Chapter 138: Towards the West
The Dukedom of Badin is located in the western part of the Forgeheart Kingdom, close to the Buddhist sect territory. It is one of the four dukedoms in the kingdom and holds the greatest influence after the Valiards. The Badin family is one of the oldest in the kingdom, with a long history.
There was a time when their power and influence surpassed that of any noble family in the kingdom, to the point that even the royal family had to be wary of them. They were also capable of creating divine-grade artifacts in the past, which solidified their family’s legacy in the kingdom’s history.
However, after a long absence of divine-grade artifacts, the ascension of King Douwin Forgeheart, and the rise of the Dukedom of Valiard with the emergence of Mardred Valiard, the golden era of the Badin family came to an end. Their position was overtaken by the Valiards, whom they once regarded as competitors.
To this day, the Badin family still views the Valiards as their rivals and blames them for their decline. While they still hold significant influence in the kingdom, it is not to the extent of their golden era, when even the royal family had to heed their opinions.
At this moment, Duke Badin sat in his study. He had returned from the royal palace just a few hours earlier and had yet to change out of his formal attire. He reached under his desk and retrieved a long communication device from a secret vault. This device was part of a special line he had established to contact a certain individual.
After activating the device, a raspy male voice crackled through.
"It’s surprising to hear from you so soon. Are you that eager to hear my voice?"
Duke Badin suppressed his disgust at the voice and its tone, replying calmly.
"There’s a problem with our plan, and it’s quite severe. If we don’t address it, we’re on the verge of failure."
"Ah, you must be referring to Duke Valiard, he can craft a mid-tier divine artifact, right? It’s truly surprising, even our ’lord’ had to make an adjustment," the raspy voice replied.
At the mention of "the lord," Duke Badin shuddered but quickly calmed his mind.