The night grew darker, as the banquet came to an end, the satisfied guests boarded luxurious carriages and gradually left the manor.

However, some did not leave.

Take for instance the esteemed Regent King.

In the study room of Valencia Manor, Granville Pot sat in an armchair by the window, playing with a golden pocket watch inlaid with diamonds.

It was a gift from Prince Colin.

It is said that in the distant Gutaf United Kingdom, diamonds symbolize unbreakable friendship. He examined it closely; this thing sure is quite hard.

There are diamond mines on Aus Continent too, but the diamonds produced are not as large as this one.

Albert Valencia stood beside him, quietly gazing at the brightly lit Holy City in the distance and the carriages leaving the manor under the glow of the lights.

Especially the carriage emblazoned with the golden rose and scripture, his eyes never left it, watching it disappear beyond his field of vision.

"Our Prince's ability is truly unexpected," Granville put down the pocket watch, a playful smile on his lips, speaking slowly, "Barely in his twenties, he manages relationships at such a banquet with finesse and elegance while maintaining tact... It seems the Gutaf United Kingdom is not as barbaric as we thought."

Evidently, there are nobles on that continent too.

Otherwise, it would be hard to explain why this descendant of the Colin family could so quickly integrate into the upper society of Holy City upon his return.

An individual's cultivation is directly linked to the education and experiences during their growth, Granville does not believe there are people born naturally adept at socializing, that skill is even rarer than Extraordinary Power.

After all, Holy City lacks not Transcendents, nobles can become powerful Transcendents with a bit of effort, yet those who can unite Transcendents are few and far between.

Albert smiled faintly, speaking softly.

"The smarter young people are, the more prone to overestimate themselves, thinking everything is under their control. In reality, his proposed share-based knight order presents a superb opportunity for our Council of Elders. After all, in terms of financial power and connections, no one compares to us."

Granville nodded slightly.

"Indeed, whether it's the outcome of a war or the rise of a kingdom, ultimately, it's money that dictates. As long as we have sufficient funds, we can entirely steer the future direction of the knight order... However, we also need to guard against the Officer Faction and Church Court Faction secretly teaming up, given their far greater freedom on Gana Continent compared to Holy City."

Albert chuckled softly, speaking gently.

"Of course, those who've climbed up from muddy grounds have an ingrained yearning for land, they'd exchange their very lives if they could. And the Church's ambition runs even deeper, they're increasingly restless staying within the church, beginning to meddle in secular affairs."

He paused, continuing in a decisive tone.

"I plan to involve Lambert and the Castellion family in formulating the statutes of the Holy Temple Knight Order; at such times, we must avoid internal conflicts among our own. The mistakes we've made in the New Continent cannot be repeated on this newer continent!"

"Excellent, my greatest concern is those two families squabbling over profit distribution, with your guidance, there's much more certainty." Granville beamed joyfully, nodding contentedly, "We must no longer underestimate our opponents like before, at least for now, we should prioritize the interests of the Council of Elders."

The interests of the Council of Elders are synonymous with those of the Valencia Family.

And, of course, the Pot Family as well.

The two shared a knowing smile, understanding the tasks ahead.

...

Elsewhere, outside the study room at Valencia Manor, Laco Aber and Julian Corps Commander were boarding the carriage returning to the Marshal Mansion.

The carriage drove along the quiet street, Julian broke the silence first, his gaze intent as he spoke.

"Marshal, do you think Prince Colin's proposal for the knight order is viable?"

Previously at the banquet it was inconvenient to ask, now with no others around, it was time for a private discussion.

As for his own thoughts, they were already visible on his expression!

Laco's eyes were profound, a faint smile gracing his lips, as his thoughts aligned with Julian Corps Commander.

"Viable? Ha, more than viable, it's practically tailored for us."

General Hamoldon's investment was not in vain, although this general, who shuns political involvement, may hardly know what he's doing.

Seeing the Marshal's thoughts matching his own, Julian Corps Commander visibly brightened, a hard-to-hide excitement showing in his eyes, he promptly spoke.

"I think the same! Though the nobles of the Council of Elders might invest the most, ultimately those who truly battle are our own brothers! Moreover, Gana Continent and New Continent differ, the former is claimed land, we merely need to uphold the legality of the Colin family locally, meaning the Council of Elders has no reason to dispatch a Governor there!"

While money certainly sways the outcome of wars, it can't decide who reaps the rewards of victory!

Seeing Julian's excitement, Laco whispered a reminder: "We must exercise caution, Duke Valencia and the Regent King are no fools, what you can see, they can too. We must ensure the knight order's officers remain utterly loyal and reliable, resistant to attempts by the Council of Elders to buy them off."

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