Chapter 333 - 331: The Plan That Shocks Selena

Chapter 333: Chapter 331: The Plan That Shocks Selena

In the dim room, Duane and Selena sat down to talk.

"What do you think of the current lord system?" Duane asked.

Selena had been waiting for Duane to state his terms, but she never expected him to ask such an unrelated question. It left her at a loss.

"The lord... system?"

She blinked in surprise, then shook her head. "My apologies, my Lord. I don’t know what you mean."

Duane smiled faintly and interlaced his fingers, contemplating how to phrase his thoughts.

After a moment, he decided to use her background as a starting point.

"I heard you come from a commoner background and only entered Baron Torre’s sights because of your outstanding magical abilities."

Hearing this, Selena nodded, her eyes filled with frustration and regret.

"If I had known it would come to this, I would have preferred to remain just an ordinary Mage."

But that wasn’t the topic Duane wanted to discuss. He pressed on.

"Coming from the common people, you must have a profound sense of the gap between commoners and the Nobility."

Selena nodded slightly. "The Nobility is high and mighty. Commoners only have a sliver of a chance at a decent life after generations of hard work. Unless they’re like me, possessing decent Extraordinary talent..."

"But even so, an individual’s strength is nothing in the face of a noble clan’s foundation."

Duane asked, "So, why was Baron Torre so brazen as to take you by force?"

Selena froze, looking at Duane in confusion. Then her mind raced, and she said, "Because he’s a noble..."

"Yes, because he’s a noble. Even if he committed a crime, he would be dealt with according to the procedures for the Nobility. You can’t stand on equal footing with him and have other nobles dispense justice for you."

"That’s why, before the Nobility, commoners cannot resist. They have no way to fight back."

Duane stared at her seriously. He had never mentioned these words to an outsider before.

He was bringing it up now to lay the groundwork for what was to come. He wanted to run a pilot project in this place.

"The traditional model of autonomous lords is inefficient, with each governing their own way. If a Lord has a shred of conscience, the people under their rule might get a few bites to eat. But if a Lord only knows how to exploit, the people in his Territory can only live in misery."

At this, he pointed to himself. "And I... want to change this status quo."

"I want the common people to have enough to eat. I want to abolish the system of Slaves. I want to restrain the power of lords. I even want ordinary people to receive an education and enter government service..."

Selena’s eyes widened, her breathing grew ragged. Every word he spoke was earth-shattering.

"You... You..."

She didn’t know how to describe her feelings.

As a talented Mage, she had actually dabbled in courses on politics and lordship.

But the books all said that it was the protection of the lords and the Nobility that allowed common people to survive the threats of dangerous Demon Beasts and unpredictable Secret Realms.

Therefore, only by upholding the rule of the Nobility could a Territory have order.

But now, Duane’s words were the complete opposite of what was written in the books.

In a daze, she realized that Duane was planning to do something monumental.

"You came from the common people, and your ordeal is regrettable. Now that you are the master of Sharp Stone Territory, do you want to become the very person you once despised and let more ordinary people like you suffer the same fate?"

Stunned by this question, Selena slumped back into her chair. She instinctively refuted him.

"No, my Lord, you’ve misunderstood! I never thought of that! I was just... stunned by your goal... I’m sorry, I don’t know how to describe what I’m feeling right now."

A brief silence fell over the room.

After a moment, Selena’s chaotic gaze refocused on the young noble before her.

"What do you need me to do?"

She realized that this was what Duane’s terms were truly about.

Duane took a deep breath and said gravely, "What I want is a more efficient system—one where I establish a unified policy framework, the various lords act as executors responsible for implementation, and they are supervised by inspecting officials I dispatch."

"These policies will include tax rates, trade regulations, military organization, and so on. But the most important thing is to implement a unified legal system."

The idea of abolishing noble titles and the lord system outright was unrealistic.

Not only because this was an Otherworld where Extraordinary Power existed, but also because Duane’s own Strength was not yet great enough.

His current enfeoffed title was only that of a Baron. His Territory wasn’t large, and he didn’t have many followers.

