Volume 6: The World of Rebellion Chapter 309: Regent
Before the leaders of various countries could speak, the princes and princesses of Lordaeron could not help but start to add insult to injury.
King Meow Meow (Prince of Lordaeron): "Brother, I didn't expect you to be such a person. You actually murdered my father for the throne! Wow! I'm going to fight you!"
Old Driver (Prince of Lordaeron): "Brother, brother, I didn't expect that Brother Eight and Brother Nine would turn evil by playing Void Shadow, but you, the darling of Holy Light with thick eyebrows and big eyes, would also betray me."
Winter is Coming (Prince of Lordaeron): "There is nothing more to say, brothers, let's send our eldest brother off together!"
The princes and princesses burst into cursing and some were even ready to take action.
In their opinion, it was most likely Godwin who did it. After all, as the crown prince, he was the one who benefited the most from the king's death. Based on the principle of solving the case that whoever benefits is the murderer, it was most likely him.
As for some suspicious points in this letter - well, it doesn't matter.
Anyway, we have to kill the crown prince first so that everyone will have a chance to share power. If Godwin becomes king, then what will be in their favor?
After these princes and princesses finished cursing, leaders of various countries also started to attack.
Muradin Bronzebeard (King of the Hill): "Damn it! Godwin, you actually treated your father like this. For power and status, you even gave up your honor!"
The dwarf was so angry that he was puffing his beard and glaring, looking indignant. Muradin had some reasons to be angry, because he was Arthas's master, often came to Lordaeron to live, and was also friends with Terenas.
Rodman and Falstad were relatively calm. "Prince Godwin, how do you want to explain this letter?"
The representatives from Gilneas and Stromgarde, as usual, stood by and watched coldly, with little sense of presence.
Antonidas didn't say a word, but his grip on the staff had tightened, and his eyes were like lightning as he looked at him, without any trace of "old and weak" in his expression.
As for players like Murphy, Dara Bangba, etc., they all looked like they were enjoying the show.
Godwin naturally couldn't take the blame, and hurriedly denied it, "It's not me! This letter must be fake - yes, this letter is fake. If I really wrote this letter, how could it be easily found? The orcs would definitely destroy it after reading it. Since they carry it with them, it is clear that this letter is a means for the orcs to frame me in order to cause unrest within the alliance."
Conan the Barbarian (Prince of Lordaeron): "But you were the one who transferred the palace guards! How do you explain this?"
Godwin defended himself, "I just didn't expect the orcs to be bold enough to assassinate my father."
Conan the Barbarian (Prince of Lordaeron): "So you're saying you're not too bad, but too stupid?"
As soon as these words came out, Godwin was speechless for a moment. Murphy, who was listening to him, couldn't help but secretly give him a thumbs up. This problem of blocking both ends was indeed quite clever. Being stupid was naturally nothing for ordinary people, but for a crown prince who was going to inherit the throne, it was a big problem.
Once Godwin accepts the blame, the legitimacy of his succession to the throne will immediately be questioned. These princes of Lordaeron may have already prepared a trap for him to fall into.
Godwin naturally thought of this and did not respond immediately. He was thinking about how to defend himself, but Varian spoke first.
Varian (Storm Prince): "Everyone, let me say something! The death of King Terenas is a tragedy that no one wants to see. My father also died at the hands of orcs. I feel the grief of all the princes.
However, regardless of whether this was done by Prince Godwin or not, there is one thing that Prince Godwin was not wrong about: the orcs left the letter on the assassin for us to find, which must be because they hoped to cause unrest within the Alliance.
Maybe this is true, Prince Godwin did collude with the orcs, but the orcs were obviously not prepared to abide by the agreement, so they deliberately left the secret letter on the assassin for us to find.
Of course, there is also a possibility that Prince Godwin was framed and all this was a conspiracy by the orcs to provoke civil unrest.
We are still unable to determine the truth of all this, so in my opinion, we must get out of the orcs' conspiracy. Since the orcs want us to cause internal unrest, we must ensure internal stability and unity at all costs. As long as we do this, the orcs' conspiracy will not succeed. "
As soon as Varian said this, everyone nodded. What he said was indeed correct.
