Divine Kingship

Chapter 570 Wiping out Rand and Marcus in one fell swoop

Marcus's arrival at the front to see Rand caused quite a stir.

He first wrote to the nobles of the Frostmoon Kingdom, saying that although he had been injured, he had now fully recovered thanks to the healing expertise of the Thorn family.

Secondly, it was stated that all those who came to assassinate him had been captured and interrogated, revealing that they were remnants of the Azure King's forces hired by the Kingdom of Bolun to carry out the assassination.

To further solidify the legitimacy of this war, even though such a thing is essentially unnecessary.

Next, they made a big show of arriving at the front lines with a convoy.

“You don’t need to make such a big fuss.” Rand looked at Marcus, who was driving up in a convoy.

“Isn’t this just me acting as bait for you? You should be grateful to me.” Marcus now seemed more interested in being the bait.

“Even as bait, you have to work. Don’t try to escape.” Rand sneered, leading Marcus to the command room, where many documents were already waiting for him. “Some ministers will also be coming to the front lines, and there will be some work to be handed over to you then.”

"No!" Marcus said with a pained expression. "Let me look around here first."

Rand remained unmoved: "You've been resting for a long time."

Marcus had no choice but to go to the desk and pick up the documents to look through them.

Marcus's offer to act as bait for Rand wasn't because he wanted to be assassinated and then feign death; rather, he intended to try and lure out some of the powerful figures from the Kingdom of Bolen to take action, thus eliminating some of them and minimizing losses during the subsequent siege.

Strong individuals generally only play a significant role in assassinations.

On the battlefield, even the strongest warriors cannot withstand the overwhelming barrage of arrows.

However, when defending or attacking a city, the stronger side plays a greater role, such as seizing a section of the city wall first, thus buying time for the subsequent troops to attack.

If we can lure some out and kill them now, the subsequent siege will be easier. Although it won't be of great significance, it's better than nothing, isn't it?
Rand was actually quite hoping that a powerful, suicidal assassin would come to kill him.

Marcus's grand announcement of his resurrection and his presence at the front lines to oversee the battle will effectively boost the morale of the soldiers.

The fact that the king, though injured, still came to offer his condolences did indeed have an effect.

Furthermore, the idea of ​​Marcus and Rand being together is indeed a very strong temptation.

Even if Rand and Marcus are killed, the Frostmoon Kingdom will not be able to maintain its stability, and the morale of the troops at the front will inevitably be damaged.

Although everyone knows this place is heavily guarded, what if someone tries to take advantage of it?
Since there's no need to hide their identities anymore, it wouldn't be a loss for Marcus and Rand to be tempted.

As for whether he might end up losing more than he gains... Rand didn't know the full extent of the Thorn family's power, but he had Lady Berlan by his side. Unless the Azure King turned into a zombie and came out to assassinate him, anyone who came would die.

The body of the Azure King is still in Rand's hands.

……

Rand came to the front lines to replace Tanl and to boost morale. The soldiers on the front lines must have endured great hardship to carry out such an extraordinary military operation. Rand came to encourage them and brought a lot of supplies as a reward.

However, after working for a while, Marcus came to fill in, so Rand was on vacation. His original job disappeared. How could such a good thing happen?

Rand and Berlan strolled leisurely along the road outside the military camp.

“If this drags on, other neighboring countries might intervene to stop us.” Unlike Rand, who was completely planning to wash his hands of the matter, Berlan was still thinking about work.

“Actually, there’s no need to worry too much. Even if we can’t break through Bolun’s capital, we’ve already made a lot of money.” Rand stretched. “Thinking too much is a sign of greed.”

When Rand teased him, Berlan pretended not to hear: "So what are you planning to do?"

Rand said helplessly, "I can only say I'll give it a try. I have a plan that I'm planning to try."

"When you went to war between the Frostmoon Kingdom and the Bolen Kingdom, you said you wanted to use this blitzkrieg tactic, or rather, you said you wanted to give it a try." Berlan and Rand walked side by side on the road in the military camp.

“The capital of the Kingdom of Bolen is indeed impregnable. Unless we can really stop the enemy's naval fleet from resupplying, it will be difficult to break through in a short time.” Rand did not intend to hide anything from Berlan. “But what is so strong is only their fleet and their city walls, not their hearts. I want to try to break through from the inside.”

