The Demon King is unfathomable

Chapter 609 Who is the Empire's True Friend?
Ophia followed Ilana back to her dormitory.

Although the 30-square-meter apartment wasn't large, it had all the necessary facilities, and even many things that Ophia had never seen before.

Just as she was marveling at the gas lamps and radiators that could be operated without magic, the delegation from the Holy City of the Os Empire finally arrived at Campbell Castle.

In the reception room of Campbellburg, the charcoal fire in the fireplace burned brightly, making the white snow outside the floor-to-ceiling windows appear even colder.

The maid in the long dress bowed slightly, poured black tea for the two important figures sitting at the round table, then quietly withdrew with the tray, closing the door behind her.

In the spacious room, besides the two recorders sitting on one side, there was only Edward, the ruler of the Duchy of Campbell, and Baron Adair Vincent, the special envoy representing the Senate of the Os Empire to convey the will of the Empire.

Sitting in a high-backed chair, Edward silently observed the envoy from the holy city through the rising steam of the tea.

Baron Adair was about forty-five or forty-six years old and had a well-proportioned figure, without the bloated beer belly of many traditional imperial nobles.

He wore a well-tailored dark blue suit, with a solid gold cross badge on his chest, symbolizing his status as a special envoy of the Senate. But what was most striking was his meticulously combed, jet-black hair.

Obviously, it was dyed.

As a superhuman with considerable strength, Edward's gaze easily caught the unnatural gray hair deep in the Baron's temples.

A faint smile appeared on Edward's lips.

This middle-aged baron was clearly extremely concerned about his dignity and unwilling to show even the slightest sign of aging in front of the ruler of the vassal state.

Just like an aging empire.

The two greeted each other with impeccable aristocratic manners, observing one another as their pleasantries flowed slowly amidst the aroma of tea.

"This black tea is really good. Is it local tea from the Duchy of Campbell?" Baron Adair picked up his teacup, took a sip, and showed a polite expression of admiration.

Edward smiled faintly and said in a humorous tone.

"The Duchy of Campbell does not produce tea; our land is more suitable for growing grapes and making fine wine. The tea you are drinking actually comes from the Empire's colony, a tea plantation located in the southern part of Whirlpool Sea."

"Really? But why haven't I tasted it in the Holy City?" Baron Adair smiled, gently placed the teacup back on the saucer, and said in a teasing tone, "It seems that the Kingdom of Sek sold you the best tea leaves, and only took the rest to the Holy City."

“Perhaps,” Edward smiled upon hearing this, but only gave an ambiguous answer, “but in my opinion, it may just be a difference in brewing techniques. The citizens of Thunder City love to drink tea, and coffee as well… In this respect, I’m afraid I don’t enjoy it as much as they do.”

"...Haha, Your Highness is too modest! But speaking of which, the hospitality of the Campbell people is indeed impressive. I felt that warmth from the moment I disembarked, as if my ship had never left the port of the Holy City. It wasn't until I saw that tall four-sided clock that I realized I was in a foreign land."

"It is my honor to make you feel at home."

"Haha, Your Highness is too kind."

Adair picked up his teacup again and took a sip, his gaze naturally falling on Edward's striking white hair, his voice carrying just the right amount of concern and curiosity.

"However, Your Highness Duke Edward, please forgive my intrusion. I remember you were in your prime, so why is your hair already streaked with gray?"

Are you referring to this?

Noticing Adair's gaze, Edward raised his hand and gently brushed aside his silver bangs, speaking in a casual tone.

"To be honest, these are not marks left by the years, but rather marks I made myself."

Adair was slightly taken aback, clearly not expecting this answer.

In the noble circles of the Holy City, people would rather pluck out every single white hair, or even shave their heads and wear wigs. How could anyone do the opposite?
"Oh? That's really...unexpected. I wonder if it has some special meaning? Or is it part of the local culture?"

"neither."

Edward gently shook his head, a tender smile playing on his lips.

"It's mainly for my sister, Eileen."

Adair's expression was even more surprised. He clearly couldn't understand the deeper meaning of those words, let alone how they involved his sister.

Edward had anticipated the Imperial envoy's reaction.

He paused briefly, his voice softening, and began to recount the story that took place in the winter of 1053.

"...In the winter of 1053, it wasn't just the people of Granstonburg who suffered; the situation in the Dusk Province reached its most dire stage. To save the people of the Holy Light from despair, my sister Eileen, as Campbell's hero, resolutely led the Northern Rescue Army to that cursed land."

Baron Adair's Adam's apple bobbed, and the arrogance deep in his eyes subsided slightly, replaced by a complex expression.