It is true that everyone wants to suppress Lordaeron, but they really don't want unrest to happen in Lordaeron.
The Second Orc War still relies on Lordaeron, the Alliance's big brother, to support the situation. If Lordaeron is really messed up, who will take the blame?
After hearing Varian's words, Godwin felt like a bone was stuck in his throat, unable to swallow or spit it out.
Varian's words seemed to smooth things over and were consistent, but they directly defined him as "someone who might kill Terenas", which made him neither nod nor shake his head.
If I agree, it would seem like I am guilty, but if I disagree, I would be suspected of destroying the unity of the alliance.
He thought about it for a moment and decided that he would never admit it, no matter how hard he tried. Not only that, he couldn't leave even the slightest chance of being "framed". He had to insist that he was innocent.
Godwin (Prince of Lordaeron): "I definitely did not do this. I swear in the name of the Holy Light! I definitely did not collude with the orcs to murder my father. If what I said is a lie, let the Holy Light judge me."
These words still have some weight. The Holy Light is a symbol of justice and holiness. As the patron of the Holy Light, Godwin swore in the name of the Holy Light, so he still has some credibility.
Several of Godwin's good brothers also began to support him.
Augustus (Prince of Lordaeron): "I think it makes sense. How could my brother do such a thing? He is the one chosen by the Holy Light."
Alexander (Prince of Lordaeron): "Brother has definitely been framed. I believe in you."
Valkyrie (Princess of Lordaeron): "You are right. Big Brother is the Glory of Holy Light. People may make mistakes, but how can Holy Light make the wrong judgment on people?"
These people are all from the "Empire Faction". Unlike other players who are obsessed with the position of Lich King or want to make money for themselves, this faction all hopes to establish the Lordaeron Empire and naturally does not want Lordaeron to be divided.
At this time, the Barbarian King Conan spoke again.
Conan the Barbarian (Prince of Lordaeron): "If swearing an oath is useful, what is the use of a judge? The Holy Light can only judge whether a person's heart is just, but if the eldest brother believes that patricide and regicide are a kind of justice and a necessary means, then it is not considered a departure from the way of the Holy Light.
This letter states that peace is to be reached with the tribe. Perhaps in the eldest brother's view, such peace is better than going to war with the orcs, as it can avoid war and death. For this, he is willing to kill his beloved father. Perhaps in his view, this is actually a spirit of sacrifice.
Am I right, brother?"
As soon as these words came out, no matter how well-mannered Godwin was, he wanted to curse. How the hell did you interpret it like that?
He stared fiercely at his twelfth brother. The Barbarian King Conan was no less inferior to him. He looked at him with an expression that showed he was ready to fight back if he didn't agree.
However, he was obviously not fighting alone in suppressing Godwin.
Blayney (Prince of Gilneas): "Excuse me, given the current situation, if Prince Godwin cannot get rid of suspicion, it would be better for him to hand over power."
Muradin Bronzebeard (King of the Hill): "Yes, although Godwin may have been framed, as the most powerful kingdom in the Alliance, the kingship of Lordaeron must not be at risk. For safety reasons, it is better to hand over power to a more suitable candidate - I think Arthas is a good candidate, what do you think?"
Everyone thought to themselves, of course you think Arthas is good, you are Arthas's master, and if Arthas becomes king, it will undoubtedly be very beneficial to Ironforge.
Blackbeard (Commodore of Kul Tiras Navy): "I think the Fifth Prince is better. He has made outstanding achievements in the battle to wipe out the Naga. He is an excellent general. I have worked with him before. He has the demeanor of a king."
Antonidas (Archmage of Dalaran): "I think the third prince is more suitable. The magical talent he showed while studying in Dalaran is amazing. He is also rational and wise. If he becomes king, he will be able to govern the country in the most reasonable way."
Godwin's lips were trembling with anger. It is not your place as outsiders to comment on the affairs of the Kingdom of Lordaeron.
However, since he was a suspect, he didn't dare to offend these big guys rashly.
In fact, the biggest problem is that there is too much disunity within Lordaeron. There are more than forty princes and more than thirty princesses, divided into three or four factions. Each faction has its own demands. Everyone wants to get a piece of the pie in the game of thrones, and it is completely impossible to unify them.
