Chapter 72: Eighth Episode: Chapter 8 (2/2)

”They... They did not allow this....”

”Roya!” The Prince interrupted the words of his sister. ”Your History teacher should be changed. Did he not tell you what the nature of the profit of your country is?”

”What is that?”

”To put it simply,” The Prince yawned. ”The strengths of a country, in a broad sense, is to take advantage of things when opportunity presents itself. If there is no advantage, create the opportunity to take advantage of situation. If there is something that can easily be taken advantage of, then who will not do it?”

Caro Arsia nodded, troubled. ”I understand, our Italia is simply an opportunity to be taken advantage of. Those fake gentlemen can disregard the Alliance agreement and the words. They simply abandoned their companion for an unrealistic advantage.”

”Of course! Once, a philosopher said this: if you want to know who has betrayed you, then start looking for it from your closest friends.” The expression of the Prince finally became cold and cruel.

”A thousand kilogram of gold, setting the area within twenty kilometer of the border at the southern mountain area as area without defense, implementing 20% import tax on any goods that enter Titan from all borders without condition and writing an official letter of apology about the case of assassination in the way of a memo,” The Princess flicked the documents in her hands. ”Just this?”

”Yes, just this,” The Prince returned to his nonchalant self. ”I always thought that this golden lion, Morisette Royal Family will request many unreasonable things. But if the attachments of the ceasefire agreement is truly these, then I think the Kingdom can still accept it.”

”Can it be that this was not made by the Titan Emperor?” The Princess was in doubt.

”Of course not. This is the information provided by those who sympathized with us. But I think there won’t be much changes. In fact, it does not matter even if there is. The Narcissus Knights are not that far from Caesar Palace. The Kingdom don’t have much choice.”

Upon saying this, there was no need to continue this conversation anymore. These facts have been laid out clearly. Facing the threats of the Narcissus Knights and the unreasonable request of the invader Titan, Italia Kingdom could only compromise. If now was the end of the legendary generation, there was no way these things could happen. When the Romans built a great Empire that covered the whole Westland, the economy, culture, language and words of this Kingdom had a strong effect on the whole Westland country.

But now? Along with the destruction of the Ancient Roman Empire, Italia eternally lost its golden age. But this did not weaken the pride in the heart of people of Italia. At Church Calendar 6th century, the people of Italia organized a huge corporate of boats that accommodated ten thousand sailors. These boats arrived at the southwest of the faraway Feru. This trip not only strengthened the historical position of Italia as the ‘King of Boats’, but also brought a few tons of gold and all sorts of rare jewels for the Manuel Kingdom.

Italia was full of artistic sense. This race was full of creativity when it came to music, dance and literature. The nobles’ circles of the whole Westland regarded reciting the poems of Italia as civilized and well-cultured. The singer and famous opera from Italia had also received acknowledgement from administrators in many countries.

Manuel Kingdom’s wealth and progress strengthened its position in the administrative level of the whole Westland Kingdom. Caesar Palace of the Roman was the symbol of fashion then. The way of dressing favored by those in the Palace all came from the characteristics of the royal family of being open and daring. And the boldness and generosity of the King of Italia has won the nation the reputation of being hospitable and welcoming.

Lastly, it was the businessman of Italia. They provided service for Manuel Royal Kingdom and nobles all around the country. Their footsteps were already all over the Westland, their boats sailed across thousands miles of ocean. The active Italia businessman would use gold coins and all sorts of luxury goods that nobody even heard of to smoothen their relationship between themselves and the administrative level. They received special rights in all sorts of specialized areas. These rights were developed into a wholesome system at the start of Church Calendar 7th century. These businessman utilized the company and the Shipbuilding Association to control almost all of the overseas trading. To this point, if the Manuel Kingdom is short of money, then it could simply hint at any businessman in the shipbuilding industry, and soon enough an accountant will enter the Castle and tell the Royal Family they can write whatever they want on the bill. Of course, after that, this huge shipbuilder would definitely become a Viscount or Count immediately.

