The Path to Lordship Begins in the North

Chapter 106 Assassination Plan

"So where's the money? How can we start work without money?"

Lilith slammed a report onto Crane's desk.

The number of refugees unable to survive the winter is increasing, and the church's porridge distribution is nearing its limit and about to exceed the threshold.

So Lilith devised a work-for-relief plan. Winters in the capital weren't as cold as in the north, so the refugees could repair and build some infrastructure, at least preventing them from starving.

The plan has been approved by the Vatican and implemented for some time. Although it encountered various unexpected problems at the beginning, it has been generally successful and the two new churches are under construction.

The same plan was put forward to Kran, but it has been difficult to start construction because Kran has very little funds available.

Although Lilith reclaimed the salt and iron factory, it only served salt and iron producers in the capital and surrounding areas, and had not yet started to make a profit.

Crane no longer had the domineering attitude he once had, but instead spoke with a henpecked air, soothingly saying, "It will be approved soon. Duchess Judith is already helping."

"Then let's use grain as a substitute for now. We still have grain, right? If it really doesn't work, I'll get grain from the Vatican. We have no choice but to start construction."

Lilith got to work and made a note in her notebook.

"No problem, we'll do it your way, cough cough!"

"Your Majesty, are you okay?"

Lilith looked helplessly at Crane, who had started coughing. Although he was much better than before, this feeling of powerlessness made Lilith very anxious.

If it were the original female lead, she could not only take good care of Crane, but could even directly cure Crane, right? But Lilith is an imposter, so she can only constantly help Crane reform in order to consolidate her own position and give herself some psychological comfort.

"It's alright, I reckon the Magic Association's special medicine will be ready soon and I'll be fully recovered."

Seeing Lilith's flustered state, Crane continued, "Has the Vatican replied? When can we get married?"

Lilith blushed and said shyly, "Probably in the spring? His Holiness the Pope is already selecting a new saintess, and we can get married when this winter is almost over."

"it is good."

Crane simply replied with a soft sound.

When did he fall in love with Lilith? Crane couldn't remember. It might have been the first time he saw her at the academy, or perhaps it was when Lilith first stormed into the ball. Although there was a large element of conspiracy involved in falling in love with Lilith, Crane believed in his own heart.

It took a lot of effort for Crane to write that will, because it was tantamount to placing almost all the burden on the short girl in front of him, which was irresponsible and contradicted Crane's previous chauvinistic views.

Hopefully, that will will never be used. After all, power is being gradually taken back, and Lilith is working hard to achieve it, so Crane needs to step up his efforts as well.

Although the bill to amend the Queen's powers has not yet been officially promulgated, some well-informed nobles have already heard the news. Everyone knows that this is paving the way for Lilith, and some people are starting to get restless.

Although joining forces with his rival in love sounds absurd, as long as the kingdom can survive and the reforms can be carried out, Kran is willing to pay any price.

Meanwhile, some nobles, upon hearing this news, immediately began to secretly contact the demon race.

"It seems our Emperor is getting serious."

"It's a pity that none of the three dukes objected. Shouldn't we have killed Duke Lars back then?"

"His Majesty can't be allowed to continue this nonsense. He wants to reclaim the territories near the capital? Are you kidding me? Is His Majesty abandoning the glory of the nobility?"

The nobles discussed the matter amongst themselves.

The demon standing nearby asked his colleague, "Are all humans like this? We came here to discuss assassinating the new king, but the humans are afraid to bring it up first."

"Yes, humans are so hypocritical, they are no match for us noble demons."

The demon laughed heartily, then clapped his hands and said, "Everyone, now that you're all here, there's no need to hide anything. We've already contacted assassins from the Black Crow Gang. All you need to do is pay them, and we can achieve your desired goals."

The nobles quieted down and nodded.

The reforms were initially supported by everyone, including the old nobles. In some people's eyes, Anjou's rise was unstoppable, and reforms now might allow them to sell for a better price in the future.

But I didn't expect you to actually want to take away everyone's lifeline. Well then, there's nothing I can do but replace you.

The old king was targeted by an unknown force. This was the first time the old nobles had ever done something like changing kings, so it was understandable that they were a little nervous.

"Is this Black Crow Secret Society reliable?"

An old nobleman asked.

"Shadow-type professionals of rank 7 or above".

The demons summed up the assassin's strength in a single sentence.

"But aren't those above the seventh rank subject to the Tower's control?"

"Not all professionals above the seventh rank can do this. Professionals who have just entered the seventh rank do not yet have the ability to influence the situation on the continent, so the management of the tower is not very strict."

The demon paused for a moment before realizing he had said the wrong thing.

The nobles immediately realized what was happening.

"Then we can't guarantee a kill. Although Augustine is in decline, it's not to the point that even its guards are a bunch of scoundrels."

"You demons wouldn't be trying to profit from this by acting as middlemen, would you?"

Fortunately, the two sides, which shared common interests, remained united and did not end up arguing over it.

In the end, although the assassination might not succeed, everyone still felt it was worth a try. Last time, no one thought it would succeed in planting the curse, so what if it did this time?

Moreover, Crane's body will be very weak for some time to come, and he may not be able to survive the assassination attempt.

The assassination was scheduled for the wedding of Crane and the new Queen Lilith. The nobles were responsible for providing cover for the assassins and gathering intelligence. The demons provided the latest curse to ensure that even if Crane wasn't killed in one hit, he would be rendered incapacitated.

Just as everyone had finalized the plan, the demon suddenly said, "Wait, there's one more person we need to assassinate."

"That gray-collar governor? Why?"

“His rise to power is too bizarre. We’re afraid that Doug will eventually lose to him, which would be very disadvantageous for us.”

The nobles could understand at first, since Doug was one of them, but they discovered that assassinating Lind was more expensive than assassinating Crane.

Because Linde has annoying bards around him, and it's said that the new king of Anjou also has them. There have been constant assassination attempts against the new king of Anjou, but they have all been stopped by the bards there.

In order to bypass these bards, the cost of the magical items needed must also be borne by the employer.

Fortunately, the demons were unusually generous in the end, paying most of the deposit for the assassination of Lind.

These nobles all felt that the assassination attempt would not be a perfect success. After all, the Tower had very strict control over high-level professionals, and the so-called seventh-level professionals were most likely imposters. The Tower would not allow professionals who could truly influence the situation on the continent to act freely.

Of course, there are other forces that are not under the control of the Tower, but the actions of these forces are generally tacitly approved by the Tower. Most importantly, these forces have their own code of conduct, or rather, their ultimate goal in a certain aspect is consistent with that of the Tower. At least, high-level professionals will not easily take action.

Besides, assassination is a risk-free and highly profitable business. In the end, no one will be able to find out who did it. What if it succeeds? After all, the example of Augustine III is still in front of us. Although we don't know which force assassinated Augustine III, it at least shows that the royal family has declined to the point of losing the ability to track down the assassin.

Of course, it can't be considered truly risk-free and highly profitable, since organizing an assassination requires a lot of money and effort.

However, as long as they retain power, money is a minor matter, and trying won't kill them.