Hmph-hmph~
Kael hummed an unknown ballad and walked around the temple hallway, feeling utterly delighted.
It was also to be expected.
Although Lakyus hadn't directly agreed to accept the task of conquering the kingdom, it wasn't for nothing that Kael had spent all his time on her. She could officially be included on the list of 'reliable confidantes'. It was truly satisfying.
Kael's earlier statement about letting Lakyus manage the kingdom in the future was not a lie, but that he genuinely had such a plan.
Speaking of which, it was thanks to Draudillon.
From her, Kael got inspiration. That is, after conquering major kingdoms or foreign powers, he didn't need to act as king or leader or any other leadership role himself; he simply needed to appoint one of his subordinates to manage it.
Just like the Draconic Kingdom currently, Kael barely interfered in its internal affairs. But if he wanted to mobilize manpower or resources from the Draconic Kingdom, its efficiency would not be much worse than being king himself.
Of course, to avoid any potential hidden dangers, someone he could appoint as the leader of a power would naturally be special—and a woman who had a close relationship with him.
This woman could be a member who had now joined the Church of Destiny or a person who had not yet joined, but it was better to have some relationship with the conquered power, which could reduce the difficulty of dominance to some extent.
And in the future, the position of ruler of this force would be inherited by his and that woman's blood descendants. If the heirs multiplied, he would choose and appoint them personally.
Lakyus responsible for the Re-Estize Kingdom, Draudillon for the Draconic Kingdom, Leinas for the Baharuth Empire, and for the Holy Kingdom and Slane Theocracy...
Kael thought for a moment and had two reserve candidates in his mind.
But don't be too anxious now. After all, the only one he truly controlled so far was the Draconic Kingdom. The Re-Estize Kingdom was still in progress. The Baharuth Empire had no signs yet, and the Holy Kingdom and Slane Theocracy hadn't been considered at all.
Unless the Great Tomb of Nazarick, as in the original work, prompted the sub-humans from the Abelion Hills to attack the Holy Kingdom. If that happened, Kael could use this opportunity to make some arrangements there.
No major changes were desired at this time. If he came directly to the door, he would most likely be regarded as a pervert, and it would also arouse the other party's hostility.
"When it comes to the Abelion Hills, you should send someone to investigate. If the Great Tomb of Nazarick hasn't taken action against it, then I will conquer it. And if they have subdued the sub-humans, they can also make a fuss about it."
"On the Re-Estize Kingdom's side, the Vancev Royal Family is weakening, and now the change of ruler only causes the kingdom to split faster. If you want to take control, you'd better start with the strongest ones."
"First target... I'll choose you."
Among the kingdom's aristocratic groups, besides the royal family, the most powerful were certainly the so-called six aristocrats.
And Marquis Raven, Marquis Paul Lope, Count Lytton, Count Ulowana, Marquis Brumlasiu, and Marquis Pespeia. Among these six great nobles, only two could capture Kael's attention: Paul Lope, who controlled the puppet prince, and Marquis Raven.
Previously, Prince Zanac, with the help of Marquis Raven, dared to contend with Prince Barbro for the position of king. At the very least, he managed to win the title of Grand Duke. This showed that Marquis Raven's influence was still quite substantial.
If he could be made to surrender, the plan to conquer the kingdom would be greatly aided, so Kael would be the first to contact him.
As for whether he could successfully make the Marquis surrender, Kael wasn't worried about this at all.
Compared to the other five great nobles, Marquis Raven was an easy person to deal with because he had a great human weakness.
The most exclusive first-class hotel in E-Rantel, the Golden Shining Pavilion.
In the luxurious rooms on the second floor of the inn, a full team of five people had all gathered in the living room.
A warrior and a rogue guarded the room door, watching for any slight movement in the corridor outside. Meanwhile, a magic caster set up a warning spell in the bedroom next door, ready to rush in with another companion to protect their employer in case of an unexpected situation.
Inside the bedroom, a thin, middle-aged man sat at a tea table, clutching his hair with one hand, a distressed expression on his face.
He was none other than Marquis Raven.
Previously, the Re-Estize Royal Capital was attacked by a monster army. He managed to escape because he left the city one step earlier and did not die under the monsters' feet like many other citizens in the capital.
Later, members of the Church of Destiny relocated some of the Re-Estize Royal Capital's people to E-Rantel. He was also among this group and successfully reached the city.
After experiencing that crisis, he intended to immediately return to his territory and no longer get involved with the group known as the Great Tomb of Nazarick.
However, Marquis Paul Lope suddenly called for a noble council, and he could not evade the meeting, thus he was forced to stay in the city for several days.
"Ah! Why does this bad luck befall me? That demon-like woman, may you die!"
Marquis Raven tugged at his scalp with a distressed face and cursed loudly in a suppressed voice, as if venting his deep anger and fear.
Perhaps because he was too preoccupied with his thoughts, he did not notice the presence of someone who had just appeared.
A palm tapped lightly on his shoulder.
"Who!?"
Marquis Raven was startled and stood up in a panic, turning to face the unexpected visitor.
He couldn't help but gasp in surprise when "he realized and saw the other's appearance."
"You, you!?"
"It seems you know who I am, then it's much simpler."
With a smile on his face, Kael spoke in a gentle tone.
Infected by Kael's demeanor, Marquis Raven quickly calmed his emotions and saluted him respectfully, "I didn't expect you to come to see me in this manner. This is truly flattering, God of Destiny."
Although this was the first formal meeting between the two, Kael had also appeared on the scene during Princess Renner's public trial previously, so Marquis Raven could naturally recognize his identity.
"May I know what brings you to visit so late?"
"Don't worry about this."
Kael raised his hand, deferring the matter, and instead said, "Marquis Raven, you are one of the six great nobles in the kingdom, the most powerful group of people in this kingdom. I am very curious, what could have happened to make you show such a distressed expression as you just had?"
"This..."
Marquis Raven hesitated.
He also knew the capabilities of the God of Destiny and the Church of Destiny. Since Kael had come to him directly now, he must be trying to gain some benefit from him.
Perhaps, he could take advantage of this opportunity.
With a certain thought, Marquis Raven mustered his courage and said to Kael, "God of Destiny, to be honest, I am now facing coercion from Princess Renner."