Throne of the North.

Chapter 749 Avenging the Emperor, Avenging Princess Hilde
The politics of the empire were already turbulent, and now that Hilder is dead, they have become even more unpredictable.

Ryan simply couldn't see what benefit he could gain from doing this.

"As a member of Enrique and the child of Lord Rais, Princess Hilde was born with a noble status and is the leader of Enrique's group."

"He's dead, and those Enriques will go mad with revenge. And since it was the Black Swan assassins who killed Hilde, it will ultimately be the Dawn Church again."

"Therefore, there were no beneficiaries of Hilder's death, which is why the imperial nobles did not believe he would be killed."

"But there were victims in his death."

"The Dawn Church... The members of the Royal Family, including Henry, are now eager for revenge against the Empire. This 'assassination' has shattered all their hopes. Similarly, within the Royal Family, Emperor Columbus IV also harbors an irreconcilable hatred towards the Dawn Church."

Ryan looked up and suddenly realized that Hilder's death seemed to have united the royal family.

"What's going on? In the end, Hilde, who stole the magic crystal cannon, is actually on the emperor's side?"

Does the emperor know?

The emperor is probably... I don't know, why is Hilder so wishful thinking?

Ryan realized that Count Gardner seemed to have been used, but Count Gardner was so cowardly that the blame ultimately fell on Ryan.

Hilde was probably annoyed, feeling that Ryan and Gardner had disrupted his plans, so he died in the province of Calais, deliberately choosing a beautiful and secluded place.

"call!"

Ryan took a deep breath; this old man was quite vengeful.

However, out of consideration for the Magic Crystal Cannon, he decided not to pursue the matter further.

After all, I've come all this way just to pursue my interests; once I've achieved my goal, that's enough.

"To walk towards death himself, such great courage, just to unite Henry and Columbus within the royal family."

Ryan couldn't judge whether Hilde was right or wrong. He had already seen the spatial passage, where surging magic power rolled like a sea of ​​clouds, and deep within it was an extreme vortex that floated in the void like a portal. Ryan didn't quite understand such magical power, but it was undeniable that it could shorten the journey from Hot Spring Province to Northwind Province.

How fast? Less than a day.

Watching a large number of slaves push supply carts into the spatial passage, Ryan himself did not enter. Ophelia told him that the feeling of traversing space was not pleasant, but that was the best part. The more important thing was that the magical factors in the void would repel life, thereby damaging the knight's life force.

"That's not a place where life should go."

The lifespans of those slaves would be severely affected, so Ryan had to buy them and pay the nobles of the Hot Springs province a large sum of gold coins as a gesture of goodwill.

Spirituality +2000.

Ryan was satisfied with the result.

His legendary blessing has arrived, but this terrifying power seems to need further refinement. This is not just a matter for Ryan alone, but also for his followers.

"We have already gained the friendship of the Hot Springs Province. As long as no other major events of interest occur in the short term, the Hot Springs Province will be our ally. Within the Empire, it is a tradition for the nobles of the North to unite without considering the four Grand Dukes."

“Once we return to the Frozen Territory, Brand, I need you to take the army eastward. The war is over, but it is not over yet. The soldiers need to be trained, and our relationship with the east also needs to be strengthened through war.”

“I haven’t really been involved with the Northern Military Council before. I hope to improve the Northern Military Council’s system through you, so that everyone understands that the army of this land does not belong to any individual noble.”

"Follow your will."

……

In the south, in the imperial capital.

Hilde's death caused an uproar among the nobles, as the common people of the empire might not even know of Hilde Enrique's existence.

However, Hilde's death was more dramatic than that of Columbus III.

This was certainly not his achievement alone, but rather the result of the combined hatred of Hilde's death and the death of Columbus III. The former courtiers of Henry the Navigator were in an uproar, and the prince's death terrified the nobles, who saw it as a provocation following the death of the esteemed King Columbus III.

As a result, all this anger found an outlet.

The Dawn Church's crimes are unforgivable!

The emperor's reaction was swift. On the very day Hilde's body was transported to the capital, he summoned a large number of royal family members, and even several marquises and nobles returned to the capital in person.

