Chapter 301 The Second Lionheart Alliance

Stratford, Principality of Bosk, Lion Hall.

The northern nobles gathered together again, and they were arranged on both sides of the luxurious long table according to their titles and power.

The person sitting in the main seat is undoubtedly the initiator of this meeting, the honorary monarch of the United Kingdom of the North, and the current ruler of the Bosk family - Grand Duke Leo Bosk.

But the atmosphere on the scene was quite solemn, because this was not a relaxing and joyful banquet with singing and dancing, but a meeting concerning the fate of the North and even the entire Anzeta. Its importance was even higher than the "Lionheart Alliance" forty years ago.

Finally, Grand Duke Leo's voice, as heavy as a bell, rang out, breaking the silent atmosphere.

"Everyone, since no one wants to speak, I will just speak directly."

"The North is now at the brink of life and death. The thousands of years of heritage of our Scanians may be cut off here. The culprit behind all this is the greedy red dragon and his evil kingdom!"

Grand Duke Leo's words were so powerful, like a hammer hitting everyone's heart.

Suddenly, there was an uproar in the hall. The nobles had different expressions on their faces, and even whispers were heard.

In fact, most of the nobles had guessed the purpose of Grand Duke Leo inviting them here, but they did not expect the Grand Duke's tone to be so intense, as if he was willing to gamble all his fortunes and even start a large-scale war.

"Sir Leo, you've gone too far."

"Yes."

"The red dragon hasn't caused any trouble in five years. We can continue to appease him and strive for a longer period of peace."

“Now may not be the best time.”

"The Burning Cinders Kingdom is too powerful and rich. I'm afraid we need to be more fully prepared."

After a brief discussion, some dissuading voices were heard.

Grand Duke Leo stood up slowly and swept a meaningful glance across the faces of every noble present. His luxuriant gray beard made him look like an experienced and shrewd old lion, giving everyone present a strong sense of oppression.

He didn't speak until the hall was quiet again.

"I know that some of you have accepted the dirty gold coins from the Burning Kingdom and shamelessly become their agents to exploit the Scandians, or even take the initiative to become the dogs of the Red Dragon."

Archduke Leo paused deliberately, and his sharp eyes focused again, sweeping across several people like a sword.

Suddenly, the breathing of some of the nobles present almost stopped, and sweat oozed from their foreheads.

Grand Duke Leo gave a signal, and the fully-armed soldiers who had been prepared rushed forward and held several defenseless nobles.

"Wait, don't touch me! I'm the Earl!"

"Grand Duke, it's not me!"

"We are not cooperating with the Burning Kingdom!"

"That's blatant slander. You believed what others said!" "It's not just us. The Arles family did it too! They must have been the ones throwing mud at me!"

Those nobles cried, begged for mercy, and even wanted to betray other families.

But at the signal from Grand Duke Leo, the soldiers covered their mouths with cloth and mercilessly led these panicked nobles out of the hall.

"Crack!"

Soon, the sound of the guillotine blade falling to the ground was heard outside the hall.

In fact, these nobles were not the ones who had the most contact with the Kingdom of Burning Ashes. Their titles were not very high, and the one with the highest status among them was an earl from the Duchy of Fano.

Grand Duke Leo's thinking is very clear. To use a foreign word from the Burning Kingdom, this is called "killing the chicken to scare the monkeys." This is to scare the rest of the Northern nobles so that they will no longer try to cooperate with the Burning Kingdom.

At the same time, almost every duchy put forward a few scapegoats, putting all the blame for colluding with the Kingdom of Burning Embers on them, so that the families with bad records could save face. He had already discussed this with several of the most powerful dukes in advance, and they also acquiesced to the punishment.

This is not only a personal decision of Grand Duke Leo, but also the result of power struggles among several forces.

The hall was silent, so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

Grand Duke Leo stood where he was. With several lives lost, he had become so awe-inspiring that even some representatives of smaller nobles trembled in fear.

They then remembered that this duke, known as the "Lion of the North", had conquered all the major duchies by himself, making the long-dormant Principality of Bosk the leader of the North again. Although Grand Duke Leo had been dormant for many years, his past glory was not in vain; he was a genuine hero.

"As the monarch of the United Kingdom of the North, although I feel extremely sorry, I have no choice but to eradicate these pests."

"I hope you can learn from this."

He changed the subject and continued, "Perhaps there are other people who have made such mistakes, but in the face of a powerful enemy, I can temporarily forgive your mistakes. You may just be greedy for small favors and forget the huge risks behind them. But please remember, that is not a noble, but a greedy and brutal red dragon!"

"Does everyone here remember the Rackman family?"

"No matter what they have done, the Rackman family is an important member of the Northern nobility. Their ancestors made great contributions to the Northern United Kingdom hundreds of years ago. Therefore, the Rackman family is born with a noble status. This is an undeniable fact and is recognized by all of us."

"But where are they now? They were wiped out by that red dragon!"

"The Burning Kingdom, I won't even call it a country, because it's more like a damn 'monster'. That 'monster' is filled with a terrifying, bloody thought, and it will bring the most demanding order to the world."

"It doesn't care about your noble bloodline or orthodox origin. It only cares about whether it can become more powerful. To this end, it can slaughter nobles wantonly, let serfs step on us, and even turn us into nutrients for its growth. That will be the nightmare of all northern nobles!"

"Over the past few years, no one has been as consistent as I have in opposing the Burning Kingdom. Turning a blind eye to difficulties and dangers will not solve the problem; standing aside and watching will not solve the problem; and adopting a policy of appeasement will not help. What is needed now is to make arrangements to solve the problem. The longer it is delayed, the more difficult it will be, and the greater the danger to us from the Burning Kingdom.

"Please remember, don't be blinded by the immediate benefits, otherwise the fate of the Rackman family will be your future! The thousand-year rule of the Northern nobles will be completely ended!"

By the end of this impassioned speech, Grand Duke Leo had almost exhausted all his strength, and every strand of his beard and every hair was trembling.

And in this magnificent Lion Hall, whether forced by the situation or inspired by his words, the nobles applauded loudly and for a long time, just like the scene of the "Lionheart League" nearly forty years ago.

(End of this chapter)