Throne of the North.

Chapter 710 Funerals and Philosophy

The return of the Vikings surprised everyone.

Volvo and Floyd also appeared before this third elector.

"Why are you here?"

"His Majesty has ordered your exile. You should now be on an island in the Western Sea, not on the land of the Empire."

Viking looked sorrowful and shook his head with a bitter smile.

"I'm here to attend His Majesty the Emperor's funeral. You don't need to worry. Are you afraid of me?"

Viking looked into the eyes of the two electors, Volvo snorted coldly, and Floyd beside him smiled angrily.

If there's any clear difference between the three electors of this generation of the empire, it's that the Viking was too perfect. If it weren't for that vision, the Viking would have been the only choice for the next emperor.

The look in Volvo and Freud's eyes wasn't exactly fear, but there was definitely apprehension, even though the Vikings no longer had the qualifications or possibility to become emperors.

"His Majesty banished you, but who allowed you to return?"

The Viking straightened his back and, facing the two older electors, declared righteously:

“I have Columbus’s blood in my veins, and now, I am paying tribute to my father as a descendant of his blood.”

"Humph!"

Volvo turned and left, realizing he couldn't get entangled with Viking over such matters. Only Floyd and Viking remained in the ordinary house.

"I think you're happy."

Freud sneered, then made a sudden move, gathering legendary power in his palm. His extreme control distorted the air as he squeezed it. However, he did not expect that the Viking was equally powerful.

A silvery glow shone from the Viking's body. In the magnificent light, the Viking fought Freud with elegant physical skills, and their fighting abilities were surprisingly evenly matched.

The perfect Chosen One, the Viking, possessed impeccable skills even in the realm of the extraordinary. Moreover, Freud sensed an even more magnificent power within him, hollow yet grand.

"Divine power?"

"You, who have been kissed by the gods, indeed wield some authority."

Floyd was not afraid at all; in fact, this made him even happier.

"The Empire is a follower of the God of Light, yet you have become a messenger of the moon. You'd better pray that the Empire doesn't discover your secret."

Viking calmly shook his head.

“I have never been afraid to expose the power I possess to the people of the empire.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a burst of silver light tore through the ceiling of the house, illuminating the sky above the capital city. Viking's long golden hair quietly transformed into a gradient of gold and silver, flowing freely. This elector walked in the sky, his magnificent and elegant face exuding the nobility of an elector.

……

Inside the baron's mansion, Ryan looked up, somewhat surprised, at the Viking Columbus.

"Is he trying to compete to become emperor?"

The next moment, countless people in the capital city heard the voice of the Vikings.

“I am not returning in any capacity, but merely as a father’s child. This is my promise to all the nobles and people of the empire at this moment.”

The Viking's voice was clear and bright. The dazzling light in the sky dissipated, and the sun's radiance once again filled the field of vision. Countless people shouted the Viking's name, but the nobles remained collectively silent.

At this crucial juncture, no one wanted to stop the Vikings from attending the emperor's funeral.

Volvo went to Archduke Fleming's residence and questioned him sternly.

"Why would the Viking return to the capital? His Majesty has already banished him."

He was questioning whether it was Grand Duke Fleming's decision that brought the Vikings back.

"This has nothing to do with Freming."

Grand Duke Freming was also troubled, but he made it very clear that this was not Freming's doing.

"None of the Grand Dukes of the Empire will betray the nobility, nor will they betray His Majesty Emperor Columbus III."

Upon hearing this answer, Volvo finally relaxed, and his smile became gentle and friendly.

"In that case, he is qualified to attend His Majesty the Emperor's funeral."

As the game neared its end, Volvo began to lose its composure, viewing every unstable factor as a thorn in its side.

The return of the Vikings disrupted the plans of many. Ryan, who originally had no intention of doing anything, was now on his way to the Earl of Clayton's mansion.

"Father, Mother."

