Chapter Sixty-Three: The Terrifying Grand Duke of the Eastern Realm

As the two high-ranking extraordinary individuals present released their auras, the others instinctively did the same, and the atmosphere instantly became tense. As great nobles, each of them was at least of the third rank; Duke Carter had even reached the fourth rank. With various alchemical items on their persons, they could all muster power at the upper third rank without issue.

Yet, there are always differences between people, and the disparities among extraordinary beings are especially vast. Every profession has its own abilities, but when it comes to combat, there are always a few professions that reign supreme. In close combat, knights are the undisputed champions—even the monstrous Shadow Masters dare not challenge a knight at this range.

These men were knights as well, but belonged to the order of War Knights who commanded knightly regiments and were not adept at single combat. Although their personal knights were all present in this manor, and they were not without hope of victory, taking such action would only lead to their doom.

Such a move would amount to betraying the kingdom, giving the king ample reason to use the Sword of Dawn upon them.

“What do you all think you’re doing? Are you feeling guilty, planning to betray the kingdom? All of you, withdraw your auras at once!” Duke Carter thundered at the surrounding nobles, his eyes flashing with both spiritual light and killing intent, his aura locking onto them.

The nobles froze, glancing at the enraged Duke Carter, and finally lowered their heads in silence, their imposing presence ebbing away as they adopted a posture of submission. Though their adversary had presented mountains of evidence, as if they were to be sent straight to the guillotine, the reality was not as dire as it appeared. Moreover, the Duke of the East had merely requested a reasonable explanation, which meant there was still room for negotiation.

Now was certainly not the time to panic; to act rashly would only play into the other's hands.

Seeing the nobles regain their composure, Duke Carter slowly stood and bowed deeply to Qin Le. “Esteemed Duke of the East, please forgive our earlier rashness. We are willing to cooperate with your investigation. If there is truly a noble colluding with the cultists, I will personally send him to the guillotine and display his corpse above the city gate.”

Their earlier reactions had been instinctive, but now, calmed, the nobles quickly grasped the situation and stood to bow as well. “We are willing to cooperate with the Duke’s investigation.”

Tsk.

Qin Le felt a pang of disappointment—if these men had lost their tempers and slammed the table, he could have made an example by executing a few nobles.

“Duke Carter, your sensibility is truly heartening. I, personally, am willing to believe you would never consort with cultists.” Qin Le’s cold expression softened, and a gentle smile appeared on his face.

Upon seeing this smile, Duke Carter felt a sense of foreboding.

“The ancestral creed of the Kingdom of Dawn is that the nation belongs to all, not to one man. The king’s duty is to stand at the forefront, ensuring the people always bask in the light of dawn. Though I am not of the Kingdom of Dawn, since I have pledged to assist His Majesty, it is only right to respect its traditions. The lords are an integral part of the realm, so I would like to invite you, Duke Carter, to join us in this investigation.” The smile on Qin Le’s face grew ever more serene.

But Duke Carter’s heart sank; a chill crept down his spine as he cast a sidelong glance at the other nobles, whose expressions had turned uncertain.

Though it seemed the Duke of the East had pulled him out of danger, in truth, he had stripped away Carter’s greatest leverage. The other nobles had begun to suspect him, and he could no longer unite them.

For he and they now stood on different sides; should anything happen, this already fragile alliance would immediately collapse.

‘What a terrifying intellect—the Duke of the East, just how many steps ahead have you calculated?’ No matter how he moved, he could not escape the other’s stratagem; he remained a piece on the opponent’s chessboard. Everyone here was a puppet dancing on his strings, their resistance or submission likely all anticipated.

With a single sentence, he had lost all advantage.

Duke Carter put on a grateful expression. “Thank you for your trust. I will conduct a strict and thorough investigation of the cultists and restore peace to the kingdom.”

That was the most frightening thing about the Duke of the East—knowing it was a trap, yet having no choice but to step into it. To refuse now would only allow the other to maintain the upper hand, but he simply could not, or dared not, refuse.

As the ancient saying goes: “Let my friend die, but not me.”

