King

"Earl, Xueyue Lake is one of the taboos of the Orc Empire. The army is not allowed to stay by the lake permanently!"

As soon as he ordered to set up camp and establish a logistics transfer station by the lake, a group of northern nobles in the army hurried over to persuade him.

Seeing the panic on everyone's faces, Hudson knew there must be a story behind this.

There are many "forbidden places" on the continent of Aslant, but the horror is also relative. Many threats are directed at ordinary people, and few can threaten an army of tens of thousands of perverts.

Judging from the intelligence collected by the kingdom officials, the three most dangerous areas of the Orc Empire are the northern plateau, the western Salar Hills, and the central Ural Mountains.

Xueyue Lake is not mentioned at all in the information. He really couldn't think of any danger here.

"Oh, what is the horror in this lake that makes you so afraid?"

Hudson asked confused.

As an old enemy that has been entangled for many years, the Alpha Kingdom should be relatively familiar with the Orc Empire.

Xueyue Lake covers an area of ​​thousands of square kilometers. If there is a threat to the existence of the army, it should not be ignored.

"Your Excellency, we can't tell you exactly what dangers there are in Xueyue Lake.

When I went deep into the Orc Empire to investigate intelligence, I accidentally heard an interesting story.

According to ancient legend, Xueyue Lake is the place where the gods fell. There is a curse in the lake. All kinds of accidents will happen to the tribes who have lived here for a long time, and then they will rapidly decline until they perish.

We don’t have any concrete evidence, but the tribes directly under the five royal families have tacitly abandoned Xueyue Lake, which is rich in water and grass and suitable for agricultural production.

The orc tribes living nearby are all small tribes that cannot survive in the outside world, and they came here to settle as a last resort.

Even so, their tribe was staying as far away from the lake as possible, and the nearest tribe was at least thirty miles away.

Only during the lean season every year, these tribes will move to the lake to live. Once you get over it, you'll be gone in no time! "

After hearing Baron Kettle's words, Hudson's expression suddenly became serious. Ancient myths and legends may not be true, but the choice of the orc natives cannot be ignored.

Under normal circumstances, a piece of fertile land that should have been grabbed at all costs has actually become a dangerous place that everyone avoids. It is impossible to have no problems.

Deep in his heart, Hudson's dissatisfaction with the five Northland Dukes suddenly rose.

These northern nobles under their command have only done a few transactions in the Orc Empire, and they all know that there is a problem in Xueyue Lake. How could they, who are sitting on the land, not know about it.

However, among the information provided to him, there was only one sentence about Xueyue Lake: the land is fertile and the water and grass are luxuriant. It was obvious that he was deliberately digging a hole for him.

Hudson did not want to give up the convenience of water transportation. But the possible dangers in the lake must be considered.

After glancing at the noble children of the Northland nobles, Hudson asked with concern: "Is there any more specific information about Xueyue Lake, including folklore?"

"Your Excellency, there are many legends about Xueyue Lake, which can be mainly divided into three categories: water monsters, evil gods, and curses.

It is said that if you live here for a long time, you will be contaminated by the ominous nature of the lake. Three years ago, when I was on a mission here, I encountered a small tribe that was wiped out.

Out of curiosity, we carefully examined the body but could not find any injuries. There were no traces of hands, and the only thing wrong was that there was a little more dust on the freshly dead body.

After realizing something was wrong, we left quickly. And secretly asked the local orcs, it is said that this kind of thing happens every few years.

Most of the victims were tribal members living nearby. Some died in the wild and some died at home. The manner of death was similar, and no injuries could be found on the bodies.

Some people say that it is a water monster seeking life, others say that it is an evil god causing trouble, and more people believe that there is an ominous thing in the lake, and if it is contaminated, it will be cursed.

It is said that the Orc Royal Court also sent experts to check it out, but it is unknown what happened in the end. Anyway, no tribes from the five major royal families have come to settle here since then.

Within the Orc Empire, Xueyue Lake is also known as Devil Lake. "

Baron Reno replied with a hint of panic, as if he had awakened the terror deep in his heart, confusing Hudson.

However, he still keenly caught a message - there was dust on the corpse.

Under normal circumstances, whether it is an evil god causing trouble, a water monster seeking life, or a curse killing people, they are all taken away neatly and without leaving a pile of dust.

