Published: March 12, 2025
CHAPTER 162: Anchor of the Seas
On July 30, 1637 of the New Era Calendar, it was an unsettling day for the people of the Versailles Principality. They had thought that the recent food crisis was over, but they were mistaken. They soon realized that the food crisis was perhaps just beginning.
On this day, all grain stores in the Versailles Principality began to raise their prices. Only two stores did not increase their prices: the Blood Lotus Shop and the public store of the Versailles Principality. However, both of these stores had run out of grain to sell, and the food crisis finally erupted.
For the slightly better-off commoners or nobles, it was manageable since they had some stored food to cope with the situation. However, the impoverished faced tough times as they could not afford to store much food. With the rising prices, these individuals were on the brink of starvation.
The rising food prices worried not only those who could not afford to eat but also those who had stored food. They feared that prices would continue to rise, and if that were the case, they too would soon find themselves without food.
Although the Versailles Family and the Blood Lotus Shop assured everyone that food would arrive soon and prices would stabilize, the turmoil did not subside. Commoners with some money began to hoard grain, preparing for the impending famine.
The storm in Casa City was essentially a magnified version of the chaos within the Versailles Family. Currently, the second elder and the third elder had united to force the grand elder to step down. Although the grand elder was reluctant to abdicate, he found himself unable to resolve the situation, leading to a stalemate between the two sides.
At this moment, they both failed to notice that the elders who had remained neutral began to take action, quietly extending their influence into various power structures within the family, although their movements were subtle and discreet, unnoticed by the warring factions.
Caesar and Ivan's conflict finally commenced, drawing a large crowd and turning the Versailles Family's conference room upside down, nearly resulting in a physical confrontation.
In the end, they decided to hold a meeting in the conference room to vote on whether the grand elder should retain his position. This was unavoidable, as they knew that if the chaos continued, the ultimate loser would be the Versailles Family itself.
Both sides were now filled with confidence; they believed they could achieve the best victory. The grand elder had always held the most power in the council of elders, commanding more than half of the votes each time, giving him an absolute advantage.
Meanwhile, the second and third elders had garnered significant support over time, and they were confident of defeating the grand elder in the council. Thus, both sides agreed to resolve the issue in the council, forgetting about Ivan, the family head.
On August 4, the council was scheduled to convene. After a vote in the council, Caesar, the grand elder of the Versailles Family, stepped down and lost his position as grand elder, along with his qualifications as an ordinary elder, becoming merely a family venerator.
Originally, the meeting was set to conduct another vote to have the second elder temporarily take on the elder's duties to address the current food issues.
However, another problem quickly emerged. The third elder was dissatisfied with this decision, and both sides erupted again. On August 6, they had to hold another council meeting. This time, it was significant, as it was to be presided over by the family’s guardian, the ninth-level expert, the primordial sword saint.
The primordial sword saint held a god-like status within the Versailles Family. He was the true Anchor of the Seas; no one dared to disturb him, nor could anyone sway him. His terrifying prowess surpassed even Buffy.
The primordial sword saint had been a ninth-level expert for nearly sixty years. Fifty years ago, the Versailles Family faced a major calamity when their young disciples encountered a dark mage during their training. The family disciple killed the dark mage on the spot.