Storm of Gods

Chapter 221 Slap
The key to a successful reform is to internally divide the existing nobility. Didiah had the opportunity to continue the glory of the Nasser family, but the road ahead was still difficult. Dividing the younger generation was also a good approach.

The king's face remained serious, devoid of any smile. "We must ensure absolute safety. No amount of caution is excessive. Keep a close eye on Aklis. Don't cover for him. He's capable, but his dissolute nature has led to numerous complaints to me."

Hawke smiled. Apart from his unspeakable hobby, Aklis was reliable in everything else. He wasn't the kind of person who acted rigidly, but he was very good at grasping the key points of a matter. As the future king, he didn't want everyone to follow the same pattern, but rather he knew how to recognize and make good use of people.

“Father, you have resolved most of the problems over the years. Our kingdom’s foundation is unmatched by any other country,” Hawke said. He knew that his father wanted to help him solve all the problems while he was still on the throne.

“Hockell, Luther of the Lilong is a genius. His Hextech is changing the world, and his Lilong Revolution is also changing the landscape of Daoyuan. Once the times change, they will only move forward. Because our inherent power is too strong, it is even more difficult for us in Montcareta to adapt to this change.” Aura XVIII sighed softly. He hadn’t thought there was anything wrong with it before, nor had he accepted the School of Heavenly Principle from the beginning.

In Heldan, the capital of civilization, many talented people emerge, and the School of Heavenly Principle is just one of them. As a prince who does not need to inherit the throne, he travels around and comes into contact with Hextech. In particular, he gains a deeper understanding of Luther's behavior and theories. He then sees the seemingly powerful and invincible Montaletta as actually in a dangerous state of turmoil. Some of the old nobles within the kingdom are extremely corrupt and decadent, placing their families above the kingdom and the people. Social conflicts are already very intense, and the abundance of resources and chivalry have only masked a series of problems.

He only attempted reforms after becoming king; otherwise, even if no problems arose during his reign, they would have erupted during Hawke's generation. Once the conflict erupted from within, the situation would have been serious.

“Father, change can be gradual. The Grand Scholar has already reached demigod status, and fate still favors us. As long as the Golden Lifeline remains secure, we have enough time and ability to adjust to any changes,” Hawke said.

He was personally trained by Aura XVIII and stayed by the king's side, participating in all affairs. No political or military matters were kept from him. Hawke was also talented, absorbing and mastering knowledge very quickly. Sometimes he saw things more clearly than Aura XVIII. He was steady and mature, which Aura XVIII trusted. However, he still wanted to resolve the problems while he was still in power. Bloodshed was inevitable, and he hoped to leave his son a wonderful kingdom.

King Aura XVIII nodded. This was the core. The Golden Tree was the lifeblood of the nation. With the lifeblood intact, even if the reforms were crippling, the nation could recover quickly. This was something other kingdoms couldn't match. Moncaleta and the Black Meteor Empire had fought countless regional wars over the past few centuries, yet even the mighty Black Meteor Empire couldn't do anything to Moncaleta, which led to the stable situation on the Eastern Continent of Daoyuan.

The Golden Tree has existed for thousands of years, during the Ragnarok era of the Fourth Age, a time of human rise. It was a gift from the Earth Mother to the kingdom. Of course, as a tree of life, it also has a cycle of rise and fall, requiring the gathering of human wishes to nourish it every now and then. Among these wishes, the most suitable is the glory of knights.

Therefore, the kingdom has always held firm, whether it is the Knight Academy or the Order Academy. The enormous willpower gathered in the War of Glory can only be absorbed by individuals in a very small part. The vast majority is used to nourish the Golden Tree, and then the Golden Tree has long protected Montaleta.

As long as the Golden Tree exists, the Kingdom of Montaleta will prosper. Every king has always placed the importance of the Golden Tree first. It's simple: just replenish its power of will regularly. And the method of gathering power of will has become a mature model.

