Chapter 144: Heading North, Suitable, Prince

In the royal capital, inside the royal palace.

The King and Carter sat facing each other, with a small white bowl placed before each of them.

The bowls were the size of a palm, snow-white and translucent, as though polished ten thousand times over.

The King broke the silence first, saying, "Those Crixian bastards are as sickening as ever, still holding onto traditions like slavery, human sacrifices, colosseums, and the drinking of human blood. How is this any different from a cult? And yet the churches simply turn a blind eye."

"At the end of the day, this world still ultimately comes down to whose fist is bigger. Order is nothing more than a fiction; the law of the jungle is the absolute truth," Carter replied.

The two small white bowls in front of them were actually fashioned from human skulls—a specialty of the Crixian Kingdom known as skull goblets. In their faith, the mind was the most spiritual and sacred part of a person, and water or wine held within a skull was considered the purest of all.

Within the Crixian Kingdom, entertaining a guest with such a skull goblet was a sign of utmost respect. However, sending two such skulls over carried an unmistakable intent.

For the opposing party to use the skulls of their own people to craft skull goblets within their own borders and deliver them directly to one's doorstep was a blatant act of provocation.

Yet, facing this provocation, both men appeared utterly calm.

There was no helping it; they were old, and long past the point of caring about most things.

As a fourth-tier sorcerer, Carter had achieved such precise control over his emotions that it reached a microscopic level—much like how an upper-third-tier knight could completely control and modulate the physical strength of their body.

As for the King, knowing he had only a few days left to live, he had cast aside thoughts of life and death, leaving only a single goal burning in his heart.

"Carter, truth be told, I could have done much better. But my inner greed made me forget the admonitions of the former kings," the King said. "I should have restrained my desires, rather than playing the role to the extreme and ruining my own body prematurely."

"I should have spared some effort to cultivate Alex and guide his mindset. I should have spent more time teaching Irene, helping her learn to bide her time and understand human nature. I should have remained constantly vigilant against cults instead of harboring any foolish hopes. I should have taken action from the very beginning, rather than dragging it out into my twilight years."

The King spoke in a tone that wavered between reminiscence and self-reproach.

"Your Majesty, there is no medicine for regret in this world. All of this was your own choice; you chose to run away," Carter looked across at him.

"Since you have run for so long, why suddenly think of turning back? Don't you think it is far too late?"

Carter knew the King inside and out; the man possessed not a shred of talent for being a monarch and was, through and through, a spoiled aristocrat. He had no talent, no ambition, no ideals, and cared for nothing beyond indulgence and pleasure.

The only fortunate thing was that the man always managed to make the most correct choice at the most critical junctures.

For instance, banishing Irene from the kingdom and sending her to join the Monster Hunter Guild to seek protection.

"I do not wish to die as an incompetent king. I do not want history to remember me by the single word: incompetent."

"You are far too greedy."

"I have always been greedy, Carter. Dawn now requires the assistance of the Carter family."

"And if I refuse?"

"Then please, die here."

"..." Carter closed his mouth and fell silent, nor did the King break the sudden stillness.

It was not that he feared death; had he feared death, he would not have come to the royal palace today in his true form alone.

"The Carter family can dedicate everything to the new ruler, on the condition that the new monarch is willing to accept us. Her Royal Highness Princess Orina is not suited to be a ruler; she is far too extreme."

"..."

This time, it was the King's turn to fall silent.

Orina was indeed far too extreme; she was fundamentally unsuited to be a sovereign.

The King said in a muffled voice, "I do not have the right to decide the next monarch, and besides, the Grand Duke of the Eastern Border will not agree."

Although ostensibly the King lacked the authority to choose his successor, he could still exert influence through various means. The King himself had considered passing the throne directly to Irene, quickly completing the handover ceremony and giving the neighboring nations no opportunity to interfere.

However, the Grand Duke of the Eastern Border obviously would not agree to that, and he still relied on the Grand Duke to share the pressure.

"The Grand Duke of the Eastern Border will agree—for instance, by taking the role of Prince Consort and ruling the kingdom jointly with the Queen," Carter suggested.

"But Orina..."

"She is unsuited for it."

Eventually, the King gave a self-deprecating chuckle and said, "That child truly has nothing left. I wanted to leave something behind for her, but unfortunately, I have nothing either."

Throughout his dissolute life, he had sired countless offspring, but the only two he had truly cared for and worried over as an elder were Irene and Orina. Of those two, each was more stubborn than the last, especially Orina, who had regarded him as an enemy since childhood.

She would scale the palace walls every other day, willing to break her legs just to escape the palace.

Now that his time was running out, it seemed he had nothing left to leave her.

"Does Your Majesty not bear to part with her?"

"Ah... there is no question of bearing it or not. When a person is about to die, their mind always wanders to idle thoughts. Orina is better suited to be a pillar protecting the nation; her philosophy is simply not fit for a monarch."

The King rose from his seat, and the weariness and frailty vanished from his face, replaced entirely by a sharp and formidable aura.

"Mark, how are the preparations for the army?"