"Crater Lake!"

In an instant, these three words popped out of Hudson's mind.

In my memory before traveling, there was information about the Crater Lake, which happened to be similar to the situation in Xueyue Lake.

Whenever a volcano erupts, it releases a large amount of harmful gases and dust, which ordinary people simply cannot withstand.

For orcs who lack knowledge reserves, it is normal to make blind guesses when encountering unknown things.

"Send the order and move the camp thirty miles upstream along the Green Jade River. Send people to the lake to conduct reconnaissance to see if there is a volcanic crater."

Hudson ordered decisively.

The truth can be discovered slowly, but the source of danger must be kept away. If you are unlucky and encounter a volcanic eruption, the army will suffer heavy losses.

If the judgment is wrong, it will be even more terrifying. Unknown dangers are far more terrifying than known risks.

Looking at the crystal clear lake water and the schools of fish passing back and forth, Hudson always felt that something was wrong.

Under normal circumstances, there should not be fish in the volcanic lake, and the nearby environment should not be so comfortable.

However, this is a different world, and the rules of world operation are also very different. The theoretical knowledge before traveling may not be correct here.

…

On the prairie, a human army suddenly separated from the main force and headed towards the deviated coastal area.

Looking at the map and groping forward with the team, Duke Pias's nerves were tense all the time.

As the vanguard of the army, he bears the highest military tasks and risks among the entire army.

Although according to the news from the flying dragon cavalry, the orcs did not deploy heavy troops in the coastal areas, and there were only some small and medium-sized tribes entrenched along the way, he was still uneasy.

There is no way, who told the news to come from the Holy See? If the kingdom's air force had not been severely damaged, he would definitely not have panicked at the information coming from his own people.

"Duke, Bishop Simon of the Holy See came to visit."

Duke Pias was slightly startled by the guard's words. After reacting immediately, he hurriedly ordered: "Please come quickly!"

The relationship between the Alpha Kingdom and the Holy See is not harmonious, but now is the period of joint operations. In theory, the two sides should settle their differences and work together to help each other.

If at another time, people from the Holy See came to visit with such great fanfare, Duke Pias would have considered avoiding suspicion.

…

"Your Excellency, how are you thinking?

The Locknard family is not in a good situation right now. Caesar III has already tried to get rid of you, but he has been unable to find an opportunity to strike.

If he didn't have thoughts about you, he wouldn't appoint Earl Hudson, who has a blood feud with you, to be the commander of the army.

You have already learned whether this person is easy to deal with or not. Being a vanguard is just the beginning, there are more terrible tasks waiting for you next.

Earl Hudson is best at boiling frogs in warm water. If it takes a long time, the Rocknard family will suffer great losses! "

Bishop Simon tried to provoke.

It is inevitable that Caesar III had objections to the northern nobles, but it would be an exaggeration to say that they would be eliminated quickly. Even if we really want to take action, it can't be now.

Against the background of the severe loss of the Alpha Kingdom's military strength, no matter which faction in the country dared to provoke internal fighting at this moment.

If you lose the last bit of your family fortune and attract the prying eyes of foreign enemies, it will be the end of the world.

For example: The Holy See, which has long been eyeing the Kingdom of Alpha, has been looking for an opportunity to interfere in the internal affairs of the Kingdom.

"Your Excellency, Bishop, you have taken the matter too seriously. Your Majesty is wise and powerful, and will never do anything that would hurt your relatives and please your enemies at this time.

As for Earl Hudson, do you think I'm afraid of him? So what if he is the commander of the coalition forces, there are still so many nobles in the army watching!

What's more, even if I agree to cooperate with you, it will have no effect. The strength of the Locknard family alone is simply incapable of controlling the situation in the kingdom! "

Duke Pias replied slightly uneasily.

As a member of the great nobility, he is also a "firm" royalist and has no good impression of the Holy See. Unexpectedly, the benefits promised by the Holy See were too great, which shook his will.

Once the Holy See's plans are completed, the Locknard family will be the most powerful family in the kingdom. In addition to being unable to directly ascend to the throne, the power in his hands is not much less than that of the king.

The only problem is that the success rate of the plan is not high enough. Even if the early plans are successfully completed, it will be difficult for the Locknard family to control the kingdom with its strength.

