The Lord Of Blood Hill

Jonathan sets down his glass with a sigh. “Sigh... Henwell, you’re a very smart man. From the start, you already sensed my true intentions. You’ve been trying to provoke me, just so you wouldn’t have to hear what I’m about to say. Or perhaps, you don’t want to listen to the conditions I’m about to offer.”

“Henwell, can you explain something to me? Why does everyone underestimate me, yet you, while openly criticizing, have never truly looked down on me?”

Henwell gazes into his glass. “Maybe many people underestimate Your Highness because they see you as arrogant and conceited. But many forget that you were once a serious contender for the throne. “

”When the eldest prince was alive, Duke Obiken supported him. The second prince, Anthony, had the backing of Northern Regions Duke Lowel. The third prince, Christo, was supported by South Regions Duke Quinns. “

”Only you never had a powerful duke’s support. Your backers were the Queen Kassily, or rather, Emperor Amir himself.”

“After the eldest prince’s unfortunate death, your chances actually improved a lot. And your current exclusion from the line of succession isn’t because of me, nor because of any wrong decision you made during the Transformation Battle. “

”You’ve commanded troops, you’re a Battle Knight, and you carry royal blood. People can criticize many of your flaws, but cowardice isn’t one of them. The fight for the throne is a game for the brave; cowards don’t even get to sit at the table.”

“I studied that great battle in the Western Regions during the Transformation Battle. Your timing of retreat was very clever. It looked like the whole situation was about to collapse, but in reality, it only made things slightly more difficult. “

”You didn’t retreat completely; you pulled back just a few kilometers and stopped. This opened a gap in the encirclement, but if other corps hadn’t reinforced in time, you still could have returned to salvage the battle.”

“Your troops paused for several hours, clearly not for rest but to observe the situation. You deliberately allowed yourself to make a mistake, so Emperor Amir would punish you. You took the opportunity to distance yourself from the increasingly fierce power struggle.”

“Because of my rise, the strengthening of the Phoenix family, and Arius’s recognition, the succession struggle changed. Arius has the support of me and the Phoenix family; Anthony has Northern Regions Duke’s backing. After the eldest prince’s death, the Western Regions Duke shifted to support the third prince Christo, giving him two dukes’ support.”

“This created a three-way stalemate for the throne. You saw the crisis: continuing the fight could make you cannon fodder in this tripartite struggle. So you chose to step back at the right moment, temporarily withdrawing from the escalating succession battle.”

“You, a prince with such cunning, courage, and means, why would I ever dare underestimate you?”

Jonathan falls silent for a moment, then downs the rest of his wine in one gulp. “Good wine! As expected, the quality of wine really depends on the mood!”

He looks at Henwell. “Henwell, the fact that you’ve come this far is truly not just luck! I never expected you to see through so much. Aren’t you supposed to be watching my two older brothers? Shouldn’t you be keeping an eye on my father, guarding against his every move? Why are you focused on me, a prince who’s already lost power?!”

Henwell raises his glass from a distance. “I keep an eye on anyone who might pose a threat to me. Your Highness just happens to be one of them.”

Jonathan’s smile fades. “Henwell, I don’t have to be your enemy. I want your support.”

Henwell replies, “That’s a bit laughable, isn’t it? I’m brothers with Arius. Why would I support you? Whatever you can offer me, Arius can offer as well. Arius and I have a bond of life and death. “

”I’ve walked the Path of Honor for him, risked myself in the marriage alliance war, and in subsequent battles, he has ignored all opposition to send troops to back me up. We can rely on each other’s backs. So why would I abandon Arius to support you instead?”

Jonathan shakes his head. “First, listen to my terms.”

He stands and walks over to the massive map hanging in the study. “By the way, your map is impressive. So detailed, this is the finest map I’ve seen outside the palace.”

He picks up the pointer beside him and draws a horizontal line beneath the Vorry Kingdom on the map. “From southwest of Vorska City to the south of Tyran City, including Cloud Tree City and Liverpool in the south, basically the entire southern region of the kingdom, I can grant all of this to you.”

Henwell glances at the territory Jonathan marked. It covers nearly one-sixth of the Vorry Kingdom, a landmass spanning hundreds of thousands of square kilometers!

Jonathan smiles and looks at Henwell. “Henwell, do you think Arius would offer you this? Would he dare?”

Henwell replies calmly, “Tempting offer. But what’s the price?”

Jonathan extends his pointer and taps several spots on the map. “I need you to help persuade a few people. Your father-in-law, the Grand Duke of the Eastern Territory, must move south to suppress and block Duke Quinns of the South Regions. Meanwhile, Arius will send troops north to pin down Duke Lowel of the Northern Regions.”

“Fabio will hold off Duke Obiken of the Western Regions. That makes the rest easier. You’ll dispatch an elite legion to infiltrate either the Western Regions or the Eastern Territory, gradually approaching Silver Peak City. Then, coordinating with me inside and out, we take Silver Peak City and put me on the throne!”

Henwell chuckles lightly. “Haha... Your Highness, you’re dreaming a bit too big! If it’s that complicated, why don’t I just switch players? I could easily ally with a few factions and put Arius directly on the throne!”

Jonathan laughs too, his confidence shining through. “Because no one else will support Arius!”

Henwell leans back on the sofa. “Your Highness, the throne is won by strength, not by who supports whom. Between me and the Phoenix family, the noble alliance, the Iron Wall Legion, and Arius’s own forces, that’s already half of the kingdom’s elite troops. Who cares if others support Arius or not?”

Jonathan takes a seat opposite Henwell. “Believe me, no one will support Arius. Except you, and maybe my stubborn cousin. But you two don’t represent the kingdom’s will. I admit you’re strong; the fight for the throne needs military backing, that’s true. “

”But right now, no one in the Vorry Kingdom wants a full-scale civil war. You three brothers are too far apart, scattered across the kingdom’s corners, making mutual support difficult. Most importantly, I offer terms no one can refuse, including you.”

Henwell raises an eyebrow. “Oh? You’re offering others more land?”

Jonathan smiles meaningfully. “Better than that. I’m going to turn Vorry into an elective monarchy!”