The assassin looked at Ivita with hatred, "Alsace Kingdom is doing pretty well right now, we don't need you and your father."
"I have already told you what I know."
"The reason why I told you is because I know your ambition to reclaim the throne, and it will lead you to your death."
"Isn't it better for you to live out your days, Ivita, just as you are now? Ah!"
Before he could continue, the next moment, the sword of Blackheart Rayli pierced through his skull from his left eye.
Rayli twisted the sword handle, killing the assassin in a very brutal manner amidst extreme pain.
Blackheart Rayli sheathed his sword and used a checkered dining cloth to wipe his blade.
If the blood-stained blade was not wiped, it would stink soon.
Maintaining one's weapon is also an art indeed.
Rayli looked at Ivita and bowed slightly, saying, "My Lord, preserving your dignity is my duty."
"Since this guy has spewed out the information you needed to know, I could not tolerate his nonsense in your presence, polluting your ears."
Ivita was somewhat moved. This was a subordinate who had pledged loyalty to him.
Unlike Black Wolf and the Old Witch, they would not protect her like this.
Blackheart Rayli has put all his cards on the table for him.
"Rayli, I don't care about the pointless ramblings of a man about to die. But what's your capacity?" Ivita curiously asked, Rayli drew his sword very quickly just now.
He didn't seem like an ordinary man.
Rayli replied, "My Lord, I have taken the Warrior's Secret Medicine and am a formal warrior. However, the profession of a warrior is incomparable to a Knight, I am not even a formidable opponent for a Knight Attendant."
"What's more, my leg is still a bit lame."
"Warrior's Secret Medicine?" asked Ivita.
Black Wolf explained to Ivita, "To become a Knight, one must obtain the Seed of Life."
"But the extraterrestrial material that can produce the 'Seed of Life' is in the hands of the major nobles and kings, and many civilians cannot obtain the 'Seed of Life'."
"However, in the Hamburg City Union in the north, some people have simplified the Knight's Secret Medicine formula and created a Warrior's Secret Medicine formula."
"Although there is no "Seed of Life", those who take the Warrior's Secret Medicine will possess power surpassing ordinary people."
"It can be said that warriors are simplified and degraded versions of knights."
"These secret medicines are very effective, so they spread to various places. Despite this, the materials for crafting the Warrior's Secret Medicine are still very expensive and not something an ordinary person can obtain."
Ivita nodded, and changed the subject, asking, "Why is this assassin so confident that my desire to reclaim the throne is a suicidal act?"
"Because he is ignorant." The Old Witch sneered immediately.
This is a Demon God.
Do you think he is some worthless prince?
If the Demon God wants to do something, it will inevitably happen.
The Demon Hunter, Black Wolf, bitterly smiled, "Your Highness, indeed, reclaiming the throne is incredibly difficult."
"Since adventurer Conqueror Nicholas Arnold conquered a poor and weak overseas kingdom three hundred years ago, no one has been able to conquer a kingdom."
"In Alsace, you won't get the help of any Dukes or Marquises."
"Because the Alsace Kingdom is different from the Black Mountain Kingdom and all other kingdoms, it is one of the most centralized kingdoms."
"Your Highness, you must be aware of the King of Alsace's oath, right?"
The Demon Hunter, Black Wolf, gave a bitter smile again, "In other places, the king cannot control the Barons, Viscounts, and Earls under the Dukes, nor can he control the Barons and City Mayors, and the Bishops of the Monasteries under the Earls."
"For the vassal of my vassal, is not my vassal."
"But in Alsace, the king has the power to manage all the nobles, because all the nobles are the king's vassals."
"This is because the feudal system in Alsace is different from other places."
"Alsace has the King's Oath of Alsace!"
"In this oath, every Earl, Baron, and Knight, all pledge allegiance to the king."
"Instead of pledging allegiance to their superior Lord."
"In Alsace, there are no Dukes, only a few Earls, and those Barons, and Great Barons (lords with larger territories), who only obey the King's orders."
The Demon Hunter, Black Wolf said, "This is the centralized Alsace Kingdom, where the king can command all subordinates."
"The current king commands resources greatly surpassing yours."
"Even the Wild Boar Knights, in front of the current king, would be determined weaklings that could be beheaded by a single command the next day."
"Right now, the current king, with just one command, could order military organizations like the Wild Boar Knights to hunt you down."
"Or even order Senior Knights and Divine Knights, who are more formidable than the Great Knights, to hunt you down. Even those knights in the legends would be your enemy to protect him if you become his enemy."
