At the same time, in Phantom Town, Konda Bohe, who had slept until the afternoon, slowly woke up from his deep slumber, showing that this Prince had been truly exhausted lately.
The news of the God of Law's death, the attitude of the Duke and the Marshal, and the testimonies of the Empire's two major legions all revealed an inexplicable strangeness, and Emperor William's decision was even more incomprehensible to Konda.
Although the other party did give him a reason to convict Fara, Konda always felt that it wasn't the whole truth…
He understood his brother; he knew that William was not an Emperor enthusiastic about expanding territory.
Compared to those famous Emperors in history, William Burke seemed to lack that domineering aura of looking down on the world.
Although he had unknowingly multiplied the comprehensive national strength of the Shavin Empire several times, many people still felt that the Emperor had not done enough and that his actions were too conservative…
“But that’s wrong, our Emperor is very powerful!”
Konda proudly curled his lips, lowered his head to look at the golden pendant with a thorny flower totem on his chest, and clutched it carefully in his hand.
It was William’s sixteenth birthday gift to him, a top-grade magic item crafted under the supervision of Faraosis.
His brother was an exceptionally excellent Emperor; Konda always thought so.
As one of the only two legitimate sons of the previous Emperor, no one understood his brother, who seemed only devoted to the way of commerce rather than the way of kingship, better than Konda.
William Burke had a strong sense of self-awareness, both about himself and about his Empire.
The Emperor knew that he was not a ruler who could lead the Empire to achieve great accomplishments in the Northwest Continent, and he also knew that Shavin was not a country strong enough to sweep across the world.
Let alone the unrealistic dream of 'unifying the entire Northwest and establishing a great dynasty,' in fact, before William inherited the throne, Shavin, which had never utilized its advantages, was gradually heading towards decline.
It was he who, against all opposition, supported the merchants, who were scorned by most nobles; it was he who single-handedly established the coastal commercial system that now brings enormous wealth to Shavin every year; it was he who insisted on converting the already excessive and unreasonable military expansion funds into large cargo ships with no war capabilities, leasing them interest-free to those merchants, and giving them a crazy price list to sell extensively on other continents.
Thus, Shavin had money.
A few years later, he began to streamline the bloated military system, retaining only a few core legions led by the Tsar's Sword Knights and the Hurricane Mage Group, and using the large amount of savings for construction and offerings.
Eventually, his sincerity even moved the Pope of the Huiye Sect, who, after three days and three nights of communication with their Goddess, finally announced that the Huiye Sect was willing to become the state religion of the Shavin Empire and built a second Hui Ye Grand Cathedral in a religious territory exclusively allocated by William.
Of course, the latter paid for it…
But with the strong support of these clergy, the military strength of the Shavin Empire immediately rose to a new level.
Not only did it not weaken compared to before the demilitarization, but it gained a large number of Hui Ye High Priests, High Priests, and Knights, and its deterrent power over various surrounding territories, countries, and settlements was several times stronger than in the past.
Was this achieved by throwing money around?
Perhaps ninety out of a hundred people would think so, but Konda, who was already famous at the time under the identity of the 'Useless Prince,' knew very well that due to the previous large-scale demilitarization, the conclusion after fully calculating the accounts was… William not only didn't spend money, but even saved a small sum!
And after securing the Huiye Sect, which was quite influential in the Southwest Continent, William continued to implement his previous policies in a lukewarm manner, constantly accumulating money, accumulating money, and accumulating money for the country.
After all, Shavin had the Empire's two strongest forces, the Huiye Sect, and money, which was already enough to deter most of the surrounding powers.
Whether it was the high-ranking officials of the Empire who initially thought this Emperor was neglecting his duties, or the common people who had received tangible benefits in terms of living standards and taxation, all were wholeheartedly convinced by William.
The only thing that people found regrettable was that this Emperor, who seemed very keen on doing business, seemed to lack a little ambition.
While life became increasingly prosperous, people also expected William to achieve extraordinary accomplishments and lead Shavin to a bigger stage.
