Chapter 266 - 264: Respective Actions

Chapter 266: Chapter 264: Respective Actions

The next morning, Duane went to the Royal Capital’s administrative hall.

The Silver Jade Territory was now his legal territory, but the relevant procedures and its exact boundaries still needed to be determined.

Today, he was taking Owenton to meet the royal surveyor to schedule a team to go to the Silver Jade Territory for an on-site survey and to demarcate the borders.

According to the document issued yesterday, the Silver Jade Territory was three hundred square kilometers in area.

However, Count Kais had given him a private tip last night: there was some room to maneuver with this area.

For example, by using ambiguous borders, incorporating strategic buffer zones into his jurisdiction under the pretext of defense, or setting the boundary at the high-tide mark.

Of course, the most practical method was to get on good terms with the surveyor.

After all, surveying in this world wasn’t perfectly accurate. An error of a few hundred square kilometers would even be acceptable.

In any case, the land beneath the Jade Mountain Range was wasteland, with no other Lords nearby.

As for how to get on good terms with the surveyor, Count Kais hadn’t said it outright, but the implication was perfectly clear.

Duane planned to make the initial introductions and then hand the matter over to Owenton. After all, the future Silver Jade Territory would need a reliable steward.

After setting a survey date with the surveyor, Trenton Reck, and designating their respective contacts, Duane set off for the Smith Manor.

"Ah, my apologies, Count Duane!"

Keldert came out to greet him with a smile, bowing ninety degrees in apology.

"My father was waiting at home for your arrival, but first thing this morning, the Royal Palace sent someone to fetch him for a trip to the Cyan Snake Fortress. They said there were important state affairs to discuss."

"Before he left, he entrusted everything to me and ordered me to host you properly!"

With that, Keldert stepped aside in a welcoming gesture. "This way, please!"

Although Marquis Sean’s absence was somewhat impolite, it was understandable considering it was an invitation from the King.

For Duane, the main priority was to finalize the matters they had agreed upon yesterday. Whether he met Marquis Sean or not was secondary.

At Keldert’s invitation, Duane walked into the Smith Manor.

As the marquis’s residence in the Royal Capital, its magnificence surpassed even the Kennedy Manor by a good twenty percent.

The two chatted as they strolled through the manor’s grounds.

Keldert knew Orisien’s standing, so he greatly admired Duane for being able to defeat him. As they talked, he dropped some of his usual guardedness.

"I only participated in the tournament because my clan ordered me to. If I hadn’t secured a good ranking, the resources I receive would have been reduced."

Keldert said gratefully, "This time, it was all thanks to your help!"

Duane privately mused, ’This marquis’s second son really is a bit too straightforward.’

He didn’t know if it was because Keldert, as the second son, hadn’t been specially coached in courtly intrigue, or if he simply felt that revealing such things was of no consequence.

"I will certainly give the Marquis’s request serious consideration."

Duane steered the conversation back to their agreement. "The main reason I came today was to discuss the transportation of the promised items with the Marquis. Did he leave you any instructions before he left?"

"Don’t worry about that. My father already gave instructions. He’ll be writing a letter back to our territory in the next day or two, telling them to prepare everything as quickly as possible and ship it across the East Sea directly to Black Forest Island."

Duane pondered for a moment. "It must take at least twenty-some days to travel by sea from Lapland Province to Black Forest Island."

"I’m not too sure about that. I just know it takes about eighteen days by ship to reach the Silent Shore, so it would definitely take longer to get to Black Forest Island."

Duane nodded slightly. ’That would be about twenty-four days, then.’

Although it was a long time, sea travel was far more convenient than transporting goods over land.

"The five thousand slaves are what I value most. If possible, please do your best to ensure their safety."

"You helped me out so much. I’ll definitely instruct them to be careful."

Duane expressed his gratitude, and then they shifted the conversation to other, less pressing matters.

For instance, he learned about Keldert’s relationship with his older brother, Peter Smith, the Minister of the Kingdom’s State Affairs.

The second son of a marquis’s family seemed to be under a lot of pressure. When discussing the topic, he often lamented that now that he had his own territory, he could be considered independent from the Smith Clan.

Unfortunately, Keldert’s independence wasn’t complete. He could never escape the Smith Clan’s name, and his territory would inevitably become an extension of the Smith Clan’s sphere of influence.

Then again, that had its benefits.

At least Keldert didn’t have to worry about managing his territory the way Duane did. When necessary, the Marquis would provide him with resources and supplies.

「During Duane’s visit,」 Lune arrived at the Golden Crown Opera House with a letter from his grandfather, Baron Rickson.

However, when he arrived, not only did he miss Duane, but he also met four "competitors" who had come to pledge their allegiance, just like him.

