On Gornaf, a colonized island of the Irisflower Kingdom, a small town with Hightins-style architecture stood quietly.
Lighthouses, windmills, fields, houses, mills... Though small, the town had everything necessary.
The residents, who mostly had the Bayfolk’s signature azure-blue eyes, bustled about. It was nearly impossible to find any Iris People here.
BOOM... BOOM...
SPLASH... SPLASH...
A series of thunderclaps exploded overhead as, on the Bantaan Archipelago during the rainy season, a downpour began without warning.
In an instant, a white curtain of rain hung between heaven and earth, scattering the townspeople who were outside either working or training.
In the middle of the town, inside a particularly spacious wooden house, another intense argunt erupted.
The white-haired Sam Leopold, whose stature was like that of an iron tower, roared at Tanya, who was reading a book,
"Tanya, this is betrayal!
Felix sent a ssage seven days ago. If it weren’t for your lack of cooperation, we might have already successfully lured and killed that Sea Hunter.
How long are you planning to be so stubborn? Do you intend to wait until the Sea Hunter is fully prepared to strike first and annihilate us all in one fell swoop?"
Compared to the hot-tempered Fortress Expert, the Storm Knight seated at the desk remained stoic, countering calmly,
"No, I have not betrayed Lancaster."
He casually placed a bookmark in the thin volu before him.
It was a copy of *The Prince*, written by Machiavelli, Governor of Peridot—the Old Continent’s center of art—for the city’s rulers, the Ferdinand Family.
The Ferdinand Family’s motto: "Ferdinand gives to the world."
Not only did they support a large number of artists from the Hall Sequence, thereby promoting the Enlightennt ideals of the Renaissance, but they were also a world-renowned Kinquan Family and had produced several Popes.
Though they directly ruled over a small territory, they were one ofthe richest families on the continent.
The page he was reading stated, "A monarch, particularly a new one, cannot observe all those things for which n are esteed, being often forced, in order to maintain the state, to act contrary to faith, friendship, humanity, and religion..."
"...The entirety of Chapter 18 conveyed that a monarch should keep his word when it was to his advantage. However, when observing good faith is instead disadvantageous, or when the original reasons for giving his word no longer exist, any wise ruler absolutely must not, and should not, continue to keep his promise.
"He must be accustod to feigning virtue, to being a two-faced hypocrite!"
In this book, a qualified monarch is clearly not, and should not be, what is considered a good person.
Closing the book, Tanya picked up *The Prince* and showed it to the old man before continuing,
"Mr. Sam, please believe . I’m not betraying Lancaster; I’m rely trying to explore another path.
Today, with only the two of us here, let’s speak frankly.
Indeed, I’ve been contemplating.
The kingdom is always the sa, yet during the reign of a wise monarch like His Majesty Henry V, our forefathers were nearly able to annihilate the Irisflower Kingdom.
But rely a few decades later, we, their descendants, have been reduced to destitute refugees seeking shelter in the overseas colonies of the Irisflower Kingdom.
Why is that?"
Sam Leopold had evidently never considered such a traitorous question and found himself tongue-tied, unable to respond.
He stamred, "This..."
Tanya, whose epithet ’Preempting the Enemy’ alluded to his ability to discern unspoken thoughts, knew Sam had no answer and simply continued,
"Although I do not appreciate so of the views in *The Prince* on governing a state through political maneuvering, I must admit that the author makes so valid points.
Before a monarch is acknowledged by the Iron Laws of Sovereignty and successfully crowned, who can know whether he will be wise or foolish, intelligent or brutal?
Even if he is overthrown by another claimant to the throne, bloodshed is inevitable, particularly during the transition of power.
On the Old Continent, every war of succession in kingdoms like the Irisflower Kingdom, Hightins, Castilia... always results in rivers of blood.
I think a monarch who ’rules but does not govern,’ without that imnse power, might be a solution to this problem."
He stood up and passionately addressed the old man before him:
"Lancaster will always be our liege lord.
And the throne of Hightins shall eventually belong to the Red Rose.
But!
Despite rumors that the Mad Hunt of Iron Anchor Bay is sheltering Prince Byron, can a barely eighteen-year-old youth, who has not undergone much hardship, truly shoulder the responsibility of leading us in the struggle for the throne?
