Back in the grand saloon of the Castell mansion.
Duke Castell had a hard time comprehending and accepting his son's report. Yet he had no idea what to do. His mind was like a blank sheet of paper. It took several minutes of silence for him to rearrange his thoughts.
Keiren used this time to enjoy the tea and the snacks the maid had brought. He had never eaten anything like this. The snacks from Earth felt bland in comparison. If there had been some chocolate added, his snacksperience would have been perfect. He made a mental note to ask Galatris about recreating those snacks with some chocolate upon his return. His wife would certainly appreciate it, especially during her red week.
Keiren's thoughts wandered from the present and he was transported down memory lane. The first thing that came to mind was his ruined wedding and all the plans that came with it. He thought of his meticulously planned honeymoon, the surprise of the house he had secretly built for him and his wife, and all the other projects that would now go unfulfilled. The work and blueprints he had put on hold until after his honeymoon would now be left incomplete, forever a reminder of what could have been.
"The thought of giving away 50% of everything I own is a heavy burden," Duke Castell's words brought Keiren back to reality and jolted him from his thoughts. He silently shed a tear for what he had lost before refocusing on the noble sitting in front of him.
"As much as I wish I could change this, I cannot. It's I would like to extend an invitation for you to stay at my home while I arrange everything. Once the necessary documents are in order, I will gladly show you what will soon be yours," the Duke's voice was tinged with sadness, but he had no other choice. He couldn't abandon his son and risk losing everything to his uncle, even if it meant giving up half of his assets.
The better option was to purchase his son with 50% of his assets. This way, even if he lost the rest of his possessions to his uncle, he could disrupt his uncle's plans by providing only half the expected revenue. If it came down to it, he could always seek refuge with this man and trade one master for another.
# You exchanged Prisoner Tadorion Castell for 50% of Duke Castell's assets. You've completed the Hidden Quest: Negotiations. Rewards can be claimed after the successful completion of the Qualification Realm. #
"Excellent!" Keiren's voice held no joy whatsoever, astonishing the Duke greatly. 'I am in the Qualification Realm! You miserly System, how can you postpone me the rewards for Quest I complete inside this realm?! This makes no sense.'
# Summoner, no need to grow angry. The Quest reward would give you an unfair advantage over your opponent, circumventing the entire point of this Realm. You already have a 60% success chance at the moment. As long as you play your cards right, there should be no problem. You can't just drown your enemies in numbers. Real power requires cunning actions, instead of stubborn bull heads that always go with the head through the wall. #
"As luck would have it, I have some business to attend to in the city that coincides with the waiting period. I would be grateful if you could provide me with information on Kebon von Stein," Keiren said, trying to keep his emotions in check, as he was unable to channel them through physical means.
Duke Castell nearly choked on the tea he was sipping to calm his nerves.
Cough! Cough!
"What do you want to know about Kebon von Stein?" The Duke eventually managed to ask.
"Anything you have on him." Keiren answered.
"I must inquire as to the reason for your inquiry, Your Highness. Prince Kebon is a member of the imperial family and any information regarding him holds great value." Duke Castell took a sip of his tea, his loyalty to the empire unwavering despite the political issues caused the future monarch.
"Ah, I see. My intention is to eliminate him," Keiren stated calmly, as if discussing a common occurrence.
Duke Castell choked on his tea, spraying it across the room as a fit of coughing overtook him, causing him to topple from his chair onto the floor. He remained in a bent over position until the coughing subsided.
At the sound of the commotion, Lelogas shot a fiery gaze towards Harald outside the door, his eyes blazing with anger.
"OPEN THE DOOR OR PREPARE TO MEET YOUR END IN BATTLE!" Lelogas bellowed at the top of his lungs, his grip on his weapons tightening so fiercely that his knuckles turned white and emitted cracking sounds.
Before Harald could calm him down, the door behind him creaked open and Suran appeared. "You may enter, but I implore you to keep the noise to a minimum. The crucial part has passed, and your presence may be required for the next steps."