Clearly, he had heard of the Chaos Corruption that had broken out in the Twilight Province, after all, it had even alarmed His Holiness the Pope.

Chief Judge Jiménez even led the court to the site himself and stayed there for a whole year, only returning triumphantly this autumn.

"Did something happen to her?"

Edward nodded gently.

"The Twilight People, who are connected to the Campbells by blood, were finally saved, and the warriors of the Northern Rescue Army returned to their homeland. But Erin, my dear sister... she overused the power of Utawarerumono, draining her young life and losing her youth forever. Her once radiant golden hair faded to silver."

“By Saint Sith… I am saddened by what has happened here.” Baron Adair took a deep breath and finally managed to squeeze out a sincere expression of concern.

Even though he looked down on the people of the borderlands, the blood of holy light still flowed in his veins, and he was still moved by this touching epic story.

"Thank you, but it's all in the past now. Guarding the borders for the empire and protecting its sacred dignity is an inescapable duty of the Campbell family, and it has been so for generations."

Noticing the change in Adair's expression, Edward gave a gentle smile and continued in a calm tone.

“I cannot bear the pain of losing her youth for her, nor can I bring back her lost youth. As her brother, the only thing I can do is dye my hair the same color as hers... At least, when we stand side by side before Campbell's people, I can share some of her loneliness and not let her bear those strange looks alone.”

This touching speech was not only filled with heartwarming "small love," but also placed the Principality of Campbell on the greater love of "fighting for the Holy Light."

Even Baron Adair, who harbored arrogance and prejudice against the border nobles, was moved and lowered his proud head for a moment.

"Her Highness Irene's bravery and sacrifice are admirable. On behalf of the Senate, I sincerely thank the Campbell family for their outstanding contributions to maintaining regional peace and the faith in the Holy Light... I will bring the stories I heard today back to the Senate."

Adair placed his right hand on his chest in a gesture of respect. However, he then subtly shifted the topic away from the heavy subject.

As an imperial envoy, he came here to convey the will of the Senate, not to listen to the complaints of the local lords.

"To be honest, Your Highness, I greatly admire you, especially after what I saw on the way to Campbellburg. From the factories belching white smoke to the steel behemoths speeding along the tracks, and the well-dressed citizens on the streets... the economic vitality here probably dwarfs even some of the wealthiest provinces of the Empire. All of this shows that you are a wise ruler who has lived up to the Holy Light's expectations of you."

“You flatter me, Your Excellency. This is all thanks to the hard work of the people of the Duchy of Campbell. They created these treasures that you and I can see with their own sweat.” Edward took an elegant sip of his black tea, quietly waiting for the other to continue.

He knew very well that the imperial envoy had come all this way not to listen to his complaints, nor to flatter him.

This sweet talk was merely a prelude to the eventual revelation of their true intentions.

As expected, Adair lowered his right hand from his chest, crossed his fingers on the table, and his tone of praise took on a hint of heartache.

"Unfortunately, not all lands can be bathed in the sunlight of order and peace like the Principality of Campbell."

"Like the New World?"

"It has nothing to do with the New World. What I want to talk about is the Kingdom of Ryan. You must have heard that a terrible tragedy has just occurred there."

"You mean the Devalo family?"

"Yes."

A shadow fell over Adair's eyes.

"A mob with no moral compass stormed the sacred palace and brutally executed their king, attempting to use the National Assembly to undermine the legal system that has lasted for millennia. By now, you can probably sense how absurd they are. Using a constitution to restrain their monarch—what do they take the king, bestowed upon them by the gods, for?!"

Edward's expression was somewhat subtle.

He did feel that the group of guys he had supported were a bit too radical, but he still had to say a few words for them in front of the imperial envoy.

"Their actions...they did go a bit too far, but if you knew what Theiron had done, you wouldn't be so surprised by their anger."

"No matter what Theodore has done, it cannot change the blasphemy that is taking place in Roland! Clearly, they are not doing any better than Theodore, are they?"

The envoy's voice unconsciously rose a few decibels.

He stared intently into Edward's eyes, his words, though tactful, conveyed a pressure as clear as a drawn sword.

"Your Highness, I understand your sympathy for them, but the Senate is utterly outraged by this violation of ancient laws. The Empire will not tolerate this plague of chaos spreading across the Old World, especially given the discordant rumors we've heard..."

Adair leaned forward, lowering his voice even further.

"Some say that the Duchy of Campbell seems to have played a dishonorable role in this riot aimed at overthrowing the Lane royal family... What are your thoughts on this?"

Faced with this sharp accusation, Edward's expression remained unchanged; instead, a faint smile appeared on his lips.

