Chapter 1379 - 588: Royal Authority Law

Chapter 1379: Chapter 588: Royal Authority Law

At this moment, Count Durin and Count Larot were sitting in a booth on the first floor of the Holy Grail Praise, savoring the famous red wine Latu brought from Winford.

Both counts were already in their fifties or sixties, neither was a Holy Grail Knight, but they had both experienced the Holy Grail Expedition and were Legendary Tier powerhouses. They best represented the old Musillon nobility of southern Leonais.

After complex negotiations, the newly appointed Duke of Leonais, Adheid, had agreed to cede the Old Musillon Territory in exchange for ten thousand Gold Crowns to help suppress the rebellion and support with food supplies. Now, the cession treaty was finalized, and the two Musillon nobles eagerly traveled to Gene, wishing to meet the true Duke of Musillon, Laine Macado, to discuss the merger.

With Laine having the most legitimate claim to Musillon, these old Musillon nobles naturally believed they should come under Laine’s rule. Likewise, the crisis facing Leonais was known throughout the Old World. These old Musillon nobles who barely retained some power naturally did not want to muddle through the situation, so their visit was quite normal.

Unfortunately, when they first arrived at the Duke’s Castle, they met with disappointment. Duke Laine was supposed to meet them in the evening but was notified last minute to reschedule for the next day.

Rescheduling was not the issue; the key was that the order was conveyed by a maid, not a close aide of Laine nor a courtier, just a mere insignificant maid within his castle!

The dismissive implication was obvious, and the two counts had to leave dejectedly, staying at a hotel in town. Feeling uneasy in their rooms, they decided to visit the famous tavern Holy Grail Praise to have a drink and discuss their current predicament.

Count Durin’s facial features were sharp and defined, as if cut by a knife. He was a Hundred Battle Knight, having weathered many battles over his six-decade-long life, including the campaign of Red Eye Egil’s invasion of Leonais, during which his forces suffered over half casualties. As a result, he refused to respond to the calls of the Duke of Leonais thereafter, regardless of how much Duke Aldred pleaded in letters.

In contrast, Count Larot appeared more refined even at fifty-something, with delicate features. His long brown wavy hair was scented with perfume, small eyes, large nose, and his shirt cuffs were lace-edged. But it would be a grave mistake to view him as a noble without combat power. His ornate Knight’s Sword had feverishly drunk the blood of enemies during Red Eye Egil’s campaign and the subsequent suppression of the peasant rebellion. He even slain the Beastman Beast King and the Green-skinned Big Guy.

Unlike the Empire, Brittania’s great nobles were never those who had not seen battle.

"Why do you think the Duke refused to see us?" Count Durin said bitterly. "We came with sincerity, yet we didn’t meet the Duke nor even his steward, Mr. Kasenberg or Lady Sylvia, the Head Maid!"

In the absence of Laine, the territory was generally managed by Sylvia and Kasenberg, recognized as the rule for handling matters or meeting Duchess Surya.

"Is Duke Laine in the castle?" Count Larot also wondered.

"According to our inquiries, he surely is." Count Durin nodded.

"Then undoubtedly, unexpectedly telling us there’s a sudden affair and choosing not to see us is surely the new duke teaching us a lesson." Count Larot said helplessly, nibbling at a snack: "You know, Durin, we backed the wrong party."

Even the battle-hardened Count Durin could only sigh at this matter.

How could they have believed in Mathew Bade, considering him the true Duke of Musillon, leading the old Musillon nobility to impulsively follow him when he headed north? Besides, Mathew Bade was indeed proven to be the illegitimate child of Kingdom Regent Lorne, holding a weak claim.

In truth, both Count Durin and Count Larot were aware that even without Mathew Bade’s incident, they and Leonais were only superficially aligned, having accumulated many conflicts. After Red Eye Egil’s invasion, northern Leonais nobles chose to shift losses onto them, doubling losses on their estates. The old Musillon nobles were forced to make such choices amid exclusion, not surprising.

Yet these were not reason enough for them to turn to the traitor Mathew Bade. Despite eventually turning against Mathew Bade in Kulona, after witnessing the Unbreakable Lake Light, their betrayal remained unforgivable, diminishing their stature and adding unease in facing Laine.

"So what now? Meeting tomorrow?" Count Durin felt vexed, whispering, "Something feels amiss."

"Key is Duke Laine surrounds himself with those Winford people!" Count Larot also hissed dissatisfiedly, "I’m concerned..."

"Count Durin, Count Larot!" a cold, stern female voice interrupted their whispers, causing the two counts to jolt and look up: "Lady Sylvia?!"