Chapter 303 - 301: The Count’s Gambit

Chapter 303: Chapter 301: The Count’s Gambit

The front hall of Sea Cliff Castle was buzzing with excitement. Many guests were gathered together, fervently discussing something, their gasps of awe rising and falling.

It was only when Duane drew near that he discovered the crowd was marveling at the gift he had brought—the pelt of a giant Level 7 Demon Beast, a Black Bear.

The Black Bear had stood over ten meters tall, and its complete pelt, when fully spread out, covered nearly eighty to ninety square meters.

The mere thought of such a behemoth was enough to fill the crowd with dread.

They were eager to know how Duane had defeated such a massive creature, but since Duane wasn’t present, they could only surround John, who had delivered the gift.

But John hadn’t participated in that Secret Realm battle at all. He could only recount the scenes he had heard about from Simone and the others, adding his own embellishments, which drew constant gasps of amazement from the crowd.

So when Duane and Natalia appeared together, they were immediately swarmed. Duane had no choice but to give a vivid account of the battle.

He finished by adding—

Black Forest Island was now free of any Demon Beast threats and had ample funding. He hoped that any interested merchants or construction teams would come to the island to help build up his Territory.

Several people expressed their interest on the spot.

The Duane of today possessed both power and fame. Furthermore, seeing him holding hands with Natalia, everyone could tell that the Brian Clan and the Kennedy Clan had finally come together.

Black Forest Island was no longer the barren and isolated place it once was; it might now hold significant business opportunities.

At noon, George’s engagement ceremony officially began.

Today, Fiona was dressed in a white gown, adorned in her finest, looking just like a bride waiting to be wed.

Baron Uriel and Lady Yali, along with Count Kais and Delilah, accompanied them, slowly walking into the main hall.

To the strains of gentle music, the engagement ceremony—which had once threatened to erupt in conflict—now proceeded in an orderly fashion and concluded perfectly.

"Duane, when do you think we’ll have a day like this?" Natalia whispered.

Duane chuckled. "What’s this? Are you getting impatient?"

"Mhm!"

To his surprise, she nodded. "I’m afraid you’ll suddenly run off one day."

Duane laughed heartily. "Am I that unprincipled of a person?"

As the two were whispering to each other, Count Kais called out their names in a loud voice.

Duane took Natalia’s hand and walked onto the ceremonial stage.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the Count publicly announced their relationship. For the Kennedy Clan, today was truly a day of double blessings.

Next came the lively reception.

Duane wasn’t fond of such flattering occasions, but he figured he should do as the Romans do. After all, his Territory needed to develop, and attracting talent and investment was essential.

"Count!"

A middle-aged man holding a wine glass first bowed in salute before raising his glass.

"I’ve been wanting to speak with you, but you’ve been so busy, I didn’t want to intrude."

Duane didn’t recognize the man, but there were many people at this banquet he didn’t know.

"And you are?"

"Borso Towns."

The middle-aged man immediately introduced himself. "I am a Baron and a vassal of Viscount Charlemagne."

Duane’s eyes lit up with understanding. ’So, a vassal of the Haydon Clan.’

"It’s a pleasure to meet you!"

He raised his glass and lightly clinked it against the man’s. "Did Viscount Charlemagne not come?" he asked.

Manny had mentioned in his letter that Duane might be able to heal Viscount Charlemagne’s injuries.

Yet the Viscount hadn’t come. ’Does he not believe it, or is he deliberately keeping his distance because I destroyed the Holy Radiance Court on Black Forest Island?’

"He did come, but he is at an inn, not attending the banquet."

Borso, however, gave a completely unexpected answer. "My apologies, the Viscount’s injuries are very severe. Not only is it difficult for him to move, but there is also an unpleasant odor, so it would be inappropriate for him to appear at such an occasion."

’I see.’

"I didn’t realize the Viscount’s injuries were so severe."

Borso bowed and made his request, "I was wondering when you might be free? The Lord Viscount would like to pay you a visit and speak with you."

"Since Viscount Charlemagne has difficulty moving, I’ll go to the inn. As for the time..."

His stay at the Silent Shore wouldn’t be long. "Tonight might not be convenient. How about tomorrow morning?"

Borso’s face lit up with pleasant surprise. He had heard of Duane’s deeds and thought the man would be arrogant; he never expected this contact to go so smoothly.

He said gratefully, "On behalf of the Viscount, thank you for your consideration! I will be waiting for you outside Sea Cliff Castle first thing tomorrow morning!"

The Haydon Clan had a Secret Realm within their Territory, which was something Duane valued highly.

If he could heal the Viscount, then investigating the Secret Realm and even collaborating on its development later on should not be a problem.

Especially now that Manny had been expelled from the Holy Radiance Court, the declining Haydon Clan would probably jump at the chance to cooperate with Duane.

Duane finished his conversation with Borso, then joined Natalia to offer their Blessings to George and Fiona.

During this time, he also had a brief conversation with Baron Uriel.

Over the past month, Baron Uriel and Count Kais had captured a good number of Fire-Furred Rabbits and Red-Clawed Rabbits, and their breeding farms were under construction.

By the end of next year at the latest, the production of Fire Attribute rabbit meat would ramp up.

