by Zhuang Bifan
Under the guidance of Gavin, the carriage moved straight into Count Andre's mansion, and stopped slowly in front of the gate. The guard at the gate had already seen the badge on the carriage from afar. Hence, he had long sent someone to report to the people inside, and when the carriage pulled over slowly, the people from the mansion had already come out.
"Where has that kid Andre gone?" Holliard questioned when he alighted from the carriage. He noticed the guards at the gate, but he didn't see Count Andre around. Hence, his face grew sullen immediately.
"Sir Holliard, my father has gone out because he has some matters to handle. If you have any instructions for me, please wait in there for a moment. I'll send someone to inform my father to come home immediately," said Nesta, the eldest son of Count Andre. Although he did not panic when answering Holliard, he was feeling anxious deep down as he continuously wondered about the Holliard's purpose of visit.
All of a sudden, the steward beside Nesta quietly tugged at his sleeves and shot a glance at him, hinting for him to pay attention to the middle-aged mage who was the first to get off the carriage. Nesta was still feeling a little puzzled, but upon closer inspection, he finally recognized him. Isn't that Mage Gavin from the Tower of Dusk who sent hefty gifts back then?
Nesta glanced at Mage Gavin from the Tower of Dusk before looking at Holliard, who was the head of the Holy Paladins. Although Nesta was a calm and composed person, he still couldn't suppress his shock at this moment. As his father's successor, he definitely knew what his father had been feeling troubled about lately. However, he did not expect the people from the Tower of Dusk to bring Holliard along.
However, before Nesta could even process everything and recover from the shock, he was greeted with another sight that made his eyeballs almost fall out. He saw an extremely young mage making his way out of the carriage with Domingo of the Brilliance Shrine. He was in utter disbelief because Archbishop Domingo, who was second only to the pope, not only did not show any arrogance, but even spoke to Lin Li with respect and humility.
Actually, Nesta didn't need anyone to introduce him, because he could already guess that the young mage beside Archbishop Domingo was probably the founder of the legendary Tower of Dusk. Honestly, Nesta and his father Andre both had great complaints about the Tower of Dusk, but upon sight of Lin Li, Nesta felt overjoyed and astonished.
Although Nesta was a great noble in the Ledin Kingdom, the higher-ups of the Brilliance Shrine were like gods to him. If he were to get acquainted with the archbishop and the head of Holy Paladins of the Brilliance Shrine, he would definitely enjoy a boost in status in the Ledin Kingdom. By then, probably even the king wouldn't dare to belittle them.
Subsequently, Nesta's guess was verified when Gavin introduced Lin Li. After knowing that the young mage who had a special relationship with Archbishop Domingo was President Felic of the Tower of Dusk, he quickly and respectfully said to them, "Archbishop Domingo, Sir Holliard, President Felic, please wait inside. My father went to see General Clark. I'll send someone to bring him back."
However, after hearing Nesta's words, Lin Li stopped abruptly and smiled at the puzzled Nesta. "In this case, let's just go over. I'd like to meet General Clark too."
Upon arriving at General Clark's mansion, Lin Li, Domingo, and the rest alighted from the carriage whilst still discussing pharmaceutics. Before the guards at the entrance even reported their arrival, they simply entered. However, none of the guards dared to step forward to stop them. They had no choice but to watch as they slowly walked in.
Gavin led Lin Li and the rest toward the guest hall, whose door was left wide open. Soon, they heard the sounds of an argument. Although there was no foul language involved, the argument was obviously heated, and there were a few guards waiting outside the reception hall. Upon sight of Lin Li and the rest, someone immediately wanted to go in to report. However, he was stopped by Lin Li who was answering Domingo's question.
Although those guards had never seen Domingo and Holliard before, they could tell from their overbearing airs and the holy aura that was emanating from their bodies that the two of them were definitely genuine higher-ups of the Brilliance Shrine. Hence, they had no choice but to stay put according to Lin Li's instructions.
Lin Li and the rest headed straight to the guest hall, and stopped in their tracks to look at the two who were arguing in an agitated manner. However, Lin Li was still explaining to Domingo and Holliard. Perhaps because there was no one else present in the guest hall, the two who were arguing were no longer as poised as the nobles that they were. They refused to give in at all, and yet none of them discovered that Lin Li and the rest were all standing by the entrance.
