ambition might show on his face.

But he also understood that no matter how he disguised it at this moment, he could not deceive himself.

The moment they knelt.

The moment they shouted that title.

His heart truly trembled.

No one could refuse such a temptation.

King!

Kevin had never imagined that one day, the throne would be so close to him.

To agree, or not to agree?

...

The four words "I agree" were stuck firmly in his throat.

His reason and the convictions of half his life made him unable to speak them.

But there was a fire in his heart, constantly scorching his sanity.

It was undeniable that the national strength of the Kingdom of the Moon had been declining for years.

The Saintess shared part of that responsibility.

Unlike other nations, the Kingdom of the Moon combined divine power and imperial power into one.

If the individual was strong, the nation was strong.

If the individual was weak, the nation was weak.

The previous Saintess had been weak by nature, and her ability to manage the nation was a mess.

Furthermore, within the first year after the current Saintess took power, the court was completely controlled by the witch Martha.

This made matters worse, causing the decline of the Kingdom of the Moon to become starkly apparent.

Was this not the Saintess’s fault?

Of course not, it was a flaw in the system.

If divine power and imperial power were separated, and imperial power could be balanced, even if a King was replaced, the nation would not have weakened so quickly.

After all, as long as divine power and imperial power did not weaken simultaneously, the stronger could sustain the nation in place of the weaker.

But when divine and imperial powers were unified, the strength of that one person represented the strength of the nation.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but look through the gaps between his fingers at the people kneeling on the floor.

He thought about what they had just said.

If divine power and imperial power were severed, it would indeed make the Kingdom of the Moon more stable.

However, in the past, such a situation was impossible in the Kingdom of the Moon.

Because from the very beginning, the foundation of the nation was the unification of divine and imperial power.

Even if he wanted to change it, he could not resist.

But today was different.

The option was laid before him, within his reach.

But should he really do it?

Regardless of how the previous Saintess was, or how the current Saintess had been a year ago, at the very least, the current Lady Luo Li was indeed improving the national strength of the Kingdom of the Moon.

Setting aside other provinces and cities, with the Saintess’s coordination and planning, the current Brilliant City was changing with each passing day.

New City, Dragon City, Knight City, Family City, Industrial City.

So many plans had caused the vitality of Brilliant City to skyrocket.

In just a few short months, the entire face of Brilliant City had been refreshed.

Countless commoners had found work to feed themselves.

Countless people rushed to construction sites.

Previously, one could occasionally see refugees on the streets, but in the current Brilliant City, where could a single refugee be found?

Even disabled people could find work and eat their fill at the construction sites.

Was this not a good thing?

Of course it was a good thing.

Kevin believed that Lady Luo Li must have a plan to strengthen the nation, and she would certainly be able to carry it out.

But the problem with this plan lay in the fact that Her Highness’s spear was aimed directly at the nobility.

He understood the corruption of the nobles, but he also clearly knew that the nobles were the foundation that supported the Kingdom of the Moon.

Without the nobility, the entire nation would collapse in an instant.

This was not a joke, but a reality.

Among the fifty thousand knights of the Kingdom of the Moon, at least forty-five thousand were sons of noble families.

Three thousand were from humble families, and fewer than two thousand were true commoners.

Now, these commoners had basically all been recruited into the dragon cavalry regiment.

Was the meaning not clear enough?

The current Lady simply did not trust the nobility.

If a sovereign did not trust a certain power, she would surely eradicate it.

But the nobility was the foundation of the nation.

Your Highness!

The nobility cannot be eradicated, or the nation will completely perish.

Look at the people kneeling before him.

They represented all the nobles of the Kingdom of the Moon, and they represented all the current powers within the nation.

If you insist on eradicating the nobility, then this outcome is inevitable.

Kevin’s heart cried out repeatedly.

Unfortunately, that Lady could not see this scene.

"Your Majesty!!"

While Kevin was still agonizing, Bill Anjou suddenly looked up.

His eyes were fixed on Kevin with burning intensity.

"We implore you to take power and ascend the throne! If you do not agree, we have no choice but to revolt!"

It was just as he said.

The nobility now had no way back.

Perhaps they understood that the current Saintess was still catching her breath.

She had just experienced the demon invasion in the northeast and the siege of Brilliant City.

After this series of events, she had not yet fully recovered.

But once she did, her butcher’s knife would inevitably fall upon the heads of the nobles.

When she regained her footing and could lift that blade, the nobles would only be able to kneel and await death.

So they could not wait, and they did not dare to wait.

If they did not act while she was still recovering, once she recovered, they would never have another chance.

The Saintess held military power, and many among the nobility had already become corrupt.

They could not withstand an investigation.

Once an investigation began, ninety percent of the nobles would only be waiting for death.

With no justification for resistance and no means to oppose her, neither in terms of righteousness nor force, these nobles could not face the Holy Church in a direct confrontation.

The only way was to uproot her before she could dig her heels in too deep.

"You all... leave for now. I—I need to think carefully."

Kevin gritted his teeth.

He did not know how to choose.

In his entire life, this moment was his most bewildered.

"Your Majesty!"

"I said—leave!!!"

Suddenly, Kevin’s eyes snapped open in anger.

His fury stirred his spirit, and massive elemental mana swirled around him.

This violently fluctuating mana instantly turned into a gale that swept through the hall.

Tables and chairs were tossed by the wind.

Many people could not even maintain their balance and fell to the floor.

The noble scions present looked at the knight on the seat with terror and confusion.

Only one person was different.

Bill Anjou.

Not only was there no fear on his face, but a spark of fanatical joy rose instead.

He suddenly prostrated himself on the floor, raising his voice to its limit.

