How did the saying go again?
The tree longs for peace, but the wind never ceases.
Claude's wish to stay in Weyblon Manor to spend a peaceful night with his mother, wife and children was dashed.
On the third day before the end of the year, an eagle messenger from Wickhamsburg made Bolonik rush to Claude for a discussion.
"What did you say?" Claude almost jumped. "The first prince sent us a secret order?
The envoy has already been sent to Wickhamsburg. General Skri sent this message to tell us to hurry over. He said that the first prince's envoy wants all the generals in the theatre to arrive before he can read the secret order. "
"Yes, General Eiblank and General Skerry are already at Wickham Castle. The envoy told us our names, and demanded that we be present before he could give us the highprince's secret order.
General Birkelin is heading to Wickhamsburg as well. Do you think we should head there right away? "
Bolonik felt rather helpless. His family had only moved to Lanu in the second half of the year and he wanted to spend a happy night with them.
But he had no choice. Be it the first prince or the second prince, Stellin XI, they weren't people Claude and Bolonik could afford to offend.
Since the first prince had sent an envoy, Claude and Bolonik had no choice but to rush to Wickhamsburg. They even spent the night on the road.
Claude and Bolonik discussed it on the way, but neither of them could figure out why Hansbach would send an envoy. They were far away on Nubissia, and the kingdom's Dreadnought and Storm fleets were under the royal capital's control. The war zone had no influence on the kingdom's internal strife.
Did the first prince want Claude and Bolonik to lead Thundercrash and Monolith to start a rebellion in the colonies?
That was practically child's play. Prince Hansbach's troops had engaged in a fierce offensive and defensive battle with the kingdom's Gryphon Legion in the Odin Mountains last September. After both sides had suffered heavy losses, the troops had stayed put in Emis and did not launch another major battle until the end of the year.
Did they really want the Thundercrash and Monolith Corps to start a rebellion to attract the attention of the royal capital?
All the royal capital had to do was stop the transport fleets between the two continents and they could isolate Nubissia from the rest of the colonies. Once the two kings were done fighting for the throne, they could deal with the rebellions in the colonies. By then, Claude and Bolonik wouldn't have to surrender without a fight.
On the 7th of the 1st Month, Year 592 of the Sacred Light Calendar, Claude and Bolonik rushed to Wickhamsburg with their guards. They didn't even bother to wash up before they received the envoy sent by the first prince.
The envoy was a middle-aged soldier in his forties who called himself Lieutenant Colonel Henry. He looked at Claude and Bolonik's military credentials one by one before opening a leather case and handing them a document.
Claude took the document and handed it to Bolonik. As the acting commander-in-chief of the theatre, it was only right that he read it first.
Bolonik didn't stand on ceremony. He opened the beeswax seal on the envelope and took out the secret order from the first prince.
But soon, Bolonik's face turned ashen and his body began to tremble. The veins on his hands bulged as he held the secret order.
Claude asked in a hushed voice, "What's going on?
Bolonik shoved the secret order into Claude's hands and said, "Take a look for yourself!"
Claude took a look at the secret order and immediately understood why Bolonik would react that way. It was pure anger.
The order was simple. It was for Claude and Bolonik to reorganize Thundercrash and Monolith and head to Port Vebator to await the arrival of Seaking and the Alliance.
The first prince ordered Claude and Bolonik to return Port Vebator to Shiks and cede Cromwell and Balingana to Shiks. In exchange, Seaking and the Alliance would transport Thundercrash and Monolith back to Shiks and fight for the first prince's throne.
Claude handed the secret order to General Skri with an ashen face. He now understood why the envoy had to wait for Claude and Bolonik's arrival before he took out the order.
Had he known that was what was written on the secret order, Claude wouldn't have rushed to Wickhamsburg even if he was beaten to death. He had plenty of excuses to not accept the order.
However, now that he had received the secret order, there were only two choices left. The first was to accept the order, obey the eldest prince, and lead the Thundercrash Corps to serve under him.
At the same time, he was branded a traitor because he returned Port Vebator to Shiks and ceded Cromwell and Balingana to Shiks.