Among them were descendants of Knights and sons of wealthy merchants.

This immediately put Lune under a great deal of pressure.

「Meanwhile,」 under King Eric’s supervision, Marquis Sean, Orisien, Saint Hall Grand Commander Mitchell, and Bishop Clement concluded their negotiations at the Cyan Snake Fortress regarding the allocation of fiefs.

In the end, Orisien’s territory was established in the Needleleaf Forest above the Jade Mountain Range, while Keldert’s territory was designated as Pigeon Tail Town.

This outcome was clearly a significant departure from Marquis Sean’s original intentions.

Therefore, during the course of the negotiations, the Smith Clan had to sacrifice certain interests to have the borders of Pigeon Tail Town extended along Three Realms Lake all the way to the border of the Akutas Kingdom.

By doing so, Marquis Sean’s initial objective was achieved after all.

After the first meeting concluded, King Eric rubbed the bridge of his nose.

He was well aware of Marquis Sean’s ambition. The man had long advocated for joining forces with the Kasa Kingdom to encircle and destroy the Akutas Kingdom, a policy that ran counter to his own ideals.

Because of this, there was a certain amount of friction between them.

Over the years, the Smith Clan had achieved tremendous growth, relying on the five Ore Vein Great Secret Realms and two Elemental Secret Realms within their territory.

Eric was growing concerned that their power was becoming so great it threatened the royal authority of Pruck.

He wanted to weaken them, but for the moment, he had no way to do so.

"Your Majesty, Count Kais has arrived at the Royal Palace," reminded Lloyd, the Clerk.

"Quickly, show your father in!"

Eric composed his thoughts, preparing for the second conversation.

Historically, the Royal Family had few ways to threaten the Kennedy Clan, aside from military force.

His proactive proposal of a marriage alliance had also not received a clear response.

But for him to use military force against a Kingdom Count without just cause was equally impractical.

He glanced at Orisien, who was still seated below.

If he could facilitate an alliance between the Kennedy Clan and the Holy Radiance Court, it would indirectly strengthen his own ties with the Kennedy Clan.

In doing so, Count Kais, the representative of the Neutral Faction, would, to a certain extent, be siding with him.

This would make it easier for him to promote the Holy Radiance Court, increase taxes, and strengthen his supervision over the nobility.

"Your Majesty!"

Count Kais strode to the foot of the throne and bowed, then glanced at the three men sitting opposite him: Orisien, Mitchell, and Clement.

"Count, please be seated."

King Eric was very cordial. "I’ve called you here today mainly to discuss a matter with you and our three guests from the Holy Radiance Court."

Count Kais nodded lightly. He had already learned of the situation from Lloyd.

’As for the topic of conversation,’ he thought, ’it probably involves the Church Court’s expansion into the Silent Shore.’

’I just didn’t expect the King to be so eager to push for it that he would summon me this quickly.’

"Please speak, Your Majesty. For anything that the Silent Shore can support, I will certainly do my best to coordinate with all parties and offer our full support!"

Eric laughed heartily. He knew Count Kais had misunderstood, so he explained:

"I didn’t call you here today for state affairs, but for the sake of Orisien and your daughter, Natalia."

Count Kais looked perplexed. "What?"

He didn’t understand what Natalia had to do with Orisien. The two of them had seemingly never even exchanged a single word.

But in that instant of bewilderment, Kais understood.

"Your Majesty, you mean...?"

Eric nodded and said, "Although Orisien is a newly-made Baron, as the Holy Son of the Holy Radiance Court from the Sunset Continent, his status is paramount. In the future, he will become the link for communication and exchange between our Kingdom and the Sunset Continent."

"To strengthen the bond between our two sides, I have long wanted to arrange a marriage for him. However, there are few suitable candidates within the Kingdom. Your daughter, Natalia, happens to be one of them, and as it happens, Orisien admires her."

The King smiled, playing matchmaker. "If Natalia can marry Orisien, it will surely become a legendary tale on both continents!"

Count Kais’s brow furrowed, and he looked at Orisien on the opposite side.

When he entered the hall, the man hadn’t even offered a greeting, which clearly showed a lack of courtesy.

Moreover, this fellow claimed to have taken a liking to Natalia right after being defeated by Duane.

’It’s hard not to suspect he wants to use my daughter to strike back at Duane.’

Count Kais instantly imagined such a scenario, and in a flash, his opinion of Orisien plummeted.

He couldn’t help but smile wryly. "I wonder if Baron Orisien truly admires my daughter, or if he is merely using Natalia to achieve some other personal goal?"

Orisien was taken aback and feigned confusion. "Count, what do you mean by that?"