Chapter 334: Andrew’s Final Struggle

From a young age, Andrew had been mocked and insulted due to his mother’s status as a servant, which fostered a gloomy personality in him and displeased the 15th king. Though he was born by accident, he was still of royal blood, so the king never neglected him in terms of treatment.

Andrew had secretly sworn that becoming the ruler of Celt would be his greatest ambition, so that those who had insulted him and his mother could see what would happen to them! To seize the throne, he would stop at nothing. This time, to ensure the success of the campaign, he agreed to their conditions: if he could become king, he would grant several uninhabited lands in the south to the Church of the Three Radiant Gods as a religious autonomous region, allowing them to recruit followers and develop their faith there—provided they did not preach outside that region.

This was Andrew’s greatest concession. Though he knew the Church of the Three Radiant Gods had ulterior motives, once such a path was opened, their greed would ensure they wouldn’t settle for just a little benefit. Within decades, Celt might no longer belong to him. But that was a concern for later; after his death, who cared about floods or chaos?

If things continued this way, with Dury backed by the military and the Ansel family’s powerful influence, he likely had little chance of claiming the throne. At best, he would end up like other former royal members, given a small fief to live out his days while enduring the sneers of those beneath him. How could he accept that?

Rather than face such a miserable fate later, it was better to use their strength to seize the throne first, then gradually drive the Church of the Three Radiant Gods out of Celt.

Though Andrew understood this plan was nothing but self-deception—how could the Church of the Three Radiant Gods, the most powerful alliance of true god churches in the main world, be so easily dealt with? Any association with them would leave an indelible stain.

Yet, in all his calculations, he never expected that rising star among the northern nobles, a genius in the magic world seen once in a century, would take the initiative to help Dury. Nor did he anticipate their strength and tactics to be so formidable—so much so that by the time he arrived, the magical disaster had already been resolved!

So, even if he didn’t want to, he had to hear the Church of the Three Radiant Gods’ terms. If they weren’t too unacceptable, it could at least open a path for retreat.

“Before leaving, His Archbishop gave me the basic instructions: if Your Highness fails, apart from giving up all power and returning to Celtgan to live out your days under the royal family’s control, our church will also offer Your Highness two other choices!”
Hearing Wayne get to the point, Andrew quickly focused his attention.
Then Wayne spoke seriously:
“The first choice is that Your Highness can leave Celtgan. We will arrange a fiefdom for you within the scope of our church’s influence, and if there’s a chance in the future, you can return to Celtgan to claim your rightful rights!”
Before Andrew could speak, Wayne added, “There’s basically little hope for this choice. I imagine Your Highness Andrew wouldn’t want to go that way! As for the second choice, it will surely pose some difficulties for you. I’m not sure if you’d like to hear it or not!”
Over the past year or so, Wayne had analyzed Andrew’s situation and thoughts countless times. If there was anyone in the world who understood him best, it was Wayne, if not himself.
Andrew had no interest in the first choice at all. Choosing such a life meant giving up his status as a prince and becoming just an ordinary noble. But at Wayne’s next words, Andrew’s expression changed, as if he had already guessed something.
“Please go on!”
“Tomorrow, a group of elite fighters from our Justice Hand will arrive in Gadré. With the continent in turmoil due to the magical disaster, it’s only natural for a few human warriors to die as revenge from the demons. It probably won’t draw much attention!”
As Wayne said this, it seemed like he was discussing whether to prune the flowers in the garden, rather than talking about eliminating lives.
“Even if you fail, Your Highness can return under the guise of legitimacy, claim land, and stage a coup to divide the kingdom with Dury. With the support of the church, you don’t have to worry about the hidden powers of your royal family. As long as we uphold justice and claim that Dury is colluding with evil forces, even if the Celtgan royal family is helpless, no other forces will intervene. The outcome will depend on the struggle between us!”
Andrew’s face darkened as if it might drip with anger. He said softly, “If I agree to this choice, I’m afraid your demands won’t be few either!”
Wayne nodded in approval and said to Andrew, “Exactly. There must be effort for reward. We’re offering such strong support to Your Highness, and our demands aren’t many—just the right to preach in your ruled territories and independent jurisdiction over the temple parishes!”

Andrew was seething with anger. Was this not enough? It was almost as if he were handing over the territories he could rule over willingly. With the ruthless methods of the Church of the Three Glorious Gods, Selt would likely become the Second Land of Dawn within a decade! But thinking of his own suffering and the smug expressions on the faces of people like Duri, Andrew, who had been hesitating, filled with hatred. Gritting his teeth, he said, “I choose the Second one!” It seemed to cost him all his strength to say those words. After speaking, Andrew slumped in his chair, panting heavily. Since he had no chance left in the mission against the demonic plague, he could be said to have lost completely this time. This gave rise in him a sense of desperation. Faced with adversity, Andrew resorted to extreme measures and decided to accept Wayne’s conditions—let the Sirens kill his brother Duri, and put an end to it once and for all. With the Church of the Three Glorious Gods backing them, he didn’t need to kill his own kin personally, which reduced his psychological burden. “So what if you win? As long as only one of us returns alive, the throne will still be mine!” But returning like this would mean no more reconciliation between him and the royal family—complete estrangement. It would then depend on whether the royal family could withstand the immense pressure from the Church of the Three Glorious Gods! Andrew had no choice. Once he was on the ship of the Church of the Three Glorious Gods, it was impossible to break free, so he could only push forward headlong, even if it meant potentially becoming an enemy of his own country in the future! “Your Highness’s decisive choice will surely satisfy the Archbishop and the Chief Judge. If this succeeds, it will be a great contribution to the spread of glory for our lord. In the future, Your Highness will surely hold a sacred position in the Heavenly Mountain Kingdom of Glory!”