Pirate Kingship-Chapter 851 - 511: Tyrant Edward and Loyalist Saint Byron (Part 2)

In this most powerful Royal Palace where the Royal Iron Law is supreme, he is the absolute and unparalleled existence.

With just a glare, an invisible noose tightly constricted around the Chamberlain's neck, hoisting this Second Order Knight up, leaving him completely helpless despite his struggles.

In no time, his face turned blue and purple, his tongue protruding, and other attendants who witnessed this fell silent and knelt on the ground.

Edward IV, still unsatisfied, drew the sword that the Chamberlain himself had girded him with, and stabbed him dead on the spot with a single thrust.

He pulled out the sword and continued to stab him five or six more times until the Chamberlain became a gourd of continuously spurting blood, then stopped, his cold gaze sweeping over everyone present, declaring icily:

"Whoever dares to come between me and Her Majesty the Queen will meet the same end! Did you all hear me clearly?"

The strongest man in the Kingdom of Hightins and the undisputed First Beauty of the Channel Islands had always been mutually attracted and influential upon each other.

The special effect of the title [The First Beauty of the Channel Islands]:

"The symphony of Helen's fate.

In a male-dominated world order, the irresistible charm of the First Beauties themselves is the root of turmoil.

Therefore, Queen Elizabeth, while being graced with unparalleled beauty that could enchant any man, also had to rely on a powerful man.

Once she lost this man, or if his power was insufficient to deter other males, it would inevitably ignite another 'Trojan War' to capture 'Helen'."

On ordinary occasions, Edward IV could resist the allure of the First Beauty with his Mind Realm.

But ever since donning the [Emperor's New Clothes], he had been gradually killed by the flattery that "The Tri-Phantom Sun is the Master of the Mandate of Heaven," becoming increasingly arrogant and dictatorial.

By now, anyone who tried to advise him was regarded as harboring ill intentions towards his beautiful queen, and had to be executed on the spot to relieve his hatred.

No matter how strained he found himself dealing with the Queen, he would never entertain the idea of having someone else act on his behalf.

Sheathing the sword, he muttered to himself:

"I heard among the Gourmets and Black Witches, there's a belief that you can eat anatomical equivalents.

Today's main course for my three meals will be roasted lamb kidneys."

Having left the dressing room and enjoyed a sumptuous breakfast with the temporary addition of roasted lamb kidneys, he wiped his mouth while sighing:

"Besides lust, I feel my appetite is also growing stronger, but being able to eat and drink indicates good health, which is a blessing."

Then court ministers entered the palace in droves to report their work to him.

The Minister of Finance presented a bill to him:

"Your Majesty, this is the battle damage report and the first quarter military expenditure application just sent by Lord Saint Byron, the Count of Torrentfort of the Colonial Royal Harbor, needing your personal approval."

Upon hearing this name, Edward IV felt not only his kidneys ached but also his brain started to hurt.

During this period, not only had he failed to siphon off the colonies as desired, but he also had to continuously provide reverse subsidies to sustain Lord Saint Byron's defense against the great enemy, The Mad Hunt.

When he saw the six-figure number on the bill, his brow gradually furrowed into a knot.

The Minister of Finance, knowing what this increasingly irritable sovereign was thinking, quickly and cautiously reassured:

"Your Majesty, look on the bright side.

Recently, the battle damage reported by the Count of Torrentfort has closely matched the battle results published by The Mad Hunt.

This shows that he hasn't underreported or inflated any expenses, nor has he engaged in fraud to deceive the military.

In the current situation, with him holding the fort in the Bantaan Archipelago, at least you do not have to worry about being misled and spending unnecessary money.

Now, as long as spending money can keep that last Lancaster tightly pinned in the colonies, preventing him from stirring up trouble, the money is well spent!"

Edward IV felt that there was truth in what he said.

The White Rose cannot lose the colonies nor just sit and watch the Red Rose remnants grow larger. As long as The Sea Hunter can hold out under the pressure, tightening the belt to support them is necessary.

Now the likes of Great Loyalist Count of Torrentfort, willing to expend his core team to go head-to-head with the enemy, are indeed few and far between.

"Alas, funds are needed everywhere: for the colonies' military expenses, to purchase weapons from the Rhine Metal Company, and for rewards to motivate the transcendent in the military to undertake operations behind enemy lines...

In order to successfully secure war loans from the Great Bankers of the Remit People, I not only acknowledged the state established by the Monetary Restoration Party in the Southern Continent.

I've also signed an agreement allowing Remit People to settle and do business in the Kingdom of Hightins without a cap, but they've been prohibited from holding political positions or serving in the military.

This was all forced by those two bastards, The Kingmaker Warwick and Lancaster from The Mad Hunt!

The greatest advantage of The Sea Hunter is his loyalty; if I tell him to go east, he wouldn't dare go west. This might be the only comforting detail amidst all the bad news."

Edward IV was unaware, however, that Byron's bill indeed did not include any excessive 'details'.

Because the bill was originally a hundred percent pure water, the kind that could be directly used for experiments in the laboratory, so to speak.

With both 'combatants' at loggerheads corroborating, there wasn't even a need to do a semblance, as he played the paper war to the point of mastery.

If you cross-referenced the bill, you'd find this military expenditure was identical to the Torrent Fortress's whale oil steam engine R&D costs, plus the overhaul costs of the first batch of heavy cruisers under The Mad Hunt's command.