"Your Excellency, rumors always precede the truth, but they often cannot withstand scrutiny from the wise."

“Oh?” Baron Adair raised an eyebrow slightly. “You mean, these rumors are all baseless?”

"To be precise, it was a frame-up."

Edward's voice was steady and powerful, and his expression revealed no flaw whatsoever, as if he really hadn't done anything at all.

"The Duchy of Campbell has always respected the traditions of the Empire. We are the most devout defenders of peace, and we are willing to give our lives to fight against Chaos. Interfering in the politics of other countries has never been part of our code of conduct."

Baron Adair's eyes widened, and he unconsciously sat up straight in his chair.

He had never seen anyone lie so blatantly!
However, Edward continued speaking before he could refute him.

"The tragedy of the Kingdom of Ryan is indeed heartbreaking, but it was the inevitable result of their long-standing internal conflicts. You can ask any Ryan person about this, and I don't think many of them will tell you that they love Theodore deeply."

Baron Adair coughed.

“Your Highness Edward, I need to correct one point. We are not discussing whether the Ryans like their king, but whether the Campbell family is involved!”

"Yes, that's exactly what we're discussing, and that's exactly what I'm saying! Even if we do harbor resentment towards the Kingdom of Ryan, it was never us who provoked them first, and you shouldn't be blaming us! I think you should go and ask those Ryan people what the Devalu family did to the Duchy of Campbell?"

Edward's eyes instantly turned cold, and his fists on the table clenched involuntarily.

"Leaving aside the fact that he has repeatedly provoked border clashes, just a year ago, Theodore secretly provided funds to incite a rebellion in Granstonburg! Not only that, he shamelessly sent his assassins to try to murder my younger brother and frame me."

"The fact that the Duchy of Campbell did not directly deploy troops to the border in the face of such a vile provocation is already the greatest respect for the traditional order of the empire!"

Adair was speechless; the words he had prepared were stuck in his throat.

Unexpectedly, Edward's words made the Principality of Campbell appear as a victim who suffered injustice but still prioritized the greater good.

indeed--

It is a fact that the Duchy of Campbell did not occupy any land in the Kingdom of Lane, and it is also a fact that there was a rebellion in Granston Castle in the winter of 1053.

He believed that if he continued to press the matter, the Grand Duke would immediately present him with evidence of Theodore's royal family instigating the Earl of Granston's rebellion, and might even invite the Earl of Granston himself to speak with him in person.

Adair felt a bit tricky.

However, he is here today not to deal with the dispute from 1053, but to resolve the chaos that is currently unfolding.

"His Highness the Duke's restraint is indeed admirable. However, I would like to say that the rumors the Senate has heard are not entirely unfounded..."

Adair took out a heavy envelope sealed with sealing wax from his black calfskin briefcase.

He pushed the envelope across the smooth tabletop, stopping it in front of Edward. "While we sent an envoy to Campbell, we also sent one to Roland City. And what's inside this envelope is irrefutable evidence personally entrusted to the Holy City by Duke Eiffel, the current leader of the orthodox royalist faction in the Kingdom of Ryan."

Edward glanced at the envelope, slowly tore off the sealing wax, and pulled out a few photographs that faintly glowed with a magical light.

The background of the picture is the smoke-filled streets of Roland, with broken barricades and collapsed statues clearly visible.

In the center of the image is a group of National Assembly soldiers. They do not have uniforms; the only thing that identifies them is the armbands tied to their arms.

Although these soldiers were dressed in rags, each of them held a brand-new and excellent weapon tightly in their hands.

That was the standard weapon of the Duchy of Campbell—

Roxay rifle!
Adair smiled as he watched Edward, his fingers interlaced on the table again, his expression suggesting he wanted to see how the latter could deny it now.

"Your Highness, you are surely more familiar with the weapon in the photograph than I am. I would like to know how it came into the hands of the rebels?"

In his view, this was irrefutable evidence. No matter how eloquent the Duke of Campbell was, he couldn't change the fact that the council of Roland had used the Duchy's weapons.

However, Edward's reaction was unexpected.

Faced with the irrefutable evidence he presented, there was not a trace of panic in those emerald green eyes. Instead, a "wonderful" look appeared that puzzled him.

"Mr. Adair, what is the name of this rifle?"

Adair paused for a moment, then said.

"Is there a problem with the Roxay 1054 and the 1053?"

Edward smiled and said incisively.

"If I remember correctly, His Highness Roxie Collin is a prince of the empire. How can you shift the blame for Roland City's problems onto the Duchy of Campbell just because we also purchased weapons from a prince?"

