168: Undercurrent

Aldrich secretly returned to Holy Radiance Province in the central heartland of the Aolai Kingdom, returning to the seat of royal power, the capital, Holy Radiance City. Without alerting many people, he used secret channels to quickly meet the liege he served, First Prince Athos Olei, in a secret room within the First Prince's palace.

Prince Athos was over three hundred years old, but because his personal strength had reached the Peak Sky rank, time had not left many marks on him; he still appeared to be a steady, majestic middle-aged man with sharp eyes. He dismissed his attendants, leaving only his two most trusted aides, and listened to Aldrich's detailed report.

When he heard that Linn requested actual control over that four hundred thousand square kilometers of land after the war, Athos's brow furrowed deeply, and his fingers subconsciously tapped on the velvet-covered tabletop. For a moment, only the rhythmic tapping remained in the secret room.

"Quite an appetite," Athos finally spoke, his voice betraying neither joy nor anger. "That land... although nominally designated as a buffer zone by the Aolai Kingdom, the Dwarf Kingdom, and the Orcs tribes, it is actually in the hands of the Orcss. This condition doesn't cost me anything at the moment."

Aldrich bowed and said, "Your Highness is wise. Duke Linn is also well aware of this point, so the exchange conditions he proposed are equally weighty. He promised that if there is a change in the south, his powerful fleet will strike the heart of the rebel territory from the sea to share Your Highness's burdens, and might even become the key to deciding the war."

"Maritime power..." Athos mused; this was exactly what he lacked most. The Second Prince had operated in the south for many years, and while their land forces might be comparable, the southern coastal defenses and potential maritime power had always been a thorn in his side. The strength of the Star Sea Territory's navy, through various rumors over the years, could no longer be underestimated. "Can he really do it?"

"Based on what I saw and heard in Star Sea City," Aldrich replied cautiously, "the scale of his navy and the sophistication of his warships far exceed the average provincial fleets of our kingdom. Moreover, his port facilities are complete, and his industrial capacity is staggering, capable of supporting ocean-going operations. More importantly, he seems to have reached some form of deep cooperation with the Sea God Clan, which means he may possess unimaginable advantages or intelligence at sea."

Athos stood up and walked slowly to the window, looking at the towering silhouette of the palace outside, remaining silent for a long time.

"The development of the Great Wilderness Forest in the North has always required massive investments of manpower and resources, yet yielded little result, like a bottomless pit. Just like Brussels Province—how much of a price did the kingdom pay before seeing any improvement?" He seemed to be talking to himself, or perhaps convincing himself. "That land was never fertile soil that the kingdom could effectively control; it's more like an old scar that keeps bleeding. Using the future governance rights of a 'scar' that is too hot for us to hold and yet we're reluctant to lose..."

He turned around, a flash of decisiveness in his eyes. "To exchange it for a force that can deal a fatal blow to my dear brother from the sea at a critical moment, and to stabilize this powerful but unaligned Eastern Duke... this deal can be made."

One aide couldn't help but whisper a reminder, "Your Highness, this Linn is ambitious and is certainly not someone who will be content to remain subordinate. Today we grant him four hundred thousand square kilometers, and some day..."

Athos raised his hand to interrupt the aide, his lips curling into a cold arc. "I naturally know that. How did his title of 'Duke of Star Sea' come about? How did his two provinces come about? This man is an insatiable wolf. But for now, I need this wolf to bite my brother, and more importantly, I need him to stay quiet for a while and not cause trouble behind my back."

He looked at Aldrich and commanded, "Reply to Linn that I can, in principle, agree to his request. I will find a suitable time to advise my Father King, under the guise of 'rewarding his great merit in exterminating the wolf threat and stabilizing the borders,' to hand over that newly reclaimed land to the Star Sea Territory for 'administration, development, and defense.' But nominally, the supreme sovereignty of that land still belongs to the kingdom, and he must accept the kingdom's titles and laws."

"As for the maritime support he promised," a sharp light flashed in Athos's eyes, "I need a more specific plan and timetable. Tell him that once the agreement is reached, both parties must dispatch high-level envoys to jointly draft a secret military cooperation memorandum. My requirement is that once the capital sends the signal, his fleet must appear in my designated southern waters within the specified time and launch an effective offensive."

"Yes, Your Highness! I understand."

Athos walked to the map, his finger pressing heavily on the Second Prince's fief in the south, then slowly moving to the location of the Star Sea Territory in the east.

"I'll use him first to resolve the greatest internal threat. Once I have integrated the national forces and secured the throne..." His voice lowered, and the latter half of the sentence was almost inaudible, but everyone in the secret room knew the unspoken meaning.

"Go prepare, Aldrich. Act cautiously and ensure this matter is settled. Additionally, continue to strengthen the monitoring of the Star Sea Territory, especially its naval movements. I need to know just how sharp this 'maritime blade' of mine is, and whether it... truly obeys."

"As you command, Your Highness!"

A political transaction based on mutual exploitation, filled with calculation and the preconditions for betrayal, was quietly reached in the secret room. Both sides believed they had grasped the other's weakness and held the initiative in the deal, unaware that on the chessboard, the true players were often hidden in deeper mists... While the plotting was happening in Holy Radiance City.

Laixi Deep Province, Peacock City.

Peacock County, Peacock City. Peacock City, like Haige City, was one of the top cities in Laixi Deep Province, and the entire Peacock County was the hereditary fief of the Marquis Golden Peacock Family.

At this time, a special guest arrived at Golden Peacock Castle. Marquis Ellis... "Leonardo, I have already explained the pros and cons of the matter to you. After the Lonsen Family was hollowed out by you, that Young Master Payson who was wandering outside would like nothing more than to tear you into ten thousand pieces. He is now a figure of real power in the Star Sea Territory. If you don't make a choice, in the future..."

Marquis Ellis's words did not continue.

Marquis Golden Peacock, Leonardo, was silent for a moment. He seemed to have made a certain decision.

"Old friend, go back and tell the Second Prince that when he raises his troops, I will unite all the soldiers of the entire Laixi Deep Province—nearly two hundred thousand combat personnel—to attack Bandel Province from the north, take Tianhai City, and connect with the south into one piece."

Marquis Ellis said excitedly, "Old friend, your decision is correct. Not counting that fellow Linn's two provinces, the Aolai Kingdom has a total of fifteen provinces."

"The four southern provinces are already completely in our control. Brussels Province in the far north has no military power at all and relies entirely on the kingdom's army for support. If we attack from both north and south to take Tianhai Province, we will possess the strength of six provinces with over a million soldiers, fully capable of standing as an equal against Athos."

"Finally, I'll tell you a secret," Marquis Ellis whispered. "One of the kingdom's foundations, His Majesty's younger brother, the Intermediate Legendary Vincent, is clearly on the Second Prince's side. Combined with Grand Archmage Gordon and the Second Prince's own Elementary Legendary strength, it is enough to deal with Athos's forces. Not to mention the support of several of our Marquis families—success is certain! The Second Prince has promised that after unification, his great army will trample the Star Sea Territory. Rhine Province will be assigned to you, and you will be promoted to Duke..."