Chapter 559: Chapter 29: Upheaval in the Royal Capital

Barishik had been growing more prosperous lately.

The arrival of the Human Alliance Army meant they had to be well-fed and well-supplied, giving the service and industrial sectors of the Royal Capital a significant boost.

However, Louis III himself wasn’t too happy about this economic improvement.

After all, it was the government footing the bill for this economic stimulus.

The Human Alliance Army was an "army of volunteers" in name only. You couldn’t actually treat them as such.

But compared to the good news he’d received, Louis III wasn’t too concerned about the cost.

Kemal was dead, killed by his own son.

His greatest thorn in the side, Grantham, was also dead. The official story was that a cult was responsible.

In just a few short days, Louis III had been on an emotional rollercoaster of joy, sorrow, and then joy again. Already in poor health, the old king’s hair and beard were now completely white, his frailty on full display.

Of course, he could have remained eternally youthful if he wished, but that was a woman’s pursuit. Age, he felt, conveyed wisdom.

The war hadn’t concluded perfectly, marred by the small hiccup with Marshal Grantham.

But the outcome was good, nonetheless.

If things continued on this path, Prince Noah would successfully inherit the kingdom. The Frank and Algeria Kingdoms would then dispatch their armies simultaneously—one to march north and counterattack the Beastman Empire, the other to head east and weaken the Giant Demon Alliance...

But Louis III’s good mood did not last long.

Prince Noah was dead. After Marquis Oscillate confirmed this news, he immediately had a Griffin Knight deliver it to Barol City.

When Barol City sent the news to the Royal Capital, it was morning, and Louis III was holding a court assembly with his ministers.

Marquis George was also among them.

This was strange, as Marquis George and Louis III had been at odds recently.

According to well-informed sources, Louis III had promised Marquis George certain conditions, likely to help him gain more power after Noah’s ascension.

Given Prince Noah’s political acumen, even a fool could see that Louis III was making empty promises.

In the end, Marquis George was no match for the old master and had been sulking for some time.

However, the recent news from the steppes was simply too stunning, and the royal family’s prestige in the Royal Capital had soared.

What could he do? He couldn’t remain on the fringes of the kingdom’s politics forever, could he? Marquis George had no choice but to step forward and concede. It wasn’t the first time, after all.

"Your Majesty, military spending is already sufficient. The war is about to end, and the treasury cannot bear any more pressure."

"Ended? Where has it ended? Currently, only the fighting on the central and Eastern Fronts has concluded. But what about after? Are we not going to counterattack the Beastman Empire? Now that Kemal is dead, it is the perfect time to move our forces against them! How can you talk about cutting spending at a time like this? Are you even one of the Franks?"

"Bullshit! My ancestors were among the first to follow the Knight King on his northern campaign! Do you think I don’t want to increase spending and wipe out the Beastman Empire? The kingdom is already sixty million in debt! Sixty million! Do you have any idea how much money that is? You couldn’t even fit it all inside the Crystal Palace!"

"Your Majesty, the Algeria Kingdom is pressing us again to speed up preparations for the eastern campaign..."

This was, for all intents and purposes, a normal court assembly. Louis III listened as the Minister of Finance expounded on the current financial crisis, the Minister of War complained about inadequate logistics, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs described new breakthroughs in foreign diplomacy. Meanwhile, the Archbishop was dozing off to one side.

It was hard to say whether the meeting was too dull or if Louis III was simply getting old, but the king himself was also beginning to doze off.

As the ministers were arguing, the sound of approaching footsteps broke through the din.

The assembled ministers were puzzled.

They looked toward the source of the sound and were surprised to see it was Chancellor Daniel.

"Daniel, what is the meaning of this? You are not permitted to attend the court assembly."

The Inner Court and Outer Court were naturally opposed.

The moment Daniel arrived, the ministers instantly cast aside their own disagreements and turned their collective ire on him.

Louis III’s drowsiness vanished. He looked quizzically at his trusted minister.

"What happened?" Louis III asked.

Daniel ignored the others, his body trembling slightly as he clutched a letter.

Perhaps he was overly agitated, for he disregarded all basic etiquette and walked straight toward Louis III’s throne, only snapping out of it when the guards blocked his path.

A Guard reached for the letter, but Daniel refused to hand it over.

"Let him approach," Louis III said.

Daniel came before Louis III, trembling as he handed the letter to the king.

"Your... Your Majesty... You, you should steady yourself first," Daniel said.

Louis III frowned and snatched the letter.

He began reading with no particular expectation, but as his eyes reached the second half of the letter, his face turned deathly pale.

"This... this..."

In disbelief, Louis III read it again.

"Daniel, this, this letter... where did it come from?"

"It’s from the Marquis. Your Majesty... my condolences."

"Ah! Grantham!"

Louis III slammed a palm on the table before him.

Then, the King’s mind went blank, and he lost control of his body.

Louis III fell straight down.

Fortunately, Daniel Chancellor, who was beside him, reacted quickly enough to catch Louis III, preventing the aged king from collapsing violently to the floor.

Even so, Louis III could only stare wide-eyed, gasping for breath, unable to utter a single word.

"Archbishop, Archbishop..."

Daniel Chancellor looked toward the Archbishop below the dais.

The Archbishop, who had been dozing, was jolted awake and rushed to Louis III’s side.

"This is not a physical problem."

"His Majesty has suffered a shock..."

"Quick, quick, summon the court’s Herbalists! Divine Art can’t solve this..."

Herbalists were not held in high regard due to the existence of Priests, but they were a necessity for the common folk, so the art of herbalism was still quite widespread.

Because of Louis III’s illness, the court always kept several Herbalists on hand.

"Move it!" the Archbishop roared, a rare flash of anger from him.

Only then did the Guards snap out of their shock and hurry to their duties.

As Daniel and the Archbishop led Louis III away, the remaining ministers looked at each other in profound confusion.

’Just now, did His Majesty the King shout Grantham’s name?’

’Isn’t Marshal Grantham dead?’

’So what’s wrong with the King? The Archbishop said he’d suffered a shock? What kind of shock?’

Unfortunately, at a time like this, no one could step forward to explain the reason to them.

The letter that caused all this was taken away by the meticulous Daniel Chancellor.

With the King gone, there was naturally no reason to continue the meeting.

Besides, they all needed to hurry back and use their connections to find out what had just happened.

An event that could drive Louis III to a state of near-death was sure to trigger a massive upheaval in the kingdom’s political landscape.

After everyone else had left, Marquis George remained, dazed and confused.

Marquis George had been badly sidelined lately, so he had no real part in this assembly; he was merely there to observe.

But Marquis George had a faint feeling.

’With Louis III in this state... am I about to lose another political rival?’

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