Throne of the North.

Chapter 619 The Beginning of the Great World Integration, Wings of Light

No one should underestimate the vengeful fury of the Russell family. The sealing away of a great being cannot change the Russell family's murderous intent towards the Black Swan assassin. In fact, it could be said that the new Russell family is even more determined to kill.

Galen Russell is using the pursuit of the Black Swan to solidify his power as Grand Duke Russell, ensuring that the nobles who once rallied around the Russell family rely on him closely.

In fact, his actions made him the most outstanding of the four Grand Dukes, even surpassing the current Grand Duke Freming.

The Russell family's relentless pursuit of the Black Swan assassin earned them the unanimous approval of the nobles.

Nobles are all opportunists; they'll follow whoever they see benefits in. So even though the old Duke Russell is dead, the prestige of the Russell family hasn't diminished at all.

It's even expanding.

The demigod Anselmo appeared for this very reason.

"Your Highness Anselmo."

This was a sign of respect for a demigod. Looking at the unassuming old man in front of him, Ryan couldn't tell from his appearance that such an ordinary old man was a demigod from the Russell family.

How many demigods does the empire have? Right now, there's only one openly known.

The four grand ducal families of the empire can all be said to be extraordinary nobles with demigod power. However, the other grand ducal families have not encountered the situation of the Russell Grand Duke family, so their demigod power is currently still in the early stages.

They could possess demigods at any time, but "at any time" and "already possess" are two different concepts. When Anselmo was still alive, even the emperor of the empire could only be on equal footing with him.

Half of the authority of the Grand Duke Russell's family rests on the shoulders of this demigod.

"My condolences, Count Pascal."

Anselmo Russell looked at Count Pascal and said that after a few polite words, Count Pascal invited the demigod into the castle.

After a brief conversation, the topic naturally turned to black swans.

"Black Swan assassins should not exist in this world. The Dawn Church claims to be righteous and holy, but secretly it manipulates such evil means as Black Swans to make profits for itself."

"Russell's rage will burn forever in the land where the Black Swan lives."

Anselmo looked at Count Pascal and said:
“The Russell family is preparing to organize the nobles to launch a counterattack against the Black Swan. Count Pascal, you don’t need to think about His Majesty the Emperor. Our Emperor will not be the first to break the treaty with the Kingdom of Nantes.”

"However, His Majesty the Emperor supports us in doing so, since if too many nobles are killed by the Black Swan assassins, it would also indicate the Emperor's incompetence."

"The emperor was involved in this matter."

Anselmo invited Count Pascal.

"We plan to organize the power of the nobles to form the Wings of Light, the Sunbird... which also belongs to the God of Light."

"He is the wing of the immortal god of light."

The cause was justified, and that justification came from the High Pope of Light, the Emperor of the Flor Empire.

Count Pascal was still pondering when Ryan quietly raised his head, his eyes filled with surprise.

The pace of civilization's progress in this world is indeed rapid.

Wings of Light, an extraordinary organization composed of nobles, didn't evoke any thoughts of profit for Ryan; instead, he envisioned fusion with them.

In the era of global integration, what were the former nobles like?
The nobles each lived within their own territories, and they might not leave their own little plot of land until they died.

Of course, the empire has changed over the past hundred years; the nobles are no longer confined to their own territories, because that is no longer enough.

Now, the Wings of Light—no, not just the still-developing noble organization, but also the former Mage's Association and so on—are all undergoing an accelerated process of integration.

With the world undergoing great integration, it is clear that these nobles, standing at the pinnacle of power and at the forefront of the times, have begun to realize one thing.

That is, fighting alone is the dregs of the old era. Their individual abilities are not enough. Only by combining their strengths and bringing together their respective ideas can they fight against powerful disasters.

One baron can do nothing, but the power of ten barons is immense.

These nobles have begun to realize this and are starting to make changes.

This is an inevitable trend in the course of history. It is outdated for noble lords to suppress their own ideas. Of course, what Ryan is thinking is too macroscopic.

It is something that history will describe years, decades, or even centuries from now.

What's a less macro-level perspective on this moment?

Archduke Russell was using the power of the Black Swan and the demigods to expand his prestige, while simultaneously winning over more nobles to his side, all in order to ensure that his interests were not harmed.