The second option was to break off relations with the first prince and disobey his orders, but that was also a huge risk.
Putting aside how the first prince would punish Claude and Bolonik for defying his orders if he succeeded in his bid for the throne, the reputation of being a traitor to his benefactor wouldn't be a good one.
It had to be said that Prince Hansbach had been promoted to a basic officer in the army and was awarded a Knight's Medal. In the end, he caught the eye of Marshal Michelc and became his disciple. That was how he got to where he was today.
Following the transmission of the secret order, the faces of the five generals turned ashen. None of them expected the first prince to give them such a secret order.
Compared to Claude, Skri used to be the first prince's adjutant. He trembled with rage as he held the secret order. He had invested the most effort in Cromwell and Balingana to put them on the right path of development.
Now that the first prince had ordered the theatre to cede the two colonies to Shiks, how could he possibly be satisfied with that?
General Skri carefully checked the signature and seal on the secret order again, but he was disappointed. This was indeed the secret order signed by Prince Hansbach himself. There was no trace of forgery!
Skri's face went from ashen to ashen. He slumped into his chair and muttered, "I don't believe His Highness would issue such a secret order."
The envoy who called himself Lieutenant-Colonel Henry looked at the five generals indifferently and said, "Generals, since you have seen His Highness's secret order, please take action immediately. Bring Thundercrash and Monolith to Port Vebator and assemble there.
I will send someone to send word to Seaking and the Alliance's fleet to Port Vebator to transport you to the first prince's side. You only have two months to prepare.
"Also, I will stay here as the first prince's envoy to carry out His Highness's agreement with Shiks and ensure the smooth transfer of Port Vebator to Cromwell and Balingana.
"Generals, His Highness wants me to tell you that losing it now doesn't mean losing it forever.
Once His Highness ascends to the throne, the kingdom will be reformed and everything we've lost can be reclaimed. "
Claude scoffed. Who wouldn't say something like that? Prince Hansbach clearly wanted to use the benefits of the colonies to strengthen the kingdom's military.
Without Thundercrash and Monolith, Shiks would only need two or three standing corps to take down the rest of Aueras in one fell swoop.
By then, even if Prince Hansbach ascended to the throne, he wouldn't be able to admit it was his fault for abandoning all the colonies. Claude and the others would be the scapegoats for it.
"No!
I don't admit that this was an order from His Highness himself. His Highness must have been bewitched by the villains around him. Otherwise, he would not have ceded the territory of the kingdom to our enemies! "General Skri suddenly jumped up from his chair and pretended to tear up the secret order in his hand.
Claude reacted quickly and stopped General Skri. "Give me the secret order. I'll take care of this."
General Skri obediently handed over the secret order in his hand and slumped back into his chair, covering his face with his hands.
It was obvious that he was in great pain.
"My apologies, Mister Henry."
Claude purposely ignored the envoy's uniform and epaulette. "I've made a fool of myself. However, Thundercrash won't obey the first prince's secret order.
As a member of the royal family, it's our duty to protect the kingdom.
Even if the first prince ascends to the throne and becomes our king, I'm sure he'll empathize with us soldiers in Nubissia.
The colonies are also part of the kingdom's territory. We definitely won't cede them to our enemies, especially those we've defeated before. "
"I agree with our general's order."
General Eiblont stepped forward. "The crown's territory is sacred and inviolable.
Thundercrash's mission is to protect the kingdom's colonies, not cede them to our enemies! "
"You!
Do you know the consequences of disobeying the first prince's orders? "
The envoy was exasperated. He didn't think such a thing would happen. Weren't the generals in charge of the war theatre all loyal to the first prince?
He'd thought the mission would be easy apart from the long journey, yet he was rejected by Claude and the others.
"Of course," Claude replied with a sneer, "If we follow the first prince's orders, we'll lose the colonies to the kingdom.
This responsibility is not something that the eldest prince can bear for us. Even if the eldest prince ascends to the throne, we and our families will become traitors who are despised by the people of the kingdom. Even our descendants will be ashamed of what we have done!
