RPAGF Chapter 524 Everything Was Predestined (Page 12)
Chapter 524 Everything Was Predestined (Page 12)
"Lord Lei, shall we have another match?" Liu Ying was someone who knew nothing of fear.
She pounced on me from behind like a nimble koala.
The fluffy head nestled on the Alfa's broad back, begging for a friendly sparring match.
Alpha felt the soft touch on her back, but shook her head and pinched her long rabbit ears: "Let's skip it today. There's a banquet tonight with lots of good food. If I sweat now, the smell of those Western nobles will mix in and it won't smell good."
Although Alpha wasn't a germaphobe, even in the military camp, he maintained the habit of showering every time he sweated, leaving only a faint scent of soap on his body.
Westerners, on the other hand, do not bathe often and have a strong body odor, which Alpha finds quite unpleasant.
"Lord Ray, Sir Bedor has sent someone, saying he has something to discuss." Just as the two were joking around, Peter, the servant outside the door, announced loudly.
"You mean, the Empire has also officially sent representatives to participate in the Holy Knight election?"
The atmosphere in the study froze instantly. Alpha's teacup hovered in mid-air, the dark brown tea sloshing slightly.
Alpha suddenly raised his head, staring sharply at Bedor, clearly surprised by the news.
Bedor nodded heavily and said in a low voice, "It's absolutely true. The Imperial Army sent this time are all elites from the Royal Knights Templar, which are directly under the Imperial Army. The leader is the Emperor's own nephew, Duke Orlando."
Alpha slowly put down his teacup, his eyes becoming deep and unfathomable.
The water was even more murky than he had imagined.
The Holy See was originally a product of the empire's efforts to counterbalance the massive Holy See of Light.
Nominally an ally of the empire, but in reality, it had long been a dead entity.
Since the line of Pope Boniface II came to power, the Holy See has been seeking independence.
It had long since broken free from the control of the Ottoman Empire and was in a state of semi-independence or even out of control.
It is precisely because of this independence that the Holy See is able to secretly recruit "Knights of Light" who are wanted by the Holy See.
But now, the Empire is interfering in the internal affairs of the Holy See at this critical juncture, which is definitely not a good sign.
This is like a kite that had already slipped out of control, but now the person flying the kite suddenly tightens the string.
"What is the Holy Pope's attitude towards this?" Alpha rubbed his temples.
Even with its current formidable strength, Alpha feels somewhat helpless in the face of this battle between behemoths.
“The Pope’s attitude is ambiguous.” Bedor frowned and revealed all the information he had gathered.
"He publicly declared that 'the recognition of the Holy Ring by God is divine will and cannot be controlled by human power,' indicating that anyone is qualified to participate in the selection. This clearly shows that he did not want to offend the Empire, but also did not want to give up his voice."
Alpha sneered: "Trying to offend no one will result in offending everyone. Once the Empire's influence infiltrates, the Holy See will likely become a vassal of the Empire. At that point, the Empire's wars of aggression can be fully justified by the Holy See."
Alpha naturally didn't care about any holy rings, the power of the Holy See, or those high-ranking nobles.
Alpha went to great lengths to build the Holy Flame Legion, even at the cost of tarnishing its own reputation.
All they wanted was to have soldiers at their disposal, to have the power to protect themselves and those around them.
Those commoner knights are the true foundation of Alpha.
“We won’t get involved in these high-level power struggles,” Alpha quickly decided, looking firmly at Bedor.
"Our focus is on enabling the Holy Flame Knights to gain legitimate status through this selection process. Once they are officially recognized by the Empire, our brothers will no longer be vagrants and private soldiers."
“We’ve been working on this,” Bedor said, sounding somewhat embarrassed.
"The original plan was to have the Thunder Knights station their main force in the Suez Canal region, which would allow them to control trade routes and legitimately collect taxes to support their troops. However, this was met with strong opposition from the imperial garrison and local nobles, making it impossible to implement."
After a moment of contemplation, Alpha quickly visualized the power structure of this continent in his mind.
Since the southwest route is not feasible, we must find another way.
“Since the southwest is no good, let’s send Zahir’s men to the east,” Alpha said, pointing to the Caucasus Mountains on the map, a cold glint in his eyes. “Let him deal with Tsarist Russia. There are frequent battles there, which is a good place for us to train our troops and make a name for ourselves.”
“The east is too far, and resupply and command will be very difficult.” Bedor shook his head and then proposed another solution.
"Moreover, a new city is being built in the Greek region to the northwest, which is also a good place. If we can control that new city, it will be like having a solid base, which can be used for both offense and defense."
“Greece…” Alpha’s eyes lit up. That was indeed the place he wanted to settle down. Now Bedor had finally figured it out.
“But,” Bedor’s tone became hesitant and disappointed, “neither the Caucasus nor Greece are too far away from us. If something changes there, or if we need to use force, we simply cannot control it in time. The Hashem family wants this force to stay with us as a protective force for the family.”
Alpha was well aware of Beedo's unspoken meaning.
This isn't a matter of distance; it's clearly a matter of trust.
Although the Hashim family supported him, they were even more afraid of raising a tiger that would become their own enemy.
They feared that the knightly order, which they had painstakingly supported with funds and resources, would eventually become too powerful.
