Chapter 168

This is not a wise war!

In Aaron Lion Fortress, a shout rang out from the magnificent Hall of Heroes.

In the hall stood rows of independent round tables, about one hundred and fifty of them, arranged in three tiers forming a large circle.

Around each round table sat four or five people, and in the center of the large circle stood a speaking platform.

On the platform, a middle-aged red-haired man wearing a blue, green, and gold vertically striped councilor's robe spread his arms wide and shouted loudly.

"We, Aaron, are a great kingdom. A great kingdom ought not to rely only on strength; it should also possess far-sighted vision and precise judgment of the times!"

As soon as his words fell, someone rose from a nearby round table.

He loudly asked: "Count Galleron, may I ask, has anyone in your family gone bankrupt?"

The man who spoke was very young, under thirty, handsome, wearing a navy captain's dark-blue uniform with gold trim.

The count on the high platform froze, shook his head: "No, but this has nothing to do with today's agenda, Sir Miller."

The young officer called Sir Miller gave a cold smile: "My family, however, does, and not just a little."

"My family has invested up to 800,000 ogres in Weilan, with stable annual returns of 300,000 ogres. All of this turned to ash overnight because of Duke Weilan's caprice."

"May I ask, is there any good way to make Duke Weilan return this money?"

Count Galleron immediately said: "War is an unnecessary means; at the very least, we should first try to negotiate with Duke Weilan."

The young captain sneered: "How to negotiate?"

"Have Duke Weilan return the 800,000 ogres to me? Or provide me with 300,000 ogres annually for free?"

Everyone knows this is impossible.

"Mr. Galleron, in my view, your words are as childish as a fairy tale!"

Bang bang bang~~

The chairman of the noble council, the elderly royal prince Braun Dang, struck his wooden gavel hard and shouted: "Sir Miller, let Count Galleron finish speaking!"

Sir Miller turned, gave a slight bow to the prince, smirked, and sat back down.

Count Galleron gathered his thoughts and continued: "No matter what, we remain Weilan's most important neighbor—an unchangeable fact."

"We already have a very formidable opponent to the south; to set up another enemy behind us would be extremely unwise."

"What has already happened cannot be undone, but we can use our current losses as grounds to seek greater concessions in future trade agreements."

"I believe Duke Weilan also does not wish to maintain a hostile relationship with Aaron forever."

After his words fell, another young officer stood up—Sir Olangge.

A Battle Master just past thirty, likewise a navy captain.

"Count, Weilan has not yet fully emerged from chaos; the fleet strength left by the former duke has been greatly reduced due to mid-battle changes of command."

"What Duke Weilan can truly rely on are still just the people of White Sturgeon Island."

"It can be said that this is precisely Duke Weilan's weakest moment; if we do not seize this chance to utterly strangle him, must we simply wait quietly for him to grow stronger?!"

"Your words just now make one suspect you are a spy planted by Duke Weilan in our Aaron!"

Count Galleron flared in anger: "Chairman, this is an insult to my person!"

Bang bang bang!

The chairman struck the gavel again: "Sir Olangge, for using over-the-line attacking remarks, I order you to apologize to Count Galleron and immediately leave the Heroic Hall!"

The young navy captain immediately bowed to the dais: "I apologize to you, Count, although I believe I did not speak wrong."

Having said that, he did not wait for the hall guards to come and escort him out; he turned and walked out of the Heroic Hall.

Whoosh whoosh~~

The hall burst into applause, as if seeing off a hero's departure.

Count Galleron felt immense pressure; he no longer had the courage to continue speaking.

"My words are finished, Chairman."

He hastily bowed to the prince, then returned to the small round table of the legislators below the platform.

Just as he sat down, his aide whispered softly: "Count, it's useless; everyone is furious."

Count Galleron's gaze swept over the surrounding faces; he clearly sensed a mix of anger and exhilaration, like a band of fervent believers.

His thick brows knit tightly together: "Too fast."

"What is too fast?"

The count sighed: "The slaves once trampled underfoot have risen too quickly; the masters cannot bear it."

"If Weilan grew little by little, gradually breaking free of Aaron's control, then both in terms of interest and psychology, everyone would be prepared."

"Once it finally broke free, it was just that—a natural outcome; at most, there would be some unwilling grumbling."

"But now the situation is: a year ago Aaron still enjoyed the cheap raw materials supplied by Weilan; a year later, it was almost overturned by Weilan, a large chunk of its flesh torn away."

"Under such agonizing stimulation, extreme anger naturally arises."

"The pampered marquises seethe with anger, swearing revenge."

"The young officers in the military, their blood boiling, hope to gain promotion merits from this war."

"Even among the populace there are loud calls for war, because the interests of countless civilian merchants have also been greatly harmed."

"Meanwhile, the rational schemers begin to exploit this fury to seek greater power for themselves."

"At this moment, another gold‑haired middle‑aged person in a noble legislator's robe ascended the platform—the leader of the war faction, Marquis Gante."

"This marquis himself is also an Arcane Master of the Four‑ring Peak; his magical cultivation has greatly slowed his aging, making him appear middle‑aged while he is actually nearing sixty."

"Precisely for this reason, unless a miracle occurs, he cannot advance further on the arcane path."

"The marquis himself has completely abandoned the arcane path, now focusing solely on pursuing power."

"As soon as he stepped onto the dais, before he even spoke, applause erupted in the Heroic Hall, lasting several minutes before it ceased."