‘In the end, I was the one who lost my nerve,’ Duke Carter sighed deeply in his heart. He simply did not have the courage to contest the Duke of the East; the man’s wisdom quashed any thought of resistance.

The surrounding nobles saw the change in Duke Carter’s expression and realized this was a ploy to sow discord among them. They must not let him succeed. Yet they had to accept the reality—Carter had distanced himself from them and was now safe, while they remained under the Duke’s blade.

Was Carter truly safe? Would he sell them out for his own benefit?

Witnessing this, Qin Le maintained his warm smile, and the psychologists and body language experts accompanying him smiled as well.

The nobles of this world were far from foolish; in fact, each was highly intelligent. Yet in the face of the machinery of state, before the calculations of hundreds of experts from every field, the wisdom of individuals seemed so insignificant.

Their mental habits, their positions, their interests—anything related to them was firmly within the grasp of the think tank. This was not merely a matter of scheming, but of momentum, the sheer force of circumstance.

You may understand what is happening, but you cannot refuse—unless you wish to be crushed to dust.

Standing quietly at the back, Roy, the president of the Hunters’ Guild, shook his head and mused, ‘It seems even these nobles, skilled at intrigue, are no match for the Duke of the East.’

In just a few short minutes, with only a handful of words, he had crushed them utterly.

Irene gazed at the black-haired man before her, her beautiful eyes brimming with shock and fervor.

Perhaps this is true statecraft: you make your intentions clear, yet the other cannot and dare not refuse. This is the art of kingship she yearned for!

Compared to this, the games played by those old men and the other nobles were mere child’s play.

This man was indeed her ideal partner—not only did he share her vision for governance, believing power should be centralized, but he also possessed such terrifying intellect.

He alone was the equal of a royal artifact—a supreme force capable of suppressing all!

With a polite smile, Qin Le spoke: “Since you are all so cooperative, I will not be too harsh. I am willing to believe none of you have colluded with cultists. However, belief aside, there must still be consequences.”

With that, the diplomat Wen Bi stepped forward and began distributing sheets of white paper to the nobles, whose faces showed uncertainty and suspicion.

This time, there was only one sheet per person. The nobles gritted their teeth and took the papers. A few seconds later, they put them down and looked up at the smiling Duke.

Was this man’s heart made of stone? So this is what he meant by not being too harsh?

[All illegal organizations within the capital are to be sealed and liquidated; the most egregious offenders will be executed. Nobles may escape death by paying in gold.] (To prevent nobles from acting rashly.)

[Regarding the punishment for illegal business activities in the capital, each noble must pay a fine equal to their total profits plus thirty percent. Failure to pay will result in forced forfeiture of land or extraordinary knowledge.]

[To prevent further cultist exploitation, all major noble industries in the capital must be reported to the kingdom.]

There was a series of such conditions, as though intent on chaining them up like dogs. This was his idea of not being too harsh? If he were any harsher, would he simply slaughter them all and feed them to the dogs?

In the past, they would have reacted with outrage—how dare the Duke of the East even propose such terms?

But now, no one stood up. Compared to the crime of colluding with cultists, this was nothing. Money could be earned again; lost power might one day be recovered. At least, they remained nobles.

The nobles present signed this humiliating contract, their bodies trembling with a mix of rage and shame.

One day, they would have their revenge!

Satisfied, Qin Le nodded at the signed contracts.

Today’s conference had concluded perfectly; both sides had engaged in thorough and cordial dialogue and reached a peaceful consensus.

From this day forth, the name of the Duke of the East would spread throughout the upper echelons of the Kingdom of Dawn.

A man like a devil—one should never become entangled with him, or risk becoming his puppet.

...

The Royal Palace.

The King of Dawn sat upon the throne, listening to the report of the meeting.

When Mark finished his account, the King stroked the sacred Sword of Dawn, regret plainly on his face. “What a pity. If only they had a shred of backbone and dared to resist, I could have taken the opportunity to eliminate a few. Has there been any word from the Crown Prince?”

Mark replied, “The Crown Prince remains much as before, though he has seldom left his residence of late. However, according to the Duke of the East’s informants, his mental state is growing ever more erratic.”