Carlson was not surprised that Okwas was dissatisfied with the Council's suppression.
The King and the Council were inherently opposed; both sought power, so disputes were inevitable.
Although Okwas was a King elected by the Council, he had been on the throne for over a decade and was certainly unhappy with the Council lording over him.
But a violent overthrow?
Carlson didn't believe that.
"Okwas's administrative policies align with the Council's expectations, so the Council has already given him a great deal of autonomy. He has no reason to resort to violence."
Carlson frowned and asked, "Where did you get this news?"
"I heard Okwas say to Prince Orm that he wouldn't have to worry about the Council anymore," Fang Yuan continued his act. "Perhaps he doesn't have enough reason on his own, but if he wants to pave the way for his successor, there's a high probability he'll move against us!"
"After all, military power is in the hands of the King!" Fang Yuan advised repeatedly with earnest concern.
Carlson frowned slightly. This was indeed a problem. Okwas was originally an Atlantis General, which was why they had supported his ascension.
However, after careful consideration, Carlson still felt that a single sentence was not enough to serve as substantive evidence.
Moreover, even if Okwas had such thoughts, he certainly wouldn't act immediately.
The Council was a gathering of the powerful in Atlantis; Okwas would not be so unwise.
So, after comforting "Councilor Holly" with a few words, Carlson put the matter aside for the time being.
She planned to use the Council's channels to give the King a hint, as they had always done in the past.
But what she didn't know was that shortly after Councilor Holly left, he slipped into the Mirror Dimension.
"Ahem, I couldn't find any oranges, but I found some seafood." Fang Yuan held several tuna, groupers, lobsters, crabs, and some bizarre-looking fish.
"You're planning to cook?" Bruce raised an eyebrow.
"No, I don't know how." Fang Yuan said to Bruce matter-of-factly, "Aren't you Batman?"
Bruce felt that Fang Yuan's perception of him was somewhat skewed: "Just because I'm Batman, I have to know how to do everything?"
"Well, do you know how or not?"
"...I do."
Fang Yuan spread his hands and instantly produced a pile of kitchenware and seasonings. "Then that's that."
Although in some versions of Batman, he couldn't even eat well after Alfred's death, in certain versions, Bruce Wayne was actually a decent cook.
So this fused version of Batman really did know how to do everything.
It had to be said that Bruce's culinary skills were also excellent; the value of Batman's peak-human strength was still rising.
However, Carlson's mood was clearly not as good as Fang Yuan's.
Because the next day, Councilor Holly's body was discovered outdoors.
"Okwas!"
"How dare he?"
When Carlson received the news, she was in disbelief, followed by boundless rage.
Others might not know the reason, but how could she not?
Holly had just come to report the King's dark secrets the day before, and the next day he was dead on the road. Who would dare call this a coincidence?
To be safe, Carlson still called in the Patrol Team that found the body for a thorough questioning.
"Councilor Holly had just been assassinated when we found him."
"But the killer ran too fast for us to catch, and we haven't found any video records."
After hearing the Patrol Team's report, Carlson was almost certain that Okwas was the one who did it.
Because besides the King who controlled the military, who else could make the surveillance system and the guards completely ignore the killer?
"We must take action!"
Thus, Carlson quickly summoned her most trusted Council members for an emergency meeting, without inviting the King.
At the meeting, Carlson told the others everything Holly had said to her, which immediately sparked a violent reaction.
Someone was furious: "Okwas has gone too far; we must take punitive measures!"
Others were not so impulsive: "Killing Councilor Holly serves no benefit to the King. We should investigate further."
Of course, there was no shortage of those ready to surrender.
"The army is entirely in the King's hands. It's time for us to step down from our positions as councilors. After all, Atlantis didn't have a Council in the beginning..."
This person was immediately condemned by everyone. They were all stakeholders, and no one was willing to give up their power.
But that person wasn't wrong. Although the Council controlled other sectors in Atlantis, they ultimately lacked military power and had to avoid a desperate struggle with the King.
So, after some discussion, Carlson finally decided: "I will first send a representative to contact Okwas to test his reaction. It's best to resolve the crisis before the situation becomes irreversible!"
By that afternoon, the representative Carlson sent had not yet sent back any news, but there was movement from the palace.
"What? The King is dead?"
"A massive explosion actually occurred at the palace?"
In the Council, Carlson stood up from her seat in shock upon receiving the news, her face full of disbelief.
"Who did it?"
She suddenly realized this question was a bit foolish because the other councilors were all looking at her.
You just sent someone to the palace in the morning, and the King is dead in the afternoon, and the representative hasn't returned—who do you think did it?
Carlson's face instantly darkened, blacker than charcoal.
Carlson carefully recalled that when she sent the representative, she had indeed told him to act as he saw fit and that it would be best to resolve future troubles, but she didn't remember him being this capable!
When did she have such a brave subordinate under her command?
Bombing the palace with explosives?
"Not good!"
Carlson was no fool; she immediately realized she was in great danger now.
Regardless of whether the King was killed by her man or not, she was definitely going to take the blame. If she didn't respond quickly, she might very well be the one used as a scapegoat.
But within the crisis, there was also an opportunity.
"The King has just passed; Atlantis cannot be without a King. I propose that Prince Orm ascend the throne now!" Carlson said.
At this moment, Carlson was even a bit secretly pleased. Orm was only 11 years old. Ascending the throne would make him nothing more than a puppet of the Council. This way, the conflict between the King and the Council would be resolved, and the Council's power could even be increased further.
Her subordinate was truly a genius!
The others in the Council also realized this and quickly rushed to the palace with Carlson.
But halfway to the palace, their group was blocked by the King's chief advisor, Vulko, and a grief-stricken Prince Orm.
Orm had blond hair, and though he was just a little kid, the look in his eyes as he stared at Carlson was as if he wanted to devour her.
"Carlson, the person you sent was saved, and he personally confessed that you instructed him to assassinate the King!" Vulko said sharply. "Now, I officially notify you that you are under arrest for murder and treason!"
?
Speaker Carlson slowly produced a question mark.
What?
He could even be saved from that?
Then how am I supposed to survive this?
You will get 90 chapter ahead for this fanfiction.
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