Free Web NovelChapter 139: Chapter 132: The Struggle for the Title
Levi had no intention of letting a good conversation turn tragic.
Frankly, the incident in Kolon was indefensible on both moral and social grounds. But there had been no other choice. The start-up capital he needed for his endeavors was immense, and this was the only way to acquire it.
Otherwise, the only way to obtain a large amount of Gold Coins would have been to slaughter nobles.
While he could have easily done so with his strength, such actions would have inevitably drawn the hostility of the Seven Kingdoms.
No noble would tolerate the existence of someone powerful enough to wantonly slaughter their own kind.
The end result would have been either him killing all the nobles, or the nobles killing him.
Even with his system, Levi didn’t believe he could single-handedly take on an entire social class.
Due to the Magic Tide, the concentration of Extraordinary Factors in this world had greatly diminished, making it impossible to cast some of the more cataclysmic spells of old.
However, Low Tier Extraordinary powers still existed, such as the Knights’ Combat Qi Secret Manuals, and a Mage’s Small Fireball Technique, Healing Technique, and Earth Spike Technique.
And from the era a thousand years ago, when Magic flourished and the Gods walked the earth, who knew what Divine Artifacts might have been left behind?
After all, the Stone Egg left behind by the Natural Goddess served as a prime example.
Furthermore, there was no telling what formidable tricks the Palace Mages were keeping up their sleeves. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
The two had a tacit understanding about the past incident and never spoke of it, merely chatting about the current state of affairs.
"Duke Fulina is preparing to start a war in Debei. What’s our King’s view on the matter?"
A steady, cold wind from the Wilderness blew against their bodies, making the topic feel all the more bone-chilling.
Unless absolutely necessary, no one likes war. War is always cruel and cold, not just a string of numbers.
But this fight for the ducal title had to be settled by war.
To say nothing of the fact that Liya’s mother was still imprisoned in Kolon, with no word on her well-being.
If they didn’t fight this war, it would be tantamount to admitting that Damon’s line was the legitimate Duke of the South.
They would be branded defeated usurpers, with no place left for them in Debei.
So, the fact that Fulina was willing to dispatch troops to attack the Southern Territory and share the burden was, of course, an excellent development.
Fulina’s willingness to send troops wasn’t born from concern for her sister’s safety, however. She likely had other, ulterior motives.
But clearly, this was still the best possible outcome.
When Levi had brought Liya to the Northern Territory, it was because he knew the ambitious Duchess would never pass up an opportunity to launch military operations against the Southern Territory.
With Liya in her grasp, any military action against the Southern Territory could be framed as a righteous quest to reclaim a rightful title, rather than the greedy ambition of a conqueror seeking to plunder land and treasure.
After all, one must always have a just cause for war.
This was also why, despite Fulina’s resolute declaration—that she would wage war to the bitter end unless the usurper in Kolon was sent to the gallows, the ducal title was returned, and the eldest daughter of the Martel Family was released—the Noble Garden still refrained from direct military threats, opting instead to send persuasive letters.
After all, Debei itself was founded on the slogan of killing the vile usurper on the throne and installing the rightful King.
Such a pretext had become something of a tradition in Debei.
Therefore, the Noble Garden could hardly object. To condemn Fulina would be to tacitly admit that Debei’s own founding slogan was nothing more than a pretext.
While the pretext itself was sound, no reasonably intelligent king would stand by and watch two of his own Dukes go to war. It could easily destabilize the kingdom and give other, watching Jackal Wolves an opportunity to strike.
After all, the harmony between the Seven Kingdoms was merely superficial; beneath the surface, dark tides were stirring. frёewebnoѵēl.com
"The King wrote a letter rebuking my Aunt Fulina," Liya sighed. "He said he would urge Damon to release my mother as soon as possible, and then he added that male inheritance rights take precedence over female ones. That last part is what made my aunt fly into a rage and start cursing."
"Heh. Our King is a master of playing the fence-sitter, isn’t he."
Levi let out a dry, ambiguous chuckle.
’He didn’t comment on who the True heir was at all, only stating that male inheritance took precedence over female.’
’As for Liya’s mother, he only said he would *urge* her release as soon as possible. But how soon is "as soon as possible"?’
’But it also indirectly showed that the King was on Damon’s side.’
’That was to be expected. After all, for an heir, Liya was in a sorry state—she only had a single Baron as a Vassal and had been forced to flee to the Northern Territory.’
’As far as the King was concerned, the title of Duke of the South would go to someone from the Isely Clan either way, so maintaining the status quo was clearly the best option.’
’She and her followers could stay quietly in the Northern Territory, and Damon’s faction could quietly continue to rule as the Duke in the Southern Territory.’
"My Aunt Fulina wrote back, furiously denouncing the King," Liya added, a bit of life returning to her face. "She told him the motto of the Martel Family is—’An eye for an eye!’"
"Just what you’d expect from the Thorn Duke. She’s got guts!" Levi gave a genuine thumbs-up.
To so brazenly defy the King... of the four Dukes, only this Duchess would dare do such a thing.
Frankly, in terms of sheer military might, the armies of these regional Duke’s Domains weren’t necessarily weaker than the King’s own.
This was especially true for the Northern Territory, which bordered the chaotic Wilderness and was frequently embroiled in conflict.
You could say that the Duchess’s soldiers were all veterans who had seen real combat, while the pampered Knights of the Royal Court had probably only ever seen blood in a Gladiatorial Arena... or a brothel.
"Right now, the King is leaning toward Damon’s side, and the Noble Garden’s stance is unclear. Even if we go to war with the Southern Territory, the situation won’t be in our favor. It could become a long, drawn-out war of attrition. The Southern Territory isn’t as weak as you might think, especially if they get support from the King."
"We might not be able to return to Bailiu City for years." Liya was pessimistic. She no longer cared much for the title; all she wanted now was for her mother to return safely.
’But as long as I exist, my mother can never be released. Whether the war starts is no longer up to me, but my mother is a bargaining chip that could be decisive at a critical moment.’
"If I could get you out of Kolon City, I can take you back in!" Levi waved a hand dismissively, his lip curling in a sneer. "When Damon was chasing us, wasn’t he sent running with a single blow from your Lord?"
Liya’s gloomy expression softened. Hearing the egomaniac’s boasting, she couldn’t help but smile. "I’m just wondering if Damon will even dare show his face in front of you next time."
If anyone truly understood the Baron, she was one of the few. After all, she had witnessed it all from a first-person perspective, held in the Knight’s arms as he carved a path out of the chaos of Kolon with nothing but his sword.
