The Path to Lordship Begins in the North

Meanwhile, Lilith, who had been lost in thought, finally snapped out of it with a gentle reminder from the fourth prince, Crane.

"Your Highness, I'm sorry, I was just a little..."

"These meetings were really boring; the only thing that cheered me up was seeing old Lars's ashen face."

Crane rudely interrupted Lilith's speech, and although it was well-intentioned, Lilith still felt somewhat displeased.

"If Cordy can negotiate this treaty, peace between the North and the Kingdom will not be far off. How about we have a ball to celebrate tonight?"

Upon hearing that Crane was going to hold another ball, Lilith quickly waved her hand.

“Your Highness, your sister Claire has already invited me tonight, so I’m sorry I can’t attend the ball.”

After saying that, Lilith hurriedly left with her maids.

Watching Lilith's departing figure, Crane murmured, "Woman, you're still as interesting as ever."

Lilith said that Claire's invitation was not a refusal, after all, Claire, the most beloved little princess of Cran and Augustine III, played an indispensable role in Lilith's rise to power.

"Don't worry about it, that's just how my brother is. He has dance parties six out of seven days a week. You'll get used to it."

Claire sipped her red tea, comforting Lilith.

"Besides, how could you have met my brother if there weren't dances every day?"

"But this is too frequent, six times a week, who can handle that?"

Lilith sat loosely in the chair. This was a women's club organized by Claire, one of the few social events where Lilith could relax a bit.

"By the way, what do you think of the treaty that the prime minister and the demon king discussed?"

Claire put down her teacup and asked Lilith.

"Is it time to get down to business?"

Lilith looked at Claire speechlessly. She had come here just to avoid things, but Claire wanted to talk about serious matters.

Lilith actually held that treaty in contempt; it looked more like an appeasement treaty. Could ceding some areas in the North really bring peace? Moreover, many of these were mineral-producing regions, and the demons would probably just digest them briefly before resuming the war.

But there was nothing she could do; Lilith was now on the royal family's side, so she could only echo, "Yes, yes, yes."

Before Lilith could even speak, a woman with long black hair and an imposing aura spoke up: "Lord Cordick is right. The Lars family is a bunch of trash. It was bad enough that they produced a disgrace to the nobility, Reina, but now they've made a mess of the Northern Territory. The only solution is to make peace with the demons and remove the Lars family from power."

Lilith looked up and saw Caroline, the new student council president of the Royal Capital Magic Academy, a staunch supporter of Cordick, and the one who led the parade to Lars's manor today.

"Afterwards, we will travel to the North to personally interrogate the Lars family. Your Excellency, would you like to come along?"

"you?"

Lilith looked at Caroline and Claire with a puzzled expression.

"That's right. Lord Cordick will soon be heading to the front lines to negotiate with the Demon King, and we plan to stop by Rena's place in the Grey and White Collar to see how she's doing."

Claire smiled faintly; nothing could be more pleasing than seeing Lena in such a miserable state.

"Would you like to come along, Lilith?"

Faced with Claire's invitation, Lilith hesitated for a moment before declining, saying, "Forget it, I'd rather stay and attend the ball than go out."

Lilith was a homebody in her previous life. She had already finished the game in this other world, so why was she still running around? Wasn't that a waste of time and effort to finish the game?

Meanwhile, the eldest prince, former crown prince Clive Augustine, who had just finished his council meeting, sat awkwardly in a corner of the ball. This was the ball of the fourth prince, Cran Augustine, and Clive had promised to attend.

What was expected to be a pleasant and relaxed ball was no surprise to everyone, as King Augustine III also attended.

After a brief conversation with his crown prince, Augustine III sat down next to Cliff, leaving the timid and cowardly Cliff speechless.

With a wave of the king's hand, the guards dismissed the revelry of the surrounding nobles, leaving ample space for the father and son.

"Did I see you had something to say at today's meeting?"

Although Augustine III was old, no detail of the meeting could escape his notice.

"No, I wouldn't dare. How could I possibly have anything to say? Father, you know I haven't had any other thoughts for a long time."

Cliff awkwardly rubbed his hands together, beads of sweat dripping from his face.

"You also think we've gone too far in pressuring the North?"

Augustine III's voice was as majestic as Cliff remembered, and Cliff knew that when his father spoke to him in this tone, he could no longer lie.

"Yes, that's a little bit. Father, the land in the North already accounts for more than a third of the entire kingdom, almost half. What if we push them too far?"

Augustine III nodded and replied, "Many people in the capital share your idea. In their view, since the demons have invaded us, we should support the North in fighting back. But Cliff, do you know what I saw in the Holy Grail that I brought from the tower?"

The Tower is the most mysterious, noble, and intelligent professional organization in the world. Its founding date is almost impossible to know. For thousands of years, it has always maintained a neutral attitude towards worldly affairs. It seems that only new discoveries about magic can arouse their interest.

The Holy Grail is a divine tool used by the astrologers of the Tower to predict the future and glimpse the secrets of heaven. So far, all the prophecies made by the Holy Grail have been perfectly fulfilled. This is not a legend, but a real historical fact.

"I have seen the kingdom fall in your hands."

Upon hearing this, cold sweat soaked Cliff's suit. So, his father had been looking at his future after his ascension to the throne? No wonder his father had immediately removed him from the position of crown prince and replaced him with his more prestigious and intelligent fourth brother after the astrologers arrived at the tower.

Cliff felt he had figured it out, but Augustine III continued talking.

"I saw an army waving the banner of the North Wind Bear enter the capital, and you, who were already the king at the time, soon abdicated and took off your crown in favor of the Lars family! Although I didn't see what that person looked like, he was surrounded by high-ranking members of the Lars family!"

At this point, Augustine III coughed angrily, but quickly regained his composure and questioned, "So, Cliff, my son, do you still have any resentment about losing your position as crown prince?"

"Without Father, absolutely not! I will always support my fourth brother. Even if you exile me now, I will have no objection!"

Cliff was so frightened he almost knelt down and kowtowed. He never expected that the Lars family would rebel against him in the future, and that he would actually abdicate. No wonder his father, after receiving the astrologer from the tower, immediately appointed the more intelligent fourth brother and almost frantically suppressed the Lars family, even resorting to dirty tricks.

"Humph, that's good if you know."

After saying this, Augustine III got up and left. In fact, Augustine III originally wanted his weak eldest son to inherit the throne. To put it bluntly, he was weak; to put it nicely, he knew how to compromise and maintain balance. During the period of stable development of the kingdom, this kind of personality was not the most suitable, but it could be said to be the most stable.

In fact, the fourth prince, Crane, was not as good as his older brother at balancing the interests of all parties. That's why the fourth prince held balls every day to improve his social skills and understand the needs of the various nobles.

Besides, Cliff was just a bit cowardly, but not stupid.

Unfortunately, Augustine III foresaw the kingdom's impending doom. To change this future, he was even willing to sell the land to the demons, as long as his rule lasted, nothing else mattered.

Even the heinous acts committed by Cordier were ignored by Augustine III. No matter how loudly the cries of the common people were heard, Augustine III would only turn around in bewilderment and say: "Commoners?" (without concern)