Chapter 836: Deterrence (Three in one)
Translator: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales
Right after the puppets sent a shock throughout the audience, 100 giant stone throwers emerged. To make them move forward, Abel had personally invited some mast blacksmith dwarfs to do alterations.
The originally fixed base of the stone-throwers was replaced with metal wheels. Each was dragged by a bull, and its speed was nothing extraordinary.
This speed wouldn’t do much in an actual battle, but it was enough for this review.
These stone-throwers were altered from the ones Abel got from the war. However, most of the civilians have seen stone-throwers on the city wall. Seeing them moving slowly on the ground was quite astonis.h.i.+ng.
Each was 10 meters tall and made the ground shake as it moved along.
There was a team of operators on the top of each stone thrower. They were specialized professionals, and each of them was looking at their emperor with deep respect.
“Long live the great Emperor!” Their voices were a little drowned out by the metal wheels’ rumbling, but it did not stop the audience from cheering again.
“Phewww” The kingdom of St Pierrt’s Duke Chesterton let out a long breath and said to Emperor Aldous next to him, “This show should be over now!”
“Yeah, it sent a chill down my spine!” Emperor Aldous replied without hiding his feelings.
Both of them knew their own kingdoms were hopeless against what the Kingdom of St Ellis had just shown.
“Can’t you see? This show of military power and the chant of Grandmaster Abel’s men are basically adding to his own personal wors.h.i.+p!” Duke Chesterton added, shaking his head.
“That’s understandable for a new emperor!” Emperor Aldous replied.
Normally during a military parade like this, the troops would yell “long live the kingdom” then “long live the emperor!”
However, the Kingdom of St Ellis troops had merely yelled, “Long live the great Emperor!”
“I have no idea what Grandmaster Abel was thinking. I heard he is already a rank 15 Wizard. He is most likely going to leave the Holy Continent the next level up. How can anyone inherit his throne in the future if he fosters so much personal wors.h.i.+p!” Duke Chesterton said quietly.
“Grandmaster Abel is only 18 years old, and the Harry Family only includes him and his stepdad. It seems like there wouldn’t be anyone inheriting the throne shortly!” Emperor Aldous said quietly as well.
“Is he trying to keep the throne forever?” Duke Chesterton couldn’t help but add.
He then exchanged glances with Emperor Aldous. Abel was 18 years old, and he had become a rank 15 Wizard. How long would he live?
So what if he left the Holy Continent; he could still come back.
Although normal wizards might not support the expense of using a super teleportation circle, it was nothing to Abel.
Just look at his credit points in Liante City alone. If Abel was an elite wizard, he would be able to use a super teleportation circle every month.
100,000 credit points were how much it cost to use a super teleportation circle. This would send any normal Wizard to bankruptcy, but it was just a month of income to Abel.
Now that he became the emperor of the kingdom of St Ellis, his credit points in Linate City would increase once again.
As the 2 leaders of the other 2 kingdoms interacted with each other, he realized Abel’s intention of this military parade.
“There is more!” Duke Chesterton suddenly pointed at Victory Boulevard and yelled again.
He was correct. After the 100 giant stone-throwers had pa.s.sed, more than 200 griffin knights lowered mid-air and slowly flew along Victory Boulevard.
The knights ignited their combat qi armor as they flew pa.s.sed the audience. Although only 4 of them had an attributed combat qi, this move showed one thing. They were all commands.
“Long live the great emperor!” The griffin knight yelled with their voice amplified by combat qi.
Griffin knights were the pride of the kingdom of St Ellis, and they were often kept like treasures. They were rarely shown to the public.
However, this legendary team of knights was flying right next to the civilians.
Crazy cheering erupted again. The civilians had finally got the chance to witness the pride of their kingdom.
In the past, the griffin knights were personal guards for the royals. Each of them was fostered by a dead knight. They were a true mystery.
However, Abel had a better way of controlling them. All he needed was to give every gifted knight a magic contract. Then he wouldn’t have to worry about loyalty ever again.
This was a long-lasting solution. Even an immortal wizard like Bartoli could not break a magic contract.
“I’m very surprised that Grandmaster Abel is showing his griffin knights in a parade!” Emperor Aldous could no longer hide his admiration.
Griffin knights were the only team of flying troops in the Holy Continent for the humans. In the past, the kingdom of St Ellis’s team was only hair more powerful than the other 2 kingdoms. Now it was more powerful than the two of them combined.
