Endless Horde: Through the Eyes of a Godking - Chapter 884: Banquet (II)

Chapter 884: Banquet (II)

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“Incoming…” Philip whispered to him.

Cedric didn’t need to be told, but he appreciated it nevertheless.

“Hello, gentlemen! How are the two of you on this very lovely evening?”

A stocky man with a potbelly and a curved mustache approached them jovially. He wore a wide smile, displaying his perfect set of teeth, some of which were replaced by gold. He wore a suit that’s definitely too tight for him; it almost seems like it’s going to burst at the seams from containing what’s underneath. The man’s breath was accompanied by a strong stench of alcohol, and he was flanked by three people who looked a little too miserable, as if they had been forced to be here with this man.

Cedric wanted to laugh at what he was seeing, but he restrained himself, and this was even with his mask on. He caught Philip’s eyes twitching every so subtly and fought the urge to laugh again.

“Well met, Sector Lord Gregory. I and Lord Stormrider over here are doing just fine. How about you?” Philip returned the pleasantry despite his dislike of the man.

Lord Gregory’s eyes comically widened as he turned his gaze to Cedric’s masked visage.

“Truly!? Oh, who am I kidding! Of course! The mask, the gait, the aura! Of course, it could only be you, Lord Stormrider. How could I have been so foolish not to recognize you? Oh, I truly apologize for that.”

’Bullshit. You know who I am, old man.’ Cedric sneered inwardly at the man’s dramatics.

Sector Lord Gregory of the West Haven Sector Domain. This old man was around a hundred thousand years old and was rather famous for his theatrics and reckless tycoon behavior and notorious for building and funding gambling dens all over the chaos realm.

That said, if anybody were to judge him as a wastrel with way too much money to spend, they’d soon find themselves prostrating before him.

As rich and as privileged as he was, no amount of wealth could buy him an entire sector domain. He would also bleed money faster than he could earn it if he was truly as reckless as he appeared to be.

So no, Lord Gregory was not a stupid wastrel. That’s a front. It’s a mask, just like the one Lord Stormrider wears.

Lord Gregory didn’t inherit this rich and sprawling empire of greed and sin. He built using one bet and one condition at a time. His ledgers had been soaked with so much blood that they’re no longer recognizable. He has dirt on pretty much everybody, and it’s not beneath him to hold that over his target’s head and make them dance to his tune.

The West Haven Sector Domain used to be the wealthiest and was considered to be the most prosperous sector domain before Cedric and his Rising Sun Domain appeared out of thin air.

In less than 2000 years, starting from a completely barren territory too, Cedric overturned the odds and climbed the sector domain rankings, dominating it since then. No matter how many bribes and how much flair Lord Gregory used, he couldn’t change the result.

He had been dethroned by somebody he considered an upstart. The worst part? It’s not like Lors Gregory underestimated the man. Just like other Sector Lords out there, who sensed the upstart starting to make waves, Lord Gregory also tried to snuff out Cedric’s moves even before they could gain traction.

But just like other Sector Lords before and beneath him, his methods were just as useless. For the first time in his life, he couldn’t throw his gross wealth at the problem until it went away.

Even involving the Golden Bangle Bank didn’t work because apparently, Lord Stormrider was a very valued customer of theirs. A Scarlet VIP, to be exact, just like him!

This meant that Lord Stormrider was just as wealthy, if not wealthier, than him! Anything he could do, Stormrider also could.

The most infuriating part is that Lord Stormrider showed a much better skill at manipulating people than him. Anybody who joined his territory was seemingly scanned and brainwashed into worshipping the land he steps on, and he didn’t even need to enslave them!

Everybody who joined his ranks was slowly painted with his colors and eventually ended up becoming so loyal to him that they would willingly die for him!

Lord Gregory was speechless at that. That kind of skill was something he desperately wanted to have and tried to cultivate since then. Yet even now, he’s still awful at it. Meanwhile, this man, whom he’d never seen or even heard of before, just had it and was really good at taking advantage of it!