The electors of the empire, those who fail to win the throne, become marquises of the empire. However, over the past hundred years, the number of these electors has remained relatively constant. The additional marquises of the empire are selected from among the most distinguished members of the former imperial family, and many of these individuals are Enriques.

Hilder's death was a fatal blow to them.

"How could Princess Hilde be dead?"

Most of the marquises in the empire did not actually wield much real power, because the most powerful figures in their respective provinces were not the governors, but the high-ranking nobles.

Marquises were formed merely as the emperor's eyes and an extension of his power, and as a result of the struggle between the imperial family and the nobility.

The marquis of Wenquan Province was ultimately an isolated case.

Therefore, if these members of the royal family were so angry that they wanted to avenge Hilder, they could only rely on the emperor and his authority to take revenge.

This was also Hilde's goal: to make Enrique's members completely follow the emperor. If the royal family could unify resources and power, that would be terrifying.

The empire belongs to the emperor and the grand dukes; if considered separately, the royal family's strength certainly surpasses that of any grand duke.

Not to mention, there is currently no extraordinary legion that can compare to the Royal Family's Sunbeam Legion.

“It’s very clear, Taf. You don’t need to doubt His Majesty. Hilder did indeed die from the assassination attempt by the Black Swan assassins.”

It was the Marquis of Calais who spoke. After all, Princess Hilde had died on the edge of Calais province, causing a great deal of trouble for the nobles of the entire province. The Marquis had no choice but to step forward and personally escort Hilde's body to the capital city.

"Damn Solarion!!!"

"They killed His Majesty Columbus III, and then they killed Princess Hilde. Do they intend to kill our entire royal family?"

“We have embraced the light and no longer need the dawn; hatred must be released and evil will be punished.”

"What is His Majesty thinking? Is he just going to watch the Dawn Church kill his father and then Princess Hilde?"

Many members of the royal family have begun to harbor resentment.

When Columbus III dies, some people may feel smug, but when Columbus III dies at the same time as Hilde, everyone will feel panic and think that the royal family is facing a life-or-death moment.

That's easy.

Humanity always unites when faced with dire circumstances; the only problem now was that they needed a leader, a wise and valiant ruler. It could be said that Hilder created all the opportunities for Volvo Columbus.

"This is a rare opportunity for me."

The emperor stood before Hilde's body, his gaze heavy as he looked at the plump remains before him, his mind filled with a myriad of thoughts.

He originally just wanted Hilder to return, but the sudden change made the entire empire tense.

And he, the emperor, seemed to be on the hot seat of a volcano, with the massive volcano of his empire potentially erupting at any moment.

But this is also a rare opportunity. Volvo is also ambitious. The competition for the throne will not produce a weak and incompetent emperor. If he can control this volcano that is about to erupt, then he will gain all the power of this empire.

Just as he was thinking this, Volvo heard the voice of a member of the royal family. He could hear the complaints in their voices, which seemed to be directed at him, the emperor, for his inaction.

“Your Majesty, the war in the North is now over, and the remaining orc army has no chance of breaking through the Empire’s northern defenses. Even in the Northwind Province, you have already provided that baron with sufficient war resources, so I believe he will not allow the orcs to cross the Fragrant Mountain Plains Fortress.”

"Now you need to give an explanation to all the nobles of the empire."

"They were loyal to your father, the esteemed Emperor Columbus of the Empire. You have inherited the loyalty of the nobles through hereditary power, but you have not yet gained their approval."

“I think you need to avenge your father and Princess Hilde of the Empire.”

The Marquis of Calais walked up to the emperor and spoke righteously. He was also unsure how the emperor would react, but he couldn't avoid this task now.

Volvo raised his hand and covered Hilde's coffin, then turned around with a sharp look in his eyes to face all the members of the royal family.

“I have never forgotten the hatred of His Majesty Emperor Columbus and the death of Princess Hilde. The Empire must give the most extreme revenge to quell the rage in our blood.”