The three of them agreed that would be the right time to publicly announce Warm Sun Soup and formally challenge the Calvin Clan’s industry.

After the banquet, Delilah and Natalia went to the guest castle to keep Fiona and Lady Yali company.

Duane, on the other hand, was summoned to the Count’s study. He was surprised to find that, in addition to the Count, Minister of Supervision Hela Hill and Lloyd were also there.

A flicker of suspicion crossed Duane’s face. ’Hela is here, so this must be about the matter the King arranged. As for Lloyd, he’s the King’s Clerk... could he be involved too?’

Hela nodded a greeting to Duane.

He had actually known for a while that Duane hadn’t outright accepted Duke Kelvin’s lobbying, which was why he had pushed so hard to engineer the Kennedy Clan’s "betrayal."

He just hadn’t expected both sides to play their hands so unconventionally.

Now that the banquet was over, the Count had summoned him here, along with Duane. He wondered what the Count’s intentions were. ’Could he be here to call me to account?’

"You two Counts, what can I do for you?"

Hela took the initiative to ask, "If all goes as planned, I will be setting off for the Royal Capital tomorrow morning."

He shrugged. "These discussions didn’t yield very good results. Perhaps His Majesty will be so enraged that he’ll strip me of my title as Minister of Supervision."

His words were a direct warning: both Duane and Kais had rejected a marriage alliance with the Royal Family, His Majesty would be displeased, and he would likely employ further measures to keep them in check.

Count Kais naturally understood the implication, but he was in no hurry. Instead, he gestured for everyone to sit, keeping only Lloyd standing by his side.

Only after a servant had served tea did he speak. "The Minister of Supervision has been diligent and responsible in his duties. I’m sure His Majesty will understand your difficulties and will not punish you."

Hela chuckled and took a sip of tea. "This must be the Hot Spring Mountain Tea from Black Forest Island. The taste is truly unique."

Duane said, "When the tea goes on the market, Your Excellency will have to buy a few pounds."

"A few pounds won’t be enough for me. I’ll need to buy at least a hundred pounds to be satisfied."

The two chatted as if they were old friends.

After a long moment, Count Kais finally said, "I know what worries His Majesty. Please return and inform him that the Kennedy Clan will always be loyal to Pruck and loyal to His Majesty Eric. That stance will not change!"

Hela countered, "And yet, you have repeatedly refused His Majesty’s attempts at a marriage alliance. Furthermore, you have sided with the Radical Faction this time. And another thing..."

He looked at Duane. "This rising star of the nobility has also refused His Majesty’s goodwill. That must mean an even greater prize awaits him."

His voice was filled with suspicion. "I wonder what this ’greater prize’ could be?"

Hela’s insinuation was that Duane would join with Marquis Sean and Count Kais to threaten the rule of the Kingdom.

Duane explained calmly, "I am merely sticking to my principles. I doubt His Majesty would trust a follower who doesn’t keep their promises, would he?"

Viscount Hela smiled but said nothing. As a politician, the one thing he trusted least was an empty promise.

Count Kais cleared his throat, drawing the attention of both men. He said, "Actually, Natalia isn’t the only one in the Kennedy Clan who can marry an outsider. You have one such person right before your eyes."

Duane and Hela paused, then simultaneously turned to look at Lloyd.

"That’s right!"

Lloyd spoke up. "As the second son of the Kennedy Clan, because of the matter with Count Kudro, I have remained unmarried and have not discussed any marriage arrangements."

With George’s marriage unsettled, Lloyd, as the younger brother, had also been held back.

A thought struck Duane. ’Is the Count thinking of having Lloyd marry a princess?’

Hela had clearly guessed the same thing. "Lloyd is an excellent young man, but as the second son, he holds no right of inheritance..."

"I am willing to provide Lloyd with a Territory and funds, and I will cover the wedding expenses."

Count Kais said without hesitation, having clearly already thought this matter through.

"If His Majesty is willing, he could marry the Third Princess, Her Highness Emily, to Lloyd."

’The Third Princess?’

Viscount Hela became lost in thought.

A princess marrying the second son of a Count was a rare occurrence.

But there was a certain significance to Count Kais choosing the Third Princess, Emily.

It was widely believed in the circles of Nobility that Her Highness Emily would marry the eldest son of Earl Orlando—the very same Harrison who had clashed with Duane on several occasions.

If His Majesty were to marry Emily to Lloyd and bestow a generous dowry, it would undoubtedly drive the relationship between the Kennedy and Bloom Count families to a freezing point.

It was well known that Orlando was very close to Sean and was one of the representatives of the Iron Blood Faction.

In this way, a deep rift would form between Count Kais and Sean’s faction, and mutual trust would become an issue.

As for Count Kais, although he would be making an enemy, he would also be securing a great benefit for his son, Lloyd.

Although Lloyd would become independent, the blood of the Kennedy Clan would still flow in his veins, and it would be difficult for him to turn against his family in the future.

’Duane recalled the Count mentioning in the backyard that they shouldn’t get too close to Marquis Sean. I never thought this was the method he had in mind.’

He couldn’t help but feel a secret admiration for the Count.

"What do you think, Viscount Hela?" the Count asked.

The corners of Hela’s mouth turned up. "I will relay your thoughts to His Majesty. If all goes well, you will receive a reply very soon!"