And with the swift and meteoric rise of his domain, Lord Stormrider defied all odds and undisputedly claimed the top rankings without showing any interest in them.

How could Lord Gregory simply accept this?

He tried. Hell, almighty, he tried to return to his rightful place. But Lord Stormrider just effortlessly shuts him down in every way, and it doesn’t even look like he’s trying? How was that acceptable?

That’s why he had been furious since then. He had long considered Lord Stormrider as a thorn in his side. He also vowed to take this upstart lord down a few pegs just to remind him of his place.

Alas, much to his and many others’ dismay, Lord Stormrider doesn’t participate in public events very often. Even his own people don’t see his presence that much.

Cedric had no doubts that this old man had him investigated as much as he could. Of course, everything he knew were things that he was allowed to know.

This was no coincidence. Lord Gregory sought them out. It was a chance he simply couldn’t miss. After all, Lord Stormrider isn’t one to show up in public frequently, even within his own territory. That’s why Cedric knew that this man knew him and had done this on purpose.

He kept his voice even and said, “That is quite fine, Lord Gregory. Do not beat yourself over it. I don’t blame you; after all, my humble style is quite common, especially for events like this. It’s understandable for anybody to be confused.”

To anybody listening, Cedric’s words were indeed humble, subdued, and respectful. But Lord Gregory wasn’t just anybody. He had been in this game of politics longer than Cedric had even been alive. He could hear the concealed edge in his words, and because of his biased opinion, he knew it was aimed at him.

But of course, the show must go on. He was the one who approached them with something in mind, after all.

“Thank you, Lord Stormrider. That is very kind of you. I’ve long since admired your ways. It couldn’t have been easy to lead such a large territory to what it is now, starting from its most barren state.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, how did you do it? I’m quite sure it’s not just me who’d love to know.”

Cedric would roll his eyes if he didn’t want to bother pretending with this old man. But as it stands, he didn’t want to start anything and ruin his reputation.

“Luck takes most of it, Lord Gregory.” He feigned a sigh. “I was rather lucky to be born wealthy and had learned how to manage territories since I was but a young man.”

“Well, it would sound rather ridiculous of me, but truth be told, I just threw my money at my problems until they went away. As luck would have it, it’s rather effective too! Sometimes, even I am astonished at how easy it becomes. And I’ve also been lucky to meet a lot of people who are willing to work harder with a promise of bonus bangles.”

Cedric made a point of making his eyes sparkle at the twisting countenance of Lord Gregory as he wove his bullshit into his face.

He took great pleasure at seeing how uncomfortable he made the pot-bellied man that he’s nearly failing to contain his laughter.

Cedric, biased, told him, “I don’t understand why you’re curious; I’m using the same tricks you’re using. How could you not recognize it?” ’

The people accompanying Lord Gregory also looked uncomfortable. They’re teetering at the edge of laughter and tears. They’re doing their very best to maintain an indifferent expression in fear of triggering the volatile temper of their employer.

And poor Philip, it looks like he couldn’t take much more either.

Was Lord Gregory aware of this? Maybe. Aware of everything, though? Debatable.

He couldn’t really refute Lord Stormrider’s words because, from the results of investigations, this was indeed the case. He’s using the same tactics as he did, only his worked better for some reason. Because as much as he had money to throw around, Lord Gregory had long realized that he truly cannot buy anybody’s loyalty.

That’s why he’s puzzled why Cedric could.

“I-I see. Well, that is certainly something.” He looked very uncomfortable now. “I wasn’t expecting such a candid answer from you.”

“I actually learned this from you, Lord Gregory, so you have my thanks.” Cedric winked at him. “After all, for a clueless and upstart sector lord like me to even have a chance of being a decent landlord, it would make sense to learn from the best, right?”

“And I am very glad that you’re such a good sport about this too. I expected you to be angry at me for stealing your thunder, you see. So it’s quite a relief to me that you even thought about approaching me and asking me for advice.”

“It’s truly no wonder why you held the top spot before me. You truly are a great Sector Lord, Sir!”