Hunter Black Wolf earnestly said, "I suggest you to find a place, use the power of a wizard apprentice to carve out your own territory, then get married and have children, and train your successor."
"Let the Alsace Family continue to thrive in another small territory."
"Since Prince Jalen of Alsace is coming to hunt you down in eight months, you should leave here—Viscount Ambrose's Independent Country."
"Go to the edge of the world; find a way to survive.".
Black Wolf was genuinely worried about Ivita's death.
If Ivita died, he would indeed go bankrupt.
But if Ivita obediently went to a far-off corner of the world, developing even a small territory in an unobserved corner, even if it was just a small knight's fiefdom, it could potentially return all the money owed to him.
An old witch sneered contemptuously, mocking Black Wolf's ignorance.
Who do you think stands before you?
She was filled with confidence under the crown of the Demon God.
Ivita bowed his head in thought, then shook it. "You're wrong, Black Wolf. No matter where I run to, I'll just end up being hunted."
"If the successor to a kingdom gives up his own rights, thinking he can enjoy another kind of life—then death and humiliation are all that await him."
He thought of a historical account he had read in his previous life—that of Yekaterina's mother-in-law, Elizabeth I.
She had consistently resisted becoming Tsarina, leading to continuous persecution by successive Tsars, regardless of how she showed weakness. It was all pointless.
Such examples were too numerous to count.
It was the same across all times and places.
Having enjoyed the status of this position, there was no room for you to take a step back.
In the struggle for power, no one would stop attacking their enemy; they would only destroy their opponents.
"But I think I'm not without hope," Ivita raised his head and said to Black Wolf. "First, Alsace is currently threatened by enemy countries and is in a precarious position. They can't possibly mobilize their high-tier combat forces for me."
"Because compared to the relatively small threat I pose in their eyes, the enemy country's army undoubtedly attracts their attention more."
"Secondly, they probably wouldn't believe that I still have hopes of restoration. This attempted assassination was clearly more casual. Otherwise, more people would have come."
"Third, my father... father could be overthrown, then the current king's rule can also be overthrown."
"The centralized power in Alsace can indeed concentrate resources for significant initiatives, and it leaves no openings for me to exploit. I can't provoke a war amongst the vassals, but centralizing resources for significant tasks can also lead to collective blunders."
Ivita shrewdly noticed that the policy implemented by the current King of Alsace was a ticking time bomb.
Time would be on his side.
As long as he didn't give up and continued waiting, the opportunity for a counter-attack would eventually arrive.
Ivita calmly spoke. "Time is on my side, Black Wolf."
"But you're very right about one thing. Opportunities are for those who are prepared."
"Before the opportunity to restore the kingdom arrives, I should seize more territories. Yes, we should perhaps seize some lands from the Viscount Ambros's Independent Country."
The old witch's eyes sparkled: "Your Highness, I support your idea."
"If we want to seize territories, participating in missions released by the Explorers' Association and the Church could offer some opportunities."
She was fond of meddling in wicked affairs.
Black Wolf incredulously looked at Ivita, "Your Highness, I didn't expect you to grow so wise. You now have your own vision. You're a completely different person from who you were before you fell ill..."
"Nevermind, I'm merely a mercenary. I don't really have much insight."
"I respect your decision."
The truth was he didn't believe in Ivita. He was out of options and felt trapped. He just had to take things one step at a time.
In his view, Ivita's defiance against the Alsace Kingdom was fruitless.
It was just like using his arms to stop a chariot.
He could only wait until Ivita realized the discrepancy between the two sides and changed his mind.
As for Rayli, he didn't care about what Ivita wanted to do—obeying Ivita's orders was all he needed to do.
Ivita turned to the witch. "Hearthstone Witch, you seem to have the ability to manipulate the undead, right?"
Hearthstone Witch's smile instantly froze.
What the hell! Why would the Demon God bring that up?
Ivita said, "Control the assassin's undead spirit, enter his body. I don't trust the information he told me before he died!"
"I'll interrogate him after his death!"
Hearthstone Witch sighed with relief. So, that's what it was.
He was worthy of being a Demon God.
Indeed, he was ruthless enough.
Rayli blinked. The assassin was quite miserable; he was still going to be interrogated by his master after death.
Black Wolf seemed to remember something and stared at Hearthstone Witch in a daze. "So, you actually have the ability to manipulate undead spirits and allow them to enter corpses."
"Then you..."
The old witch immediately turned her back on him, pretending not to hear.