The Witch Hunter System
chapter-809

Chapter 809 Eastern Wind Kingdom's Turmoil

Among the nine kingdoms of the Nine Kingdoms Alliance, the Eastern Wind Kingdom occupied the northeasternmost region, sharing its borders with the Great Ratholos Empire's southeastern region and the Eastern Sea.

However, despite possessing direct access to the Eastern Sea, like the Great Ratholos Empire, it was far inferior in terms of power. In fact, it was the weakest of the nine kingdoms within the alliance.

Its strongest expert was only a Low-level Rank 4 warrior.

Nevertheless, this shouldn't be surprising, given it was a direct neighbor of the holy land of body refining. Losing its potential talents to the Great Ratholos Empire all year round was to be expected.

That said, it didn't necessarily imply the Eastern Wind Kingdom permanently lost its talents to the Great Ratholos Empire. Some of them would return to their home after making progress in their training and assume high positions in the kingdom.

Even so, it was undeniable that most talents were outside the kingdom most of the time. Thus, the kingdom couldn't utilize its true strength to gain more speaking rights and influence within the alliance.

It could only be looked down on and ostracized by the other kingdoms in the alliance.

After all, the Blackseal Kingdom in the eastern part of the alliance and the Goldwater Kingdom in the southeastern part were also coastal kingdoms. But unlike the Eastern Wind Kingdom, they had High-level Rank 4 warriors.

Even the rest of the non-coastal kingdoms in the alliance had at least one Mid-level Rank 4 warrior.

As such, the Eastern Wind Kingdom was quite lacking in that aspect.

In the distant past, its capital city, Eastwind City, was a flourishing and beautiful city of white stone and silver metal, and the refreshing sea breeze of the Eastern Sea used to pump energy into it.

Although Eastwind City was still a beautiful coastal city, much of its past glamor was gone, and only its shell was retained. Due to poor maintenance, cracks filled its building walls, and pungent fish stench pervaded its chaotic and dirty streets.

Despite being the capital city of the Eastern Wind Kingdom, even its order was difficult to maintain due to the frequent crimes and chaos committed by the powerful crime syndicates naturally attracted to it due to its weak stability and profitable market.

In front of these powerful crime syndicates, royal authority was a joke that only existed in name.

The Winston Royal Family was helpless against them due to their limited power.

Every morning, officials would gather inside the Eastwind Palace's Great Hall for their regular meeting and report.

At that moment, King Herman Winston sat on his throne with a listless expression. He listened to the ongoing discussion without any particular focus or attention.

The topics and reports have mostly been the same for the past three days.

"The alliance is pressuring us to find out the current situation within the Great Ratholos Empire again," the minister of foreign affairs mentioned gloomily.

"Again? Why are they only pressuring us? The Ironblood Kingdom and Great Tristar Kingdom also share their borders with the Great Ratholos Empire. The alliance should also pressure them! Why only us?!" the minister of defense barked with frustration.

"We've already been over this more than once, Minister Dudley! No one can get news from the Great Ratholos Empire since we've all sealed off all routes to and from there! However, we still have access via the sea; that's why the alliance is pinning its hopes on our kingdom to acquire the news," the minister of trade stated.

"Acquire news from the Great Ratholos Empire via the sea?" Minister Dudley snickered with derision, replying, "Easier said than done. Who doesn't know the ports and ships are all controlled by crime gangs?"

"Those damn parasites are constantly leeching off our kingdom's wealth," the minister of internal affairs cursed grudgingly, saying, "If not for them, would our kingdom become so weak that our allies have the chance to bully us?"

"These crime gangs have been ongoing problems for a long while. The alliance is purposely making things difficult for us!" the minister of internal affairs added.

"Hmph!" Minister Dudley coldly snorted and said, "Of course, they are purposely making things for us, Minister Hector! Those damn criminals are most likely agents planted by the other kingdoms in the alliance!"

"Where else would you find such powerful warriors? It was a mistake for our kingdom to become part of the Nine Kingdoms Alliance. We haven't gained any real benefits from this alliance, but we have been exploited and suppressed plenty!"

"If our kingdom is bound to be swallowed by other countries, we are better off getting swallowed by the Great Ratholos Empire than this group of two-faced bastards!" Minister Dudley cursed.

"Impudent! How dare you spout such treasonous words in His Majesty's presence, Minister Dudley?" Minister Hector angrily rebuked, saying, "More importantly, we don't even know the situation inside the Great Ratholos Empire!"

"For all we know, there might not even be a Great Ratholos Empire in the coming days! His Majesty is wise for making our kingdom a part of the Nine Kingdoms Alliance."

"Our situation might be bad, but at least we aren't facing the terror of a Great Devil right now!" Minister Hector stated.

"Hmph!" Minister Dudley snorted contemptuously before coldly asking, "After the Great Ratholos Empire falls, where do you think Great Devil Abaddon's vampiric forces will rear their ugly heads, Minister Hector?"

"If we had actively sent support to the Great Ratholos Empire at the first possible moment, we wouldn't be blind to the situation as we are now!" Minister Dudley barked.

"Are you even hearing yourself, Minister Dudley? Send support to the Great Ratholos Empire? Against Great Devil Abaddon? Are you joking?" the minister of foreign affairs made snide remarks.

"Our kingdom is the weakest within the alliance. Forget whether it is possible to stop a Great Devil's descent; we would only be sending our troops to die! Even worse, their deaths might even strengthen Great Devil Abaddon and his minions!"

"In that case, the Great Ratholos Empire won't even feel grateful for our 'support.' They might even condemn us!" the minister of foreign affairs stated cynically.

"It's already far too late for that anyway. What's the point of mentioning that now?" King Herman sighed as he spoke for the first time.