Chapter 424: All That's Needed Is a Nod
"..."
Indeed, considering the nobility's level of loyalty to the royal family... no, such a thing never existed in the first place, it's not even something that requires a "level" to describe.
As long as one isn't foolish enough to declare the abolishment of all nobility directly, and their core interests remain untouched, they will surely play dead without hesitation. If the situation becomes sufficiently clear, it's even possible they might directly switch sides...
After pondering over Leon's words for a while, the princess couldn't help but bite her lower lip. Her plump legs beneath the long dress unconsciously came together and twisted tightly, an inexplicable tension rising within her.
"I admit, it's not impossible indeed..."
Taking a deep breath, the princess, almost completely persuaded by Leon, pressed her fingernail into her palm forcefully, then said with pursed lips:
"But what you are saying happens after success. Right now, there's only one army in the entire royal capital. I simply don't have the manpower to storm the palace, and what's more, he's my father, I really don't wish to..."
"You can have the ideas, and you can have the manpower too."
Interrupting the princess, Leon closed his mouth, took out the slightly trembling black goat from the mirror world, and then held the princess's hand, directly communicating through the soul:
'It's safer to speak like this... Remember the rebels who raided the Boarding Tower before?'
???
Upon hearing Leon's words, the princess's hand subconsciously tightened slightly, then she said with some surprise:
'You mean? You have a connection with those rebels?'
'I've had some contact with them a few times...'
Considering what he's prepared to do, which is absolutely taboo with the Clean-up Bureau, Leon did not directly admit it, instead vaguely bypassing the topic, making a straightforward proposal:
'On the rebel side, there are a few hundred members who have received basic military training and can use simple weapons, and there are even a few exceptional item holders. So if you wish, I can help you make contact.
But in exchange, once everything is over, you must issue an amnesty order for those regular members, absolving some of their crimes, and accept those who have not committed too many extreme acts.
Additionally, once our Virgo sub-branch people arrive and capture those exceptional item holders, you must also pardon their death sentences and agree for them to join the Clean-up Bureau.'
'...'
Isn't your service a bit too thorough?
Looking at the Leon in front of her who not only provided "revolt guidance," but also put effort into her psychological construction, even offering people, resources, and plans, arranging everything meticulously from start to finish, the princess really felt a bit on edge.
'How are you so skilled at this?!'
Grabbing Leon's palm forcefully, biting her lip, the princess stared into his eyes and said a bit exasperatedly:
'What you've just mentioned, it can't possibly be thought through in just a day or two. You must have been pondering this for quite some time, right? Why would you think about these things for no reason?'
'How could I not think about them? I even feel that what I'm doing now is far from enough!'
Grasping the princess's hand firmly to stop her from further scratching, Leon took a deep breath, his expression calm, and said:
'Haven't you investigated my file? If you look carefully, you will know that before I joined the Clean-up Bureau, my family was genuinely out of options.
However, in the documents you saw, it probably only states that Anna was critically ill and hospitalized, and I chose to join the Clean-up Bureau to save her. But you would never know what this simple description truly means to me.'
Recalling the future that the King of Nightmares displayed through his crown, the one he feared most in his heart, Leon's eyes dimmed slightly as he narrated that past for the first time actively.
'More than four months ago, the military's Consolation Officer came for a revisit, determined that I had come of age, and in accordance with the new rules, stopped the military dependent pension early. After that, Anna felt that the family couldn't hold on any longer, so she secretly stopped taking her medicine...'
...
Was there such a thing back then?
As Leon recounted, hearing about that struggling small family, which had been grappling for years and still nearly pushed to the brink, the princess's hands could not help but subconsciously tighten more and more, her delicate palms even unknowingly damp with sweat.
She had seen Leon's sister, a gentle and beautiful girl who, when she smiled, liked to tilt her chin forward a little.
However, appearing well-mannered and gentle, Anna, who always wore a faint smile, was under such pressure from life that she could propose such a cruel request, truly tugging at her heartstrings and causing her to subconsciously lighten her breathing.
Once Leon finished recounting his experiences, she finally exhaled a long breath, then grasped Leon's hand, her eyes full of remorse, and said:
'I'm sorry... If I could have done a little better, even just a bit earlier, your family wouldn't have to suffer such things. Luckily, you joined the Clean-up Bureau, or else...'
'Yes, fortunately, I joined the Clean-up Bureau, but how many Leon's have the opportunity to join the Clean-up Bureau?'
Watching the princess's suddenly pale face, Leon's gaze was calm as he continued:
'By joining the Clean-up Bureau, I temporarily freed my family from an unfortunate future. But for those "Leon's" who have no Clean-up Bureau to join, they can only drag their sister's body at night and secretly throw it into the sewage river to exchange for the pension that should never have been stopped, and there are even more "Leon's" who don't even have the opportunity to do this.'
'Leon... I... I'm sorry...'
Remembering the role she played in all this, the princess couldn't help but bite her lip until it turned white, lowering her head for the first time, unable to meet Leon's eyes.
'I'm sorry, truly sorry! If I hadn't investigated the military and driven them to urgently cover their losses, your family wouldn't have...'
'No, you're not wrong.'
Leon shook his head and said:
'You've always been doing the right thing. The wrong ones are not the ones like you who want to investigate the military, but those who created the deficits and then targeted the military dependant pensions.
Moreover, since you're not wrong, it must be something else that's wrong... Veronica, you asked me why I would think about these things, and this is the reason! I want to change those wrong things!'
Gripping the princess's slightly moist palm tightly, he pulled her a little towards him, then stared into her slightly evasive eyes, seriously stating:
'I know you haven't made up your mind to do this yet, and asking you to disregard the bond between father and daughter and use force to seize your father's throne is rather challenging for you, but I sincerely hope you will seriously consider my proposal!
This stagnant Kingdom still has countless Anna's who are sick, countless Leon's with nowhere to join, waiting for a change that can save their lives!'
'Leon... I...'
'I don't know how to be a King, nor am I capable of being this savior, but you can!'
Reflecting on these short three years of life, with a fiery feeling in his heart, Leon released the princess's hand, then gently lifted her chin, turning her face towards him, staring into her uneasy eyes, and said each word with firm conviction:
"Veronica, changing all of this only requires you to nod!"