Master the Abyss, starting from an apprentice priest.

Chapter 661 The Duke's Proposal (7k1 views, please vote!)
Inside the drawing room of Austin Estate.

The Duke of Kentville, accompanied by two waiters and a squire, sat on a luxuriously decorated sofa, sipping fine black tea, awaiting the "master" of the palace at this moment.

Beside the Duke of Kentville, one of his squire knights—a heavily armored "Knight of the Sky"—was standing on a writhing, struggling sack from which whimpering sounds emanated.

"...It's too noisy, Hubbard."

The Duke of Kentville gently put down his teacup, his brow furrowing slightly as he looked at the struggling sack on the ground.

Hubbard, the "Knight of the Sky" atop the sack, nodded to the Duke of Kentville, then raised his left foot and kicked the sack hard—

—Bang!!!!

A dull thud suddenly erupted from the sack.

When Hubbard's armored boots slammed into the surface of the sack, a large dent instantly formed in it. A piercing scream erupted from the sack, followed by a whimpering sound, and the sack finally came to a stop moving.

Upon seeing this, the Duke of Kentville's furrowed brows finally relaxed, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

The sack contained his gift to the "Radiant Wise King" Rosh Carlos—an assassin from the "Mutual Aid Society" whom the Duke had investigated and captured through special means.

That was the assassin of the "Sixfold Fate" of [Bitter Tea]. Within the "Mutual Aid Society," he was second only to the two infamous "leaders" and was an assassin who served as the "Supervisor" of the "Mutual Aid Society."

When the Duke of Kentville discovered him, the "superintendent" of the Mutual Aid Society was hiding in a mansion, preparing to assassinate a minister.

The minister happened to be a supporter of the Duke of Kentville's faction. Hubbard, the Duke's "Knight of the Sky" and "Knight of the Royal Guard," happened to be passing by and, upon hearing the minister's screams, immediately rushed towards the mansion, where he bumped into the "Chairman of the Council," who had just completed the assassination and were preparing to leave.

In fact, when the "Supervisory Bureau" launched the assassination attempt on the minister, the minister who was to be assassinated had purchased a protective magic puppet from the "Tower of Sages." The puppet exploded with spiritual energy in the surrounding area the moment it was attacked, completely disrupting the supervisory bureau's spiritual perception. As a result, the minister was completely unaware that a "Knight of the Sky" was right next to him at that time.

While the assassins of [Bitter Tea] excel at assassination, they are not adept at direct combat. The moment they encountered Hubbard, they were immediately locked onto and suppressed by Hubbard's spiritual power, while Hubbard's other Supreme Knights sealed off the mansion, blocking all of the "Meeting Council's" escape routes.

The "supervisor" of the Confederate Party was thus quickly subdued by the "Knight of the Sky," Hubbard, who dislocated his jaw and broke his limbs before he could bite the poison and commit suicide, rendering him incapable of any resistance or suicide.

Hubbard brought the "commissioner" back to the Duke of Kentville's residence. No one knows what kind of interrogation the Duke of Kentville and Knight Commander Hubbard conducted on the "commissioner"—all that is known is that when people saw the "commissioner" again, he was incoherent and had fully confessed to everything he knew.

His name is "Zakri Jokic". He received the order to assassinate the minister from the "head" of the Mutual Aid Society. Zakri also confessed that one of the "heads" had close ties with the Duke of Harcasville, and that Zakri was also involved in the Mutual Aid Society's previous plan to assassinate "Cardinal" Rosius Carlos.

This led the Duke of Kentville to discover crucial evidence that could bring down Duke Harkas, or at least severely injure him within the [Supreme] realm—

If we can follow the lead of "Supervisor" Zachary Jokic and find and control one of the major "leaders" of the Confederate Party, we can use the "soul-searching" interrogation method that the Duke of Kentville himself possesses to obtain evidence of the Duke of Harkas's collusion with the Confederate Party and solidify the Duke of Harkas's crimes.

Such a plan requires help, and in the eyes of the Duke of Kentville, the best "ally" is undoubtedly Cardinal Rosius Carlos, who was recently assassinated by the Mutual Aid Society. This cardinal was recently conferred the title of "Radiant Wise King" by Emperor Augustusville, and even from a political point of view, he is worth befriending.