Ryan bowed, and the Earl and his wife, along with their two companions, looked at him with satisfaction. They were incredibly proud of Ryan's achievements; no baron in the empire was as outstanding as Ryan.

The two countesses left with Avril, leaving the political topics to the Baron and his son.

"Father, His Highness Viking has returned to the capital. Could it be that he intends to become emperor?"

Ryan made this guess, but Earl Clayton shook his head firmly.

"Impossible. None of the nobles and royalty in the empire would allow him to become the emperor."

Ryan wasn't sure either; even he couldn't think of a way to make the Vikings succeed.

He just had some concerns.

"I have always doubted His Highness Viking's purpose in returning to the Empire. With his abilities, he could have done well anywhere, so why would he come back?"

"What does the empire need besides the position of emperor? I can't think of any other answer."

"But you don't know why the Vikings could become emperors."

Earl Clayton said to Ryan:

"If you can't figure it out, then don't think about it anymore. The truth will come out eventually."

The Earl of Clayton clearly had no interest in such matters; his expression turned serious as he considered the future of the Clayton family.

"The empire is about to enter a new era."

“Ryan, after Volvo becomes the emperor of the empire, I have decided to build a political force headed by Clayton.”

Ryan was surprised. What was his count father trying to do?
"With the emergence of a new emperor, the ancient powers of the four Grand Dukes of the empire have entered a new vacuum, and this is Clayton's opportunity."

“I have figured it out. If I want to become the fifth Grand Duke of the Empire, I can no longer continue to be a follower of the Grand Duke. Instead, I must stand on my own and form a new interest group in the Empire.”

A new era dawned in the empire, and so did the Earl of Clayton. His ambition remained unchanged, but now he could only seek opportunities amidst the changing imperial landscape. A new emperor emerged, and the power of the Grand Dukes began to reorganize, with each finding a chance to become a Grand Duke.

Ryan remained silent for a long time. For him, becoming a Grand Duke was unnecessary; the power in his hands was the key to his strength.

However, he also understood that for an established noble family like Clayton, there were not many ways to gain more benefits, and promotion was the only way he could think of.

"Father, you'll probably have to seize enough benefits from the Grand Dukes to attract other nobles to follow you."

"No need for that trouble, we have already formed an alliance."

Lord Clayton said confidently that he already had his own little group.

"As for the rest, he will support us once Volvo becomes the emperor."

"Oh?"

"Volvo has big ambitions."

Count Clement laughed and said:

"He wanted to become an emperor like his father, Columbus III, to consolidate the power of the nobles in his own hands and become his own Florian Emperor of Light."

"So Volvo certainly hopes that I can shake the long-standing power of the four Grand Dukes of the Empire."

Is this the opportunity that the Earl of Clayton saw?

Ryan nodded without analyzing anything. He was naturally a member of the Earl of Clayton's faction, and the Earl of Clayton did not offer him, his son, any further benefits.

"I wonder what Volvo will be like after it becomes the emperor."

Ryan concluded by saying that the elector is completely different when he is an elector and when he becomes an emperor. History is full of examples of gentle electors who became tyrannical emperors.

……

The emperor's funeral was always a grand and complicated affair. The royal family and nobles decided to hold it on the day when the February sun was at its strongest. Since Columbus III's death was accidental, the capital city was not filled with the usual joy, and the whole city was filled with solemnity.

Grand Duke Freming and the elders of the royal family presided over the funeral. Solemn bells echoed in the magnificent palace. The emperor's coffin contained no body; his soul had been annihilated by divine punishment. However, no one present cared about this, as it was taboo to involve such a great being.

No nobleman had any interest in the emperor's funeral.

Their gazes were all fixed on the back of Volvo, who was standing between the three electors at the front. Everyone had reached a tacit understanding: the coronation ceremony of the new emperor would follow the emperor's funeral.

It seemed somewhat ridiculous, but the nobles were all eager to get started.

