Pirate Kingship.

Chapter 522 I declare: I am the sole ruler of the Kingdom of Hattings (7000)

Edward IV originally wanted to chip away at Warwick, the "Kingmaker" whom he hated so much, bit by bit to get rid of the hatred in his heart, but he was startled and the power in his hands suddenly went out of control.

The huge cross sword hit the blade of the Louisette Guillotine hard, and it bounced back and cut off Warwick's head in an instant.

Boom!
The head fell to the ground.

It also caused the side effects of this cursed object to come true once again on its owner, making the curse it carried even more powerful.

But no one noticed that at the moment Warwick was defeated, a bloody inverted pentagram flashed on the forehead of Richard, the "Devil Duke".

The aura on his body also increased sharply.

The succubus Therese once said: "For creatures like demons who want to rise in status, it is normal for the inferior to conquer the superior.

Absorbing the 'fifth element' from one's own kind can be digested and assimilated almost perfectly, and used as a resource for one's own advancement."

At this time, Richard, the Devil Duke, who had reaped the fruits of his labor, had obviously taken a step further.

What was digested was not only Warwick's fifth element, but also his title ability of "King Maker" and even all his intangible assets!
Because the title ability of [Devil Duke] [Financial Crocodile] greatly enhances the efficiency of the devil's overthrow:

"Crocodile Law: Suppose a crocodile bites your foot. If you use your hand to try to free your foot, the crocodile will bite your foot and hand at the same time.

The more you struggle, the more you get bitten, and eventually you are completely swallowed up and digested.

It's the same if you're bitten by the bloodthirsty banker, the Devil Duke. Once he bites you, he will never let go.

And it will perfectly digest the bitten part, eventually achieving the effect of the dragon slayer becoming the dragon.

His diet is very wide-ranging, and his prey is not limited to his own kind of devils, but he can perfectly devour any creature.

So, if you don't have the ability to kill the giant crocodile, once it bites your foot, the only way is to immediately cut off one of your feet and feed it to it!"

In Richard's initial expectation, when Warwick was successfully dealt with and his brother Edward IV was exhausted and could hardly lift his sword, it would be his turn to pick the peaches.

After all, he had made great contributions to the York royal family's ability to sit firmly on the throne, so it was only natural that he should take half of the "family property".

But now something unexpected happened.

It was thought that the [Wild Hunt] was no longer a threat after losing its ally, the [Kingmaker], but one did not expect that the other party would use some unknown means to trick Edward, resulting in an unexpected event in the inheritance of the kingship of Hastings.

He smelled a strong "same kind" smell at the first moment, and his heart skipped a beat:
"This is a powerful enemy as insidious as me!"

But when he thought of his trump card that guaranteed a 100% victory, his expression softened again:
"That's fine, let Saint Byron, Norwich, Thomas and other guys who are loyal to Edward deal with him.

After this last Lancaster has fought Edward and his loyalists to a mutual defeat, I will take action and take over everything that these two families have.

Except for the Standard Whale Oil Company, which I had long wanted to get my hands on.

The fiancée of the [Wild Hunt], the Wanmin princess [Witch of Disaster] Violet, and the fiancée of the [Sea Hunter], the [Mithril Dragon] Catherine, are both fourth-level mythical creatures.

But they are all much better than Anne Neville, who used to be so rude to me.

Only they are worthy of me, a fellow mythical creature, the [Devil Duke]. "

At this time, Edward IV no longer cared about his younger brother's greedy appetite and his desire to take everything.

He couldn't see what was disintegrating in his body, but he felt terrified, as if he was losing something vital.

But in the eyes of Byron, the real owner of the "new clothes", the other person's gorgeous dress was clearly visible.

As the lies of the "Three Phantom Suns" were exposed, they were rapidly dissipating bit by bit.

The effect of [Holy Relic: The Emperor's New Clothes] is threefold:

1. [Calling a Stag a Horse], which has already been used on the Blue Dragon King;
2. "You really made me suffer" has always been kept in Byron's hands:
"If a non-king uses this ability, he can achieve the effect of wearing a yellow robe and usurp the royal power of a certain kingdom.

Make it unable to tell which one is the real king.

According to one's own compatibility and conditions, one will inherit part of the other party's power. The better the basic conditions, the greater the power one can get. At the highest, one can stand shoulder to shoulder with the original king and become a co-king, sharing power equally.

The time limit is one day.”

