I like crossing the most

Chapter 480: Priest (Lin) specializes in treating demons (Lana)

The Marquis's study.

"Is this the data from the experimental field? A permanent yield increase rate of 1.3 is really exciting."

Marquis Leibun was amazed at the report that Princess Lana had painstakingly compiled, and he had a great deal of admiration and recognition for the Golden Princess.

In fact, he is similar to those nobles.

They are wary of Her Royal Highness the Princess's extraordinary wisdom, but also covet the benefits brought by the bills promoted by Her Royal Highness the Princess. They simply want to gain benefits but don't want to take risks... But this is normal. The more savvy politicians are, the more they like this.

Lord Rebuen threw the report on the table and looked at the priest in front of him - his younger brother.

"Lin, what do you think?"

"I think we can implement it in Leiburn Territory first."

"What's the reason?"

"First of all, this report was completed under my supervision. The data on it is 100% accurate. Even if there are some errors, the difference will not be too large. Secondly, it is not difficult for us to bear the losses for six years. As long as we persist during this painful period, the benefits we will gain will be very considerable. Finally... we can widen the gap with other nobles, a big gap."

During the ten years when Marquis Rebuen implemented crop rotation in his territory, other nobles would certainly have watched from the sidelines. But when they discovered that they could indeed increase the harvest by 1.3, it also took them another ten years to catch up. The principle of "one step ahead leads to many more" is easy to understand.

"The most important thing is that Leibun Territory is the largest territory in the kingdom. Even if they take advantage of it, in the end there will be a big gap because of the size of the territory."

This is why the nobles may make huge profits, but they will never lose money.

When Lei Buenhou heard Lin say this, a satisfied smile appeared on his face. In fact, he had already thought of this when he saw the experimental report, but he just wanted to hear it from his brother to satisfy his brother control fetish.

"I'll give the report to Simi later."

Ximi, the executive officer of the territory, is the powerful arm of the Leibun Marquis family.

Originally, this position should have been held by Lin, Marquis Leibun's younger brother, but was rejected for some reason.

"Brother, do you agree?"

"There's no reason to refuse. And it's not because you're my brother, it's because you can really benefit from it, and you can just puff your chest out and show off."

"Brother, I don't have any inferiority complex, and you don't need to encourage me in this way."

"Uh……"

Lord Leibun was a little embarrassed when his little trick was exposed. This damaged his usual cold and cunning image as a venomous snake, and the expression on his face looked awkward no matter how you looked at it.

"But I am very touched that my brother agreed."

"Ah, very good."

Only then did the Marquis relax his expression.

"Change the subject." Marquis Leibun sat behind the large chair, staring at his brother, and said in a deep voice: "Lin, what's going on between you and Her Royal Highness the Princess?"

"Well... to put it simply, we are partners. Just like the elder brother and the second prince."

"Don't you know that Princess Lana...!"

"Is it a monster?"

Lin interrupted him and said, "Any investment has risks. For example, the experimental report in front of you was obtained after I joined the Axis Church. Brother, you should understand that there is no free lunch in the world."

"You are right, but that princess is truly uncontrollable. The darkness she hides is far more terrifying than one might imagine. To be honest, even I feel as if I am peering into the abyss when facing her."

Marquis Leibun tried to persuade him earnestly, fearing that his brother would fall into the quagmire.

Unfortunately, it's too late.

"It doesn't matter. Even if Princess Lana is a demon, I will still make a deal with her. Don't worry, brother. I'm a priest who specializes in treating demons."

"Forest……"

Seeing his brother like this, Marquis Leibun frowned slightly and couldn't help but said: "But you have to know that Her Royal Highness the Princess is just a political tool."

"Is it really."

"Ok?"

Lord Leibun looked at Lin in confusion, not understanding why he said that.

It is true that Her Royal Highness is the king's favorite child, and he even allows her to have the third right to inherit the throne. But the nobles all know that this is useless. The best outcome for Her Royal Highness is to be pushed out by the royal family and become a political tool to win over a noble or other kingdom, such as Lin, or the Blood Emperor of the Empire.

"This is an illusion, brother."

Lin pointed his finger at his forehead and said as if thinking, "On the surface, the king dotes on the princess, so he gave her the insignificant third right to inherit the throne even though the nobles were unwilling. But this is actually a signal."

"Signal?"

"The King is telling Her Royal Highness that if she wishes, she can join the fight for the succession."

