Chapter 155: Marquis Visen’s Intent

Yam quickly arrived at Ion’s room.

At that moment, Akar had not yet gone to bed and was playing with Liam in his arms.

They were unaware of Marquis Visen’s visit, so when they saw Yam enter with a grim expression, they immediately sensed something unusual.

“What happened?” Ion asked with a frown.

“I caused Giggs’s death.” Yam took a deep breath and spoke in a low voice.

“What do you mean?” Akar looked puzzled.

They had only parted from Yam for a short while—why was their second brother suddenly spouting nonsense like a drunk?

Yam directly explained Marquis Visen’s visit that night and the deal he had made with him. He especially emphasized matters related to the Senels Family and the Secret Vault of the Bourbon Family.

“No wonder,” Ion sighed softly.

“When Baron Ster and I attacked the Eastern Mountain Territory, he started acting very differently. At the time, I thought it was just Baron Ster reminiscing about past battles, but now that I think about it carefully, he probably already knew back then that he wouldn’t make it back alive to the White Mountain Territory.”

“That’s why he stayed behind to cover our retreat and said those things that sounded like entrusting his last wishes. He probably knew that with just Giggs’s capabilities, securing his position as lord of the White Mountain Territory would be impossible without the support of our family... I just didn’t expect that in the end, Giggs still didn’t survive.”

“So what does that have to do with Yam saying he caused Giggs’s death?” Akar frowned. “Giggs was poisoned, and it was Atork who did it, not us. Besides, Giggs’s failure to return immediately to the White Mountain Territory was what indirectly caused Baron Ster’s death. These things clearly have nothing to do with us, right?”

“While we were resting in the Red River Territory, I once met Marquis Visen. It was when I delivered the reinforcement request letter from Baron Ster about the White Mountain Territory being attacked,” Yam said in a low voice. “At that time, Marquis Visen and Count Shuvaric had already secretly struck a deal, so when we attacked the Red Soil Territory, Count Shuvaric didn’t send any troops... And it was after I met Marquis Visen that I encountered Atork.”

“So you were tricked into revealing something back then?” Ion immediately understood what Yam meant.

“Yes.” Yam nodded. “At that time, Atork asked me if it was true that Marquis Visen’s study was very cold, claiming he had heard about it. I didn’t think much of it and shared my own impression, so the Senels Family realized then that Marquis Visen’s injuries had worsened.”

Upon hearing this, Akar suddenly fell silent.

Ion, on the other hand, could only sigh helplessly.

Nearly thirty years ago, the Southern Region had once suppressed a pirate siege.

It was said that behind the incident was a conspiracy by another empire, attempting to use the Southern Region as a breakthrough point for invasion. They colluded with a powerful pirate force, disguising them as maritime traders to simultaneously launch attacks on several port cities in the Southern Region. Meanwhile, the empire’s navy created a war threat in the Eastern Region, sailing warships into the observation range of the Tyrella Empire’s Eastern Region, preventing their navy from moving south.

That war ended in victory with Marquis Visen and the Southern Duke joining forces to suppress the pirates.

However, Marquis Visen was ambushed and seriously injured by a pirate king during the conflict. His wounds were too severe, forcing him to retire from illness. The commander of the “Sons of the Mountains” temporarily replaced him as acting commander of the Southern Kingdom’s army—though the royal family never issued a formal order, his authority had become so firmly established that it was now nearly impossible to challenge the position of this “Sons of the Mountains” commander.

Marquis Visen’s retirement due to injury was a distant matter for people like Yam.

But to noble families like the Senels Family, it was clearly no secret.

Moreover, if one thought back carefully, it wasn’t hard to notice that the previously stable situation in the Red Eagle Territory had suddenly deteriorated completely. Even the royal family and the Southern Duke ceased monitoring the Red Eagle Territory. All of this happened right after Marquis Visen returned from the Southern Kingdom’s fortress to his family territory in the Eaglehead Territory.

It was Yam’s accidental disclosure of Marquis Visen’s worsening condition that emboldened the Senels Family, who had already resented being suppressed by the Kasein Family, to act boldly and aggressively—perhaps initially, the Senels Family hadn’t intended to harm Giggs. They might have only intended to delay Giggs and Yam’s return to the White Mountain Territory to maintain their connection with Count Shuvaric.

But it was Yam who gave them the opportunity to act. So they later changed their minds, killed Giggs, and pushed Lily onto the lord’s seat—in fact, if Lily hadn’t been carrying Yam’s child at the time, she might have been killed too.

It was from that point that they had already begun preparing for the eventual rupture between the White Mountain Territory and the Kasein Family.

The strongest direct evidence was how, during the attack on Westerburg, they deliberately concealed clues pointing to the Kasein Family in the Eaglehead Mountains.

