Howard finished speaking and sat back down.
After listening, First Prince Atticus clapped and immediately agreed loudly.
“Father, Elder Howard is absolutely right.”
Atticus crossed his arms.
“What is the Goddess doing stuck in that godforsaken border?”
“There isn’t even a decent palace there.”
Atticus let out a scoff.
“We have to bring the Goddess over here. Only the splendor of the Royal Capital can match the status of the Goddess.”
“Moreover, once the Goddess arrives in the capital, it will shut up those commoners who keep causing trouble and let them see the majesty of our royal family!”
Atticus’s thoughts were simple.
According to legend, the Goddess cannot intervene, or she would be punished.
Similarly, they could not inflict any real harm on her.
These two points had been proven countless times over the past three hundred years.
But as long as the Goddess was in the Royal Capital, with the Royal Knights Order under his control, he could confine or control her, turning her into a bargaining chip in his struggle for the throne.
Several other elders supporting Atticus also nodded in agreement.
“Having the Goddess come to receive our worship is the best opportunity to showcase the national prestige of the Kingdom of Aezera.”
The conference hall was instantly filled with voices supporting the proposal.
They did not care at all about the lives of border commoners, nor about whether the Demon Race would continue their massacre.
The kingdom’s vast territory could easily abandon some unimportant areas.
When the critical moment came, they could retrieve the Forbidden Artifact of Crimson Grade from the treasury and drive back the Demon Race.
For now, they only cared about how to get their hands on this enormous political capital that was the Goddess.
Richard sat on the throne and did not immediately respond.
He stroked the beard on his chin, seemingly considering the feasibility of the proposal.
In truth, Richard was also tempted.
If the legendary Goddess could receive worship in the Royal Capital, his prestige as king would undoubtedly reach an unprecedented peak.
Perhaps he could even, like King Gabriel a thousand years ago, earn lasting praise from future generations and achieve eternal fame.
Who didn’t want to leave a bold stroke in the history books?
Third Prince George sat there in silence.
He saw through Howard’s intentions—a typical extreme hegemonism, too foolish, and one day he would fall due to his lack of restraint.
But George didn’t want to be the first to speak out in opposition.
He would wait for someone else to take the lead.
Saint Freya stood beside Richard, listening to Howard and Atticus’s words, and almost laughed out loud.
A legitimate invitation?
Receive worship?
Legitimate status?
The smile on Saint Freya’s face remained.
But deep inside, her expression had already withered and collapsed.
‘These people really have nothing but crap in their heads.’
‘Do they actually think that invoking the First King, Gabriel, would make the Goddess spare them even a glance?’
Saint Freya had read every single forbidden book about the Goddess in the Royal Library, over and over again.
Others didn’t know what really happened a thousand years ago, but she knew all too well.
‘Is it possible that the First King, Gabriel, was just a pitiful fool who worshipped the Primrose Goddess unilaterally?’
In other words, it was nothing more than Gabriel’s one-sided infatuation.
Back when the Goddess walked across the continent freely, she would even catch dragons to dissect, and would single-handedly challenge the imperial army.
‘What was Gabriel compared to that?’
‘Just a passerby who could only watch the Goddess’s back from afar, not even able to exchange a single word.’
The Goddess, out of great kindness, helped him build a kingdom, and he erected a hundred-meter-tall divine statue in the Royal Capital, kowtowing to a stone every day.
‘Did the Goddess ever care?’
‘Not at all.’
And now these idiots wanted to use this infatuation-based legitimate status and exploit the Goddess’s prestige as political leverage?
But Saint Freya said nothing.
She maintained that gentle and obedient expression, a faint smile on her lips, quietly listening to everyone speak.
She loved watching these arrogant people make the most foolish decisions in their ignorance.
It was even more amusing than watching circus monkeys perform.
Richard was still hesitating.
He turned to look at Zeweier sitting beside him.
“Zeweier, what do you think of Howard’s proposal?” Richard asked.
Upon hearing his father’s call, Zeweier slowly sat up straight.
The smile on his face instantly disappeared, replaced by an extremely disdainful expression.
“Tch—”
Right in front of everyone, Zeweier let out a very piercing snort.
The snort rang out particularly loud in the quiet conference hall.
Atticus narrowed his eyes.
“Zeweier, what are you laughing at?”
“We are discussing important state affairs. Can you be serious?”
Zeweier completely ignored Atticus’s interruption.
He tapped the table with his stubby fingers.
“What am I laughing at? I’m laughing at you people who have lived so long but might as well have lived as dogs.”
Zeweier’s words were full of sarcasm.
Howard trembled with rage.
“Your Highness the Second Prince, please watch your language!”
Zeweier cast a cold glance at Howard.
“Watch my language? I think you need to watch your own brains.”
Zeweier stood up from his chair. Though he was short and stout, he now exuded a suffocating presence.
He placed his hands on the table, his gaze sweeping over Howard and finally landing on Atticus’s face.
“Brother Atticus, and Elder Howard.”
Zeweier’s voice was cold.
“Have you been living in a place as comfortable as the Royal Capital for too long? Have your brains been pickled by those expensive wines?”
Atticus was about to flare up, but Zeweier raised his voice, cutting him off.
“What are we? We are only mortals!”
Zeweier said loudly.
“What right do we have, what face do we have, to demand that a true god cater to us?”
Zeweier extended a finger and pointed at the ceiling.
“That is the Goddess! The Goddess who can resurrect the dead, who can instantly help the Hero kill a Demon General! And you want to bring her to the Royal Capital in a few shabby carriages to receive some kind of worship?”
Zeweier’s tone was filled with mockery.
“You should have some self-awareness. Who are we to deserve the Goddess personally coming to the Royal Capital?”
Atticus, embarrassed by Zeweier’s high-sounding speech, immediately retorted.
“We are the royalty of Aezera, representing all of humanity. Since the Goddess has descended, she should cooperate with us.”
Upon hearing this, Zeweier scoffed again.
“Cooperate? Brother, you think too highly of yourself.”
Zeweier shook his head.
“The Goddess descended to lead the Hero to defeat the Demon Race and save this world.”
“She…”
“Does not need the puny, feeble power of mortals.”
I like him