Chapter 87: Release the Princess!
“That damn thief! He dares to humiliate me like this! Once I return to my territory and gather my forces, I’ll make him pay!”
Duke Colette, standing outside the royal city in a small hut, cursed at the direction of the royal palace, his anger burning.
“Your Grace, we only have a little over thirty thousand ordinary troops. We absolutely cannot engage in a head-on battle with Kailun.”
A retainer waiting nearby hurriedly stopped Colette’s dangerous idea.
Although the Duke commanded thirty thousand direct troops, those troops were not of high quality. They could handle other nobles, but against Kailun’s well-trained Knights, it was uncertain.
“I was just saying. And I’m not fighting alone. Didn’t so many nobles escape? If we unite, we can definitely give him a taste of his own medicine.
And we don’t need to aim for victory. All we need to do is hold him down and create chaos within the kingdom, and our mission will be accomplished.
Then, when the Second Prince takes over the Xiya Kingdom with the Divine Temple, I might even be able to become a Duke.”
Colette indulged in his future fantasies. Except for his slightly chilled bottom, he was no longer as angry as before.
The retainer looked towards the royal city, then found a coat for Colette, “Your Grace, let’s leave quickly. This place is too close to the royal city. I have a bad feeling about it.”
“Hey, you’re being too cautious. There’s such a vast area outside the royal city. Kailun can’t keep an eye on every corner, can he? And it’s not just me. Can he catch all those nobles who escaped?
No, it’s impossible. As long as we retreat according to the planned route and spread the news about the palace, then his cruelty will make everyone fearful.”
Duke Colette glanced at the dozens of attendants accompanying him and laughed, “I laugh at that fool Kailun for being blind. If it were me, I would have taken a gradual approach, win over some nobles, divide others, and finally, watch them fight each other and then capture them all.
So, he’s still too young. Wants to be King? In his next life!”
“Report! Your Grace, a large force of Knights has appeared ahead. We are surrounded!”
As soon as the words were spoken, an attendant knelt before Colette and reported the situation.
“Say that again?” Colette asked incredulously.
He had just left, and he was already surrounded? Could it be that the other side was just lucky?
“Your Grace, we are surrounded. Based on the current situation, the possibility of us breaking through is zero.”
The attendant’s words once again pierced Colette’s heart, causing his blood pressure to rise again.
Skillfully taking out a blue potion from his pocket and drinking it, he pounded his chest and asked the retainer beside him, “Are there any other teleportation anchors?”
The retainer said helplessly, “Your Grace, have you forgotten? A teleportation scroll of this level can only establish one anchor at a time. It’s too late now.”
Colette was silenced by the retainer’s words.
After a long silence, he wrapped his coat around himself and said, “Do you think we have a chance if we surrender to the great new King now?”
The retainer: “???”
…
In the royal palace hall, the bloodstains had been cleaned up.
The reason for such high efficiency this time was due to Kailun’s warning. He kindly reminded the palace staff who were slacking off, telling them that if they cleaned slowly, they would be replaced.
Of course, the kind Kailun also gave them a choice, such as choosing between being cut in half at the waist or beheaded.
When the hall was filled with the fragrance of flowers, Kailun sat back on the throne and said, “According to the estimated time, the nobles should have been captured. I will have people take back their territories, wealth, and military power.
During this process, you may need to help manage things. I assume those of you who have signed the contract will not do anything wrong, right?”
The ones who escaped were the big fish. Those who died in the hall were just small fry used for intimidation.
Although this method was a bit extreme, it was considered a mission accomplished as long as it achieved its purpose.
Everyone left in the hall was his person. As long as no one leaked the news, who would know what happened today?
Besides, Kailun didn’t mind being a tyrant. As long as he grew fast enough, no one could punish him.
“We will obey your will, Your Majesty!”
The ministers in the hall responded in unison.
How dare they be greedy anymore? Their homes were surrounded, and they had signed a contract that was worse than slavery. Now, they were nothing but tools who only knew how to work.
Every time they closed their eyes, they would dream of their colleagues being cut in half at the waist. They would wake up from their dreams many times in a single night.
In their eyes, Kailun was like a Great Demon King, a great evil that could not be resisted by human power.
Now, they dared not resist Kailun. They could only silently hope in their hearts that someone would punish this devil.
“Your Majesty, now that you have become King, should we have a coronation ceremony so that the people of the whole country can celebrate together?”
A minister in the hall offered a suggestion, hoping to please Kailun.
“Coronation? Who will crown me, the Divine Temple? I don’t have time to waste on such trivial matters. It’s just an empty title. No matter what the world calls me, it won’t affect my control over the kingdom.
