Chapter 357 - 355: Intelligence on the Starfall Islands
In the backyard of Sea Cliff Castle, the Count finished his morning exercises.
He, too, wanted to raise his strength to the Peak of the Celestial Tier as soon as possible. Then, he could ask Duane for a Blessing to see if he could break through to the Shooting Star Level.
Because of this, his recent training had been exceptionally arduous, and he had consumed a considerable amount of Fire Element Ore for Body Tempering.
Wiping the sweat from his face with a towel, Count Kais looked at Duane, who was sitting in a chair reading a letter, and asked, "You disappeared for such a long time. Don’t tell me you went to the Starfall Islands?"
Duane set down the letter.
It was the latest intelligence report from the Kennedy Clan’s agents in Scorching Wind Territory, delivered by a Silver Gale Messenger. It detailed the recent friction and disputes between Scorching Wind Territory and Duke Star Sea.
The letter stated that Viscount Freddy had personally led troops to launch a surprise attack on Sentry Town and Lange Valley. The former was the largest town on the border of the Duke’s Territory, while the latter was a city near the border.
The loss of these two key locations had infuriated Duke Eldrin, who had summoned all his forces to march north on a punitive expedition.
After more than ten days of fierce fighting, the Duke regained control of Lange Valley and forced Scorching Wind Territory’s army back to Sentry Town.
At that point, His Highness Howard, the Duke Blazing Sun, arrived at the front lines to mediate. The conflict was halted, and both sides ceased hostilities.
However, all the evidence indicated that Torre Courtney had died at the hands of a Star Sea Clan member. No matter how Duke Eldrin tried to argue, he could not easily clear his name.
Therefore, His Highness Howard arranged for an investigation into the truth of the matter while also letting Viscount Freddy temporarily manage Scorching Wind Territory.
If it was confirmed that the assassin was not from the Star Sea Clan, Freddy would not only have to return Sentry Town but also compensate Duke Star Sea for his losses in the war.
At the same time, to appease Duke Eldrin, Howard ordered Freddy to repay his outstanding debts at double the amount.
Although the war had been mediated, the underlying conflict remained.
Furthermore, this meant that even if Freddy knew the assassin wasn’t from the Star Sea Clan, he would insist that they were, just to avoid returning Sentry Town and paying war reparations.
’This works out, actually. At least for now, the war isn’t threatening Sharp Stone Territory, so Selena and Brison are safe.’
’If Duke Eldrin had pushed all the way through and occupied Sharp Stone Territory, all my plans for the Starfall Islands would have been for nothing.’
"You have to keep this a secret for me," Duane said with a chuckle.
He wasn’t surprised that the Count had guessed his whereabouts, since he was the one who had asked for help investigating the Starfall Islands in the first place.
Count Kais sat down beside him. "Don’t worry. The official story is that you went to the Jade Mountain Range to clear out Demon Beasts and protect Silver Jade Territory."
He leaned in a little closer and lowered his voice. "You rascal, it looks like you’re coveting that piece of land in the Starfall Islands, aren’t you?"
Duane just grinned, neither confirming nor denying it.
The Count continued, "Both Scorching Wind Territory and the Duke’s Territory have Secret Realms. Black Iron Ore, Meteorite Ore, Mithril, Elemental Secret Realms... tsk, tsk. It would be fantastic to take them for oneself!"
Duane said, "It seems you’re coveting it too?"
The distance from the Silent Shore to the Starfall Islands was not short. For the Count to go to such lengths to set up a Messenger Bird Passage, it clearly wasn’t just for business.
"I covet any place with a Secret Realm," the Count said as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "Who can blame me when my Silent Shore is so barren?"
Duane admitted, "With my current strength, the chances of getting a new Territory from the King are slim. That being the case, it’s better to build up my own power elsewhere and bide my time."
"I estimate an opportunity will arise in two or three years at the earliest, or five or six years at the latest," the Count said.