"...Hubbard."

The Duke of Kentville picked up his teacup, took a sip, and exhaled a puff of hot air, a look of enjoyment on his face.

"When is that Rosh Carlos coming to see me?"

"..."

“I think it should be soon, Duke. The holy deacon under the wise king told me that he has conveyed the news of your arrival to the wise king, and he will come to see you immediately upon receiving the news.”

"..."

squeak-

Just as the "Knight of the Gods" Hubbard was responding to the somewhat impatient Duke of Kentville, the drawing room door creaked open, and a "cardinal" dressed in a pure white robe and wearing a pure white crown adorned with gold walked in.

"Radiant Wise King" Rosh Carlos.

He was still wearing the robes of a cardinal, but with subtle differences. The most striking difference was the crown he was wearing—the crown bestowed upon him by Emperor Augustus. Although it was not of divine quality, it was still a rather luxurious crown that clearly signified his status.

On his cardinal robes, he wore a striking gold pin at the front—a pin shaped like a scepter, with a crown and a sword at either end, signifying the dual symbolism of "king" and "holy judgment".

"I apologize for keeping you waiting, Your Excellency Duke of Kentville."

Luo Xiu greeted the Duke of Kentville with a smile as he sat on the sofa, sipping his tea.

……

The moment Luo Xiu entered the reception room, he began to observe the Duke of Kentville himself.

The Duke leaned back in the high-backed chair in the drawing room, the velvet cushions slightly sagged under his slightly plump body. His well-maintained hands were clasped together on his protruding belly, his left hand caressing the jade thumb ring on his right thumb.

His attire was a classic aristocratic style, not concerned with highlighting any particular features or style, but rather with emphasizing the luxurious materials used—Luo Xiu could tell that the thumb ring worn by the old duke was extremely valuable, perhaps worth three cities, and not only that, it might even be a "divine object".

The deep green flowing within the ring now shimmered faintly. The Duke of Kentville's fingers caressed the ring, its energy sometimes contracting, sometimes releasing a powerful surge of spiritual energy. In Luo Xiu's "perception," it seemed as if he could hear the wails of millions residing within that jade ring.

“No, it hasn’t been too long, Your Majesty Rosh Carlos.”

A bright smile appeared on the Duke of Kentville's face. He looked to his sides, where two waiters poured him fresh tea and served him new cups.

"Please sit down, Your Majesty the Wise King."

Kentville pointed to the empty glass in front of Rosh and said with a smile, “Tell my waiter what you would like to drink, tea, coffee, wine, or juice? I was in a hurry, haha, my waiter only had time to prepare these.”

“I think there is nothing lacking in this Austin Estate.”

Luo Xiu smiled in response to the Duke of Kentville, and then sat down in front of a velvet sofa facing the Duke.

"no no."

The Duke of Kentville shook his head, a sly smile playing on his lips, and said:

“I never consume any of these, except for food brought from my own residence. Is this a habit? This habit has stayed with me ever since I became the ‘Red Crown Prince’ at the age of forty.”

"Besides, this is Austin Estate, the property of the Duke of Austin... Heh. If it weren't for seeing you, our beloved King, I wouldn't have come here."

"..."

The Duke of Kentville gave Rosh his first impression of being a cautious old fox.

Indeed, it is rare to hear of the Duke of Kentville attending a banquet hosted by another duke—invitations are always extended from Kentville House to other dignitaries, and the Duke of Kentville himself never responds to any other invitations.

Among the "Red Crown Princes" of the Empire, there are also many opposing factions. Conservative representatives like the Duke of Kentville have never been on good terms with the radicals represented by the Duke of Harcas. If the Duke of Kentville does not maintain a high degree of caution, any of these methods, such as poisoning or assassination, could be fatal.

Although the Duke of Kentville was also a Saint who had entered the Seventh Destiny of the Supreme, ever since that "Night of Wailing," even someone as powerful as the Duke of Kentville always had a sense of crisis as if the Sword of Damocles was hanging over his head.

"Then, tea."

Roth smiled in response to the Duke of Kentville.

