Chapter 566 Voice Of Disagreement
The more confident they became...
The more careless they would be.
Believing the kingdom had no solution, they would inevitably seize the opportunity to stir unrest, sabotage the reconstruction, and push the West further into chaos.
And that was exactly what Addison wanted.
Every move they made would expose another hidden conspirator.
Every act of sabotage would give her another reason to drag them into the light.
She would let them believe they were tightening the noose around the kingdom...
Only to discover, far too late, that they had walked straight into hers.
When the West was finally restored despite everything they had planned, the look on their faces alone would make every step worthwhile.
In truth, Addison had already performed the first purification herself, secretly using the Light Fairy’s power to cleanse the majority of the demonic corruption lingering within the biochemical agent. However, she couldn’t afford to become complacent. There was still a chance that faint remnants of demonic energy remained hidden deep within the soil, invisible to ordinary perception.
That was why Silas still needed to examine the land personally.
But there was another reason, one Addison considered even more important.
Silas was the perfect cover.
As long as everyone believed the Holy Priestess alone was responsible for cleansing the West, no one would suspect that Addison herself possessed holy power or could wield Light Magic.
Because the moment their enemies learned that she carried a power capable of directly opposing demonic corruption...
She would become their highest-priority target.
And they would stop at nothing to eliminate her.
Addison forced the storm of schemes raging inside her mind into silence as her gaze swept across every face in the room, studying each expression as though weighing whether they belonged to allies or enemies.
Her eyes eventually settled on Claire, whose twisted, frustrated expression made the corners of Addison’s lips almost curl. Claire’s plan had failed, and that sight alone was enough to brighten Addison’s mood.
After all, the moment Claire shoved her down those stairs and left her writhing under the merciless lashes of the silver whip in the dungeon, they had crossed a line from which there was no return. They were enemies now, sworn and irreconcilable.
Addison had long understood Claire’s motives. Claire craved status, power, and influence with a hunger that bordered on obsession. Everything she had done was to climb higher, no matter whose blood stained the steps beneath her feet.
But now fate had handed Claire something even greater than she had ever dreamed of, and that is, the royal blood flowing through her veins.
That revelation only made Claire far more dangerous.
Someone as ruthless and ambitious as Claire would never be satisfied with becoming the Luna of a pack anymore. No... Now that an entire kingdom lay within her reach, she would covet the throne itself. Addison had no doubt Claire would devise one vicious scheme after another, striking from the shadows whenever an opportunity presented itself.
Which meant Addison could never afford to lower her guard.
But that same greed could also become Claire’s greatest weakness.
The Royal Family had hidden enemies lurking in the darkness, patiently waiting for the perfect opportunity to sink their claws into the kingdom. A woman as power-hungry as Claire would be impossible for them to ignore.
They would see her as the perfect puppet monarch, someone they could manipulate while pulling the strings from behind the throne.
And that was exactly what Addison wanted.
Claire could unknowingly become the bait.
As long as Addison kept a close watch on Claire’s every move, sooner or later those hidden enemies would reveal themselves, unable to resist the temptation dangling before them. When they finally took the bait, Addison would expose every one of them in a single sweep.
A cold, wicked smile spread across her thoughts.
She almost looked forward to that day.
It would be the perfect revenge against Claire, for every scheme she had woven, every wound she had inflicted, and every drop of suffering she had forced Addison to endure.
After all, Addison had never been the kind of person to leave debts unpaid. Whether someone offered her kindness or malice, she would always return it. Kindness would be repaid generously, while betrayal and cruelty would be returned tenfold, if not a hundredfold.
The moment she finished speaking, the silence was shattered into a wave of murmurs.
The Alphas, representatives, ministers, and elders immediately began exchanging opinions. Many nodded in agreement, believing Addison’s proposal was both logical and necessary. Others remained skeptical, yet even they couldn’t deny that her reasoning was sound.
More than anything, they were shaken by the revelation that demonic insects had already infiltrated this far into the kingdom. If such creatures could move unnoticed through their lands, then hidden enemies were undoubtedly lurking within the shadows as well, though they refrained from voicing it out.
The realization weighed heavily on them.
Each of them suddenly felt the burden of protecting not only their own territories and pack members but also the Alpha King and the kingdom itself. A single lapse in judgment could bring disaster upon them all.
What impressed them even more was Addison herself.
For someone so young to have anticipated such a threat and prepared several steps ahead spoke volumes about her foresight, intelligence, and strategic mind. Many couldn’t help but admire her.
Yet not everyone shared that admiration.
Scattered among the crowd were individuals who secretly belonged to opposing factions, people who had already sold their loyalty and betrayed the Alpha King. Behind their composed expressions, they sneered inwardly, convinced that all of Addison’s careful planning would ultimately amount to nothing. In their eyes, she was merely struggling against an outcome that had already been decided.
Countless thoughts and emotions rippled through the hall.
Addison, however, paid little attention to the restless crowd.
Her sharp eyes remained fixed on Claire, her father, and several key ministers, Alphas, and elders whose voices carried enough influence to sway the opinions of everyone else. Every subtle shift in their expressions, every exchanged glance, every whispered word was quietly committed to memory.
Now, all she had to do was wait.
Wait to see who would openly support her.
Wait to see who would challenge her proposals with difficult, seemingly reasonable questions.
Wait to see who would deliberately attempt to poke holes in her plans under the guise of caution.
The louder they questioned her, the more valuable they became.
To everyone else, they would simply appear to be prudent leaders fulfilling their duties. But to Addison, each objection, each attempt to steer the discussion elsewhere, was another thread worth following.
There was a very real possibility that among those voices stood the hidden enemy’s pawns, or perhaps even one of the masterminds themselves.
Sure enough, after only a brief pause, a restless voice broke the growing silence.
One of the elders seated around the round table slowly rose to his feet before fixing Addison with a solemn gaze.
"Princess Addison," he began, his tone respectful yet probing, "there is no denying that you possess remarkable foresight. Your preparations are impressive, and your proposal is certainly well thought out."
He paused briefly before his expression grew heavier.
"However, you’ve overlooked one crucial issue."
"Our kingdom is already stretched to its limits. Every available warrior and official has been dispatched to deal with the countless crises plaguing our kingdom. To put it bluntly, we are crippled. We barely have enough manpower to maintain order, let alone execute another large-scale plan."
His voice gradually became more forceful.
"At any moment, the neighboring races could seize this opportunity to invade us. The vampires, in particular, have never hidden their ambitions. They have exploited our weakness before, and there is every reason to believe they would do so again."
Several elders unconsciously nodded.
"And then there is the western region."
He sighed deeply.
"It is our largest granary. Losing it, even temporarily, while waiting for this so-called restoration agent to take effect, could cost us countless lives. Food shortages would become inevitable. Panic would spread. Our people could starve before the land is restored."
The elder clasped his hands behind his back.
"So why didn’t Your Highness address this possibility?"
"Wouldn’t it be wiser to prepare for the worst instead of giving everyone false hope? Shouldn’t we tighten our belts and ration our remaining food supplies?"
His gaze sharpened.
"And if every territory begins farming, how do you propose we balance that with warrior training? We cannot neglect the cultivation of our warriors. The kingdom’s strength has always depended upon it."
He slowly swept his gaze across everyone in the hall.
"We are werewolves."
His voice rang with conviction.
"We are a race of warriors, not farmers."
"Allowing one region, whose military strength has always been comparatively weaker, to devote itself to agriculture was already a compromise. But asking every territory to become self-sufficient would inevitably weaken the fighting force across the entire kingdom."
He turned back toward Addison.