Go back and tell the first prince that Cromwell and Balingana have just migrated two million of the kingdom's citizens here. We definitely won't abandon them to Shiks and let them become slaves! "
"Y-you can move them back …" the emissary muttered. While waiting for Claude and Bolonik to arrive at Wickhamshire Castle, he was treated well by General Skri. He also went out to see the development of Cromwell's colony.
He knew that Claude was right. The colonies were busy resettling the large number of natives who had migrated from the mainland.
Move them back?
That's easy for you to say. Before Claude could retort, Bolonik waved his hand and said firmly, "Go back and tell the first prince that Monolith will not accept such an order that goes against the mission of a soldier.
The Monolith Corps was formed by Marshal Michelci to protect the kingdom's overseas colonies. Our duty and mission is here, not to return to the kingdom to participate in the war between the two princes for the throne.
If the first prince ascends to the throne, let him blame me. I'll accept any punishment he gives me! "
This time, it was the envoy who walked out with an ashen face. Bolonik said to Chickering, "Piccolo, send some men to escort him back to Port Vebator. At the same time, have the troops stationed at Port Vebator increase their security.
Shiks wants to take back Port Vebator effortlessly through the first prince. They also want us to cede Cromwell and Balingana to them.
Now that we refuse to obey the first prince's secret order, Shiks' plan has failed. I suspect they'll be furious and ambush us with their fleet. "
"I understand." Birkin nodded and was about to leave the meeting room.
Claude stopped him. "Wait, Piccolo. Ask the emissary if he knows where Marshal Michelic is."
Skri looked up. "No need. He doesn't know.
In the few days that you weren't here, I took some time to show him around the development of the colony and asked him a lot about the first prince.
He's very tight-lipped and only revealed that the first prince is preparing for a big operation after the new year and needs more troops. That's why he sent him to recruit our two corps.
However, there's no need to hide it from Marshal Michelic.
He said that Marshal Michelic isn't under the first prince's command. He once heard one of the first prince's aides mention Marshal Michelic when he was drunk and scolded him for not knowing how to appreciate favors.
It's said that the first prince met with Marshal Michelic once after leaving the royal capital, but the two parted on bad terms because the marshal refused to help the first prince fight for the throne. "
Claude, Bolonik, Eiblont and Birkin all breathed a sigh of relief. Since Marshal Michelic wasn't under the first prince's command, they didn't feel too pressured about rejecting the prince's secret order.
Even though the other generals were indebted to the first prince, Claude and the others only had their current positions because of their own hard work and Misierqi's recommendation.
Be it Claude or Skri, they were able to become lieutenants thanks to the first prince's good judgment.
However, they were able to become colonels mainly through their own hard work and contributions. The first prince didn't play much of a role in that.
On the contrary, it was Marshal Michaelic who gave them a hand. He recognized their talent and hard work, and he vouched for them by recommending them to be promoted to Major Generals of the Kingdom.
"What should we do next?" Bolonik asked with a bitter smile.
Claude gave it some thought and said, "Let's tell the royal capital about this. I've heard an old saying that crying children get candy.
If we hide everything, then the big shots in the Royal Capital might think that we are secretly colluding with the eldest prince if news of this spreads in the future.
Now that we've rejected the first prince, we shouldn't offend the royal capital.
Tell them everything and let them know that we are loyal to the kingdom.
At the same time, we can also tell the royal capital that we are facing a lack of funds. Perhaps the big shots in the royal capital will give us some development funds to appease us. That way, our refusal of the prince's secret order won't be in vain, and the kingdom's overseas colonies will be preserved. "
"That's right. We should tell the public about our rejection of the first prince so that people don't think we're ungrateful people.
It's not that we betrayed the first prince's kindness, but we refused to be traitors. "Eiblont was still holding a grudge against the first prince's secret order.
Bolonik shook his head and said to Claude, "Keep this secret order safe. It'll prove our innocence in the future.
We'll do as you say. I hope the royal capital can understand our difficulties and give us some aid. "