The journey back to the estate was short.

  Perhaps because of the joy they gained from this victory or adrenaline still pumping in their veins, time seems to have passed in a flash.

  After returning to his mansion, Marcus instructed one of the guards to inform the kitchen to prepare lunch for them.

  And then left for his office and called for Joshua.

  “My lord,” Joshua stepped in, a bit nervous. His gaze traveled to Bradley, who was standing next to the chair on which Marcus was seated.

  Before, Joshua saw Marcus as a dying noble whom he was tied to by oath.

  And this notion lasted for years.

  Until a few nights ago, when the news of the young lord waking up and gaining clarity spread throughout the entire mansion.

  That night, Joshua thought of breaking his oath.

  But he felt that if he had done that, his path in knighthood would have been affected greatly.

  A knight doesn't make an oath so easily. For their oaths are tied to their paths.

  Breaking the oath was no different from breaking their paths.

  And recovering from such a thing was easier said than done.

  This was the major reason why he and the rest had chosen to remain in Marcus's estate while the rest of their brethren left.

  Did they despise him?

  Very much, they wished for nothing more than his demise. Their freedom and future were in the hands of a dying, weak, lord.

  Marcus had always been talented in management and governing, but that was it.

  After finding out that the young lord was also a mage, Joshua wasn't sure of how he should act in front of him.

  Watching the young lord focus as he wrote smoothly on a sheet of paper, before putting his stamp on it and placing it into an envelope.

  Marcus put his seal on the envelope and called him forward.

  “Take this to the Imperial Capital and submit it to the Bureau of Mining. The journey there should take you half a day to complete. Whether they give you a swift response or not, I want you back here in 2 days.”

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  Joshua stared at the envelope for a second before collecting it. “It will be done, my lord.”

  With a bow, Joshua quickly left the room.

  “Lord Marcus, why didn't you include Baron Savani’s crimes in your report?”

  Bradley asked, a bit uncomfortable with this.

  “Two reasons Bradley, firstly, because it will expose Baron Savani. Secondly, because I don't know who has been buying the iron he mined from him.

  “Let me ask you this, who in Ulha would actually dare to buy iron from an unregistered mine?”

  Bradley frowned as his mind began working. But before he could speak, Marcus continued.

  “A Count? A Marquise? Even worse… a Duke?”

  “Wouldn't that be too much, my lord? If a Duke is caught doing such, even suspected, they might lose all that their forefathers have worked for in a single night.”

  “Not necessarily Bradley, they don't need to buy it themselves. They can have legal bodies obtain them at a lower price for them, after all, it's illegal, they surely wouldn't buy at market price.”

  What Marcus had just said was true. But Bradley found it hard to believe.

  Perhaps it was true for Counts and Marquises, but Dukes? They answered to no one but his majesty.

  Because of the power they possess, the rules around them were even more strict when compared to those of other nobles.

  They enjoyed power yes, but also a certain life of suppression.

  Any act that could be interpreted as treason must be avoided at all costs.

  And buying iron from an illegal source would definitely be considered one, after all, iron mines are meant to be controlled by the Royal Court alone.

  Bradley understood one of the reasons, but the first one still eluded him.

  ‘Is the young lord trying to avoid stepping on some powerful people's toes? Surely reporting this matter might annoy some who are involved, if there are any, but Baron Savani is not enough to warrant any movement from the power.’

  Bradley thought.

  In fact, if they did move against Marcus over the exposure of Baron Savani's crimes, it would only expose their identities too.

  “I still don't understand why you didn't expose Baron Savani.”

  Marcus smiled.

  Bradley was good at admiration, however, when it came to politics, he was a bit behind.

  Or rather, he lacked the cunning needed to navigate the way.

  “Because I want to collect some ransom from him, and also hush money for not reporting him. And also because I want him to know that I have a blade resting on his neck. I have been out of commission for a long time, I need someone whose hands have been in Agard's honey pot to tell some tales to me.”

  The more Marcus spoke, the wider his smile became.

  …

  Eastern District.

  Savani's Manor.

  Egar Savani was reclining on a chair with an apron over his neck. His eyes were closed, trembling slightly as he enjoyed the feel of a blade shaving the hairs on his chin.

  His hair was black, save for a few that had gone grey.

  Everything seemed to be going well, everything was as usual.

  And that was when it happened.

  “My lord!” A guard burst through the door of the room, startling the man shaving the Baron’s face.

  Luckily for him, the blade didn't draw blood.

  Annoyed that his rest had been interrupted, Egar frowned as he glared at the guard.

  “You'd better have a good reason for barging in.”

  “Apologies, my lord, but the young lord, Deril, has been arrested.”

  “What!? By who!?” Egar shot up from his chair.

  “By the Governor my lord, Marcus Sirdi.”

  As soon as this name was said, Baron Savani’s expression morphed into a confused frown.

  “The mad lord? Isn't he meant to be on his deathbed?”

  “My lord, he seems to be well and healthy. Not only did he arrest young master Deril, but he also confiscated our cargoes.”

  “What!?” This time, the Baron's voice seemed to echo throughout the room.

  He pulled the apron off his neck and began walking towards the door as his mind tried to figure out what went wrong.

  He knew that his son, Deril, was arrogant, but he wasn't dumb. How did he get on the viscount’s bad side?

  ‘No, more importantly, why did the viscount seize the cargoes? Was he aware of what we were smuggling?’

  Baron Savani looked at the guard who came to report the situation to him. “What happened? How did it get to this point?”

  “Lord Deril wanted to publicly execute a commoner and the governor was coincidentally passing by. When he came to de-escalate the situation, lord Deril insulted him openly…”

  “That Idiot!” Baron Savani kicked the door that was in his way as he stepped into a hallway.

  ‘So it wasn't that the young Viscount was aware of what we were smuggling, rather, he did it to have me come see him. But still, if he didn't know, now he does.’

  A surge of dread and fear filled his heart as he thought of the consequences he would face if the Royal Court was notified.

  ‘Everything is still under control. I can just say that I legally purchased the iron from the Royal Court and haven't had time to submit a notice to his office.’

  Baron Savani paused.

  “Call Jeybar for me, tell him to bring out a few silver coins from the treasury…”

  He paused again.

  “Tell him to include a few valuable items in it.”

  The guard quickly moved to do as he was told.

  “You! Tell the stable to prepare a carriage for me.”

  A mix of emotions went through the Baron's mind as he tried to recall the young viscount.

  He was one of the few who stayed out of Marcus's way when the young man was made Governor.

  They barely had much interaction, and the little they had was not enough for the man to have a firm grasp on the young viscount's personality.

  …