nownovels Chapter 276 True Love's Decision
Chapter 276 True Love's Decision
Chapter 276 True Love's Decision
The fact that Natasha's contact with Triss went very smoothly put Evan in a good mood, but he didn't dwell on his joy. Instead, he quickly turned his attention to the person in front of him.
Compared to Triss, who had no foundation and no support, Edsac Augustus was the one who was hard to shake.
If Evan had Triss recruit him under the guise of the Witch Cult, the Gnostic Society, or even the Aurora Society, it would have been quite easy.
But Evan chose the most difficult method: to subvert the regime in the name of the Einhorn royal family of the Fussac Empire.
Edsak Augustus was a direct descendant of the Augustus family of the Kingdom of Rune, and the struggle for hegemony over the northern continent and even the entire world between the Kingdom of Rune and the Fusak Empire began a hundred years ago.
Edsack's upbringing instilled in him a view of the Fussack Empire as a formidable enemy, making it no easy task for him to betray his country and join the enemy in such a short time.
Not to mention that the "Einhorn" family he joined was actually a vassal of the Augustus family, a psychological barrier that should not be underestimated.
Therefore, Evan still needs to do more related work.
"When I first heard about the Red Rose Manor, I was really shocked, especially after the manor was sealed off. I was worried that something had happened to you. Now that I see you are safe and sound, I am relieved."
Evan clinked his wine glass against the Third Prince's, looked him up and down, and said with a smug look on his face.
Before the Red Rose Estate incident broke out, the old Earl had not yet given Robert an explanation. Robert saw that Edsac Augustus was deeply favored by George III, and that the eldest prince was indeed somewhat uneasy, so he had once considered playing both sides and had Evan befriend Edsac Augustus.
Edsack: Augustus was also ambitious at the time. Under the hints of George III, he really thought he was his preferred successor, so he actively campaigned and gathered followers. Naturally, he also took a liking to Evan, who was highly capable and had strong backing.
Even after Evan made great contributions, it was Edsack Augustus who volunteered to award Evan the medal on behalf of George III.
In this situation, the two were essentially going in opposite directions, having already established contact before the Red Rose Manor incident broke out.
In response to Evan's sigh, Edsack Augustus simply smiled bitterly and did not reply, but instead talked about Evan's affairs.
Although I have been living in seclusion at the manor and am not very well informed, I have been hearing about you, Evan, quite frequently.
At first, I thought your ability to achieve such great success in such a short time was largely due to luck, but now it seems I underestimated you!
Edsac Augustus has now put aside his ambition for fame and fortune, because he knows that unless he is the only son left of George III, he will never become the heir to the throne of Rune, and it is uncertain whether the Kingdom of Rune will even need an heir in the future.
Because he had lost his fighting spirit, Edsack Augustus's praise sounded surprisingly sincere, which surprised Evan.
But Evan quickly regained his senses and hurriedly said:
"Your Highness, you flatter me. I should congratulate you on being out of danger and now being able to move around freely!"
"Your Highness has been working for over two months now. What are your plans for the future? Would it be convenient for you to tell me?"
Before the Red Rose Manor incident, Evan had already shown his support for his bid for the throne, so his direct remarks did not cause any surprise.
Edsack Augustus could only manage a wry smile; this was now the umpteenth wave of people trying to find out about his future plans.
After all, many people had high hopes for him. Even though he was actually under house arrest at Red Rose Estate for two months, many people who were unaware of the truth believed that King George III valued his performance and had no idea that he had become a pawn and lost his fighting spirit.
But now he can't say anything, and he has to face pressure from all sides. He has no choice but to smile bitterly.
Seeing Edsack Augustus's state, Evan pretended to share his burdens and asked:
"Has the princes been suppressing your people lately, causing you significant losses and making you lose confidence?"
This is also true. Although it is unknown why the Third Prince could not utter a single word from Red Rose Manor, nor did he know the truth about the Red Rose Manor incident, this did not prevent these princes, who had grown up in conspiracies and scheming, from seizing the opportunity to quickly dismantle the power that Edsac Augustus had painstakingly gathered and suppress his subordinates.
Since he couldn't tell the truth, Edsack Augustus simply went along with Evan's words and used them as his reason for not wanting to argue anymore.
"In the two months I've been away, too many people have suffered because of me. If I continue to fight for the throne, my brothers will be even less likely to let them off the hook!"
In fact, Edsack Augustus had a point, because everyone benefited from his downfall during this period.
If Edsack Augustus continues to show a desire for the position of heir, then all the other princes will continue to focus their attacks on him.
Because kicking a man when he's down is a skill all politicians are born with, and they also worried that Edsack Augustus might retaliate if he recovered.
Even if no one understands why Edsack Augustus suddenly lost George III's favor, no one can guarantee that he won't suddenly regain George III's favor.
Therefore, the safest and most secure option for Edsac Augustus right now is to publicly announce his withdrawal from the succession battle. This would actually make him a target for other princes to win over, since even though they have been suppressing the forces loyal to him, he still has a large base of support.
Moreover, by doing this, he could also send a signal to his father, who was now very wary of him, that he was submitting to the arrangements of fate.
However, this safest and most secure option for Edsack Augustus was exactly what Evan didn't want to see.
"Your Highness, doing this is truly letting down those who have supported you and waited so patiently. If you announce that you are giving up the succession struggle, it will be equivalent to destroying the consensus among your supporters. At that time, they will truly have no power to resist and will become fish to be slaughtered by the Sword Group!"
Although it is highly likely that other princes will vie to win over Edsac Augustus after he relinquishes his claim to the throne, it is also almost certain that his power base will be dismantled.