But William disappointed many people; he only had one record of territorial expansion in all these years, and it was even acquired by purchase…
To this day, the title of Merchant King has gradually become a derogatory term, just as mentioned before, compared to the identity of an Emperor, William is more like a merchant.
But Konda knew that everything his brother did was correct!
Shavin had a limited population and insufficient foundation; although it appeared prosperous on the surface, there were still many problems, and these problems could not be solved overnight, or more precisely, these problems could not be solved within the limited lifespan of an Emperor.
The number of talents emerging in the country increased year by year, but just one large-scale battle could cause most of those young talents to die.
Galahad and Fara were renowned, but they were already old.
Although the average lifespan of powerful individuals was usually longer than that of ordinary people, any accident could immediately cripple the Empire's high-level combat power.
One should know that a certain country, also renowned in the Northwest Continent, possessed over a dozen battle-hardened legions and dozens of top-tier experts, each with strength comparable to Galahad, and the youngest was less than thirty years old.
That was the true foundation!
And the strongest individual in the Shavin Empire apart from the Marshal and the God of Law, Bart Gallos, was merely a Grand Magister.
Most of the people in other legions besides the Tsar's Sword Knights and the Hurricane Mage Group had never even fought a proper battle…
Too much difference, truly too much difference.
Moreover, William also knew very well that he was not a monarch skilled in warfare.
If you asked him to enrich the national treasury, that was no problem, but when it came to competing for supremacy, William had no confidence in himself or the country.
So he steadily accumulated advantages for Shavin, building an economic system while vigorously cultivating a new generation of talents, and constantly poaching from various places, aiming to build the Shavin Empire's own foundation.
His duty was to pave the way for the Empire; this was William's realization.
To minimize worries and burdens for his brother as much as possible, and to completely marginalize himself from the aristocratic circle; this was Konda's realization.
The former understood the latter, so he always hoped his younger brother could have a space to display his talents, rather than being treated as after-dinner talk or a joke, especially when people secretly compared the two.
The latter understood the former, so he only let others see his inferior side, dedicating himself to becoming a mediocre person in the eyes of the world.
This way, even if too many people didn't understand his brother's profound intentions and original aspirations, they had no other choice; otherwise, if this 'Useless Prince' accidentally turned his fortunes around, it would be even less reliable than the Merchant King.
If nothing unexpected happened, the titles 'Useless Prince' and 'Merchant King' might accompany them throughout their lives, but the unexpected ultimately occurred…
Disagreement also arose!
Konda could not understand William's actions; this was not because he was more emotional than his brother, nor was it because he was not in a position to make policy.
It was simply that he genuinely believed his brother was not the kind of person who would compromise in such a situation!
“If it were Brother, there would definitely be a better solution!”
Konda always firmly believed this, but William never told him anything.
Since that was the case…
Konda could only choose to cheer up.
Although he believed there must be a reason for his brother's silence, even if it was just to be prepared, even if it was just as a backup plan, he felt he should take action.
“Suddenly becoming sentimental after being safe, huh?”
He laughed at himself mockingly, then slowly walked out of his room, just in time to bump into the Dark Elf girl who was about to knock.
Konda, annoyed, waved at this beautiful 'village girl,' indicating that she could go inside and tidy up, but then he suddenly noticed that her hands were empty and her expression was somewhat grim, so he asked with a hint of confusion, “Gawen, miss?”
“I suggest you and Luther leave this place immediately,” Gawen said seriously, repeating what she had said yesterday, “This place is not safe, at least not as safe as Your Highness thinks.
If there is indeed something suspicious about the death of Faraosis, then all your actions might be completely… controlled.”
“Enough!”
Gawen's words were rudely interrupted.
“I don’t know what Luther told you,” Konda said angrily, looking at the elegant and beautiful young woman in front of him, and said in a deep voice, “but you are too self-important, woman!”
A person who was a Prince did not need to be lectured by a commoner, especially in his own territory.
And an excellent person who always suppressed his talents would never believe that a passerby's opinion was superior to his own.
Perhaps even Konda himself didn't realize that, having suppressed his abilities for so many years, his perception of himself was no longer objective.
