I like crossing the most

Chapter 506: Lord Lei Buen: The two capitals and thirteen provinces are all on my shoulders
As soon as Lord Rebuen returned to the mansion from the palace, he immediately went to Lin's small room which was well equipped with magical defenses and sat down on the only chair behind the heavy desk.

That's the way people sit when they are exhausted and don't want to care about anything anymore.

Then he covered his face with his hands. Anyone who saw him would think that this was not the appearance of a noble who held unparalleled power in the kingdom. He was just an ordinary middle-aged man who was exhausted.

He casually pushed up his scattered golden hair and leaned back in his chair with a distorted expression.

Perhaps he was a little lax, and the pressure accumulated during the court meeting turned into anger. His anger value suddenly exceeded the threshold and turned into a roar that hit the air.

"What a bunch of idiots!"

No one understands the current situation.

No, if they knew this and still allowed the situation to happen at today's meeting, they must be very shrewd.

Now the kingdom was backed into a corner.

The empire's repeated demonstrations have gradually caused various potential crises such as food problems. The reason why there are no obvious flaws so far is because he has implemented Her Royal Highness the Princess's production policy, coupled with the assistance of his own territory.

It can be said that the two capitals and thirteen provinces... no, the entire kingdom is on his shoulders.

The empire was strong and had professional warriors, but the kingdom did not. Therefore, if they wanted to fight against invasion, they could only recruit civilians to form an army, but this would cause a shortage of labor in villages everywhere.

Precisely because the Empire is fully aware of the Kingdom's system, it chooses to issue a declaration of war during the harvest season.

Even the foolish nobles who didn't farm knew what the consequences would be if there were no men to farm during the busy farming season.

Some people would think that it would be better not to recruit civilians. But facing professional warriors, a kingdom that is far inferior to the other side in terms of training and armament would be easily defeated if it did not recruit several times more soldiers.

In fact, there was a time when the majority of civilians were not summoned, and that time brought an extremely painful lesson to the kingdom. The losses were greater than before!
Obviously in this situation——

"Scumbags are traitors! Idiots are engaging in power struggles! Idiots are just hoping for chaos in the world!"

Marquis Polumla, one of the six nobles, betrayed the kingdom and sold intelligence to the empire. The nobles were divided into two factions to fight for power, and the two princes were eyeing each other to fight for the throne.

It is a real internal and external trouble.

"King, what a fool! I know you are not stupid, nor driven by desire, but you are too inconsiderate! Don't you know that abdicating too early will only make the dispute more intense? Why not just let the second prince take the throne?"

"Don't think like that, Brother. The princess will be angry."

In the room where only one person was, another person's voice appeared.

Lord Leibun was not panicking, because he knew that besides himself, there was only one person who could come and go here at will. No, to be precise, this was the other party's territory.

Looking at the priest sitting at the table, he sighed and said, "Lin, you should persuade Her Highness Lana more!"

"In what capacity? As a minister, as a fiancé, or as a priest?"

"Use any identity you want, as long as you can resolve the current situation as soon as possible."

"Brother, you are too impatient."

After Lin came to the table, he touched his forehead with his fingertips with blue light. A cool breath went from his head to his bottom, and his head became clear.

"My magic has become more proficient."

"It's just a small trick that can't be put on the table."

Lord Leibun's anger disappeared, and his intelligence regained its upper hand.

Looking at the priest in front of him, he recalled that when the demons were rioting a month ago, it was the Golden Princess Lana who suggested inviting the king to fight - the person he truly supported.

Thanks to this, the pro-king faction increased its strength at once and also gained the support of many civilians.

If the second prince of Zanak had been nominated to be king at that time, it should have been possible to pass. However, because he ultimately wanted Princess Lana to become king, he held back.

To be honest, he regretted it a little.

If Zanak becomes king, the supporters of the eldest prince will turn around and try to please the second prince, and the power of the whole country will be unified at once, which might even make the empire wary.

It's too late to say anything now.

"What does your highness think?"

"A brave man cuts off his arm."

"What a joke! Are you going to give up your territory to someone else so easily?!"

Raben was rarely angry at Lin.

For an outstanding politician who is keen on balancing domestic forces, maintaining the basic foundation of the kingdom is his primary job. If he gives up the territory easily, there is no guarantee that the other party will ask for more.

