Chapter 237: The Big Killer in Wushan Fortress
Marriages among nobles usually emphasize equal status. If Blanche truly intends to marry Ronin, it would be considered a marriage of unequal status.
Although Ronin's Wubei territory is vast and could be classified as an earldom, it is undeniable that the area is mostly wilderness. His current situation is not much better than that of an ordinary baron.
Even though Blanche had a bad reputation outside, such as being labeled a jinx, she was still a princess of a country. It was rare for someone of her stature to marry beneath her.
Lulans must have had a conversation with His Majesty the King regarding this matter.
"Grandpa, what have you sacrificed to make this marriage possible?" Luo Ning couldn't help but ask. As someone directly involved, he hoped to learn more.
Lu Lans glanced up at the fortress ahead and paused. He felt a sense of exhaustion as he walked.
"Of course, I've given up a lot of benefits," Lu Lans replied. "For example, the mine to the north of Wushan City and some of the family's assets have been opened up for development and operation by your Majesty's team."
The mine to the north?
Luo Ning thought for a moment before recalling that there were indeed two mines located to the north of Wushan City—one was a gold mine, and the other a large iron mine.
The gold mine had originally been mined in cooperation with the kingdom, so the only thing that could be sacrificed was the iron mine, a significant concession indeed.
Lu Lans continued, "These are just small matters. Wushan Castle will lose only a few hundred thousand gold coins every year. The real change is in your status. Our Wushan family is a marquis family, one of the top families in the kingdom, but we have no ties to the royal family through marriage. We are the only large family with no blood connection to the royal family."
Other duchies and even some earldoms either have current marriages with Alduin or their ancestors were once married into the royal family. This situation is quite rare in Wushanling.
"Your Majesty is drawn to this. Besides, Blanche is not easy to marry. After all, the precedent set by the Duke's two sons is still fresh. The big families are hesitant to take risks. Even if some nobles initially show interest, they ultimately back off because of the pleas from their sons and grandsons."
At this point, Lu Lans glanced at Luo Ning, and his eyes seemed to say: You're quite a courageous boy.
In fact, there was something Lu Lans had not mentioned. After the deaths of Lu Lans and Wiggins, assuming nothing unexpected happened, Bruno would likely support someone with royal blood to become the lord of Wushanling.
In simple terms, this meant allowing the descendants of Ronin and Blanche to become the Marquises of Wushanling.
Although nobles in this world are loyal to the royal family, loyalty does not always mean unquestioning obedience. Nobles rarely betray the royal family, but they still argue about everything, slowly implementing political decisions, and engaging in other common disputes.
In the end, family ties are often considered more reliable.
Initially, Lu Lans had intended to use the royal family's name to secure a chance for Ronin's survival, making Orson and others hesitate to target him.
But now it seemed that some of his plans had failed.
It wasn't that they were destroyed by anyone, but rather that Ronin's strength had grown to the point where even Lu Lans couldn't understand or predict it.
Luo Ning smiled but said nothing.
According to Blanche, she had barely met the candidates for her first two marriage proposals. If she had been able to "eliminate" the two sons of dukes, it would have been an outrageous turn of events.
Moreover, he and Blanche hadn't only met but had spent several days together, and he didn't notice any signs of being manipulated or suppressed.
Her bad reputation, which no one knew who had spread, had significantly damaged the royal family's reputation.
"If possible, I would prefer to marry later," Luo Ning said.
At 18, he could have married already, especially since Blanche was a little older than him. But Ronin was somewhat resistant to the idea of marriage, feeling it was too troublesome.
"Don't worry, it won't happen too soon. A marriage with the royal family involves a lengthy procedure, so it will probably take two to three years from engagement to marriage."
"But it won't take too long; after all, Blanche is of a marriageable age."
"Alright..."
As they conversed, the two entered Wushan Fortress.
Roning was very familiar with this place. When he first arrived, he had been escorted to the fortress hall to face the Hyde family's accusations.
However, this time, Lu Lans did not lead him to the lobby. Instead, they walked along the outer corridor to the storage room on the third floor.
"Open it."
Lu Lans took out a key.
Luo Ning took the key, walked to the door of the storage room, and unlocked the large black lock.
It was clear that the storage room contained valuable items, but could a lock alone really protect what was inside?
He secretly tugged at it, only to hear Lu Lans laugh.
"Don't bother. Although this lock looks ordinary, both the lock and the storage room are made from a special material called black gold. Even a Golden Knight would struggle to break it open with brute force."
Luo Ning felt a bit embarrassed and quickly used the key to open the lock.
"What is black gold?" he asked.
"It's a special material, and currently, only the Alduin royal family possesses it. Weapons, armor, and precious objects made from it are incredibly strong."
"Could a blacksmith forge such a rare material?"
"No, not just any blacksmith. This material requires a blacksmith who is at least a high-ranking knight."
The forging process involves more than just heating and hammering the metal. During the hammering, mixing in fighting spirit is essential to fully bring out the material's potential.
Roning had originally intended to ask who could forge this material, but at that moment, he was distracted by the items in the storage room.
The room was filled with various items.
Ronin couldn't name them all, but their forms were familiar—spears, bows, arrows...
"What is this?" Luo Ning asked, walking toward the back, where three large "red cannons" were clearly visible.
"Magic Cannons," Lu Lans explained. "They have a spell array engraved inside. When activated, they cast the sixth-level magic Fire Dragon Swallowing the Sky."
He pointed at the last magic cannon and said, "This one is used to cast the seventh-level wind magic Piercing Wave. Its piercing power is so immense that even a seventh-level monster with strong defense can't withstand it, let alone a griffin!"
Luo Ning had experienced the power of Fire Dragon Swallowing the Sky and knew its strength.
When Carlos was in a weakened state and had suppressed the power of his breath, it was the Fire Dragon that had injured him and killed Natalia.
Now that Carlos had recovered, Fire Dragon Swallowing the Sky could still pose a threat, but it might not cause the same level of damage.
However, just hearing the name Piercing Wave made Luo Ning feel that it was exceptionally powerful.
He couldn't help but focus on the last blue-gray magic cannon.
He didn't possess seventh-level wind magic, and since Lu Lans had never collected it, he couldn't gauge its full power.
But at the level of a grand magician, the power of one's magic far surpassed that of the lower levels.
Carlos would probably be unable to withstand this magic.
"What is its lethal range?" Luo Ning asked, running his hand over the barrel of the cannon.
"The power decays very little within a hundred meters, but it can pose a fatal threat to Golden Knights from one hundred to three hundred meters."
Hiss~
Roning inhaled sharply. The power of this magic was incredible.
If Carlos were to exhale his dragon breath from a height of 300 meters, the power of the breath would weaken upon impact.
But the Piercing Wave magic cannon could still pose a threat at that distance.
Luo Ning had never expected that Wushan Fortress would be hiding such a powerful weapon.
---------
Hey guys, VerseX here :)
If you want to support me and the work that I am doing, you can support me on pâtreon. It costs 1 dollar a month, and you get six early-access chapters. I know that it isn't much of an advantage, but I would love your support.
Thank you for enjoying my translation and enjoy.
The link to my pâtreon is: https://www.pâtreon.com/VerseX
You just have to change the â to a