Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios Grand Duke Cambert stormed into the study, his face clouded. He was obviously dissatisfied with the outcome of the meeting. The anger he was suppressing made every servant and maid tremble in fear, afraid that Grand Duke Cambert would vent his anger on them.
However, Grand Duke Cambert was not as petty as the servants and maids thought. Naturally, he was not angry at the servants. For the Grand Duke, venting his anger on these servants was of no use. He had to think carefully about how to convince the opposition in the Trade Union Parliament. In this difficult time, everyone should unite as one and put their efforts in the same direction, instead of dragging everyone down and making everyone anxious …
"Did those reckless idiots piss you off again?" A faint voice rang out in the study.
Grand Duke Cambert froze. He looked up and saw a man covered in a black robe standing in the corner of the study. Only his pale face could be seen, and there was a faint smell of medicine mixed with the scent of blood coming from him.
"Why are you here? Are you alright?" Grand Duke Cambert asked with concern.
"Same old. I won't die, but I'll suffer while I live. I've wanted to end my own life many times, but I'm not willing to let go of the person who caused me this. Even if I have to go to the abyss of demons, I'll drag that person with me … "The pale face twitched, revealing a ferocious expression. His teeth were clenched with determination and resentment.
"I'm sorry, Krylos. I'm useless. I couldn't fulfill my promise to you. I couldn't send your enemy to you …" Grand Duke Cambert's face was filled with helplessness and bitterness. "Based on the current situation of the Trade Union, it's impossible for me to fulfill my promise. I don't even know if I'll be able to do it in my lifetime …"
The pale-faced man in the black robe was Marquis Krilos, who had once led the Storm Sword Sage to the Andinac Kingdom's army. He was the vice chairman of the Double-headed Dragon Chamber of Commerce and the cousin of Duke Cambert. Back then, he had volunteered to be the envoy of the Commerce Alliance to meet with the Second Prince, intending to use this opportunity to let the Storm Sword Sage kidnap the king and nobles of the Andinac Kingdom to Moronte City. At the same time, the Commerce Alliance would launch a surprise attack when the Andinac Kingdom's million-strong army had lost their command center, wiping out the biggest threat in the north of the Commerce Alliance.
If not for the unexpected turn of events like Lollister, the scheme of the Trade Alliance would have been realized, and Marquis Krilos would have become a legendary figure in the history of the Galinthea Continent. Just like the saying goes, "What is it?" History was written by the victors. People of the future generations would only praise Marquis Krilos for his great wisdom and courage. He had defused the threat of the Andinac Kingdom's million-strong army to the Trade Federation and captured all the enemy leaders in one fell swoop, forcing them to go to Morent City to confess their crimes. Perhaps at that time, the Second Prince, Lollister, and the other nobles would be described as vicious bandits …
Unfortunately, no one would have thought that the Grand Duke of the North, Lollister, would become a Sword Sage. He fought with the Storm Sword Sage, and both of them were injured. The Storm Sword Sage fled for his life. None of the elite guards formed by the four Master Swordsmen and Gold-tier swordsmen who accompanied Marquis Krilos managed to escape. They were all chopped into pieces by the angry king and nobles of the Andinac Kingdom. As for the culprit, Marquis Krilos, he naturally surrendered. He immediately turned from a future legendary figure to a despicable villain who played tricks and trampled on the peace of the nobles.
Due to the kidnapping incident and the subsequent sneak attack by the Commerce Alliance, the million-strong army of the Andinac Kingdom was caught unprepared and almost collapsed. If not for the Monolith Legion of the Norton Family holding the fort and blocking the continuous attacks of the Commerce Alliance, the Second Prince would not have had the time to reorganize the kingdom's armed forces and return to the battlefield. The Second Prince, who hated the Commerce Alliance to the core, vented his anger on Marquis Krilos. He refused to recognize him as a noble and treated him as a swindler. Using the method that the people used to deal with swindlers, he stripped him naked, covered his body with all kinds of feathers, and tied him to an old horse before releasing him.
However, the Second Prince's method was more vicious than that of the people. The people used to deal with swindlers by covering their naked bodies with honey and feathers. Although there were insects and ants biting them, they could still be cleaned by soaking them in water. However, the Second Prince first broke Marquis Krilos's limbs, then destroyed his Gold-tier Combat Energy. Then, he covered his naked body with raw lacquer, and finally stuck feathers on it. The raw lacquer alone would cause skin irritation and unbearable pain and itchiness. If scratched, it would even cause the skin to fester. One could imagine how angry the Second Prince was with the Commerce Alliance for ignoring his sincerity in peace.
To Marquis Krilos, the method that the Second Prince used was the greatest humiliation of his life. Among all the nobles in the Commerce Alliance, he had always been gentle, elegant, elegant, and good-looking. He was also the dream lover of many noble ladies. However, this diplomatic mission was the biggest nightmare of his life. He was sent back tied to an old horse covered with feathers, and he was given the nickname 'Featherman'. He could no longer face anyone.