Anselmo looked at Count Pascal, then at Ryan standing next to him. The other nobles had all left, and those who hadn't left were nowhere to be seen. Yet Ryan and Count Pascal were so intimate.

I've never heard of any friendship or business alliance between the two of them.
However, since they were already there, Anselmo invited Ryan as well, as the Northern Baron's strength had already been recognized and respected in the South.

"The purpose of the Wings of Light is to ensure the safety of all its members, and when necessary, members need to protect the interests of their allies."

How could a society or organization composed entirely of nobles be free of politics?

It could even be said that this is essentially a political party organization.

What is Russell planning to do?
"Rodriguez chose Floyd, and Meyers chose Volvo."

Anselmo said that was all he had to say, but Pascal understood.

He hesitated before finally speaking:
"We still need to discuss this matter further."

Anselmo nodded and stayed in the Earl's castle. After he left, Earl Pascal spoke to Ryan:
"Grand Duke Russell is trying to ensure that their interests are not harmed."

The fundamental purpose of the Wings of Light organization is to ensure that the interests of the nobility are not diminished.

"What is this statement?"

Ryan was curious; he had assumed that this demigod had some extraordinary considerations, such as needing the help of nobles for his unique power.

"Of the three electors, two already have the support of the Grand Duke, leaving only the Viking Prince for Grand Duke Russell."

"But that person... that person can't possibly become emperor."

“No nobleman, including your father who wants to become the fifth Grand Duke, supports him.”

"Therefore, regardless of the outcome of the competition among the other Grand Dukes, Russell will only be a loser."

"Based on past experience, among the four grand dukes, the family of Grand Duke Freming will lose many benefits. However, these benefits are unnecessary, because they were supporters of Columbus III in the last competition for the emperor's throne, and after the emperor's coronation, Grand Duke Freming gained many advantages."

“Even without these benefits, the Grand Duke of Freming still possesses enormous interests, and Freming himself is the Grand Duke who has benefited the most.” “Because Columbus III is still on the throne and has the longest reign.”

“One of the Mayes and Rodrigo families will replace Freming’s current position, but that will be in the future. During this transition, the interests of many nobles will be forced to be affected.”

"The simplest example is that if His Highness Volvo, whom Grand Duke Meyers supports, becomes emperor, then in the Highlands, more Highland warhorses will be sold to Grand Duke Meyers, and he will have a larger share of the Life Blossom Knight's potion. Even in terms of territory, the territories that the Empire has gained in the Southern Wars, Grand Duke Meyers can arrange for more Meyers bloodline members to inherit the land and become nobles than other nobles."

"But these things are limited. If Meyers has more, others will have less."

"Grand Duke Russell is destined to be the loser in this competition. That 'other person' may not be you or me, but it will definitely be Russell."

Ryan understood. So this Brightwing organization was a way for Russell to see that his family's interests would be severely damaged in the next era, and thus he was trying to gain the Russell family's interests from other sources.

"This doesn't sound like good news."

Ryan looked thoughtful, but he didn't intend to refuse.

"Perhaps we could join in."

Pascal's eyes showed a questioning look.

"This 'Wings of Light' should be a loose noble organization. What you said is correct, Earl. However, at present, the Russell family is still concerned about the Black Swan assassins, and there are quite a few nobles who are worried about their lives. So, naturally, many will join it."

"It cannot be too tightly knit, because Grand Duke Russell could not possibly take care of the interests of all the nobles who join it. The more nobles there are, the lower the cohesion of the organization will be."

"Of course, the most crucial point is that if this Wings of Light is too serious, then that demigod will not be able to invite me."

Ryan gave this reason, and indeed, Count Pascal did not belong to the four Grand Dukes' factions due to past issues, but Ryan was different; the blood flowing in his veins made him a natural member of the noble faction on Grand Duke Freming's side.

It's the kind of political faction that can't be changed, and it will continue until Columbus III steps down, and the victorious elector becomes the fourth emperor of the Florian Empire, the day Columbus IV is crowned.

As for whether or not to renew the contract, that's a matter for later.

