Chapter 33: Troubles
Baron Ster swiftly followed Marquis Visen into the study.
Gazing upon the now completely refurbished lord's manor, his heart was filled with endless emotions.
The last time he had visited, he and the former lord of this place had been discussing how to counter the three-pronged invasion from the Gem Territory, Red Soil Territory, and Forest Territory.
At that time, their conversation had been impassioned; neither he nor the previous lord of Red River City had considered the possibility of defeat.
They had even envisioned the future, speaking of strengthening ties between their families once the war concluded. Baron Ster recalled that he had seemed to agree at the time.
Yet now, upon stepping into this place once more, the old acquaintance was no longer present.
Inside the study, three individuals were already present.
As a former rival, Baron Ster immediately recognized the Barons of the Gem Territory and Forest Territory.
The other man, though unfamiliar, was easily identifiable.
The Viscount of Bayor Territory.
"Allow me to introduce you," Marquis Visen said, pointing to the middle-aged man whom Baron Ster did not recognize.
"This is the lord of Bayor Territory, the White Swan Viscount, patriarch of the Senels family, Agley Senels. This is the lord of Forest Territory, from the Weist family, Viscount Cardon Weist; and this is the lord of Gem Territory, pioneer of the Shattered Diamond Mountains, defender and patriarch of the Billy family, Baron Hess Billy."
From Marquis Visen's introductions, Baron Ster gleaned much.
Bayor Territory possessed one of the three most renowned resource sites within the Red Eagle Territory, Swan Lake.
It was rich in a natural water-element rare iron ore, capable of endowing rare iron weapons with potent water-elemental lethality, even forging high-efficiency rare iron weapons of considerable value.
Additionally, Swan Lake was home to three water-element magical beasts and one derivative ice-element magical beast, covering a complete bloodline advancement chain from Tier 1 to Tier 3.
The Senels family's primary bloodline heritage revolved around the magical beasts of Swan Lake.
Hence, their family crest featured a white swan, leading to their moniker as the Swan Family, and Agley Senels being known as the White Swan Viscount.
In terms of resources, heritage, and strength, the Senels family was undoubtedly second only to the Red Eagle Territory.
Thus, it was understandable that Marquis Visen would value Viscount Agley.
As for the Billy family of the Gem Territory, they had been the first to pledge allegiance to Marquis Visen when he became the nominal master of the Red Eagle Territory.
They had followed him for decades. Especially the current Baron of the Gem Territory, Hess Billy, who had acted as Marquis Visen's vanguard, pathfinder, and loyal subordinate, executing all of Marquis Visen's orders without compromise, regardless of the sacrifices or losses incurred.
Therefore, receiving Marquis Visen's favor was only natural.
Among the three, only the Viscount of Forest Territory was mentioned briefly.
He understood that, unlike the Billy family, he had not been an early follower of Marquis Visen.
His territory lacked the abundant resources of Bayor Territory, and his family's heritage was not as profound as the Senels family.
Moreover, during the previous Red River Territory war, he had lost many men. Strictly speaking, he was now the weakest among the five lords of the Red Eagle Territory.
The primary cause of his current predicament was the lord of the White Mountain Territory before him.
Viscount Cardon Weist's gaze toward Baron Ster was naturally unfriendly.
However, in the next moment, he quickly lowered his head, concealing all hostile expressions.
Because Marquis Visen's introduction of Baron Ster far exceeded his expectations.
"I'm sure you're all familiar with this gentleman," Marquis Visen said with a cheerful smile. "Lord of the White Mountain Territory, Shield of the Red Eagle Territory, Iron Wall of the Mountain Ranges, patriarch of the Bole family, Baron Ster Bole."
Such an introduction was grand, even suggesting a status slightly above that of the Baron of the Gem Territory.
Upon hearing this implication, Viscount Cardon dared not show any displeasure.
Viscount Agley remained composed, maintaining his gentle smile.
Baron Hess Billy, who had initially appeared somewhat distant, immediately became enthusiastic.
Baron Ster silently observed their expressions, feeling a sense of bitterness.
Despite the impressive titles, Shield, Iron Wall, it seemed as if he were the most adept at defense in the entire Red Eagle Territory.
But where was his territory located?
To the south, it bordered the Gem Territory; to the west, the Red River Territory; further north lay the fertile plains of Count Shuvaric.
The Gem Territory was self-explanatory. The Red River Territory had become a direct fief of the Kasein family, now Marquis Visen's stronghold. So, being dubbed the Red Eagle Territory's bulwark, what was he defending?
Marquis Visen's intentions were blatantly clear!
Yet, Baron Ster could not display any dissatisfaction or fear.
Instead, he had to smile and assure that his iron wall would block all of Marquis Visen's enemies beyond the mountain ranges, ensuring no worries for the marquis.
In just a few words, Marquis Visen had clearly delineated relationships, positions, and roles.
Baron Ster now witnessed the marquis's tactics firsthand, realizing he could not afford any wavering thoughts.
He even regretted that his daughter had not seen things clearly earlier, and that he had harbored a naive hope of avoiding direct confrontation with Count Shuvaric.
Reflecting calmly, he understood that Marquis Visen would not have accepted him merely for appearances.
From the moment he decided to surrender to Marquis Visen's camp, he had been positioned on the front lines of the impending conflict between Marquis Visen and Count Shuvaric.
Regardless of how events unfolded, he would inevitably be the first to engage in battle against Count Shuvaric's faction.
