69novels Page 256
Page 256
With her cherry-pink eyes flowing like water, Kletina looked at the assembled demons and spoke in a tone that was both a summary and a warning:
"Now, the siege of the capital has proven that humanity's trump cards are far more abundant than we imagined; and the attack on the Demon King's city can be said to be the most powerful counterattack by that Hero of Sin and the Holy Archmage... I think that for a long time to come, the demon race is not suitable to engage in a direct conflict with humanity."
"Otherwise, the situation will develop in a lose-lose direction, and I think the human kingdoms think the same way."
"With the complete abandonment of the first line of defense, friction between us and humanity will be minimized, and the border will usher in a brief period of 'peace'."
"But the more this is the case, the more we cannot ignore the actions humans have taken to grow stronger during this time—infiltration and sabotage. We must also try to secretly corrupt and attack the power of the Kingdom of Kur, and even extend this to other races that have close ties with humans, so that they will not become our biggest obstacle in the not-too-distant future."
At this point, Kletina frowned slightly, looking with some regret at the emerald doll on the sixth demon's seat:
"Unfortunately, Astrid, who is in the capital, has been vaguely locked onto by the Kingdom of Kur... and has completely lost contact with us."
"Otherwise, she, located in the capital city at the very heart of human intelligence, would surely be able to provide us with the most powerful assistance in a timely manner, no..."
After thinking for a moment, Kletina shook her head again and changed her words, saying, "If the God of Myriad Machines hadn't risked her life to deliver the information to us in time, the situation of the Demon Race might be much more serious now."
“You are right, Lady Kletina.”
Beside him, Swail added:
"As a result, the surveillance force around Lady Astrid was increased several times over afterward."
Having personally witnessed the scene, it recalled the elite paladins who, seemingly guarding but actually watching over Astrid, had stood by her side when the kingdom's library was reduced to ruins, and it breathed a long sigh of relief:
"Lady Kletina, the current peace and tranquility in the Demon King's castle is very likely the result of... the intense doubts and disdain from Lady Astrid's side!"
“That’s exactly what I wanted to say,” Kleinna said with great emotion.
"Never forget the Sixth Demon's contributions to the demon race... In order to one day bring Astrid back from the human capital, I believe this is an inescapable responsibility and mission for every demon—"
The demons present nodded in deep agreement, deeply moved by the sentiment.
In an instant, Astrid's contribution to the demon race in their hearts was no less than that of Mino in the prison!
"anyway."
Seeing that the demon's welcoming and commendation ceremony had come to an end, Swell knew it was time to get down to business.
With a chuckle, it turned to the latest page and said:
"Recently, I have obtained important intelligence from the human kingdom that will affect the entire kingdom."
"I have a premonition: this will be a new storm, and the epicenter of a new act of destruction—"
"Oh? What is it? Stop keeping me in suspense, our strategist." Beside him, Freer became interested; this was clearly his chance to show off.
"Don't rush, Your Excellency, I was just about to say that."
The black book cover gleamed with an obsidian-like light, and Swell's words drifted among the seats, carrying a deep-seated malice:
"It is said that the heir to the kingdom, the first prince—Ota Kur..."
"The selection of the princess will begin soon."
……
……
……
The Kingdom of Kur, its capital.
With the clarification from the roundtable live broadcast and the miraculous disappearance of the famine, a thriving scene is spreading throughout the country.
It is foreseeable that this year will be a peaceful and fruitful one. The kingdom's finances have a great deal of room for maneuver. Most importantly, both public morale and public spirit have been thoroughly boosted during that roundtable live broadcast.
No one will forget that this hard-won peace was won by one man, one of the greatest warriors—
As a result, Shana, the Hero of Sin, did not cause any further discord after her previous absence following the blessing ceremony, nor did her recent quiet return.
The current attitude of the kingdom's people towards this new hero.
It had come to the point where, "Since she is the sister of that Mino hero, as long as the kingdom is not destroyed, we can tolerate anything."
after all.
That is the sister of the hero Mino, whom all of humanity owes a debt to!
The two enormous shadows that loomed over the kingdom, "Duke of Mess" and "Hero of Sin and Evil," gradually vanished without a trace.
The human kingdom gradually got back on track despite the destruction caused by the demons, and the people gradually recovered from the fear of losing the hero Mino in the past six months.
With the long-awaited stability of both the political situation and people's hearts, what the people yearn for is for the kingdom to reach a new level of development.
As a result, a long-suppressed cry has gradually emerged in the capital, which has become the center of the kingdom's national will and public opinion.
—The succession to the throne.
In fact.
The choice of the throne was already beyond dispute; otherwise, Prince Ota would not have been able to preside over state affairs for so long in place of the seriously ill old king.
This was especially true three years ago, after the Third Prince Hearst's rebellion.
