Women only affect my ability to spread the fire

Having said this, the Archbishop paused. He looked at his adopted daughter and asked meaningfully, "Now do you understand why your Uncle William and I tolerated Frederick so much?"

"Could it be that... this ceremony must be approved by the king?" Cecilia said suddenly.

Archbishop Cluny nodded, then shook his head. He sighed and said, "Not quite accurate, Cecilia. But the general idea is the same. During the Great Retreat, Usedom lost too many books and scholars. The once-prosperous University of Cannos was buried in the rubble. Many brilliant insights are probably only temporarily lingering in the minds of us old folks..."

After sighing for a moment, Bishop Cluny explained to the bewildered Cecilia, "After careful and serious research, scholars have concluded that national identity is closely related to having a king, and the key stages in gaining or losing identity are the election and death of the king."

"Over time, people have come to believe that the king is the key to ensuring the survival of a nation and a country. The magic circle that Lord Ludwig found cleverly utilizes this."

"This magic circle provides protection for the land through the conceptual king. If the king dies suddenly, the magic circle will be weakened. If a successor is not chosen in time, the magic circle will even become ineffective. Therefore, King Friedrich is particularly important."

Cecilia was confused at this time. It was not that she did not understand the principle of the magic circle, but she could not figure out her adoptive father's motives.

"Since the king is so important, why do we still have to fight with him? Wouldn't this weaken the national protection array and allow demons to take advantage of the situation?" Cecilia asked bluntly.

"A good question, my child." Archbishop Cluny sighed, "Because I realize that the Vatican back then might have been right. But this is related to the death of Monsignor Ludwig."

Then the archbishop told another story.

"The 'king' this magic circle requires is merely an abstract concept; it doesn't necessarily have to be a secular king. After research and discussion by the Mage Council President of Vitolos, the Grand Wizard of the East, and several cardinals of the Holy See, His Holiness the Pope, as the universal spiritual leader outside of the Mage Republic of Vitolos, can also take on this role."

In short, this magic circle needs a recognized leader as the "eye of the formation" to provide protection, and his specific secular identity is not important.

Cecilia nodded, but she was born after the Great Retreat and lacked direct knowledge of the diplomatic environment before that, so she was still somewhat confused.

Fortunately, Archbishop Cluny did not continue to keep the secret: "This became an important fuse. The conflict between the royal family of Usedom and the Holy See became difficult to conceal."

"Setting up this kind of formation requires a tremendous amount of time, manpower, and resources. If the Pope were to act as the 'King,' the resources and time required would be far too long."

"My teacher, then Archbishop of Usedom, and His Excellency Ludwig were both from Usedom. They believed that Usedom, bearing the brunt of the attack, was shaky and likely couldn't withstand several more demonic attacks. Therefore, they insisted on deploying the magic circle in Usedom."

"This angered the Church and other nations, and they angrily accused the Usedomites of disregarding the lives of others. However, at the time, it was just a heated argument."

"Until the king of Usedom recklessly deployed the magic circle, and was discovered by the Grand Inquisitor from the Holy See who was supporting Usedom at the time, the situation became uncontrollable. The Grand Inquisitor killed my teacher and took the magic circle diagram."

"He was caught up by Monsignor Ludwig on his way back to the Vatican. In a fierce battle, he died at Monsignor Ludwig's hands. After Monsignor Ludwig recovered the formation map and handed it to William, he also passed away from his injuries."

Cecilia felt a pang of sadness in her heart. The strength of countless human heroes was not used to fight against the demons, but was consumed in the civil strife.

"However, after losing the Archbishop and Chief Knight, Usedom was in utter chaos. William and I were both very young at the time. As the front line against the demonic invasion, quite a few demons were able to sneak in."

"As a result, the magic circle wasn't set up until the front lines collapsed and we were forced to retreat. It wasn't until Friedrich hurriedly retreated to Gritzburg that we managed to piece together a simple magic circle, which saved less than a third of Usedom."

Archbishop Cluny's expression was very sad, and he didn't seem to want to talk about this suffocating past event.

"I've been thinking for years: if my teacher and His Excellency Ludwig had chosen to hand over the magic circle to the Holy See to create a more universal magic circle instead of increasing internal friction, the outcome would have been much better. Usedom might have suffered more losses temporarily, but it would never have lost two-thirds of its territory and more than half of its population!"

The archbishop's eyes became more and more determined, and his words became more and more passionate.

"Ultimately, this is because the 'Dual Sword Theory' is inherently unreliable! When fighting demons, people need a common leader, not some dualistic nation that separates the secular and spiritual realms!"

"We can't be trapped in this narrow gray fog and wait for death. We must integrate all the power of Usedom and drive out the demon!"

Coincidentally, this was also the conclusion reached by Friedrich, and it was the fundamental reason for the disagreement between the royal family and the church.

Although both the church and the royal family tried to completely overwhelm and absorb the other, after the great defeat, neither had enough strength or courage to start a new round of internal strife.