"I'm sorry, the orc invasion prevented me from dealing with His Majesty Columbus III's hatred immediately, but now the orcs have retreated."

"The Empire's renewed strength has been witnessed by the entire world, and we will absolutely not allow any bloody slaughter to befall the Empire's nobles and royal family."

“The hatred is not meant to be continued, because it is the empire’s one-sided rage.”

One by one, members of the royal family looked at the emperor with fervent eyes and swore an oath of loyalty.

"Your Majesty, declare war on the Dawn Church! The royal bloodline will forever march forward for your will."

"War... is very difficult to start."

Volvo's statement was somewhat somber, which puzzled many members of the royal family, who assumed that the emperor was restricted by the so-called Treaty of the Kingdom of Nantes.

“Your Majesty, it was the Holy See that took the first action; we did not violate the Treaty of the Kingdom of Nantes.”

Volvo raised his hand to stop the agitated royals.

"Leaving aside the fact that the Dawn Church has not violated the Treaty of the Kingdom of Nantes, as the emperor and as a child, I can bear the cost of breaking my promise and starting a war, but..."

The emperor fell silent for a long time before speaking.

"We have no evidence of His Majesty Columbus III's death."

The emperor couldn't say it outright, but everyone understood that Columbus III died under divine punishment. No matter how great a being is, divine punishment is a taboo word.

In a world of faith, the actions of a great being are the most righteous will, and even if the empire is filled with blasphemous nobles, it cannot refute the greatness of that great being.

They're seeking revenge? Do you mean they're waging war against the gods?

"Princess Hilde has been confirmed to have died at the hands of the Black Swan assassin, but we all know that the Dawn Church has never acknowledged the existence of the Black Swan assassin."

What is the most important thing in war?
It was a just cause; the Empire's reason was to avenge the Emperor and Princess Hilde.

The problem is that they have no way to directly target the Dawn Church.

"I will announce to the whole world that the Black Swan Assassins have been branded as heretics, and that the Empire's army, in the name of light, is qualified to slaughter the Black Swan Assassins on any land."

"Using the Black Swan assassin, to put the Dawn Church to trial."

"But this makes it difficult to wage a large-scale war."

Volvo reassured the royal family members.

"The Empire is going to take revenge on the Dawn Church. This matter still needs to be discussed with the nobles."

This is inevitable; the royal family's internal climax cannot determine the direction of the entire empire.

Princess Hilde's funeral was being prepared, while Volvo, accompanied by a group of royal members with titles, entered the palace hall.

The nobles were already waiting here. Since His Highness Hilder did not have a strict title or status, his death was, according to the rules, confined to the royal family. The nobles could not disturb the deceased Hilder as much as they would a noble paying their respects.

His funeral will certainly be much simpler than the emperor's.

"Your Majesty, please accept my condolences."

When Volvo became emperor, Archduke Meyers, the head of the four archdukes, led the way in offering the standard courtesies of comfort and greetings to the nobles.

Immediately following was the discussion of important matters concerning the empire. Revenge was imperative, as Hilder's death had reignited the flames of the previous emperor's death, and they were growing ever stronger.

All the nobles wanted to see just how much this new emperor could accomplish, as that would determine the extent to which they would support his orders.

Volvo explained the discussions with the royal family, and the nobles nodded frequently; clearly, this was what they wanted.

The empire's nobles were exhausted by the long war, and unless it was a case of racial injustice or the culprit who killed the emperor was clearly identified, the nobles were unwilling to send troops.

Deploying troops sounds simple, but it requires a drain on wealth and energy from top to bottom, and the resources of the nobility are also limited.

"Since it's about revenge, we can't make a lot of noise but little action, lest the Norris Continent look down on the Empire."

"If large-scale wars cannot be waged, then ordinary soldiers are no longer necessary."

"Our goal is revenge, not to kill some followers of the Dawn Church."

"The Emperor's death will be accompanied only by Pope Solarion's demise!"

"The death of Princess Hilde should be accompanied by at least one cardinal!"

"And the wrath of the Empire can only be quelled by the death of three cardinals of the Dawn Church."

(End of this chapter)