King
Chapter 754 - 754 39 Awakening_1

754: Chapter 39, Awakening_1 754: Chapter 39, Awakening_1 Thanks to the soldiers’ efforts, order was promptly restored, and the assassin was captured, lamentably only a dead body was found.

The hasty end to the ceremony shifted everyone’s attention from the new king’s ascension to the assassination case.

The fate of Prince Claude, who was attacked, was unknown, and the representatives of the Black Forest Kingdom would not allow outsiders to visit, even refusing entry to Caesar IV himself.

Including Hudson, the executives of the Alpha Kingdom looked stern and terribly somber, anxiously awaiting news.

Despite the late hour, the Jade Palace remained brightly lit.

“Has the assassin’s identity been established?

How did he infiltrate in here?”

Ceasar IV asked with a stony face.

With Prince Claude’s fate uncertain, they could only start with the assassin and root out the true criminal to mitigate the Alpha Kingdom’s responsibility as much as possible.

“Your Majesty, the assassin was smeared with an evil potion.

As soon as we captured him, his body dissolved into a pool of blood, leaving no valuable clues at the scene.

According to those who had seen the assassin, his name was Cyrus, a Fiefdom Baron from the Southeastern Province.

He had never left the kingdom and should not have any connection with Prince Claude, let alone any grudge.

We suspect he might have taken the baron’s place, the real Baron Cyrus may have been murdered already.

We need the relevant files from the Southeastern Province for further investigation about Baron Cyrus’s identity.

We can’t rule out that he was distressed and wanted to take revenge on society.”

Duke Newfoundland’s reply directly brought a wave of controversies onto the Southeastern Province.

Hudson and Earl Piers shared a look, both wearing faces full of concern.

“Out of nowhere, we got held responsible.”

Deep inside, Hudson cursed the assassin and his family.

If someone was to be blamed, they should find a more prominent figure.

Why did they have to collar these insignificant ones like them?

For murdering a prince, Hudson protested that he couldn’t shoulder such a heavy burden.

He had thought the current situation was safe, even if conflict broke out, the Southeastern Province wouldn’t be the first to be affected.

But now, nothing could be sure.

With the assassination of Prince Claude, the situation had become complicated.

If nothing unexpected happens, the Black Forest Kingdom would definitely demand the Alpha Kingdom to hand over the murderer.

Undoubtedly, such a seemingly reasonable request was something the Alpha Kingdom could not fulfill.

The assassin had dissolved into a pool of blood, and all clues had got lost.

They hardly knew how to proceed with further investigation.

They couldn’t possibly find someone to take the blame, could they?

Even if the Alpha Kingdom was willing to do so and some Grand Duke was willing to take the blame out of selflessness, the Black Forest Kingdom would never accept it!

A scapegoat served on a silver platter, if they do not exploit the situation, wouldn’t that prove their political naivety?

“Your Excellency, the Prime Minister, we in the Southeastern Province will do our utmost to gather detailed information about Baron Cyrus.

But to say he was distressed and therefore planned the assassination, is absurd.

As a minor noble, under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t even have the opportunity to approach Prince Claude, let alone to orchestrate an assassination.

This assassination was obviously a premeditated plot.

Otherwise, Baron Cyrus, who was merely an intermediate knight, would be turned away even if he happened to encounter Prince Claude, guarded by his entourage!”

Governor Piers retorted bluntly.

They couldn’t blindly take the blame.

If it was acknowledged that Baron Cyrus was distressed and wanted to vent his anger on society, that led to the assassination, he, as the governor, also couldn’t escape the censure.

Even investigations along these lines were unacceptable.

Although Earl Piers had always been cautious about his conduct, he occasionally employed unscrupulous tactics behind the scenes.

“Your Excellency Governor, do not misunderstand.

I was merely discussing the matter at hand and have no intention of blaming you.”

Duke Newfoundland’s explanation did not satisfy Earl Piers, but as the Prime Minister had already spoken, he could not keep dwelling on it.

“Hmph!”

He snorted coldly as a sign of dissatisfaction, then said no more.

What seemed to be just an analysis of a possibility was, in fact, a deep warning brought up on the pretext of the controversy.

He cautioned the major nobles not to go too far, otherwise, the minor nobles stirred up trouble and caused them to suffer a heavy loss.

“Enough!”

“The issue needs not be disputed any further.

Our next assignments are not only to investigate the identity of the assassin and the mastermind behind the scenes but also to plan for the aftermath.

Regardless of whether Prince Claude is affected, the Black Forest Kingdom will not let it go.

The upcoming political storm requires effective countermeasures from the kingdom.”

As Caesar IV’s voice fell, the hall instantly erupted with noise.

The major nobles began discussing the matter, whispering to each other.

With his exceptional listening skills, Hudson was continuously extracting useful information from the ongoing conversations.

Regrettably, while he did not find any good suggestions, numerous absurd ideas were proposed.

In fact, in these emergency meetings where quick decisions are made, the wisdom of the major nobles hardly shone through.

Most of the time, they allowed their staff to analyze all the scenarios first before choosing what they believed to be the most advantageous plan for implementation rather than devising a scheme themselves.

This was also why many major nobles, despite being mediocre themselves, still lead prosperous families.

Essentially, the direction of their upbringing by their own families had always been: to understand people, to use people…