sonovelo Chapter 329 - 58: Stir It Up, Go On and Stir It Up!
Chapter 329 - 58: Stir It Up, Go On and Stir It Up!
A Floating Battleship from the [Wall of Immortality] landed at the airfield outside the main city of the Dusk Lamp Territory.
Since Westheid’s first arrival, the Dusk Lamp Territory had been aggressively developing its infrastructure. Now, it could easily accommodate all models of Floating Battleships, and its web of roads was heavily trafficked by all manner of transport vehicles, horse-drawn carriages, and even constructs.
A group of people in Imperial military uniforms disembarked from the battleship. Leading them was a tall woman with long, flaxen hair. She wore a trench coat over tall military boots, cutting a dashing figure.
She strode forward and saluted Westheid and his companions, saying:
"Greetings, Her Highness Reiya."
"Greetings, Duke Qinghui."
"The Legion Commander of the [Wall of Immortality], a loyal guardian of the Imperial, salutes you."
Reiya gazed at the "Valkyrie" before her, who wore a gentle smile, and said lightly,
"Alexia Legion Commander... have you brought a decree from my Imperial Sister?"
Alexia’s lovely, makeup-free face held an indescribable sharpness.
"To be precise, not entirely. Her Royal Highness the Regent King still trusts you. She sent me to convey her congratulations to Duke Qinghui on ascending the throne of the Knight King. While this may not be considered a meritorious achievement for the Imperial, it is a remarkable one for you personally."
Westheid smiled and said,
"My thanks for the Regent King’s kind intentions, but I doubt a simple congratulation would warrant sending a Legion Commander all this way. Please, speak freely. I believe I can guess the reason."
Alexia stroked the back of her hand and tilted her head slightly.
"Indeed. The Imperial Capital is not a place where the Regent King’s word is law. Opinions are mixed regarding Duke Qinghui’s actions in Yonglan. However, your plan to lead the Knight Army on an expedition into the Imperial... that has truly astonished the entire Court."
"The nobles in the Imperial Capital are very displeased with your actions. Some even consider it an act of treason and are petitioning the Regent King to hold you accountable."ň
Westheid wasn’t surprised by this. He had anticipated it when he launched the expedition.
The Imperial’s policies were indeed favorable to outsiders, but this didn’t mean the country was weak and easily bullied. On the contrary, the Imperial’s hawkish nationalism was no less intense than that of the Country of Yonglan—in fact, the same could be said for any Realm of Order.
It was precisely because Imperial Citizens were so immensely proud of their country and culture that they appeared tolerant and open. This is true of all civilizations: the stronger, the more confident; the more backward, the more isolationist.
"Accountable?"
Westheid raised an eyebrow and sneered.
"Excellent. The treacherous ministers have revealed themselves. I’d like to ask, what right do they have to hold me accountable?! On the contrary, I should be the one interrogating *their* allegiances."
Alexia blinked. "Duke Qinghui, what do you mean by that?"
’How is he turning the tables on them?’
"Your Excellency, Legion Commander, allow me to ask you this: how many Imperial Provinces have been struck by disaster?"
Alexia’s eyelids lowered slightly. "I have not been following that matter, but I believe about twenty percent of the Provinces have been affected..."
"Twenty percent? It’s at least forty percent!"
Westheid stated decisively, "Forty percent, or even more, of the Imperial Provinces have suffered from the Chaos disasters to varying degrees. Some have had their forces completely wiped out, others have barely one survivor in a hundred. Tens of millions of refugees are displaced. And the Imperial Legions? Why aren’t the Imperial Legions saving them?!"
Alexia pressed her lips together and sighed. "The Imperial’s military strength... is severely insufficient. We can only guarantee the safety of the most critical core provinces. The other territories are simply beyond our ability to rescue."
"I’m not mocking you. The Imperial’s territory is simply too vast. The provincial defense corps are insufficient to handle the crisis, and the main legions capable of quelling these disasters are incredibly scarce. That is precisely why I sought more power to help the people of the Imperial overcome this crisis."
A mistiness appeared in Westheid’s indigo-violet eyes, and his expression became one of profound compassion.
"To save these pitiful mortals from their suffering, if I do not act, who else will?!"
Realization dawned on Alexia. "So that’s why you claimed the throne of Yonglan..."
Westheid nodded shamelessly. "Indeed."
Upon hearing this, Reiya couldn’t help but glance at Westheid again, looking as if she wanted to say something but held back.
’Was that really the reason? Surely not!’
Duke Qinghui continued with a sigh, "The pilgrimage to claim the throne is not so simple. The slightest misstep on that path means utter annihilation."
Alexia nodded in agreement. She was well aware of the bloodshed and gore involved in claiming a throne in the Knight Realms. It wasn’t even a question of strength, but whether one had the resolve to face death and an unwavering will to vie for the throne. If one failed... the Grand Knights currently standing respectfully behind Duke Qinghui would not hesitate to take his head.
"But for the sake of the Imperial, we can endure any hardship."
Westheid gritted his teeth, beating his chest and stamping his foot in apparent anguish.
"But I just don’t understand! We are all doing the Court’s work, so why is it that the one who does the most must also suffer the greatest grievances! Why do they keep harping on this issue of the Yonglan army passing through?! Since they can’t spare the manpower to conduct the rescues themselves, why are they trying to stop me?!"
Reiya nodded slowly. "Within the Imperial... though we all serve the same government, everyone still protects their own interests. Worrying about a foreign army is a secondary concern. The other issue... is likely their desire to prevent the House of West’s influence from expanding."
The [Branch of Prosperity] is not, after all, part of the Imperial’s direct lineage. Becoming a regional Guardian is already their limit. Climbing any higher would make the entire Court deeply anxious. The people of the Imperial Capital will only accept the Royal Family as their leaders.