Otherwise, if everyone can unite, there will be no room for outsiders to interrupt.
The only ones who are truly on the same page with him now are the princes from the imperial faction.
The top leaders of the Alliance countries are all thinking about weakening Lordaeron, so how can they cover it up?
At this moment, a private message suddenly appeared in front of me.
Aidan: Brother Godwin, do you need any help?
Godwin was stunned.
Godwin: What do you want?
Aidan: I can support you on behalf of Alterac, and I can convince Varian to support you as well, but you have to show some sincerity at least.
Godwin: What do you want?
Aidan: Give me 500 knights, any knights will do, and I will help you take the throne.
Five hundred knights! What a joke!
You have to know that the entire Royal Knights of Lordaeron only has 5,000 people.
However, you can make do with miscellaneous knights such as feudal knights and chivalrous knights.
Godwin gritted his teeth and gave it to him.
Godwin: Okay, help me out and I’ll give it to you later.
Aidan: No, we are poor and cannot afford to buy on credit. Let’s sign a contract.
After that, an electronic contract was sent over directly.
The content is very simple. Once Godwin becomes king, he must send five hundred knights to Murphy.
Godwin: ...
He couldn't help but wonder, could it be that this guy had dug a trap? He even prepared the contract.
But things had come to this, and he had no choice but to grit his teeth and sign the contract.
Seeing Godwin signed the contract, Murphy smiled slightly. Now the Dragon Knights could expand again, so he stood up directly.
"Everyone, please listen to me."
In the past, Alterac had little say within the Alliance, even worse than the background boards such as the Kingdom of Gilneas and the Kingdom of Stromgarde. However, the Knights of Dragon's Death stole the limelight in today's military parade , and Murphy, the leader of the Knights of Dragon's Death, naturally had some say.
Seeing that everyone was looking over.
Aidan (Prince of Alterac): "It is obvious that the truth of this matter cannot be judged, so let's not dwell on the truth of this matter for now. This letter says that we must stop the restoration of Stormwind Kingdom, stop Prince Varian from going to Northrend to find the artifact to defeat the orcs, and negotiate with the Horde.
Tell me, Prince Godwin, are you going to do this?"
"Of course not!" Godwin's heart was burning with anger, but his face showed a sincere expression.
"I have great sympathy for the people of Storm Kingdom. How could I prevent Storm Kingdom from restoring its independence? My father ordered the transfer of Storm Kingdom's troops and the seizure of warships. Although I don't know what his purpose was, I absolutely do not agree with his actions.
Not only that, I support Prince Varian in doing this. Today I sent several warships to Prince Varian, and Prince Varian can testify to that."
Varian nodded. "Prince Godwin did send me a few warships."
Godwin continued, "If I inherit the throne, I will not only return the captured warships, sailors and soldiers, but will also strongly support His Highness Varian's plan to restore the country. I swear that I will never reconcile with the orcs and firmly support the formation of a coalition to fight the orcs. I am willing to lead the Lordaeron army to the front of the battle line. The orcs' plan to provoke us will never succeed."
Aidan (Prince of Alterac): "Well said. Considering that the truth of this matter may never be known, I propose that everyone present serve as witnesses and that Prince Godwin be appointed as the Regent of Lordaeron from today onwards, temporarily taking over the power of the king.
As long as he completes these three tasks - supporting Prince Varian in his search for artifacts in Northrend, defeating the orcs, and helping Stormwind restore its kingdom - he will have fulfilled his oath, cleared his suspicion, and can inherit the throne."
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone fell into deep thought.
Especially representatives from various countries.
Their goal is to weaken Lordaeron without splitting it.
It is still very difficult to say, but if you accept Murphy's three suggestions, then if Godwin wants to become king, he must first defeat the orcs. To defeat the orcs, you naturally have to mobilize the main army of Lordaeron. Anyway, for others, it is enough to not lose, but for Godwin, he must win.
This way we don't have to worry about him not working hard.
