241: Chapter 140, The Approaching Steps of War_1 241: Chapter 140, The Approaching Steps of War_1 The turbulent waves of the Lancang River pounded against both banks, as if they were demons intent on devouring all things in the world.

Standing on the Tide-watching Stage, facing the howling river wind, Caesar III let his mind go blank.

A king, too, has pressure.

Especially for a hard-luck king like him, who lives next to the Orcs, the pressure he faces every day far exceeds his peers.

The fact that not even one among the past twelve kings of the Alpha Kingdom had a long life tells everything.

Relatively speaking, Caesar III is considered long-lived.

Thanks to the old age of the Bimon Emperor, the Orc Empire could not launch a full-scale invasion south during his more than thirty years as king.

Unfortunately, there is a tradition in the Alpha Kingdom that a king’s life is incomplete without a full-scale invasion by the Orcs.

All the twelve preceding rulers have all fought bloody battles against the Orc Empire.

Although Caesar III has also led troops to fight the Orc Empire, the last time they invaded, it was merely two of the Five Major Royal Families of the Orcs.

While the Alpha Kingdom exhausted every last bit of its strength, the Orc Empire barely lifted a finger.

Their so-called plundering to the south was actually just a ruse to reduce their excessive population at home.

Solely considering the exchange ratio, the Alpha Kingdom even achieved astonishing results of one to two, which was a major victory over the enemy on paper.

However, the Orcs that were annihilated were mostly from inferior races like the Pigg, Ratman, Goblins, Doghead Race, and so on, who had barely made the cut.

The moment a species with even a modicum of combat prowess appeared on the battlefield, the casualty ratio between both sides would instantly reverse.

The beautiful data was primarily for embellishing their military exploits and boosting morale.

With the increasingly tense situation on the Northern Border, as a king, Caesar III was also under great pressure.

Although he was eager to deal with those troublemakers in the north, he needed to ensure the security of the Northern Border in the first place.

In comparison to the overall situation, past grievances are trivial.

Suppose the situation collapses, everyone on the same boat will suffer.

The threat of the Orcs was troublesome enough, and the mainland situation was unstable on top of that.

Not only were there constant disputes between humans and different races, but even among the humans, the air was filled with the smell of gunpowder.

If it wasn’t for the big shots sensing the scent of conspiracy and forcefully suppressing the escalation of conflicts, it would have probably been in chaos by now.

How long such a strong suppression could last, no one could clearly say.

Ultimately, it was the existing conflicts of interest that had been brought to the table from under the table.

Without the major contradictions of conflicting interests among all parties, not even the hidden instigators behind the scenes, could stir up so much strife so quickly.

Basing on past experiences, Caesar III naturally concluded that the Orcs were about to invade from the south.

“Has that special gift been sent to them?”

Caesar III asked with concern.

Last year, these pests brought a locust plague to the Alpha Kingdom.

Now there was an opportunity for retaliation.

As for the consequences that would follow, Caesar III was prepared.

Since war was inevitable, he might as well take control.

What worried him was the situation on the mainland.

The chaotic continent had tied up the energy of many human kingdoms.

The support of the Alpha Kingdom by other countries on the continent could likely be affected.

“It has been delivered secretly, and for safety reasons, we have also erased the Insect King’s memory.

Even if someone discovers it, they won’t find evidence that we did it.

However, many things don’t need evidence.

The plague was discovered by the kingdom last year, we could still be suspected.”

Duke Newfoundland solemnly reminded.

Being with a highly capable monarch doesn’t guarantee smooth sailing.

He knew all too well about Caesar III’s ambition and aspiration.

In his younger days, defeating the Orc Empire and recovering lost territory was his daily mantra.

As he got older and more mature, rationality gradually took precedence, and his attitude changed.

However, you can’t just scratch the surface of a monarch.

Intuition told Duke Newfoundland that the king’s animosity towards the Orc Empire was resurfacing.

Most likely, he wanted to take advantage of the chaos within the Orc Empire for a surprise attack.

Ever since Alex became Crown Prince, the Bimon Royal Court has been restless.

The opposition’s voices against this hedonistic Crown Prince have grown louder, only to be suppressed by the Old Bimon Emperor.

No one could say for sure how long this suppression would last.

Perhaps just an ignition point could trigger a coup d’etat.

As the head of the Five Great Emperor Courts of the Orc Empire, if something went wrong with the Bimon Royal Court, it would undeniably present the best opportunity.

By joining up with two other countries to kick them when they’re down, plus the support of human kingdoms, the chances of success in theory weren’t low.

After all, Caesar III was getting old.

If he missed this opportunity, it would be hard to come by a better chance in his lifetime.

“It is inevitable that we will be suspected.

However, with truth and falsehood mixed together, it would be hard for the enemy to determine who did it.

After all, those two families have enemies all over the continent.

It’s also possible that someone impersonated us to cause chaos and deliberately stir up disputes.

Those old folks are suspicious, let them guess!

Whether they find out or not, the end result will be the same.

That idiot, Shelter VII has already thoroughly offended the Frank Kingdom.

The matter won’t end so easily, it will surely stir up more disputes.”