“Of course, the griffin knights are not the most powerful thing in Grandmaster Abel’s Air Force!” Duke Chesterton exclaimed. He, too, was very jealous that Abel had kept the entire team of griffin knights from the kingdom of St Ellis perfectly.
“Will the number of griffin knights shoot up under grandmaster Abel’s?” Emperor Aldous mumbled in confusion.
“Just sign the peace treaty, and we will be fine!” Duke Chesterton no longer felt like talking.
The griffin knights pa.s.sed by quickly and speeded back to the sky behind the platform. Afterward, they began to form different battle formations in the sky.
This unexpected show caused another round of applause. Even the guests on the stage had their gaze fixed on those griffin knights.
The kingdom of St Ellis had kept them as a secret for too long. No one has ever seen a sky battle formation before.
Making the kingdom’s secret weapon public was not only a show of strength. Abel’s message was clear. He would start using them publicly from now on.
Maybe they would even be a regular in normal battles.
What was the true strength of the kingdom? After the griffin knights left, the meat of the show was only beginning.
5 Sky s.h.i.+ps emerged from the sky of the Victory Boulevard, and everyone could see just how big they were. Although the side windows of the s.h.i.+ps were not open to expose the bursting crossbows inside, most of the Audience on the platform knew what was inside from the information they’ve got personally.
Lightning spirals flashed white lights from all corners of the Sky s.h.i.+ps. Everyone has already seen the power of those machines before the parade.
A row of men was standing on the deck of the Sky s.h.i.+ps. Their gaze was filled with loyalty to Abel.
Most of them had come from Harry Castle or Bennett Castle. They were Abel’s most loyal followers.
The real commander of those Sky was actually not those men. It was not even the captain. It was the spirit within the s.h.i.+ps.
As soon as someone disobeyed Abel or developed some ill intentions, the lightning spirals would recognize them as enemies.
No one could escape in the face of 10 lightning spirals, not even Abel himself. Those triggers were the most powerful defense.
Abel was very confident on the skys.h.i.+ps, especially their spirits.
“Long live the great emperor!” Silence dawned over the audience as the Skys.h.i.+ps flew over, making the men’s voices on the s.h.i.+ps even clearer.
The audience couldn’t help themselves. They were shocked. Those things were beyond their imagination. They were flying s.h.i.+ps. Although some people had seen them when Abel first invaded Denan City, they were too far away. It was a totally different experience seeing them up close. The pressure those giant things gave out was almost unbearable.
Pride began to arise from the dwarfs among the quiet audience. They were the ones who made those things.
The other members of the audience, on the other hand, had lost all their will to mess with the kingdom of St Ellis.
These war machines were enough to make anyone feel hopeless. The only thing that could attack the sky was a crossbow, but those s.h.i.+ps were made entirely out of metal. Arrows wouldn’t do much.
Not to mention, attacking from above was a far great advantage.
Only the dwarfs knew the true value of those Skys.h.i.+ps. If you thought 5000 sets of knight magic gear were high value. Each of those sky s.h.i.+ps would be ten times as much.
The dwarfs would not sell those s.h.i.+ps to others. The price was just the raw materials alone. The labor was not even taken into consideration.
Countless master blacksmiths had also contributed to the magic circles on those s.h.i.+ps. Altogether, their value would be an astronomical number. It was unimaginable for normal people.
“The great emperor Abel, your troops will fight to the death for you!” Head Commander Bodley emerged on the platform again on his horse and yelled.
The look on the audience towards him had completely changed. He was the captain of this military. He should be treated with all the respect in the world.
He had fought alongside Abel countless times, which was what made them trust each other so much.
“My captain, take the troops to rest!” Abel smiled and nodded.
“Yes, your majesty!” Head Commander Bodley replied.
Under a row of command, the troops began to retreat in neat order.
“My palace has a c.o.c.ktail party. Everyone is invited!” Abel then smiled at his guests.
The guests smiled and bowed. No one would reject an offer of this level.
Not only was the leader of the 2 other kingdoms, the representative of the elves and dwarfs also would not leave at this time. They wanted to know Abel’s plan so they could work with him better.
Abel walked down from the stage, and every civilian cheered crazily.
Countless civilians would have a sore throat after today, but no one would care.
Civilians were not like the n.o.bles. They didn’t care who the emperor was. They would be happy as long as they have enough food.
This was something Abel could do. Although supplying food to an entire kingdom would be hard, st Ellis’s kingdom was wealthy at the end of the day. Making it through till the next harvest should be fine.