"Well……"

Marquis Leibun is not a fool, otherwise he would not have been able to sit in the position of the greatest noble in the kingdom. After Lin's reminder, he began to think quickly.

The King did not pay much attention to the issue of the heir, and even allowed the eldest prince and the second prince to engage in political struggle. He thought that the King was being indulgent and intentionally reducing the aristocracy's control over the kingdom, but now it seems that he was trying to balance the vitality of both sides.

It would make sense if the King had high hopes for Her Royal Highness the Princess, otherwise why wouldn't he support the Second Prince?
"But can Her Royal Highness become king?"

"Why not?"

"But the king should not be a man..."

"That's prejudice, brother. Of course, this is also one of the reasons why I visited the Holy Kingdom. After all, the ruler of that kingdom is a noble Holy Queen."

Lord Leibniz suddenly realized.

According to the intelligence received by the Kingdom, the Holy Princess was initially ostracized by her father, brother, and nobles, but in the end she managed to overcome all objections and successfully became the Holy Princess, with absolute say in the Holy Kingdom...

Could it be that his younger brother wanted to replicate the other party's approach, so he went on a visit to exchange experiences?

Lin did not notice the strange look in Lord Leibun's eyes and continued to talk: "You should know that when it comes to being a king, what should be valued is gender or ability?

Without a doubt, it is the latter.

Today, the kingdom is under the watchful eye of the Empire in front and the Slaine Theocracy in the back. In this critical moment when we are attacked from all sides, we need a clear-headed king to lead us out of the predicament.

I admit that the Second Prince, who is inconsistent with his appearance, has a strong mind and skills, but he is still far inferior to Her Royal Highness the Princess.

So, I choose the latter.”

This is a double entendre. It means that Lin values ​​ability (the princess) more than gender (the second prince), even if the other party is called a monster.

"And the word 'monster' is an evil word that has been spread because the nobles are afraid of Her Highness the Princess. You know, the common people respect Her Highness the Princess very much, and some even praise her as the Golden Princess."

"Of course I know that, but..."

Lord Leibun had a terrible headache.

In fact, it was he and the Second Prince who spread the word monster, and it was certainly not without purpose. Neither he nor the Second Prince were such people. It was purely because they saw the true side of each other and were afraid that the word monster spread.

Seeing his brother was so persistent, Lord Leibun stopped trying to persuade him.

If it weren't for the past, he would have definitely strictly prohibited it, but when Lin obtained the [Wisdom of the Goddess] at the age of six, he was able to solve any difficult problems he encountered, and gradually he chose to believe it.

Anyway, I have the goddess to back me up.

In that case, then believe him.

Of course, the main reason is the elder brother’s pampering and indulgence of his younger brother.

"That's just the right thing to say." Lin straightened his sleeves, and just when Lei Buenhou felt something was wrong, he heard his brother's invitation.

"Brother, do you want to come over to our side?"

"……what?"

Lord Leibun was stunned for a moment.

I don’t know if it was because he didn’t hear clearly or because the invitation shocked him.

Lin didn't care and continued, "Brother is now the representative of the aristocratic faction, and he secretly supports the second prince, bearing the stigma of the bat. What's the reason? It's nothing more than fear that the two factions will fight too much, leading to the weakening of national strength, and fearing that the empire will take advantage of the situation."

"You're right, but it's a pity that no one can understand."

The Marquis let out a tired sigh.

He racked his brains to maintain a delicate balance of domestic forces. Wasn't his purpose to prevent other external forces from taking advantage of the situation?
Are there any eggs under the overturned nest?

Why don’t those brainless nobles understand this truth?
“But that’s not the only reason.”

"……What's the meaning?"

"And keep the Leibun Marquis family alive."

"Well!"

His most secret matter was exposed, and the person involved was his own brother. Marquis Leibun's face looked a little ugly.

Bats don’t call for nothing.

This kind of animal can eat from both ends. No matter whether the aristocratic faction or the pro-king faction wins in the end, the Marquis of Leibuen will not be affected. After the new king takes office, Leibuen will still be the largest noble in the kingdom.

"You misunderstood, brother."

Lin raised his hands in surrender, indicating that he had no ill intentions, and said, "I'm not saying this to expose your disguise, but to say... why don't you also bet on Her Royal Highness the Princess?"

"Place a bet on Her Royal Highness the Princess?"

