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Chapter 349
Chapter 292: Chaotic Hills Are “Good Hills,” a Hardline Stance
*Knock! Knock!*
A gentle knock sounded on the door, which was carved with the royal crest and inscriptions.
"Come in."
*Click.*
The large door was pushed open. Kelart, dressed in the robes of a Cardinal, with blue patterns stitched along the edges of her cuffs and hem, entered from outside with a young man.
"Your Highness."
"Your Highness," Kelart and the young man bowed respectfully in unison.
Seeing this, the middle-aged secretary-maid gave a slight curtsy to Holy Queen Calca, picked up the exquisite teapot from the table, and slowly exited the room, closing the door behind her.
"You are Roberts, correct?"
Holy Queen Calca gazed at the young man and spoke in a gentle voice, "You've worked hard."
"Everything is for the sake of the Holy Kingdom, Your Majesty."
"This is Roberts's honor!"
Roberts knelt on one knee, bowing his head low as he spoke with solemn gravity.
"Rise, Roberts."
"I have already reviewed the written report of the information you've gathered. There are still some points of confusion that I need you to explain in detail."
Holy Queen Calca spoke, glancing at the expressionless face of Kelart beside her. Knowing her personality, she was well aware that Kelart was in an extremely foul mood.
Anyone who read the intelligence on the Abelion Hills would not be in a good mood.
"Yes, Your Majesty." Roberts stood up, his expression serious.
Holy Queen Calca might have an overly kind personality, but her own abilities were outstanding. Once she was in her element, her meticulous mind and exceptional talent were revealed, as she quickly pointed out some of the ambiguous and strange points in the written information.
Kelart, meanwhile, stood respectfully to the side with no intention of interjecting. While she and Her Highness Calca were indeed very close friends, she also knew that in this situation, there was no need for her, as the staff officer, to speak yet.
After having her questions answered one by one by Roberts, Holy Queen Calca's expression grew increasingly stern. As she nodded slightly, her crystalline, bright cyan eyes suddenly noticed a trace of hesitation on Roberts's face.
"Roberts, the information you've provided is extremely important."
"If there is anything else of note, please feel free to speak without reservation," Holy Queen Calca said gently.
"Yes, well, it's like this, Your Highness," Roberts said softly, sounding uncertain. "My teammate, Mr. Kaleb, also discovered something strange. The weather in the Abelion Hills was exceptionally good."
"From the time we infiltrated until our departure, there were never any overcast clouds or rain in the hills. I'm not entirely sure if this counts as an anomaly."
At the mention of "Mr. Kaleb," the rims of Roberts's eyes reddened. If his partner had not paid with his life to let him escape, he would not be standing here safely now.
"The weather was too good?"
Holy Queen Calca raised her slender fingers and gently pressed her left temple, a hint of exhaustion showing in her eyes.
The "weather" didn't seem to have any direct connection to the situation in the hills.
"Wait!"
Kelart suddenly spoke. The compassionate smile she always maintained seemed to freeze on her face, replaced by a hint of anger. "This information—why wasn't it included in the written materials?"
"Lord Kelart."
Roberts was somewhat taken aback, momentarily unsure of how to respond.
"Kelart."
Holy Queen Calca's voice cut in. "Roberts, you've worked hard. You may go back and rest now."
After Roberts respectfully exited the meeting room, the atmosphere in the room actually relaxed.
"Kelart, what is it?" Holy Queen Calca finally turned to Kelart and asked, puzzled.
"My apologies, Your Highness. I'm also a bit uncertain right now," Kelart said softly after opening her mouth, then shaking her head. "The current situation is already extremely grave."
Based solely on the information revealed in the report, five demi-human races in the hills had already united, regardless of how this union was achieved.
For the Holy Kingdom, this was an extremely dangerous sign.
Simply put, the chaotic Abelion Hills are "good hills." But if the various demi-human races in the hills actually showed a trend of uniting, or even formed a so-called unified front…
It seemed somewhat incredible—but historically, 200 years ago, the hills were once ruled by the Hill Dwarves!
And now, it was no longer an unimaginable prospect.
The union of five demi-human races already showed this trend. The Holy Kingdom and the Abelion Hills were so close, they might as well be separated by a single wall.
With such a short distance between them, if all the demi-human races in the hills were to unite, the resulting threat would be on a scale that required the entire nation's strength to guard against!
The faces of both Holy Queen Calca and Kelart were tense and grim.
Who could have imagined it?
That the hills, which had been in chaos for over a hundred years, would silently develop such a situation.
"What about that 'Warrior King' Gagaran?" Holy Queen Calca asked.
"That has already been investigated."
"'Warrior King' Gagaran, a powerful demi-human who appeared on the border of the Baharuth Empire eight years ago. After causing some chaos, he was invited by Osuke, the manager of the Imperial Arena, and joined the Imperial Arena."
