Chapter 75: 75 Dialogue

Chapter 75: 75. Dialogue

In recent days, Castle Wushan had become exceptionally bustling, as nobles great and small from across the Wushan Fief arrived one after another, and even Count Orson Hyde, who had just celebrated his seventieth birthday, made a personal appearance.

Yet the arriving nobles bore heavy hearts, lacking the vibrant smiles that usually graced their faces during banquets and celebrations. Upon entering the castle, they either clamored to see Lord Rulance or sought to visit Wiggins's quarters to check on his injuries.

Rulance, however, had already sent word abroad that Wiggins had only just regained consciousness and was recovering, making it unsuitable for him to be disturbed, and that arrangements for everyone to meet would be made in a couple of days.

Initially, some doubted the veracity of these words, worrying whether the Marquis was unwilling to disclose the news of Wiggins's death for some underlying reason.

Certain followers of Rulance, such as Sir Kabir Pederson, the Vice City Lord of Radiant City, went so far as to openly demand a duel with Count Orson, eager to help Lord Rulance eliminate the murderer of his son-in-law.

Count Orson, meanwhile, maintained with fierce indignation that this was none of his doing, and that he had absolutely no reason to act in such a manner.

Before long, the nobility within Castle Wushan fractured into three factions—the Orson faction, the anti-Orson faction, and the neutral mediators—arguing with unyielding intensity.

Two days passed in this manner, and as the throng of nobles in Castle Wushan swelled further, Rulance had no choice but to host a banquet of gratitude to express his appreciation to all the visiting lords.

During the banquet, Wiggins, who had remained hidden from sight until then, was wheeled out in a chair, his face deathly pale and his spirit utterly drained.

The crowd discovered that while Wiggins had escaped death, his right leg was entirely gone, condemning him to spend the remainder of his days confined to a wheelchair.

Wiggins's emotional state was visibly unstable; already the subject of many a mockery, he had now been reduced to a cripple, a blow so profound to both his body and mind that it was a marvel he had not lost his sanity entirely.

While offering their regards and concerns, the onlookers could not help but sigh at Wiggins's plight, marveling at the sheer luck required to survive such grievous wounds in the desolate barony and make it back alive to Castle Wushan.

After some inquiries, the crowd finally learned that Wiggins had carried a powerful scroll of Greater Healing upon his person, allowing him to staunch the bleeding immediately when his leg was severed and thus preserve his life.

It was also entirely thanks to Knight Toru's bloody breakthrough that they managed to return to Castle Wushan at the utmost speed, where another Greater Healing scroll was used to stabilize the severe wound to his chest.

Greater Healing was a spell that only a sixth-tier Light Mage possessed the capability to cast, and given the extreme scarcity of Light Mages, the sheer preciousness of such a spell scroll was magnified tenfold.

A typical sixth-tier spell scroll commanded a price between one thousand and over two thousand gold coins, yet a Greater Healing scroll commanded at least five thousand gold coins, and even then, it remained notoriously difficult to acquire.

That Wiggins could carry such a scroll as a matter of course illustrated the deep heritage of Castle Wushan, and spoke volumes of the gravity with which Rulance regarded this otherwise shiftless son.

With Wiggins confirmed alive, the restless undercurrents among the nobles gradually subsided, and after paying their respects, they began to depart one by one, yet the fury of the Wushan Family and certain loyalists did not fade.

To have the first heir's leg severed was nothing short of a blatant provocation to the entirety of the Wushan Fief.

Because the incident had occurred near the border of the Hyde Family's territory, Rulance issued a stern decree to the Hyde Family during that day's banquet, demanding that Black Python City exhaust every effort to provide Castle Wushan with a satisfactory accounting!

Simultaneously, he appointed Sir Kabir Pederson, Commander of the Second Knight Order and Vice City Lord of Radiant City, to assist in the investigation.

Regardless of whether this matter bore any connection to the Hyde Family, faced with the assembly of Wushan nobles at the banquet, Count Orson, as a vassal, accepted Rulance's command with utmost solemnity and resolve, casting his own fury and curses upon the assassins.

The Wushan Fief, which many had assumed would be plunged into a great war, settled into a fleeting tranquility, though everyone well knew that dark undercurrents still churned beneath the surface.

Within the study of Castle Wushan's rear courtyard, Rulance was engaged in conversation with a man.

This man possessed closely cropped black hair and a straight, commanding posture, and his gaze, which should have been stern and sharp, was now filled with profound respect—for no other reason than that the man seated across from him was the idol of his youth.

Rulance's expression was also considerably more relaxed than usual. "Coming to see me today, I suppose you must be preparing to set out on your return journey?"