The civilians had witnessed the power of their new emperor. They did not have as many thoughts as the guests. They just knew their kingdom would be safe from now on. No one would want to mess with power like this.
“Your majesty, the report is here. Most of the n.o.bles had stopped their suspicions. Looking at the response from the citizens, most of them had become very loyal to you!” Steward Burbridge said to Abel as he led the way.
The duchy of Carmel’s investigation department had merged with the one from the Kingdom of St Ellis.
Initially, some n.o.bles felt a little dissatisfied after Abel claimed the throne due to benefits, but it all vanished after they personally witnessed the power of the kingdom.
Abel was not planning to let those dissatisfied n.o.bles go easy. He would take away their status once they made a move. The change in authority would cause some tension. It was unavoidable.
He had only gotten the throne so easily because he had smoothly seized control over Denan City and forced the original royals to transfer their power. He also had 20,000 knights in captivity, so the royals had no choice.
Knights were the core strength of n.o.bles. Without knights, the n.o.bles would be vulnerable.
Abel has shown his power through the military parade and shocked countless n.o.bles.
“Keep an eye out. Let me know as soon as any unusual things happen in any city. The griffin knights and mount wolf knights needed fresh blood to grow!” Although Abel’s words were soft, it still sent chills running down Steward Burbridge’s spine.
Abel had no choice. He had no time to take this slowly. He needed to get back to his training. Once the kingdom was settled, he would go on a retreat.
“Yes, your majesty!” Steward Burbridge bowed.
Abel stepped into the change room once again and changed his clothes for the party. It was a show of respect for his guests.
It was a crimson red luxury robe with flower embroidery. Inside he wore a silk white s.h.i.+rt to show his gratefulness instead of dominance. It was more suitable for a party.
As soon as Abel finished changing, Steward Burbridge stepped up no said softly, “Earl Bennett wants to see you, your majesty!”
“Invite him over!” Abel nodded.
Soon, Duke Bennett stepped in with a new luxury suit. he looked ready to attend the party as well.
“Your Majesty!” He bowed.
“Father, there is no one around. there is need to be this polite!” Abel said helplessly.
“Your Majesty, you are the emperor. Other than the G.o.ds, everyone has to treat you with respect!” Earl Bennett said stubbornly.
“Father, what brings you here?” Abel didn’t want to argue with him, so he just got to the point.
Earl Bennett had undergone formal knight training. Loyalty to a master was in his blood. Abel was his son, but he was not a member of the Bennett Family. According to the n.o.ble rules, Abel was no longer his son. Abel was a member of the Harry Family.
Therefore, it was best to keep his respect when Abel claimed the throne.
Abel did not have many family members. He would only have a few, even if he counted the ones from the Bennett family.
The lord of Marshall didn’t want to leave Harry Castle and didn’t want to get involved in politics, so Earl Bennett was the best candidate.
“Your Majesty, my abilities are limited. Maybe I should go back to the duchy of Carmel. I am not skilled enough to run a kingdom!” Earl Bennett bowed in slight embarra.s.sment.
Abel immediately knew his intentions. As a normal knight who grew up in a small n.o.ble family, becoming a knight with a coat of arms through his war glory was already amazing.
If Abel wasn’t so powerful, Earl Bennett would stay as a knight with a coat of arms guarding Bennett’s castle forever.
Running the duchy of Carmel was already reaching his limit. With his current status and ability, making n.o.bles throughout the kingdom was even harder than what he was doing.
“Father. The duchy of Carmel will merge with the kingdom after a while. The original duchy of Carmel will no longer exist, so don’t even think about going back!” Abel smiled and waved to the tailor, signaling him to go away.
After Abel saw the tailor bowed and left, he continued, “When the kingdom settles, I will make both you and uncle Marshall a duke. The Bennett family will become a part of the royal family. In regards to managing, I will tell the ministers to give to the corresponding knowledge. Zach is still growing, and he will have children in the future. You also want the Bennett family to be glorious, right?
Knowledge was priceless. It was the core of all n.o.ble families.
As the emperor of the kingdom of St Ellis, the amount of knowledge he had access to in his kingdom library was almost endless.
Only kingdoms could inherit knowledge like that, which made Abel feel more grateful that he could smoothly take over the entire kingdom.
If not, he might need to spend many years just to fix up minor stuff like this.
“Thank you, Your Majesty!” Earl Bennett bowed in excitement.
Abel had always treated the Bennett family as equals, so he just couldn’t thank him enough.
