Chapter 126: Meeting the Duke (2)

"Actually, yes... I have a request regarding Kael, son of Baron Reinhardt Blackthorn."

The Duke interrupted him calmly, as if he had been expecting this question.

"It is fine, I will not cut off his head. But a strict punishment must be applied; this is inevitable to ensure such foolishness is not repeated. However, the punishment will be reduced... and most of the credit for that goes to you because you handled the situation well."

Malrik knit his brows slightly. "Most of it?"

A faint, cold smile touched Valerith’s lips.

"Yes. Pope Valen’s plan was doomed from the moment he sent his daughter into our territory. This fool thinks he is the only one who possesses important information."

His smile deepened slightly.

"But his daughter’s stupidity and your ability to exploit the situation not only caused them to fail, but also forced her to leave our territory after losing her bet with you."

"Hahahaha!"

For the first time since Malrik entered the room, a loud laugh erupted from the Duke’s chest. It was not warm or amused. There was something mocking in it, almost triumphant, as if Shaye’s loss had given him far more satisfaction than it should have.

Malrik stared at him in silence. He had never imagined seeing the Duke laugh like this.

Looks like he really hates the Pope.

The Duke said, the tone of vindication clear in his voice "I truly want to see the look on that fool’s face right now, when he realizes that his daughter didn’t just fail her mission, but also became indebted to you for several soul stones."

Malrik processed the words quickly and asked cautiously "Wait, Father... from your words, were you aware of Shaye’s true goal for being in Blackthorn from the very beginning?"

Coldness returned to shroud the Duke’s features. "Of course."

"May I know what it is, if you please?"

The Duke’s expression hardened as he looked at him, his cold gaze leaving no room for argument.

"The matter is connected to Blackthorn Fortress itself. If I explained more to you now, you wouldn’t understand it. There are too many variables at play in the world right now."

He leaned back slightly, his eyes remaining fixed on Malrik.

"For now, focus on increasing your strength. Accelerate your growth and begin to understand the Laws."

His voice grew heavier.

"Strange and disturbing things have already begun happening across the Empire... and beyond it. Whatever is coming will not care whether you’re ready or not."

He paused, letting the words settle.

"And with your current strength, you won’t survive it."

Malrik felt an internal annoyance at the vague answer.

What did it mean that the goal was the fortress itself? And what were those strange things happening in the world?

The answer was deliberately vague and obscure, but he knew very well that pressing the Duke for answers would bring him nothing.

Malrik bowed lightly. "I understand."

The Duke nodded, then leaned back slightly in his chair and set the document aside. His expression remained calm as he shifted to another matter.

"Also, prepare to form your own squad in the coming days. I know you have many undead under your command. Frankly, they’re better soldiers than most living men."

His gaze settled firmly on Malrik.

"But that alone won’t be enough. With your new responsibilities, you’ll need living subordinates of your own—people who can act on your orders, handle matters in your absence, and stand beside you when your undead cannot."

Malrik blinked in surprise. "What responsibilities do you mean... Father?"

"Of course, I mean the responsibilities of managing the new territory that will be under your command."

The words struck Malrik’s mind, and in that moment, fragments of his inherited memories surfaced.

He remembered how the family was actually structured. Everyone of importance in the house—from his Banner Bearer siblings to the Elders—was responsible for their own territory or city.

But with their constant training, wars, family duties, and, in some cases, their presence at the Academy, they couldn’t possibly manage everything themselves. Instead, they entrusted the day-to-day administration to people they trusted completely—subordinates who had sworn loyalty to them and carried out their orders.

Every Banner Bearer and Elder had their own squad, operating solely under their command.

Malrik finally grasped the matter. "I understand, Father."

The Duke’s gaze sharpened as he spoke, his tone calm but instructive.

"You may choose anyone you want from the family’s training camp, as long as they are not already under the command of one of your siblings or the Elders. You can even recruit people from outside the family."

He paused, his eyes fixed on Malrik.

"But remember one thing... having people follow your orders simply because you’re the Duke’s seventh son is one thing. Earning their trust, their loyalty, and their willingness to follow you even when death is staring them in the face is something else entirely."

"I will keep that well in mind," Malrik answered steadily.

"Then, it is time to choose. Do you have something you want, or shall I present options to you myself?"

Malrik replied, "Currently, I don’t have any ideas. Please guide me."