"He became the strongest 'Warrior King' in the history of the Arena and was known as the 'Symbol of the Empire'."
"Last September, he seemed to have been influenced by the captain of the adventurer team 'Free Will' and left the Empire. His whereabouts are unknown, and the reason is unknown."
"Analyzing the bounty placed on the adventurer team 'Free Will' by the Empire, the departure of 'Warrior King' Gagaran is most likely heavily related to that team's captain."
Kelart's tone shifted here. Her long, narrow eyes tilted upwards as she sneered, "Adventurers. As expected, they're all just a bunch of troublemakers."
"The 'Warrior King' Gagaran in the hills should be the same one who left the Baharuth Empire. Given his strength, he should be on the same tier as the 'Ten Evils of the Demi-Humans' in the hills."
She finished in one breath.
Kelart licked her dry lips, looking troubled and vexed.
Holy Queen Calca was lost in thought. "'Warrior King' Gagaran has spent time in a human country. He possesses an awareness different from that of the other demi-humans in the hills."
"Ruling the Ogre Race in the hills and trading food with us humans; this is very likely his handiwork."
"I believe so as well, Your Highness."
"However, there is one very strange thing. This might sound like I'm belittling Roberts, but with the strength of 'Warrior King' Gagaran, it should have been impossible for Roberts to escape."
"The way he announced his identity is consistent with the personality of 'Warrior King' Gagaran shown in the intelligence, but it was also far too foolish."
Kelart frowned, feeling that there were too many strange things going on.
"What are you implying?" Holy Queen Calca asked. "'Warrior King' Gagaran intentionally let Roberts go?"
"That is what I believe."
Kelart said calmly, but despite her words, her tone carried clear conviction.
"Then, Staff Officer Kelart, what are your thoughts?" Holy Queen Calca leaned back slightly, looking at Kelart.
Kelart looked up, running a hand back through her waist-length, tea-colored hair, and revealed a confident smile. "Perhaps we can question someone who is familiar with 'Warrior King' Gagaran."
Holy Queen Calca was surprised.
The Holy Kingdom had few dealings with the Baharuth Empire. Forget the Empire, they had little interaction even with the neighboring Re-Estize Kingdom.
Even if they sent someone to the Baharuth Empire now, setting aside the time it would take, acting on a national level would only complicate matters.
"No, Your Highness."
"That person is right here in our Holy Kingdom. It's the adventurer team, 'Free Will'," Kelart smiled. "But before that, there is something more important to do."
Holy Queen Calca was first surprised, then her expression turned extremely serious. Her gentle face took on a rare, oppressive air.
"Those nobles and merchants who dared to make deals with the demi-humans… it's time to deal with them," Holy Queen Calca said in a cold voice.
"Heh, heh. Remedios has long been waiting impatiently." The corners of Kelart's mouth curled up, her gaze insidious and cold.
They hadn't stopped these nobles from transacting with the demi-humans because they had sent an exploration team to infiltrate the hills.
To avoid alerting the enemy and to gather more evidence, they had allowed these nobles to continue their transactions. Now, it was naturally time to close the net.
Holy Queen Calca stood up and walked toward the door. Kelart followed two paces behind, her steps neither rushed nor slow.
"Your Highness, what about the Southern Holy Kingdom?"
"The same!"
Seeing Her Highness, who had always taken a gentle approach toward the Southern Holy Kingdom, display such a hardline attitude for the first time, a smile appeared in the corners of Kelart's eyes.
This is how it should be!
On the matter of dealing with demi-humans, if the Southern Holy Kingdom dared to harbor anyone, she wouldn't mind ruthlessly slaughtering a few high-ranking nobles.
Suddenly, Kelart felt this might not be a bad thing after all.
As the orders were issued, in just one day, the entire coastline of the Northern Holy Kingdom was sealed off, and all merchants who had engaged in transactions with demi-humans were arrested.
Fifty-six barons, seventeen viscounts, and five counts were successively escorted by the Holy Knight Order to the Holy Royal City Hoburns. In the process, any resisting nobles were unceremoniously executed by Remedios.
At the same time as this great upheaval shook the noble class of the Northern Holy Kingdom, the Church Temple in the Southern Holy Kingdom began to exert its power, arresting an even greater number of nobles and causing an even bigger sensation.
However, in both the Northern and Southern Holy Kingdoms, the highest-ranking nobles involved were of the count tier; the purge did not extend to the marquises or dukes.
This caused the highest echelons of the nobility to tremble in fear, but also breathe a sigh of relief.
Holy Queen Calca, displaying such a hardline approach for the first time since taking power, made a great number of nobles feel uneasy.
But when it came to the issue of the demi-humans, even the most foolish nobles understood that they absolutely could not be on the wrong side.
