Lord: Stripped of My Inheritance from the Start

Chapter 544: Chapter 517: Gone Mad

After exchanging a jest, Ronin and Lurans sat down to seriously discuss the situation they were about to face.

Although this world lacked a proverb like "a kingdom cannot be without its king for even a day," the sentiment was a shared consensus.

The Oduin Kingdom was now without a king or a male heir, so selecting a new monarch would undoubtedly be the most pressing matter moving forward.

Ordinarily, this would be a simple affair. After all, Bruno still had daughters; his eldest could simply inherit the throne.

But now there was Ronin—a Legendary powerhouse the likes of which hadn’t been seen in centuries. Crucially, he was also the husband of Bruno’s younger daughter and the key figure in the Crown Prince’s capture.

This forced many to consider, when making their choice, whether selecting the Eldest Princess Sharon would mean offending Ronin.

Many were concerned: What was Ronin’s stance on the matter?

Lurans knew that Ronin wanted to be king. However, he was also aware that now was not the right time to push him for the throne.

Although Garrett’s patricide and betrayal were set in stone, if Ronin ended up becoming king and the biggest beneficiary, it would inevitably invite suspicion.

But if they simply handed the Oduin Kingdom over to Sharon, any future attempts by Ronin to expand his own domain would inevitably lead to conflict. He could still be labeled an ambitious traitor.

So, it was better to seize this opportunity and eliminate this potential threat.

The two conversed for a long while before Lurans chuckled. "Some necessary maneuvering is still required. Even if it’s not to push you onto the throne, we must at least prevent the Eldest Princess Sharon from being directly installed."

"Then I’ll have to trouble you with this matter, Grandfather."

Ronin agreed, then asked, "How are things on the border? Melonika alone probably isn’t enough. Perhaps I should transfer Macken back."

The Villa Duchy doesn’t just have Andrea; they also have a Silver Moon Knight. Melonika is only Meteor Level. Although he has mastered the Secret Skill you created, *Fire Dance Thunder Strike Slash*, and can threaten a Silver Moon Knight, that’s only in a one-on-one situation.

"The border has only seen some raiding parties. They don’t pose a significant threat."

As he said this, the corners of Lurans’s mouth couldn’t help but curve upward.

The fact that Andrea had been killed by his grandson made him very, very happy.

The grudge he had suppressed for decades had finally been avenged.

"With Andrea dead, the Villa Duchy is bound to fall into internal strife. At a time like this, I doubt anyone there can organize an attack against us."

Lurans continued his analysis, "I suspect their most urgent concern right now is how to fend off the coming reckoning."

Hearing this, Ronin thought of something.

"It’s a fact that Ference and Andrea colluded with the Alien Race and betrayed the King. But the Fleming Clan of Screaming Island merely followed the Crown Prince. There’s no evidence they participated in His Majesty’s assassination. The punishment for their actions shouldn’t be enough to revoke their territory and titles."

A cold glint flashed in Ronin’s eyes. This clan had once tried to assassinate him, and they had repeatedly made moves against him after he became the Baron of Rapids Island. Now that he had an opportunity, he naturally wouldn’t let it go.

’I think the Screaming Sea shouldn’t have a single overlord. It would be better if the ships of all nobles could pass through freely.’

Lurans laughed. "I understand. That should be a simple matter. After all, the various nobles on both shores of the Screaming Sea are more or less dissatisfied with the Fleming Clan."

MacLaren is a noble, but he is also a pure merchant.

Ever since his father, Count Alfonso, handed the management of the Fleming Clan over to him, MacLaren has used—and dared to use—any means necessary to expand his business and earn more money.

This much was clear from the methods he had employed against Ronin.

Now that he had given the other nobles such a huge piece of leverage, none of them would let it go to waste.

As the two were talking, Carolina knocked and entered.

"Marquis, Duke, Count Ibn of Double Peaks Ridge has come to call, along with his wife and the Eldest Princess Sharon."

Ronin was a little surprised, but he quickly understood.