3. Used on Edward IV, and half of it was given to the kingmaker by him [He is running naked]:
"Giving this power to a true king is like using a lie to elevate him to the altar of wisdom, which will have the effect of overbearing and killing him.

When someone said to him, "But he has no clothes on," it would be like a flash of lightning across the night sky.

As the lie is exposed, everything built on it will collapse with it."

Each ability can be used once. When all three abilities are used up, [The Emperor's New Clothes] will disappear completely.

Ever since Edward IV put on this garment last August, the occult has been lost to him, and no further progress will be made.

During this period of time, all the achievements and people's wishes he had gained were like reflections in the water, and would only be false joy.

The source of the power of [King’s Title] is the will of the people.

If one wants to completely destroy a country's royal power, violent siege is definitely the worst option.

Special funds should be allocated to induce internal strife, undermine public morale, alienate the nobles, cultivate opinion leaders of the opposition, and promote color... Well, even direct poisoning is better than a violent siege.

Therefore, after exposing the York family's lie that the "Three Magic Days" symbolized the destiny and divine right of kings, the people's hearts that had been gathered around him also collapsed along with the emperor's new clothes.

The golden crown that was shattering together did not disappear, but returned to the heir of the kingmaker, the Devil Duke.

For Byron has once again begun to sing the epic of the relic:
"You are the emperor's new clothes, you are the liar's lie that calls a horse a zebra, you are the fig leaf that covers the ministers' ignorance."

He decisively activated his second ability [You have really caused me so much trouble] and made a light grab at Edward IV.

She tore off a large piece of his new clothes and the broken crown and put them on herself.

At the same time, he put on the "Crown of Power" he got from his uncle and launched the strong claim held by the Lancaster family.

The majestic voice spread throughout the battlefield and fell into everyone's ears:

"I hereby declare as the sole heir to the throne of the House of Lancaster in the Kingdom of Hattings:

I own the Channel Islands, colonies, and all dependent territories, forests, rivers, minerals, and wealth under the entire Kingdom of Hastings, and am the sole legal ruler of all the people of Hastings.

He is also the only king recognized by the [Iron Law of Kingship, Magna Carta]!

Edward, the Duke of York, and all his subjects are traitors. Hereby, I, Byron Lancaster, declare war on them!"

As Byron launched his strong claim, the [Silver Law] covering the entire continent and its affiliated waters roared in, dyeing the Strait of Dover a light silver color.

Then, the [Iron Law of Kingship - Magna Carta], which was smaller in scope and only covered the territory of Hastings, also manifested simultaneously.

Layer upon layer of legal networks are intertwined, and each law is as dazzling as a star.

The part about the law of succession to the throne is particularly bright.

The relevant laws each cast a legal anchor chain onto Byron, intuitively acknowledging his "right to strong claim" and the power to declare war on the White Rose.

Finally, a red and white rose family emblem appeared above his and Edward IV's heads.

"Kill, kill, kill!"

"Restore the country! Restore the country!"

The pirates he brought with him were all so excited that their faces turned red and they raised their arms and shouted.

You know, the "right to claim" is actually the right to inherit territory, title, and property, and everything must comply with the rules of the [Silver Law] and the sea of ​​collective subconsciousness.

The mechanics of the Old World claim war are pretty self-explanatory:
"1. Strong claims can start a succession war at any time. 2. Weak claims can only be started when the other party is in regency or succession war or the queen is in power."

The York family, which had only a weak claim at the time, was able to launch the War of the Red and White Roses by taking advantage of the special situation where the Mad King Henry VI was unable to govern the country and appointed Prince Thornburg as regent and Queen Margaret to govern the country together.

After violently seizing the throne, he obtained legal recognition.

But even if the House of York sits on the throne, as long as they cannot kill all other aristocratic forces in the country, their "weak claim right" in legal terms will always be suppressed by Lancaster's "strong claim right".

now.

According to the ability rules of the last level [The Emperor's New Clothes], Byron is obviously 100% in line with [The Iron Law of Kingship - Magna Carta].

He was also the ruler of the entire Hattings colony and made a series of great contributions to the kingdom:

"Protecting the Church, Provoking the War between Castile and the Barbary Pirates, The First Colonial War, The Rift Trench, Saving the Palace of Oasis from the Death Stranding, Seizing the Treasure Fleet"

Not only does it have the popularity and legitimacy that comes with the [Crown of Power], its natural shareholding ratio is already very large.