"Count Andre, the Tower of Dusk has already violated the laws of the Ledin Kingdom by smuggling prohibited weapons. As a noble, you actually betrayed the Kingdom's interests for a small profit. I feel really ashamed!" General Clark exclaimed in anguish. It was as if he weren't speaking to a noble who was of equal status, but an incompetent subordinate.
"Clark, don't try to suppress me with those rules. You're just upset because the Tower of Dusk forgot to give you a present! Must you be such a money-grubber!? Will a few Magical Crystal Cannons harm the interests of the kingdom? What a joke. If it's really for the Felan Kingdom, the interests of Felan Kingdom would be harmed instead!" Count Andre clearly wasn't bothered by Clark's accusations. "Even if they could afford Magical Crystal Cannons, they could not use them. If the Felan Kingdom starts purchasing Magical Crystal Cannons in bulk, it will not only not enhance the strength of the country, but also cause plenty of the military funds to be spent in vain."
Clark's face turned pale for a while. Although he knew that what Andre said was true, the problem was that he couldn't turn back now. It was more than a matter of his own pride because it concerned the pride of the entire group of rising nobles. If he were to give in and admit defeat in the end, his peers would definitely not spare him easily. Hence, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "Everything I do is in accordance with the kingdom's laws and regulations. I can forgive you for accusing me, but I can't allow you to defile the sacred laws."
Chapter 770 - Something's Amiss
"No matter how perfect the laws and regulations are, it is impossible to achieve absolute justice. Everything has to be based on facts. Although the Magical Crystal Cannons that are being transported by the Tower of Dusk's caravan do fit the category of prohibited weapons, it does not cause any damage to the kingdom's interests. On the contrary, these goods will bring us a significant amount of tax revenue if we allow them to pass through our customs. You're the one who's damaging the interests of the kingdom. I've already invited Duke Wilson and Duke Jean here. I shall see how you explain it to them," Andre said sneeringly. The two dukes he mentioned were the ones in charge of the kingdom's business and taxes. They could definitely accuse Clark for harming the kingdom's corporate credit and reputation.
"You're just being tyrannical and making an unreasonable argument. It's just…" Clark clearly wouldn't admit defeat easily. He has a backer but so do I! he thought as he tried to get a grip on his emotions. He then said with a sullen expression, "Oh, it so happens that I've also reported this to Marshal Benjamin. By then, we'll see who's right."
Upon hearing that Clark had already invited the First Marshal of the Kingdom, Andre could no longer stay calm. Although Marshal Benjamin didn't have a high status, he was in charge of all the armies in the kingdom. He was also the most important and powerful authoritative figure in the entire kingdom. Usually, a powerful marshal like him who held great authority and political power was highly feared by the king. There would be countless suspicions about him, and they usually wouldn't end up in a good state. However, King Sinelli of the Ledin Kingdom trusted him greatly. In fact, he trusted Marshal Benjamin more than he trusted the other members of the royal family.
Clearly, there was no dominant party when it came to having backers. Actually, Count Andre seemed to be slightly inferior.
However, he definitely wouldn't concede defeat. The reason was the same as General Clark's. If the matter were to go awry, he definitely wouldn't be able to gain a foothold in the aristocratic circle again.
"General Clark, now that we're on the topic of harming the kingdom's interests, I wonder if the sc.u.mbags who have deducted the military pay and resold military supplies are considered culprits of damaging the interests of the kingdom," said Andre, who refused to give in.
"You… Hmph! Does a highly mighty count like you know how to make such groundless statements too? Well, I do have some information, but I don't know if you'd like to listen to it…" General Clark sneered.
The two big figures who held authoritative positions in Ledin Kingdom completely didn't care about their own image anymore at this moment. They were constantly exposing each other's dirty secrets after digressing from the topic of the Tower of Dusk's caravan. They then accused each other of abusing their respective authority to sell military supplies and sentence others to death…
Although the two of them were exposing each other's dirty deeds, the so-called scandals wouldn't really affect them, because they were powerful figures of the Ledin Kingdom. In fact, just because no one mentioned it beforehand, it didn't mean that no one else would know about it. Usually, one would be able to guess what the other party was like after thinking about the things that they had done.