Luo Xiu's cultural background from his previous life made him quite fond of drinking tea. The Duke of Kentville's waiter bowed respectfully to Luo Xiu, then picked up the teapot and filled the teacup in front of Luo Xiu to two-thirds full.

The aroma of tea was irresistible, and even though Luo Xiu didn't have much knowledge or expertise in the field, he knew that this was a premium tea brewed from the finest leaves, completely different from ordinary teas.

Luo Xiu also picked up his teacup, took a sip, and exhaled a puff of hot air.

“Your Majesty, I have heard that you were assassinated in the suburbs of the capital.”

The Duke of Kentville smiled and said:

“I heard that it was the work of a secret order called ‘Serpent’s Candle’ and an assassination organization called ‘Mutual Aid Society’. Of course, seeing your current state, I’m pretty sure that the assassination didn’t have too much of an impact on you.”

“Indeed.” Luo Xiu smiled and nodded in response.

“The people they sent weren’t strong; I think it was just a test. I haven’t encountered anything like that since, but I still want to know who sent them—past experience tells me that the ‘Serpent’s Candle’ secret order and the ‘Mutual Aid Society’ don’t work together.”

"..."

"hehe."

The Duke of Kentville smiled.

"That is the purpose of my coming here—Hubbard, to present the 'gift' we have brought to our wise king."

“Yes, Duke.”

"The Knight of the Sky," Hubbard, spoke in a cold voice from beneath his visor, then bent down, his heavy, cold armor plates clanging.

He grabbed the sack with his right hand and lifted it up like a chick. Then, he untied one end of the rope and turned the sack upside down—

Crash! Bang!

A human-shaped lump was poured out of the sack, and the blood-soaked, bound-up human figure was slapped on the ground like a meat pie.

He was still breathing weakly, seemingly still alive. Luo Xiu's panel had already confirmed that he was an assassin, [Bitter Tea]'s sixth-level destiny, "Slayer" Kalon. He appeared to have suffered inhuman torture; during [Supreme]'s interrogation, it was to the point of "torture him to death if he doesn't die."

In the "Status" section of "Killer" Caron, there are quite a few negative statuses related to "soul" such as "Soul Destruction," "Deep Soul Stealing," and "Soul Disintegration"—before being brought here by the Duke of Kentville, this assassin's soul had already been thoroughly searched, to the point of being as clean as if the ground had been scraped clean.

“He was an assassin from the ‘Mutual Aid Society’ who assassinated one of my retainers, but was spotted by my loyal knight while fleeing. He was subdued and brought before me.”

A victorious smile spread across the Duke of Kentville's plump face as he stroked the jade ring on his right hand and said:
“I used a few tricks, ha, to get him to spill everything. I know he was sent by another duke to silence any dissent against him.”

“However, what I saw in this assassin’s mind—the order to assassinate you given by the leader of the Mutual Aid Society—was also manipulated by that ‘Duke’ behind the scenes. He also wanted to eliminate you.”

"..." (Something I don't know....jpg)
Looking at the Duke of Kentville in front of him, Luo Xiu could sense the smugness that the Duke was intentionally or unintentionally revealing. He must have thought that this information was quite important to him, and that the "unknown duke's hostility towards him must be enough to make him fearful," so as to form a certain degree of alliance with the Duke of Kentville.

But what he didn't know was that he had known all along that it was the Duke of Harkas's doing.

"Hmm." Luo Xiu nodded slightly as he pondered.

"I have no intention of getting involved in the political struggles between the [Supreme]. However, if any duke harbors ill will towards me, I think it must be because he has some misunderstanding about me."

He continued:

"I will soon return to Red Maple City to begin establishing a new parish. I do not intend to investigate the assassination attempt that occurred in the suburbs of the capital. I plan to treat it as a revenge by heretics, after all, I have encountered similar assassination attempts many times before."

"..."

"You are so kind, my wise king."

The Duke of Kentville was still smiling, but he could also sense that Roth seemed unconcerned about the "gift," and his smile faded, his boastfulness diminished.

“It’s just that I personally want to be friends with you,” the Duke of Kentville said. “I’m handing this Mutual Aid assassin over to you; you can do with him as you see fit.”

"However, don't you want to hear which duke wants to make a move against you?"

