Chapter 408
As usual, Michele was busy dealing with the affairs of the Proatine Kingdom. A mountain of documents stood before him, and just as he was immersed in his writing, a crisp noise echoed all of a sudden.
Snap!
The quill pen in Michele's hand had inexplicably snapped in half all of a sudden.
“...”
Michele froze and remained motionless. A chill traveled down his spine. He felt a pang of sharp pain in his chest, and he felt as though someone had thrust their dagger right in the middle of his chest.
“No way...” he muttered nervously and tried to downplay the ominous sign. “I probably used it too much.”
He convinced himself that the quill pen had snapped in half after getting overworked and that there was no other meaning behind it. He then took out another quill pen and resumed working, but...
Snap!
The new quill pen snapped in half as well.
“...!” His face turned ghastly pale
Badump! Badump! Badump!
His heart started to grow rampant—beating wildly against his chest.
The quill pen snapping in half was most likely a coincidence, but it had just happened again with a new quill pen at that. It couldn't possibly be a coincidence. It was simply too unlikely to be a coincidence.
There was only one plausible explanation for this...
“Haa...” Michele let out a sigh before taking out an envelope from his desk drawer. There were words written on the envelope, and these words were...
Letter of Resignation
***
George the Third went crazy the moment Siegfried announced his plan to sell a limitless supply of cures and vaccines for the curse. He had just spent an astronomical seventy million gold to purchase the Essence of Decayed Blood, but Siegfried was actually going to sell a limitless supply of vaccine and cure?
What kind of scumbag would do such a thing?!
Perhaps that was the reason, but...
Ding!
A message popped up in front of Siegfried’s eyes, notifying him of a new title.
[Alert: You have obtained the title Scumbag!]
The title’s effect was quite interesting.
[Scumbag]
[A title given to unscrupulous players.]
[Type: Title]
[Rating: Unique]
[Effects: N/A]
[Note: This is a dishonorable title!]
Siegfried would have cried tears of blood after obtaining such a title, but he felt the opposite this time. A dishonorable title was a cheap price to pay in exchange for dealing a massive blow at someone like George the Third.
‘Your stomach must be twisting in knots right now. Hehehe!’ Siegfried felt ecstatic while watching his victim stomp his way toward him.
George the Third seemed to have lost all reason as he roared, “Siegfried! You son of a bitch! You fucking scumbag!”
“Eeeh~?”
“Come here, you fucking scumbag! I’m going to kill you with my own hands!”
George the Third had totally lost it. He shoved a king aside and stole the attending knight’s sword before charging at Siegfried. His rage had completely taken over him, and he forgot that he was currently in the World Peace Conference. He raised the sword up high, ready to swing the sword at the scumbag.
However, Siegfried remained unfazed.
‘Oh? Look at his form. It sucks...’ He didn't feel threatened even in the slightest by George the Third's stance. In his eyes, the latter didn't seem like he even knew how to hold a sword.
Fortunately, George the Third couldn't get anywhere near Siegfried.
“Stop him!”
“Hurry!”
“Restrain him!”
The Marchioni Empire’s knights instantaneously surrounded George the Third and subdued him.
“Let me! Let me go, you bastards! Let goooo! I’ll have your heads for this!” George the Third screamed like a dying animal as the knights shoved his face to the ground. His screams fell on deaf ears as the knights did not budge despite the numerous curses and threats he hurled at them.
Why?
It was all because these knights listened only to Emperor Stuttgart and no one else, and they wouldn't go easy on anyone brazen enough to draw their sword in the World Peace Conference, where all the rulers on the continent had gathered, even if that person was the king of a powerful kingdom.
“I’m going to kill you all! Every single one of you! And you, Siegfried van Proa! You won’t be safe no matter where you hide! I’ll raze your kingdom to the ground, kill your men, and turn your women into sex slaves!”
Of course, everyone's opinion of George the Third plummeted the longer his tirade went on.
“Tsk tsk... How can a ruler be so unrefined?”
“Pathetic...”
“He actually stooped so low to draw a sword in such a prestigious event? Even His Imperial Majesty won’t think of doing something like that even if he has the power to do so!”
George the Third wasn't spared from criticism due to his outburst, and the rulers' general opinion of him plummeted even further.
However, that was not the end of it...
“Go ahead and try attacking the Proatine Kingdom. Stone Island is going to cut all trade with your kingdom if you do so.”
“The Macallan Kingdom will no longer accept students from your kingdom.”
“All worship sites in your kingdom will be closed.”
Lord Angele, King Arsha, and Saintess Janette all vowed to cut diplomatic ties with George the Third if he were to attack the Proatine Kingdom after the conference.
“Y-You...!” George the Third gnashed his teeth in anger.
Finally, Emperor Stuttgart spoke, “George the Third.”
He looked down at George the Third, whose face was practically kissing the ground by the emperor’s feet.