It became someone else's wedding dress, and even turned around and threatened the family itself.
“That would be best,” Alpha sighed and explained.
"But the Empire will never allow a large army that is completely obedient to us to be stationed in the core area. Large-scale recruitment must have a legitimate reason, unless there is a large-scale uprising in this area, otherwise it will be a sign of rebellion."
"No! This area absolutely cannot be allowed to descend into chaos!" Bedor immediately retorted. "Once it becomes chaotic, the Empire will have an excuse to send a large army to occupy it, and then we will completely lose our autonomy."
The two fell into a brief silence.
With his family's distrust on one side and the empire's covetous gaze on the other, Alpha felt like he was caught between two giant rocks.
Suddenly, a sinister smile appeared on Alpha's lips as a bold and insane plan began to take shape in his mind.
“What if, and I mean what,” Alpha’s voice was low and seductive, “the Templar Knights that the Empire sent to participate in the election this time, were all wiped out in the end?”
"What?" Bedor was so shocked he almost jumped off his chair, staring at Alpha with a deathly pale face.
"Lei! Are you crazy? Those are the elite of the imperial family. If we touch them, we will completely break with the empire, and our entire clan will be wiped out!"
"Shh—" Alpha made a shushing gesture, but his eyes were frighteningly bright.
"Let me finish. The Empire wants to intervene, but is the Pope willing to let it go? We can join forces with the Pope and use this selection to gradually eliminate these common enemies within the bounds of the rules."
Alpha leaned closer to Bedor and whispered his analysis: "As long as the people the Empire sends die in the 'fair' selection, the Empire will have no excuse to send troops, and the Pope will have to rely on us because of our 'tacit understanding'. In this way, we will be tied to the Pope and become the Empire's enemy."
This is both an open scheme and a vicious plan.
By creating an unforgivable "handle," the interests of everyone are tied together.
This forces those who doubt him to choose to trust and rely on him.
"This...this is insane." Bedor was breathing heavily, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
He dared not listen any longer; if this plan were leaked, they would all be finished.
But deep down, Bedor had to admit that this might be the only way to break the current deadlock.
Alpha's plan is like a boulder thrown into stagnant water.
Once implemented, the power structure of the entire Holy City, and even the entire Empire, will be completely disrupted.
And they will fight their way through this chaos.
As dawn breaks, golden sunlight spills onto the "Valley of Trials" outside the holy city, bathing the towering, circular stone pillars in a sacred glow.
The valley was already bustling with activity, as nobles, knights, and commoners from all over the empire gathered here, completely surrounding the giant training ground in the center.
Seven colossal stone pillars, symbolizing the first Seven Holy Knights, stand majestically, their emblems fluttering in the morning breeze, as if telling tales of a thousand years of glory and legend.
Today marks the start of the once-in-a-century Holy Knight Election.
The air was thick with a mixture of solemnity and fervor, as everyone eagerly awaited the legendary "holy ring" to choose its master once more.
Only those recognized by Him can be crowned as true paladins, the supreme symbol of divine authority and military power.
However, beneath this pristine armor and devout prayers, undercurrents were already surging and turbulent.
Spies and spies from various factions are like venomous snakes lurking in the shadows, watching for every opportunity.
This election is no longer simply a contest of force and faith, but a game of power and interests.
At this moment, Alpha, standing on the viewing platform at the edge of the Trial Valley, is the one who plays the game.
He wore a dark gray hooded cloak, concealing his figure and face in shadow, revealing only a faint, cold smile.
Bedo, standing beside him, nervously rubbed his hands together, fine beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He lowered his voice and reported, "Ray, the Imperial delegation has taken their seats. Duke Orlando himself is present, bringing twelve fully armed 'Templar Knights,' said to be the Empire's most elite warriors, each capable of taking on ten men. In addition, the Papacy has strengthened its security. Although the Holy Pope is not present, his high priests have taken full control of the ceremony's oversight, each one with a sharp eye."
Alpha listened, his gaze sweeping over the imposing silver armor of the Imperial delegation in the distance, then glancing at the group of arrogant high priests in white robes in the Papacy camp, the curve of his lips growing colder.
"The more they make a big fuss and the bigger the spectacle, the more it shows their insecurity." Alpha's voice was low and tinged with disdain. "The Empire wants to use the election as a pretext to openly insert its influence into the Papacy; the Papacy, on the other hand, wants to use the name of divine authority to maintain its precarious independence. Both sides are testing each other and pulling each other along."
Alpha turned his head, a dangerous glint in his deep eyes, and stared directly at Bedor: "And what we need to do is to add another jolt to this taut string. Let this hypocritical 'cooperation' turn into an irreconcilable 'confrontation'."
Alpha's plan was like an invisible net, already laid out in secret.
The first step is to "stir up trouble".
Alpha only has a chance to survive in the cracks, or even reap the benefits, if it can create discord between the Empire and the Papacy.
“Our people have contacted the Holy Pope,” Bedor swallowed, his voice trembling slightly.
"Someone will come to pick you up later, saying they want to have a 'personal talk' with you to discuss important matters. Lord Lei, this... this is directly facing the highest levels of the Holy See, what if something goes wrong..."