It was already a few days later when he returned to Ark Harbor. Sitting in the carriage, Allen lifted the curtain and looked outside. This time, there was no welcoming procession, no fluttering flags, and no people lining the streets to welcome him. What Allen saw was only a faint sorrow hidden in the corner, in the depths of people\'s expressions, or in the dim sunlight. Even the people walking on the street seemed to be lighter than usual, as if they were afraid of disturbing someone.
"Looks like the count\'s situation isn\'t optimistic."
Sitting on the other side of Allen, Lucy withdrew her gaze from the window. He looked at Allen and said, "What are you going to do?"
"Fulfill my previous promise," Allen said without even thinking about it.
Beside Lucy, Adele said disapprovingly, "Do you really think of Ou Ban as a friend? Don\'t forget who we are. The current situation is in our favor. You should control his eldest son. First, control from behind the scenes, and finally take over Ou Ban\'s foundation and territory. With Daniel\'s territory, we\'ll have a better start. "
\ '"I know my identity very well, and I know the current situation. But Adele, there are times and things that you can\'t always put your interests first. Since I promised Ou Ban, I won\'t go back on my word. This is the minimum morality for a dying man. "Allen lowered his eyes and his gaze fell on his knees.
Adele shrugged her shoulders and said, "Well, morality. I\'ll make a suggestion for what you men always say. You\'re the head, so of course you have the final say. "
\ '"After seeing Ou Ban, we\'ll go back to Storm City and probably return to Earth once more. Now that this place has basically stabilized, we have to consolidate and develop before we have the strength to continue northward and further expand our territory. I want to take advantage of this time to go back and prepare for the transportation of goods between the two places. A regular route protected by the Federation must be determined, and some business partners. Leon can probably help with this. "Allen smiled.
Adele rolled her eyes and said, "I hope that guy doesn\'t lose his life in the surface war."
"That won't happen." Allen was full of confidence in Leon.
At this moment, the carriage entered White Castle and stopped in front of the square. Allen calmed himself down, straightened his clothes, and got off the carriage. Lucy and Adele followed behind him, and the butler, Mace, who had been waiting for a long time, hurriedly greeted him, "Lord Allen, you are finally here."
Allen nodded and asked in a deep voice: "How is the Count?"
Matt smiled bitterly, "It's getting worse. We have invited the best doctors, including the master you sent. However, the count's condition did not improve. In fact, it was getting worse every day. The count was in his bedroom, and that day he wished to finalize his will. I've specially invited a few witnesses, and you're the only one left. "
"Please lead the way."
Lucy, the two women, and the guards were taken to other rooms in the castle to rest. Allen quickly walked through the corridors of the inner castle with Mace. The entire White Castle was shrouded in layers of gloomy clouds. Even the sunlight that shone through the window on the carpet looked pale. In the corridor outside the Count's bedroom, several chairs were temporarily set up for visiting guests to rest. When Allen arrived, there were already several people sitting outside the corridor.
Among them were the Count's eldest son, Gills, Viscount Grar, the Count's wife, and Jorah. Seeing Allen, Jorah greeted him first. Her face was filled with exhaustion that she couldn't hide. Her face was no longer as lustrous as before, and her eyes were bloodshot. It seemed that the hard work of taking care of the count these days was written all over her face. Jorah nodded and said, "You're here. Brother is waiting for you."
Allen nodded, and Mace had already entered the bedroom to report. A moment later, he walked out and whispered, "Lord Allen, the count invites you in."
Hearing this, the people in the corridor had different expressions. Glar lowered his head to conceal the resentment in his eyes. Gills looked a little hurried and uneasy, but his mother lowered her head and wept. Under different gazes, Allen pushed open the bedroom door. A pungent smell of medicine, a faint smell of blood, and other smells surged out. This room was deathly silent. Death's gaze had already landed on this place, and even the air was lifeless.
The bedroom was covered with a dark red carpet. Normally, it looked noble, but now it gave off a heavy feeling that could not be ignored. The entrance was a set of resting sand kits, and the elegant wallpaper decorated with rose patterns extended deep into the room. After passing through a set of partitions that were clearly oriental, Allen first saw a large bed with a luxurious gold-plated frame. The bed was covered with snow-white trousers, and on both sides were folded up yarn. Earl Oban was sitting on the bed with a soft pillow on his back. He seemed to be in good spirits today, flipping through a book of poems with one hand, while the other lay flat on the edge of the bed. Baggins was giving him an injection, and the two maids beside him were acting as nurses, using water to change the bandages on Ou Ban\'s chest.
