Chapter 291: The Struggle for the Throne
While Donald was focused on training and managing his territory’s affairs, the demonic plague in the central and northern parts of the continent worsened by the day. Initially, the demons emerging from the three newly discovered abyssal cracks were repelled by human warriors in conjunction with the army. These demons retreated for a few days, but as more silver and gold-ranked demons appeared, they became enemies that ordinary armies could no longer handle.
Fortunately, Gadré was not an ordinary human power. Among the five major kingdoms of the continent, if Gadré ranked second, none of the other kingdoms dared claim to be first. After all, it was a long-established powerhouse that had once nearly unified the entire continent except the northern regions. If not for its internal conflicts with the Kingdom of Nülin, it might already be the dominant force on the continent, even having declared itself an empire.
Thus, despite having two pathways to abyssal realms invading its territory, Gadré managed to suppress them completely, killing many demons. It was only in the areas near the abyssal passages that they couldn’t deploy enough troops to eradicate the demons immediately, as Gadré had a vast territory with two other abyssal cracks that required strong warriors to guard.
Although Gadré’s own strong warriors couldn’t be fully mobilized, many external warriors joined forces to fight back against the demonic invasions. Most of them were warriors seeking to hone their skills or mages hoping to obtain demonic materials, adding significant support to the human side.
The other kingdoms, on the other hand, enjoyed watching Gadré suffer and had no intention of sending troops. They all hoped that the demonic invasions would weaken Gadré’s strength, thereby balancing the power among the continent’s nations. It must be said that, in any world, humans tend to engage in internal strife.
Gadré’s situation was temporarily stable, but the neighboring Duchy of Beisai wasn’t so fortunate. Already weaker than Gadré by a large margin, the Duchy of Beisai relied entirely on its powerful knightly order. While the knights’ charges were a formidable tactic against human armies, their effectiveness was much reduced against the demon armies, whose physical strength far surpassed that of humans.
The human warriors in the Duchy of Beisai were mainly knights, skilled in troop combat, but they were far less efficient against demons compared to warriors like swordsmen and mages. Although some external warriors offered help, their numbers were far fewer than those sent to Gadré. It was only natural that people would seek their own interests.
The kingdom closest to Serein was the Kingdom of Gadré, but the two nations had a history of conflicts. Therefore, Serein did not seek aid from Gadré but instead bypassed it and asked other countries for support. Among the nations on the continent, the Kingdom of Celt, which had the closest relationship with Serein, was naturally on the list of those seeking help. After all, the sister of their grand duke was married to Serein’s king! Celt, having received Serein’s envoy’s request for aid, did not respond immediately because the old king was seriously ill and two princes were fighting for power. Without any surprises, it would take a long time to make a decision, and it might even end up unresolved, by which time the magical disasters there might already be rampant or over. After all, Queen Sophia was not the eldest prince’s biological mother, and Andrew, who had always been criticized by the kingdom’s ministers and nobles due to his lowly maternal background, naturally wished for the Duchy of Serein to be destroyed. Let alone sending troops to rescue them! Although Duri wanted to send troops to help, his brother’s interference and divided opinions among the military made it impossible to act immediately. Knowing Celt’s current difficult situation, the Grand Duke of Serein did not expect aid from them. As long as one of the other nations on the continent could send troops, he was confident he could overcome this crisis. However, things often develop beyond expectations. The day after receiving Serein’s envoy’s request, His Majesty the 15th, who had not appeared in public for months, suddenly summoned the kingdom’s ministers to the palace for a meeting. The two princes and their respective groups of ministers rushed to the meeting hall with trepidation. These old nobles, who had ruled the kingdom for decades and knew well the 15th’s methods, still felt wary of him. Although they had had some ideas during the old king’s illness, they had not dared to act on them, merely engaging in subtle maneuvers behind the scenes. These factions were all experienced players, and their support for the two princes was only superficial. They had not fully sided with either prince to the point of a life-or-death struggle. Nevertheless, the king’s sudden summons caused unease among many. When all the ministers and the two princes gathered in the hall, they saw the old king seated on the throne, along with the queen beside him and the attendants behind.
The old king, though his complexion was undeniably sickly, still seemed in fairly good spirits, far from being so ill that he was on his last legs. Seeing this, everyone secretly felt relieved that things hadn’t escalated too much during this period and caused any trouble. Otherwise, if the old king decided to teach a lesson by punishing someone, they would likely face having their noble status revoked.
Once everyone was present, the old king scolded his two sons harshly, leaving them too ashamed to lift their heads.
Then, King Selth XV changed his tone and warned the ministers below. “I haven’t yet turned to my ancestors, yet some of you are already itching to act and plotting in secret. If that day really comes, won’t it throw the entire kingdom into chaos?” His implication was: Don’t think your little tricks go unnoticed. I know everything you do. I’m not punishing you now just because you still know how to control yourselves. After all, you’ve all served me in governing the kingdom for many years. As long as you don’t go too far, I won’t punish you!
These words from the old king made many ministers break into cold sweats behind their backs, causing them to stand even more upright.
“Since Andrew and Duri are so eager to take my place, I decide to give them a chance!” As he spoke, seeing the ministers stare at him in surprise, Selth XV gently held his queen’s hand and continued, “The magical disaster on the continent has suddenly erupted again without warning. The kingdom of Gadré is powerful enough that it doesn’t need outsiders to worry about it. However, the situation in Siren is dire. The Grand Duke of Siren has sent envoys asking for aid. For the sake of humanity and to maintain good relations with Siren, I decide to send troops to provide assistance!”
As soon as the old king finished speaking, some people tried to object, but he glared at them with such authority that they swallowed their words back.
“As for the specific rescue plan, I decide that Andrew and Duri will each use their influence and abilities to gather a team to go to Siren for aid. The goal is to defeat demons. Whoever eliminates the most powerful demonic forces will become the next King of Selth. I will invite a royal priest to act as judge to ensure absolute fairness in this competition, with no bias toward either side!”
After the old king finished speaking, the ministers were in an uproar, whispering among themselves. The two princes were also stunned.
Yet once Prince Duri regained his composure, he felt joy in his heart and showed an excited expression, while Prince Andrew’s face turned dark with displeasure. Having known about this decision the previous night, Princess Sophia watched the old king with excitement. No matter which prince won, this move would solve Seiren Principality’s urgent problems—only benefits, no drawbacks. The old king smiled affectionately and said nothing; having married such a young, beautiful, and virtuous wife in middle age, he naturally felt obliged to care for her. Moreover, this move could not only rescue Seiren Principality but also resolve the conflict over the succession between the two princes. Since the invasion by orcs and the suppression of foreign tribes at the borders, Celt had not experienced internal wars for over a hundred years. The reason the fifteenth king had not yet designated an heir was his fear that the other party might suddenly rebel, plunging the kingdom into chaos or even division. Prince Duri had a relatively gentle personality and would not resort to such actions unless pushed to the brink. Although his eldest son Andrew was more capable in governance, he was narrower-minded. If he failed to obtain the throne, he would likely resort to actions he would despise. And the heir the king favored was precisely Duri, who satisfied him in every regard. Thus, even though the fifteenth king had decisive power in choosing an heir, he dared not make a hasty decision.