Extreme Cold Era: Shelter Don't Keep Waste
Chapter 172 - 170: Morning Thoughts

Chapter 172: Chapter 170: Morning Thoughts

Early the next morning, as Perfikot prepared to leave the royal palace by carriage, he happened to see another royal carriage being loaded with various luggage, and beside it was a bawling and thrashing Justinian.

"I am the Duke of Windesore! How dare you disrespect me! I will kill you all! I will kill you all!" At that moment, Justinian was being forced onto a carriage by several royal guards, unwilling to be sent to Shack County like this, he was shouting and kicking up a fuss.

Seeing him in such a disgraceful state, the expression on Perfikot’s face was a bit strained, and his resolve grew firmer in his thoughts.

In the face of impending doom, if the Empire were entrusted to someone like this, it wouldn’t survive even a year.

Even in peacetime, a king or emperor like Justinian would be a tragedy for the nation and would certainly become a tyrant.

If the king had no real power within the governmental system, it might still be acceptable, with a functional government, no situation would descend into complete chaos.

But if a king holds power and enough authority, he might very well lead the entire country into the abyss.

"You should be grateful for having a good sister; otherwise, a corpse would be carried out today." Watching the carriage carrying Justinian leave the royal palace, Perfikot couldn’t help but mutter softly.

Perfikot didn’t concern himself with the matter any further, as he had already made things clear to Eldest Princess Annie the night before. If Eldest Princess Annie couldn’t handle even this matter well, Perfikot’s evaluation of her would significantly drop.

Although it wouldn’t change anything, Perfikot’s attitude towards the Empire would nonetheless change.

After all, facing the harsh end times, the weak are not qualified to rule over the strong.

"Count, what are your plans for today?" inquired the palace attendant sent by the Royal Family, responsible for all of Perfikot’s engagements for the day.

"First, to the Noble Council. I have a meeting with the Minister of Industry in the morning, and in the afternoon, to the Royal Academy of Sciences," Perfikot casually instructed, then as if recalling something, added, "Please send someone to inform Mr. Robert Carter and Mr. Oliver White, and tell them I invite them both for lunch today, and also arrange a suitable restaurant for me."

After speaking, Perfikot glanced at the palace attendant and inquired offhandedly, "You do know whom I am referring to, right?"

"If Count, you mean the former palace attendant Robert you took under your wing, and the Pioneer Knight from the Northern Territory, Mr. Oliver, then yes, I do know them," answered the palace attendant courteously.

Hearing the palace attendant’s response, Perfikot was somewhat surprised. She got into the carriage but didn’t immediately instruct the driver to depart; instead, she asked the palace attendant another inquisitive question: "You know Mr. Robert Carter?"

"Yes, Count, Robert and I were rather good friends when he was still a palace attendant," the palace attendant offered a brief self-introduction without elaborating further.

As palace attendants, they are bound by strict regulations and requirements. Not everyone could be as fortunate as Robert to become a counselor or courtier advisor to a major noble with actual power, like those brought in by Perfikot.

Perfikot didn’t say much more, nodded, and let the carriage set off. f .r e\ewebnov(e)(l).c om

The royal palace was not far from the Noble Council’s building, both situated in the central district of Langton City, both edifices having been constructed for centuries, although the parliamentary building was constructed a bit over a hundred years later. .com

In the past, the emperors who ruled the Empire, like Perfikot now, would travel by royal carriage to the Noble Council to handle national affairs.

In a sense, Perfikot at the moment is also in the shoes of an emperor, given that she is attending to state matters.

Moreover, if it were in the past feudal era, as the Northern Guardian, Perfikot would also be considered a strong local power, an authoritative figure standing on equal footing with the king.

Of course, this is based on the assumption that the Northern Territory had already undergone fundamental development to achieve self-sufficiency, establishing itself as a true count’s domain, rather than remaining in its current undeveloped wilderness state.

"If I were an ambitious man like Cromwell, perhaps I could really consider becoming the Regent King of the Empire?" Sitting in the carriage, Perfikot gazed at the misty city and streets bustling outside, along with the rushed and emaciated workers in the fog, recalling an ambitious figure from the original world.

This person was one of the key figures in transitioning the original world’s United Kingdom from monarchic rule to constitutional monarchy. He once forced the British monarch to abdicate, dissolved parliament, and turned the UK into a bourgeois republic, establishing the English Republic, and becoming its de facto head of state as the Lord Protector.

However, in this world, although the Victor Empire bears a striking resemblance to the original world’s United Kingdom in many respects, due to the presence of the Extraordinary, knights have upheld the royal authority with their swords.

This is why the headquarters of the Knight Association is even closer to the royal palace than the parliamentary building and possesses a castle within Langton City capable of stationing troops.

Gazing at the castle’s bricks turned black from the passage of time, Perfikot couldn’t help but slightly shake his head.

If this were the era of cold weapons, such a sturdy castle would indeed provide significant defensive utility, able to serve as a stronghold during various crises or issues within Langton City.

Throughout history in Victor, numerous military coups have occurred, with the emperors of the time managing to preserve their royal authority by taking refuge in this castle and leveraging the protection and military support of knights from the Knight Association.

From this aspect, the Knight Association has historically played a positive role, as they were genuinely upholding the Empire’s legitimacy, adhering to traditional knightly oaths and loyalty to their monarch.

Similarly, it is precisely because of their conservatism and tradition that they are reluctant to see a female inherit the Empire’s throne.

After all, in traditional belief, it is men who have always been the guardians of this nation, not women.

Yet just as their swords have been rendered obsolete by the times, these knights and their castles have gradually become mere decorations within Langton City, and their traditions a hurdle to progress.

This led Perfikot to contemplate just what cost would be required if she truly intended to eradicate the Knight Association. .com

If Perfikot were let to act freely, even if this castle had been fortified with artillery and the guarding knights equipped with firearms not quite in line with knightly values, they still wouldn’t withstand her if she decided to destroy the castle.

As for replacing them with Steam Knights? The castle wouldn’t last more than ten minutes.

So regarding the troublesome Knight Association, after seriously evaluating the military force they possessed, Perfikot could only regard them as a joke.