Lord: Stripped of My Inheritance from the Start - Chapter 190 - 189: A Lull in the Storm

Chapter 190: Chapter 189: A Lull in the Storm

The show in Wushan Castle was over. As if by unspoken agreement, the nobles of all ranks began their journeys back to their respective territories.

Before Princess Blanche departed, Lurans met with her personally. He offered his well wishes and entrusted her with a letter for His Majesty Bruno.

For the departure of the other nobles, he merely made a token appearance.

Though Lurans wore an overcoat and a hood, onlookers could still discern a change in the Marquis’s physical state. He now appeared somewhat older.

Clearly, the previous day’s battle had taken a significant toll on him.

Regardless, the Marquis was still standing there hale and whole, his true combat strength still a mystery.

In contrast, Ossen, who had rashly challenged him, had to be carried onto his carriage. Rumors even circulated that he had been completely crippled.

Ultimately, a starved camel is still bigger than a horse. Ossen had paid the price for his arrogance and conceit.

“Ronin, I hope it won’t be long before we meet again.”

Atop a griffin, Blanche waved farewell to Ronin.

“It should be very soon.”

Ronin smiled and waved back, then bowed to Broel and Knight Missy. “The journey is long. Please take good care of Her Highness the Princess.”

“It is my duty,” Missy replied with a knight’s salute.

Broel nodded. “Please bid farewell to the Marquis Lurans on my behalf as well.”

With that, he gestured for them to depart.

At once, the griffins let out joyous cries. They beat their wings, kicking up a gale, and in an instant, they were airborne, speeding away into the distance.

“Let’s be on our way as well.”

Jesus said to his subordinate, Ramsay. He gave a perfunctory wave to the nobles of Wushan Territory before they mounted their griffins and departed.

From the air, he gazed down at the castle below, his eyes glinting with displeasure at his plan’s failure.

Jesus had coordinated this visit with Ossen. The primary goal was to probe Lurans’s true strength and create an opportunity for Ossen, also a Meteor Level combatant, to challenge him.

They had predicted that Lurans, tormented by illness and with his power suppressed, would struggle to exert his full Meteor Level strength.

Once Ossen defeated Lurans, the grievous new injuries would surely trigger a backlash from his old wounds.

That way, even if they didn’t manage to kill Lurans, his lifespan would be drastically shortened. It wouldn’t be out of the question for him to die within a year or two, perhaps even sooner.

Once Lurans was dead, Wushan Territory would surely descend into chaos, creating the perfect opportunity to fish in troubled waters.

But he never expected this outcome.

Jesus had seen Ossen in private. He hadn’t anticipated that Lurans could still wield that peculiar energy, capable of crippling a Meteor Knight from the inside out.

Even his subordinate, Ramsay, was secretly alarmed upon hearing this.

Ramsay was indeed stronger than Ossen, but even he couldn’t guarantee he would emerge unscathed from a fight with Lurans.

’If I’m not careful and Lurans infuses me with that strange black energy, won’t I be crippled too?’

’To be a Meteor Level with a bright future, only to be crippled by an old man at death’s door… It’s just not worth it.’

After this incident, they abandoned the idea of sending powerful experts against Lurans. The potential losses were too great.

’Besides, Lurans rarely makes a move himself, and Wushan Territory isn’t a monolith. There are other ways to deal with them.’

’And judging by Lurans’s condition today, his remaining days are numbered anyway.’

As for Ronin, truth be told, Jesus didn’t give the young man a second thought.

He admitted the young man’s strength and talent were surprisingly good, but the emergence of a single outstanding junior was hardly enough to solve Wushan Territory’s current troubles.

Wushan Territory wasn’t just facing the Black Gold Brotherhood and the Polante Thief Gang. Both groups had their own powerful backers.

Jesus urged his griffin forward, pulling up alongside Ramsay.

“When we return, have our men begin preparations. They need to stockpile supplies and get ready for the coming battles.”

“Also, it’s time to begin our operation against Giant Stone Territory. I believe the time is ripe.”

Ramsay nodded. “Yes, Father. It’s indeed time we made a move.”

The territory of Moonlight Valley was too small, hardly befitting Jesus’s Royal Family status.

Of course, they wouldn’t get involved personally.

The Kingdom did not permit major nobles to rashly declare war on one another.

Besides, even if they were to get involved, they would first need to find a perfectly legitimate reason.

In the square of Wushan Castle, following the departure of the Princess, Jesus, Ossen, and the others, the remaining nobles’ convoys also began to set off one after another.

Marvin Viscount had intended to return with Ronin, but seeing that Ronin planned to stay in Wushan Castle for a few more days, he decided not to wait.

As the nobles departed, Wushan Castle, which had been bustling for over ten days, finally fell quiet.

The castle’s busy servants also breathed a collective sigh of relief; they could finally relax after being on edge every day.

Over the next few days, aside from making some purchases, Ronin spent most of his time in Cultivation. He would occasionally sit and chat with Lurans, take a stroll, or spar with Bretton. It was far more relaxed than the preceding days.

「Five days later, on January 7th」

Ronin set off for Mountain Forest Town, escorted by a twelve-man Knight Squad led by Galier.

Galier was tasked with the escort partly to ensure Ronin’s safety, but also because he had another mission to carry out.

Reisen of Sain Territory was still locked away in a prison cell, awaiting trial.

His interrogation had been ongoing for days, but the man had proven to be surprisingly tight-lipped.

He had only confessed to what was undeniable—encroaching on Mountain Forest Town’s resources and conspiring with Princest to frame Ronin. He admitted to nothing else.

For instance, he denied any connection to the Skull Society and flatly refuted the accusation that he had organized the plot against Her Highness Princess Blanche, insisting it was all slander on Ronin’s part.

Ronin wasn’t sure if Reisen knew about the assassination attempt at the Beast Fighting Arena, but he was certain the man was connected to the Skull Society.

Therefore, the key witness—the “Shadow” assassin captured by Ronin—needed to be transported here from Mountain Forest Town.

It was a hassle, but stripping a noble of his title and fief was no small matter. The proper procedures had to be followed, if only for the sake of appearances before the other vassals.

However, Ronin knew that even if Shadow was brought to Wushan Castle, Reisen would likely continue to deny everything.

’After all, Shadow only received the assassination order from the leader of the Skull Society. It’s entirely possible he and Reisen have never even met.’

’But that doesn’t mean there aren’t other witnesses.’

’Even though Joffrey, who has sworn fealty to me, has no information on the matter, Sain Territory is now within my grasp. I refuse to believe no one else knows the truth.’

’Take Knight Philton, for example, whom Reisen stationed to guard the Black-collar Tribe.’

’He’s a vassal of Sain Territory and Reisen’s most trusted subordinate. He must have access to far more information than a newcomer like Joffrey.’

’And now, Philton has likely become Ridder’s prisoner. Interrogating him might yield more intelligence on the Skull Society and Reisen.’

That was why Galier’s trip to Mountain Forest Town wasn’t just about protecting Ronin and transporting Shadow. He was also tasked with bringing all of Reisen’s close subordinates and family members back for trial.

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