If we really want to hold a ceremony, just being King is too narrow-minded.
I’m not like some people, obsessed with the throne.”
After dealing with the ministers, Kailun looked at the older princess, who was squatting in a self-imposed exile on the throne, “Do you think I’m right, Your Highness?”
Hilna: “…”
She didn’t want to talk. She just wanted to squat here for the rest of her life, until the end of time.
At this moment, she suddenly understood why Winnie always huddled in the corner and squatted with her head in her hands.
“How about this? Since Your Highness likes the throne so much, let’s have a bet with the throne?” Kailun tugged at the collar around her neck.
The older princess had lost all face today. Everyone knew that she had become a little slave who massaged his legs.
“A bet? What do you want to bet on?”
A ripple of curiosity appeared in Hilna’s eyes. She didn’t understand what she could possibly bet with Kailun.
Kailun leaned close to her ear and whispered, “Let’s bet on whether I can conquer the neighboring Malaga Kingdom within a week. If I lose, I’ll give you the throne you’ve been longing for.”
Hilna swallowed nervously, “What do I need to pay if you win?”
“Since I’m putting up something as important as the throne, shouldn’t Your Highness also put up something equally important?” Kailun stared into her eyes, his lips curling into a smile.
Vivian, standing beside him, saw Kailun’s smile and knew that her sister was in for a rough time. Betting with this manipulative demon, Kailun, was definitely not a wise decision.
Hilna, who was now a little afraid to look at Kailun, turned her head away, “Just tell me.”
Kailun said, “No, I won’t tell you what I want. You can use your imagination and think carefully about what you have that’s worth taking.”
Faced with such a cunning statement, Hilna was a little annoyed. She knew very well that her current value was limited.
Hilna saw in Kailun’s eyes that he seemed to only want to play with her. As for something of equal value to the throne, Kailun probably couldn’t even find it himself.
It was a sad truth. Hilna had never imagined that she would one day fall to such a level.
Hilna said, “I agree to your bet. I hope you won’t lead the Xiya Kingdom to its destruction.”
“I’m not like you. Wouldn’t it be pleasurable to watch the Xiya Kingdom gradually grow stronger under my feet?” Kailun pinched Hilna’s face in response.
Although the older princess wasn’t a good person, it was quite fun to bully her.
Speaking of which, Shirley hadn’t appeared for almost three days. Who knew what kind of preparations she was making.
He just hoped she would make her move before tomorrow, otherwise, he would have to lead his troops on an expedition.
In Kailun’s plan, it would take exactly a week to conquer the Malaga Kingdom to the west.
For Kailun, this seven-day journey was more like a picnic than an expedition.
Besides, this was a good opportunity to max out the older princess’s favorability. Just thinking about it made him involuntarily focus his gaze on her.
When her eyes met Kailun’s, she instinctively pulled away from his grasp and obediently shrunk back onto the throne. It seemed that the bloody scene just now had left a considerable psychological shadow on her.
After completing the harvest of the nobles, Kailun had the ministers announce the reduction of taxes, lowering the tax levied on commoners and merchants from 40% to 30%. He also announced many favorable development policies.
He did all this to win over the hearts of the people and smoothly complete the transfer of power from the nobles. In this world, class was an insurmountable barrier. For ordinary people, the nobles who held power were like gods.
Only by breaking the stagnant situation would new vitality emerge. Although this method had many flaws, it was the best choice for Kailun at this moment.
The chaos of the Abyss was less than a month away. During the period when the Divine Temple’s main force confronted the Abyss, he still had many things to do.
It’s worth mentioning that after completing the harvest of Winnie, Kailun’s attribute points had reached the level of a 7th-rank. If he chose to max out his attribute points, he could even engage in a trial battle with an 8th-rank Epic.
In fact, there were no 8th-ranks in the entire Xiya Kingdom. The highest level was currently 7th-rank early stage. Such strength couldn’t make up for the difference in numbers.
The lower the class, the greater the impact of numbers. For the current Xiya Kingdom, the main factors influencing the balance of war were the differences in numbers and quality.
After dismissing the ministers, Kailun planned for tomorrow’s expedition. The necessary supplies had been prepared, but the only thing that was a bit heartbreaking was the cost of gold.
The Xiya Kingdom’s treasury was poorer than he imagined. Even with the reserves of the older princess and the Second Prince, it was only about two hundred thousand gold coins. Even with the gold coins that the Grand Duke would send in the afternoon, it would only be about three hundred thousand.