"The old marquis shouted: 'I admit that this war indeed carries certain risks.' 'But I must say, what in this world is without risk?!'"

"At my age, going to a brothel for pleasure could get me killed on a woman's belly, but does that mean we shouldn't seek pleasure?"

"No, of course we should go!"

"The crowd shouted in reply, especially the young nobles, who were even more excited."

"After the hall quieted slightly, Marquis Gangte continued: 'Our ancestors have come this far, enduring countless hardships and suffering, and have faced countless choices. Must every choice be to take a path that seems safest but is actually the most cowardly?'"

"No, that's not it!"

"There still exists a glorious hero's path!"

"Just like the ancient warriors, fearing nothing, exerting all our strength, we pursue rich rewards amidst great danger!"

"And now, it is indeed the best time to attack Weilan. If successful, we will not only bring Weilan back under our control, but also eliminate all hidden threats in the rear!"

"In the face of such enormous benefits, what is this tiny risk?!"

"The Count spoke passionately, his voice deep and full of fervor, brimming with great inflammatory power, thus once again stirring an enthusiastic response in the Heroic Hall."

"Count Jialepang frowned more and more, unable to help but rebuke softly."

"This fellow is turning the solemn kingdom council into a nonsensical street speech!"

"He isn't weighing pros and cons at all; he's merely stirring emotions!"

"To have the kingdom's fate fall into the hands of such a person is nothing short of a great misfortune for the entire kingdom!"

"The aide beside him immediately said: 'Count, I personally think you're right, but I advise you to keep these words to yourself; the fervent followers don't like to hear reason.'"

"Count Jialepang heeded the advice and wisely kept his mouth shut."

"And just as the war faction's leader, Marquis Gangte, was stirring wave after wave of enthusiastic response in the Heroic Hall, King Dange stood on the observation platform above the hall, silently watching everything in the hall."

"Sangqiesi had already returned from Weilan and now stood at his side."

"A five-layer magical barrier surrounded the observation platform to ensure the privacy of the conversation."

"Dange whispered: 'Gangte is a conspirator; he wants to rebel!'"

"The king of Aaron has not always been surnamed Dange; rather, it rotates among several ancient pure-blooded noble families."

"Coincidentally, the Gangte family is one of them."

"Sangqiesi nodded: 'Exactly, he is using this northern campaign to gain authority over the army.'"

"If the northern campaign succeeds and Aaron brings Weilan back under control, Marquis Gangte and his family will gain immense prestige within Aaron."

"By contrast, the Dange royal family, having lost Weilan during their tenure, would appear dim and lackluster."

"Thus, Marquis Gangte is only one coup away from becoming King of Dange."

"So, Weilan's unexpected independence has already exerted a tremendous impact on Aaron, causing its domestic politics to surge with stormy waves that no one can avoid."

"Of course, Dange himself could also become the war faction, replacing Marquis Gangte's position, but he knows that doing so would plunge Aaron into an abyss."

"So he chose to remain behind the scenes, countering conspiracy with conspiracy."

"Dange asked: 'Does Duke Weilan have confidence in defeating Marquis Gangte?'"

"Sangqiesi nodded slightly: 'Your Majesty, this will inevitably happen; the only difference is how much time and at what cost we defeat him.'"

"While speaking, he silently added to himself: 'The marquis has no idea how terrifying Duke Weilan is.'"

"Dange also thought so."

"It's not because he has any concrete evidence, but because he has seen Duke Weilan's character clearly."

"Since the other party dares to take the position of Grand Duke Weilan, they must have prepared to face any risk."

"After a moment of silence, he said: 'It would be best if both sides suffered heavy losses in this war. Especially the duke, at least unable to launch another war for three years.'"

"Such a situation would be most advantageous."

"Otherwise, if Aaron suffers while Weilan remains unscathed, Aaron's days would truly be unpleasant."

"Sangqiesi chuckled: 'Losses are certain; what war has no losses?'"

"After a pause, he added: 'Your Majesty, have you prepared to usher in a new era?'"

"To usher in a new era means to slaughter all the great nobles domestically."

"But how to do it? Who will do it? Who will fill the power vacuum after the great nobles disappear? This too is a series of matters that must be considered; if any link fails and something goes awry, the Lion King will completely become a thing of the past."

"Regarding this, Dange narrowed his eyes: 'I've long been prepared!'"

"After a pause, he continued staring at Marquis Gangte, a flicker of confusion flashing in his eyes."

"According to his understanding, this marquis has never been of an adventurous nature; now he seems overly confident."

"'Could he still have some hidden cards?'"

"Dange couldn't figure it out for a moment."

"Just as Aaron's domestic situation was turbulent, Weilan was also experiencing another kind of turmoil."

"It was not political upheaval, but turmoil in the flow of manpower and material resources."

"Numerous orders were issued in an orderly manner from Dawn Castle."

"'Prepare for war, relocate the capital, establish a new bank, build a magic academy, build a shipyard, build a factory,' and so on."

"Some were making full preparations, while others were laying the groundwork for the initial phase."

"A world-shaking change was brewing."

"Amidst such turmoil, the leader of the storm unexpectedly returned to White Sturgeon Island."

"First, the production capacity of the main war materiel remains on White Sturgeon Island."

"Second, Queen Kao is still on White Sturgeon Island."

"Naturally, the roses must be picked, but the queen reported a somewhat strange piece of information."

"(End of Chapter)"