The royal power of Edward IV was torn in half, reaching the limit of the power of this holy relic, which is the level of "King on par with the King".

Om-!
A circle of golden light and a broken crown also rose above Byron's head, shining brightly in the sky, reflecting the broken crown on Edward IV's head.

And it is far stronger and more aggressive than the latter, as if it is ready to attract the rest at any time.

There was no need to activate the domain amplification on the Golden Deer anymore. The spiritual light on his body began to rise steadily, and he quickly crossed the threshold of the fifth level.

The breathing through the mouth and nose was slightly adjusted to match the frequency of the entire country. This powerful force that had been passed down in the hands of Byron's ancestors for thousands of years and had been lost for just two years was easily controlled by Byron's "Ming Shen Jiang Sheng".

Every move of his hands and feet was responded to with a force as powerful as a tsunami.

In fact, the strength of the power of inheriting the [Royal Title] is closely related to the national strength and the degree of support from the people.

If it were a small principality or electorate with weak national strength, their inherited complete [royal title] would at best be at the level of Byron's current status.

“This time, the [King’s Title] can last for a whole day. I’ve never fought such a rich battle before.

Edward, give me the remaining half of the crown as well."

Byron held his hand empty and pulled out from the air the [Dragon Slaying Sword] that symbolized the legitimacy of the North Sea Empire, which resonated with the crown on his head.

Boom——! ! !
It was like the roar of a dragon, and he swung out three swords in succession, knocking away his father, cousin, father-in-law, and his own incarnation who were "besieging" him, and smashing them all behind Edward IV.

And they all looked very "miserable", especially the [Sea Hunter] who had a grudge against him for having his wife stolen from him. His arm was bent and it was unknown how many bones were broken.

He has almost completely lost his fighting ability, and no one will be wary of him anymore.

The three men who had been able to fight back and forth were defeated in an instant, causing most of the royal party nobles to flee in fear, their faces filled with fear as if the world was coming to an end.

Some even jumped into the sea in panic.

Since even the strongest fourth-level heroes and mythical creatures below level five have been defeated, who can stop the final Lancaster?

A few who were more alert began to think about how to sell out the York family and become the first to surrender, which might not only avoid fault but also gain merit.

On the Centaur, which was in chaos.

Byron kept walking and strode forward, heading straight for Edward IV, whose face was becoming increasingly distorted, perhaps with pain or anger.

When there were still seven steps left, he waved his hand casually, and a blazing white light shot in front of him like a javelin, one step ahead of him.

It is Byron's unique extraordinary ability [Lightning Throwing] that he developed from electricity.

crackling
Just as Edward IV instinctively took out the defensive sword stance [Hoe Stance] and blocked with the [Sword of Sacrifice], his hands felt slightly numb due to a brief electric shock.

Byron stomped his feet onto the deck and catapulted into action.

Circles of air explosions appeared under his feet, and his storm wings left afterimages behind him. He seemed to be a crossbow arrow flying low to the ground. He grasped the sword with both hands and made a powerful leap!
clang!
Edward IV only had time to hold the sword across his head before the huge force broke the sword holder, the sword spine hit his chest, blood spurted out of his mouth, and he took several steps back.

The battle situation seemed to have returned to the beginning when [King Maker] was confronting him, except that the roles of both sides were reversed.

But Byron was not Warwick the Kingmaker, and Edward IV was not himself at the beginning.

After a fierce battle, he began to gasp for breath.

Faced with Byron, who shared his power equally, he had almost no decent resistance.

After the kingship was divided equally, the law might have increased them both in exactly the same way.

But one is a patient with severe kidney deficiency who is about to be sucked dry by an ordinary woman; the other is the [Night Demon Prince] who also has a full schedule of seven days a week but can still easily control two monster queens.

There is absolutely no comparison between the two.

"beep--!"

Byron blew the [Storm Horn] to summon the eight battery brothers, and chopped into pieces all the guards who rushed up to protect him fearlessly.

He continued to attack with his sword, not giving Edward IV any chance to catch his breath or regroup, while he continued to attack his mind:

"If virtue does not match one's position, disaster will follow.

Edward, your martial virtue is clearly not sufficient.

If you surrender quickly, I will leave you an intact body.

Oh, by the way, I can also burn your queen for you, so that your family can be complete."