Adair was completely stunned, his mouth involuntarily opening and closing without uttering a single word for a long time.

The Prince's weapon...

This works?!

“Wait a minute, Your Highness Edward, we have investigated the origin of these rifles; they clearly came from your Royal Armory –”

“It’s the Punk Armory next to the Royal Armory, Mr. Adair. You can’t just say things like that.”

Seeing that Baron Adair had sat up straight without thinking, Edward interrupted him without hesitation and corrected his wording.

“Your intelligence is outdated. We sold that factory to a private company long ago, and Mr. Punk is backed by His Highness Colin himself. Otherwise, how could a commoner dare to name this weapon after a prince? Of course, I think you should ask His Highness Colin himself for more details, although I don’t think that gentleman has that much time to waste on such trivial matters.”

"But... even if it's a prince's property, it's still on your territory!"

Adair took a deep breath, making a final struggle, trying to use the authority of the empire to force his way out, "As a Grand Duke, are you just going to stand by and watch these unscrupulous merchants smuggle weapons to the rebels?"

“Smuggling? No, quite the opposite, Your Excellency.”

Edward spread his hands and smiled, like an enlightened monarch facing the unreasonable demands of his subjects.

"Thunder City is an inclusive city where royal power and civil rights do not interfere with each other. Daily affairs are handled by the city hall and city council, and the governor is only responsible for collecting taxes and stamping documents involving the use and transfer of royal properties. We don't even interfere in the businesses of commoners, let alone the businesses of nobles. Do you expect me to use Campbell's army to seize the legitimate private property of an imperial prince?"

Edward paused deliberately at this point, watching with great interest as cold sweat gradually seeped from Adair's forehead, and then imitated his gesture by interlacing his fingers.

"If you insist that I do this, then please issue me a formal written notice in the name of the Senate. However, I must remind you that you may have to bear all the consequences arising therefrom."

Adair was completely speechless.

His Adam's apple bobbed up and down with difficulty, and his face turned pale and then flushed.

When he first stepped into Campbellburg, he was full of confidence that it would be a one-sided pressure and reprimand, but he did not expect that Edward was not an easy person to deal with.

This guy was not the bloodthirsty brute he was rumored to be at all; he was even more shrewd than the nobles of the Holy City he had ever met.

What surprised him even more was that the Roxay rifle, which was rumored to be a tribute to the Prince's friendship, was not actually owned by the Campbell family, but by Prince Colin himself!
Things have become complicated.

Adair's thoughts were in turmoil.

Just as he was preparing to reassemble some bland diplomatic rhetoric to conclude the day's conversation, Edward was not about to give up.

"Your Excellency, Special Envoy."

Edward sighed, his previously playful yet helpless voice suddenly cooling down, as if it had been touched by the white frost outside the window.

“I didn’t intend to push things too far. After all, the Devalo family has been destroyed, and I should, both morally and logically, preserve the last shred of dignity for the dead. But you, as the special envoy appointed by the Senate, have repeatedly cried out for justice for that decadent dynasty and accused me of disrupting the sacred order…”

He paused for a moment, then said.

"Then I can only show you who is trampling on the bottom line of the Holy Light and the Empire."

With that, Edward raised his right hand and snapped his fingers crisply.

The heavy, hidden door on the side of the reception hall was pushed open, and a knight in armor walked in, carrying a heavy lead box in both hands.

He placed the lead box on the round table, then placed his right fist against his chest and respectfully withdrew.

The door closed again.

Adair's gaze focused on the surface of the box, and from the intricate and magnificent runes, he felt a chilling coldness.

"What is this?" Adair swallowed hard, staring intently at the box in front of him, his hand unconsciously resting on his waist.

That was purely a subconscious act.

He was a magician, and instinctively sensed something ominous about the box, so he wanted to find the wand that he wasn't carrying.

"This is irrefutable proof that the Devalo family brought this upon themselves. I considered whether to publish it in the newspaper, but in the end I decided to leave this right to the Ryan people themselves... I will discuss it with their leader after they have calmed down."

As he spoke, Edward ran his index finger across the surface of the box, breaking the magical seal that Prince Colin had placed on it.

The pale blue light dimmed slightly, and the box opened.

On the thick velvet cushion lay several papers stained with dark brown blood, and two crystal reagent bottles with corks.

A clear liquid flows in the reagent bottle.

In that clear, transparent depth, countless hair-like black lines could be vaguely seen twisting wildly, like moving balls of yarn.

A chill ran down his spine and up to the top of his head. Adair asked in a trembling voice.

"What...is this?"

"They call it 'holy water.' A bunch of beings with holy light flowing in their blood, daring to use a sacred name to name evil... Isn't that blasphemous?"