Duane’s interest was piqued. "Is something happening?"
Kais shook his head. "No, it’s just a personal feeling. My intuition is very sharp sometimes."
Duane couldn’t help but smile.
’Intuition might be a mysterious thing, but considering the state of the Kingdom and its neighbors, the situation really doesn’t look good.’
"How about it? When the time is right, shall we join forces?" the Count proposed.
Duane nodded. "I was thinking the same thing!"
"Good!" the Count said. "If we really manage to take the Starfall Islands, it’s a seventy-thirty split. You take seventy."
Duane was a little surprised. In their previous business dealings, the Count had always taken the larger share. Why the sudden change of heart today?
"You’re not mistaken? You want me to take seventy percent?"
The Count chuckled. "My judgment is very sharp. You, my boy, are very ambitious. With enough strength, you might even be able to take a seat on the throne. I ask for nothing else—just give the Kennedy Clan a Duke’s title and a few Secret Realms when the time comes."
The Kennedys and Duane Brian were already deeply tied. Count Kais saw Duane’s potential and ambition, and at the same time, his dissatisfaction with the Pruck Royal Family was growing.
Although he hadn’t yet spoken the words "overthrow the Kingdom," the idea had already begun to sprout in his mind.
As for offering a seventy-thirty split and only taking thirty, it was a clear show of support for Duane.
On the Shadow Mist Continent, whether it was the Prucks, the Akutas, or any other clan, ascending to the throne was impossible without the support of other families.
The Kennedy Clan was willing to be the first.
Duane couldn’t help but laugh at this. He had never once mentioned wanting to be King, yet his future father-in-law had brought it up for him.
"Don’t worry. Once I’ve unified the Shadow Mist Continent, I’ll let you govern the region of the Pruck Kingdom."
Count Kais was stunned for a moment, then laughed and chided, "You kid, you’ve really got a big appetite!"
For as long as history could remember, the Shadow Mist Continent had always been a land of coexisting nations. The difficulty of uniting it under a single ruler was immense.
"You have to set your sights high. What if, one day, it actually comes true?"
The Count’s smile faded, and he said seriously, "Then work hard. I, too, look forward to that day!"
After their conversation ended, Duane wrote a letter back to Black Forest Island.
First, he instructed Julian and Ralph to prepare food and supplies according to the standards for establishing a new town.
Second, he had Lune organize and train a hundred Guards, with further arrangements to be made upon his return.
For the next while, Duane spent his days at the Silent Shore.
He and Natalia would occasionally visit the Warm Sun Soup processing site for inspections, and sometimes they went to the Time Closet to discuss the assembly line’s operation and the progress of the clothing business with Derek, Zelina, and Sharp.
Both Warm Sun Soup and the Time Closet were booming businesses.
The Time Closet in particular, thanks to the Kennedy Clan’s influence, now had distribution points in all five of the Kingdom’s major Provinces.
In the past year, after deducting investments, Duane had earned over eight hundred Gold Coins.
At the same time, thanks to this accumulation of capital, the scale of the operation had already expanded several times over. If nothing else, he now had five to six hundred workers under him.
This was also thanks to the implementation of the assembly line, which allowed even less-skilled tailor apprentices to be employed.
The Time Closet was now on its way to becoming a large-scale textile factory.
Duane was already considering drawing up the blueprints for a sewing machine and attempting to build one. Its creation would boost efficiency even further.
Time passed quickly, and in March, the wedding of Lloyd and the Third Princess, Emily, was held at Golden Ears Castle as scheduled.
Duane attended the wedding, dragging his crippled left arm, a sight witnessed by all the attending Nobility.
Some gloated in secret, some thought it a pity, and others realized that the political winds in the Kingdom were shifting—
the Holy Radiance Court, which had been quiet for over a year, was likely about to resume the expansion plan it had proposed the year before last.
However, none of this had anything to do with Duane for the time being.
His setback had blunted his formidable reputation, which in turn saved him some trouble.