"Austin had allowed Wayne to do so, either Austin had changed and arranged it on purpose, or he was helpless about his own successor."
Sophia analyzed the intelligence, speculating two possibilities.
Douglas suppressed the resentment in his heart and followed with, "Whichever it is, the Lando Family’s attitude is very firm, loyalty that isn’t absolute is absolutely disloyalty, you can’t trust Austin like you used to anymore."
Hearing this, Sophia gave a bitter smile. If not Austin, whom could she trust?
Any other member of the Tulip Family would be even less trustworthy than Austin; where in the world is there absolute loyalty, if not under the binding of interests to oneself.
"Baron Kimo, your plan is a bit too aggressive," Sophia suddenly regretted.
"It’s more efficient this way, and having the power dispersed for too long, these guys have forgotten who they are," Douglas said emotionlessly.
Sophia nodded. Indeed, that was the case; just judging by the Tulip Family’s responses, one can see how power inflates ambition. If they don’t centralize power now, the Royal Family will only decline with each generation.
By the time the next King ascends, the country’s military, politics, economy, and culture will all be controlled by the Tulip Family, with the King reduced to a puppet and only able to implement a monarchy in name only.
Seeing Sophia frown in deep thought, Douglas continued, "War is the best excuse; you can’t miss this opportunity. We have enough power in our hands to take back control, you don’t have to worry about the Tulip Family getting out of hand."
Sophia glanced at her husband, noticing the budding ambition in him, and after weighing her options for a moment, said, "I’ve been too trusting of the Tulip Family, which doesn’t benefit the centralization of royal power. You will have full authority to deal with them on my behalf."
"Don’t go too far; what I want is power, not corpses."
"Rest assured, I only draw my blade against traitors and won’t cause an irreparable rift between the Royal Family and the Tulip Family." Douglas got what he wanted and his gaze shifted to the documents on the table.
The Lando Family manages to please both sides, Austin has a High Priest in his embrace, and Wayne has one too; this bone is too tough to chew and should be dealt with last.
But if they gather all their strength to tackle this hard bone first, the example set would be great. The other Tulip Families would undoubtedly rein in their ambitions, allowing the Royal Family to centralize power in the shortest time.
Moonlight Church, Naturalism Church...
Douglas wasn’t afraid of the two High Priests, but the Churches behind them. After much thought, he decided to negotiate this matter with the Dark Church.
Only magic can defeat magic, similarly, only a Church can defeat a Church!
Douglas had many thoughts, drafting more than ten plans specifically against the Lando Family, hesitating whether to strike at the Lando Family first.
Seeing through his thoughts, Sophia smiled, "How is it, difficult to handle?"
It was difficult indeed, with risks and rewards equally great, and hard to choose between.
"I’ll see Austin first and see what his attitude is, it would be best if we can talk."
How to talk, where to talk, are you planning to summon him at night?
Have you two truly broken up?
The more Douglas thought about it, the more annoyed he became. As the Queen’s husband and the father of two children, he should have been the victor, but the silhouette of Austin, so similar to his own, was like a thorn in his side, making him feel like a stand-in.
Let’s be clear, he hated Austin very much. The more Sophia trusted Austin, the more he hated him.
And now there was one more person he despised.
Too similar to Austin.
Clearly being a secretly cultivated illegitimate child, Wayne had been recognized as Austin’s son-in-law due to Austin’s connections, with verifiable intelligence to back it up.
One by one, people were lying through their teeth, especially Military Intelligence Section Six, which even confidently produced a fabricated file to cover for Austin.
Laughable, those brows, those eyes, how could there be no blood relation?
These Tulip Family members, they must think the Royal Family is blind!
Austin sat on the sofa with a dark face, absently fidgeting with the Ancient Silver Coin in his hand: "I told you to use forces other than the Tulip Family, who asked you to bring out the High Priestess of the Moonlight Church?"
"I didn’t move her; I just made a call, and she showed up on her own," Wayne insisted.
Austin: Are you still proud?
Austin took a deep breath and said slowly, "Do you know the Queen summoned me today, reminding the Lando Family that we’re getting too close to the Moonlight Church?"
"Really? I think the Lando Family is getting closer to the Naturalism Church. Wherever I am, there you are and you even have a son with the High Priestess of the Naturalism Church."
"Besides, it was the Minister of the Magic Department who told me to get close to the High Priestess of the Moonlight Church. I sacrificed myself for the country and completed the mission brilliantly. If the Queen is unhappy, she should take it up with the Minister of the Magic Department, why come after me, should the honest man be the one pointed with a gun?" Wayne’s complaint grew stronger, as if he had suffered a great injustice.
Austin couldn’t bear to listen anymore, regretting entrusting the task to Wayne.
He should have known, the Dark Knight alone was not enough to suppress the Naturalism/Sun/Moonlight/Dark/Death/Pale Knights, especially when a group of Knights wanted to become heads of the household.
"I’ve already expressed the Lando Family’s loyalty to the Queen, your closeness with the High Priestess of the Moonlight Church represents the power of the Tulip Family, and this power belongs to the Royal Family."