As soon as the bandages, which were almost dyed black, entered the clear water, they immediately turned into an oppressive dark red blood halo. Seeing this, Allen\'s chest felt as if something was blocking it, and he felt quite uncomfortable. The bedroom was very quiet, both Baggins and the maids, and their movements were light. Only the count\'s heavy breathing sounded. It was like a leaking bellows, and it sounded like the count was struggling to breathe in every set of breaths.
Hearing the movement, the count raised his head. With a forced smile on his golden paper-like face, Ou Ban said in a hoarse voice, "You\'re here, friend."
He looked at Baggins and said, "Master, I would like to talk to Allen alone."
Baggins nodded and waved his hand for the two maids to carry the things down first. He came to Allen\'s side and whispered, "I just gave him an injection to refresh him. But don\'t talk too long. The count has to make a will, which will consume a lot of his energy. "
"I know."
After everyone went down, Allen walked to the bed and moved a chair to sit down. Ou Ban stretched out his hand to him. The count\'s palm was trembling slightly, like an old man who was eroding in the wind. Allen sighed in his heart and reached out to hold the count\'s hand. Ou Ban smiled and said, "I have always been proud of my friends all over the world. My connections are so wide that I can cover half of the empire. Although the territory is located in the south, far away from the prosperous political and commercial areas of the north. But I believe that one day, I will also stand above the imperial court, and my Radley family will eventually become a famous clan of the empire. "
At this point, Ou Ban smiled bitterly and said, "But all of this is like a bubble in the sun, disappearing in both."
Looking at the emaciated count on the bed, Allen felt a slight sadness in his heart. Ou Ban did not have any achievements in terms of personal strength, but he could also be considered ambitious. But now, his ambition could only be gradually depressed under the torture of the disease. It was indeed lamentable.
"After I die, the Earls of Rackett and Kent will definitely take the opportunity to cause trouble. These two fellows weren\'t worth worrying about in the past. However, Gills was still too young. Ruola\'s martial arts were passable, but she was still a girl. Moreover, the Marquis of Iron Spear had already replied, and Hoey said that the marriage would be done as soon as possible. If Gills left, it would be difficult for him to support himself. There\'s also a Glar. I was going to deal with him after I finished Daniel\'s war. But now, I can\'t do that. However, keeping him by Gills\ 'side is always a hidden danger. "Ou Ban shook his head and sighed. It wasn\'t hard to hear the internal and external troubles of the territory from his words.
Originally, Ou Ban had already made arrangements for these problems, but unfortunately, he didn\'t have much time left. Many plans simply didn\'t have time to implement them.
Allen patted the back of his hand and said, "I will do my best to help Earl Gills."
Hearing that, Ou Ban squeezed out a smile, "Sir Allen, I knew who you were from the day you joined me." Long Zeng told me to be wary of you because you are an ambitious person. One day, when I can no longer accommodate your ambition, perhaps I will become the object of your conquest. So I have some arrangements that were originally left for you. But I didn\'t expect that you would be the only person I can entrust it to. "
\ '"If you want to go further, Rhine is an important bridge for you. But you can\'t trust him too much. My advice is to maintain a proper relationship of interest with Rhine, which will be beneficial to your career. " Ou Ban said seriously, "With your ability, the hereditary Earl should not be a problem. I think the Marquis of the Empire is your real goal. If you can step into the Saint realm, then the Empire will probably welcome a fifth Duke. "
Allen didn\'t comment and just smiled. Ou Ban had already tried his best to overestimate his ambitions, but Ou Ban didn\'t know his identity, so he didn\'t know the blueprint in Allen\'s heart. The Bailey Empire was just a stage goal.
Ou Ban wanted to prop himself up, but Allen hurriedly helped him up. He smiled and said, "You can come today, and I\'m in much better spirits. Let\'s make a will. Allen, please go outside and call in the relevant people. "
A moment later, the person designated by Ou Ban continued to walk into the bedroom. Apart from the people in the corridor, there was another clerk. Allen naturally gave the bedside seat to the clerk so that he could record. The Count\'s wife threw herself on the edge of the bed on the other side of Ou Ban, already holding the Count\'s hand and sobbing.
Ou Ban wiped the tears off her face and whispered, "I invited everyone here today to be a witness for me." I can\'t do it anymore, so I have to take advantage of the fact that I can still speak and arrange things properly in the future. Every decision I\'ve made has been carefully considered, and there are no other third-party influences. Therefore, after my death, this will must be carried out and implemented. If anyone violates it, I will entrust Sir Allen to punish them severely. Sir Allen will be the witness and guardian of this will, and I have given him the right to maintain its smooth implementation. If necessary, force can be used. This is the first clause of the will! "
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