Translator: Cinder Translations
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"That unfilial son offered my Joan to those bloodthirsty beasts!"
Duke Bradley accused his second son, Lamost, with every word dripping with blood and grief.
From a young age, Lamost had shown a keen interest in power. However, after long observation, Duke Bradley concluded that the boy's abilities did not match his passion for power, especially since he had an elder brother above him.
Duke Bradley had made it clear to his second son Haly on: as long as his Joan remained unharmed, the dukedom's inheritance would never fall to Lamost.
To his utter dismay, when no accident occurred, Lamost created one. Joan died in a duel with orcs, and Lamost showed an unprincipled submission to the orcs, allowing the barbaric tribes from the grasslands to trample over the legacy of the Bradley family that had been passed down for generations.
"I regret my past decisions, I truly regret my foolish actions!" Duke Bradley stomped his feet in anguish, crying out in pain: "When that wretch was captured by the kingdom's army, I shouldn't have spent a fortune to ransom him back. I should have let that beast rot in prison into a pile of filth."
At this point, Duke Bradley's eyes suddenly widened, and he stepped forward, grabbing Paul's arm tightly, "You are also to blame, why did you let him go? Why did you send this devil back to plague us?"
Paul coldly snorted, unceremoniously shaking off Bradley, letting him fall backward onto the floor. Bradley's servants hurried forward, just in time to prevent the duke's head from hitting the ground.
"Duke, you need to understand, this is your own son! Given his behavior, shouldn't you look for reasons within yourself?"
Duke Bradley's lips moved as if he wanted to defend himself.
But Paul was already tired of his performance.
"Listen, Dusan Bradley, you need to understand your situation—the hat of a traitor is still on your head! I don't care about the mess within your family, I only care about one thing, whether you can provide me with help—help to defeat the orcs!"
"Of course, I can provide you with help!" Duke Bradley seemed to regain some composure.
"Don't forget, the Duke of the Blackstone Pass has always been me, there are many loyal to me there, Lamost that brat has only been in power for a few days! Grayman, if you are willing to help me take revenge, kill that scoundrel Lamost, and... help me reclaim the Bradley family's territory, I will contact them, have them act as insiders for the army."
Duke Bradley's delusional words almost made Paul laugh, he was still dreaming of using the Northwest Army's strength to reclaim his territory.
In the future, there will inevitably be war with the orcs, but one thing is certain, no matter what, the Blackstone Pass will no longer bear the Bradley name!
Paul neither immediately agreed nor outright rejected the duke's proposal, allowing him to retain some fantasy, perhaps it would make him cooperate more vigorously?
He said, "Alright, Duke Bradley! You can stay here for now, cultivate your mind, stabilize your emotions. If you have anything to confess, write it down, we will study every word you write. But..."
Paul's eyes suddenly frosted over, "If when I truly need your help, and you cannot provide any valuable assistance, then I will certainly act according to the rules."
Without waiting for Duke Bradley to respond, he walked out of the room with Hal Duke.
After walking a bit further, he looked at Duke: "My dear Hal, do you like the gift I brought you?"
In the latter half of the meeting, although Hal Duke's eyes still burned with anger, he remained silent about Dusan Bradley, letting Duke Bradley rant loudly.
Hearing Paul's words, Hal Duke's weathered face showed a moment of confusion: "Are you referring to Dusan Bradley? This is indeed a good gift, thank you, Marquis Grayman, but I would like to make a bold request: please allow me to handle this precious gift myself."
Paul, as if anticipating his words, joked: "According to tradition, the disposal of nobles of Hal rank and above must be decided by His Majesty the King."
"To hell with tradition!" Hal Duke said bitterly: "I just want to use a small knife to cut off pieces of flesh from Dusan Bradley, to watch this traitor fall into hell in pain and wailing! Wait..."
He suddenly looked at Paul, "Marquis, if Bradley can indeed provide you with help, would you spare his sinful life because of that?"
"Rest assured, Hal." Paul solemnly replied: "The Watchtower Fortress, the Neron Corridor, the Blackstone Pass, the kingdom's army and people have suffered hardships they should not have endured because of this man. No matter what kind of amends Bradley can make, it cannot erase the crimes he has committed."
Hal Duke's face showed gratitude, "You uphold justice and righteousness, the great Heavenly Father will bless you."
He then said with some doubt: "Actually, I don't quite understand why Bradley shows such hatred for his second son Lamost! If I had experienced what he did, sorrow would be my only emotion for a while."
"I have a guess!" Paul said: "Perhaps cursing Lamost can alleviate some of Bradley's guilt."
Hal Duke looked at him: "What do you mean?"
Paul sneered and explained: "Before the orcs invaded the northeast of the kingdom, Duke Bradley was the undisputed ruler of the Blackstone Pass. Wasn't it his decision to invite the orc army into Aldor? No matter how the situation turned out, he is the chief culprit behind today's situation!"
"His performance in front of us today greatly diluted his role as the main culprit, focusing instead on the betrayal of his second son Lamost, portraying himself as a pitiful old man suffering from a family catastrophe."
Hal Duke deeply agreed with Paul's words, "Now that you mention it, it does seem very likely! That cunning fellow."
"But I also find it strange." Paul inquired: "He only has two sons, the eldest has been killed, only Lamost remains, and now he wants us to kill Lamost, isn't he afraid of ending his lineage?"
Hal Duke sneered, "Do you think a great noble like Bradley would only have one woman? Let me tell you, this guy's bloodline in the common folk could form a company!"
(End of the Chapter)
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