Just the pre-war preparations had cost Kailun over one hundred thousand gold coins. When the real fighting started, he had to factor in the huge consumption of magic cannons.
War is about money. Until Ella’s merchant guild could supply him, Kailun could only live frugally.
The Malaga Kingdom was a strategic point that Kailun had to conquer. It was a key part of his plan, not just because the other side had malicious intentions, but also because the Malaga Kingdom was an important center of trade routes.
After conquering the Malaga Kingdom, he would be able to push his merchant guild to the world. This was his second important plan.
However, he still lacked a trigger, a trigger to connect with the Abyss.
“I’m so poor. I hope the nobles can cough up some more gold coins. Otherwise, the kids are really going to starve.”
On the carriage returning to the manor, Kailun sighed, lying on Winnie’s smooth thighs.
He never intended to live in the royal palace. For him, the gloomy royal palace was nowhere near as comfortable as his own courtyard.
“Oh, right. When are you going to give me the one hundred thousand gold coins you promised?” Kailun looked at Isabella and asked about the whereabouts of the gold coins.
“Didn’t we agree on fifty thousand gold coins? When did it become one hundred thousand?” Isabella widened her eyes, “We have all these terms written in the contract. Don’t try to cheat me.”
Kailun clicked his tongue regretfully, “Did we? Oh, it seems it was indeed fifty thousand. I must have remembered wrong.”
Isabella: “…”
She felt that if she had hesitated for a moment, the amount would have become one hundred thousand.
They were supposed to be allies. But Kailun had not only taken her dance troupe away, but he also wanted to cheat her out of money. He was just too bad.
【Isabella is on her guard. Favorability -5, Total Favorability -20】
“We’re going on a long trip tomorrow, so if you want to come along, you have to tell your people in advance. Don’t let them suspect that I’m kidnapping children.” Kailun glanced at Isabella’s favorability change.
“I’ll say it again. I’m an adult. I’m a year older than this guy!” Isabella said unhappily, pointing at Vivian.
But Vivian, right in front of Isabella, stood up and gestured above Isabella’s head, “But I’m taller than you.”
Her simple words mercilessly shattered Isabella’s pride. Kailun thought Vivian had the potential to be a devil.
Stopping in front of the entrance to the Loya Ball, Kailun handed Isabella over to Jennice, asking her to prepare her luggage for tomorrow’s departure.
It wasn’t until the carriage started moving again that Vivian asked, “Can we really conquer the Malaga Kingdom within a week? It would take four or five days just to march there, right?”
Hearing Vivian’s question, Hilna, who was squatting on the floor of the carriage, raised her head and listened intently.
“Normally, it wouldn’t be easy to conquer the Malaga Kingdom. But my good friend Paul has infiltrated their territory and helped me gather their main forces together so that we can capture them all.
Simply put, as long as we take down the Divine Temple’s followers, the Malaga Kingdom will be more than half defeated.”
Kailun answered Vivian’s question while playing with Winnie’s black silk. Because she had been caught by her weakness, Winnie was behaving quite obediently.
The Malaga Kingdom was a kingdom deeply influenced by the Divine Temple. Most of the powerful figures in the kingdom had joined the Divine Temple, leaving the kingdom in a state of being controlled by the Divine Temple.
To be precise, the combined forces of the King and the nobles couldn’t defeat Justin’s two hundred thousand followers.
Don’t think that Kailun would be at a disadvantage because Justin had a large number of followers. Strictly speaking, those two hundred thousand followers were a temporary gathering of “rabble.”
Some of them were quite strong, but under Justin’s management, they didn’t know how to march or fight, and their quality was low. A single crushing defeat would be enough to break their morale.
In fact, the followers under Justin’s management had already acquired all the vices of the Divine Temple. They gambled, drank, and prostituted themselves, not to mention that they owed debts all over the place. The people of the Divine Temple that Isabella and the others spoke of were like this.
Because they were sucking blood from the Malaga Kingdom, the kingdom, despite its location on a major trade route, wasn’t particularly wealthy.
However, for Kailun, those two hundred thousand people were walking free miners. With their help, his little treasury would soon be rich again.
Hilna couldn’t help but ask, “Why are you so confident that you can defeat two hundred thousand people? Even if you add up all your people, it’s still only half of their number.”
“Curious? Want to know? If you come to my bedchamber tonight and take the initiative, I’ll tell you.” Kailun teased Hilna with a smile.
“Don’t even think about it.”
Hilna snorted coldly. Even if she was forced by Kailun, she wouldn’t take the initiative. It was a matter of her last bit of dignity.