I don’t know if other families will object, but the newly rising Koslow family will definitely jump out to challenge them.

In terms of overall strength, the Rocknard family is several times, or even more than ten times, the Koslow family.

However, the big family's game depends not only on comprehensive strength, but at extreme moments, what is more important is the military strength in hand.

In a short period of time, the military strength of the two families is still unknown.

What's more, in the past years, the Lochnard family left behind more than just one enemy: the Koslow family.

They want to take control of the kingdom, and their enemies, who are cornered, are entirely likely to take risks and join forces to deal a cruel blow to them.

After all, rules are only rules if everyone abides by them. You cannot break it yourself and expect others to continue to comply.

"Your Majesty the Duke, there is no need to worry. If your family is not enough, then bring in a few more allies!

The five major families in the North have been together for so many years. I think you must have a way to drag them down.

With the combined strength of your five major families, you can basically suppress all the nobles in the south. If you are unable to do so, you can recruit a few more allies.

As long as you are stable enough and do not offend the core interests of the nobles in southern Xinjiang in the early days of taking power, the civil war will not break out.

Your Excellency, think about it carefully, now is the best opportunity. Once the guys in the south regain their strength, the situation will be very different.

In terms of recovery speed, they are much faster than you. Once you let them recover first, it will be the end of you.

Some things happen, and no one can undo them. "

Bishop Simon warned with a smile.

There are too many bad things done by the nobles in the North, and it is not surprising that some of them fall into the hands of the Holy See.

His family's reputation is already bad, and Duke Pias doesn't mind exposing some of his dark history. What really worries him is that there will be no pie in the sky.

The Holy See kept saying that it would help them control the Alpha Kingdom. This spirit of selfless dedication really moved him too much.

As Bishop Simon said, some things that happen cannot be undone. What they want to do now is - regicide.

Even if you are not the protagonist, just creating opportunities for the people of the Holy See, that is still regicide.

For any orthodox noble, the inner impact is huge.

The Holy See doesn't care. There are only one or two kings killed by them in history. They don't care about the life and death of Caesar III at all.

Duke Pias is different. The five major families in the North are connected by the same spirit. They are just a combination of interests. If regicide was involved, he could not guarantee whether the other four would follow suit.

Once this kind of thing is exposed, it will be the end of them. Not to mention that the enemies of the Locknard family would not let them go, even the vassal nobles under their command would most likely fight back.

Don't expect the support of the Holy See to be of much use. You must know that when the rule of the Holy See collapsed, a king was put on the grill, which triggered a wave of anti-Holy See in the aristocratic world.

If it were really exposed, they wouldn't be able to shirk the blame in time, so how could they come out to take the blame?

The Pope could not bear the charge of regicide. This is a taboo that no monarch can tolerate.

As long as someone is willing to take the lead, everyone would definitely not mind forming a coalition to attack the Holy See and remove the danger from their heads.

"Your Excellency, Bishop, now is not the time. Why don't you help us take Fengyue Port and severely damage the Orc Empire?

If the hidden dangers in the north are not cleared first, once the kingdom falls into chaos, the pressure on our family will be too great! "

Duke Pias suggested tentatively.

The most important thing in cooperation is trust. As the weaker party, Duke Pias needs to consider more issues.

For the Holy See, as long as Caesar III dies, most of the plan will be completed, but for the Locknard family, that is just the beginning of a new trouble.

If you want to control the government, you can only infiltrate slowly, instead of rushing in and becoming a powerful minister.

You even have to be calm in the early stage and pretend to be unprepared. If it goes a little too far, it can easily be linked to the regicide case.

"no problem!"

Bishop Simon agreed immediately.

Originally, they were not prepared to cooperate with the five major families. After all, the strength gap between the two sides was huge, and they were not equal allies at all.

However, regicide is a technical job. Without the cooperation of internal personnel, the killer would not be able to reach Caesar III.

The killers sent by the Holy See have been lurking in the royal capital for several years. They didn't find a chance to get close to Caesar III, but they lost a lot of manpower.

He had no choice but to find partners in the Alpha Kingdom. If it were anything else, it would be easy to rely on bribery, but this time was an exception.

No matter how good their friendship is on weekdays, as long as they show the slightest hint of regicide, the other party will immediately fall out with them without any mercy.