“So you have finally crossed the line.”
“E-Emperor Stuttgart!”
“To think you would draw a sword in an event I am hosting.”
“H-Hey, Emperor Stuttgart! How could I possibly remain calm?! You saw with your own eyes what that Adventurer did to me! He conned me and turned me into a laughingstock!”
“So? Does that justify drawing a sword and swinging it in the presence of everyone?”
“T-that is...”
“George the Third.”
“W-What?”
“You have insulted the king I have crowned, and I have made it clear that is a direct challenge to my authority,” Emperor Stuttgart reminded.
“...”
“You tried to cause problems with Siegfried van Proa every chance you got, and you even went as far as to draw a sword in the World Peace Conference that I am hosting.”
George the Third couldn't retort at all.
‘T-This is dangerous...!’ He realized that the emperor was giving him a final warning.
What if he threw all caution to the wind and walked a few more steps beyond the line?
War would break out, and the soldiers of the mightiest empire in the world would trample on his lands, which would result in...
‘N-Noo!’
A hundred percent guaranteed destruction.
Emperor Stuttgart no longer felt like explaining things, so he said, “I will not say anything further. Scram.”
“...!”
“And live as if you don’t exist for the time being. That’s the only way you can save your pathetic life and your kingdom.”
“A-Alright...” George the Third weakly muttered in response. There was nothing he could do aside from accepting the emperor's punishment.
“Drag him away,” Emperor Stuttgart commanded.
Kwachik!
The Marchioni Empire knights dragged George the Third and his attending knight out of the venue.
Emperor Stuttgart swept his gaze across the rulers and said, “I apologize for the commotion. It happened due to my incompetence.”
“Not at all!”
“You handed it splendidly, Your Imperial Majesty!”
“I applaud your wisdom and benevolence!”
The rulers hurriedly expressed their support for Emperor Stuttgart.
“Siegfried van Proa,” Emperor Stuttgart called.
“Yes, Your Imperial Majesty,” Siegfried courteously responded with a bow.
“You may continue with the auction.”
“Thank you very much, sire.”
Siegfried continued the auction without a hitch after dealing a huge blow to George the Third.
***
Siegfried sold the vaccine and cure as a set for five million gold to each of the rulers. Nobody spoke ill of him for doing so, as the cost of developing a vaccine and cure for the curse was going to cost way more than five million gold.
Everyone seemed to be satisfied with their purchase—except for one.
“...”
King Portmund still looked downcast.
Why?
A significant portion of the Effelon Kingdom’s finances had gone to the territorial feud with George the Third. Five million gold was far too burdensome for them when even the royal family had to tighten their belts by replacing their meals of bread and soup with a single small piece of meat.
In the end, King Portmund had no choice but to have no shame and ask for Siegfried’s understanding.
“Excuse me... King Siegfried,” King Portmund said carefully.
“Ah, King Portmund.”
“I apologize, but... May I have a word with you?”
“Of course, what is it about?”
“In private if it is possible...”
“Sure.”
Siegfried followed King Portmund to a corner in the garden outside the venue.
“King Siegfried.”
“Yes?”
“I would like to shamelessly ask for a favor.”
“A favor? What is it?”
Thud!
King Portmund fell to his knees and started to beg.
“I beg of your grace to the people of my kingdom, King Siegfried.”
“Eh?! W-Why are you being like this all of a sudden?! Please get up, King Portmund!” Siegfried hurriedly tried to pull King Portmund up to his feet, but he refused to budge and continued on pleading. “King Siegfried! I am begging you! Please help my people!”
“Then tell me what grace and help you are asking for instead of kneeling all of a sudden!”
“My kingdom... does not have the money to... buy the vaccine and cure for the Curse of Decay...”
“Oh?”
“My kingdom is spending every single coin we have in the territorial feud against the Salute Kingdom, and we have tightened our belts for the longest time now. Even I, the king, cannot afford any luxuries and had to resort to making every single coin count.”
“I see...”
“We cannot afford the vaccine and cure for the Curse of Decay...” Tears started forming in the corner of King Portmund’s eyes. “If George the Third spreads the Curse of Decay in my kingdom then it will only be a matter of time before the kingdom will fall."
"No, my people will turn into ghouls and meet a tragic end, so there will be no kingdom to speak of without my people...” King Portmund then cried out, “King Siegfried! I beg you! Please allow me to purchase the vaccine and cure in installments!”
“Installments?”
“I will not be as shameless as asking for it for free. However, please allow me to purchase it in installments. I, Portmund van Isaac, have set aside my pride and beg you on my knees,” King Portmund continued to beg and—
Bam!
—he slammed his head on the ground.
Blood started flowing down the gash on his forehead.
“King Portmund!”
“I do not care what happens to me! But I cannot bear to see my people suffer! King Siegfried! I beg you... I beg of you!”
Ding!
A message popped up in front of Siegfried’s eyes.
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