Although she had repeatedly abandoned her original bottom line, this bottom line was not bottomless. As long as she was unwilling to go further, she could touch that soft and sturdy bottom line.
Kailun agreed with this. He had already broken several of his bottom lines. Anna, Ella, and Afra, as for the older princess, it was only a matter of time.
“No, you will take the initiative.”
Kailun gave Hilna a meaningful look and closed his eyes.
He found a comfortable position on Winnie’s legs and took a nap. He had been sitting on the throne for too long, and he preferred the softness of a beautiful girl’s thighs.
…
“You guys go back to the manor and pack your luggage. The older princess and I are going fishing.”
After the carriage arrived at the manor, Kailun put on a robe that covered his body. Then, under everyone’s puzzled gazes, he led Hilna off the carriage.
So-called fishing, if your heart is sincere, it will work.
On the way here, Kailun had already felt someone’s sneaky gaze, so he naturally had to give them a chance.
As for whether they would take the bait, it depended on whether the fish had learned its lesson.
“Your Highness, come with me. I’ll take you fishing.”
Kailun pulled the thin chain extending from the older princess’s collar and led her towards the secluded grove behind the manor.
“What are you trying to do?” Hilna tugged anxiously at the chain in front of her. She felt that Kailun was up to something.
“Of course, I’m going fishing. With such a perfect bait as the older princess, how could I not catch a big fish? Don’t you think?”
Kailun wrapped the chain around his wrist and said without looking back.
Through Kailun’s words, Hilna immediately thought of Shirley. This demon was clearly trying to lure Shirley out.
No wonder he was wearing a robe, no wonder he was taking her to the secluded grove. Hilna understood everything.
Just as she was about to warn Shirley, Kailun’s voice came from in front of her.
“If you’re planning to shout loudly, I’ll just eat you right here in the grove. Maybe Shirley can even see you being bullied by me.”
Hilna heard a hint of malicious amusement in Kailun’s voice. It seemed that if she dared to speak, she would face such a fate.
She shuddered in fear and quickly covered her mouth.
Although she had a premonition that she would be eaten by Kailun, she didn’t want that day to come so soon. She couldn’t accept the outcome of losing everything.
After about ten minutes, Kailun led Hilna to the center of the grove. This place was rarely visited, so no one would come here.
Kailun found a relatively clean tree stump and sat down. He waved to Hilna, “Kneel down. I have something delicious for you.”
Hilna: “???”
“Hmm? Can’t you hear, or are you actually longing to be rubbed against the grass by me?” Kailun frowned and reached for his pants.
Hilna’s gaze followed Kailun’s hand downwards. In a split second, she imagined many bad things.
This demon wouldn’t want to do that to her, would he?
“Please, please let me go. I’ve already agreed to be your and Phil’s teacher. You can’t do this to your teacher.” Hilna kept making excuses.
“Where did you hear that? Your Highness was a teacher and could still attack me. So, as a student, isn’t it normal for me to ‘fight back’?”
Kailun pointed to the grass in front of him with his other finger, “I’ll give you one more chance. Wasting my patience will only lead to your family being exterminated.”
“Thump!”
Hilna knelt down in humiliation. This wasn’t the first time she knelt before Kailun, so it didn’t lower her favorability towards him any further.
“I hate you!”
She sobbed, her eyes filled with tears, and she pouted her lips, leaning towards Kailun’s lower body to kiss him.
She had decided that she would bite Kailun hard later… No, she should bite lightly. Otherwise, she would really be rubbed against the grass.
Just as Hilna was about to reach Kailun’s abdomen, a hard object pressed against her forehead, “What are you thinking, little slut? You dare to kiss me?”
The mocking words made Hilna open her eyes. When she saw the fresh banana on her forehead, she was completely stunned.
No, would a normal person carry a banana, a fruit, on them?
This bastard wouldn’t be thinking of feeding a dog, would he?
【Hilna feels that her charm has been insulted. Favorability -1, Total Favorability -96】
“Open your mouth, I’ll feed you some fruit. Ah~”
Kailun fed the peeled banana to Hilna’s mouth, but this time, his movements were much gentler, “Oh, right. I have to remind you not to bite it. You have to lick it slowly, understand?”
“You’re a demon…”
She mumbled pitifully, brushing the red strands of hair behind her ear and slowly sticking out her tongue to lick, lick, lick.
No matter what, at least the fruit tasted good.
“You pervert! Release the princess!”
Just as she was relieved, an angry cry came from the grove.
“…”
Hilna couldn’t help but bite off a piece of banana and put it in her mouth. Why did she suddenly feel like crying?
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