So Usedom, this crappy dual state, has been patching up and making do for more than twenty years.

After a generation of recuperation, Usedom regained some of its strength.

At this time, Russell, a visitor from the Vatican who seemed to come from beyond the gray fog, irritated the sensitive nerves of the royal family and the church. As a result, the secret struggle between the Usedom royal family and the church that had lasted for more than 20 years finally came to the surface.

Russell had no idea that he was actually acting as a catalyst. When he returned to the room with a hungry stomach and a sumptuous meal, he accidentally woke up Francine.

So Francine, who was particularly patient, smeared the meat sauce on her mountain with a sly smile, inducing Russell to start a new round of eating.

The author says:

Author's Note: Thanks to stars for the monthly tickets and coins;

Thanks to Puff Chicken Dadi for the coin;

259 Rumors spread

The next morning, when the refreshed Russell and the energetic Francine walked downstairs like conjoined twins, they were surprised to find that the guests in the hotel were all talking about the true identity of the devil.

"Have you heard? The demon that was killed was actually the second prince Walter who turned into a corrupted one!"

"What? How is that possible?"

"It's absolutely true! I heard the monk tell me so at morning prayers!"

"what?"

"Hmph, I've already said it before. The royal family has long been colluding with the devil. Otherwise, how could we have retreated to such a small territory?"

Chirp. Chirp. Chirp.

Everyone in the hotel was talking about this matter eagerly, and some people even cursed the royal family.

At the same time, some people exaggerated Russell's teasing of the "black dog" yesterday and talked about it with great excitement.

Especially when it was mentioned that Booker, the leader of the Black Guards, had his eyes black and blue, almost the entire hotel cheered loudly with joy.

However, when Russell and Francine appeared, the guests carefully suppressed their excitement and lowered their voices when they saw that their clothes and temperament did not look like those of ordinary people.

Who knows if this man and woman are close to the royal family!

Although the people present talked about what happened yesterday with great enthusiasm as if they had seen it with their own eyes, no one recognized Russell and Francine.

Russell and Francine exchanged a glance. He wasn't sure if the truth had finally been revealed, or if the situation had changed recently and the priest had taken the initiative to spread the "truth."

When Russell and Francine left the hotel with the innkeeper nodding and bowing to them, the noise behind them suddenly became louder, and the happy voices could be heard from far away.

As he continued walking, Russell discovered that people on several streets seemed to be whispering to each other, discussing the true identity of the demon that Russell had killed.

With such a unified discussion, Russell was certain that the internal struggle between the royal family of Gritzburg and the church had entered a new stage, and that it was the church that deliberately revealed Walter's true identity.

This seems to be just the beginning.

Soon, some "citizens" who were inclined towards the royal family began to explain that they should not spread rumors or believe them, that the royal family had not colluded with the devil at all, and that it was the beast Walter who had fallen himself.

Crown Prince Conrad also bravely joined the battle against the devil Walter.

Since this story was true and was corroborated by many knights' followers, it spread quickly.

Many citizens who support the royal family were proud of this and loudly criticized the citizens who had previously "slandered the royal family."

Unfortunately, these people's happiness didn't last long. Soon after, a new piece of gossip spread like wildfire.

"His Highness Conrad was gloriously wounded in his heroic battle against the demon Walter, but remains unconscious and is unlikely to inherit the throne."

The fact that His Majesty the King had no qualified heir was truly explosive news, and it immediately attracted the attention of the entire Gritzburg.

Everyone was worried about this, and almost everyone on the streets was expressing their opinions.

Moreover, citizens often have different opinions. Some say that since the demon-slaying hero Russell is Her Highness Eleanor's lover (in short, the word "master" is never mentioned), the inheritance law should be amended first to break the customary law that royal family members cannot marry outside the family, and simply let Her Highness Eleanor be the heir.

This way, Usedom will have a demon-slaying hero to protect it in the future.

This is the most radical opinion and has aroused radical opposition from a large number of conservatives.

Some conservatives opposed the amendment of the inheritance law, believing that the position of heir should never be given to Her Highness Eleanor when there are other male heirs.

His Majesty Frederick should choose his successor from among the male members of the royal family.

There are also conservatives who oppose breaking customary law, believing that the noble bloodline of the royal family must not be easily tarnished.

Even if the opponent is a demon-slaying hero or a dragon knight, customary law is customary law. It is supreme and is the code of conduct passed down from generation to generation by the people of Usedom.

There are also conservatives who oppose both points, opposing both amending the inheritance law and breaking the custom.

As a result, Gritzburg was plunged into a huge debate and almost became a mess.

Russell realized that perhaps this was the church's method, a series of combined punches, bringing the issue of royal succession rights directly to public discussion.

No matter what the outcome, the sacredness of the royal family would be undermined, and they would have to rely more on the church to endorse the royal power. Russell was currently short of information and still thought that the royal family and the church were just engaging in an ordinary struggle for power, not realizing that both the king and the archbishop were planning to swallow each other up.