Prince Ota has long been the de facto king of the kingdom, and the fact that the kingdom has remained standing in the fight against the demons after losing the hero Mino in the past six months has fully demonstrated his abilities.
Now, all that's missing for Prince Ota to ascend the throne as king is a coronation ceremony.
No, before that, we need to take that most important step, the step that will determine Prince Ota's lifelong happiness:
The Princess's Choice...
Chapter 370 The Princess Consort will only slow down the Prince's solo pursuit!
The royal palace in the capital city of Kur.
The Prince's Study.
"No! Absolutely not!!!"
A fierce argument broke the recent calm and spread throughout the study.
Otta sat at his desk, his face contorted with unusual anger, staring intently at the minister before him.
But this time, Minister Tus, unusually for so long, stubbornly defied the king's will, displaying a look of remonstrance ready to die for his cause, earnestly pleading:
“Your Highness Otta, although these are just the spontaneous hopes and suggestions of the people, it’s about time to put the selection of the Queen on the agenda…”
"Absurd!" Otta slammed his hand on the table, his face turning red with anger.
"When did I choose my queen, when did I ascend the throne, and when did it become anyone else's place to interfere? — Behind all this, there must be another conspiracy by those with ulterior motives!!!"
"This time, it really isn't."
Having anticipated this, Tus pulled out a public opinion poll from behind him and read it aloud:
"During this period, Commander Erwin and his team conducted an unguided survey of all permanent residents in the capital. According to the survey results, 97% of the citizens wholeheartedly support your selection as the Queen... Incidentally, the remaining 3% of the votes were cast by Astrid and her devoted readers of fanfiction."
"Tus, you? And Erwin! You...you're going to rebel?!"
Otta pointed at his trusted minister in shock, never expecting that he would collude with the commander of his own knightly order to carry out such a big move behind his back!
Clearly, they're trying to block their own escape route!
“Your Highness Ota, please believe in my loyalty, but…”
Tuss looked somewhat helpless: "The kingdom's ministers and nobles also feel that it's time for you to start choosing a queen to assist you."
Tus knew that while the voices this time originated from the people, there was also the influence of forces within the kingdom that supported Prince Ota.
But he could only pretend to ignore it.
The people were still just looking forward to the prince taking a wife, but a group of ministers were already anxious. However, they had never dared to bring it up in the past due to the circumstances and the prince's own insistence on his will.
His Highness Prince Ota is now twenty-six years old.
It should be noted that the average age for marriage among ordinary people on this continent is sixteen or seventeen.
People like Lena, the Ice Saintess—or rather, legends—are ultimately few and far between.
Even though the marriage age among royalty and nobility was slightly later than that of commoners, it generally did not exceed twenty years old.
If it weren't for the old king's serious illness, and Prince Ota and the Mino warriors' dedication to revitalizing the kingdom and restoring the sacred Mino border, no one would have allowed the position of princess to remain vacant for so long.
And now.
Although I feel very sorry for Mino the Hero, his arrest has indeed caused the kingdom to shift from a state of expansion to one of recuperation and development.
The issue of the princess, which Otta had previously deliberately avoided, was naturally brought up.
“Your Highness Ota, the kingdom now needs a king, and for that, a queen is indispensable…”
Tus knew there was no need to mention any political factors to Otta, so he gently and slowly advised:
"We do not require an immediate coronation ceremony, nor do we need you to hold a nationwide wedding immediately. Simply choosing a fiancée, even someone you have in mind, is fine."
"You should know that those dukes and marquises have been secretly vying for your favor for a long time."
Seeing a hint of struggle on Ota's face, Tus added lightly:
"Think about it, the Astrid scholars mainly wrote fanfiction about you back then... wasn't it precisely because the position of your queen was always vacant, and unlike the Mino Hero, you weren't the subject of various romantic scandals among the people?"
"In the capital, some rebellious individuals have even begun to question your sexual orientation... well, of course, the fanfiction of Scholar Astrid has played a significant role in this."
"That filthy-headed bastard!" Ota slammed his hand on the table, somewhat annoyed and embarrassed.
"I should probably invite her over for tea sometime!"
Tus knelt on one knee, looking at Prince Ota with great earnestness; the plea in his eyes needed no further words.
Ota choked on his words, knowing there was no way to get away with it today.
In fact, how could he, as the king of the kingdom, not understand what Tus was saying? In some places, he even knew more about things than Tus, without conducting any investigation.
The selection of a queen is the most urgent and pressing matter for the kingdom to resolve at present.
This was crucial to the stability of the kingdom, and also an important measure to eliminate the last discordant notes in his ascension to the throne and boost the morale of the entire kingdom.
And he really did drag this out for far too long...
Choosing to escape at such a time will only sow the seeds of instability within the kingdom in the not-too-distant future.
This was something Ota had been determined to avoid at all costs since his father fell seriously ill and Mino was captured.
just.