King
Chapter 859 - 859 80 Dusting Off My Sleeves After the Deed Part 2

859: Chapter 80: Dusting Off My Sleeves After the Deed Part 2 859: Chapter 80: Dusting Off My Sleeves After the Deed Part 2 Given Hudson’s current status, it wasn’t difficult for him to ask for a favor from everyone, the challenge was to do so without arousing suspicion from the outside world.

Human nature often makes people more curious the more they are hindered.

Blocking maritime routes can only obstruct passing merchant ships, but it can’t stop the major nobles from sending their own people to explore.

There were two paths laid out before Hudson:

One was to divide the two divine artifacts with the Dalton Family and face the crisis together.

However, based on Hudson’s understanding of Earl Piers, Piers was not the kind of man with such resolve.

Besides, the divine artifacts had no substantial significance for the Dalton Family.

The political significance inherent to the divine artifacts was mainly to divide the legal authority of the Clergy, a task too great for a single major noble to wield alone.

Both divine artifacts were light-based, and it would require at least two eighth-order cultivators of light power to manage even the most basic command over them.

Even if the Dalton Family were given the divine artifacts, they wouldn’t find anyone capable of using them.

For the Dalton Family, holding onto the artifacts would simply be a hot potato.

Second was to give one to the King, diverting the firepower elsewhere and incidentally trading it for some benefits in return.

After all, the only people who knew he had obtained both artifacts were the Clergy.

As long as these individuals didn’t leave alive, the outside world would remain unaware that he held both artifacts in his hands.

After all, encountering one divine artifact was already a miracle.

Coming across two at the same time was something nobody would believe if told.

“So be it, one must give to gain!”

After hesitating for a moment, Hudson made his choice between the two divine artifacts.

The “Staff of Glory” was completely unusable, while the “Holy Sword of Light” could still be wielded to cut down his enemies.

On outward appearances, the sealed Holy Sword of Light looked quite similar to his Knight Sword.

Due to Maxim’s situation, nobody had dared to inspect his Knight Sword at close range, so replacing it would go unnoticed.

Having made up his mind, Hudson wanted to capture someone alive for interrogation, but Belsden had already finished the job ahead of him.

Apart from a few lucky ones who had hidden themselves, the rest had either turned into ghosts under the bear claws or perished to the venomous worms.

To get answers from them now, it seemed he could only resort to summoning the undead.

Hudson did know a bit about Undead Magic, but how could someone who frequently dealt with heresy not come prepared?

The Holy Water he carried drastically reduced the chances of them becoming undead.

Even if the summoning was successful, most undead creatures couldn’t retain their memories from life.

“Staff of Glory” and “Holy Sword of Light,” why they were here became an unsolved mystery the moment they reached Hudson.

The higher echelons of the Clergy surely knew, but he could not possibly inquire.

Satisfying curiosity was important, but so was keeping one’s life.

Hudson extinguished the thought of digging deeper, picked up the artifacts, and headed back to the fleet, only to see a group of pirates gathered on the shore surrendering to the ships.

Clearly, these surrendering fellows were the clever sort.

Knowing the Clergy wouldn’t let them off, they decisively sought allegiance with a different master.

But they encountered a problem; the fleet in front of them didn’t just represent the Dalton Family but also stood for the Koslow Family.

With both families having worked on the operation together, how to deal with these pirates required a joint decision from both clans.

Perhaps out of respect for the strong, the fleet simply had the pirates wait on the shore and didn’t immediately accept their surrender.

Glancing at the Pirate Leader resting at the shore, Hudson said coldly, “I’ll give you a chance to save your life.

Tell me everything you know, and don’t even think of hiding anything.

Without our protection, you won’t survive a month on this island!”

In his heart of hearts, Hudson had already begun to consider whether to silence these people as well.

Pirates were still pirates, even if they had surrendered, Hudson could easily find an excuse to kill them all, especially since he hadn’t accepted their surrender yet.

“Rest assured, my lord, I’ll tell you everything!

Originally, I was a down-and-out noble from a central small kingdom.

After my family fell into decline, I went out in search of livelihood and caught the eye of the Clergy.

From then on, following their commands, I became a pirate who was active in the southern maritime routes.

Being chosen to head north to Poison Dragon Island, mainly because during my wandering on the Continent, I once accidentally entered the place and successfully left alive.

The purpose of the Clergy’s expedition seems to have been to look for some divine artifact on the island.

My position in the Clergy was very low, so that’s all I know.”

Upon hearing Savage Beard’s response, Hudson’s intent to kill subsided slightly.

It was fine to be uninformed, but what he feared was someone knowing too much.

No matter who came asking, Master Hudson would claim that on Poison Dragon Island, he found only one divine artifact.

“I have already obtained the artifact, but there remains many of the Clergy’s remnants active on the island.

These people are strong, and they hide in the shadows, so we haven’t had enough time to encircle and suppress them all.

Byron, while the fog hasn’t obscured our vision yet, send your men to search around the island and destroy all the boats.

Even a centuries-old antique ship must be obliterated by the Magic Crystal Cannon.

Don’t leave even large pieces of wood intact.

We don’t have much time left, we must destroy all navigational tools before the fog rises.

Leave these pirates here for now; I will watch over them myself and take them with us when we leave!”

The tone of an order shouldn’t really be present among allies.

Yet Hudson’s position was unique, as he was also serving as the Kingdom’s Mobilization Command for War Preparation.