bookrebus Chapter 740 So what is the price?
Chapter 740 So what is the price?
King Midland and Count Yuris walked one after the other along the palace corridor, their footsteps landing evenly on the floor.
The two maintained a fixed distance, neither getting closer nor distant, and continued walking along the corridor. A silent atmosphere enveloped them, with no communication, only the soft sound of their footsteps echoing in the narrow space.
Before long, the two walked out of the corridor and into the palace garden. Their eyes fell on the autumn scenery, and they did not linger for long, but simply walked forward slowly.
King Midland continued to walk ahead, and Count Yuris's position remained unchanged. The two strolled slowly along the path in the garden, their eyes occasionally sweeping over the surrounding autumn scenery, but they did not pay much attention to the landscape.
After walking for a while, King Midland slowly stopped, and Count Yuris also stopped. The two stood side by side, their eyes fixed on the front. The silence lasted for several seconds before King Midland broke the silence first.
“Yuris, I hope you will stop targeting Griffiths in the future.”
King Midland's voice was steady, with a clear stance.
“I know that you have always held a prejudice against people of common origin. I am not unaware of this, nor am I unable to understand your position.”
He paused for a moment, then continued.
“But Midland is at a critical juncture right now. The situation both inside and outside the country is not stable. The whole country urgently needs a hero who can step forward. Griffith is the most suitable candidate at the moment. His ability is enough to support the country’s needs. You should not make things difficult for him with your personal prejudice at this critical moment.”
Count Euryss immediately replied after hearing the king's words:
“Your Majesty, I am not deliberately opposing Griffith, nor am I simply hostile towards him because of his background.”
“I’m just worried that His Majesty has placed Griffith in too high a position, giving him too much honor and power, making him the focus of the entire country’s attention.”
"The higher a person stands, the harder they will fall. If Griffiths encounters any irreparable problems in the future, it won't just be him who falls, but the entire Midland royal family's reputation will be severely damaged. This is the last thing I want to see."
"Ok?"
Upon hearing these words, King Midland's previously composed expression shifted slightly, and he uttered a soft question, his tone clearly filled with doubt.
He could sense a different meaning in Count Yuris's words. The other party's concerns were not unfounded. It was as if he had some information that he was unaware of. Otherwise, he would not have spoken with such certainty, nor would he have been so persistent in targeting Griffith.
King Midland stopped in his tracks, turned to Earl Yuris, and stared directly at him.
"Did you find out anything about Griffiths in private?"
Count Yuris, sensing the king's questioning, neither evaded nor concealed anything, and directly revealed the clues he possessed.
"Your Majesty, have you heard of the newly emerging United Daily News in the southern region?"
Upon hearing the words "United Daily News," King Midland immediately recognized that he was indeed familiar with the newspaper and had been keeping a close eye on its movements.
"I have heard a little about it."
The king did not deny it, but directly admitted that he knew it.
"I have sent people to investigate. This newspaper was jointly founded by several powerful nobles in the south and several large local chambers of commerce. It has stable financial and power support behind it."
"All the articles in the newspapers never directly target the royal family, but they all subtly contradict the policies I have implemented and have been secretly guiding public opinion. I have always been aware of this."
After receiving the king's response, Count Eurysmus immediately revealed the most crucial information, which was also the root of all his worries.
"Your Majesty, the United Daily News has investigated extensively and has uncovered Griffith's past."
He lowered his voice, making his words sound more solemn.
“Griffith used to be in Blackwatch, the mercenary group with the official backing of the Kingdom of Hilderan. Griffith received his full training in that mercenary group back then.”
As Count Yuris finished speaking, he clearly saw King Midland's body move slightly. The movement was very slight, but it was enough to show the impact of this information on the king.
A brief silence fell over the garden. There was no sound except for the steady breathing of the two men. King Midland did not speak immediately, his mind quickly processing this sudden information.
After a brief silence, King Midland composed himself and spoke again, his words carrying the weight of a well-thought-out decision.
“Yuris, I understand what you are worried about, and I am also aware of the controversy this past will bring.”
The king's tone remained calm, showing no sign of panic at the news.
"But regardless of Griffith's background or which team he trained with, the fact is that he chose Midland, chose to play for Midland, and chose to stand on our side."
"Since he has made this choice, we must give him the treatment he deserves, the respect and power he deserves. We cannot neglect a talented person who is truly dedicated to the country because of a past experience."
King Midland continued to explain his considerations, his gaze fixed firmly on the distance, already having a clear plan in mind.
"If we exclude talented people who come here for such reasons, then who on the entire continent will be willing to choose Midland in the future, who will dare to serve Midland, and how will the country attract more capable people to strengthen itself?"
"On the contrary, this matter should not be used as a reason to suppress Griffith. We can also handle it in a different way and publicize it in a reasonable way so that the whole continent knows that Midland does not care about the past of talents, but only values their ability and loyalty."
"In this way, we can not only keep Griffith in check, but also attract more ambitious and capable talents from Heldran. This is a win-win situation for Midland."
……
"So what is the price?"
Inside the palace in Helmington, John stood at his desk, holding the latest issue of the United Daily News, his eyes carefully scanning an article about Griffith.
When he saw this sentence, he almost couldn't hold back. How come this newspaper editor's writing style is just like the BBC's?
This joint daily newspaper, openly founded by southern nobles and merchants, was able to find out so accurately about Griffith's past training with Blackwatch, and could even appear on his desk in the Helmingan Palace. Its true mastermind was already obvious, such as the intelligence headquarters of the Kingdom of Heldran.
The nobles and merchants in the south were merely pawns they pushed to the forefront. All the information investigations and public opinion guidance were secretly orchestrated by the Heldran intelligence headquarters, with the aim of using Griffith's past to disrupt the internal situation of Midland and weaken the credibility of the Midland royal family.
John gently placed the United Daily News on the table without making any further moves. He simply looked at the deliberately arranged words on the newspaper, a hint of amusement rising in his heart.
The King of Midland's unwavering support for Griffith, Count Yuris's concerns and targeting of the royal family, the covert operations of the Heldran intelligence headquarters, and Griffith's unknown past—all these intertwined clues instantly transformed the previously relatively stable situation in Midland into something complex and unpredictable.
"This is going to be interesting."
John muttered to himself.
“John.”
Just after John finished whispering, the voice of the Skeleton Knight suddenly came from behind him. Without any warning or prior footsteps, the voice appeared out of nowhere in the office space.
John immediately turned around, and what came into view was the skeleton knight and his horse appearing in his office. His gaze swept over the height of the skeleton knight and his horse, and then looked at the ceiling of the office. He couldn't help but feel a sense of emotion.
"It's only because my office is high enough that your head would get stuck in the wall."
John looked at the skeleton knight and his horse that almost reached the ceiling, but he wasn't surprised. He simply asked calmly what their purpose was.
"So, is there something you need to come back for?"
The skeleton knight sat on his horse, making no unnecessary movements.
"I have sensed that the apostles have been increasingly active across the continent recently, and I am finding it difficult to cope with them. I hope to borrow your soldiers."