King
Chapter 860 - 860 80 Dusting Off My Sleeves After the Deed Part 3

860: Chapter 80: Dusting Off My Sleeves After the Deed Part 3 860: Chapter 80: Dusting Off My Sleeves After the Deed Part 3 A position that even he himself couldn’t clearly define the boundaries of, was all the more baffling to outsiders.

Whether there was authority to mobilize the nation’s armed forces or not, the Capital had not provided a definitive statement, but this did not affect Hudson’s issuance of commands.

“At your command, Count!”

Byron answered respectfully.

He had intended to discuss the ownership of the divine artifact, but the words reached his lips and he forcibly held them back.

Regardless of who the divine artifact belonged to, it was not his turn as a peripheral member of the family.

Even the direct nephews of the Earl had not broached the topic, so he couldn’t be bothered to stick his neck out.

Negotiations were a matter that required equal standing.

Negotiating with Hudson was bound to result in a disadvantage.

As the fleet began to carry out its mission, only Viscount Caryo remained with a group of guards and Hudson, ostensibly to help guard the pirates, but in reality, he still coveted the divine artifact.

However, since the artifact had been snatched by Hudson, Caryo truly did not know how to intervene and get a share of the spoils.

“Interested in the Staff of Glory?”

As he spoke, Hudson nonchalantly tossed the wand in his hand to Viscount Caryo as if he were discarding a troublesome burden.

“The Clergy’s Staff of Glory!”

“How is this possible?”

Caryo said with a trembling voice.

As a symbol of the Clergy, the Staff of Glory would almost always appear at major ceremonies.

There had been no news of its loss, but the divine staff in hand was unmistakably authentic.

After hesitating for a while, Caryo hurriedly returned the Staff of Glory to Hudson.

Truly, this was not something the Dalton Family could covet; bringing it back would only invite calamity to their own household.

“Count, this item was obtained by you, and you should deal with it as you see fit, without our involvement!”

Seeing this, Hudson feigned a distressed smile.

“Unlike ordinary divine artifacts, the Staff of Glory is indeed too hot to handle for our two families.

Since the Dalton Family is not interested, I will simply send it to the Capital.

If His Majesty the King wishes to establish a new Clergy, this would provide the perfect legal foundation.”

Caesar IV was not Caesar III, and no one could be certain whether he dared to take on this hot potato.

But casting the item aside was always better than keeping it in the Southeastern Province and causing trouble for his own household.

With the stature of the Alpha Kingdom, as long as the King has ambition and courage, he could withstand the pressure.

“Count, this topic is too sensitive.

There are still a bunch of pirates here, now is really not the time to discuss this!”

Viscount Caryo said in a flustered tone.

It was clear that he was genuinely frightened.

Hudson could openly bring up the matter because he was strong enough and had debts too large to be a burden.

Viscount Caryo, on the other hand, was not in the same league.

Although he was a direct family member of the Dalton Family, he was just a “member,” not the heir to the family.

His political weight was much lower than Hudson’s and if he foolishly got involved, he might very well die an untimely death.

For the Clergy, killing a Dragon Knight was very difficult, but killing a major noble’s child was effortless.

In political struggles, Hudson never brought things to an extreme point, out of fear that if he pushed someone too hard, they would break all political boundaries in desperation and target ordinary members of the Koslow Family.

“Very well, the Staff of Glory is not suitable to be kept.

Once the affairs on the island are settled, I will send it to the Capital.

These pirate captives can only be used as laborers.

They have little value, so there’s no need to make a detailed division.

We might as well split them equally between our two families.

Afterward, you can send half of the people to the Mountain Domain.”

Hudson said with a calm face.

It was a naked scheme, the opportunity was presented.

If the Dalton Family wanted a share of the spoil, they just needed to send people to follow.

The divine artifact couldn’t be given away for nothing; the King would definitely compensate in other ways.

The benefits were visible, but the risks were also within arm’s reach.

How long the news could be kept secret was uncertain.

Once it got out, the political consequences of seizing the divine artifact and assassinating important members of the Clergy would have to be borne by both families.

Compared to these, a few pirate captives truly weren’t worth mentioning.

For the Dalton Family, these people could indeed only be used as laborers.

At the very moment Viscount Caryo took hold of the Staff of Glory, his first instinct was to kill these people.

A few hundred captives were nothing to the Dalton Family with their extensive business—they did not lack this bit of labor force.

“Your Excellency the Count, please make the decision yourself.

We will not get involved.

The success of this mission is mainly due to your efforts.

You have the right to dispose of all the spoils of war.

As for the pirate captives, we will not miss a single one when we send them to your domain afterward.”

Viscount Caryo quickly refused.

He believed that even his own uncle would make a similar decision if he were here.

If they had known that the Staff of Glory was on Poison Dragon Island, they would not have joined this commotion at all costs.

The current situation was that not only had his family suffered losses in men and weapons, but there was also the potential to be dragged into the great vortex of the struggle between royal and divine power.

A slight misstep could crush the family to dust.

It was better to leave such antagonizing efforts to Hudson.

Dragon Knights were tough and could withstand the elements; ordinary people like them could not.

In an instant, Caryo’s desire for strength reached a zenith.

The lack of peak-level fighters became the greatest limit on the Dalton Family’s development.

Never mind Dragon Knights, who were extraordinary—just cultivating a few Eighth-order Strongmen would also increase their family’s say.

Of course, this was before Caryo knew what had happened on the island.

If he had known that the Clergy’s team included eight Eighth-order Strongmen and more than twenty Seventh-order Strongmen, his understanding of peak fighters would have changed.

Hudson had no desire to boast about his achievements; the methods he won with did not conform to the noble spirit.

Burying the truth forever was the best choice.

When the Clergy sought revenge in the future, it would ensure that the Dalton Family would join their company.

Purely from the data, the Clergy’s task force of over two hundred people did not have a single weakling; obviously, they could not all have been killed by Hudson and two magical beasts alone.

To any rational person, it would seem that the Dalton Family must have also taken part in the battle, and that the bloody deed would have been a joint effort.

People only believe what they see; the heavy losses suffered by the Dalton Family’s fleet would probably also be accounted for in the Clergy’s battle losses.

“Ghost Ship,” “Storm at Sea,”—the more legendary these stories are, the less people believe them.

The mist gradually thickened as if to envelop the entire sea area, and the once noisy Poison Dragon Island fell silent once again.

The fleet started their slow journey home.

With a Dragon Chant Breaking Through the Sky, Hudson had already left ahead of the rest.