Berlan nodded slightly. When he was deep in thought, he was nothing like Ellie; he was calm and dignified: "Good idea. So, how specific?"

"I haven't decided yet," Rand said somewhat helplessly. "I still have a few inside contacts in the city, but the defenses of the Bolun Royal City are very tight right now. It would be too risky to contact them rashly. In any case, let's start by attacking the fleet and take it one step at a time."

Berlan nodded.

Rumbling--

It was not thunder from the Azure King.

Then, another huge rock was launched at high speed by the catapult due to the lever principle.

This time, tung oil was added, so the boulders were on fire, and their target was no longer the sturdy city walls, but rather the defensive equipment inside the city and on the walls.

Screams could be heard from afar, but at such a distance, Rand couldn't hear them.

After walking around outside for a while, Rand and Berlan returned to the military camp, where the atmosphere had become quite lively.

The supplies were to reward the soldiers. Rand personally checked and supervised them, so there were no problems and the quality was excellent.

In short, it was fried chicken, mixed fruit juice, dried meat, and so on. Rand also brought clean gauze and warm clothes.

It's already autumn now, and the chill is getting stronger.

The clothes I brought along will come in handy.

Although the siege is still ongoing, Land is well aware that it will be difficult to breach the capital of Bolun in a short time, so he has already allowed the soldiers to rest and relax in shifts.

Rand didn't participate much in the excitement.

He had to go back to supervise Marcus getting to work.

Upon re-entering the command tent, Marcus was taking notes on documents.

Although Marcus has many "flaws" such as laziness and shamelessness, he at least has the advantage of not slacking off at work; at least during work hours, Marcus is relatively focused.

“You’ll be much more relaxed once the ministers arrive,” Rand comforted her.

Marcus merely snorted coldly, refusing to ask Rand why he hadn't come to help him before the minister arrived—a question that would inevitably be met with rejection.

Just as Rand was about to answer some of the questions Marcus wanted to ask.

The lights in the ruins inside the camp flickered for a moment.

Berlan twitched the corner of his mouth.

There were indeed assassins, but they were utterly incompetent. She had originally intended to demonstrate her martial prowess by making a few moves, but the assassins were subdued by those outside before they could even enter the tent.

Then the lights in the ruins came back on normally, as if nothing had happened.

"They can't be this weak, can they? There are two of us here, and they don't even send any serious assassins?" Marcus also noticed what was happening outside the tent, and his face looked disappointed.

"Do they have any particularly powerful people among them?" Rand was quite perceptive; it seemed that Marcus knew some secret.

Marcus was also somewhat puzzled, and looked at "Ellie" beside him: "Your wife should know, didn't she tell you?"

Bolan shook her head. She didn't know who in the Kingdom of Bolun was worth paying attention to. As far as she was concerned, if they weren't at the level of a king, then they should at least have the combat power of a high-ranking member of the Holy Domain. Any weaker and there wasn't much to worry about.

Marcus quickly understood. Indeed, it was normal that Ellie, as the sister of the White King Bolan, had little to do with the historical heritage of the Kingdom of Bolan. Moreover, Marcus was quite suspicious that Lady Rand's combat strength was quite formidable.

He began to explain: "Legend has it that the founding monarch of the Kingdom of Bolen married a siren princess. In addition, the founding monarch was an exceptionally powerful warrior, which resulted in the descendants of the Bolen royal family being quite strong in combat and having a lifespan that is one or two decades longer. This advantage laid a very good foundation for the governance of the Kingdom of Bolen. Also, there are always some powerful members of the royal family in the Kingdom of Bolen. These people do not always appear in public. In other words, there may be some old monsters in the Kingdom of Bolen. We also need to consider the relationship between the Kingdom of Bolen and the ocean."

Rand understood. Although he found it hard to imagine that the founding monarch of the Kingdom of Bolen could be a siren, the existence of some powerful old monster in the Kingdom of Bolen was indeed something to be wary of.

“I understand, I will strengthen the protection,” Rand said.

Marcus didn't actually think there was a need to strengthen the defenses; he was just giving a reminder.

The probability of having a truly powerful and immortal old man is not high, and even if someone is really powerful, it doesn't necessarily mean they can accomplish anything in the military.

Marcus knew that Rand was very strong. In the past, he had heard Rand's people boast that Rand could easily defeat a golem as tall as a mountain. Now, he didn't hear such rumors much anymore.

