The alias Adolf and his appearance are secrets Henwell has kept from everyone. Pinel, the rchant, is soone Henwell personally vetted and carefully built a relationship with over ti.
The reason is simple: Henwell wants to know how his family in this world is doing, whether they are still alive. They are, after all, his only blood relatives here and the people he's known the longest.
The kindness of raising him until he was seven is sothing Henwell can never forget. After all, in this harsh place, even the mortality rate among noble offspring isn't low.
Henwell's achievents are undoubtedly the result of his own efforts. However, it would be ungrateful to claim his family had no part in it. Now that he's sowhat stabilized, Henwell wishes to bring his family over, if possible. But this can't be done openly for several reasons, primarily due to his identity.
Henwell can be a gladiator with no known relatives or a slave from another country, but he absolutely cannot have blood relatives in other nations, especially not in Ika or Ogiro.
Peace Haven is crucial to the Vorry Duchy now. No matter which side Henwell leans towards, it poses a significant threat to the duchy. Once Henwell chose another country, the southwestern gateway of the duchy would face the threat of Henwell's tens of thousands of troops directly.
Beyond this issue, Henwell is currently collaborating with so individuals from the Ika Kingdom. If they discovered he had family there, they might exploit this information against him.
Threats would be just the beginning. If the Ika King learned of this, he might directly elevate Obian to the rank of count, granting him a real fief—right near Peace Haven! Imagine the dilemma for Henwell: join us, and not only keep your land but also rise to marquis or duke!
What would the Vorry Duchy think or do in response? This is why Henwell must personally handle the matter of finding his family, ensuring it remains completely secret.
Knowing now that his family is doing well, and that his father has even earned a knight's title, brings Henwell peace of mind. As for assisting his family, Henwell has plenty of thods. With a little influence, he could help Obian advance further. However, now is not the right ti. Henwell needs to wait and see the outco of the marriage alliance war and its subsequent effects.
For now, staying within the Vorry Duchy is the most beneficial for his developnt. Aligning with any side would strip Peace Haven of its regional advantage.
Of course, if Grand Duke Amir turns out to be incompetent and decides to target Henwell soon after ascending the throne, Henwell wouldn't hesitate to present him with a "generous gift" for his coronation.
If that happens, all Henwell needs to do is reach out to his father and get a ssage to the Ika King. He's confident Ika would offer him an extrely lucrative deal to switch sides. Henwell would then carve out a significant piece of Vorry as his pledge of allegiance.
However, that would be the worst-case scenario for Henwell. It’s definitely not as ideal as his current position, where he plays both sides from the buffer zone.
But Henwell is also aware that being a fence-sitter won’t last long. Once Vorry is elevated to a kingdom, within ten years, they will inevitably co after him.
Yet, Henwell doesn't need ten years; he only needs three to build enough strength to refuse them.
If, in ten years, the future king of Vorry decides to co after him, it would an Amir has grown senile. In that case, Henwell would have a good reason to help Arius ascend to that position.
Of course, there are backup plans too.
For instance, doesn’t Fabio have royal blood?
Why shouldn’t he sit on that iron throne?
Without a doubt, as a nation spanning over two million square kiloters with a vast population, it would be easy for the state machinery to target Henwell in Peace Haven. But Henwell has plenty of ways to trip up this giant!
While Henwell is hiding in his little dark room, chuckling sinisterly as he plots which screw to loosen in the Vorry state machinery, soone requests a eting with him. Two days later, at the new border of Peace Haven, Henwell ets Divarak. Their encounter is formal at first, with polite greetings, but soon their conversation turns into a sarcastic verbal sparring match.
By the afternoon, they dismiss their attendants to speak privately. Divarak starts, "There's interest from the kingdom in bringing you on board. The highest offer is a count title. Your fief remains unchanged, and they might even throw in a bit more."
Henwell shakes his head. "Forget it! It's hard enough dealing with one leader; switching won't necessarily be better."
Divarak looks puzzled. "Isn't that a good deal? I think it's a fair offer."
Henwell shoots him a glare. "Fair, my ass! Are you crazy? If Peace Haven goes to the Ogiro Kingdom, do we stop making money? Do we stop smuggling?"
Divarak gives an awkward smile. "I'm just looking out for you, you know!"
Henwell counters, "Now that the war's over, did you get any benefits?"
Divarak puffs out his chest. "Considering my heroic deeds, my rank might get a bump."
Henwell clasps his hands in mock salute. "Well, congratulations in advance. Soon I'll have to call you Count, won't I?"
Divarak grins widely and waves his hand. "Sa to you! Aren't you about to beco a count with real power?"
Henwell chuckles. "Not likely! My uncle's already sent word back; the duchy's top brass have no plans to promote ."
Divarak's eyes widen. "Then why don't you leave?"
"What's wrong with being a knight lord? Look at Fabio, the knight lord of Vorry's western frontier. He still has influence, right? It all boils down to strength, how many troops you have, whether you can fight, and if your territory has money."
Divarak scoffs. "What are you thinking? He's a mber of the royal family! Believe , once Vorry becos a kingdom, he could imdiately beco the guardian of the west, maybe even a grand duke!"
Henwell is well aware of this. The reason the Iron Wall Legion was sent east to fight was to give Fabio a chance to earn greater rits. Plus, the Iron Wall Legion is excellent at long-distance raids, perfect for such blitz battles. Fabio has proven himself, capturing Yosui City in Billie and pushing south to suppress the kingdom's forces in Rainze City.
However, Henwell doesn't dwell on this topic. Outsiders have no idea of the destructive power he can unleash when pushed to the brink. He asks Divarak, "Where's your fief? Is it still near mine?"
"I wouldn't dare!"
Divarak's fief is a good forty kiloters from the new border of Peace Haven, making him the nearest major lord to Peace Haven within the Ogiro Kingdom.
User Comments
0 comments from readers