Edward put on gloves, took out one of the scrolls, spread it out in front of the envoy, and continued in a very soft voice.

"We discovered these things in the rat-men's caves in the Ten Thousand Ren Mountains. The Academy magicians, led by Professor Edgar Kaufman, colluded with the nobles of Ryan and the rats in the Ten Thousand Ren Mountains to conduct blasphemous research, refining the souls of the Ryan people into elixirs that could enhance their soul levels."

“By Saint Sith… are you serious about your accusations? This is no joke.” Adair stared intently at the unfolded scroll, at the writing and claw marks left on it, his gaze glued to it as if it were glued shut.

“I am absolutely serious, and I can stand by every word I say today. The Devalu family, through the Gravediggers, sold civilians displaced by the Winter Fire to the Skaven’s territory, and then let those rats squeeze the souls of the Holy Light’s people dry like sugarcane… There are many people who can testify to this. In addition to the evidence you can see, there are a large number of living witnesses, many of whom even live in Thunder City, which you just visited.”

Edward slowly recounted the shocking scandal, then stared at Adair's deathly pale face.

The latter moved his lips, and finally managed to squeeze out a sentence with difficulty.

Why would they do that?

He couldn't understand it.

Soul level is a problem for commoners, but not for nobles at all... Or does holy water have some other function?

Edward knew what he was thinking, but instead of answering his confusion, he simply smiled faintly.

"Yes, why? I want to know too. He already possesses a noble soul, yet he continues to exploit the souls of his people. He is already very wealthy, his palace is more than ten times larger than mine, yet he still wants to build an even larger one, even going so far as to plunder every single silver coin in his territory."

Although the nobles of Ryan always mocked the mercenary citizens of Thunder City, and even the serfs there joined in the fun, it was actually quite rare in Thunder City to treat people as private property, and even now it is not common in Granston Castle.

Perhaps they built Thunder City in their dreams. While this doesn't solve any of the Ryan people's problems, it's certainly a good way to vent their frustration.

Desperate people can always justify their despair, but that's not what he wanted to discuss with the imperial envoy.

As Campbell's monarch, he had no interest in upholding justice for the Rhine; he only wanted to muddy the waters with the empire.

Even if he was disgusted by the National Assembly's radicalism and risk-taking, he could not just watch them be crushed by the combined forces of the academic community and the kingdoms.

Ultimately, this was just a pawn in his game.

In this game, the Campbell man has no way out, nor does the Campbell family and countless people who are counting on him.

The clash between faith and order swept through Adair's mind like a raging hurricane, destroying his reason.

The scroll's contents were so blasphemous that they far outweighed the few laughable magic photos in his hand.

Compared to the crimes committed by the Devalo family in the Wanren Mountains, the Roxay rifles in the hands of the National Assembly soldiers were like children's toys.

To be honest, he was quite sympathetic to the royalists of the Kingdom of Laine, especially Duke Eiffel who accepted Charles de Valle as the rightful heir.

But now, after seeing this irrefutable evidence, he felt a pang of sympathy for the angry citizens of Roland.

It would be difficult for any human being to remain calm and sit down to negotiate with the murderer if they saw their own offspring being treated this way.

After all, before becoming a nobleman, he was first and foremost a human being.

Besides the shock of the "holy water" itself being desecrated, Baron Adair also felt a sense of fear that the situation was spiraling out of control.

This was a situation the Senate had not anticipated at all; at least, the envoy sent to the Duchy of Campbell had never heard of it.

He could imagine the impact the news would have on the Holy City once it was made public, and the impact it would have on the Senate and St. Clement's Cathedral...

In short, this is no longer something he can decide on his own.

Seeing the Imperial envoy completely speechless, Edward knew that he had won at least the first phase of the game.

In the regional power struggle between the Duchy of Campbell and the Academy, even if the Os Empire were to intervene, it would be unlikely that it would side with the Academy.

He calmly placed the evidence back into the lead box, locked it, and then snapped his fingers, signaling the knight outside to come in and take it away.

"Your Excellency, please remember that the Duchy of Campbell will always be the most steadfast defender of the order on the continent of Os. After all... we need the tea from the imperial colonies. In a serious sense, we, like the Holy City, are beneficiaries of the existing order."

Edward picked up his teacup and took a small sip of black tea. Through the rising steam, he gazed at Baron Adair's increasingly damp forehead.

"Therefore, I strongly suggest that you transmit this information back to the Holy City as soon as possible, word for word, so that the elders of the Senate can carefully evaluate it..."

"Who are the Empire's friends, and who are its true enemies?"

(End of this chapter)