But a country that has no battle ability would always get caught up in troubles. In fact, saying this was slightly wrong because his armed ship battalion had strong battle abilities. Even Faran who earned most from the sea, West Percy Kingdom, Engels Kingdom also acknowledged this fact. But once the war broke out on the land, the bad character of the people of Italia who enjoyed entertainment and treasured wealth too much was showed cruelly. The young man would join the Mercenary Group instead of servicing the Kingdom. And those generals who led the armies were more willing to put their energy into the foreign currency market and business. This way, in the five centuries when Italia was ruled by the Manuel Kingdom, this country lost almost all of its wars! Of course, the wars meant the wars on land. On the wide sea, Italia has not raised its surrender flag before in any sea wars.

”We have no ability to get our battle ships on the land and the sailors are more familiar with battling on the sea. When they come to the land, I believe those guys who are used to the wind of the sea will feel headache.” Teodoro Manuel said to his sister with regret.

”Don’t even mention those mercenaries. They sold their life for money. They do not even know what dignity and honor is. And you know what? If an army cannot understand the meaning of these two emotions, then they will be just like the Imperial Army. Under normal circumstances, they will automatically stay away from victory.” The more the Prince said, the bitter he got. He has an army that was enough to conquer the whole sea, but not one that could defend against attacks on land. This was undoubtedly the most awkward and deadliest weakness of his Kingdom. But this weakness simply could not be overcome. The character of the people of Italia did not include such spirit that resembled the Andrews. The adventurous spirit they have appeared weak and without force in front of the character of the people.

The primary reason why such a Kingdom with no strong military force could exist in the cruel Westland for few hundred years was the protection and adoration of the Church. As the spiritual leader of God of Light in this world, the power possessed by the Church was unimaginable. When the Westland had not fully established the monarchy system, the Church even had the power to influence the dethronement of a King.

The support of the Church towards Italia Royal Family was not without payback. The Manuel Kingdom’s money gifts to the Church was already an astronomical number. It was believed that there was only a Kingdom that was able to provide endless wealth for the Church in the whole Westland. But this sort of squandering would definitely overrun its banks one day, then the Manuel would naturally need to deal with this problem out front. Thus this Kingdom was taking up the role of an accountant for the Church. They not only provided annual money gifts to the Church, but also paid back any losses.

”But this squandering has completely gone beyond the what the Kingdom can afford! We have sold numerous noble titles. We gave up many specialized projects. This completely reduced the political credibility of the Kingdom to nothingness!” Teodoro Manuel finally gritted his teeth. If the God was right behind of him, then this Prince would turn around and tell his creator without hesitation!

”Hey! I resent your servants! They are a bunch of fake gentlemen who are cruel and heartless. They are evil doers who are even greedier than the pirate. When they recite a mantra in a church that is built with jewels hoping to enter heaven, I am right beside them to curse them crazily to go down to hell as soon as possible!”

The Prince got a cup of brandy in a rage.

”But….. But they helped us to block off the intruders in the end. If it was not the intervention of the Pope His Grand Eminence, I’m afraid that...”

”Enough!” It was the first time the Prince interrupted his sister’s words so rudely. ”Little girl, you are too ignorant. That is because Italia still needs the rule of Manuel and the Church needs Manuel to be the factory that produces money for them. If the day comes when the Church thinks another ruler is more suited to this role, believe me, the first group that will stand up against the Royal Family must be these damned people who wear the coat of holiness!”

Caro Arsia’s eyes went wide open and she could not speak a word. She was a devout believer of the God of Light, but when her brother was cursing the servants of God crazily, she could not find a word to fight against him. She believed that the Church was falling into corruption and evil. But God would definitely realize this and everything would be better!

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”Yes! Everything is fine!” Alfa III His Majesty gazed at the dance floor he just renovated and exclaimed!

The Narcissus Knights began to retreat. They received the five hundred golds from the Church. Of course, this amount was paid by the Italia Royal Family. They could not let the god-chosen warriors come for nothing.

The action of the southern army district has finally ended. The matter of Horfansted was briefly mentioned. That Viscount Silvio who created all of this ruckus has been warned accordingly by the Front Commander Department. The Church actually did not care of this matter. They were busy organizing the group of high-ranked priests who would visit Andrew.