"Your subject obeys the decree!"

These words were like a small knife stabbing into Kevin’s chest.

He stood up abruptly, pointing a finger and glaring at Bill.

"You!"

However, Bill was not afraid at all.

He even looked up to meet Kevin’s gaze, his voice rising another notch.

"Your subjects take their leave!"

Kevin gasped, feeling a boundless rage in his chest that he could not vent.

He was still hesitating, still considering the consequences.

But Bill was emboldened, taking the opportunity to push him upward.

Because of this, the time he had to think was greatly shortened.

When these nobles withdrew from the room, even if he wanted to deny it, it was already too late.

Because Bill had shouted that his subjects were taking their leave.

This meant he was already being treated as the King.

If he wanted to refuse, he could only have said so before they left.

And once they walked out and spread this news to the ears of nobles across the nation, whether he acknowledged it or not, it would become a settled fact.

But what should he do?

That throne, within his reach, was now placed before him.

The chance to change the Kingdom of the Moon was here.

If he refused again, when the nobles raised the flag of rebellion and the whole nation revolted, the Kingdom of the Moon could never be saved.

But if he agreed, how could he face the first half of his life?

How could he face the oath he had sworn before the statue of the God?

At this moment, Kevin watched blankly as those noble scions all knelt and shouted in unison.

"Your subjects obey the decree!"

Then they all stood up and backed away, heading for the exit.

In this moment, how he wished time could stop right here.

He wanted to be able to think calmly.

But he could only watch helplessly as these people pushed open the doors and left the room.

Until only Bill Anjou remained, standing at the door and looking back at him.

That slightly plump face was filled with boundless joy as he bowed respectfully at a ninety degree angle.

The door slowly closed under his gaze.

Along with the sound of the heavy doors slamming shut, the strength in his body seemed to be drained away.

He stumbled back into the chair.

Kevin’s eyes widened, his pupils filled with nothing but confusion and helplessness.

It was too late.

Everything was too late.

The moment the nobles left the room, he no longer had any chance to turn back.

This news would spread across the country before long.

All the nobles would pressure the Holy See in his name and raise the flag of rebellion against the Saintess.

Regardless of success or failure, he had no way out.

"Why... did it turn out like this? Where exactly did it go wrong?"

Kevin looked up blankly, gazing through the window lattice at the distant night sky.

In that direction lay Brilliant City.

No one would know what he was thinking in his heart at this moment.

But now, there was one person who was very concerned about his situation.

Yuna Von.

Before leaving Brilliant City, that fellow Augus seemed to have foreseen something.

He had sought her out for a talk regarding the corruption of the nobility and the thoughts of Knight Kevin.

And what others did not know was that her grandfather, Audis Von, had also given her instructions before she departed.

"Granddaughter, remember, do not let Kevin leave your sight. If absolutely necessary, you can temporarily abandon management of the knights. No matter what, keep an eye on Kevin."

She had been busy managing the knights and had momentarily forgotten these words.

But by the time she sent someone to follow him, she found that Kevin had entered the castle directly.

Her subordinates had no way to sneak inside.

After all, she was not an assassin, and her subordinates were all knights.

They did not know those petty thieving methods.

Now that the knights had mostly settled down and there would be no more incidents of harassing the citizens, she finally hurried toward the inner city.

She was very clear about the Lady’s attitude toward the nobility because her grandfather, Audis, was always drumming it into her ears.

"Her Highness’s desire to eradicate the nobility has never ceased. You must remember not to resist. Only by being obedient can you follow Her Highness and share in the spoils."

Audis understood very clearly.

The benefits of a nation had a limit.

Once the current nobility was cleared away, the majority of the remaining benefits would belong to Her Highness.

But the smaller portion left over would still be enough for her subordinates to feast upon.

No matter who received these benefits, they could instantly elevate a family.

When the wind is right, even a pig can fly.

Audis understood Her Highness’s intentions perfectly.

After all, he was the one in charge of the nation’s finances.

He could see one sum of money after another continuously flowing out.

Yet almost none of it was for Her Highness’s private use.

This alone was enough to prove that Lady Luo Li was a wise ruler and sage, the likes of which were rare in history.

Building temples, extravagant waste, none of these had anything to do with her.

For the sovereign of a nation to have only taken two thousand gold coins from the national treasury was unheard of.

Who would believe it?

But whether on the books or in the actual flow of money, it was truly so.

Aside from normal temple expenses, this Lady had truly only taken two thousand gold coins.

Never mind the Saintess of a nation, even the assets of a branch of a third-class family would likely be far more than that.

And she was a King.

Audis knew even better that this money had actually been approved by Bishop Lola.

Rather than saying it was used, it was more like an allowance.

So he was very clear about the Lady’s current attitude toward the nation.

If no accidents occurred in the future, then the glory of the Kingdom of the Moon was just around the corner.

Knowing all this, he needed even more to see clearly the future direction and dangers for the current Kingdom of the Moon.

After all, the current Lady had the means and the courage, but she lacked just one thing.

She was not mature enough.

Her pressure on the nobility was too fast.

So fast that these nobles had no choice but to resist.

And he was also very clear about Kevin’s previous situation.

Therefore, when Kevin left, he had said a lot to Yuna.

But no matter how much he said, the most important point was Kevin Cromwell.

As long as this Heavenly Punishment Knight did not revolt, then the resistance of the nobles would only mean opposing the Holy Church.

The result would be self-evident.

Thinking of this, Audis sat on the edge of his bed, a sharp glint flashing in his aged eyes.

"Granddaughter, no matter what, you must keep an eye on him. The Kingdom of the Moon cannot afford another storm."