Chapter 188: Respective Calculations

Chapter 188 Each with Their Own Intentions

Inside a suite within the Wushan Keep, the father and son of the Ironhoof family were deep in conversation.

"Have men been arranged to pass the message regarding Ronin?"

"Yes, I have already sent word back to Muma City by messenger bird overnight. If all goes well, Mars will receive the news by tomorrow afternoon. I have conveyed your intent, instructing him to have Uncle Talen immediately lead two small knight squads to vanguard and blockade the Sian fief upon receiving the message."

Mars Ironhoof was Rogner’s elder brother and the first heir of the Ironhoof family;

Talen Snow was a vassal of the Ironhoof family, whose daughter Clami had once visited Forest Town.

Rogner added, "To prevent any accident with the messenger bird, I will have them release two additional ones as soon as dawn breaks tomorrow."

Marvin nodded, finding comfort in the fact that his son was thorough in his execution.

"Ronin is now the Viscount of the Wubei Territory. Though the fief is large in scale, it is sparsely populated and rolling with hills; developing it will be no easy feat."

Despite the addition of the Sian fief, its predecessor was merely an pioneer barony, incomparable to an established, deeply rooted territory like Muma City.

Everyone knew the plight of the Wubei Territory.

Yet Marvin shifted the focus of his words, "However, we must also notice that in Lord Rulance's heart, Ronin’s status is no longer what it used to be.

Developing Wubei is difficult, but the Marquis will surely grant significant assistance. In a few years, or perhaps a decade or so, it is highly possible he will forge a new town with a population of tens of thousands."

A population of tens of thousands already reached the standard level of a common viscounty. A viscounty like Ironhoof, with a population exceeding one hundred thousand, was an extreme exception after all.

This was precisely why Orson viewed Muma City as an 'unstable element' and targeted it at every turn.

Though Marvin was somewhat short in stature and unremarkable in appearance, he was fully aware of his own predicament.

Seeking refuge with Orson was absolutely out of the question; after all, the memory of showing weakness only to be brutally beaten was still vivid. As for betraying the Wushan family, that was something he would not even contemplate.

Marvin asked, "Do you still remember what I said to you that night?"

Rogner reacted quickly, "Father, are you referring to the last time you asked me to follow Ronin?"

The night before they departed for Wushan Keep, Marvin had spoken the Ironhoof family motto within Ironhoof Castle—choice is sometimes more important than strength.

At that time, he had asked Rogner if he was willing to follow Ronin as his lord.

In this era, it was quite normal for a second son of a family without inheritance rights to follow other great lords.

It was only that Rogner had refused that night.

Of course, he also had his reasons.

For one, Rogner felt that Ronin's ability to defeat Rayson was entirely thanks to that knight named Rydal; perhaps Ronin possessed an eye for talent, but he did not see much potential.

Secondly, Rogner himself had plans for his own future and would not give up easily.

But that was then, and this was now.

The brief experience of these past few days in Wushan Keep had fundamentally transformed Rogner's perception of Ronin.

First, regarding strength, in the knight competition, Rogner had been defeated almost effortlessly by Jame Monson of Black Python City, yet that same opponent was easily vanquished by Ronin;

Second, in the Wushan City colosseum, Ronin was able to kill two assassins while simultaneously protecting Princess Blanche, and had even successfully used a magic scroll to repel that Gold-tier assassin.

These two incidents were enough to prove that Ronin's actual combat capability was far above Rogner's.

In addition to this, Ronin had taken the opportunity to cripple Rayson, seize the Sian fief, become the Viscount of the Wubei Territory in one fell swoop, and win the favor of Her Highness the Princess...

If this series of events had been presented five or six days ago, Rogner would absolutely not have believed it, yet now it had truly transpired.

"Father, your vision is truly precise."

Rogner said with utmost sincerity, "I am not as wise as you."

"It is good that you know it."

Marvin smiled with satisfaction, "But you are still young; watch closely and learn well."

He slowly withdrew his smile, "So, what is your choice now?"

"I am willing to follow Ronin!" Rogner uttered these words without a shred of hesitation.

In truth, he knew his father would surely ask this question again soon, so he had already envisioned it in his mind.

Moreover, the current Ronin was indeed a lord worth following.

Marvin nodded with gratification.

"Though the Marquis did not hold a conferment ceremony for Ronin in front of everyone today, having followed him all these years, I have somewhat of an understanding of him."

"Ronin performed so exceptionally this time. Although it is impossible to restore the inheritance rights he deserves as the eldest grandson in the short term, Lord Rulance will absolutely aid him anew. Furthermore, Her Highness the Princess's arrival this time is likely not merely for the birthday celebration."

"None of us know what the future holds, but I remain highly optimistic about Ronin."

In fact, it was not only the Ironhoof family that reacted this way; other nobles had also noticed these changes.

However, most of them merely altered their opinion of Ronin, thinking of visiting more often in the future to improve relations. Few were like Marvin, directly sending a second son to pledge loyalty to Ronin.

After all, even if the Marquis were to pass away, the second-generation Marquis of the Wushan Territory would be Wiggins.

During the long stretch of time in between, no one knew what might happen, and their situations were not as awkward as that of Muma City, which was always being coveted.

If their mentality could be summarized in two words, it would probably be 'no rush'.

At midnight, Dianni returned to her manor with a exhausted body, only to find Breton sitting in the living room holding a book and reading.

"Why are you still here reading so late?" Dianni was somewhat surprised; her son rarely read books.

Breton's eyelids drooped. He shouldn't have been this sleepy, but the moment he flipped to the first page and saw the first line of text, he found his eyelids grew exceptionally heavy.

Hearing his mother's voice, he suddenly snapped awake and immediately shut the book.

"Grandfather said I lack knowledge in other areas, so I thought I would look through these political books to learn a bit."

Breton stood up, "How is Grandfather's condition?"

Dianni sat heavily on the sofa, exhausted, "He is awake, but the specific situation is unknown; it probably won't be very good. He plans to return tomorrow, remember to see him off then."

She had been married into Wushan Keep for over a decade, and today was the first time she had witnessed Rulance's formidable power with her own eyes.

Her father, an arrogant, unyielding, and ambitious man, had unexpectedly seen his psychological defenses shattered in just a short half-day. After waking up, his entire mental state was abnormal.

According to Laurent, Orson, like Rulance, would likely find it unsuited to take action in the future.

When Dianni heard these words, it felt as though something had collapsed within her heart, leaving her in a state of confusion even now.

She also understood the helplessness of ordinary people before extraordinary powerhouses.

"Your grandfather is right, you do need to supplement your knowledge in other areas, but you cannot give up your cultivation either."

Dianni rubbed her temples, forcing herself to maintain her spirit as she said, "No matter the time, one's own strength is always the most important. Just like Ronin, only when one's strength is formidable will there be more opportunities and possibilities."

"Brother Ronin is indeed a role model I need to learn from."

Breton admitted, nodding without the slightest hesitation, "I will work hard to catch up to his pace."

Dianni sighed, rising to walk toward her bedroom.

Let it be for now. Whether it was Rulance or Orson, neither was someone she could persuade; she could not change the grand scheme of things.

Perhaps the only one she could persuade was Wiggins, but what use was that?

The man was currently fast asleep.

(End of Chapter)