It is the sa with the young Miss Catherine.
I stand by my view. I have already used a cipher to place an advertisent in the latest edition of *Lighthouse Weekly*, inviting Prince Byron to et with us.
Then, after we manage to use Miss Catherine to lure and kill the Sea Hunter, we’ll find a safe place to protect them both.
What the Old Prince is thinking, others may not understand, but we followers should know, right?
We will provide His Highness and Miss Catherine with mansions, estates, fine wine, and gourt food—the best living conditions—so they can have many children.
Even for the continuation of the Lancaster bloodline, we can capture several beautiful consorts of noble lineage for His Highness.
No matter what type of girl His Highness likes, he can tell us, and we will imdiately capture her for him.
After all, we all have our ancestral skills; be it robbing wealth or abducting people, we are very adept.
The sheer daily effort of procreation will be enough to keep His Highness busy. Leave the arduous task of quelling the rebellion to us.
He only needs to act as a rallying flag that unites people’s hearts and wins support at critical monts."
Sam Leopold, the ’Unbreakable Fortress’, was old but not muddled. He saw through the key issue at a glance and asked with a frown,
"Rule without governing? Are you planning to usurp the power that rightfully belongs to the Royal Family?"
Tanya firmly shook his head,
"No, I am not coveting power.
Power is temporary; only systems are eternal.
We will still allocate responsibilities according to the seats in the House of Nobles. We can even add term limits to these positions, such as five or ten years, making them non-lifeti appointnts.
I just want to find a way, at the very beginning of this rebellion, to once and for all end the endless wars of succession.
Let those talented young people use their talents to build the nation, rather than shed their last drop of blood in ceaseless internal strife.
Use the most professional and outstanding talents in the entire kingdom for tasks that require their expertise.
The King remains the nominal ruler and can continue to enjoy his luxurious life. Isn’t that good?"
Children divide people into good and bad; adults only discuss profits and losses.
Tanya, known as ’Preempting the Enemy’, who held his own ideas, could not be considered a Loyalist, nor a traitor.
He believed that rules were more important than individuals and was a firm supporter of the principle that the King is under the law.
The Anchor on him was extrely stable, and his will was equally firm.
The ’Whale Hunter’ once said that without a distinctive personality and grand ideals one was willing to die for, a person could not achieve the status of a Fifth-order Legend (Chapter 179).
From this perspective, this Storm Knight perhaps already possessed the potential to beco Legendary.
The question of who should lead the rebellion and who should enjoy the fruits of victory had beco a key point of disagreent between the two Third Order Transcendents.
But Sam Leopold, the ’Unbreakable Fortress’, was as stubborn as his title suggested.
He was not one to be swayed by a few words.
Sam Leopold fixed the young man with a deep stare and said,
"Whether to choose a life of comfort or to fight to the death—that is a matter for our liege lord to decide. Tanya! Regardless of your original intentions, rely making decisions for our liege lord is, in itself, an overstep of a subject’s duties.
"When His Highness ets with us, I will naturally ask for his opinion.
"I hope you do not do anything out of line. I will be watching you."
Tanya spread his hands, indicating he had no further intentions.
He began, "Rest assured, I..."
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!...
Right at this mont, a harsh alarm bell suddenly pierced through the curtain of rain, ringing in the ears of everyone in the town.
The expressions of the two Third Order Transcendents changed instantly. They burst out of the room, shot through the curtain of rain, and leaped onto the rooftops.
When they saw what was slowly erging from the sea not far off, adjusting its cannon muzzles, they both couldn’t help but tremble violently.
They exclaid in shock,
"That’s... the *May Wind*?! It’s not hunting ships but attacking a town now?"
"And it just had to pick us?!"
With the Sea Hunter—that bandit-suppression commander—before them, and the *May Wind*’s audacious assault from behind, this remnant force was truly beset by one misfortune after another.
BOOM!
Before they could indulge in self-pity, cannons roared from the sea. Sixteen 12-pound guns, a broadside comparable to that of a Level 5 Ship, fired in unison.
Greyish-white cannonballs, covered in barnacles, drew white arcs through the rain curtain as they crashed down upon the small town with imnse force.
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