OBS Chapter 604: Unpredictable
Chapter 604: Unpredictable
The cold wind, carrying the chill of winter, whistled through the palace of Windam, the capital of the Kingdom of Midland.
The tall, pointed towers cast shadowy silhouettes against the leaden clouds, and the heavy velvet curtains in the meeting hall rustled in the wind.
In the center at the end of the meeting room, King Mitlan sat on the throne.
His younger brother, Count Ulysses, stood beside the throne, his posture as straight as a pine tree. His dark blue noble dress outlined his tall and burly figure, and his face was handsome yet a bit cold.
The princess stood quietly by, wearing a gorgeous purple silk dress with exquisite gold patterns embroidered on the hem and a headdress inlaid with pearls and sapphires.
Below, the officials stood neatly according to their rank.
They wore official uniforms corresponding to their respective ranks, with strict regulations on color and style, and were arranged in order from high to low.
As a solemn bell rang, an official who looked similar to Minister Hoss but younger walked forward with steady steps.
He was dressed in a black official uniform, with a silver badge on his chest symbolizing the court secretary, and holding a parchment document in his hand.
He bowed respectfully to the king, then announced in a loud and clear voice:
"The meeting begins!"
Some officials began to come forward one by one and report what was happening in the country.
However, most of these things were trivial matters, such as a slight decrease in grain harvest in a certain place, a slight crack in the city wall of Wendam, an increase in theft activities on a certain trade route, etc.
In response to these questions, the king simply nodded slightly and dismissed them by saying, "Leave it to the relevant officials to handle."
Finally, the spy minister in the front row stood up.
He walked steadily to the center of the hall, bowed deeply to the king, and then reported in a low and serious voice:
"Your Majesty, according to spies in the Yoda Empire's capital, the Yoda Empire's Noble Council is preparing to re-elect a new Yoda Emperor. Among the nominated candidates are Yoda and the nobles of the Dharma King's Hall who possess Yoda's royal bloodline. Another candidate is Karl Hohenzollern, the only male heir to King John of Helderland."
As soon as these words were spoken, the conference room fell silent instantly.
Although no one spoke, almost everyone's face showed an expression of surprise.
"Are those nobles in Yoda crazy? They actually nominated the Crown Prince of the Kingdom of Helderland, who they had just fought against, to be Emperor Yoda."
After hearing the report from the Minister of Spy, Count Juris was still shocked even though the matter had no direct connection with him.
In his opinion, the behavior of the Yoda nobles was simply absurd. Could it be that these nobles had just taken office and didn't know that Helderan and the Yoda Empire had experienced a fierce war a few years ago? If the hatred of the Yoda Empire subsided so quickly, the war between Mitland and Yoda would not have lasted so long.
"So who does Noble Yoda lean towards right now?"
When there was silence, King Mitlan finally asked.
"Your Majesty, three of these candidates have significant support, including Carl. Count Castori, the president of the Council of Nobles, has also expressed his support for him. There's been a lot of arguing within the Council of Nobles, and it's unclear who is leading."
The Spy Minister replied respectfully.
At this moment, the military commander in the front row immediately stepped forward.
He knelt on one knee, then stood up and said in a loud and firm voice:
"Your Majesty, no matter who is elected, according to their past practice, the new Emperor Yoda will definitely launch a large-scale invasion of Mitlan after ascending the throne. The Yoda Empire has always regarded us as a thorn in their side, and they are eager to seize our land. The rise of a new emperor often becomes an excuse for them to start a war."
"And this time it's even more dangerous. If that Kal really becomes Emperor Yoda, then we will not only have to deploy troops to the land bordering Yoda, but also to Helderland."
The military commander continued, a hint of worry in his eyes.
The relationship between Helderlan and the Yoda Empire is already complicated. If Carl becomes the Yoda Emperor, Helderlan is likely to stand on the side of the Yoda Empire, which is undoubtedly a huge threat to the Kingdom of Midland.
"It's not just that." After the military commander finished speaking, the Minister of the Keeper of the Seals also stood up and said.
He bowed slightly, then said in a calm voice:
"Similar defenses must be deployed on the Southwest Peninsula, such as the Lana Kingdom. Ever since their country was conquered by John, then the Governor-General of the Southwest, their border has been completely controlled by the Helderland Chamber of Commerce, with the exception of a Mitland national army that obeys John. Meanwhile, Black Watch has signed several defense contracts with the Lana military. If war breaks out with Helderland, these countries are also likely to attack Mitland. The Lana Kingdom's geographical location is crucial, connecting Mitland with other countries on the Southwest Peninsula. If the Lana Kingdom sided with Helderland, our southwestern border would face tremendous pressure."
"Is it already so dangerous?"
After hearing what the heads of various departments said, the ministers in the conference room began to whisper.
There was a look of worry on their faces, and their voices were low but full of uneasiness.
After all, even the top leader said so, so the situation is indeed very critical.
"It's better that this doesn't happen."
Another minister echoed, his voice trembling slightly, and he was obviously frightened and overwhelmed by this sudden crisis.
Little Hoss, the son of the former Earl of Hoss, thought for a while after hearing this, and then slowly walked forward.
He bowed respectfully to the king, then said in a clear voice:
"Your Majesty, I believe the threat posed by the Kingdom of Helderland to us is so great that we should form an alliance with them before the Yoda Empire does, so that Helderland will not side with Yoda in the war with Yoda. King John of Helderland is also from our Midland. Through marriage, we can establish a closer relationship with the Kingdom of Helderland, so that they can remain neutral in our war with Yoda, and possibly even stand on the same front with us."
Little Hoss's words immediately aroused the approval of some ministers.
One of the ministers thought that offering advice now would attract the king's attention, so he said:
"Your Majesty, I believe that Duke Charlot is old enough. We should take this opportunity to form a marriage alliance with Prince Carl of Helderland. Then, we can join forces and seize the lands occupied by the Yoda Empire in one fell swoop."
However, when he finished speaking and looked at the king, he found that the king was staring at him gloomily.
Little Hoss, who was standing by, suddenly tensed up when he saw the king's look. He had been working with the king for some time, and the king's look was no longer just one of dissatisfaction with the minister's speech, it could even be described as outright anger.