Mark, who had maintained his silence throughout, replied, "Your Majesty, two thousand royal knights, ten thousand knights, and two hundred thousand militiamen have fully assembled and are ready to break camp at a moment's notice."

Long before Crixian made its move, they had already begun preparing for war.

"Then let the entire army march north." The King picked up the Sword of Dawn, his murky eyes filled with absolute resolve.

"Let this foolish king fulfill his duty as a sovereign for once—and for the very last time."

***

Qingyang New World Special Trade Zone, Qingyang City.

The city walls had been torn down, direct railway lines established, and the port continuously expanded, welcoming more merchant vessels day by day than the last.

Workers in blue overalls sweated beneath the scorching sun, massive iron monsters roared, and building after building rose from the ground. The entire city seemed imbued with life—surging with momentum, growing with untamed vitality.

Xuanlv intended to forge this place into a super trade city, their largest export hub in the New World.

The Eastern Border was barren; close to the Dead Swamps, its spiritual energy was weak, and its rugged mountains and basins were ill-suited for agricultural development. To the people of the New World, this was a desolate and bitter land—the kind that even the Church of the Earth Mother could not save.

Yet to Xuanlv, while the terrain of the Eastern Border had indeed caused them plenty of trouble initially, once occupied, these ridged mountains would transform into natural barriers, providing immense strategic depth.

Once Xuanlv cleared the transport routes and deployed their forces across the region, the entire Eastern Border would become a massive fortress of war. Any enemy entering the territory would be locked in the crosshairs of dense artillery, facing an overwhelming onslaught.

In the old district, along a river where residents fetched water and washed their clothes, a golden-haired, beautiful woman in simple attire sat on a blue-stone stepped street, holding a storybook while surrounded by children.

The woman possessed a tranquil temperament, a faint smile graced her lips, and her brows held the gentle warmth of the morning sun.

Surrounding the golden-haired woman were children uniformly dressed in white shirts, large shorts, and sandals, their faces slightly dirtied from play. They gazed at her with wide, blinking eyes.

"The woodcutter's axe fell into the river. Looking at the turbulent waters, and thinking how his livelihood for the morrow had no anchor, he wept bitterly in despair.

'Woodcutter, oh woodcutter, weep not nor fret...'

Wiping away his tears, he looked up in surprise to see a white-bearded elder emerge from the river, holding three axes in his hands and asking the woodcutter: 'Is this golden axe yours, or is this silver axe yours?'

The woodcutter shook his head and said, 'No, neither of these is my axe; my axe is a simple iron axe.'

Smiling, the elder produced the iron axe and handed all three axes over to the woodcutter, saying: 'I commend your honesty; they are all yours.'

In the end, the woodcutter obtained three axes."

As Orina finished the story, the surrounding children burst into cheerful laughter, their bright faces radiant with smiles.

"That woodcutter is so silly."

"Were the golden axe and silver axe things the noble lords use?"

"You really are foolish; how could a noble lord ever do manual labor themselves?"

"Sister Orina, another one, tell another one!"

Faced with the children's urging, Orina shook her head slightly and said softly, "It is getting late; I must return to work. You all can share these candies."

With that, Orina retrieved piece after piece of candy from the pouch in her hand. The children's eyes lit up, and they eagerly stretched out their hands.

"No need to fight; there is enough for everyone."

After distributing the candies, Orina rose from the steps, and the children waved goodbye.

"Goodbye, Sister Orina!"

Riya, who had been waiting for a long time in the distance, hurried over. Looking at the empty candy pouch, she said with helpless resignation, "Your Highness, I had such a hard time getting those fruit-flavored candies—why did you give them all to these children? You should have kept at least one for yourself."

"If they like them, let them have them. I can always eat them later," Orina said indifferently.

"By the way, Riya, how did the new test results turn out?"

Riya's expression immediately turned serious as she replied, "According to yesterday's test scores, the older batch of people who participated in railway construction and possess rich experience all scored above the passing line. As for the newcomers, although there are plenty of transcendents among them, only one-third passed, and a portion of them made fatal errors."

"They tried to take shortcuts on the exam requirements, pursuing efficiency over quality, and they misinterpreted orders to a certain degree, with a completion rate of around fifty percent. According to our statistics, these individuals are generally merchants and fallen aristocrats."

"And as for those monster hunters... although they execute orders with extreme determination, their methods are far too heavy-handed, frequently resulting in incidents where they beat up nobles."

Regarding Orina's intention to cultivate her own loyal faction, Xuanlv supported it wholeheartedly. Although they could not directly provide management talent, they could help train them. Because the Eastern Border was in a stage of massive development and everything needed to be rebuilt from scratch, there were countless opportunities for practical application. Therefore, tests were usually assigned as direct missions, after which Xuanlv would inspect the completion rates.

The results were mixed; while a portion of genuine talent had indeed been unearthed, the majority were opportunists.

They had completely failed to accept Xuanlv's philosophy; outwardly casual, they were filled with secret disdain. These individuals were predominantly merchants, minor nobles, knights, and so-called impoverished gentry.