’Garrett and Ference are both imprisoned here. They must have come because of that.’

Lurans nodded. "Then you should receive them. It’s about time I got busy with my own affairs."

Soon, the Ibn couple was welcomed into the main hall.

"Ronin, what in the world is going on?" Ibn asked directly.

Sharon also stared intently at Ronin. Her eyes were red, much like Blanche’s, a clear sign she had been crying a lot in the past two days.

She had already known of Bruno’s death when she set out and was overwhelmed with grief. But when she arrived at Golden Feather City, she heard that her own brother was the real killer.

The immense shock had caused Sharon to faint.

"Ronin, I want to see Garrett right now. Is that possible?"

"Of course!"

Ronin had no reason to refuse a meeting between siblings. "Although Garrett is imprisoned here, he is being jointly guarded by myself, Broel, Valgis, and the Guards of the Ministers of the Kingdom."

He paused for a moment before adding, "It’s just that his current state... isn’t very good. You should prepare yourself."

"What’s wrong with him?" Ibn asked.

Ronin shook his head. "You’ll know when you see him."

The three of them walked toward the rear courtyard together.

Garrett was now bound in special Chains and, as a further precaution, locked inside a cage made of Black Jade.

Guarding the very outside were not only Carlos, but also the guards of Valgis and the others.

Ronin had arranged it this way mainly to prevent accusations that he was abusing a prisoner or an enemy.

Before the three of them had even arrived, they could hear Garrett’s crazed howling from a distance.

When they got closer and saw the situation clearly, even Ibn was appalled. As for Sharon, she bit her lip and clenched her fists, her body trembling uncontrollably.

Garrett’s hair was disheveled, his clothes were torn to rags, and his face was covered in dirt and saliva. The crotch of his pants was wet, and he couldn’t stop letting out wild, crazed laughter.

He had gone mad.

In that moment, Sharon broke down. She had replayed in her mind countless times how she would question her brother, how she would scold him for being so cruel, so insane.

But upon seeing this scene, she found herself at a complete loss for words.

Ibn looked at Ronin, his expression clearly asking for an explanation.

"He’s lost his mind."

Ronin explained, "I had Elron treat him. Magic can calm him down for a short while, but once it wears off, he relapses into madness. I think... perhaps the blow from this failure was too much for him to bear."

In order to kill Ronin, Garrett had gone so far as to murder his own father and join the Alien Race.

But even after all that, he had still failed in the end.

He couldn’t bear such a failure, and he certainly couldn’t bear his own utter ruin and disgrace.

After just one night of imprisonment, he completely lost his sanity and descended into madness.

Sharon swayed on her feet, ultimately unable to withstand the blow, and collapsed into Ibn’s arms.

Ronin quickly had a servant lead the two to a room to rest.

Blanche, who was recuperating at the manor, heard that her sister had arrived and came to see her.

The two sisters hadn’t seen each other often. Being able to come together now to share their sorrows could help alleviate the grief in both their hearts.

"Ronin."

Ibn tilted his head, signaling for Ronin to follow him out.

"What is it?"

"I have something I’d like to discuss with you," Ibn said, leading the way out.

Ronin glanced at the sisters in the room, then followed him.

One after the other, they walked out to the courtyard corridor and sat down facing each other.

"What are you planning to do with Garrett?"

He asked, "In his current state, and after what he’s done, can he still inherit the throne?"

Ronin was a little surprised. He hadn’t expected Ibn to be the first outsider to bring up the matter of the throne with him.

Unsure of the other man’s stance, he replied, "What do you think?"

Ibn gave him a deep look. He had wanted to gauge Ronin’s attitude first but hadn’t expected him to kick the ball right back. He figured they were both thinking the same thing.

The throne, after all, held a certain allure.

"In the more than two-hundred-year history of the Oduin Kingdom, there has never been a case of patricide for the throne, let alone someone who colluded with the Alien Race and betrayed humanity."

Ibn fell silent for a moment before taking the initiative to say, "A person like that is not fit to lead the Oduin Kingdom forward."