Not to mention the pain in his heart, the physical injuries made Marquis Krilos want to commit suicide many times. Having his limbs broken was the lightest injury, and he could recover after drinking a few bottles of healing potion. However, the feathers all over his body became a big problem. Just the process of removing them made him feel like he was dying. One had to know that the Second Prince did not let people cover his body with honey, but raw lacquer. After it hardened, the skin would be peeled off, and no one could bear the pain.
When the feathers on Marquis Krilos's body were cleaned, he was already covered in blood. Not a single piece of his skin was unscathed. What was even more painful was that the toxicity and allergies of the raw lacquer began to take effect. The pain and itch seemed to penetrate deep into his bones, and Marquis Krilos went crazy many times. Furthermore, blisters kept growing on his body. They were filled with pus and blood, and the pain was unbearable as if they were being cut by a knife. The most terrible thing was that the pharmacists were also powerless. There was no way to refine the right medicine. They even used red-hot soldering irons to deal with the blisters that appeared on the body. Unfortunately, the treatment effect was not obvious.
Marquis Krilos's body suddenly trembled, and his black robe trembled. He bit his lip until it bled. Duke Camberlet felt a pang of sorrow. He knew that the pain and itch on Marquis Krilos's body had flared up again, and he was forcing himself to endure it. Duke Camberlet could not help or even touch him. Otherwise, it would only bring more pain to Marquis Krilos.
"I, I don't blame you …" Marquis Krilos finally spoke. The pain and itch had passed, and his face was even paler.
"Back then, you tried to persuade me not to carry out that plan. You said that we could defeat the enemy fair and square. It was I who coveted a peerless achievement and became a legend praised by the people. That's why I overestimated myself and ended up like this. I brought this upon myself, and I can't blame anyone else. If I want to hate someone, I should only hate that person. As a king, he acted so sinisterly and viciously. He could have killed me with his sword, and I wouldn't have any complaints even if I died.
But he shouldn't have humiliated me like this, and used such means to deal with me. Although I failed, I am still a noble. He should have hanged me instead of treating me like a liar. I'm still enduring the humiliation and torture, and I'm still alive because I want to exact the same revenge on him. I want him to have a taste of what I went through.
Your Highness, you have indeed disappointed me. It's not that you didn't fulfill your promise, but that you are still indecisive and can't bring yourself to do it in the face of such a predicament … "
Marquis Krilos's voice was very calm, but Grand Duke Camberlet could not help but feel a chill run down his spine.
"Krilos, what's wrong? Why are you suddenly saying this today? "Grand Duke Camberlet asked with a frown. Ever since Marquis Krilos's injuries had stabilized, he had been living in seclusion and was unwilling to appear in public. Apart from frequently coming to the study to discuss and analyze the situation of the alliance with Grand Duke Camberlet, he would recuperate in Grand Duke Camberlet's mansion, unwilling to meet outsiders or attend any noble gatherings.
For example, after the Trade Union's armed forces lost the decisive battle in Bluvia City on the Mana Hill Plain, they were able to quickly form ten garrisons and set up a temporary defensive line. It was Marquis Krilos's plan, and Grand Duke Camberlet's decision to merge the territories was also Marquis Krilos's suggestion. By Grand Duke Camberlet's side, Marquis Krilos played the role of a think tank and military adviser.
"I came today to tell you that I am leaving this place and the territory of the Chamber of Commerce," Marquis Krilos said calmly.
"What? Where are you going? What for? "Grand Duke Camberlet stood up at once, unable to sit still any longer.
"Heh heh, it's simple. I am leaving because I want to take revenge personally. I want to use my own hands and my brain to exact my revenge. Do you think the Trade Union still has the ability to help me fulfill my wish of revenge?"
Grand Duke Camberlet let out a long sigh and sat down again. "You can't go, and I won't let you take this risk. Your fighting energy has not recovered, and your body is constantly suffering from illness. You should know that your body cannot support you to the imperial capital. Your enemy is a king. Rumor has it that he will ascend to the throne next year. Even if you go to the imperial capital, there is nothing you can do. He is a great swordsman, and he has the tightest security circle around him. You can't even get close to him.
