Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
"You see this?" Yolanther asked as he tossed the document onto the table and smiled .
"I apologize, Your Majesty, but I don't see anything special about this," the old man behind Yolanther said hesitantly .
"Look at this," Yolanther said, laughing . "It says that Anfey is proposing assassinating Scarlet and causing Baery to lose the battle . It says that Anfey is a Shansa spy . They want me to summon him to Sacred City and interrogate him . "
"He is gaining fame," the old man said . "He's not good at socializing . The officials and noblemen aren't fond of him . "
"Anything else?"
"I don't think he likes the noble class," the old man continued . "A lot of noblemen think that he is going to cause them to lose their power . "
"What about Alice?" Yolanther asked . "Alice has never done anything to them, has she?" He found another document and placed it on the table . "They say Alice is Edward the VIII's daughter and should not be trusted . They want me to summon Alice here and question her publicly . They want me to imprison her!" Yolanther finished with another laugh .
"That… is strange," the old man said .
Advertisement"I've been striving for unification for years," Yolanther said . "But for these noblemen, that's not important . What is important to them is what they can get from it . "
The old man sighed but did not say anything .
"They want to use me to create an opportunity for them . If Alice is here, they can pressure her and use her as well . Do they really think I'm that stupid?"
"They underestimate her," the old man said .
"Who do you think is behind this?"
"What do you mean?"
"Alice is very important . We need her to stabilize the Shansa Empire . " Yolanther paused and sighed . "Can you imagine how powerful they will be if they can control Alice?"
"They won't," the old man said . "I don't know Alice, but I'm certain she won't be controlled by the noblemen . "
"Let's look at this another way; Alice can't be a ruler . That would only make those from the Shansa Empire uncomfortable . But there is a way we can unite the two nations peacefully without angering anyone . "
"What is it?"
"Marrying Alice off to the right man will be the first step," Yolanther said . "Her child will be the rightful person to take the throne . Of course, I have to be careful; I have to pick the right man for her because her husband will be my successor . " He turned to the old man and said, "This is why I am asking you . Who do you think would be best?"
"Christian is in the Country of Mercenaries . It has to be either Grandon or Wester . "
"Obviously . "
"I am not in the right position to comment on this," the old man said with a shake of his head .
"What makes me angry is that the noblemen are not paying taxes," Yolanther said . "They are stalling . Someone is telling them what to do . I'm too busy right now to do anything about them . What makes me so mad is that they are so careless . Even in the face of a common threat, the noblemen still only care about themselves . "
The old man sighed but did not say anything .
"Maybe it's because they've forgotten that I am their ruler," Yolanther said softly . "I didn't punish Phillip; I allowed him to roam free . Maybe those noblemen thought I would be as forgiving with them as I was with Phillip . "
"You mean…"
"I cannot allow them to mess up my plan," Yolanther said . "Did you say that some of the important members of my court are involved in avoiding paying taxes?"
"Yes, Your Majesty . "
"Do you have enough evidence?"
"I do . "
"Do what you must . "
The old man nodded .
"Another thing," Yolanther said . "What do you know about Alice?"
"She is a capable woman, from what I've gathered," the old man said . "Baery and Saul know her better than I do, but I am certain they will tell you the same thing . She expanded the League of Mercenaries tenfold in less than a year . Without her, Anfey never could have managed all those mercenaries . "
"What about her weaknesses?"
"She can be hesitant when it comes to making important decisions, but she is still young," the old man said . "She works well with Anfey . He is determined and is capable of making quick decisions . She is much more considerate and can see things through a different perspective . "
"If I give her a chance, would she take it?"
"She may not," the old man said . "Anfey did say she doesn't trust us . "
"I see," Yolanther said . "If she had other motives, she would try to gain our trust . Clearly, she doesn't need us to get what she needs . "
"She cares very much about the League," the old man said . "I think she thinks of the League as home now . Her dedication to it shows that she no longer thinks of the Shansa Empire as her home . "
"And she gets along with Anfey and Christian?"
The old man nodded . "They all respect her," he said . "He doesn't respect a lot of people, but I believe she is one of them . She is also well loved among the commoners . When she was still living in the Shansa Empire, there was a plague there . She went to the cities that were quarantined, against the wish of her advisors, to comfort the sick . Without her, the people in those cities might have rioted . "
"Wonderful," Yolanther said . "I see that I can trust her with important issues . "
"Even if she has trouble with them, she will have the support of Saul and his students," the old man said . He paused for a second and said, "The recent victory made a lot of people here restless, Your Majesty . Your support of Anfey will only make them even more so . They… they may try something against it . "
"As long as I am alive, they will never succeed," Yolanther said with a laugh .
Chapter end
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