The witch thought I am a Demon God
Chapter 954 - 490: The Regency of the Hearthstone Witch_2

Chapter 954: Chapter 490: The Regency of the Hearthstone Witch_2

Ivita said indifferently, "Only the chief offenders need to be executed, the fate of the servants can be determined based on the situation."

The four Imperial Guard Knights showed surprise and delight on their faces.

Ivita glanced at them. "However, the Imperial Guard will be shown no mercy."

"I will join you in the execution of the five thousand Imperial Guard within the city, and you are destined to win this battle."

The Imperial Guard Knights suddenly looked alarmed and all said to Ivita, "Your Majesty, we have heard that you are extremely merciful. You have tolerated those corrupt nobles in the Hall of Discussion, so why can you not tolerate us, the Imperial Guard?"

"The Imperial Guard are only fulfilling our duties and not truly your enemies at heart."

"Yes, you should treat us, the Imperial Guard, without discrimination. At worst, we can help you kill Jalen and stand by your side," they suggested.

Ivita glanced at them. "Do you have any respect left in your hearts for the King?"

The four Imperial Guard Knights were taken aback.

Yes, others followed Jalen in their lawless behavior, possibly truly believing that Jalen was the King of Alsace, but only the Imperial Guard had always followed Jalen because he constantly promised them great rewards, and they sold out the interests of the royal court many times over.

They had long lost all respect for the King and the country. They merely gathered for profit.

They even regarded the act of stabbing the King in the back as normal.

Such individuals had long become a cancer to the Kingdom. While other kings might have tried to win them over, Ivita was determined to completely annihilate this corrupt legion, which from top to bottom was a vicious tumor. If not purged, it would become an obstacle to the Kingdom.

Ivita called forth the Death God’s Notebook and directly harvested the lives of the four Imperial Guard Knights using the Death God Breath, causing the knights to bow their heads and their bodies to go limp.

Their souls were also reaped by the Death Angel.

Ivita raised an eyebrow. "However, there is one thing you were right about. I am indeed merciful. Therefore, I will allow you to depart without pain."

He glanced at the members of the Yodo Family. "I’ll send your souls to the afterlife. In life, you opposed me, but in death, I have no intention of continuing to torment you. That would be too petty."

The members of the Yodo Family witnessed this and all felt enlightened by the King’s teaching. Ivita was a very upright monarch, which gave them the confidence to switch their support to Ivita.

’Although I can disregard the opinions of these nobles, my actions are observed by others,’ Ivita thought. ’Everyone has their own judgment, albeit unspoken. To become a King deeply rooted in the hearts of the people of Alsace, I must rule with a combination of virtue and authority.’

’If I were merely tyrannical, everyone would simply see me as a despot.’

’However, the powers of the nobles of Alsace are still far too great. Since this is my first Kingdom, I should bring in talented individuals from among the commoners next, pushing Alsace Kingdom towards a more centralized phase and ensuring we don’t stall midway.’

Upon Ivita’s orders, the Yodo Family acted swiftly, gathering the troops that had previously assembled in the streets and gone into hiding, and started besieging the troops that were stationed by Jalen’s Imperial Guard to monitor them.

However, to everyone’s surprise, the order Jalen gave when he returned to the Imperial Guard’s camp was not to immediately attack the Yodo Family, but to escort him as he fled.

Now, Jalen had created a time gap, having broken out of Yodo City and taken almost all of the city’s warhorses with him.

Thus, it seemed highly unlikely for the troops of Yodo City to catch up.

Within the Yodo Family’s estate, Earl Yodo found Ivita somewhat anxiously to report the situation, worried that Ivita might think he had informed Jalen in advance. "I apologize, Your Majesty. But I truly do not understand why Jalen would suddenly change his character, especially when he still commands five thousand strong and capable Imperial Guards on his side."

"We still have the strength for one more battle."

"But rest assured, Your Majesty, I have already dispatched troops to recruit cattle and horses from the countryside as quickly as possible to catch up with Jalen and cut him down."

Ivita, however, waved her hand dismissively. "No need, a desperate foe should not be pursued. It’s a basic principle. If you rush to catch up, you’ll only suffer a defeat. It’s better not to pursue."

Earl Yodo breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that Ivita was a monarch who understood reason. Such a ruler was the most worthy of trust.

With much relief in his voice, Earl Yodo said, "I am truly ashamed that I failed to capture him."

Ivita said, "Jalen must have realized that the seal in his hand was a fake. He knew that, even if I were to lose the battle, I could always leave Yodo City at any moment."

"But if he lost, his defeat would be definitive. Thus, he lacked the courage to make a firm decision and could only leave Yodo City. But... this was probably his last chance to face us in a fair fight, and his last real opportunity to defeat me."

"By leaving Yodo City and having only the unreliable Imperial Guard by his side, he loses his greatest support and lacks the backing of the major nobles. As time passes, if he remains within Alsace, his power will gradually crumble. If he leaves Alsace, he becomes a hostage and a tool in the hands of other kingdoms."

Ivita said, "There aren’t many paths available to kings in this world. Jalen is at his wit’s end, and at this point, I no longer wish to kill him. I want to give him time and opportunities to act foolishly."

"Let those nobles who still wish to support him completely lose hope in him. However, if Jalen seeks refuge with foreign powers, then we must stop and kill him to prevent subsequent turmoil."

Having realized Ivita’s strategy, Earl Yodo said with enlightenment, "I see. With this approach, time is now on our side. Based on my understanding of Jalen’s character, he would never go to a foreign land to be controlled and lose command over his own troops."

"Then his only choice..."

Earl Yodo looked towards the map on the table Ivita had been using, a table that had once been his. He pointed to Hore County on the map and said, "This county still has some of Jalen’s territories, which put together should amount to about three Earl Level territories."

"This is his last base of power. He will surely return there, and Hore County being on the far west, deeply invaded by the Frankish people, his return there... heh, will just serve to guide the Franks."

With that, Earl Yodo’s disdain for Jalen grew even more, wishing he could see him just to slash the disgraceful wretch with his sword.

Ivita looked at the map, aware of where Jalen acquired his territories in Hore County. It was at the front lines of the war against the Franks, where nobles often failed to leave heirs and typically were commoners risen through military merits, lacking a large family lineage, easily resulting in territories without successors. Jalen’s inherited territories were acquired from these nobles without heirs.

Indeed, a monarch aspiring for absolute power no longer required the nobles’ help to control the lands. Such a ruler would naturally be at odds with the nobility, preferring to elevate commoners to nobility rather than depending on ancient noble families.

Common nobles lacked an extensive family system, making them easier to control by the monarch.

Ivita said, "Yodo City is just a minor detail in the war between two nations. I must return to oversee the big picture, or else more innocent villagers and townspeople will be slaughtered by the enemy."

"Your Majesty," said Earl Yodo, "our Yodo Family will always stand with a king like you."

The next moment, a flash of light passed through the room, and Ivita had disappeared from within.

In Alsace, Ivita’s ability to move through space was almost instantaneous. In less than a few minutes, she had returned to the Royal Capital of Alsace.

The moment the Hearthstone Witch sensed Ivita’s magical power, she came looking for her. "Your Highness, you’ve finally returned. I’ve been overseeing everything in the Royal Capital during this time."

The nobles also came looking for him, cornering Ivita within the court.

"Your Majesty, you’ve finally come back. During this time, that witch of yours has run amok, pillaging people’s wealth every day."

Ivita, looking at both parties, paused for a moment. "Did the Hearthstone Witch kill anyone?"