Free Web NovelChapter 35: 35: A Spell to Sell (2)
Jenny looked around quickly, then came even closer. "Do you understand who House Marovain is? They are not a small merchant family. They are one of the ten founding duke families of this kingdom. If we try to trick them with some fake spell, they will not just punish us. They will erase us."
Lucard looked at her quietly.
Jenny took his silence as carelessness and became more anxious. She had trusted him many times in the last few days, but this was different. Fighting hired killers was one thing. Trickery against a founding duke family was another. House Marovain was not like Manager Jeff. They were not like a few road killers. They were a monster wearing gold rings.
Peter stepped forward and spoke in a low voice.
"Lady Jenny is right, Young Master. House Marovain is very dangerous. They may act like merchants, but they are still a duke family. Their influence reaches almost every city in the kingdom."
Jenny nodded and continued. "There are ten duke families who founded the kingdom with the royal family, one thousand years ago. They defeated an ancient powerhouse together and built the kingdom of Valoria on the old battlefield. Each founding family took one great region and swore loyalty to the first king. Since then, the royal family and the ten founding families have ruled this kingdom together."
Jake looked confused. "What is an ancient powerhouse?"
Peter answered, "A being stronger than normal Rank Nine masters. Some say it was an old monster king. Some say it was a fallen saint. Some say it was a monster from the sky. Only the royal families know the truth. We only know that it lived here before the kingdom of Valoria was born."
Jake swallowed. "And the ten families defeated it with the royal family?" freewebnovel.cσ๓
Jenny nodded. "Yes. That is why their status is not the same as normal dukes. They are founding families. Their names are written into the kingdom’s history. Even the royal family must think carefully before offending them."
Peter added, "House Marovain controls trade routes, some banks, merchant guilds, and branch shops across Valoria. Their money feeds armies. Their contracts bind nobles. Their caravans know roads that soldiers do not."
Jake looked toward the merchant district. "So they are like a house full of gold?"
Lucard said, "More like a house full of greedy hands."
Peter coughed once but did not disagree.
Jenny continued, "Their bloodline power is called Silver Tongue Vein. People of House Marovain have frightening memory, calculation, negotiation instincts, and contract sense. They can tell when something is wrong in a deal. They can remember debts from years ago. They can find lies in words that sound true. If we bring them a fake spell, they will know."
Peter nodded. "There is a saying in the capital. If you mess with one of the founding families, your village will die before your apology reaches them."
Jake’s eyes widened. "The whole village?"
Jenny’s expression became heavy. "Yes. Some stories may be exaggerated, but not all. One founding family once killed thousands of people because a city lord insulted their envoy. Another destroyed a noble line because a young lord stared at their daughter for too long during a banquet."
Jake touched his own eyes. "How long is too long?"
Peter said seriously, "If you are looking at a founding family member, blink early and look down as soon as possible."
Jake nodded as if he had just received life saving wisdom.
Jenny was too worried to smile. "Lucard, House Marovain is rich enough to buy judges and cruel enough to sell rope to the man they are hanging. We cannot mess with them."
Peter added, "They are not known for direct slaughter like military houses, but that makes them worse in some ways. If House Marovain wants someone ruined, that person may lose money, land, allies, servants, and legal rights before he even knows he is under attack."
Jake looked at Peter. "Peter, can they buy my shoes too? These shoes are my treasure."
Lucard looked down at Jake’s shoes.
"Those shoes are not worth buying."
Jake looked offended. "They are new and I treated them as treasures. "
Peter replied, "Young master, they are new and not worth buying."
Jake looked at Jenny. "Sister, he is insulting my shoes."
Jenny rubbed her forehead. "That is not the biggest problem right now."
Lucard listened to all of them without interrupting. Jenny explained the power of the ten founding families. Peter added details about Marovain’s money, spies, and contract tricks. Jake asked questions whenever his fear found a new thing to worry about. By the end, Jenny looked almost exhausted from explaining danger to someone who did not look scared at all.
Lucard waited until they finished.
Then he asked, "Are you done?"
Jenny froze. "What?"
Lucard said, "I asked if you are done."
She looked at him in disbelief. "Lucard, did you hear anything I said?"
"Yes. House Marovain is rich. House Marovain is powerful. House Marovain is dangerous. Their family remembers debts, smells lies, and scares people into blinking politely. I heard everything."
Peter’s mouth moved slightly, but he decided not to speak.
Lucard looked at Jenny directly.
"Now listen to me. I will not sell them anything fake. What I sell them will be a real Fifth Rank forbidden spell. You only need to trust me."
Jenny wanted to say more. She really did. But..
Every part of her noble education screamed that this was madness. A fallen baron family walking into a Marovain branch shop with a so called forbidden spell sounded like the beginning of a public execution. Yet when she looked at Lucard, she remembered everything that had happened in the last four days.
He had survived the attack on the mansion. He had saved them from Jeff. He had killed the hired men in the forest. He had brought them safely to Gravehold.
He had slapped Tina Karswell and beaten Adrian Ravencroft. He had forced Baron Ravencroft to let them leave. Again and again, he had done impossible things.
Jenny did not understand him anymore, but she could not deny one thing.
Lucard had kept them alive.
Her shoulders slowly lowered.
"Fine," she said quietly. "I will trust you."
