King
Chapter 862 - 862 81 High Position and Great Power_2

862: Chapter 81, High Position and Great Power_2 862: Chapter 81, High Position and Great Power_2 It was clear that the opinions within the Royal Family couldn’t be unified anytime soon, and what really mattered now was which side Caesar IV would support.

However, that still wasn’t enough.

To withstand the Clergy’s retaliation, it was essential to also rope in the major nobles within the Kingdom.

If possible, it would be best to pull in a few international allies to share the burden.

The idea was beautiful, but reality was cruel.

For the Alpha Kingdom, obtaining the Staff of Glory was essentially like dealing with a hot potato.

With inadequate strength of their own, all plans were futile.

If they were strong enough, whether they possessed a divine artifact or not, they could stand independent.

If Caesar IV was decisive enough, he should trade away the Staff of Glory for the strategic materials most needed by the Kingdom.

The Frank Kingdom, the Iberia Kingdom, the Dark Forest Kingdom…

they were all viable buyers, and he could also incite friction between at least one great power and the Clergy.

If the Clergy were to offer a sky-high price, selling it to them wouldn’t be a problem either.

Politics, after all, was all about putting interests first without feeling embarrassed.

Being rational was one thing, and reality was another.

Even though he knew how to maximize benefits, Hudson still chose silence.

Seeing the reactions of the Royal Family, it was clear that they intended to keep the Staff of Glory to bolster their own comprehensive strength.

“Earl Hudson, do you have any suggestions?”

Perhaps seeing that the people were incessantly arguing, Caesar IV suddenly asked.

“Your Majesty, this matter is of great importance, and I lack any experience in handling such affairs.

I’d better listen to the opinions of our predecessors!”

Hudson did not want to get involved in such offense-making matters.

Even if he really did offer suggestions, Caesar IV was unlikely to listen.

After all, he had subtly made his stance clear the moment the Staff of Glory was delivered.

If he agreed, as the king, he could have made a decision directly rather than pulling so many people together for a discussion.

Clearly, he wanted to keep the “Staff of Glory” yet worried about the troubles it might bring.

His heart was indecisive and needed more people’s support.

…

Late into the night, light still dazzled brightly in the Governor’s Mansion.

“Caryo, are you sure that the artifact Hudson snatched is the Staff of Glory?”

Earl Piers asked with concern.

The Dalton Family had been showing signs of decline in recent years.

Their legitimate descendants were scarce, they had suffered heavy losses of top-tier power, and rivals were powerfully emerging.

Stabilizing the situation was indeed no easy feat.

At the crucial moment when they were about to join the continental war, they were now caught up in a hassle involving a divine artifact; Earl Piers was truly exhausted.

“Definite!

During the battle, the Clergy used the power of the artifact to cast a forbidden spell, and many witnessed it.

After the battle, Earl Hudson even tossed the Staff of Glory to me for inspection, and it looked identical to the legendary Staff of Glory.

If it were a counterfeit, Hudson would have swallowed it himself.

He wouldn’t have sent it to the Capital!”

Hearing this explanation, Earl Piers nodded his head.

“Not getting involved is the right move!

If you got mixed up in this, you would be done for.

The Clergy perhaps can’t do much to a Dragon Knight, but killing you to vent their frustration would not be difficult.

There are a bunch of fanatics within the Clergy who believe if they think it’s right, they dare to do anything.

The assassination of the late emperor had the shadow of the Clergy behind it.

We also need to reassess Hudson’s strength now.

Even when the Clergy unleashed a forbidden spell, they couldn’t harm him at all; it seems the rumors are true.

His dragon, if not a Dragon King, is infinitely close to a Dragon King’s strength.

Add an Earth Bear, and across the whole Continent of Aslante, they would probably be among the most formidable existences.

What a troubled time!”

Earl Piers said with a worried expression.

It was bad enough that their rival was overwhelmingly powerful, but in the upcoming continental war, their opponent even held the upper hand.

With internal strife within the province unresolved, the international situation might undergo a tremendous change.

The significance of the “Staff of Glory” was not something the “Blood Moon Horn” could compare with.

If it were auctioned off, it could easily sell for tens of millions of gold coins.

If the competition became too fierce, it could even exceed a hundred million.

Putting aside its religious and political value, the artifact itself was not something that could be measured in money.

Although using an authentic divine artifact comes at a cost, it’s far less severe than using an evil tool.

The Blood Moon Horn could drain a person completely with just one activation.

The white-haired old man used the Staff of Glory to unleash a forbidden spell and still managed to escape lively, which was enough to indicate the difference between the two.

Both require life energy, but while an evil tool consumes all at once, a divine artifact might just use a bit of essence blood or a few months of lifespan.

As long as it’s not overused, one can find ways to replenish.

“Uncle need not worry, given Hudson’s actions, he apparently doesn’t see us as rivals.

The recent heavy losses of our outbound fleet were mainly due to attacks by Ghost Ships, followed by a sea storm.

The suppression of Clergy members on Poison Dragon Island was solely carried out by Hudson; he didn’t use our people as cannon fodder.”

Comfort was worse than none, and after hearing Caryo’s words of consolation, Earl Piers became increasingly depressed.

The competitor that kept him up at night apparently didn’t consider him significant.

This disregard was the biggest insult.

But standing on the behalf of his family, all he could say was: more of this insult, please.

Being ignored by Hudson was just a matter of face; being targeted deliberately could be deadly.