When people thought about the Harry Family, they were no longer thinking about the Harry Family in Bakong City, but the one with Abel and his uncle Marshall in Harvest City. Originally they were just a branch of the Harry Family in Bakong City, but now, Abel’s status was already miles ahead.
The Harry Family in Bakong City has been treated very well. Since his uncle Marshall didn’t want to get involved in politics, Abel had given his power to his father, the head of the Harry Family in Bakong City, Earl Brook.
Abel has not only moved Earl Bennett to the kingdom, but he also moved Earl Brook as well.
“Father. I want to establish a state-run system like the elves. I have the most say, but I won’t contribute much. Most of the kingdom’s business will be taken care of by my trusted men. What do you think!” Abel said and gazed at Steward Burbridge from the side. Although Abel did not say it bluntly, he knew it was top secret.
Steward Burbridge quickly put up a serious look and did a bow. He pretended he heard nothing. It was way too groundbreaking.
“Your Majesty, you don’t want to manage the Kingdom?” Earl Bennett asked in confusion.
He knew he was a wizard, and wizards don’t care about political power, but he was the emperor of a great kingdom—the pinnacle of existence in the Holy Continent.
“Yeah. I got this idea since the duchy of Carmel, but I just couldn’t achieve it!” Abel nodded.
The duchy of Carmel was not small, but managing it was still quite simple. There was no need for a structured system to make everyone consent.
However, the kingdom of St Ellis was filled with tension between duchies. They also needed to maintain their relations.h.i.+p with the other 2 kingdoms. It was not something a small number of men could do.
If Abel didn’t let others manage the kingdom, it would greatly impact his training.
Wizard training was his core; it was more important than any status, and he knew this very well.
The benefit of being a wizard was his lifespan. If Blue Dragon Emmanuel was correct, he too was a Blue Dragon. He would be able to live for tens of thousands of years.
The Kingdom wouldn’t have an heir, not until he had his children.
Therefore, he needed to think of a way to achieve stability in his kingdom without any change in power in the distant future.
The state-run system of the elves was the most well-developed system. As long as he adopted it, he would be free as an emperor.
“Majesty, if this is what you wanted, I will discuss with Earl Brook and study the system of the elves. Afterward, I’ll give you a report!” Earl Bennett lowered his voice. He could see how certain Abel was.
His tension with Earl Brook was defused after both of them were transferred to the kingdom. Both of them were the men of the kingdom. Before their power stabilized among the other big n.o.bles, they could not go against each other.
They were not at a disadvantage against other n.o.bles. Just like Head Commander Bodley, they too had large amounts of knights as support. Wealth was imminent, and most n.o.bles in the kingdom wouldn’t want to mess with them.
They were confident that they could slowly integrate into the ruling cla.s.s of the kingdom. Especially since Abel had suggested a state-run system, they would be one of the first candidates.
Abel gave a little smile. With Earl Bennett and Earl Brook by his side, he wasn’t stressed.
He didn’t wasn’t to get caught up in politics. Ever since he realized that there was more outside this world, he decided he needed to go take a look. He also wanted to know how those Dark World gears had gotten to this world.
He tried not to stress too much about his kingdom, especially with all those military powers.
In his magic tower within the Harry castle wizard circle, tower spirit Flora controlled the Bakong City Guardian spirit as well as the Orwell Palace Orwell spirit through the teleportation circle.
Flora could basically transfer information to any important place he wanted.
This control came at a cost, it needed large amounts of magic gems, but Abel had an endless supply of those things anyway.
The skys.h.i.+ps would also need to return to Harry Castle from time to time. Tower spirit Flora would help them exchange magic gems through their puppets and extract their data.
Harry Castle was the safest place as long as Babala was around. No one in the Holy Continent would dare to go in.
Bartoli was also another final card of Abel’s long term defense in the Holy Continent. With her endless supply of resources from Abel, it shouldn’t be long until she became an elite wizard.
Bartoli was an immortal, and her power would grow with time.
Her magic contract was one of Abel’s biggest secrets. It was the best guarantee to anyone’s loyalty, which made Abel more confident in regards to establis.h.i.+ng a state-run system.
Bartoli could make sure the magic contract remained constant. It wouldn’t be a problem even if Abel left the Holy Continent.
Most importantly, Abel had a close friends.h.i.+p with Blue Dragon Emmanuel. As long as the blue dragon wanted to keep enjoying the Grandmaster Wine and the amazing food from Abel, he would definitely help his kingdom during times of crisis.