"And I also have a proposal to show our sincerity—if we work together to bring down that duke, I can share one-third of the duke's assets with you, and you will also have my support forever. I will fight for you a permanent seat in the Imperial Council."

"..."

Liquidating a third of Duke Harcas's fortune? And a permanent seat in the Imperial Council... To be honest, these things don't hold much appeal for Luo Xiu right now.

But the Duke of Kentville's words reminded him that although the "Supreme" Red Crown Prince could only ever be a temporary ally, truly overthrowing the Duke of Harcas would also benefit him, and the benefits would be far more than what the Duke of Kentville mentioned.

“I’ve heard about what’s been happening in the city lately.”

Luo Xiu smiled and said, "You had some conflict with another duke, the Duke of Hukasville. Are you trying to say that the assassination attempt on me was launched by the Duke of Hukasville?"

"..."

"You are indeed extremely wise, Your Majesty the Wise King."

The Duke of Kentville smiled.

He received a somewhat affirmative response from Luo Xiu, and thus was finally able to say the words he had already prepared:

"You are a Saint of [Glory], hehe, you should know that some 'Red Crown Princes' are extremely disgusted with all those who have not been born into [Supreme] Saints, whether they are sages from the Tower of Sages or saints from the Holy Court, they are all regarded as threats by them, and Duke Hakkas is such a person."

"And what I know is that your assassination attempt and the attack and disappearance of Duke Harkas's 'messenger' occurred at the same time. I suspect that Duke Harkas orchestrated it himself, with the aim of creating chaos so that he could take the opportunity to eliminate a large number of people who disagree with him."

"Heh, Duke Harkas wants to eliminate you first. To cover up his tracks, he sent people to pretend to attack his own people, fabricating the disappearance of a 'messenger' so that he can remove himself from the picture. Then he can launch a campaign of questioning and accusations against the other dukes and start a large-scale chaos to eliminate dissidents!"

"This is Duke Harkas's plan. Heh, you and I are both victims. My wise king, can we stand idly by and watch innocent people suffer in the face of such evil?"

"..."

As he listened to what the Duke of Kentville said, a look of sudden realization appeared on Luo Xiu's face.

You mean—Duke Harkas sent Earl Hayek to seek refuge in the Duchy of Austin, then had him arrested en route, staging a disappearance to create chaos and eliminate his political enemies, all to satisfy Duke Harkas's own political goals!

—That's so right, bro! That's so right!
How come I didn't think of that explanation! .jpg
As expected, the Red-Crowned Princes were all talented individuals. Luo Xiu suppressed a smile and looked at the Duke of Kentville, who was deeply convinced and lost in his own fantasies, oblivious to the world around him. He nodded solemnly.

"you're right."

“We certainly cannot stand idly by and do nothing about such heinous acts.”

“However, it seems that Duke Harkas has softened his actions recently. I think he might restrain himself, and you…”

"That's just plotting a bigger conspiracy, humph."

The Duke of Kentville's face darkened.

“If Duke Harkas weren’t older than me and hadn’t become the ‘Red-Crowned Prince’ many years earlier, I would have suspected that he was a ‘Slayer of Order’ for disregarding the Emperor’s authority and causing such chaos. Forgive my bluntness, but this will only shake the foundations of the Empire!”

"..."

Don't doubt it, it's a .jpg file.
The Duke of Kentville ruled out the correct answer first; the conservatives were indeed too conservative. However, he couldn't let them know that the Duke of Harkas was a "Order Killer," as he didn't have concrete evidence, and besides, he still had some use for the Duke of Harkas's identity.

"So, what are your thoughts?" Luo Xiu asked the Duke of Kentville.

“I hope you can help me and stand on our side,” said the Duke of Kentville. “With your status as the ‘Radiant Wise King,’ all you need to do is declare to your followers that the ‘Assassin’s Guild’ and the ‘Serpent’s Candle’ are enemies of the Holy Court, and vaguely spread rumors about Hakkas’s connection to these cultists.”

"And I will continue to gather evidence of Duke Hakkas's collusion with the 'Assassin's Guild' and the 'Serpent's Candle.' As long as we join forces and truly label Duke Hakkas as 'colluding with heretics and cults,' we can arouse His Majesty the Emperor's vigilance and bring the highest punishment upon him."

