Pirate Kingship-Chapter 644 - 453: Return to the Homeland, Death God is Here (6300 merged)! _3
"Hey, guys, did you attend the engagement ceremony of Miss Isabel from Earl Warwick's household to Duke George of Clarence half a month ago?"
Others shook their heads in turn:
"No, the family elders wouldn't allow it."
"I didn't either. At that time, I was assigned to a coastal escort mission with the Navy. But I heard it was quite the spectacle, attended by countless nobles, tycoons, officers, and Transcendents. Why do you ask, was there some kind of incident?"
The officer who had first spoken lowered his voice, a mysterious look on his face:
"You did the right thing by not going! I was there under orders from the Privy Council to maintain order. I also meticulously recorded the guest list, which was then submitted to the Privy Council and the Star Chamber Court. Guess who didn't attend that engagement party? It was the engagement of the King's own brother, yet not only did His Majesty himself fail to attend, but the majority of the Royalist Party also stayed away! After the banquet, I personally witnessed Duke George, his face dark with anger, cursing His Majesty. Does that sound like the Royalist Party and the Earl's Party are about to reconcile through marriage? I'm afraid the real show is yet to begin." 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂
Upon hearing this, the Army officers present couldn't help but look grave. Traditional military units like the Army and the Order of Knights have always been the preserve of the nobility; their officers must hold at least the rank of Knight. Their members are far more attuned to the political climate than ordinary folk, and they immediately sensed something was amiss.
Some, however, hesitated and tried to explain:
"Duke George is His Majesty's own brother, one of the Tri-Phantom Sun—which symbolize a divine miracle—and the very foundation of the White Rose York Family's legitimacy through the Creator's favor. If His Majesty himself didn't approve, surely he wouldn't allow Earl Warwick and Duke George to act so recklessly, would he?"
Someone scoffed at that:
"Can't you see yet? The title of 'The Kingmaker' is legendary, its fame having spread across nearly half the continent. It must possess some extraordinarily potent effects. Consider the Royalist Party and the Earl's Party, so evenly matched in strength. Foreigners visiting our Hightins must think they're witnessing not a King and an Earl, but a King and an 'Abreast King'!"
The officer who had first spoken added:
"I've also heard that His Excellency, Baron Saint Byron of Torrentfort, has achieved great merit on the Southern Continent. He's renowned far and wide as a Great Loyalist, and Ganquan Palace is currently in a flurry preparing his peerage conferral ceremony. He's the one whose slogan, 'Loyalty that isn't absolute is absolutely not loyalty,' even I can recite by heart. Earl Warwick is unlikely to sit idly by and allow His Excellency to be ennobled without incident. I'm certain another political storm is brewing."
Hearing this, Byron couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, impressed by the astute political awareness of these Army officers.
Within the Kingdom, mid-to-lower-ranking officials, the gentry, major landowners, and prominent merchants still believe the Royalist Party and the Earl's Party are finally on the verge of reconciliation. Only the core members of both parties, along with a few other discerning individuals, have detected the turbulent undercurrents in the Royal Capital, sensing that a political tempest is rapidly approaching.
Byron surmised that it was likely this impending major operation that had caused Earl Warwick—already stretched thin and having recently launched one 'Social Clock' assassination attempt against him—to refrain from further immediate action. Even a fragment of the Zero-Level Sacred Relic, the Sword of Damocles, had failed to harm him, leading to this temporary cessation of hostilities.
Right now, Warwick's greatest opponents were Edward IV, the Privy Council, and Queen Elizabeth's father and brother, Richard Woodville and Fris Woodville.
Yet, until now, the situation among the Kingdom's upper echelons has remained outwardly tranquil. In fact, with the continually expanding colonial interests and the brilliant performance of Byron, the Governor of the Colonies, in the Southern Continent's colonial war, the Kingdom's 'cake' was growing ever larger. There was even an air of flourishing prosperity, a sense that things were booming. Many sycophantic scholars, whose specialty was singing praises, were even publishing articles in the 'Kingston Daily' lauding Edward IV's wise leadership.
Byron, however, had sensed the oppressive atmosphere of an impending tempest the moment he stepped into the Royal Capital.
It's precisely because the enormous interests from the Southern Continent and the Whale Oil power revolution are laid bare for all to see. The conflict between these two inherently irreconcilable factions, over who gets the first and largest share of these spoils, is absolutely certain to erupt again. After all, no matter how the gains are divided, it's impossible to satisfy both parties simultaneously. The only uncertainty is what specific incident will act as the spark, the fuse, for one side to make the first move. But one thing is certain: the Royal Capital will definitely not be peaceful around the time of my earldom conferral ceremony. Not only will Warwick be unwilling to let it pass quietly, but even Edward IV—who considers me, his 'Great Loyalist,' a mere test subject for his 'Eternal Project'—might proactively stir up trouble. Bringing the Guardsmen here was definitely the wise choice.
JINGLE, JINGLE...
Just then, the bell hanging above the door of the 'Bluebell Cafe' jingled as two men, soaked through, entered together. They took a seat at the table adjacent to Byron and Catherine's.
A quick glance in their direction, and information about this peculiar pair instantly materialized in his Sailing Logbook.
The young man holding a beechwood pipe was named Sherlock, a Third Order 'Sheriff' of the Tribunal Sequence. He held the rank of baronet—not quite a blue-blooded noble, yet a cut above an ordinary Knight. This status had allowed him to secure an Extraordinary Profession within the Tribunal Sequence.
The other, named John Watson, appeared even younger. He was handsome, wore a monocle over his left eye, and was a Second Order 'Doctor' of the Hospital Sequence.