Anselmo, this demigod, is not just a demigod. During the reign of the previous Grand Duke Russell, he was the brains of the Russell family and the person in charge of all intellectual thinking.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he was half of Archduke Russell, so he certainly understood what inviting Ryan represented.

Therefore, the Wings of Light is definitely not an organization that arose purely for political struggle.

As for why Anselmo would say the Emperor was involved, only one word came to Ryan's mind.

centralization.

If the wheels of history are turning, then the Flor Empire will have to move toward a centralized future. In the process, few nobles will likely realize this, as they are currently preoccupied with the threat posed by the Dawn Church and the compromises they are forced to make.

Ryan also found it somewhat amusing that the one leading the civilization chariot forward was actually the Black Swan assassin.

As soon as he realized this, Ryan's smile vanished.

"The Black Swan and the Sunbird Ifrit, they are the darkness before the dawn, in order to welcome the brilliance of the moment when the eternal night and the dawn intersect."

"Black Swans are beings that walk at the forefront of the Dawn Kingdom. They are pioneers who explore in the darkness, move forward in the darkness, and forge ahead through the darkness to pave a wide road for the Dawn."

If the dawn is a car, then the black swan is the front wheel of that car.

Thinking about it this way, it seems... not so hard to understand why black swans have propelled human civilization forward.

"They shouldn't be called assassins."

Ryan murmured something, then said:

"We can join the Wings of Light. This will help us get closer to other nobles. We can't stay stagnant. Nobles need to make changes too."

The relationship between Earl Pascal and Baron Lane was naturally closer, but both sides had their own considerations within this close relationship.

Count Pascal will not listen to Ryan so easily, and Ryan will not change himself easily because of Count Pascal's ideas.

If given a choice, Count Pascal would prefer Archduke Rodrigo, or rather, Archduke Freming would be the first choice. However, now that the power of Archduke Freming has changed hands, the new Archduke Freming no longer has the prestige of his predecessor, and he can only inherit half of his father's power.

As for the reason why Grand Duke Rodrigo did so, it was because Count Pascal believed that the elector Freud was more likely to become the emperor of the empire.

Why? Of course, it's because Freud gained unprecedented prestige during the war, and the imperial army he commanded changed the entire world, propelling the Flor Empire to new heights.

In addition, he is a legendary light mage, and Grand Duke Rodrigo holds the most power in the Mage Guild, which can provide him with even more benefits.

Count Pascal had to consider the interests of his family. As for the Wings of Light, that organization was partly due to the Black Swan assassins, but as a high-ranking nobleman, Count Pascal would not fear the Black Swan assassins' attempts to assassinate him.

To put it bluntly, if someone truly possessed the power to kill Count Pascal, then there would be no need for the Wings of Light. The nobles and the emperor of the empire would all have to do everything in their power to help this great noble count.

The Wings of Light are not so absolute; they are simply a group of people banding together for mutual support.

The strong do not need it.

Count Pascal's idea is correct. Many nobles have joined the Wings of Light so far, but none of them are high-ranking nobles.

None of what Ryan said can compare to these reasons.

Ultimately, Count Pascal declined Anselmo's invitation, while Ryan received an invitation from the Wings of Light.

Ryan fiddled with the golden invitation in his hand. To him, it wasn't an invitation from some secret organization, but rather... a pass that allowed him to travel freely between various noble territories.

"With this, my people can now openly appear in every corner of the empire, right?"

Ryan smiled as he thought that nothing could be more tempting than this.

In a world of great integration, those who are qualified to go anywhere will naturally have a greater voice.

Freedom of movement—this simple phrase—has enabled simultaneous expansion in politics, economics, and military affairs.

Ryan and Count Pascal had different ideas, but the final result would not affect their relationship. As I said before, the Wings of Light is not a true political faction.

Archduke Russell himself wouldn't think that way, because he still has a group of genuine political allies belonging to the Russell family.

Such is the intertwining of power; you are in me, and I am in you. There is no absolute black and white. Who knows how high the layers of the great net that Ryan analyzed back then were?

“My lord, it seems you need to tell me about this Viking prince.”

"I'm very curious, what kind of person could be so deserving of the support of not a single noble in the entire empire?"

(End of this chapter)