However, as a Scorching Sun Level expert, he had plenty of time and confidence to change this system and weaken the power of the lords.

Selena tried to calm her racing thoughts and pondered Duane’s words.

After a long while, she said, "Do you mean something like the hierarchical management of the Magic Association, where the main association sets the rules and the branches carry them out? And the main association has the power to replace branch heads at any time?"

"Smart, but not entirely correct."

A hint of approval showed on Duane’s face. "The Territory is still yours. I am not stripping you of your status as a Lord; you will still govern this land."

He added, "You just need to align with me on crucial matters. For other issues, as long as you adhere to the unified laws, you can enact regulations that suit your Territory’s specific circumstances."

"These are my terms. Now, the choice is yours."

Duane relaxed considerably at this point. He knew Selena had no other choice.

In reality, the word "rule" was too abstract for Selena. Right now, all she wanted was for her family to be safe.

"My Lord, to be honest, your ideals are too shocking, too grand... so grand that they feel unrealistic. But I have to admit, if everything you just said could be realized, it would surely bring about a subversive change to this world!"

Selena stood up, bowed solemnly, and said in a deep voice, "To have the honor of offering my strength to you is my privilege. Therefore... I am willing to follow you and join this grand cause!"

A satisfied smile appeared on Duane’s face. He knew Selena would agree, which was why he had chosen to voice these ideas.

"In that case, bring me a map of Sharp Stone Territory. I need to choose a place for my men to be stationed."

Duane stood up and said, "No matter how grand the goal, the path must be walked one step at a time. First, ensuring the safety of a steadfast supporter like you is the most urgent matter."

Although he had already chosen Mountain Village, he wanted to see the complete map of Sharp Stone Territory.

"Please wait a moment!"

...

By the time Brison rushed back from the border, it was the afternoon of the day after Torre’s assassination.

Duane had already left Sharp Stone Castle and was resting at an inn in the city.

Brison, who had been anxious the entire journey, was finally able to relax after seeing Selena.

In truth, he had known on his way here that Duane was behind it all. Only a powerful, legendary figure like him could pull off something so precise and clean.

He was grateful to the man for saving his wife and child, and at the same time, his admiration for Duane grew even stronger.

In the main hall, Selena received Brison in her capacity as the master of the castle.

"Selena, you’ve been through a lot," Brison said in a low voice.

Although they were alone, the two showed no signs of intimacy. They looked for all the world like a master and her follower.

No matter what, she was the lady of the house, and Brison was a Knight loyal to the Courtney Clan. This aspect of their identities had not changed.

If they acted too eager now, it would only arouse others’ suspicions.

Both of them had spent years walking on thin ice; they knew they had to hold back for now.

"It was nothing."

Selena smiled faintly. "I, Willard, and you... we finally don’t have to live in constant fear anymore."

Brison grunted in affirmation, saying gratefully, "This is all thanks to Lord Duane’s help. I never expected him to come in person, let alone do so much."

"Yes, I didn’t expect it either!"

Selena recounted her experience with Duane, including the shocking words from the previous night.

"I’ve accepted the Lord’s proposal. Do you think there’s anything wrong with it?"

She wanted to hear her partner’s opinion.

"There’s nothing wrong with it at all!"

Brison was also stunned by Duane’s grand plan.

"Just as you said, it’s our honor to be part of this great undertaking!"

His eyes shone with motivation. "Besides, the Lord has limitless potential and is meticulous in his planning. As long as we follow his lead steadfastly, we can’t go wrong!"

Selena nodded. "Then, just as the Lord said, let’s discuss how to reward Monto’s and Sean’s families."

Brison nodded. He had some experience in this matter; after all, he had a Guard Team under his command.

Moreover, as a Knight who had been rewarded himself, he knew what these people needed.

"Oh, right."

Brison suddenly remembered something and warned her, "The things the Lord said, these ideas... you must not repeat them to outsiders. Not to anyone! Otherwise, we could be in big trouble."

Selena smiled knowingly. "Don’t worry, I’m not that foolish."