Also, how are you going to take revenge on him? Assassinate him? The fate of becoming a King of Killers is that your soul will fall into the abyss forever. Your descendants will be cursed to die a horrible death, and you will never be able to enter the kingdom of the gods. No god would want to send a King Killer to the afterlife. So, in our history, only a King can execute a King of Killers. I promised you that if we won, I would hand over your enemy to you. You can torture him, but you can't decide his life or death. You promised me back then … "
A cold smile appeared on Marquis Krilos' pale face. "Yes, I promised him back then. I only wanted that person to experience my pain. I didn't expect to kill him. But how many years have I waited? Five years, and all I get is the news that the Trade Union's armed forces are defeated again and again. Look at me now. Can my wish for revenge be fulfilled? "
"Why not? As long as we stick together, we can get through this and usher in the revival of the Trade Union. In another 20 or 30 years, we can regain our former glory. We will once again sweep across the central and southern part of the continent, invincible. Be patient, Krilos. We still have time. I will definitely fulfill my promise to you, "Grand Duke Camberlet replied firmly.
"Hehe …" Marquis Krilos laughed. "Your Highness, this is what we said to deceive the nobles and citizens of the Chamber of Commerce. Don't tell me you also believe that these beautiful dreams will come true in the future? In fact, it's not just you and I who know this. Even the nobles of the Chamber of Commerce who are like stray dogs don't believe what you said. Otherwise, you wouldn't have come back angrily just now. It's obvious that those people at the meeting this morning are going against you again, causing trouble and obstructing your implementation of the new economic policy. "
Grand Duke Camberlet was silent. After a while, he said faintly, "Sometimes I don't understand. We are now facing the most difficult period for the Trade Union. It wasn't easy to stop the war and preserve some of our strength. However, several countries have implemented a salt monopoly system. It's obvious that they want to take advantage of our lack of salt and make a lot of money from us. Why should we care about some money? But this gives those who oppose me an excuse. They think that it's because I admit defeat that we have brought such humiliation to the Trade Union. They want me to tear up the armistice and understanding agreement and declare war on the Petersen Kingdom and the five surrounding countries. But they don't think about it. Do we still have the confidence to go to war with the 22 countries in the central and southern part of the continent?
Salt monopoly? Hehe, no matter how expensive it is, can it be sold at the price of gold? The most urgent problem we face now is to reorganize the economies of the various Chamber of Commerce territories. We need to develop them together and strengthen our economic and military strength. We need to work hard to open up trade routes and reclaim our market. We may have lost the Mana Hill Plain and Morent City, but we still have the huge Quartz Mountain. The Kingdom of Telimbo became rich by selling glass. We can also sell glass to restore the strength of the Trade Union.
What's infuriating is that I've already pointed out a bright path for them, but those who oppose me still dream of plundering wealth through war. Now they oppose all policies that benefit the Trade Union in order to oppose me. They're scheming and fighting for power for their own benefit. It's so annoying. "
Reaching an understanding with the second prince of the Andinac Kingdom had caused Grand Duke Camberlet's reputation among the various Chambers of Commerce to plummet. Not long ago, the Petersen Kingdom, Kiktor Kingdom, and five other surrounding countries had announced the implementation of a salt monopoly system. This made things worse. The Chamber of Commerce in the Trade Union flew into a rage. They threatened to reorganize the Chamber of Commerce and declare war on the Petersen Kingdom and the other surrounding countries. It took Grand Duke Camberlet a lot of effort to suppress them. However, this gave the Chamber of Commerce nobles who opposed the peace a good excuse to criticize him. They formed the opposition of Grand Duke Camberlet, resolutely resisting and opposing all the orders and policies issued by the Grand Duke. The Grand Duke Camberlet was both mentally and physically exhausted and had a headache.
"I've already reminded you that there are too many Chambers of Commerce in the Trade Union, especially now that we only have four provinces left. It's difficult for the Chambers of Commerce to share commercial interests without their territories. The Chambers of Commerce that have territories will firmly refuse to let other Chambers of Commerce enter their territories. That's why I suggested you merge all the Chambers of Commerce's territories. However, this will make the Chambers of Commerce that have territories in the four provinces your opposition.
If I were you, I'd raise a butcher's knife and clean out the opposing Chambers of Commerce. "Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. You know the situation the Trade Union is facing now. If you let it go on, it's likely that the whole Trade Union will fall apart. 186 years ago, when Grand Duke Ford Morent announced the establishment of the Trade Union in the Mana Hill Plain, there were only seven Chambers of Commerce. But now, there are still twenty or thirty Chambers of Commerce that are quarrelling all day long.
In any case, this time, regardless of whether you object or not, I'm leaving for the imperial capital. Something interesting has happened there. Perhaps my revenge won't even have to be done by myself. Before I leave, let me take the blame for you. You're such a good person that you can't bring yourself to do it. Let me do these things that will make things difficult for you. After that, you'll clean up the mess and announce me as a rebel. Then, if I cause any trouble in the future, no one will be able to blame the Trade Union. Give me your arrow of command. You don't have to worry about this anymore. Let me decide this once. "
Marquis Krilos swaggered off with Grand Duke Camberlet's arrow of command. Grand Duke Camberlet stared at his back for a long time, speechless. In the end, he could only let out a long sigh …
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