Harald entered the room, followed closely by Lelogas who hastened to Duke Castell's side. Lelogas was taken aback by the sight that met him. His master was lying on the floor, racked with coughing, while the young master knelt beside a stranger, seemingly in a subservient position.
"My lord, are you well?" Lelogas asked, concern etched on his face.
"Yes, I am well," Duke Castell answered after gaining control of his breathing. "Today's events have been a bit too much for my old and fragile mind."
"My lord, you are neither old nor fragile," Lelogas countered.
"Then it is my mental fortitude that is lacking on this day," Duke Castell said with a hint of bitterness in his voice.
Keiren, on the other hand, let out a chuckle and struggled to contain his full-blown laughter. The Duke's current situation gave him a Déjà vu of Galatris. "I apologize for my insolence, but for a moment, your voice reminded me of my friend. He too feels bitter every time we speak." Keiren spoke, receiving reproachful looks from the four conscious males in the room.
"Might I ask who your friend is? While I do not wish to pry into your personal affairs, you have sparked my curiosity," Duke Castell said politely, trying to catch his breath.
"Not at all. My friend is a Supreme Immortal Phoenix and serves as my protector," Keiren replied.
Duke Castell silently thanked fate for not allowing him to drink tea again, as he feared he wouldn't have survived it this time. The violent coughing and the bile that he expelled after Keiren's revelation made his skin as pale as snow.
"If you don't mind, could we postpone our meeting for a while? Your revelations have quite taken a toll on me. Would it be possible for us to continue this tomorrow?" Duke Castell asked, barely holding himself together.
"Of course, Duke Castell. My companions and I are quite exhausted from our journey and would greatly appreciate a good night's rest. We will meet again tomorrow after everyone has had the chance to rest. Farewell," Keiren replied, as he stood up and left the room with his entourage. Tadorion took charge of arranging accommodations for everyone, including the small army waiting in the courtyard.
After ensuring that everyone was settled into their rooms, Tadorion returned to his father's office where Lelogas had brought Duke Castell after Keiren's departure from the grand hall. By the time Tadorion arrived, Duke Castell had regained his composure but was drowning his stress in alcohol.
"Dad?" Tadorin exclaimed in disbelief upon witnessing his father down a bottle of wine in seconds. He was taken aback by the sight of the old duke's excessive drinking, which released a cloud of potent alcohol fumes capable of knocking out even a seasoned drinker. Tadorion quickly covered his mouth and nose and summoned a gust of wind to dispel the toxic air, enabling him to breathe again.
"Son, you did it," the Duke slurred, his words barely intelligible. "I don't know how, but you somehow managed to turn us into traitors to the imperial bloodline. I cannot deny the request for information about the Prince, as his success would bring freedom from this monster.
"However, I deeply wish that you had not brought this person here. Once I am gone, I will have to answer to the Empress for my actions. I will have to explain to her how her son had turned into a monster who was about to destroy the empire she built and that treason was the only way to stop him before it was too late.
"It must be done, though. The opportunity that this young man has provided us cannot be ignored. We must support him and Harald, who is now free. I shall give him all the information I have on Kebon and pray that he uses it to rid the world of this evil. I will ride with him, and when it is all over, I will die.
"You will stay here and inherit everything, except for what you must give to him as part of your ransom. Keep Great Wire, as it is our ancestral home. Hunston may be larger, but the idea of abandoning our roots for profit would weigh heavier on my conscience than the treason we are about to commit.
"The civil war that will result from these events will split the empire. Try to gain as much as you can from it, and if necessary, leave the Stone Empire and join forces with the man you brought into our home today. He has a bright future ahead of him, if he can survive the next few days.
"Most importantly, never forget, 'Our blood is our castle'."
" 'As long as it flows we are invincible.' " Tadorion completed the Castell family credo before he bowed to his father and gave him a tight and heartfelt hug.