"..."

It's such a long and roundabout way... But, coming back to the point, was the Duke of Kentville's purpose in coming to him really just to unite with him to overthrow the Duke of Harkas? Or was his main purpose simply to unite with him so that everyone could see that he was on the Duke of Kentville's side...?

I have absolutely no interest in participating in the political struggles between the "Supremes." Unless the Duke of Kentville can offer me benefits I can't refuse, taking sides will be a limitation for me.

Luo Xiu was weighing his options, but the Duke of Kentville had already made his point clear. However, Luo Xiu didn't want to give the Duke of Kentville a definite answer for the time being.

It would be better for Roth to have a clear demand from "Red Crown Princes" like the Duke of Kentville, but still maintain a relatively ambiguous relationship with them.

Just as he was thinking about how to brush it off and then slowly devise a way to deal with Duke Harkas, there was a knock on the drawing room door—

Thump, thump.

People even come to visit me!

Luo Xiu's expression turned serious. He had instructed Hubert beforehand that unless it was a very important guest, he should say he wasn't there. But since the visitor had come directly to the reception room, it meant that in Hubert's eyes, it was an "important guest"—

Then the door opened, and a High Knight walked in.

"Pillar Knight" Asriel, dressed in the magnificent and dazzling Supreme Knight Armor, this time without the heavy visor, his stern and serious face, with a dignified and cautious gaze, first looked at Luo Xiu, and then at Duke Kentville.

It was visible to the naked eye that Asriel's pupils contracted slightly when he saw the Duke of Kentville.

Clearly, he hadn't expected to see a "Red Crown Prince" duke here. As for Asleil, he absolutely couldn't contradict the Duke of Kentville, but he did interrupt the conversation between the Duke of Kentville and Rosh!

However, Asleil had his reasons—he was sent by Emperor Augustusville, an imperial envoy. On the contrary, the Duke of Kentville's presence seemed suspicious, as if he and Rosh were plotting something dangerous and unpleasant.

When Luo Xiu saw Asleil, his eyes lit up.

Asleil has arrived just in time!
In any case, the Duke of Kentville's "proposal" can no longer be discussed, and since I don't need to give the Duke of Kentville a clear answer anytime soon, my attitude towards the Duke of Harcas and the Duke of Kentville can be quite flexible.

When Kentville saw "Sky Pillar Knight" Asriel arrive, his expression changed slightly.

He knew that Asleil must have been sent by Emperor Augustusville, and what he and Luo Xiu had said—the plot to overthrow another "Red Crown Prince" duke—was not something that Asleil should hear, even if the emperor knew all about it but just pretended to turn a blind eye.

The Duke of Kentville then rose, bid farewell to Roth, and said:
"It seems you have a new guest visiting you, Your Majesty the Wise King."

"I'll head back now. You can think about what I've said to you carefully, and I look forward to your reply."

Luo Xiu also stood up and smiled as he bid farewell to the Duke of Kentville:

"Please take your time, Duke."

“I will think about what you have mentioned, and when the time comes, I will send one of my saints to visit you in return.”

The Duke of Kentville nodded, and then, with his knights and servants, left the drawing room and departed the palace.

……

Until the Duke of Kentville had completely left.

Asleil then looked at Luo Xiu and, in a tone that was half questioning and somewhat serious, said:

"Duke, what brings the 'Red-Crowned Prince' Duke of Kentville to see you?"

"...some political matters, you know, my friend."

Luo Xiu responded to Asriel with a wry smile, then greeted Asriel:

"Please sit down, make yourself at home with something to eat or drink. You must have something important to tell me so late at night."

“I won’t sit,” Asleil nodded and said.

"I've come to you to fulfill our previous agreement."

"His Majesty the Emperor promised you that you could go to his treasury and choose a treasure to take with you. I'm here to take you to his treasury. His Majesty specifically instructed me to do so because this is a vow he made to you, and he will definitely fulfill it."

"However, Luo Xiu, His Majesty the Emperor also asked me to warn you that your performance at the investiture ceremony displeased him greatly. However, His Majesty is kind and benevolent; he forgave your overstepping and still bestowed treasures upon you. But you must never disappoint His Majesty again."

……

(End of this chapter)