"That's right. You are the representative of both the aristocratic faction and the pro-king faction, so why don't you take advantage of this great opportunity to become the representative of the common people faction and choose to take all three?"

All three companies take it.

What a tempting proposal.

In order to control all three parties, besides being the greatest noble in the kingdom, one must also have exquisite political skills to balance the three forces.

With such harsh conditions, there is no other candidate except Marquis Leibun.

"Brother, it doesn't matter if you want to continue to support the Second Prince. I just hope you can focus a little on Her Royal Highness the Princess. No matter what, you won't suffer any loss, right?"

Lin is right.

Investing in Her Royal Highness the Princess is just a casual move, and it won't be difficult to help out. What's more important is that the door to the Golden Princess's research will be open to him.

The most important thing is that even if Her Royal Highness the Princess fails, it will not affect him.

It is undoubtedly a profitable investment!

However, Lord Leibun was still somewhat uneasy about the princess who possessed a freak of intelligence.

"Lin, you wouldn't help Her Royal Highness the Princess to plot against your own brother, would you?"

“Brother, you are my family. And I am not helping the princess. I am working for the prosperity of the Rebuen family… no, for the establishment of the Axis Theocracy.”

“The Theocracy…?!”

Marquis Leibun widened his eyes in disbelief, looking at the priest smiling gently in front of him with a sense of unfamiliarity. He had never noticed that his brother had such great ambitions.

Yes, Lin is his biological brother.

They are identical.

When he was young, he had the ambition to usurp the throne. As his younger brother, Lin, who shares the same blood with him, how could he not have ambitions?

Lord Leibun was somewhat melancholy.

He didn't know whether Lin's ambition was self-generated or caused by himself. After all, he had always wanted to usurp the throne five years ago and had expressed his ideas to Lin. If his brother was influenced by his ambition when he was young...

"You worry too much, brother."

"Ok?"

“My ambition is different from my brother’s. My goal is to establish the Axis Theocracy, not to control the kingdom. The ultimate ruler is still the princess… no, the royal family. This is also the basis and condition of our cooperation.”

In other words, the kingdom just changed its name.

It's actually not bad either.

When a new king takes office, he will consider whether to change the name of the kingdom. Even when the Blood Emperor took office, some people flattered him and advised him to change the name of the empire to publicize the great achievements of the Blood Emperor. However, the Blood Emperor, who did not care about these insignificant honors, refused.

Lin's ideas are much more restrained than those of Lord Leibun back then.

But it is undoubtedly more difficult.

In a kingdom that believes in the six great gods, establishing a new religious state requires changing their beliefs. Wouldn't the nobles and commoners be furious?
It is not impossible to brand the Axis Cult as a shoe glue that everyone hates.

Lin seemed to understand his brother's thoughts and said with a smile: "Let's not talk about what the nobles think. The Axis Church has a very good reputation among the common people. Moreover, even if the establishment of the Axis Theocracy is hindered, the Axis Church will be the largest church in the kingdom at that time. No matter what, I will not suffer any loss."

Lord Leibun nodded.

Whenever Her Royal Highness the Princess wants to take any action, she needs the Axis Church to act on her behalf. So even if Her Royal Highness the Princess proposes a favor that benefits the civilians, the gratitude will ultimately be attributed to the Axis Church that is bound to Her Royal Highness the Princess. After all, the Axis Church is closer to the civilians.

"Your idea is good, but I heard that the Axis Church has a bad reputation."

"……what?"

“Although Axis believers are essentially good people, they are inexplicably paranoid and repulsive to people from other churches. Sometimes they even do something quite excessive.”

“This…”

Hearing this, Lin immediately broke out in a sweat.

There was no way. He didn't know what kind of magic the Axis Cult had. Those originally normal believers would become inexplicably paranoid not long after joining the cult, and often do things that cause headaches.

"Ahem, can you change your impression? Besides, there is still a long time before Her Royal Highness takes control of the kingdom, so just take your time."

"...Okay, since you've said that. As your brother, I'll support you this time."

No matter whether he is a slave of three surnames or a three-colored ape, he will be the one!

Lord Leibun became excited.

Lin's self-confidence also made him regain his original ambition, so as an older brother, how could he not support his younger brother?
Moreover, if Lin's plan succeeds, the rewards obtained by the Leibun family will be much more generous than supporting the eldest prince and the second prince.

After a brief thought, the person he supported from that moment on became Her Royal Highness the Princess.

(End of this chapter)