Although a duke was a king’s vassal, any vassal, regardless of their station, could refuse one of their lord’s commands.
Especially when the vassal was particularly powerful.
For example, Ossen Count of Wushan Territory, and Duke Ference, who was currently in the great hall, both belonged to that prickly sort.
After a long argunt, Bruno pinched the bridge of his nose.
He looked at Jesus, who had yet to speak, and asked in surprise, "What’s this, my dear brother? You’re exceptionally quiet today."
"I was rely pondering Your Majesty’s proposal."
Jesus wasn’t thinking about attacking Tricia, but rather about how to throw the Oduin Kingdom into chaos.
It wasn’t that he wanted to help the Tricia Kingdom; he simply wanted to muddy the waters and fish in the ensuing chaos.
Jesus gave a slight smile. "Of course, I’m more inclined to agree with Ference’s proposal. We mustn’t be hasty about an attack."
Moonlight Valley had always sided with Ferrensburg.
Bruno was unsurprised by this. He turned to Randall Silva, who had also remained silent.
"And what is the Purple Crystal Earl’s stance?"
Randall said, "Athyst County will continue to fulfill its duty, providing the Kingdom with sufficient Magic Energy Arrows, Magic Energy Cannons, and other weapons for the war effort."
The Silva Clan loved selling such things. After all, who would buy them if there wasn’t a war?
"To have Mr. Bellora’s support is an honor!"
Bruno was very respectful toward the Silva Clan, which counted a Great Mage among its mbers.
Glancing around the hall, the only clear supporters were Wushan Territory and Athyst County. However, Bruno didn’t find this unacceptable.
The barons, viscounts, and other lower nobles would unconditionally answer his call to arms. Furthermore, the Count of Double Peaks and the Black Jade Bay Viscount in the south would also support an invasion.
Once the fighting began, it would be an all-out war.
’Let Ference and the others make their excuses for now,’ he thought. ’Once the enemy invades their lands, they’ll have no choice but to join the fight.’
"Ronin, you are a Silver Moon Knight, powerful enough to sway the course of a battle. What is your choice?" Bruno asked.
As the king’s future son-in-law, and given their agreent from the previous day, Ronin naturally made the sa choice as Lurans.
"Your will is the path Rapids Island shall follow!"
"Good."
Bruno smiled and nodded. His gaze swept past Ronin and landed on Sophia. He had noticed her from the start, but the occasion hadn’t been right to inquire about her directly.
"Is this beautiful lady the honored guest you wanted to et?" The ti was finally right.
Ronin rose to his feet. "Yes, Your Majesty. Her na is Sophia. She is not from the Orland Continent, but from the Crescent Continent, across the great sea."
Hmm?
Everyone was captivated by his words, montarily forgetting their earlier argunt.
"There’s another continent across the sea?" Valgis exclaid in astonishnt.
MacLaren of Screaming Island, however, was resolute in his denial. "Impossible! The Fleming Clan has hundreds of years of seafaring experience. This world has only one continent: Orland. There cannot be another! Ronin, what is the aning of this deception?"
Jesus, however, had a flicker of panic in his eyes. He felt as if he were sitting on pins and needles.
He wanted to leave, but he couldn’t possibly get away now.
Ronin asked with a smile, "Oh? Is the Fleming Clan so confident that its ships have explored every corner of the world?"
MacLaren replied with a smug expression, "Over the years, we have sent fleets to sail east and west for months at a ti. They all eventually reached a region of the sea filled with endless storms and an atmosphere that would make one’s very soul tremble. We believe that is the end of the world!"
"That is the Sea of Storms!"
Sophia rose and said, "Over a thousand years ago, the Great Sage Aryan slew the Storm Demon King, Ferren, upon the great sea. The Demon King’s remains and blood spilled into the ocean, forming what is now the Sea of Storms."
As she spoke, she curtsied to Bruno. "Sophia Sears, daughter of the King of the City of Dawn, pays her respects to His Majesty King Oduin!"
Even though he was a king, Bruno was montarily stunned. He never expected the person Ronin introduced would bring such world-shattering information.
"Is there really a Crescent Continent?" he asked, searching her expression for the answer.
Sophia nodded. "Yes. Although the people of the Orland Continent have forgotten our existence, on the Crescent Continent, we have always known Orland as the ’Star Continent’."
MacLaren scoffed. "If the Crescent Continent lies beyond that Forbidden Sea, I’m very curious to know how you managed to cross it."
For generations, the Fleming Clan of Screaming Island had symbolized mariti supremacy.
Sophia’s appearance, and all its implications, challenged the authority of the Fleming Clan.
That was why MacLaren kept pressing the issue.
"We have a Dragon Bone Pearl, crafted by a Legendary Mage. We used its power to force our way through the Sea of Storms. Even so, we still lost many of our companions."
Legendary, Sage!
Those two words seized Garrett’s attention. "What is a Sage?"
"Above the Legendary level is the Sage level. The power of a Sage can sunder the heavens and shatter the earth!"
Garrett was shaken to his core. He was a prince, yet he had never known what realm lay beyond the Legendary level.
Now, learning of the Sage level, he realized just how far he had to go.
"You risked your lives to cross the Sea of Storms. For what reason?"
MacLaren, still not convinced, added, "Don’t tell you ca all this way just to do business with us!"
Sophia took a deep breath and revealed that the Demon God’s minions had co to the Orland Continent.
"phisto of Wushan Territory is the Divine Envoy of the Shadow Lord Salonas. Black Python City in Wushan Territory is his masterpiece!"
At this, her tone hardened. "Although Ossen was eliminated, phisto is still alive. What’s more, one of his subordinates is in this very hall, right now, among us!"
"What?"
A shock ran through the hall.
Bruno had already inford every noble of the Witch Soul Race and the gravity of the threat they posed. They all knew how dangerous and terrifying the Witch Soul Race was and had strengthened patrols in their own domains.
Yet now, this beautiful woman was claiming a mber of the Witch Soul Race had infiltrated the highest ranks of the Kingdom’s nobility. Even Bruno was taken aback.
"Who is it?" Bruno demanded.
Sophia looked at Jesus. She chose to expose him then and there. She wanted to see how Bruno would handle the situation. His reaction would determine whether she and Simon’s group would assist Oduin in eliminating the Demon God’s minions, or if she would accept Ronin’s earlier proposal to join Wushan Territory.
She raised her hand, extended a long, slender index finger, and pointed at Jesus. "It’s you! Count Jesus of Moonlight Valley!"
"Impossible!"
Ference, Andrea, and others imdiately cried out.
They had gathered with Jesus several tis over the past two days and had not noticed anything unusual about him.
"Are you certain? That my own brother, Jesus Oduin, is a mber of the Witch Soul Race?"
Bruno frowned. His gaze shifted between Sophia, Ronin, and Lurans, wondering if this was all part of so hidden conspiracy.
Jesus was panicking internally, but his expression remained perfectly calm.
"A preposterous accusation!"
He sneered. "Leaving aside the question of whether this Crescent Continent is even real, your accusation that I am a mber of the Witch Soul Race is absurd enough on its own!"
As Jesus spoke, his mind raced. Finally, he looked at Lurans and Ronin.
A flash of inspiration struck him. He thought he had found a way to exonerate himself.
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