"Brother, your shortcoming is that you are too concerned about the immediate benefits."

"Hey, who are you talking to?"

"Haha, I admit that my brother has a long-term vision in politics, which is why he can handle the three parties smoothly, but it is only limited to the kingdom. In fact, the empire is not allowed to do so either."

"Hmm? You mean..."

Seeing his brother nod, Lord Lei Buen's expression suddenly changed.

This is the worst case scenario!

If you think about it carefully, the Empire is the most powerful country in the surrounding area. It even has sixth-class magic casters who are beyond ordinary people, well-educated troops, powerful knights, and adventurers who are above the fine steel level. It is precisely because they are opponents that Marquis Leibun understands how powerful the Empire is.

However, such a powerful person actually declared war on the kingdom for a magic caster.

Ainz Ooal Gown

Lord Rebuen remembered this name very clearly. He had saved Gazef, his own brother had gone to look for him, and he could get the Empire to take action.

Especially during the palace meeting, Gazef actually made such treasonous remarks in front of all the nobles.

unless……

The opponent is really scary!
"I underestimated that magic caster after all."

Originally, he estimated that this war would cause more than 10,000 deaths, but now it might be multiplied by more than five times! No, if there were magic casters who were proficient in necromancy magic, the casualties would be even greater!
"So Your Highness Princess wants to give it to the other party?"

"Yes."

"call--"

Lord Leibun sighed helplessly.

He considered himself a shrewd politician who could balance the power of the kingdom and maintain the basic foundation, things that ordinary people could not do, but in terms of intelligence, Lana was at least three levels higher than him.

Since the other party said so, he should just give up. After all, he was just a subordinate of the other party, so why should he think so much?

The three families of the Marquis of Leibun wanted to take advantage of it. The eldest prince promised to give him more territory and rewards, and the second prince promised to make him the prime minister of the kingdom. Only the third princess spent a lot of money and even sacrificed herself. There was no other way, she gave too much.

"So what are you going to do now?"

"Didn't the eldest prince go to fight for merit? I think he probably won't come back."

"How could it be... No, it's very likely."

If it was just the Empire, they might release the eldest prince for sustainable development, but the magic chanter might kill him just to establish his authority. Anyway, with the Empire as their backer, the Kingdom couldn't retaliate.

"Does the King know about this?"

"He probably doesn't know. After all, if he knew his son was going to die, how could he agree to it?"

"……really."

The king was not stupid, but he was too soft-hearted to see his eldest son suffer, so he let him go and even allowed him to marry the border earl who was in charge of the army. But the result was that the kingdom became more turbulent and the two factions became more divided.

"Can't be saved?"

"probably."

Whether it is Lin You or Laqisi, their resurrection magic has limitations, and the opponent is unlikely to resurrect him in order to establish his authority. He might even turn him into a zombie or something like that.

"What does your highness mean?"

"I hope you can contact the people in the eldest prince's faction, whether they are from the aristocracy or the pro-king faction. Just pass on the information to them directly. There is no need to persuade them. Of course, there will definitely be many people who refuse on the spot to show their loyalty, but it doesn't matter. They will change their minds soon."

Lin's smile looked extremely dark in the darkness.

Just think about it for a moment.

When the death of the eldest prince became a foregone conclusion, how could the second prince not settle the past one by one? In order to survive, the only one they can rely on is Her Royal Highness the Princess. Maybe then they will feel that Her Royal Highness the Princess has let bygones be bygones and will be even more loyal.

"In this way, Her Royal Highness the Princess can be considered to have officially entered the election."

"Yes."

In fact, when the demons were rioting, after Princess Lana suggested it, the king had already included her in the list of candidates. However, since she started too late, it would be difficult for her to survive between the two princes, and it might even be a disadvantage, so she didn't make it public.

But when she takes on the eldest prince's power, she might actually become the kingdom's first queen.

After this, the internal problems were resolved.

But what about external threats?
"Lin, I hope you can understand that E-Rantel is an important stronghold of the kingdom. If we really give it up, it will be a huge thorn in the side of the kingdom."

"This is also a last resort."

"Is that magic caster really that strong?"

Lord Leibun stared at the priest.

Lin shrugged and said, "I don't know exactly how strong he is, after all, I haven't met him. But according to Gazef, his strength is stronger than the demons that invaded a month ago."