Obviously, dying at the hands of Byron was a much better fate than dying at the hands of Warwick.

At least there is no need to worry that the beloved "Most Beautiful Woman in the Channel Islands" will be ravaged again, like the "Incompetent Man" next door who has to wear countless green hats.

Edward IV vomited blood from his mouth and was in great pain.

He was not a true fifth-level legend, had not mastered the magic, and did not have a complete [King's Title] and could not use the unique [King's Army]. After being overturned by Byron, he no longer had the strength to turn defeat into victory.

Moreover, he seemed to have dreamt of similar scenes countless times in the middle of the night.

She lost her crown and died miserably. Her eldest daughter Elizabeth of York married her distant cousin, thus reuniting the Plantagenet bloodline.

But that is under the premise that the other party's military strength is insufficient and it is necessary to balance the forces of all parties.

Now that the other side has extraordinary power to wipe out the opposition, this kind of compromise situation may no longer occur.

"Exterminate the clan!"

A word that made Edward IV shudder deeply emerged in his heart.

Just like what they had done to Lancaster before, young and strong, old and strong, women, girls and boys... as long as they had Lancaster blood, no one would be spared.

Lancaster will definitely return it in its original form, and no one will accuse Lancaster of doing anything wrong.

All he felt when he was the abuser was pleasure, but when it was his turn to be the victim, all he felt was deep fear.

And just as his face became more distorted and his sword moves became more chaotic.

"stop!"

Cardinal Archbishop of Canterbury Robbins, who served as the military chaplain, suddenly shouted and raised his hand to summon two winged angels to pounce on Byron.

He did not do much when Edward IV had the upper hand, but when he was at a disadvantage he could no longer stand idly by.

Although the York family is only positioned as a humble thug, in the context of the current religious war, every royal family that supports Orthodoxy is invaluable.

Robins could not allow Edward to be killed, nor could he sit idly by and watch the royal power of the House of York come to an end.

He pushed aside the guards around him and shouted at Byron:
"【Wild Hunt】Byron Lancaster, don't be stubborn!

It was the will of the Creator that the House of York obtained the throne, and it was also the will of the Creator that Lancaster lost the throne.

Even if you could seize the crown by force, the saints of St. Peter's Basilica and His Holiness the Pope would not recognize your status.

If you retreat obediently, you can still save your life. Otherwise, you and your subordinates will definitely not be able to withstand the wrath of the church! "

Upon hearing this, hope suddenly rekindled in the eyes of Edward IV and other royalists.

“Yes, although the [Silver Law] and the [Iron Law of Kingship] both recognize the legitimacy of Byron’s retaking of the throne, the church disagrees.

Since the Dark Millennium, no king has ever been able to sit firmly on the throne as long as the world's greatest supernatural power does not allow it."

The law acquiesces, the church rejects!
How domineering!
And the church does have this confidence. The last daring rebel ended up kneeling barefoot in the snow outside the castle in the severe cold, wearing confession clothes, together with his wife and children, crying bitterly and begging for forgiveness.

After three days and three nights, when he was almost dying, he finally received the Pope's absolution.

That tragic lesson forced all secular kings to bow their proud heads to theocracy.

The royal power was also suppressed by theocracy for hundreds of years.

But. That was before the church split!
Byron swung his sword without any fear and cut the two angels that were attacking him into four pieces. He looked at the Archbishop of Canterbury who had not yet understood the situation and sneered:
"Fool! Do you still think that this is still the dark millennium where your church can do whatever it wants and persecute any king at will?
Why do you think I waited until the religious wars started?

Heretics who use the name of God to satisfy their own selfish desires will be the first to die on the Day of Judgment!
Lancaster has a blood debt to settle with you Orthodox Church, and none of you can escape.

Besides, I won’t be recognized by the church?

Haha, then can’t I just build my own church?
My Archbishop, come out!"

As soon as the words fell, a pure white holy light shone from the cabin of the Dreadnaught, and a figure in a religious robe slowly rose from the hatch.

I could only vaguely see that this was a strange woman, but I couldn't tell her specific identity.

In fact, it was Teresa, the first Archbishop of the Royal Church [Sister of Mercy], who had turned into a midnight demon and modified her appearance through transfiguration!

[Bishop's Ring] didn't work very well in the colonies, but it immediately exerted its full power in the homeland that was completely covered by the Silver Law.

After arriving here, her aura rose rapidly, and in the blink of an eye she was no less powerful than the Archbishop of Canterbury.