Moreover, by then, even if Edsack Augustus's supporters wanted to switch sides, they wouldn't get a good price, because their leader had already surrendered. They were defeated soldiers begging for the victor's refuge, and had no room for negotiation.
Only those with real ability have a chance of being taken in; the rest of the small fry will just be crushed into dust.
The victors take everything, and the losers don't even qualify to be prisoners.
Edsack Augustus fell silent again. How could he not understand the reasoning behind Evan's words? But even if he wanted to fight for his men, there was nothing he could do. He couldn't get past George III.
Giving up now would allow him to fetch a good price from his brothers, who are unaware of the situation and don't know that Edsac Augustus has been completely abandoned by their father and is considered a discarded pawn. George III wouldn't go so far as to kill him under such circumstances.
If they don't give up, and George III publicly expresses his dislike for Edsac Augustus, then it will be a case of everyone kicking someone when they're down, and everything will be beyond repair.
"Evan, you may not know this, but because of some things, His Majesty no longer has high hopes for me. The reason I was confident in competing for the heir position before was entirely because of His Majesty's favor. But now that things have come to this, the more I do, the more mistakes I will make!"
Edsack Augustus was cornered by Evan and could only reveal a little bit of the inside story to express his helplessness.
Evan had been waiting for these words, so unlike Edsack Augustus's expectations, he didn't become dejected or leave in despair. Instead, his eyes gleamed, and he spoke firmly without the slightest hesitation:
"Since His Majesty has lost faith in you due to certain events, why not try to win him back? Why give up so soon?"
"There are some things you don't know, Evan. This isn't as simple as just winning back His Majesty's heart. In short, I'm no longer a contender for the heirship. You should consider my other brothers instead!"
With your abilities and your brother's status, I believe they will be very happy to have you join them.
Edsack Augustus was somewhat moved, as Evan had not given up on him even at this point. However, he truly saw no hope and was ready to accept his fate, as if he had repaid George III's kindness in raising him. Therefore, he tried his best to persuade Evan to give up as well and turn to someone else.
But Evan had no interest in that at all, so how could he possibly do as he was told? Instead, he said with a serious expression:
"Since you cannot regain His Majesty's favor, then become indispensable to him. That way, even if you cannot become the heir, you won't be devoured alive by your brothers, and you'll buy some time for those who support His Highness!"
Evan's words were a revelation to Edsack Augustus, like opening a window that freed him from his preconceived notions and showed him another path.
Yes, even though he's facing a situation where he's being devoured by wolves, it's not without a solution. He just needs to keep the hunter as his protector.
Previously, she won the hunter's favor by acting cute and making him her supporter. Now, she can also help the hunter with his tasks, making him inseparable from her, and thus making him her supporter!
As long as you don't lose your way, there's always a way to overcome difficulties. Ever since George III confronted him, Edsack Augustus knew about the Augustus family's schemes over the years and what kind of blame he was being placed on.
Therefore, his feelings towards his ambitious father, who aspired to ascend to godhood, were very complex. His previous acceptance of the fate arranged by George III was driven by this complex mix of admiration and hatred.
But now that he has seen another viable path and has hope of survival, Edsack Augustus was no ordinary man after all. How could his eyes light up and his survival instinct kick in?
Moreover, he was no longer alone; during this time, due to their shared fate, his feelings for Triss had grown rapidly.
This was a feeling he couldn't get from other women. Even though he knew very well that Triss wasn't a "woman" at heart, but a real man, he couldn't change the feelings that were rising within him.
Thinking about this, Edsack Augustus couldn't help but look at Triss, and found her resting her chin on her hand, watching him from a distance. When she noticed him looking over, she gave him a sweet smile in response.
Edsack Augustus forced a smile, nodded to Triss, and then turned to ask:
"You said that if I strongly support the establishment of the Strategic Support Force and the Air Force tonight, and volunteer to become the commander of this force,
"Would His Majesty then treat me differently and agree to my request?"
Edsack Augustus was indeed the most outstanding of George III's children. After opening his mind, he quickly grasped George III's greatest need based on the information he had obtained in the past two days.
Moreover, since George III had previously confronted him about his desire to ascend to godhood, Edsac Augustus had already guessed that George III's recent forceful push for reforms, which deviated from his previous persona, was preparation for the ceremony.
It's not hard to guess that the members of the Augustus family could know a lot of information that ordinary people didn't.
"Your Highness is wise! Although I don't know why His Majesty is in such a hurry, His Majesty's emphasis on military reform is obvious to all."
Moreover, because His Majesty has been too hasty during this period, there has been a strong backlash. A few days ago, the newly appointed Ambassador Intis was assassinated. I even suspect that this is a backlash against the military reform, after all, the timing is too coincidental, just two days before His Majesty's birthday!
Therefore, His Majesty needs more than ever public support from someone within the royal family, preferably someone who can help him advance the general's reforms!
Your timing in stepping forward is perfect; it will surely make His Majesty look at you in a new light!
No one knew the inside story of the assassination of Intis's new ambassador better than Evan, but that didn't stop him from calmly pushing the matter toward conspiracy theories!
Moreover, the powerful figures in Backlund clearly believed in such conspiracy theories, to the point that no one in Backlund dared to discuss the matter openly these past two days, yet a strange atmosphere permeated the air.
Evan knew early on that even if the Strategic Support Force and the Air Force were established, they would not be able to immediately reach the status of the Army and Navy, but at least a lieutenant general would be their commander.
Furthermore, since this is a newly established unit, it will be staffed by members of the Tsuchimuro clan, as is customary.
Regardless of which prince becomes the chief official, they will inevitably see it as a means to compete for the position of heir and will frequently interfere.
This was something that Evan, who had long regarded them as his own private army, could not tolerate!