"What do you think? Brother-in-law, are you really planning to abandon my sister and me, marry that Eleanor, and become your rich prince?" Francine put her arms around Russell's neck and whispered playfully in his ear.

“I’ll marry only Margaret.” Russell lifted Francine’s chin. “But none of you can escape.”

Russell was very unhappy with Francine's provocation, so he punished her severely.

Not only did he slap Francine's butt until it was bruised, forcing her to cry and beg for mercy, but he also took possession of her again and again, asserting his sovereignty, and tormenting Francine until she was exhausted again and again.

Although Francine was physically well-satisfied, she always felt a little unhappy before she fell into a coma.

Humph, my brother-in-law is biased, he only cares about Margaret, Margaret! Are the two of us sisters together not as good as Margaret Walhausen?

…………

"What did you say? Sir Rupert? Margaret Wallhausen?" Fredrich asked in surprise when he heard a name he had not heard for a long time.

The name of Bai Yueguang had been lingering in His Majesty the King's mind for decades. Now that he suddenly heard the name again, he almost immediately fell into the memories of fifty years ago.

"Yes, Your Majesty! The lady named Margaret Wallhausen may have the blood of the red dragon!" Rupert, who was finally interrogated and released back to Gritzburg, recounted everything he had seen and heard.

Rupert had never seen His Majesty Friedrich look so nostalgic, but he pretended not to notice anything.

Rupert's speculation about the "red dragon" immediately brought King Frederick back to reality from his memories.

Friedrich knew that in his heart Margaret Wallhausen was the purest human being.

Maybe William had an affair with the Red Dragon and gave birth to a daughter, and in memory of his sister, he named her Margaret?

Humph, how is that possible? William is such a well-behaved guy, there's no way he would cheat. I guess Lord Rupert must have made a mistake.

Nevertheless, the name Margaret Wallhausen alone aroused King Frederick's strong curiosity.

However, His Majesty the King still held back. He could wait until Russell and others officially entered the city through the triumphal ceremony to see Margaret Wallhausen with his own eyes.

His Majesty the King has always been very patient.

"Well, you've worked hard, Sir Rupert. Go and have a rest soon." Friedrich sent Rupert away with gentle words.

Then Frederick stared silently at the towering spire of the cathedral in the distance. His eyes were deep and no one could tell what the king was thinking.

260 Visiting Relatives

As soon as he returned to the temporary manor, Eleanor came to greet him. She hugged Russell's arm tightly and complained to him.

On the other side, Francine, who had just ended her exclusive favor, hugged Russell's other arm tightly in dissatisfaction, and made faces at Eleanor with a grin.

Russell was like a cat climbing frame, with two people hanging on him, walking inside with heavy steps.

"What? Your mother is crazy? Your father asked you to go back to the palace to visit your mother? Margaret doesn't allow you to go back?" Russell was surprised.

"Well, yes, master, I hope you can allow me to go back to the palace to take a look." Eleanor pleaded aggrievedly.

"In my opinion, Margaret is right. Maybe King Frederick is plotting something!" Francine said.

Eleanor finally couldn't help but glare at Francine.

Then Russell gave Francine a crisp slap on the butt.

Francine uttered an "ah," then blushed, lowered her head, and stopped talking.

Master punishes Francine for me! Master is so kind!

Eleanor was delighted, and the dog ears on her forehead wiggled happily. The resentment she had felt for Russell taking Francine out for several days and nights of debauchery was swept away by Russell's crisp slap.

"Mother is sick, it's only natural to go back and see her. Just go back." Russell pondered for a moment and nodded.

Combining what he had seen and heard in Gritzburg and what he had learned about Frederick's character from Grein, Russell was convinced that at this critical juncture, Frederick would not push him to the opposite side. Eleanor's action was not dangerous at all, so he nodded readily.

"Three times." Rosaline, who was watching from afar, smiled and held up three fingers to Margaret. "I knew Russell would let Eleanor return to the palace."

"That's great! Master, you are so nice!" Eleanor was very happy. She jumped into Russell's arms and gave him a passionate kiss. She soon became addicted to Russell's skillful kissing skills.

"Tsk."

Francine was utterly displeased. Although she had witnessed this scene many times while living in the Soul Box, after she had actually had an intimate relationship with Russell, watching such a scene again made her feel nauseous.

Then Eleanor took advantage of the situation to push Francine off Russell and enthusiastically pulled Russell towards her room.

Francine looked at her hands in disbelief. How could this little slave girl pull me, a person with divine power, off my brother-in-law?

In fact, not only Eleanor, but Rosaline and Margaret can do this too.

The three ladies had developed a technique for rubbing each other's favor, and Francine, a novice who had never participated in group practice, fell into the trap without paying attention.

Looking at the bewildered Francine, it was Margaret's turn to smile. "Five times. Now you owe me two. I knew you weren't a good enough older sister. Francine has all this power but doesn't know how to use it."