King-Chapter 1114 - 167: Hoodwinking the King_3

Hudson suggested with a smile that was not quite a smile.

Managing the Arcane Academy was no easy task; even the King didn’t have much face in front of those old immortals.

Not only were their statuses and origins grand, but their strengths were also exceptionally powerful.

The strongest within the Kingdom who were most likely to break through to the Sanctuary were all within the Arcane Academy.

A large group of strongmen gathered together, teaching students was just incidental, more so for the sake of facilitating exchanges, in hopes of breaking through bottlenecks sooner.

"Marshal, if the news of the Divine Artifact leaks out, and the Church traces it back to our heads..."

Caesar IV hesitated slightly as he spoke.

It had not been easy to lay his hands on the Church’s Inherited Artifacts, and he had no desire to give them up.

If word got out, for the safety of the Kingdom, he would have to painfully part with them and trade with others.

This feeling was all too clear to Hudson. If the goal was to cause trouble for the Church, then he might as well sell the Holy Sword of Light in his possession to the Frank people.

They would definitely be willing to pay a sky-high price. The resources obtained in return would probably be enough for the development of Snow Moon Territory.

Regrettably, even Hudson was not willing to let go. The Inherited Artifacts symbolized orthodoxy; according to the canonical laws: only by obtaining the inheritance of the three great Divine Artifacts can the Pope lawfully ascend to the throne.

With such an object in hand, even if he became the greatest of heretics, he could be absolved in the future.

Nor did he have to worry about someone causing trouble in religious faith. Holding the Holy Sword was to be the Divine Spirit’s spokesperson in the mortal world.

The main thing was that the Church was too overconfident, never imagining that one day the Divine Artifacts would be lost, much less that the Church would decline.

"Your Majesty, please rest assured, the matter of the Divine Artifact is strictly confidential. The Church won’t trace it to us any time soon, and even if they have suspicions, they don’t have evidence.

Using the Divine Artifact as a ploy, mainly to make the Frank people take a bigger step.

The Church has already been accused of ten cardinal sins, and with the religious power scattered, establishing a New Church is a matter of course.

Once they take that step, they will be irreconcilable with the Church. If the Kingdom stirs up a little trouble, it won’t count for anything.

Once the Near East strategy is complete, we can completely follow suit and establish a small church on the Northern Continent.

Our influence would certainly not keep up with those two, but we can make significant concessions!

For instance: allowing churches in every country to be completely autonomous, with tithes solely at the disposal of the local clergy, not interfering in any religious affairs of the countries...

As long as the concessions are substantial enough, we won’t be short of supporters.

By then, even if you were to be crowned Emperor, there would be no problem!"

Hudson endeavored to paint a rosy picture.

If the Kingdom were to establish its own church, he, who brought back the Inherited Artifacts, would be the first great hero of the New Church.

It was obligatory to prefix his surname with "Holy," and his great name must also appear in religious history. The relatively shallow-founded Koslow Family would leap forward to become the most prominent nobility just below the Royal Family.

If Caesar IV could not resist the temptation to be crowned Emperor, then his Duke title could also be upgraded to Grand Duke in the process.

Compared to other forces on the Continent, the Kingdom of Alpha had a realistic chance of realizing the crowning of an Emperor if it were able to settle the Different Races.

Even if other countries wanted to intervene, they would have to first eliminate the Alien Coalition and clear the trade routes between the North and South continents.

"Marshal, let’s keep these words between us. I have no desire to be crowned Emperor!

However, your proposal to use the Divine Artifact as a ploy does have merit, I will have the Department of Foreign Affairs work on it."

Caesar IV said with slight excitement.

A king who does not aspire to become Emperor is not a good king. But to be an Emperor, one must first establish an Empire.

The Kingdom of Alpha had ample room for expansion; just by consuming half of the Orc Empire, it could catch up with the former Bright Empire.

Should this be accomplished, he would surpass his father, Caesar III, and the Founding Monarch, instantly becoming one of the greatest Monarchs in the history of the Human Race.

The emergence of new goals made Caesar IV look at Hudson more favorably, and he had already overlooked all the unpleasantness that had just transpired.

There were nobles who privately incited him to become Emperor, but those individuals were after their own glory and wealth, speaking fancifully, treating him as a fool to be hustled.

In contrast, Hudson’s casual show of support was much more structured, even outlining the strategic route to achieve the goal.

Step one: make the Frank people and the Church turn against each other, dividing the countries of the South Continent;

Step two: complete the Near East strategy;

Step three: establish a new church, control the religious power;

Step four: ...

The plan was a bit hasty, but that suited an accidental slip of the tongue, inadvertently revealing true inner thoughts.

Upon witnessing this scene, Hudson smiled faintly and then found an excuse to take his leave.

It wasn’t about what was said, but rather what actions were taken that revealed whether someone was truly moved.

Many things, once the first step is taken, become very difficult to stop.

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freewe(b)nov𝒆l