Chapter 166: Applying Pressure
The resplendent Cyan Snake Fortress had many more Guards on duty today, lending it an even greater solemnity than usual.
Nobles, foreign envoys, and others sat in their arranged seats, awaiting the start of the meeting.
King Eric made a slow entrance only after everyone had arrived.
A departure from his usual casual style, he wore a magnificent ceremonial robe with multiple Enchantments, a crown on his head, and a scepter in his hand as he sat majestically upon the high throne.
"Everyone is here."
The King’s voice was clear and resonant. "I have invited you all here today to discuss the matter of the assassination attempt on Baron Duane of Black Forest Island."
He did not keep them in suspense, stating the purpose of the meeting directly.
This finally clued in the nobles who had been kept in the dark. Many of the quick-witted ones among them immediately deduced that the assassin must have come from the Akutas Kingdom; otherwise, its envoys wouldn’t have been summoned to this meeting.
As murmurs began to rise, the King tapped his scepter on the floor. The crisp sound silenced the hall.
"Baron Duane, please explain what happened."
Duane was in a wheelchair.
He first offered his greetings to the King and the assembled ministers, then recounted the events of Garrot’s assassination attempt on the island.
"And that is what happened!"
Duane pleaded earnestly, "Viscount Freddy is a powerful man. I implore Your Majesty to provide protection for Black Forest Island, protest to the Akutas Kingdom, demand compensation for my losses, and defend the honor of the Pruck Kingdom!"
"Baron, your story is far too dramatic!"
Heidwin immediately shot to his feet and retorted loudly, "Viscount Freddy is one of the most skilled warriors among our Kingdom’s Nobility! Every one of his men is an elite soldier. How could you, a mere baron of a small island, possibly capture a Viscount’s Knight Order!"
"Yes, lies! These are all lies!"
Regis shouted, "You are deceiving us, deceiving all the nobles here, and most of all, you are deceiving His Majesty the King!"
Their words were meant to stall for time, but they also wanted to see the key evidence.
After all, their informant had not provided any concrete witnesses or testimony.
Duane had yet to speak, but the nobles of the Pruck Kingdom were already speaking for him.
Since the King had orchestrated such a grand spectacle, the matter had to be true. And it was certainly about more than just seeking justice for Duane.
They hurled accusations one after another. Baron Uriel Whiteman from Silent Shore even pinned the assassination attempt on Duane from the previous day on Heidwin and his men, demanding they give an explanation.
Cyan Snake Fortress instantly erupted into chaos.
Duane watched the scene unfold, listening to some of the nobles curse, and couldn’t help but smile to himself.
’A high-level meeting of the Kingdom, and it’s like a bunch of commoners brawling in the street.’
’The High Lords still maintained a semblance of decorum, but the lesser Lords couldn’t be bothered.’
THUD, THUD, THUD!
The King let them argue for some time before striking the floor with his scepter again, silencing the great hall.
"Duane, do you have proof?"
"Your Majesty, I have brought Garrot, the leader of the Gale Corps, with me."
As he spoke, he held out his hand. Raymond took off his backpack, pulled out a stack of documents, and handed them over.
"Furthermore, I have here the signed testimonies from the other members of the Gale Corps, complete with their handprints, along with their letters of appointment and other personal tokens found on them."
While King Eric examined the testimonies and tokens, he had Garrot brought forward.
Duane looked at Garrot kneeling in the middle of the hall and, remembering the man’s confidence when he’d first arrived on the island, couldn’t help but feel a touch of melancholy.
However, he felt no pity. The man had brought this upon himself.
Faced with a barrage of accusations, Garrot kept his head bowed and confessed to his crimes.
THUD!
Anger finally appeared on King Eric’s face. He fixed a cold, menacing stare on the envoys from the Akutas Kingdom.
"Heidwin, you tell me. What should be done about this?"
Heidwin stood up. "Your Majesty, right now, we only have Baron Duane’s side of the story. I do not know this man called Garrot. We cannot rule out the possibility that Baron Duane is intentionally trying to provoke a conflict between our two kingdoms."
Duane said coldly, "It has come to this, and you’re still going to deny it?"
"Heh. If you think that’s not enough proof, I have the other members of the Gale Corps imprisoned in my Territory. In addition, I also have one of Viscount Freddy’s vassals, and the current wife of Baron Torre Courtney."