Maintaining the purity of chivalry, holding a tournament in Heldan can generate a large amount of wish power, which is why chivalry has never encountered major problems. No matter how good a king is at governing, it is enough as long as he upholds this tradition.

The existence of the Golden Tree is top secret, but traces remain. Some top-tier secret forces know a thing or two. For thousands of years, various attempts to explore, seize, and destroy it have emerged one after another. However, this is just the delusion of mortals. Not to mention that the Earth Mother Goddess Church is here. This kind of divine gift from the Fourth Era is born with multiple supernatural powers. Even if you get in, it will be useless. This is the domain of the Golden Tree, with its own independently operating Golden Laws.

One of these measures is to eliminate and prohibit all negative supernatural powers, especially those that cause malice towards the Golden Tree itself. Even demigods would have their powers eliminated. The Golden Tree's roots penetrate deep into Heldan, and as an existence of the Fourth Age, it cannot be destroyed without divine power, thus forming a closed loop.

And this is just one of the laws.

To destroy the Golden Tree, one must destroy the kingdom; to destroy the kingdom, one must first destroy the Golden Tree. This is why, amidst the turmoil of the various nations of the Dao Yuan Continent, Montaleta has always been the most stable. Aura XVIII and Hawkel chatted for a while before turning back. Meanwhile, Estella, deeply captivated by the Golden Tree, finally snapped out of her reverie. She was mesmerized by its presence. As a chosen one of the Earth Mother Goddess, walking the path of divine favor, possessing the Abundant Gift Ring within her, she would have been tempted to approach and touch it if she hadn't retained some reason. But now she realized a serious problem: she didn't know how to leave.

Meanwhile, Aura XVIII had already noticed the intruders. His expression was serious, but he wasn't in a hurry. He approached Estella's hiding place step by step.

"Come out!" King Aura XVIII said in a deep voice. There were only three people in the palace who knew about this place, and only two of them were allowed to enter. Kelly would not come. Although she knew about it, her identity did not allow her to enter. This was the tradition. Only one person was unaware of the situation but was allowed to enter.

Estella stuck out her tongue and quickly stepped forward to bow, "Father, elder brother..."

clap~~~
A sharp slap landed heavily on Estella's face, interrupting her words. Aura XVIII glared angrily, "Didn't I forbid you from entering the inner treasury?!"

Estella covered her face. Her father had always been busy and strict, but he had never hit her. Hawke quickly stepped in front of Estella, "Father, my sister knows she was wrong. She must have come in by accident. She doesn't even know how to get in; it might be the magic circle..."

"Shut up! Take her out immediately and confine her for a month. Forget everything you saw today, reflect on your actions, and absolutely do not allow it to happen again!" Aura XVIII's face was filled with undisguised anger, and his sharp gaze seemed to pierce through Estella.

Hawkel quickly led Estella away; the cave had another exit, located in the king's main hall.

Watching Hawkel hurriedly lead the distraught Estella away, only the lingering anger of Aura XVIII remained in the vast cave...

Estella didn't know how she got back to the palace. Her father was often angry, but never like this before. She didn't hear what Hawkel said, and Hawkel didn't know how to comfort her.

"Don't wander around lately. I'll try to plead with the Queen Mother to let you out. That place is a matter of life and death for the kingdom, so not a word of it can be revealed. And don't go there again," Hawkel instructed. "Ahem, Estella, Father is really angry this time. You can't cause any more trouble. Otherwise, you might be fine, but Father will definitely break my legs. I don't want to be a crippled king."

Seeing that Estella was still very upset, Hawkel shrugged helplessly. Their father was very strict with the three of them, and Estella was fortunate to have her mother's protection.

On the pristine white bed, Estella held the fluffy Klee in her arms, her eyes red-rimmed. Klee, awakened by the noise, sensed Estella's sadness and gently curled into a ball, her fluffy tail softly stroking Estella.

It wasn't that the slap hurt that much, but rather that it was the first time Estella felt that her father didn't like her...

(End of this chapter)