Stormveil City.
The City Lord’s Council Hall.
The main figure of the meeting had not yet arrived, but many people had already gathered inside the hall.
Some were administrative councilors of Stormveil City, while others were mayors of towns and village chiefs from the surrounding areas.
“Baron Marlo, you’ve arrived as well?”
“Indeed! The town I govern is right next to the Dusk Sea. Now that the empire’s war is about to begin, the mermen in the sea will surely take the opportunity to cause trouble. As soon as I heard the viscount was convening a council, I rushed here to seek his help!”
“Sigh, it’s true... who knows how long this war between the empire and Nightmare will last. If the mermen in the sea catch wind of it, they’ll only become more rampant in their coastal raids.”
“Hmph! If those damn fish-heads dare to show up, I’ll skin them alive and hang them from the city walls to show all mermen the price of offending the Heron Empire!”
“All you do is blow hot air! Those mermen flee back into the sea as soon as they’re done looting; we can’t even catch them. Tell me, how exactly do you plan on skinning them?”
“What does it matter how I skin them?! Dalton, did I ask for your input? Why do you have such a foul mouth?”
“Who are you calling foul-mouthed, Higgins? You looking for a fight...?”
As they spoke, the two barons, who shared an old grudge, began rolling up their sleeves. It looked as though they were about to come to blows right there in the council hall.
Several surrounding barons and mayors hurriedly stepped forward, using a great deal of effort to pull the two apart.
Once the situation settled, the stagnant atmosphere in the hall loosened slightly.
As everyone regained their composure, the conversation eventually drifted back to those troublesome mermen.
These mermen could move on land and in water. They would crawl up from the coastline from time to time to ambush villages and plunder humans, retreating quickly back into the sea once they were finished.
By the time the guards arrived, they could only watch helplessly as the mermen withdrew into the depths, leaving behind nothing but wreckage in the towns and villages.
In the past, when the Merman Court still stood, these mermen were somewhat restrained by the Merman King.
However, one of the Merman King’s offspring had launched a rebellion and assassinated the Merman King within the court, plunging the entire merman tribe into chaos.
Since then, the Merman King’s descendants had been fighting their own wars, burning, killing, and looting at will, no longer subject to any restraint.
Because of this, the towns and villages established along the coast were frequently attacked by merman raiding parties.
One town, named Jellyfish Town, had even suffered three consecutive waves of attacks from different merman factions in a single day.
Although they had successfully repelled all three waves, the losses inflicted on the town made the heart of Zachary, the Mayor of Jellyfish Town, bleed with grief, leaving him unable to sleep at night.
Now, having heard that Stormveil City was holding a meeting to address the war, Mayor Zachary had rushed here to plead for reinforcements.
Thud.
Just then, a robust figure with bandages wrapped around his chest pushed open the doors of the council hall and strode inside.
Upon seeing him, everyone in the hall immediately bowed. “Lord Viscount Finn.”
Viscount Finn nodded to the crowd and, supported by a guard at his side, sat down in the second seat of the council table.
“The viscount’s injuries... have they worsened again?” Seeing that Viscount Finn needed a guard’s support just to walk, one baron remarked with a sigh.
They remembered when Viscount Finn was a genius who had made a name for himself throughout the Heron Empire. No one expected him to fall to the point where he needed help just to walk.
Meanwhile, others in the hall noticed that Viscount Finn had not taken the head seat, but had instead sat in the secondary position.
“Is there an even more important figure coming?”
This question flashed through many minds.
The answer came quickly.
The doors to the council hall were pushed open once more, and a youth with black hair and black eyes, wearing priest’s robes, walked slowly into the room.
Many of those present were seeing this youth for the first time and had no idea who he was.
That was until Viscount Finn stood up and gave a solemn bow. “Master Leon.”
Master... Leon?
A youth being called 'Master' by a viscount?
The people in the hall quickly exchanged glances. Some of the more perceptive nobles and mayors followed Viscount Finn’s lead, standing up and respectfully calling out, “Master Leon.”
They didn’t know Leon, but since Viscount Finn addressed him that way, they knew they couldn’t go wrong by doing the same.
Leon gave a slight nod, then walked to the head of the table and sat down.
He cast a discreet glance at the bandages on Viscount Finn’s chest before meeting the man’s eyes.
Viscount Finn tilted his head and gave Leon a subtle wink.
Leon understood the viscount’s meaning immediately and couldn't help but think to himself, What a sly old fox.
When he had treated Viscount Finn’s injuries, the news of the empire going to war with Nightmare hadn’t spread yet, had it?
Viscount Finn had actually managed to suppress the immense joy of his old wounds being healed, not revealing a single hint to the outside world.
To keep a trump card hidden before anything had even happened... he was truly devious!
Withdrawing his gaze, Leon looked down at the assembled nobles, mayors, and village chiefs. “Almost everyone is here. Please, take your seats.”
The crowd quickly sat down in their respective places.
“My name is Leon. Leon Douglas. You should be familiar with my surname,” Leon began.
Douglas?
Zachary pondered to himself. If one were to speak of the most famous and powerful Douglas in the empire, it would undoubtedly be the current Imperial Prime Minister—William Douglas.
So, this youth belonged to the Prime Minister’s Douglas family?
“Leon Douglas...”
Zachary chewed on the name, suddenly remembering that he had seen it in this morning’s 《Imperial Truth》 newspaper...
“The hero who saved Soleneum? The Divine Art genius targeted by the Blood Tribe archduke?!”
Zachary quickly connected the name to the deeds associated with it.
But... that Leon Douglas was a youth who looked no older than eighteen?
“It seems you have all remembered my identity.” Leon sat upright in the head seat and casually tossed a pale gold token onto the sandalwood table.
Everyone focused their gaze and saw four characters etched boldly onto the token: “Royal Decree.” It radiated a calm yet unquestionable authority.
“He who holds this decree acts with the authority of the Cassius Royal Family itself.”
Leon’s gaze slowly swept across the room, his voice calm but every word crystal clear:
“Since you know who I am and you see this decree, I expect you to listen quietly to the matters I am about to discuss. Do not interrupt.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the barons and mayors in the hall all nodded frantically like chickens pecking at grain, not daring to make a sound.
Holy hell!
The second son of the Prime Minister, the hero of Soleneum, a once-in-a-century Divine Art genius, and on top of all that, a Royal Decree personally bestowed by His Majesty.
With these four identities pressing down on them, forget these barons and mayors—even the lord of a major city wouldn't dare to disobey!
Zachary stole a glance at Viscount Finn in the secondary seat... It wasn't just a matter of not daring to disobey; the man had straight-up given up the head seat.
Leon nodded and said:
“First, war between the empire and Nightmare is imminent. We are entering a state of total war. I expect all of you to set aside your personal grievances and help one another.”
At those words, everyone’s eyes turned toward Baron Higgins and Baron Dalton, who had nearly come to blows earlier.
Though they still despised each other in their hearts, under Leon’s gaze, they both quickly forced fake smiles and shook hands in reconciliation.
The towns managed by these two were near Eldenborg. After recognizing Leon’s identity, the news they had received this morning flashed through their minds:
On Leon’s first day in Eldenborg, the town’s barons, wealthy merchants, and mill owners were all wiped out in one fell swoop. Their bodies were probably still warm.
Faced with such a ruthless character who had purged Eldenborg the moment he took office, how could these two possibly dare to act out?
They hurriedly made peace in front of Leon, swearing that they would absolutely cooperate and support each other.
Rate on N.U.