On the celebration ball that was about to be held, Alfa III His Majesty would announce the matter of engagement of his little daughter. This was the matter that he was most satisfied with! His little girl was about to get married. No matter as a father or an Emperor, he wholeheartedly hoped that his daughter’s marriage would receive the blessings of the God and wished for God to extend his blessings eternally for the future generations of th young man and lady.

Hamilton Palace has made enough preparations for this huge victory that was rare in a hundred years. They have injected enough fuel for the oil lamps and filled champagne in the tower of wine glasses. From the seating of the bigshots to the standing position of the servant, they have made final confirmations. After everything has been completed, the servants from the kitchen would bring an abundance of visually enjoyable and tasty food to the buffet area.

The few public living rooms of the Emperor were also renovated. Bright red, soft cushions were put on the seat and the curtains were replaced with silk products of the east. When the candle light shone on this wide and elegant room, the highest ruler of Titan Empire sat on his Royal Seat. His Majesty glanced at the busy crowd with a smile. Sometimes, he would even instruct the decoration of certain small objects.

”Then... is it about to begin?” Oscar stopped at the middle walkway of the Palace door. He asked this to the few Sirs behind him.

”Yes! That is correct!” The High Official of Ministry of Justice Marquis Roment Huga Andeses nodded slightly.

At this moment, Oscar stood at the top of the high platform of the forecourt of Hamilton Palace. He gazed downwards. This was truly a magnificent sight! The honorable gentlemen in the nobles’ circles of the Capital have already worn all sorts of court suits neatly. They have ladies and madams who were as beautiful and attractive in their arms. The gleam of the jewels brightened up the monotonous night. Celebrating the victory was the matter of men. The main aim for the ladies who came to the palace was to get acquainted with some handsome young men. And also, it was to compare the precious clothes and design of jewelry with one another. The military officers of the Guards have heavy medals hanging on their front chests. Some of them came with their partners. Looking from afar, they seemed just like statues covered in capes. The traffic caused by the carriages was frozen at the end of the Road of Kings. Fire was lit up in the carriages to bring some light. The small yet numerous bright lights formed an intriguing tape of light. This strain of light seemed to attract more stars to join it.

Oscar breathed out. ”Ola! It seems like there would be three thousand guests tonight. It is truly a feast.”

”Yes, Your Highness!” The High Official of Ministry of Justice nodded lightly.

Oscar looked in confusion at this Sir. Then he took a glance at the few administrative officials behind him. Among them were the Military Affairs Chancellor Marshal Alan and the Taxation Minister Marquis Yael Owen. The others were officials who have rather important responsibilities in the imperial court but he could not remember their names.

”The way these guys looked at me was a little playful. Is my outfit the problem?” Little Oscar mumbled to himself as he looked at himself from top to bottom. He wore a royal blue court suit. This style of this suit was not much different than the general outfit: gold string for the side, lace sides for the places like cuff, collar and buttonhole. The Prince did not wear a hat. His hair was kept in a small ponytail. Going near him the people could smell the aroma of narcissus on him.

”Sasha!” Oscar pulled his younger sister over. ”Do I have any problems?” The young man asked in a low voice.

”You have no problem. Moreover, who could doubt my choice? I prepared this outfit for you. Is brother doubting me now?” Sasha reached out her hands to arrange the collar for her brother.

The Prince raised his head slightly to allow the little miss to tend to his collar more easily. ”Could it be my imagination? These guys who are proud usually are suddenly nice.”

Oscar pulled his sister to the other side of the palace door. ”Hey! Did you notice? They don’t even dare to walk in front of me! It’s fine with those whom I am not acquainted with, but even Silverfox Alan was wearing a cautious expression! Could it be that father’s attack finally made them understand how to respect Andrew? But this does not make sense!”

”Your Highness! There you are! Hahahahahaha!” A voice that went out of pitch for no reason suddenly rang.

After experiencing loads of goosebumps, Oscar finally had a clear look of the Sir that came up the stairs.

”Ola! Marquis Almodovar Godzilla! Sir Finance Minister! As your old friend, I must remind you that running this way is not in any way good for your health.” Oscar made a slight courteous bow to the mountain of meat in front of him.

”Oh my Your Highness! Thank you for your kindness, but I should be the one to greet you first!” Sea Creature exaggeratedly held his chest. His heart seemed to be able to jump out of his chest any moment.