By then, Lordaeron's army will inevitably suffer greater losses and casualties, and other countries can use this opportunity to develop their strength and achieve a balance of power with Lordaeron.
Thinking of the ingenious calculations behind these three suggestions, those who reacted quickly have already made a decision.
The first person to agree was Varian.
Varian (Storm Prince): "I don't want Prince Godwin to be that kind of person either, so I agree with this resolution. As long as Prince Godwin can defeat the orcs, it will be enough to prove that he is not the one who colluded with the orcs."
Antonidas (Archmage of Dalaran): "If Prince Godwin can accept this offer and swear to complete the three missions, then I can give up the pursuit of King Terenas's death."
Muradin Bronzebeard (King of the Hill): "I still think Arthas is a better king - but all right."
Everyone agreed.
Murphy looked at Godwin with a smile: "How about it, Prince Godwin, what do you think?"
Godwin still felt somewhat unwilling in his heart. He was clearly the crown prince and could inherit the throne directly, but he had to serve as regent for a few years first. What was this? He had spent hundreds of millions to buy the status of crown prince.
Although he can temporarily take over the king's power, it is not as comfortable as being a real king.
He was still hesitating, but his younger brothers and sisters gave up.
"If this is necessary, I am willing to accept this agreement. I will use the blood of the orcs to wash away the suspicion on me. I will help the Storm Kingdom to restore its independence and uphold the justice in my heart."
Jon Snow (Prince of Lordaeron): "Damn, why? My elder brother has turned evil. Why don't you choose me as the king? I can defeat the orcs too!"
Elsa (Princess of Lordaeron): "That's right, Godwin, you are an ungrateful bastard. You killed my father for your sake, and you still want to be the king. What are you dreaming of? We can never agree to this!"
Conan the Barbarian (Prince of Lordaeron): "Why don't we learn from Alterac and set up a prince's council? We can't hand over power to a filial son who murdered his own father."
Winter is Coming (Prince of Lordaeron): "I agree. Call back the third, fifth, seventh, and twenty-eighth brothers, and hold a meeting to vote together."
However, facing the indignation of the princes and princesses of Lordaeron, this time the leaders of all countries stood on Godwin's side.
Since the goal of weakening Lordaeron has been achieved , there is naturally no need to force it anymore. If Lordaeron is really divided, it is not what they want. Everyone is still counting on Lordaeron to fight the orcs.
Antonidas snorted coldly. "What are you princes and princesses making a fuss about? This is a decision made by representatives of all the alliance countries. As the crown prince, Prince Godwin is qualified to inherit the throne. It's just that because of the suspicion on him, he must pass some tests first. You have no right to question this agreement. If you want to challenge the decision of the alliance meeting, then you are challenging the throne of the alliance. Do you want to commit treason?"
Muradin Bronzebeard (King of the Hill): "That's right! The majesty of the Alliance cannot be violated. Put away your tempers, everyone. Your father would never want to see the kingdom fall into civil strife at this critical moment."
Rodman (Grand Mage): "Yes, yes, yes, we must put the overall situation first."
Seeing that the situation was settled, Antonidas, as an elder and the Speaker of Dalaran, had a superior status and stepped forward to take charge of the matter. "What do you think, Prince Godwin, are you willing to accept this oath?"
Godwin glanced at his brothers and sisters who were watching him eagerly, then looked at the representatives from various countries with different expressions, and sighed.
"I am willing to accept this pledge."
Antonidas (Archmage of Dalaran): "Then Prince Godwin, I now declare that from today on, you will serve as the Regent of Lordaeron and temporarily assume the authority of the king until you fulfill your oath to become the true king. Before that, the crown of Lordaeron will be kept by the Alliance Parliament."
Antonidas said as he took off King Terenas' crown.
When Antonidas saw the wound on King Terenas' chest, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. Although King Terenas was stabbed with several orc swords, it was obvious that the blow to the chest was the fatal wound.
But he didn't say anything. Wasn't there an Orc Swordmaster who disappeared? It's possible that he was stabbed by that Orc Swordmaster. Who can tell the truth about such things?
He calmly put the crown away.
Everyone saluted Godwin, and Godwin forced a smile in return. It seemed that the civil strife was finally settled.
