Chapter 565 - 35: Gallidus
Chapter 565: Chapter 35: Gallidus
In the Human World today, some say there are three great kingdoms, while others claim there are four, counting the Haven Kingdom among them.
However, regardless of which version you subscribe to, the Algeria Kingdom is undisputedly number one among all human nations!
First in every respect, the Algeria Kingdom single-handedly keeps the entire Giant Demon Alliance in check.
Selmander, the capital of the Algeria Kingdom, was once the economic heart of the Third Empire. Now, it serves as the capital of Algeria.
Selmander is one of the most prosperous metropolises in the entire Human World, with a permanent population of nearly one million people.
In a world without skyscrapers, a population of one million is spread out flat, making the city seem impossibly vast.
The Royal Palace of the Algeria Kingdom is not located within the city of Selmander but atop a mountain that is easily defended and difficult to assail. A series of interconnected peaks have been fashioned into the Algerian Royal Palace, a symbol of the solemn Empire, radiating both majesty and prosperity.
The Royal Palace incorporates the architectural style of the First Empire, featuring sculptures, columns, high ceilings, and murals depicting great heroes.
King Gallidus returned from a hunt today, his mood quite pleasant.
He was fond of hunting, as were all Algerians. This was one of the reasons the Royal Palace was built in the mountains.
When the young king returned to the palace, he found an elderly man with graying hair standing outside.
"What happened?"
Gallidus looked at the old man with a puzzled expression.
This man was none other than Gallidus’s Prime Minister, Tyrone.
Tyrone shook his head.
"There is much to discuss. Affairs abroad have been far from peaceful lately."
Tyrone was Gallidus’s former teacher and a quintessential First Empire sage. Sages tended to be somewhat impertinent toward their sovereigns, a fact Gallidus had long grown accustomed to.
The two walked into the depths of the Royal Palace, arriving at the magnificent grand council hall.
King Gallidus seated himself upon his spacious throne.
"Speak," Gallidus said. "What is it?"
"A message has arrived from Lumian Knight Commander," Tyrone said. "Prince Noah is dead."
"Who?"
The King lost his composure, shooting to his feet in an instant.
"Noah?" Gallidus couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
"Noah is dead?"
Tyrone nodded.
"It is shocking, but it is indeed the truth.
A Marshal of Frank has rebelled—Marshal Grantham. The Frankish Royal Family is publicly claiming it was a cultist uprising," Tyrone explained.
"What happened next?" Gallidus frowned.
’Tyrone knew the King was asking what Lumian Knight Commander had done. By asking this, it showed the King had accepted the reality of the situation and was already considering the next steps.’
"Princess Yifulei is pregnant," Tyrone said.
"For real?" Gallidus asked, frowning.
’He’d previously prevented his sister from becoming pregnant before the wedding. Now, he was starting to regret it.’
"It’s fake."
"Sigh..." Gallidus pressed a hand to his forehead.
"What in the world is wrong with Louis III?"
"His Majesty Louis III has fallen into a coma, as has Marquis Oscillate," Tyrone reported.
At these words, Gallidus looked up, his eyes wide with shock.
If Prince Noah’s death was a major earthquake for the Frankish political arena, then having all these key figures fall into comas was something far greater.
The entire political landscape was about to be overturned!
Gallidus started to panic.
These were the very men who had orchestrated the marriage alliance between the Frank Kingdom and Algeria.
The death of Prince Noah alone would have caused problems down the line. But with this many key figures out of commission, the problems were immediate.
"What arrangements did Lumian make? Give me the details," Gallidus said, his tone turning serious.
"A general named Robson has recently risen to prominence in the Frank Kingdom. He is the one who killed Kemal."
"He is Marquis Oscillate’s nephew-in-law and a friend of Prince Noah’s. Lumian has tasked him with escorting the princess."
"Have our diplomats make contact with him. I want to know more about him," Gallidus ordered.
’The moment he heard Robson had killed Kemal, he understood the man’s weight in the Frankish political arena. He’s an absolute rising star!’
’Have him support Yifulei...’
’The armies are already mobilized, and now this mess happens.’
"Is there any new information from the Giant Demon Alliance?"
"Same as always. The High Priest of Camber City State is seeking alliances with other city-states. No major changes."
"There is, however, one group of people who warrant our attention," Tyrone said.
"Who?"
"This morning, a group of elves arrived," Tyrone said.
’Elves...’ Gallidus frowned at the word.
The Algerians disliked elves. The fall of the First Empire was inextricably linked to them.
The elves were unified once, for a brief period. During that time, the Elf King sought to solidify his rule by externalizing domestic conflicts through war, and he happened to set his sights on the declining Atlantis Empire.
Of course, that briefly unified Elf Empire would later fracture once more as the very same war exacerbated its own internal strife.
’And from within the Demon Beast Mountain Range, no less...’
It had been many years since anyone was heard of coming from within the Demon Beast Mountain Range.
"Where are they?" Gallidus asked.
Although the Algerians hated elves, that was, after all, a hatred from over two thousand years ago.
Time is a mighty force of creation. No matter how desperately the ancient Atlanteans had wished for the elves’ demise, the Algerians of today could only experience that hatred through the words written in history books.
’To be honest, King Gallidus was rather curious. What did elves actually look like?’
’He had heard they all looked malnourished, both men and women, rail-thin but possessing immense talent for Magic. They were said to be a warlike people, even more martial than the Franks.’
Palace Minister Tyrone shook his head.
"They have already left. They’ve been gone for a while."
"Those people came from the Vincent Empire, and they hold a strong aversion to us," Palace Minister Tyrone said.
The Vincent Empire is what remains of that briefly unified elven empire.
An elf’s natural lifespan is twice that of a human’s. Furthermore, their high affinity with nature makes them exceptionally difficult to kill.
What happened three thousand years ago to humans might as well have happened one thousand years ago to the elves. And elves are known to hold long grudges.
The Atlanteans believed the elves destroyed the Atlantis Empire, but did the Vincent Elves not feel it was the Atlanteans who destroyed theirs?
"Oh? They came all the way through the Demon Beast Mountain Range and left nothing behind?" Gallidus asked.
"They did leave something."
Palace Minister Tyrone stepped forward and retrieved a letter from Gallidus’s desk.
Gallidus opened it.
"Cease the attack on the Giant Demons. This world cannot bear another war."
Perhaps because they knew from the start that Gallidus would not stop the war, the entire letter was only thirteen words long, very much in keeping with the legendary terse style of the elves.
"Hmph..." Gallidus sneered.
"Where have they gone now?"
"To the Frank Kingdom?" Gallidus asked, puzzled.
The conflict between the Algerians and the elves stemmed from three-thousand-year-old history.
But the conflict between the Franks and the elves was only eight hundred years ago.
The Beastman Empire wouldn’t be as strong as it is today without the elves’ "invaluable contributions."
’Are the elves going there to mediate a peace? It doesn’t seem likely. The Franks have already withdrawn their army; a counteroffensive is off the table for this year, at least.’
’Besides, even if they were playing peacemaker, why cross the Demon Beast Mountain Range to get here?’
The Demon Beast Mountain Range hasn’t been safe lately. Ever since the "Inner World" closed its gateway, the section of the range near it has become perilous.
It wasn’t the demon beasts themselves that were dangerous, but rather a strange power that blocked anyone who tried to enter.
"Just what in the world is going on?"
Gallidus had a nagging feeling that there was definitely something more to all of this that he didn’t know.