"Yes, my Lord. My primary purpose in coming to Castle Wushan this time was to visit Wiggins and Toru, and to inspect the caravan along the way; now that matters have concluded, it is time for me to depart."

The black-haired man was none other than Marvin Ironhoof, the Viscount of Horse-Taming City, who had been exceptionally close friends with the Marquis's eldest son, Greyms, in days gone by.

In his youth, Marvin had followed closely by the sides of Rulance and Greyms, inheriting his title only after his own father and Greyms perished together upon the battlefield.

Over the years, even as the position of Castle Wushan grew increasingly awkward, Marvin's allegiance to the castle had never wavered.

"Before I leave, I still wish to gain a better understanding of your thoughts, my Lord."

Marvin spoke up, "This business with Wiggins is undoubtedly a conspiracy, and no matter how that Orson protests his innocence, I feel it is linked to him in some shape or form."

His gaze was earnest. "My Lord, though it may not be suitable for you to deploy military force yourself at present, so long as you lend your support, whether the adversary is the Black Gold Brotherhood, the Bolant Bandit Group, or Orson of Black Python City, I believe the vast majority of the Wushan nobles will heed your command."

Rulance shook his head with a gentle smile. "Your aptitude is superior to your father's, yet you do not view matters with the comprehensive scope that he did."

"They might well heed my demands, but they would hesitate and look over their shoulders during execution; after all, no one can say what state the Wushan Fief will fall into once I am gone."

"Then what of Wiggins's vengeance?" Marvin's brow furrowed tightly.

Rulance replied, "The assassins who struck Wiggins originate from an organization known as the 'Skull Society.' Whether this group has ties to Orson remains unclear to me, but even if it does, Orson would hardly permit them to strike at Wiggins within his own earldom."

As the authority of Castle Wushan waned, all manner of peculiar organizations had begun to surface within the Wushan Fief.

The Black Gold Brotherhood and the Bolant Bandit Group, for instance, were troublesome entities that had emerged and steadily grown in strength over recent years, occupying vast swathes of the southeastern region.

Now, before those two could even be resolved, a new assassin organization called the Skull Society had manifested.

Rulance let out a soft sigh. "Speaking of this Skull Society, I understand that German's children, Marina and Malik, were also ambushed by their assassins on their journey home from the Wushan Academy, an affair that claimed the life of Sir Noel of Lake Castle."

Marvin nodded. "I have heard of that matter as well. It appears that quite a few families within the Wushan Fief are aware of the Skull Society's existence and are utilizing them to achieve certain unspeakable ends."

At this point, a realization suddenly struck Marvin. "Come to think of it, that German's son and daughter managed to survive only by the grace of Ronin's timely intervention; had he not chanced to pass by, Baron German would likely have suffered the grief of losing both his children at once."

Marvin turned his gaze toward Rulance. "My Lord, how exactly do you view Ronin now?"

"That child..."

Rulance leaned back, his form seemingly sinking into the plush contours of the sofa. "I had initially given up on him, yet I never expected him to present me with such surprises. According to German, it seems Ronin has already become a Novice Knight?"

"Indeed," Marvin confirmed with a nod. "It is truly astonishing. When pressed to cultivate diligently, he indulged in a life of debauchery and idleness; yet the moment you stripped him of his inheritance, he successfully awakened his battle qi seed and mastered extraordinary power. Truly, he is just as rebellious and troublesome as Wiggins was in his youth."

"Hahaha~"

It remained uncertain which particular phrase had struck Rulance's sense of humor, but his long-absent laughter echoed throughout the room.

"Awakening only as he approaches eighteen, given his temperament, he will likely only ever match his father as a High Knight at best; his ultimate achievements will be limited."

Rulance checked his laughter, offering no further elaboration, leaving his inner thoughts a mystery.

Marvin, however, brought up a matter from the time of his departure from Horse-Taming City.

"I had Rogner convey the news of Wiggins's injuries to Ronin, yet eight or nine days have already passed, and the boy has still not shown his face at Castle Wushan."

Marvin shook his head in resignation. "Could the fellow be just as stubborn as his father, refusing to return out of sheer obstinacy?"

Rulance recalled Ronin's conduct during his two departures from Castle Wushan; the boy's temperament seemed to have altered considerably, appearing far less obstinate than before.

Yet how could one explain a son failing to rush back upon receiving news that his father's life hung in the balance?

"His return would offer little assistance anyway; if he chooses not to return, so be it, it saves me the trouble of arranging men for his protection."

Rulance sighed. "Should he encounter any peril or critical matters requiring aid, do me the favor of looking after him."

Marvin's eyes brightened, and he replied with a smile, "I shall do so, my Lord!"