However, Marcus also knew that Rand easily defeated all challengers in the arena of the White Kingdom, so Marcus was not worried.

"Is there anything else?" Rand asked.

Rand guessed that Marcus had come to ask about the war.

Marcus asked, "Are you selling that standard staff you made?"

Marcus did not inquire about Rand's tactics, because during his time at the private estate, he had observed the battle and had a general understanding of it.

Rand is indeed a genius, and fortunately, such a genius is an ally of the Thorn family, and it is clear that Rand is not the kind of person who would forget his benefactor.

Therefore, he was more concerned about the standard staff in Rand's hand.

"Sold, sold." Rand squinted, looking a bit like a shrewd businessman. "But let me make this clear first, the latest model is definitely for my own use."

Rand certainly wanted to secure the Thorn Family as a customer. All Rand needed to do was ensure that his staff was several generations ahead and that the manufacturing technology was not leaked. Then he could sell the standard staff, a revolutionary weapon.

And Rand, because of the enormous profits involved, will gradually realize the goals of his ambitions.

Rand himself will definitely get a lot from this war with the Kingdom of Bolen, and there will be many places to spend money after the war ends.

“Then I have no other questions.” Marcus indicated that Rand didn’t need to be in the way; it was quite annoying to have someone who wasn’t working watching him while he was at work.

Rand then left with Berlan, all smiles.

Rand wandered around the military camp again.

Every now and then, soldiers would return and invite Rand to drink with them, and Rand never refused.

They weren't drinking alcohol; some were drinking mixed fruit juice, while others who didn't like fruit juice were drinking vegetable juice, milk, or plain water.

Drinking is forbidden in the army. Ever since Rand hanged several knights who dared to violate military law, no one in the camp dares to drink anymore.

……

Behind the royal palace of the Kingdom of Bolen, at the foot of a cliff near the coast.

Several members of the royal family of the Kingdom of Bologna waited in a secret room filled with the salty smell of the sea.

The old king and the new king are also here.

"Damn it, that old geezer Marcus is still alive! He's incredibly lucky." The new king gritted his teeth. "If Rand really pushes us too far and doesn't give us any way out, we'll just have to teach him a lesson..."

The old king remained silent.

“Your great-uncle has taken action,” the old king said.

A sharp glint flashed in the new king's eyes.

His great-uncle was the backbone of the royal family. Almost every generation of the Bolen royal family produces one or two powerful geniuses. If his younger brother Alex hadn't died at the hands of Rand, he would have become the backbone of the Bolen kingdom as well.

While strength inevitably declines with age, the experience gained over time prevents overall combat effectiveness from diminishing too much.

Sending a member of the royal family to assassinate someone is indeed a shameful and despicable act, but the Kingdom of Bolun has no other choice now.

The assassination strategy was to first send an ordinary assassin to lull the enemy into a false sense of security, and then launch a truly powerful assassin to carry out the assassination.

After the members of the Bolognese royal family took turns cutting the tips of their fingers and dripping blood into a dark red, rusty iron dish, they no longer remained in the damp, secret chamber.

As the Bolognese royal family departed, the blood in the iron pan began to swirl, like a whirlpool at the bottom of the sea.

The new king and the old king were walking back to the palace.

"I'm asking, if, if the assassination really succeeds, could we retaliate against the Frostmoon Kingdom, and even reclaim what we've lost before?" the new king asked.

The old king was silent for a moment: "It's difficult."

It would be embarrassing to say these things to outsiders.

Like a gambler who can't afford to lose, hoping to turn the tables, recoup their losses, and then make a fortune.

But the old king had no interest in educating his eldest son; if he were in that position, he wouldn't be able to make a better choice.

The old king abdicated in the hope that the new king could find a different way to break the deadlock and even revitalize the kingdom of Bolun, but the new king could not do it, and he could not blame him, because he himself could not do it either.

The new king remained silent. Although the situation was critical, it might not be a bad opportunity to turn things around.

He believed that since even the former subordinates of the Blue King had almost succeeded in assassinating Marcus, the success rate of assassinations by powerful members of the Bolen royal family would not be low.

If Rand knew what the new king of the Kingdom of Bolen was thinking, he would laugh at him for being completely unaware of Marcus's shamelessness.

(End of this chapter)