However, with Joshua’s unexpected death, and Marquis Visen’s renewed clash with Count Shuvaric worsening his injuries once more, the Senels Family had to accelerate their plans: they chose to reveal their intentions and seek alliances, dragging the White Mountain Territory and the Gem Territory onto their war chariot, waiting for Marquis Visen to die before striking at the Kasein Family.

But unfortunately for them, they never anticipated that Marquis Visen would come to Yam at this time.

And compared to the Senels Family, who still needed to lay low, Marquis Visen was much more direct.

He gave Yam only two years.

If Yam failed to break through to the third tier within two years and open the Secret Vault of the Bourbon Family, then their deal would be void, and the outcome for their entire family would be self-evident. However, if Yam succeeded in advancing to the third tier, then, to demonstrate his sincerity, Marquis Visen would first take action to annihilate the Senels Family, ensuring the smooth progression of their agreement.

“Marquis Visen must have follow-up plans,” Akar suddenly spoke. “He laid all cards on the table with you in one open conversation, tying our interests completely together. So he must surely know that with his death, this verbal agreement between us would inevitably fall apart.”

“It’s useless,” Yam shook his head.

“That Marquis Visen made additional preparations is certain, but if it’s only this exchange of tied interests, then at most, after three generations, it will become meaningless.”

“Once they acquire the Bourbon Family’s inheritance, all they need to do is destroy the Secret Vault. Even if we disclose it, who would believe us? Moreover, the Kasein Family can simply accuse us of being the thieves crying thief. As for the inheritance they gain from the Bourbon Family, they can sell the truly dangerous items, and keep the less dangerous ones for their own use.”

“With only a portion of the inheritance back then, the Senels Family was able to raise an Agley. So with the Kasein Family’s resources, isn’t it possible for them to cultivate another sixth-tier Bloodline User? As long as the Kasein Family produces another sixth-tier Bloodline User after Monica, the Red Eagle Territory will still remain under their control. Even if we claim that the Kasein Family found the Secret Vault of the Bourbon Family, it won’t matter, because they would have already turned those resources into their own power.”

“Likewise, as long as Cindy, or even Cindy’s descendants, never awaken the Flame Demon Hound bloodline again, what evidence would we have to prove we are of the Bourbon Family’s bloodline? And the only party who could testify for us, the Senels Family, has already been killed by them.”

Ion sighed softly, his tone full of emotion. “In the end, the true meaning behind Marquis Visen’s deal with Yam was to make a statement: the grudge between us and the Kasein Family must end with Yam’s generation.”

“Is that possible?” Akar sneered. “Blood feuds can never be forgotten.”

“Then, do we really have an unresolvable blood feud with the Kasein Family?” Ion asked back, rendering Akar speechless. “The one who killed your mother was Count Shuvaric. Marquis Visen made a deal with Count Shuvaric, and it only cost the life of Baron Ster. Even Giggs wasn’t killed by Marquis Visen, but by the Senels Family.”

“Besides that, he helped conceal the so-called ‘Bourbon Family bloodline survivor’ information for us; and in the future, one-third of the grain output from Bayor Territory will be allocated to the White Mountain Territory... So what blood feud do we have with Marquis Visen?”

“If there really is a deep-seated hatred... the two of you—one killed Burton, the other killed Joshua. The former incident forced the Kasein Family to shift their development strategy to focus on stability and consolidation. The latter caused Marquis Visen and Count Shuvaric to duel privately, worsening Marquis Visen’s injuries. But would you let the Kasein Family find out about that?”

Akar glanced at Yam and noticed Yam was notably silent.

“From the moment you killed Burton, we became entangled with the Kasein Family,” Ion shook his head. “I’m already old, and I probably won’t live to see the future changes of the Soderbell Family. But no matter what Marquis Visen has prepared, his visit to Yam this time was essentially a goodwill gesture, indicating that the conflicts between both sides should not affect the next generation. That’s what a good lord ought to do.”

“Just like Baron Ster.”

“He foresaw his own inevitable death, but he didn’t run. He chose to face death bravely to win the right to survive for Giggs and Lily.”

“That’s why he didn’t need Yam’s loyalty or pledge, because under the current circumstances, such words couldn’t be sincere.”

“But as long as this conflict and hatred don’t affect the next generation, then the Kasein Family still has a chance to mend ties with our Soderbell Family... for example, through the choice all Bloodline Nobles inevitably make: marriage alliance.”

“Cindy can’t possibly marry into the Kasein Family.”

“But you’re still young, so you could still have another child, couldn’t you?” Ion said slowly. “And even if it’s not Cindy, it could be Cindy’s child. As long as the Kasein Family raises another sixth-tier Bloodline User, they would have another two hundred years to control the entire Red Eagle Territory... Over such a long span of time, no one can guarantee what the future will hold.”

“And more importantly—”

“Our Soderbell Family now has a true third-generation member.”

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