"real or fake?"

"Plus, we have no means to resist now and have no choice but to obey. And maybe this is the Empire's protection for us."

"Protect? Haha, how ironic."

He is not stupid, how could he not understand.

Think about it carefully. The magic caster named Ainz Ooal Gown is so strong, why didn't the Empire want more but only wanted E-Rantel? It is very likely that the Empire did not want more, and even E-Rantel had to be taken.

Maybe the magic caster is not in the same camp as the Empire, and is sending them some kind of signal by doing this.

“Ainz Ooal Gown? Honestly, I’m very interested in him and even sent him a visiting card. However, there has been no reply until now. Maybe he thinks I’m not qualified enough.”

In the eyes of the people of the kingdom, Lin is the second son of the Marquis of Rebuen, the fiancé of the Golden Princess, the leader of the Axis Church, and a person of national honor. But in the social level between countries, he is not qualified. If he was the husband of the queen, maybe it would work.

"It is also possible that they regard you as an envoy for peace talks and pretend to refuse peace talks?"

"Haha, maybe that's the case."

According to Lin's intelligence, the Blood Emperor had acted out of character after personally visiting Ainz Ooal Gown, and he wanted to see what kind of magic that man had.

Unfortunately, it seems there is no chance now.

"Brother, please fight for the right to command the army at the next court meeting. No, you will do it even if I don't say it."

"Yes, this is also a last resort."

If the army were commanded by the eldest prince, he would probably only give sloppy orders such as attack and retreat. If the king were to command the army himself, there was no guarantee that the nobles would cause trouble and then withdraw the troops. Therefore, the best candidate could only be him, a servant of one of the greatest nobles in the kingdom.

To be partial to any one side means to be partial to no one side.

Moreover, Marquis Leibun has good command ability and is very sensitive to the battlefield situation. Proper command may reduce casualties.

Yes, from the very beginning they didn't think they would win.

The army was already no match for the Empire, and now with the addition of a mysterious magic caster, what kind of battlefield will this turn out to be?

"What should I do then..."

While mumbling his thoughts and strategies, Marquis Leibun sighed deeply after thinking it over.

No one wants to fight a losing battle.

In addition to bearing the infamy, one also has to bear the responsibility of being the wronged souls of the dead. It is impossible to live without pressure.

He also wanted to destroy everything with his own hands.

This situation is like building a sand castle while a child is messing around. In this situation, it is understandable that you would have the urge to destroy it.

The kingdom has become fragile and fragmented.

If we want to use these loose sands to build a wall to resist the upcoming huge tsunami, how much sand will be left after the waves recede?

This is not how the sand is washed away by the waves!

Even so, there must be a reason why he can still persist.

bang bang bang-

The sound came from a low position, and for a moment, Lord Leibun showed an expression that was unlike his usual self. It was as if his original expression melted away, and the corners of his eyes drooped and the corners of his mouth relaxed unacceptably.

"Oh, no, no, you can't make that expression. Lin, the same goes for you."

He even gave instructions to his younger brother beside him.

He patted his cheek, smoothed his messy hair, and lowered his voice to make it sound gentle and kind so as not to make the other person think he was angry.

"come in."

The heavy door opened, and an innocent and cute young boy appeared. Upon seeing Marquis Leibun, he ran over and hugged his knees.

"Running around the room is rude."

The one who gently reprimanded him was the wife of Lord Leibun, Lin's sister-in-law. She had handsome features, but a vaguely gloomy temperament. She was slightly stunned when she saw Lin.

"Ah, Lin is back, how are you doing?"

"Thank you for your concern, sister-in-law. I'm fine now."

"Yeah, that's good."

It was a simple greeting, but it carried the warmth of family. At the same time, his legs were hugged. He lowered his head and saw his nephew's innocent and lovely smiling face. Lin also smiled.

"Did you study well today?"

“Yes! I have memorized all the teachings of the Axis Church! I am now a qualified Axis believer!”

“…No, I don’t want you to become an Axis cultist.”

Lin said helplessly.

When the little boy heard that Lin didn't want him to become a member of the Axis Church, he started crying on the spot. It was unclear whether he really liked the Axis Church or because all his efforts were in vain.

Finally, after Lin's repeated assurances, he finally laughed, and the Rayburns followed suit.

(End of this chapter)