"Very well, that is fine." The Duke brought out a smooth black stone in the shape of a sphere, looking very much like the stone Elder Rhazakar had given him in the Senate, and placed it on the desk.

In an instant, a faint light emitted from the stone, and a massive, detailed 3D map of the entire "Valorian Empire" materialized in the air above the desk.

The Empire was terrifyingly vast, a complex geography interwoven with countless mountains, rivers, and forests, and clearly divided into five main regions.

Through his memories, Malrik knew that these regions represented the Five Great Duchies.

At the heart of this map, smack in the center, sat the "Imperial Capital". It occupied a massive area no smaller than any entire duchy, radiating a majestic golden light that evoked grandeur and authority.

The first thing that caught Malrik’s attention was a small red dot blinking in the northern region of the map, which was dominated by towering mountains on its edges, vast lands, and dense forests.

He deduced immediately that this was the Duchy of Vesperion, their current location.

Above their lands, the family crest floated in a terrifying and majestic manner. A colossal black winged serpent-dragon, its open jaws tearing into the heavens.

Through the map and the geographical memories engraved into the original body owner’s mind as part of his noble education, Malrik began to analyze the borders.

To the southwest of Vesperion’s lands stretched vast territories bearing the crest of a golden lion.

The Duchy of Goldmere... the place where his fiancée, Selene, lived.

As for the southeast of their borders, white and harsh icy lands stood out, with the crest of a white stag with branching antlers soaring above them.

The Duchy of Stormhilde.

The Imperial Capital was located directly to the south of Vesperion’s borders, separating the north from the rest of the world.

And in the far south, very far from Vesperion’s lands and without any shared borders with them, lay the last two duchies.

To the far southwest emerged the Duchy of "Evermont" with the crest of a giant silvery-white tree with few leaves, distinct roots, and branching boughs.

And to the far southeast stretched the Duchy of "Morvayne" with its ancient lands. The crest of House "Morvayne" was a solitary purple eye surrounded by a ring of black thorns, with the eye flanked by two purple scythes matching the eye’s color.

The distances separating the duchies, and between them and the capital, were vast and filled with lands that did not belong to any of them. There was a prevailing custom that minor nobles who were capable of securing them could claim them, provided major powers like the Duchies did not intervene.

Conditions were not entirely stable among the duchies, and there were always minor disputes, but in the end, they were all under the rule of the Emperor... or the Black Empress. In this crazy world, Malrik wasn’t entirely sure who held the reins of true power there.

The Duke gestured with his hand, and the map enlarged to focus solely on the vast northern region belonging to Vesperion.

"You may now choose a barony from these lands to place under your command," the Duke said calmly. "You will rule it, collect its taxes, and pay a fixed portion to the Duchy. In return, the protection of that territory will be entirely your responsibility."

He paused briefly before continuing.

"And since you’ll soon be spending most of your time at the Academy, you’ll need to find a capable administrator to manage its affairs in your absence."

Malrik grasped the magnitude of the task and cast a scrutinizing look at the map full of options. He had to narrow down his search.

The first decision he made was to exclude any barony located in the southwestern part, near the borders of the Duchy of Goldmere.

I don’t want to be near my fiancée’s family lands in any way, shape, or form.

I have enough headaches without them.

And so, Malrik approached the map and shifted it toward the eastern side, moving completely away from the western side, while a smile formed on the Duke’s face as Malrik did the exact opposite of what he had expected.

Malrik directed his focus toward the lands located in the northeastern part, all the way down to the southeastern borders... those lands close to the Duchy of "Stormhilde".

"Please guide me, Father. I will choose from those regions located in the east."

****

Author’s Note

I’ve noticed that quite a few of you have been asking for more Chapters lately.

I’m really sorry about the slower updates. I’m going through a bit of a difficult time right now and dealing with a few things, so I haven’t been able to write as much as I normally do. But don’t worry, I’ll be back soon and ready to get back to the story properly.

I’m also working on setting up a Discord server since many of you have asked for one. I’ll be sharing a visual map of the Duchy of Vesperion and the Valorian Empire there soon, so keep an eye out for it!

And finally, a huge thank you to Lauren_Squires and Chris_Hemphill_2618 for the gifts, and thank you to everyone for all the amazing support, comments, and reviews. It really means a lot to me.