Chapter 533: The Duke
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 533: The Duke
The atmosphere in the military camp was grim and lethal.
In the distance, mountain-like shadows loomed, pressing down with a thick, pungent scent of blood that made it difficult to breathe.
"Lord Duke, is this really wise?"
A solemn middle-aged man in blood-stained armor turned to look at Duke Campbell, who sat at the head of the command tent, after finishing the task assignments for his subordinates.
"What did you say?"
Duke Campbell opened his eyes. Despite a year of brutal warfare against the Demon Race, his gaze remained sharp. His thick beard was like a lion’s mane, giving him an aura of natural authority that commanded respect without him needing to utter a word.
"The matter of handing over authority to the Young Master."
The man hesitated for a moment before offering his counsel. "The Young Master is still young, after all. Even though a storm is brewing in Belland right now, isn't it a bit too risky to just hand over all the resources the Duke’s Estate has left there?"
"Heh, and here I thought you were going to say something important."
Duke Campbell chuckled and closed his eyes again to rest. "The boy needs some tempering. Sooner or later, he’ll have to take over this position as Duke; it’s better he starts getting used to it now. Don't worry, the Campbell family has deep pockets. Even if he decides to be a bit of a spendthrift, how much damage could he really do?"
"Is... is that so?"
The middle-aged man looked at the document in his hand, which had only recently arrived from Belland. "But it seems Young Master Campbell has even sold your manor."
"It’s just a manor. If he sold it, he sold it."
Duke Campbell waved his hand dismissively. "I’m not so petty that I’d fret over a manor or two. If the boy was forced to sell a manor, he must be in desperate need of funds. Let him be."
"But..."
The middle-aged man looked at the figures on the document, hesitating before speaking again. "The Young Master has sold all nine of your manors in the Belland area. Is that really not a problem?"
"What could be the problem? It’s just... wait, how many?!"
Duke Campbell bolted upright, his eyes wide. He slammed his hand on the table and roared, "Nine?! All of them?!"
"Th-that’s right. However, three of them are still listed for sale. After all, putting so many manors on the market at once means there aren't many buyers in Belland with both the need and the financial power to take them all."
"Which means he’s already sold six?!"
Duke Campbell’s cheek twitched, his majestic aura vanishing in an instant as he beat his chest in anguish. "What a disaster! Some of those manors are older than his grandfather’s grandfather! They’re rare antique structures, worth a fortune! Generations of Campbells worked their fingers to the bone to save up this little bit of family legacy, and that brat squandered it all in a single year! If he’s so damn capable, why doesn't he just sell off the Campbell ancestral graves while he's at it?! What a disgrace!"
"Uh... well..."
The middle-aged man, who had been worried just a moment ago, was suddenly at a loss. He stepped forward to offer comfort. "Please calm yourself, my Lord. It’s just a few manors. Compared to the current situation in Belland, they aren't that important. Perhaps Young Master Campbell has some vital use for the money? Don't be angry; it’s not good for your health."
"Then what exactly is he trying to do by selling those manors? His black card has a limit of at least a hundred million Emiel. Is that not enough for him to squander?" Duke Campbell asked, suddenly calming down.
"This... let me see."
The middle-aged man quickly flipped through the intelligence reports. "From what we can gather... he’s been purchasing counterfeit weapons to 'reasonably' phase out old inventory, hiring the Vice President of the Adventurer’s Association, distributing disaster relief funds, buying magic items, and purchasing jewelry and gemstones... that seems to be it."
"That’s it?"
Duke Campbell was dumbfounded. "He sold six of my manors and listed three more just to do that?"
"Well... these things do seem rather expensive..."
"Bullshit! Don't take me for a fool. Even if that brat sold every manor at a fifty percent discount, the money he’d get wouldn't be that little. Can we track all his spending channels?"
"This... he is the Young Master, after all; it’s hard for us to investigate him. Moreover, many private uses are impossible to track. We only know that a large sum of money seems to have entered the accounts of the Saint City."
"The Saint City?"
Duke Campbell frowned. "What is that boy up to?"
"It’s unclear. It is the Saint City, after all," the middle-aged man said with a wry smile. "Our reach doesn't extend that far."
"That boy... his wings have grown strong."
Duke Campbell suddenly let out a long sigh and slumped back into his chair, staring up at the roof of the command tent, which had been blackened by the smoke of the campfire.
After a moment of silence, he suddenly said, "Forget it. Let him go."
"Just... just like that?" the middle-aged man asked in surprise.
"What else? Should I go back right now and give the boy a sound thrashing?"
Duke Campbell glanced at him, the grief and indignation from moments ago seemingly gone. "In any case, all of that will be his in the future. If the boy wants to use up his inheritance ahead of time, that’s his business. My hands are tied from this distance; I can't very well manage him."
"Then... about the transfer of authority..."
"Heh, you think that brat is bold enough to secretly—no, openly—sell my manors, but he won't have the guts to take the authority? Give it to him. Let him toss things around. He scored an eighty on his magic exam—unprecedented for the Campbell family—and I haven't given him a reward for it yet. Consider all of this his reward."
"..."
The middle-aged man’s eye twitched.
A reward?
Giving away things of such immense value as a reward for a single exam... in this entire world, only you, my Lord, who has always doted on the Young Master, would do such a thing.
However...
The middle-aged man caught a glimpse of Duke Campbell’s hand as he tugged forcefully on his beloved beard. He knew the Duke wasn't nearly as magnanimous as he appeared on the surface.
He was actually quite heartbroken over his manors.
"I understand. I will go and make the arrangements immediately."
The middle-aged man took his leave, preparing to depart.
But Duke Campbell suddenly called out to him again. "One more thing. Make sure the intelligence from Belland is delivered promptly from now on. I don't think what’s about to happen in Belland will be that simple."
"Simple?" The middle-aged man smiled bitterly. "The matter of the two princes vying for the throne could hardly be called simple."
"That’s not what I mean."
Duke Campbell tapped his fingers on the table. Spread out before him were detailed accounts of every major event that had occurred in Belland over the past month.
"I have a feeling that all of this... isn't just about a throne. I feel like there’s something else, something currently obscured, hiding behind the scenes."
"Something obscured?" the middle-aged man asked, puzzled. "You know the two princes well, my Lord. Do you believe one of them is brewing some sort of conspiracy?"
"No, I don't know the two princes well. But I do... know His Majesty."
Duke Campbell’s gaze swept over the reports again and again, his brow furrowed. "Our Emperor isn't the type to admit defeat just because of a major illness... yet he has remained silent until now, allowing the entire situation to spiral toward an irreversible point. What exactly is he trying to do?"