King
Chapter 916 - 916 97 The New Era_3

916: Chapter 97: The New Era_3 916: Chapter 97: The New Era_3 Two incidents connecting together caused Shelter VII’s confidence in his own military to plummet further.

“Your Majesty, we have verified this many times, the Alpha Kingdom’s naval fleet is fully assembled.

Only three warships are currently out for factory repairs after engaging pirates.

If there had been a major naval battle with our fleet, their navy would have at least suffered heavy losses if not a complete annihilation.

Just a few warships with minor damages, that’s impossible to achieve.”

Ulysses answered with a serious face.

He was reluctant to help clear the enemy of suspicion, but there was no choice—the facts were right in front of him; he couldn’t just force an accusation!

Although he often did such things, the situation now was obviously different.

If they insisted it was the doing of the Alpha Kingdom, war would be unavoidable.

Not to mention the Human Alliance would not consent, even the Clergy internally would not be able to approve of it.

A life of luxury is not easily given up; no one is willing to engage in such an uncertain gamble.

The destruction of the three major fleets signified not just the loss of warships, but also everyone’s confidence in the Clergy.

“Those fools, who recommended them?

Taking the fleet deep into the Sea of Mist, something even the Alpha people dared not do, what gave them the courage to try it?”

Shelter VII nearly roared as he questioned.

The survivors of the fleet were either hunted by “pirates” or executed as “pirates,” skipping even the step of interrogation.

Lacking first-hand information, the conjectures of the Kingdom of Alpha became the standard answer, directly influencing the Clergy’s judgment.

Besides the fleet venturing deep into the Misty Marine Region only to be ambushed by Ghost Ships, no other reasonable explanation came to mind.

“Your Majesty, pursuing these matters now is pointless.

Judging by the outcome of the battle, the Ghost Ships that attacked our fleet could very well be the legendary Sanctuary Ghost Ships.

If the guess is correct, then the Alpha Kingdom’s gathering of their fleet to exterminate the Ghost Ships but delaying action also makes sense.

It is said that prior to this, the Dalton Family’s fleet had suffered heavy losses in an encounter with a Ghost Ship.

Even Hudson, who took matters into his own hands, managed merely to repel the Ghost Ship.

A Dragon suspected to be the Dragon King, plus an adult Earth Bear, and a large number of warships providing firepower support, just to not capture an Eighth-order Ghost Ship, that’s somewhat hard to justify.

Perhaps it is precisely because the Alpha Kingdom knows how formidable the Ghost Ship is that they deliberately lured us northwards, playing out a scheme to kill with a borrowed knife.”

Ulysses spoke, trying to pacify the situation.

Seeking accountability was a major affair that could lead to a cascade of consequences.

Once the lid of nepotism was lifted, it would be difficult to place back.

If the matter blew up, exposing the dark side of the Clergy, the negative impact would only be greater.

The power of the Ghost Ship was overestimated to the Holy Rank, and those who initially wanted to investigate the matter now chose to keep silent.

The Clergy’s losses were already severe; sending more people would be like delivering heads to the Ghost Ship.

“Hmmph!”

With a cold snort, a massive aura emanated from Shelter VII, forcing everyone to retreat continuously.

The people who recovered from the shock had their faces brighten in an instant.

“Congratulations, Your Majesty, on breaking through to the Sanctuary!”

…

Continuous congratulations dispelled the clouds hanging over everyone’s heads, at least on the surface.

As for whether Shelter VII had just broken through to the Sanctuary or if he had done so earlier but deliberately hid his strength, that was irrelevant; the key point was that he had made a breakthrough.

The advancements had been forced out; with the continuous crises, even Shelter VII’s position as Pope was being shaken.

If he didn’t make a breakthrough to gain back some prestige for himself, it’s likely the people below would start collaborating to depose the Pope.

“Enough!

We will settle accounts with the Alpha people some other time.

We have found the reason for the complete defeat, so let’s put this matter to rest for now.

Next, we need to take care of the bereaved families of the fallen officers and soldiers.

They are the Clergy’s most loyal and brave soldiers, and we must handle their affairs well.”

Shelter VII spoke with forced compassion.

He didn’t mention his own breakthrough, just focused on the aftermath of the fallen soldiers.

If word of this approach reached the masses, it would surely win him a lot of supporters.

Seeing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Those who could enter this place all had interest groups supporting them from behind, and the navy was naturally not without their people.

If the table were turned over and responsibilities meticulously sought, it would be embarrassing even if they were not directly stripped of their posts!

…