Just like the Billy family in the past.
At this moment, Baron Ster was grateful that upon arriving, he had immediately handed over the secret letter Count Shuvaric had written to him.
It was this gesture that led Marquis Visen to ease his approach.
Otherwise...
Baron Ster believed that the marquis's words would not have been as mild as they were now.
...
"Brother, this is what a great noble's residence looks like," Akar exclaimed, his eyes filled with envy as he looked around the room arranged for their rest.
Marquis Visen had been in Red River City for some time.
Since he had decided to make this place his family's stronghold, the standards had naturally been elevated. After all, the manor's previous owner was merely a baron, lacking the wealth and heritage to reflect Marquis Visen's grandeur.
This was also why, after fully securing the Red Eagle Territory, Marquis Visen had delayed hosting a banquet for half a year.
The two brothers had escorted Baron Ster southward, arriving in Red River City in a disheveled state.
Naturally, they needed to clean up before meeting anyone. After Baron Ster had freshened up, he immediately went to the study to see Marquis Visen.
With their duties complete, Yam and Akar were now free to move about. However, due to certain precautions, Yam did not allow Akar to wander freely.
"This is no longer a baron's manor but a marquis's residence, so more thought has been put into it," Yam explained.
"We might stay here for half a month to a month. Currently, most bloodline users in the Red Eagle Territory have gathered in Red River City. During this time, try to keep a low profile and avoid giving others any excuses."
Akar's eyes flashed with a hint of gloom, and he let out a disdainful snort.
But seeing Yam's stern expression, he could only force a smile and nod in agreement.
He understood that they were retainers of the Baron of the White Mountain Territory, their identities already marked with that affiliation.
Regardless of their past, with the Red River Territory's defeat, they had ultimately surrendered to Marquis Visen's camp.
Their status was naturally inferior to that of the originally neutral Bayor Territory. Thus, many bloodline users seeking to curry favor with Marquis Visen were waiting to cause them trouble.
If they showed any weakness or gave others an excuse, those individuals would pounce like hyenas scenting blood.
"If others insist on making trouble for us?"
Faced with Akar's somewhat defiant and tentative rebuttal, Yam didn’t even lift his head and replied coldly, "Take off your glove and slap them across the face."
Akar's eyes lit up at once. "That’s great! Killing the opponent during a duel isn't really a problem, right?"
"Try not to reveal too much of your bloodline abilities, especially that rock-throwing move of yours." Yam frowned slightly. "Right now, we can't explain the [Flame Demon Hound] bloodline. Publicly, we’re claiming your bloodline is the [Flame Sparrow], so you'd better be careful."
Ever since confirming his relationship with Lily, Yam noticed that Baron Ster's attitude toward him had significantly changed. The baron truly regarded him as a son-in-law to be cultivated, granting him full access to the Bole family's library.
At that moment, Yam felt deeply grateful for how diligently he had studied when his father taught him to read as a child.
Among those volumes, what fascinated Yam most were the records about various bloodlines.
That was how he learned that the “Red” in Red Eagle Territory referred to "blood and fire," and the “Eagle” symbolizes "war."
Hence, the true meaning of the Red Eagle Territory was: a land forged through war, irrigated with blood and fire.
This also explained why the Red Eagle Territory harbored so many fire-type magical beasts.
However, among these many fire-type beasts, none were known as the [Flame Demon Hound].
Only two magical beasts were linked to the bloodline ability "Fireball": one was the Tier Two [Flame Sparrow], and the other was the Tier Three [Flame Hawk].
Most importantly, this was a confirmed bloodline advancement path.
Additionally, Yam discovered that the advancement path of the [Flame Hound] had been sealed off: nearly all bloodline users who attempted to follow the [Flame Tiger] advancement route had died.
Thus, today in the Red Eagle Territory, bloodline users of the [Flame Hound] who wished to ascend to Tier Three had only two choices: the Tier Three [Infernal Golem] or the equally Tier Three [Flame-Spitting Lizard].
However, the former had no advancement potion to reach Tier Four, and while the latter did have a Tier Four path, anything beyond that was monopolized by the Flame Dragon Family. Unless one pledged loyalty to them, there was no way forward.
This was also why so few bloodline users chose the [Flame Hound].
But Yam didn’t mind this at all; on the contrary, he saw it as a blessing.
He knew his own potential and talent very well. The limited advancement of the [Flame Hound] gave him a legitimate excuse to appear as though it wasn’t due to lack of effort, but rather the harsh reality.
However, Akar’s situation was far more troubling to Yam, since they had publicly claimed his bloodline as the [Flame Sparrow], and the [Flame Hawk] along with its subsequent advancement potions were all under the control of the Kasein Family.
Given Akar’s displayed talent, becoming a Tier Four bloodline user posed no problem. But if Marquis Visen personally bestowed him with a bloodline elixir in the future, what then?
If the advancement failed, it could be fatal!
"Brother!"
Just as Yam was fretting and pondering ways to break this dilemma, the carefree Akar suddenly exclaimed, "There’s a beauty over there! Even more stunning than Lady Lily!"
Yam’s expression darkened instantly upon hearing this.
"Huh?!" But before Yam could respond, Akar suddenly let out a strange cry and picked up his [Blazing Bow].
"What are you doing?!" Yam’s expression changed drastically.
"Hahaha! Hero saving the damsel in distress!"
Akar laughed heartily, then released his grip, an arrow of fire shot through the air!