As the ceremony continued, the funeral moved from indoors to outdoors. Under the bright sunshine, Ryan followed the flow of nobles, his position quite far back, among the barons. According to the ancient system, even among these barons, he could only stand at the back.

As the new Baron, Ryan looked at the crowd of people in front of him with boredom. All the nobles had tears in their eyes and their expressions were sad. It was hard to tell whether it was because of the emperor's death or because they were tired and sleepy from traveling a long way.

However, although he was standing at the back, Ryan's status was not low. Most of the barons around him were nobles from the Northwind Province. The other barons looked at Ryan curiously and noticed that he was being fawned over.

"Ryan, do you think the new emperor will seek revenge for Columbus III?"

Baron Hatton asked this question beside Ryan, the sadness in his eyes genuine.

"Back then, my father was able to go to the North and establish a new territory only because he received an order from His Majesty Emperor Columbus III."

The empire's remarkable progress over the past century, if not all of it, is largely due to the efforts of Columbus III. Many nobles have benefited from this, and their wealth has generally increased significantly. Without this, the nobles would not have been able to support the vast wealth and resources of Volvo during the recent war in the North.

The achievements of Columbus III will not disappear with his death. At least, it will take until all of this generation of nobles are dead before the next generation of young nobles can establish a new trust in the emperor.

So... at least for now, Baron Hatton's skepticism towards Volvo is quite common.

His prestige was not enough.

Ahead, the emperor's funeral brought countless cries of weeping. The nobles in front were all crying, and even the barons behind, who could not see anything clearly, began to weep as well.

The emperor's funeral began with the weeping of the nobles, and only after everyone's eyes were red from crying did members of the royal family come out to invite the nobles to a banquet.

...When the nobles gathered together, there was nothing to entertain them except for a banquet.

It’s an old tradition.

Volvo became the sole focus of the nobility's attention. The not-so-young Volvo was full of vigor. At this moment, with the brief end of the emperor's funeral, the question of his imperial title was also settled.

Floyd, who should have left in disappointment, did not disappear as Volvo had imagined. He had a hearty smile on his face and was accompanied by a group of elders.

The Viking elector, who also did not disappear, was surrounded by nobles who dared not approach him, fearing the Viking's deep-seated 'vision'. The elector was quite content on his own.

Ryan was not conspicuous in this place where all the nobles of the empire were present. He was young, had a reserved demeanor, and calmly observed the nobles here.

A painter was diligently working in a secluded corner. Ryan went over to take a look and saw that the painter had simply depicted his own appearance. On the scroll, he held a transparent crystal wine glass in one hand, smiling and nodding to the nobleman beside him. In the generally sketched picture, his bright, flame-like eyes were adorned with color.

The painter captured the myriad aspects of noble life on the rice paper. Ryan looked at the painter with some surprise, and the latter bowed respectfully to him.

It's a talent.

"Would you like to go to the North? My territory needs a fine painter."

“If this is a personal invitation from the Baron, then I would naturally be happy to accept.”

The artist smiled and bowed to Ryan, which aroused Ryan's curiosity.

"You agreed so easily?"

Ryan was displeased that the other party agreed so readily.

The artist began by saying:
“I am an artist, and my eyes observe the trajectory of the world. In my opinion, you, Baron, are different from other nobles, and the noble lords around you are very respectful to you, even the Earl.”

"And the pen in my hand is a tool to verify what I see. What I see may not be real, but my pen can verify what is true and what is false."

That sounds...so high-class.

Ryan looked at the artist and asked:

"What's your name?"

“Scott, Scott Alexander, Baron, I am not only a painter, but also a philosopher.”

"..."

Ryan suddenly regretted inviting this guy.

Philosophers seem to exist by nature to challenge the authority of the aristocracy.

What are your philosophical beliefs?

"The unity of humanity and faith in the divine, Mr. Baron."

(End of this chapter)