(end of chapter )
*Knock! Knock!*
A gentle knock sounded on the door, which was carved with the royal crest and inscriptions.
"Come in."
*Click.*
The large door was pushed open. Kelart, dressed in the robes of a Cardinal, with blue patterns stitched along the edges of her cuffs and hem, entered from outside with a young man.
"Your Highness."
"Your Highness," Kelart and the young man bowed respectfully in unison.
Seeing this, the middle-aged secretary-maid gave a slight curtsy to Holy Queen Calca, picked up the exquisite teapot from the table, and slowly exited the room, closing the door behind her.
"You are Roberts, correct?"
Holy Queen Calca gazed at the young man and spoke in a gentle voice, "You've worked hard."
"Everything is for the sake of the Holy Kingdom, Your Majesty."
"This is Roberts's honor!"
Roberts knelt on one knee, bowing his head low as he spoke with solemn gravity.
"Rise, Roberts."
"I have already reviewed the written report of the information you've gathered. There are still some points of confusion that I need you to explain in detail."
Holy Queen Calca spoke, glancing at the expressionless face of Kelart beside her. Knowing her personality, she was well aware that Kelart was in an extremely foul mood.
Anyone who read the intelligence on the Abelion Hills would not be in a good mood.
"Yes, Your Majesty." Roberts stood up, his expression serious.
Holy Queen Calca might have an overly kind personality, but her own abilities were outstanding. Once she was in her element, her meticulous mind and exceptional talent were revealed, as she quickly pointed out some of the ambiguous and strange points in the written information.
Kelart, meanwhile, stood respectfully to the side with no intention of interjecting. While she and Her Highness Calca were indeed very close friends, she also knew that in this situation, there was no need for her, as the staff officer, to speak yet.
After having her questions answered one by one by Roberts, Holy Queen Calca's expression grew increasingly stern. As she nodded slightly, her crystalline, bright cyan eyes suddenly noticed a trace of hesitation on Roberts's face.
"Roberts, the information you've provided is extremely important."
"If there is anything else of note, please feel free to speak without reservation," Holy Queen Calca said gently.
"Yes, well, it's like this, Your Highness," Roberts said softly, sounding uncertain. "My teammate, Mr. Kaleb, also discovered something strange. The weather in the Abelion Hills was exceptionally good."
"From the time we infiltrated until our departure, there were never any overcast clouds or rain in the hills. I'm not entirely sure if this counts as an anomaly."
At the mention of "Mr. Kaleb," the rims of Roberts's eyes reddened. If his partner had not paid with his life to let him escape, he would not be standing here safely now.
"The weather was too good?"
Holy Queen Calca raised her slender fingers and gently pressed her left temple, a hint of exhaustion showing in her eyes.
The "weather" didn't seem to have any direct connection to the situation in the hills.
"Wait!"
Kelart suddenly spoke. The compassionate smile she always maintained seemed to freeze on her face, replaced by a hint of anger. "This information—why wasn't it included in the written materials?"
"Lord Kelart."
Roberts was somewhat taken aback, momentarily unsure of how to respond.
"Kelart."
Holy Queen Calca's voice cut in. "Roberts, you've worked hard. You may go back and rest now."
After Roberts respectfully exited the meeting room, the atmosphere in the room actually relaxed.
"Kelart, what is it?" Holy Queen Calca finally turned to Kelart and asked, puzzled.
"My apologies, Your Highness. I'm also a bit uncertain right now," Kelart said softly after opening her mouth, then shaking her head. "The current situation is already extremely grave."
Based solely on the information revealed in the report, five demi-human races in the hills had already united, regardless of how this union was achieved.
For the Holy Kingdom, this was an extremely dangerous sign.
Simply put, the chaotic Abelion Hills are "good hills." But if the various demi-human races in the hills actually showed a trend of uniting, or even formed a so-called unified front…
It seemed somewhat incredible—but historically, 200 years ago, the hills were once ruled by the Hill Dwarves!
And now, it was no longer an unimaginable prospect.
The union of five demi-human races already showed this trend. The Holy Kingdom and the Abelion Hills were so close, they might as well be separated by a single wall.
With such a short distance between them, if all the demi-human races in the hills were to unite, the resulting threat would be on a scale that required the entire nation's strength to guard against!
The faces of both Holy Queen Calca and Kelart were tense and grim.
Who could have imagined it?
That the hills, which had been in chaos for over a hundred years, would silently develop such a situation.
"What about that 'Warrior King' Gagaran?" Holy Queen Calca asked.
"That has already been investigated."
"'Warrior King' Gagaran, a powerful demi-human who appeared on the border of the Baharuth Empire eight years ago. After causing some chaos, he was invited by Osuke, the manager of the Imperial Arena, and joined the Imperial Arena."
