King
Chapter 584 - 584 136 Prehistoric Relics_1

584: Chapter 136, Prehistoric Relics_1 584: Chapter 136, Prehistoric Relics_1 Having seen off Bishop Simon, the smile on Duke Pias’s face faded instantly.

Caesar III is a thorn not only in the eyes of the clergy, but also a sharp stake in the heart of the northland nobles.

That they had failed to remove the stake in a timely manner was because it was deeply embedded within them.

The dangerous business of regicide isn’t something frequently contemplated, much less acted upon.

If it weren’t for the compromising evidence held by the Clergy, and the deep underlying feud between the Rocknard Family and the Royal Family, he would have reported to the king at the earliest opportunity.

If the Clergy dares to conspire, the partners they seek would naturally also be at odds with Caesar III.

Even if they were reluctant to participate, they would still be delighted to see Caesar III meet his doom.

Anyway, such matters, if not reported at the first instance, would later have to be suppressed and kept a secret.

“Hmph!”

After giving a disdainful snort, a scornful smile crossed Duke Pias’s lips.

The gaze he directed towards Snow Moon Lake was filled with murderous intent.

This seemingly erroneous move by Hudson was in fact, to some extent, being secretly abetted by Caesar III.

In the previous battles, the nobles from different parts of the Kingdom had suffered immense losses, except for the five major families in the north who remained comparatively unharmed.

Among the soldiers of the Northern Expedition Army who successfully withdrew, half belonged to these five families, which practically upset the previous balance of power.

While it might appear feasible to suppress the nobles of the north now, this is only possible because of the unity amongst the major factions.

In fact, the southern nobility is divided into different groups.

Even if they could unite, Caesar III would certainly not want to witness this happening.

Having painstakingly disintegrated the Noble Consortium, how could he possibly tolerate the reunification of the nobles from other regions of the Kingdom due to the pressure from the Northland nobles?

Especially during this war, the territory of the Alpha Kingdom has been further expanding northwards.

If he did not take action to suppress this, the biggest beneficiaries would once again be the nobles of the north.

Hudson’s attack on the Rocknard family is as much a manifestation of a family feud, as it is a clever manipulation of domestic politics, with the backing of the King and various supporters among the southern nobles.

The forces involved are too vast, and with Hudson occupying the position of Commander in Chief, naturally Duke Pias cannot seek revenge openly.

However, the Northland Noble Group has carried out a silent counterattack.

One such measure is concealing the incident at Snow Moon Lake.

How many people die isn’t important.

Anyway, the losses are heavy.

And since the Human Alliance is responsible for picking up the pieces, the key is to pull Hudson down from his pedestal.

Without any significant surprises, given Hudson’s prudent military deployment, it would be practically impossible to get him ousted.

The only surprises could occur in the rear.

After all, the Kingdom Army’s sole offensive mission is being carried out by the Northland nobles.

They certainly wouldn’t pit their own people.

Duke Pias, after sealing a letter, instructed the Guard Commander not far off.

“Paul, deliver this letter to Duke Cavadia!”

The news of the Clergy wanting to take the life of the King must not leak.

There are different interests within the Northland nobles, and Duke Pias can’t guarantee that they share the same intention.

The most important task now is to take over Moonwind Port, which will bring enough battle merits for his family.

This will allow them to grab a substantial piece of the revenue from the ensuing divide.

As for whether to join forces with the Clergy, Duke Pias had no clue.

All will depend on whether the plan progresses smoothly.

If they can get Hudson ousted and replace him with a person of their own, the situation would be completely different.

If they could take control and avoid any upcoming political suppressions, he would not need to resort to extremes.

Duke Pias’s current delaying tactics were born out of a faint hope that the Clergy would grow impatient and seek alliances from within to get rid of this thorn called Caesar III.

…

“Count, there’s a mysterious underground palace in the lake, filled with altars and an enshrined statue of a human head with a snake body.

In the palace, we found numerous skeletons, as if a battle had taken place.

However, there are signs of deliberate destruction.

Perhaps, the terror of Snow Moon Lake comes from this mysterious palace!”

Upon hearing this, Hudson was taken aback.

The island in the lake surprisingly housed a mysterious underground palace.

So, the previous supposition about the volcanic lake was most likely false.

Could the terror actually be emanating from the underground palace?

The sudden mention of a statue with a human head and snake body baffled Hudson even more.

To his knowledge, he was not aware of such a divine being on the Continent of Aslante.

Rather, in the myths and legends of his previous life, many similar beings were prevalent in various mythological systems.

Soon Hudson regained his composure.

Conventional wisdom could be fatal.

In his previous life, constructing an underground palace in a volcanic lake was naturally impossible, but this was the Extraordinary World.

Preserving an underground palace within a volcano was not entirely impossible.

In theory, merely setting up a Magic Formation could seal the volcano’s entrance.

The only issue was that the energy consumption might be considerable, especially during a volcanic eruption.

Resisting the lava wouldn’t be an easy task.

However, the one thing that a volcano doesn’t lack is energy.

If this energy could be harnessed to perpetuate the operation of the Magic Formation, it might be possible.

If his conjecture was accurate, the fate of the Orc tribes could be explained.

Whilst the Magic Formation was not omnipotent and its primary function was to protect the underground palace, it was still normal for few small openings to appear in vicinity over time due to natural erosion and tectonic movements.