However, Lin Li was talking to Domingo and Holliard in front of the guest hall. As he heard their words, his face grew increasingly sullen. In the Ledin Kingdom, not everyone was a follower of Holy Light, but the aristocrats definitely believed in Holy Light because that was a basic requirement for them to get that status. Otherwise, no matter how much credit they got, it would be impossible for them to obtain a noble title.
However, the mere fact that a person claimed to be a follower and could even recite and memorize the doctrine of the Holy Light did not mean that a person was a devout believer. Saying one thing and meaning another was what humans were best at. Even the clergymen of the Brilliance Shrine did not act in accordance to the doctrine of the Holy Light, let alone ordinary people who claimed to believe in the doctrine.
Although Domingo and Holliard were both aware of the matter since they had all passed the age of being naive, the problem was that they still had by their side Lin Li, the President of the Guild of Magic from the Felan Kingdom. Exposing each other's dirty deeds would be the same as washing one's dirty u.n.d.e.r.w.e.a.r in public. That was an absolute shame and disgrace to the two big shots of the Brilliance Shrine.
Finally, with a heavy humph, Holliard closed his notebook and strode into the guest hall domineeringly with a sullen expression. Lin Li and Domingo didn't bother looking up at all. Instead, they were still whispering amongst themselves about pharmaceutical knowledge when they were at the door.
Holliard's body blocked the sunlight, stopping it from shining through the windows of the guest hall. At this moment, Clark and Andre who were still arguing finally discovered that someone was entering.
"Who is that…!? S-Sir Holliard!" Clark and Andre stopped arguing with each other and instead exclaimed in unison while staring at the person who entered. As the higher authorities of the Ledin Kingdom, they obviously knew who Holliard was. However, they could not help but blush at the thought of the argument that they just had, regardless of how thick-skinned they might be.
"You call yourselves nobles? Look at the way that you're behaving!!" Holliard hollered in exasperation. When he heard their argument, he simply felt that the air here was extremely polluted. Of course, he didn't forget his purpose of visit; hence, he could not be bothered to make any comments about their character. Instead, he said to Clark, "Clark, did your people detain the Tower of Dusk's caravan and goods? I want you to release them immediately."
"What… What?!"
Holliard's words caused interesting expressions to appear on Andre's and Clark's face. Andre was secretly rejoicing as well. He had never expected the Tower of Dusk to have forged ties with Holliard. He was a significant figure who was an authority in the aristocratic circle. Even Marshal Benjamin would have to treat him with due respect.
Clark was in utter dismay. Regardless of what the outcome might be, even if he were to win, the Brilliance Shrine would definitely detest him after this. However, if he were to admit defeat, he would become a common enemy of both parties. Besides, offending the Brilliance Shrine and losing the protection of his superior would cause him to die a horrible death if they were to label him as a heretic.
Clark knew that he really couldn't retreat anymore. It was no longer a matter of pride, but a gamble for his life. He tried to suppress the horror within him and looked at Holliard with glistening eyes. "Sir, I'm very sorry. I'd definitely do my best to serve you if it was for another matter. This time, however, the matter concerns the interests of the Kingdom, and I… can't agree."
"Uh…" Andre was a little dumbfounded. Since when had Clark gotten such a strong backbone? He actually dared to defy Holliard from the Brilliance Shrine. Although there were nobles and royals in the Ledin Kingdom, the Brilliance Shrine was the real ruler. Although, strictly speaking, Holliard didn't have the rights to intervene with the matters of the kingdom, because he was just the leader of the Holy Paladins, Holliard was still a powerful authoritative figure who was not inferior to the four bishops.
Even Holliard felt rather surprised for a while. Such things rarely happened, and he felt shock at being rejected. Although Clark's tone wasn't assertive or aggressive, it was indeed a rejection. Holliard's face grew sullen. Felic was right outside, and Holliard hadn't expected to be turned down, because he thought it was a problem that could be solved easily!
"Since it's an affair of the kingdom, Holliard indeed has no say. General Clark, I wonder if my words would be of any significance," said Domingo, who entered the room in a pure white robe which seemed to have lit up the entire room.