"He became the strongest 'Warrior King' in the history of the Arena and was known as the 'Symbol of the Empire'."
"Last September, he seemed to have been influenced by the captain of the adventurer team 'Free Will' and left the Empire. His whereabouts are unknown, and the reason is unknown."
"Analyzing the bounty placed on the adventurer team 'Free Will' by the Empire, the departure of 'Warrior King' Gagaran is most likely heavily related to that team's captain."
Kelart's tone shifted here. Her long, narrow eyes tilted upwards as she sneered, "Adventurers. As expected, they're all just a bunch of troublemakers."
"The 'Warrior King' Gagaran in the hills should be the same one who left the Baharuth Empire. Given his strength, he should be on the same tier as the 'Ten Evils of the Demi-Humans' in the hills."
She finished in one breath.
Kelart licked her dry lips, looking troubled and vexed.
Holy Queen Calca was lost in thought. "'Warrior King' Gagaran has spent time in a human country. He possesses an awareness different from that of the other demi-humans in the hills."
"Ruling the Ogre Race in the hills and trading food with us humans; this is very likely his handiwork."
"I believe so as well, Your Highness."
"However, there is one very strange thing. This might sound like I'm belittling Roberts, but with the strength of 'Warrior King' Gagaran, it should have been impossible for Roberts to escape."
"The way he announced his identity is consistent with the personality of 'Warrior King' Gagaran shown in the intelligence, but it was also far too foolish."
Kelart frowned, feeling that there were too many strange things going on.
"What are you implying?" Holy Queen Calca asked. "'Warrior King' Gagaran intentionally let Roberts go?"
"That is what I believe."
Kelart said calmly, but despite her words, her tone carried clear conviction.
"Then, Staff Officer Kelart, what are your thoughts?" Holy Queen Calca leaned back slightly, looking at Kelart.
Kelart looked up, running a hand back through her waist-length, tea-colored hair, and revealed a confident smile. "Perhaps we can question someone who is familiar with 'Warrior King' Gagaran."
Holy Queen Calca was surprised.
The Holy Kingdom had few dealings with the Baharuth Empire. Forget the Empire, they had little interaction even with the neighboring Re-Estize Kingdom.
Even if they sent someone to the Baharuth Empire now, setting aside the time it would take, acting on a national level would only complicate matters.
"No, Your Highness."
"That person is right here in our Holy Kingdom. It's the adventurer team, 'Free Will'," Kelart smiled. "But before that, there is something more important to do."
Holy Queen Calca was first surprised, then her expression turned extremely serious. Her gentle face took on a rare, oppressive air.
"Those nobles and merchants who dared to make deals with the demi-humans… it's time to deal with them," Holy Queen Calca said in a cold voice.
"Heh, heh. Remedios has long been waiting impatiently." The corners of Kelart's mouth curled up, her gaze insidious and cold.
They hadn't stopped these nobles from transacting with the demi-humans because they had sent an exploration team to infiltrate the hills.
To avoid alerting the enemy and to gather more evidence, they had allowed these nobles to continue their transactions. Now, it was naturally time to close the net.
Holy Queen Calca stood up and walked toward the door. Kelart followed two paces behind, her steps neither rushed nor slow.
"Your Highness, what about the Southern Holy Kingdom?"
"The same!"
Seeing Her Highness, who had always taken a gentle approach toward the Southern Holy Kingdom, display such a hardline attitude for the first time, a smile appeared in the corners of Kelart's eyes.
This is how it should be!
On the matter of dealing with demi-humans, if the Southern Holy Kingdom dared to harbor anyone, she wouldn't mind ruthlessly slaughtering a few high-ranking nobles.
Suddenly, Kelart felt this might not be a bad thing after all.
As the orders were issued, in just one day, the entire coastline of the Northern Holy Kingdom was sealed off, and all merchants who had engaged in transactions with demi-humans were arrested.
Fifty-six barons, seventeen viscounts, and five counts were successively escorted by the Holy Knight Order to the Holy Royal City Hoburns. In the process, any resisting nobles were unceremoniously executed by Remedios.
At the same time as this great upheaval shook the noble class of the Northern Holy Kingdom, the Church Temple in the Southern Holy Kingdom began to exert its power, arresting an even greater number of nobles and causing an even bigger sensation.
However, in both the Northern and Southern Holy Kingdoms, the highest-ranking nobles involved were of the count tier; the purge did not extend to the marquises or dukes.
This caused the highest echelons of the nobility to tremble in fear, but also breathe a sigh of relief.
Holy Queen Calca, displaying such a hardline approach for the first time since taking power, made a great number of nobles feel uneasy.
But when it came to the issue of the demi-humans, even the most foolish nobles understood that they absolutely could not be on the wrong side.
(end of chapter )
