Chapter 500 Clash VII (2/2)
Of course, the Country of Light did think of stopping their influences. In the beginning, the Parliament would receive the gold and tarnish the reputation of the Munn Kingdom simultaneously. But the Munn Kingdom wasn't dumb either. Shortly after, the Munn Kingdom reduced the sum of gold offered by a full two-thirds in the second year as a response.
As a result, the Parliament suffered badly. Initially, the Parliament thought that the Country of Light could handle this financial debt without the gold from the Munn Kingdom. But the officials realized that they weren't capable of filling this huge hole at all!
In that year, two territories faced calamity and natural disaster while the gold offered by the Munn Kingdom wasn't enough to relieve them. In the end, both territories broke out in large-scale riots which battered the Parliament badly. Even though the Parliament spent time and effort to appease them, they needed funds for the reconstructions and cleanups. Without further choices, the Country of Light could only express goodwill and seek assistance from the Munn Kingdom tactfully. In the following year, the Parliament held a grand ceremony in their own name and afterward, the Munn Kingdom recovered the gold that they had gifted the Light Dragon. In order to prevent this from happening again, the Parliament didn't comment much and they could only silently watch as the Munn Kingdom praised the existence of the Light Dragon every year.
However, their relationship turned out worse than before. The grand ceremony had been cited as a major humiliation by the Parliament as they had always been proud that they had snatched the authority to independence from the Creator Gods. Instead, the Munn Kingdom forced them to fawn a useless God which the Parliament couldn't tolerate. On the other hand, the Munn Kingdom didn't lessen their pressure on the Parliament. After this happened, the Munn Kingdom held their own grand ceremony every year to remind the people of the Country of Light that without this sum of gold offered to the Light Dragon, the Country of Light was so poor that they couldn't even feed themselves!
Their relationship had gotten worse subsequently and was on the verge of breaking into a war.
And it seemed that this day was nearing soon.
Rhode let out a sigh as he recalled the past that he had experienced and read on the forum. He lifted his head and gazed at Lydia with a solemn expression. ”Your Highness, please pardon me. I have always wanted to seek an answer from you.”
”Are you trying to ask why the Munn Kingdom, as a direct subordinate of the Light Dragon, just sits idly and watches the Light Dragon lose its authority?”
”…” Lydia answered Rhode's question with a question of her own and Rhode nodded simply. Even though many players on the forum had guessed plenty of possibilities, Rhode wished to hear the answer personally from the Duchess.
Lydia gazed at Rhode with a gentle smile while her eyes glittered like the bright summer sun. However, Rhode felt that her smile was rather sorrowful. ”Baron Rhode, vines will climb up the tree that it grows on because it has the will and thirst for the warmth and brilliance from the sun. For the sun, the vine will strangle the tree at all costs. Whereas, for the flowers that landed on the ground, no matter how one tries, one will not be able to let it bloom on the top of the tree because the flowers lack the strength to climb upwards.”
”What you mean is…” Even though Lydia's explanation was ambiguous, Rhode felt that he understood the meaning she was trying to convey.
”That's right.” Lydia refilled Rhode's teacup before putting in two sugar cubes gracefully. ”But the Munn Kingdom doesn't exist to be manipulated by others. The storm may perhaps overwhelm and sway the trees, but the trees will still be back towering again, right?”
”But, some trees may collapse from the storm, Your Highness.”
”That's for sure, Baron Rhode,” Rhode's retort didn't displease Lydia at all. Instead, she smiled and gazed at the young man as though she were a cheeky little girl that had gotten her way with her prank. ”But, why would the storm destroy only one of the trees when the trees stood against it in unison?”
”… I think I understand your meaning now, Your Highness,” Rhode let out a bitter laugh and lifted his teacup. His tea was overly sweetened by the two sugar cubes, but he drank it without batting an eyelid. He knew why Lydia put two sugar cubes into his teacup because, after all, it was somewhat rude of him to interrupt the Duchess as a lowly-ranked Baron. The tea could also be considered as a little punishment for Rhode.
”But, Your Highness, once one enters the forest to hew the trees, the storm will sweep by again before long.”
”That is why I need a courageous forest protector to help me expel the unscrupulous intruders.”
”Just to expel?”
”Well, if the intruders go overboard, I also wouldn't mind…” Lydia paused for a moment before strolling towards the window. Rhode gazed at the young lady's back and shortly after, her crisp voice sounded. ”Baron Rhode, as a leader of a guild, I'm sure you have faced bandits that harassed the villages, right?”
”Yes, Your Highness.”
”So then, what would you do if you wish to protect the entire village from the invasion of the bandits entirely? Would you just build a solid defensive line and fend off their attacks time and time again with hopes that they would back out on their own accord?”
”That's definitely impossible, Your Highness… I would capture and get rid of them once and for all.”
”That's right,” Lydia turned around and the glaring sun shone on her back which cast a shadow on her face. Rhode couldn't see her expression, but he heard her voice clearly. ”One can bear with the sneaky mice, but it would be an entirely different story if the mice were vicious, ravenous dogs instead.”