Of course, the mages Lin Li and Gavin entered the room together with Archbishop Domingo. However, Andre and Clark only knew Gavin who had dealt with them in the past, and had never seen Lin Li, the real master of the Tower of Dusk, before.
"This… Archbishop Domingo, how are you…" Looking at Gavin who was behind Domingo, Clark knew that Archbishop Domingo obviously came to speak for the Tower of Dusk. However, the question was: what in the world did the Tower of Dusk actually do to make the archbishop and the leader of the Holy Paladins stand up for them? I could use Holliard's position as an excuse to turn him down, but that archbishop is someone who has the right to discuss and make decisions with the king. What excuse can I give?
Clark was horrified and resentful. Had he known earlier that the Tower of Dusk had ties with the Brilliance Shrine, he wouldn't have made such a big hoo-ha despite knowing that the Tower of Dusk didn't bring him any gifts. Even if they had made him give them gifts instead, he would've been willing to do so. He could no longer rely on Marshal Benjamin now. Even the king would have to salute the archbishop respectfully. No matter how authoritative Marshal Benjamin was, he wasn't more powerful than the king.
Clark finally realized that there was no point in being stubborn and insisting, since the archbishop had already come to stand up for the Tower of Dusk. He felt that he ought not to blame himself too much too. It was not that he didn't work hard enough, but it was because the enemies were too strong.
"General Clark, I don't know if I can request you to release the Tower of Dusk's caravan." Domingo stared at General Clark coldly. It was a rare opportunity for him to receive pharmaceutical tips from a pharmaceutics Guru, and yet it was ruined by that bastard Clark. Even though he was already old, he was still full of resentment.
Chapter 771 - The King's Summoning
"Um… well," Clark said, wishing he could cry. Even the archbishop had already defended the Tower of Dusk. What else could he do? After all, the Brilliance Shrine was the real owner of the Ledin Kingdom.
However, at this moment, a brazen laughter came as a
middle-aged general who was in his forties arrived together with two nobles who were chubby like meatballs.
"Archbishop Domingo, Sir Holliard, I didn't expect to see the two of you here at Clark's. It's my absolute honor," said the middle-aged general, who bowed to Domingo and Holliard after entering the guest hall. However, his gaze was full of respect, and not fear.
Upon sight of them, Domingo and Holliard had no choice but to frown slightly. The middle-aged general was Marshal Benjamin of the Ledin Kingdom, and the two chubby men behind him were the Ministers of Commerce and Tax. However, although Benjamin was also a believer of the Holy Light, he was never close to the Brilliance Shrine, and even felt a sense of superiority. Hence, Domingo and Holliard didn't have a good impression of him. Besides, they had also heard that Benjamin was the backer who supported Clark during the dispute between Clark and Andre just now.
Although Marshal Benjamin was saluting Domingo and Holliard calmly, he was also very surprised to see the two of them there. Upon sight of the two mages beside Domingo, Benjamin could guess that they were probably the mages of the Tower of Dusk. He didn't need any introduction at all. It was clear what the two big shots of the Tower of Dusk were there for.
Benjamin secretly lamented. Although he could tell from the fact that the Tower of Dusk could afford magical crystals that the Felan Kingdom should be very powerful too, the Supreme Council wouldn't be able to affect the Ledin Kingdom, after all. However, he didn't expect the Tower of Dusk to be able to get the two big shots of the Brilliance Shrine to come forth.
"Marshal Benjamin, let me do the introductions. This is President Felic, the President of the Tower of Dusk." Domingo did not directly ask Benjamin to release the caravan of the Tower of Dusk, and instead introduced him to Lin Li.
After hearing Domingo's introduction, Benjamin and the other wealthy and powerful figures of the Ledin Kingdom who were present were immediately filled with shock that they could not suppress. They knew that Domingo and Holliard were there to help the Tower of Dusk, but they felt that it was just the Tower of Dusk's good luck. However, they didn't expect them to address the young President of the Tower of Dusk as "master". That was an honorary term, and those who could be addressed as masters were definitely few and far between in Anril. That showed that Lin Li's status was the same as theirs.