Moreover, no matter how objective he was, he didn't think an amnesiac Dark Elf girl was stronger than him in this situation.
Konda had already analyzed and judged, feeling that a short rest here for two days would be no problem.
And the more a person habitually suppresses themselves, pretending to be foolish despite having abilities, the more confident they become when they get serious!
So he naturally reprimanded Gawen, then strode out the door to get some fresh air.
The latter, meanwhile, showed a hint of sorrowful, bitter smile, her blood-red eyes filled with self-mockery and bewilderment.
This appearance was nothing like herself, neither 'Gawen' nor 'Bai Fujin' seemed to fit.
Of course, this was not due to an NPC's scolding, but something much worse and uglier.
Let’s temporarily rewind time to two hours ago…
Real-time PM 20:05
S City, 【White Rose】 Manor
“Miss, aren’t you going to log in yet?” A Qing looked helplessly at her 'mistress' who was gently stirring her black tea, and couldn't help but ask in a low voice, “Didn’t you say yesterday that a big shot came to the game?”
Bai Fujin sighed softly, slowly picked up the fragrant black tea in front of her, and shook her head, “That’s not important.
Didn’t I tell you before, it’s just a vacation.
If you have something to do, you can go play first.”
“Hehe, I’m fine,” A Qing chuckled awkwardly, then walked behind Bai Fujin and gently massaged her shoulders, “So, what exactly are you waiting for?”
“Nothing, just waiting for an answer,” the latter replied indifferently, but there was a bewilderment in her eyes that didn't match her tone.
A Qing tilted her head curiously: “Miss, can you be more specific?”
“The meeting over there ended six minutes ago.”
Bai Fujin first answered irrelevantly, then remained silent for a while before softly saying, “I have already done everything I promised my brother, and if nothing unexpected happens, he has now gotten what he wanted.
But until now, I haven’t received a single call from the Supreme Board of Directors, nor from Grandpa, Father, or him.”
“Miss…” A Qing’s expression suddenly darkened.
She sighed softly and gently comforted her, “Don’t overthink it.”
The girl, like a figure from a painting, slowly closed her eyes: “Seven minutes.”
A Qing’s eyes were slightly red, and she didn't say much more.
Another two minutes of silence passed…
Bai Fujin patted the slightly trembling hand on her shoulder and said softly, “You go play first.”
This time, A Qing said nothing more, simply turned and left quietly.
The girl, left alone on the terrace to enjoy the cold wind, pressed the speed dial button on her phone when she counted to five hundred ninety-nine seconds in her heart.
Then, after she listened to seven or eight seconds of rap, a slightly tipsy male voice rang out: “Ah, sorry, sorry, my dear sister, my alcohol tolerance is really a bit bad, I forgot to call you to share the good news, please forgive your brother, okay?!”
“It’s alright.” A hint of imperceptible surprise flashed in the girl’s eyes, and she asked softly, “Brother, is everything going smoothly on your side?”
The man on the other end laughed happily: “Of course, it’s all thanks to you, Fujin.
I’m stable now; even if I don’t achieve much in the future, the position of group heir is basically secure!”
“That’s truly wonderful, congratulations, Brother.” Bai Fujin smiled and offered her blessings, then took a deep breath, her voice, which always seemed so lukewarm, actually trembled slightly: “So… did you also tell Grandpa, Father, and all the elders, as we agreed, that I helped you a little?”
The man on the other end of the phone, named Bai Fuxi, immediately chuckled: “My dear sister, isn’t that obvious?!”
The girl’s fingers trembled.
She collapsed onto the chair, slightly losing her composure, a blissful and contented arc curving on her lips…
“Of course I didn’t tell them anything!”
The world rapidly lost its color; only the voice, sounding like a death knell, continued to speak…
“I cut off all your resources, and by the way, froze the accounts of three puppet companies where most of the staff only know you!”
…
“Hehe, you, my dear sister, are just too self-important.”
…
“Hello? Are you still listening, hello?”
…
Chapter 158: The End