He asked with a cold sneer, "Surely the people of the Akutas Kingdom wouldn’t go so far as to call their own vassal—and their own nobleman’s wife—strangers, would they?"
Heidwin was taken aback by the remark and snapped, "You are insulting all the Nobility of the Akutas Kingdom!"
But he knew in his heart that Duane held too many chips; the narrative of this incident was irreversible.
He turned to the King. "Your Majesty, unless Duane brings all of these people here, I will continue to reserve my judgment!"
At that moment, Count Kais rose to his feet.
"Viscount Freddy attempted to assassinate Baron Duane in a bid to seize Black Forest Island for himself! This is a provocation against all the nobles of the Pruck Kingdom, and a provocation against King Eric!"
Kais Kennedy was part of the Kingdom’s Neutral Faction, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t seize an opportunity for profit.
On the contrary, he would never pass up a near-certain gain, especially one that didn’t create conflict with the Pruck Kingdom’s own Nobility.
"When Baron Duane arrived at my Sea Cliff Castle, his injuries were extremely severe!"
"He told me his castle was violently destroyed by Garrot and his men! He said that between his subjects, his Guards, and his servants, three to five hundred people were killed!"
Garrot lost control upon hearing this. When had he killed that many people? Why was this the first he was hearing of it?
And so, this captive, who had been imprisoned for over half a month and whose psychological defenses had already collapsed, became enraged. "That’s bullshit!"
The shout cut Count Kais off mid-sentence, and the great hall fell silent.
Soon, someone from the Pruck Kingdom’s side angrily denounced Garrot for daring to use such insulting language to a Count.
The squabbling once again ceased at the sound of King Eric’s scepter.
Count Kais shook his head and sighed, "Viscount Freddy certainly picks disappointing Knights!"
Then, he raised his head high and looked directly at Heidwin. "Viscount Freddy must pay the price for this! His Majesty Tyron and Prince Howard must give us an answer!"
He shouted, "Let me be frank! My warships have already entered Flowing Silver Fjord! If you do not give us a proper explanation, my fleet will immediately advance on the Starfall Islands to fight for His Majesty, and for the dignity of all nobles in the Pruck Kingdom!"
With that, Count Kais had set the tone for the entire affair and locked onto his target.
"Fight for the dignity of the Nobility!"
"Fight for the dignity of the Nobility!"
Inside the great hall, all the nobles of the Pruck Kingdom and the representatives of their families were instantly inflamed.
They began chanting the slogan while also clamoring about how many troops they would dispatch in support.
Duane secretly gave him a thumbs-up. ’Now that’s how you speak with conviction. Only Count Kais could pull that off.’
’If I ever have that many warships and soldiers, I’ll do the same—move my troops in first, then negotiate while the battle rages.’
Heidwin and his two companions faced the incensed crowd, their minds struggling to keep up.
Garrot, in particular, couldn’t understand it. How could a mere baron command such influence?
’Duane Brian... is his network really this powerful? Does he have this many supporters within the Kingdom?’
Heidwin wiped the sweat from his brow.
He had already thought the matter was serious, but today’s meeting made him realize he had severely underestimated the situation.
Count Kais’s warships were already in Flowing Silver Fjord, which was at most a two-day voyage from the Starfall Islands.
’And Duke Hughes’s army has also been mobilized... Are they really trying to start a war?’
"Your Majesty!"
Heidwin’s gaze shifted to King Eric. He knew that although the King had not spoken much, the true driving force behind all this was the man sitting on the throne.
"Please, have your nobles calm down!"
He advised earnestly, "The Pruck Kingdom and the Akutas Kingdom have enjoyed thirty-nine years of peace. We cannot let a small misunderstanding plunge us into war!"
King Eric sighed. "Peace is hard-won, but that does not mean I will sacrifice the dignity of my Nobility and the honor of Pruck to maintain it."
Heidwin’s eyes widened in panic. "His Majesty..."
King Eric raised a hand, cutting him off. "The assassination attempt on Duane is a fact. And the assassin insulted Count Kais right here in my presence."
Garrot’s face turned ashen. ’I said the wrong thing again.’
The King continued, "Freddy must pay the price. Otherwise, war will be inevitable!"