After several days of sailing, Todd enjoyed a rare and peaceful vacation.

At the end of the day, fishing, reading, chatting with people, and managing the soul space became the only things he could do during the day.

At night, holding the sleeping Rachel, listening to the gentle sound of the waves outside the ship, and feeling the undulating vibration of the ship's hull, Todd always had the illusion that this journey would never end, and that his world would continue in such peace and tranquility forever.

However, when the port of Twilight City appears in Todd's field of vision, he suddenly understands that sooner or later he will always have to face reality.

Due to the previous special confession, the return of the king was carried out in complete secrecy.

Of the team that came to greet Todd, except for the guards in disguise, Huggins was the only one waiting on the boardwalk of the port, and the cabinet members did not know about it.

Seeing the brig slowly approaching the harbor, Huggins, who was lame on one leg, waved excitedly while clumsily jumping in place.

Looking at the umbrella flag fluttering in the wind over the harbor, Rachel sighed slightly: "We have arrived. ”

Todd had a lonely look on his face and said, "Yes, we're here." ”

"When I get off the boat, I must go back to the Xenomorph Society first. Rachel straightened her clothes and hair: "I'm going to find a stranger who knows the Old Tayloro language, and translate all the transcribed notes." In addition, I have to arrange the internal affairs of the xenomorphs. ”

Todd nodded: "I also have to go back to the palace first, first understand the situation in the country, and see if anything has changed in the kingdom during the time I have been away." ”

When the ship docked, Todd watched Rachel leave the deck first, and then put on his wide cloak and walked down the board to the shore.

Stepping on solid stone bricks, Todd looked at the bustling scene in the harbor and couldn't help but be secretly amazed.

Hundreds of ships of various sizes and flags are anchored in the harbor.

Merchants, captains, sailors, tourists, and workers of different colors, clothing, and languages blocked the vast port of twilight.

The huge pulley crane runs non-stop, boxes of goods come and go non-stop, and people's shouts, laughter, and quarrels are endless, making the whole port appear full of vitality and vitality.

Huggins trotted all the way to Todd's side, his voice a little out of shape because he was too excited: "Your Majesty...... You're back!"

Todd lifted his hood, looked at him with a smile, and whispered, "I'll talk about something back to the palace." ”

Guided by Huggins, Todd made his way to a parking lot outside the harbor area, where he boarded a nondescript carriage and headed to the royal palace at the top of the hill.

Along the way, Todd lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked at everything along the way. The more he looked, the more surprised he became, and the more he looked, the more relieved he became.

Compared to when I first left, Twilight City is now completely different, with houses and decorations springing up like mushrooms after a rain, and flower beds and trees adorning the whole city beautifully.

Todd nodded and said with satisfaction, "The city looks much cleaner than it used to be." ”

Huggins looked back and said, "In the past, the city center was the most crowded, so it was naturally noisy and crowded. Now, the population of the city center has been greatly reduced, and it naturally looks much cleaner. ”

Todd asked curiously, "What about people?"

"The land prices, rents, and cost of living in the city center are so high that people who don't have money move to the lower city or outside the city, and those who stay are rich. ”

Todd's brow furrowed slightly at Huggins' words, but he didn't say anything in the end.

As the carriage drove in the direction of the palace, and as it passed through the main square, a group of students from the University of Twilight, standing on a wooden podium, shouted something to the passers-by.

Todd said to Huggins, "Park the carriage over there, I'd like to hear what they have to say." ”

The latter, on the king's orders, parked the carriage not far from the podium.

"The whole world is asleep in ignorance and narrow-mindedness! Only Twilight City has the truth! We have the great mission of saving all beings and awakening the world!"

A tall student with pigtails shouted to the audience: "Look at the kingdoms in the diocese! they still believe in the lie of God's salvation, and they pin all their hopes on a clay puppet and let the church suck their flesh!"

Another stocky student with freckled faces raised his arms and shouted: "Science has dispelled superstition and ignorance, and there have never been gods or prophets in this world! Man is the master of the world! We are the masters of destiny! We must save this world deceived and blinded by the Church! We must liberate the poor people living in the parish! We want war!"

Todd, who was sitting in the carriage, was surprised to ask Huggins, "War?"

Huggins explained softly, "There are now two factions in Twilight, the old cabinet led by Lord Emerson, and the reformers formed by the Chamber of Commerce Alliance. ”

"Lord Emerson advocates the use of diplomacy and religion to divide the major powers of the Diocese of the Father in order to achieve the goal of isolating the Papal States. The Chamber of Commerce Alliance called for the use of war to completely expel the Church of the Father from other kingdoms. ”

Todd thought for a moment, and suddenly grasped the point of the matter: "I'm afraid that the Chamber of Commerce Alliance doesn't just want to expel the church forces, right?"

Huggins nodded and said, "You guessed right...... With the rapid development of commerce in Twilight City, the factories, plantations, workshops, breeding farms and other related facilities related to it cannot meet the trade and consumption in the city, even if they are running and supplying at full speed. Therefore, the business alliance has repeatedly proposed to the cabinet to solve the two problems of insufficient land supply and difficulty in recruiting personnel. ”

So, when it found that the Cabinet was unable to address these issues, the Coalition of Chambers of Commerce mobilized its chapters and contacted the student body at the University of Twilight to launch a slogan of war against God. Although the shouting is to drive away ignorance and respect human nature, it is actually an attempt to start a war for land and population. ”

Todd followed up and asked, "What about public opinion within the kingdom?"

Emerson asked the cabinet members to explain to the people that the war would bring a series of harms that would do more harm than good to Twilight, but with little success. After all, the citizens of Twilight, whether merchants, students, or xenomorphs, all have an inextricable grudge against the Church of the Heavenly Father, and the slogan of declaring war on God fulfills their hopes. ”

Before Todd could react, Huggins followed up and said, "Your Majesty, there's one more thing, I don't know if you remember?"

"What's the matter?"

"When you first formed the cabinet, there was such a rule. The Prime Minister is elected every three years, and when the new Prime Minister takes over executive power from the King, he or she can reorganize or dissolve the Cabinet as needed. ”

Todd was stunned for a moment, then said, "That's right, that's true. ”

Huggins sighed: "Next month, it will be the day of the democratic election of the Prime Minister of the Cabinet, and Lord Emerson and the candidate of the Business Alliance, Ratledge, will compete for the position of Prime Minister of the Kingdom. ”