"That's the [Bishop's Ring]? Where did you get it from?!"

Archbishop of Canterbury Robbins did not recognize the identity of the clergyman, but he recognized the ring on her hand.

After a moment of surprise, he immediately realized that there was only one ring missing recently, and his face turned red with anger:

"It was you! Byron Lancaster, it was you who attacked the Malta Monastery! Rescued your relatives and killed the warden, Bishop Barbotilla?

That landslide wasn't an accident either?
You are so bold that you dare to kill a cardinal. You are dead. No one in the material world can save you!"

At the beginning, when they wanted to use Byron's relatives to threaten him to surrender, the archbishop was also an accomplice and of course knew a lot of inside information.

Now it seems that our plan has long been under the other side's nose, and was easily resolved by the other side long ago.

It’s ridiculous that we were kept in the dark and thought it was just an accident.

This last Lancaster was more insidious, cunning, and extraordinarily patient than anyone imagined.

Not only did he want to seize the secular throne, he also wanted to lead the entire Kingdom of Hastings to betray the Orthodox Church and become another diocese of the Protestant forces.

This child cannot be kept.

"Unforgivable!
Blasphemy! Lancaster, you are blaspheming the Creator. Even if you fall into Hades, you cannot wash away your sins!"

But no matter how much Robbins yelled, it was completely useless.

Theresa had already stood in front of him, and the [Bishop's Ring] on her finger bloomed like a sun wheel, blocking his roar back into his mouth.

"Something bad happened!"

The support of the church was Edward IV's trump card and the source of his courage.

When the biggest trump card was stripped away, his courage was almost gone and his heart skipped a beat.

While breathing heavily with his chest rising and falling like a bellows, he roared to the Sea Hunter, Marquis Neville, Marquis Norwich, and the Devil Duke who were holding a meeting with disabled people behind him:

"You losers, come on, stop this traitor! Come on, uh"

As the sound of the sword being unsheathed rang out, he unexpectedly discovered that the left side of his waist, which had been numb and tingling, suddenly felt cold, as if someone had made a hole in it.

He slowly lowered his head and found that he was not just pretending, but actually stabbed through the back of his waist by a sharp sword.

Then a voice trying to suppress excitement came to my ears:
“Brother, please give me your crown.

Since you are obsessed with beauty, eating, drinking and having fun all day long, why don't you let me handle government affairs for you? Why don't you give me the throne and let me rule the country in your place?"

Edward IV turned his head little by little and saw the traitor who stabbed him in the back.

It turned out to be his most trusted third brother Richard.

But it was this closest relative who stabbed him with the most fatal blow at the critical moment.

"Richard—!"

In fact, handing over the throne at this time and giving the fifth-level power bonus to the powerful [Devil Duke] Richard may indeed win a glimmer of hope and is also the best choice for the York family.

But how could Edward IV be willing to do that?

And just as he turned his head to look over, his pupils shrank.

He discovered that among a group of disabled people, a figure who was originally seriously injured and had broken bones and tendons was quietly coming behind Richard with a signature [Guaranteed Hit Gun - Gungnir] in his hand.

It resonated with the [Golden Deer] behind him and in an instant burst out with the strength of the fifth level.

Then the gun came out like a dragon!

"Uh"

Richard, who was stabbing Edward IV with a sword, could not help but lower his head slowly and found that a long spear had stabbed into his lower back and out of his abdomen.

Turning his head to look behind him, he couldn't see clearly who it was.

I only felt that the light was dazzling. It was the moral high ground shrouded by the "halo of a great good man", and the murderer was standing under the scorching sun.

And even though it was a backstab exactly like his, he still felt that this stab was so justified and righteous. It was a plan. A righteous backstab!
"Hahaha, Lord Tudor, ahem. You did a great job. Ugh."

Edward IV had just uttered a weak compliment.

However, he found that the spear that had pierced Richard continued to grow, and then pierced his right kidney like lightning, and emerged from his abdomen symmetrically on the left and right with Richard's sword.

I couldn't help but widen my eyes:
"You idiot, you poked the wrong person!"

puff!puff!
He never expected that the other two "loyal ministers", the Marquis of Neville and the Marquis of Norwich, would stab their weapons into his body one after another.

Several "great loyalists of York" looked up and grinned at him:

"Don't worry, it's not wrong."

(End of this chapter)