Among them, the knights were split into two factions: one consisted of knights who helped manage territories democratically, while the other comprised war-dedicated knights akin to Reagan. The former barely counted as nobility; aside from a few clever ones, most only knew how to slack off and game the system.

The latter were relatively better, though their brains were somewhat lacking—making them barely eligible as subjects for re-education.

What brought Xuanlv the greatest relief were the monster hunters. These people were practically born to be revolutionaries. They were entirely unbothered by the false sanctity of the nobility and instead harbored a faint hostility toward them.

Whether it was an illusion or not, these people did not seem to be here to make money; rather, they acted as though they had come specifically for Orina.

Ever since the agreement with the Hunter Guild was struck, and even before the guild facilities were fully constructed, a massive influx of monster hunters had arrived in the Eastern Border, including quite a few tier-three grand professionals.

Under the guise of helping cultivate talent, Xuanlv propagated their own philosophy and cast out the sparks.

In short, the export of revolution.

Having received Xuanlv's education, these individuals might not become steadfast communists, but the seeds would be planted within their hearts. Those seeds would take root and sprout among the true grassroots talent, becoming the first sparks to spread the flame far and wide.

Xuanlv had never been anyone's savior; the only ones who could save them were themselves. Xuanlv simply stood at the very front, facing all enemies, holding high the crimson banner of fire and blood.

Telling them: Comrade, please follow me; victory lies ahead, please do not give up.

If one day I fall, take up my banner—the Internationale shall surely be fulfilled.

"Anyone who tries to game the system is uniformly unqualified; have them leave," a cold glint flashed in Orina's ice-blue eyes. "If today they can treat a construction project meant to benefit countless people as a mere business transaction, tomorrow they will treat the entire country as a commercial enterprise."

"As for the hunters from the Hunter Guild... they come from commoner backgrounds, and among them are plenty of people who genuinely wish to change this country. It's just that their methods are a bit too crude; simply remind them to exercise restraint."

"Understood," Riya nodded, making a note of it, and then looked at Orina with a face full of admiration. "I feel like Your Highness has completely integrated into Xuanlv; the way you speak carries the exact flavor of those big figures."

If Princess Orina didn't lack black hair and black eyes, Riya might have suspected whether she was truly a princess of the kingdom at all. Her mannerisms and tone were cut from the exact same cloth as Xuanlv.

"Is that so?" Orina stood upon the stone bridge, her hand resting lightly on the railing.

She looked at the bustling stream of traffic, the radiant smiles of the ordinary people, and the distant sounds of children laughing as they played hopscotch.

"Xuanlv is identical to the kingdom of my ideals. Perhaps this place suits me better after all."

***

Base.

Qin Le's study.

"Mr. Qin, you truly are a busy man; it is so difficult just to catch a glimpse of you." A faint smile graced Irene's cold and striking face. Her legs were crossed, and black leather trousers accentuated her slender, tight silhouette, drawing the eye instantly.

Out of sheer instinct, Qin Le's gaze drifted downward before snapping back up.

That fleeting glance was caught by Irene. Deliberately, she reached up to tug at the collar of her shirt, unbuttoning a single button. With a hint of playful teasing, her crisp voice rang out, "Is it nice to look at?"

Tch! This one.

Qin Le did not answer. Instead, he brazenly stared at her collar, looking straight into the snow-white gap, his gaze utterly naked.

After a dozen seconds, Irene finally cracked. A flush of pink crept across her cold and striking face, and she glared at Qin Le in embarrassed annoyance, the atmosphere turning awkward.

Hastily buttoning her shirt back up, she straightened her posture.

"Hah!" Qin Le's lips curled into a slight, disdainful smirk as he looked at her.

High offense, low health—shattered at a single touch. Just a fledgling chick, yet she tried to act like a seasoned veteran.

According to Xuanlv's research, the expert panel had analyzed Irene's words, actions, attire, intelligence gathered daily, and past events to deduce her overall profile.

The assessment explicitly pointed out that Irene was most likely a high-offense, low-health fledgling.

Seeing Qin Le's smile, Irene bit her lower lip, growing even more exasperated as she realized she had been played with once again.

"Spit it out, what do you want with me? If this is about how to build a centralized state, then you don't need to ask me; there should be plenty of specialists who can give you the answer," Qin Le said.

In truth, Qin Le rarely interfered in the various affairs of the New World—or rather, he refused to interfere at all. The nation possessed so much talent, and every matter was arranged properly; there was no need for an outsider like him to blindly bark orders.

Of course, his teacher clearly wanted him to take charge, but Qin Le was rather lazy and had no interest in issuing decrees.

Rather than wasting time blindly giving orders, he would rather pour all his energy into enhancing his strength, expanding the capacity of the Gate as much as possible, and step by step narrowing the limitations of the Republic.

Irene reined in her emotions, her expression turning serious as she said, "I hope that once I become the Lord of Dawn, you will give me your full support. As a reward, I am willing to grant you the status of Prince Consort, swearing upon the Sword of Dawn."

Here it comes again—ancient political marriage.