Chapter 403 - 212: Another Master?
Chapter 403: Chapter 212: Another Master?
Nolen, however, was not the least bit afraid. She simply sneered, and the Maid beside her immediately tensed, ready for battle at a moment’s notice.
Duke Sed clenched his fists, having already taken a step forward, but ultimately, he didn’t dare to make a move.
’This little girl isn’t old. Even with a solid foundation from childhood and the resources of a great clan poured into her, she’s probably only at the Senior Level—Elite at the very most. The Maid beside her is, at best, just barely Extraordinary. With my strength, I shouldn’t be afraid of them at all.’
’The problem is, there’s a Dragon Blood Griffin outside—a Demon that could be considered Half-Step Epic. That’s not something I can handle.’
’And if I really made a move, that old fool Elvis, and even the King, wouldn’t just stand by and watch.’
’Besides, the heir to the Auswiss Clan must have some life-saving treasures on her...’
’If I really make a move, I’m guaranteed to die, but they would be virtually unscathed.’
’Between dying now and dying in a few years, I can only choose the latter. Maybe I’ll find some wiggle room later on.’
"Hmph!"
And so, with a cold snort, he turned and left, having no face to remain there any longer.
However, just as he stepped outside, a sharp claw swiped at his face. Duke Sed couldn’t dodge in time, and bloody scratches were instantly raked across his cheek.
The Dragon Blood Griffin before him let out a triumphant shriek. Duke Sed nearly ground his teeth to dust, but he dared not retaliate. He could only slink away, his heart filled with seething hatred.
’He hated that stupid woman from the Lawrence Clan for provoking Auswiss for no reason. He hated himself even more for letting a moment of lust cloud his judgment, entrusting such an important matter to an idiot. He hated the King for taking so much of his money, only to not speak a single word in his defense.’
Yet he did not dare to hate Auswiss.
’They were an existence he could never hope to defeat, and he didn’t have the courage to challenge the authority of the Auswiss Clan.’
He knew that after today, his glory days in the Kingdom were over.
Once a certain amount of face was lost, it could never be regained.
In the Royal Court, King Kiao wore a grave expression as he looked at the future Imperial Marquis before him. He was now certain that her words were true; her main purpose in coming to the Doria Kingdom was indeed to carve out a new market.
And the affair with Duke Sed and the Lawrence Clan was the perfect opening.
By using the pretext of seeking justice for her relatives, she could effortlessly topple the entrenched local power of the Morin Clan and, in doing so, gain more support from him, the King.
’Just imagine,’ he thought, ’if this incident hadn’t occurred and the Auswiss Clan had suddenly announced their intention to enter the Doria Kingdom’s market, how would I have reacted?’
’I would have been cautious, most likely. Even if I’d hoped to use them as a counterbalance to the Morin Clan, I wouldn’t have offered much assistance.’
’And the Auswiss Clan would have had no pretext for suppression or strong-arming. As powerful as an Imperial Marquis Clan is, they still have to play by the rules. This is especially true for a business-focused family like the Auswiss. If they resorted to violence for every little thing, their reputation would be ruined, and business would suffer.’
’Under those circumstances, it would have been far more difficult for the Auswiss Clan to seize control of the Doria Kingdom’s Alchemy Market.’
’It would have taken at least a decade to completely unseat the Morin Clan from their leading position, and even then, their market share wouldn’t have been very large. It certainly wouldn’t have reached the staggering 50% currently held by the flourishing Morin Clan.’
But after the incidents in Lania City and Silver Stream City, many of the Kingdom’s ministers—including the King himself—had become increasingly dissatisfied with the Morin Clan. They no longer wanted the clan to maintain its current level of power.
The Auswiss Clan’s entry at this moment would undoubtedly garner the maximum support from the Kingdom’s powerful figures.
’Furthermore, they can use the "mistreatment" of their nominal aunt in Silver Stream City—one who has already formally left the Auswiss Clan—as a legitimate excuse to suppress the Morin Clan both openly and covertly. At this rate, they could completely usurp the Morin Clan’s position in five years at most—or, if they move quickly, in just three or four. They might even become more dominant.’
’He had already had a complete falling out with the Morin Clan, and now he had no choice but to support the Auswiss Clan. But once that support was given, reining them in later would not be so easy.’
However, King Kiao wasn’t actually too worried. For a power like the Auswiss Clan, the market of a small kingdom like Doria wasn’t all that important.
They wouldn’t use it as leverage to control court politics, as Duke Sed had tried to do.
’More than likely, they’re just using this as an opportunity for their future heir to get some practice.’
’At least, from what I’ve seen so far, this future Little Marquis is certainly a master of strategy...’
"Well then," Nolen said, "now that the bothersome fellow has left, we can have a proper chat about our future collaboration."
A bright, relaxed smile graced Nolen’s face, yet it sent a chill down the spines of many of the Kingdom’s ministers.
After that, the Royal Court meeting continued for quite some time.
In addition to finalizing the collaboration between the Auswiss Clan and the Doria Kingdom, a verdict was also passed on the Lawrence Clan, just as Elvis had wished...
"Then, in accordance with the consensus here, I hereby declare: the Lawrence Clan is stripped of its Viscount title. The relevant individuals are to be arrested immediately and brought to the Royal Capital to be tried for their crimes."