”Congratulations Your Highness! I did not think the matter will progress so quickly!” The Sea Creature seemed to be extremely excited. This old creature, who was slightly over fifty years old, draped his hand over the neck of the little Prince as if he was treating a young man.

”Hmm... Urgh!” Oscar supported the weight of the Sea Creature in difficulty. He suspected this fat pig actually wanted to borrow his shoulder in order to get some air. ”You have to be clear. I only came back safely. Is this something that should be specially congratulated on?”

”What? You still have no idea?” Almodovar looked at little Prince in hesitation, but this creature from the deep sea who was extremely cautious took a quick glance at the little miss beside the Prince. ”Ah... There’s nothing much! You will know about this during the balls, but it is simply the reward given by Alfa III His Majesty to you. After all, it was because of you that the Empire won the war.”

Oscar pursed his lip in disdain. ”Yeah. I heard of these words for countless times since I came back to Dulin. Change another topic, will you?”

Almodovar shrugged his shoulder without caring. ”Of course, mind if we talk about our business?”

Oscar looked around him. Sea Creature and he have already gone out of the crowds. ”Pick another time.”

The Sea Creature nodded. ”That’s what I thought. What about the day after tomorrow? I can bring you to a place. It is famous for beauty dogs. It’s impossible for you to not hear about that, right?” The voice of the Sea Creature was suddenly pushed low to the maximum.

But Sasha E. heard it still. She did not know what beauty dogs were, but as soon as she heard it she turned away in disdain. Those were the ugly faces of the men in the nobles’ circles in the Capital! They treated women like playthings, an exquisite decoration in the home, and a flavoring agent for social activities. When they talked about these things, they did not avoid it at all. They did not even feel ashamed by it. Instead they treated this as their pride! According to the saying, these dirty guys even played other woman in front of their wives. Sasha spitted. It was too disgusting. Thinking about this was already an utmost disrespect to the God! The little miss glared at her brother in a serious way. She hoped that her brother would reject this determinedly.

”Could it be... Dog Biting Club?” Oscar’s eyes went wide open.

”Haha! That’s why I said you little guy will not be that ignorant!” The Sea Creature laughed without caring that there were others beside him. He totally did not care about the paled expression of the furious little miss. In his eyes, women could never interfere with the matter of the men.

”Ah... All matters have come into one.” Oscar mumbled. Wasn’t it so? In this three days, he already heard the name of the Dog Biting Club for many times. It seemed like it was impossible to not go!

”Alright! Notify me when it’s time!” Oscar could only say this.

The little miss swung out of her brother’s arm. She was a little furious. No matter how ignorant she was, she knew what sort of place the so-called club is. Moreover, this club had such name.

The Sea Creature glanced at the young lady without emotion. Until now, he never once greeted the little miss. This guy seemed to have traumatized by some events before. His habit to torture and belittle woman has been set deep in his mind since his younger days.

”Then Your Highness... How was Swan Hill Castle?” The Finance Minister changed the topic again. The little Prince and he had already gone into the crowds in the hall.

”Yeah! It’s very good! Just like paradise... Some imperfection would be that the butler there is a little crazy.”

”Hehe. What about the Knights Division directly under your command? As an old friend, I must remind you that you must not let them cause any trouble. This is Dulin, not your hometown.” These words of the Sea Creature was rather focused.

”Thank you for your reminder.” Oscar bowed. ”But excess worrying is useless, you know? Alfa III His Majesty has ordered the Imperial Army to implement Injunction Order on my Division. The ones able to walk out of Swan Hill are only fifty of them. The rest have to stay nicely in the castle.”

The young lad smiled coldly. It was extremely dangerous to put a whole Division of Narcissus Knights by one’s side. The spies of the Morisette Royal Family courageously set up a few observation decks nearby Swan Hill. These people were cautious against the Andrew as if they were thieves.

”Woo.... Wooo.... Wooo....”

The trumpeter of the palace blew his trumpets. The ball was about to begin. The little Prince adjusted his expression and walked into the venue with raised head. In the next moment, his life was about to enter a more wide arena. We completely believe that when the first dance of the ball begins, O’Neil Andrew Morisette would welcome the most important turn of event in his life.