North of South Harbor County, River Valley County, Helenburg.
Inside a villa built on the mountainside, the young Jay Sid sat beside a square dining table, gazing out through the window.
This side of the villa’s outer wall stood right at the edge of a cliff, from where one could see a great river flowing into the sea.
South Harbor County and River Valley County lay on opposite sides of the river’s mouth, north and south respectively, facing each other across the water.
Helenburg was the largest port city on the River Valley County side.
At the sa ti, this place marked the southernmost boundary of the Earl’s sphere of influence—but very soon, that boundary would cross the river and extend into South Harbor County on the opposite shore.
Jay was a senior operative managing the Earl’s businesses within River Valley County, and he was also the Earl’s own nephew.
Over the past few years, while overseeing operations in River Valley County, he had constantly tried to expand into South Harbor County.
However, that expansion could hardly be called smooth.
The local kingpin, Mr. Griffin, had established extrely solid relationships with the local elite.
At his side was also a seasoned professional who handled his operations and offered advice.
Jay had even suffered several losses at their hands.
It was not until the past year that the Earl began to truly value the territory of South Harbor County and personally poured resources into it.
Only then was the local kingpin finally dealt with.
Mr. Griffin was gone, but the local elites’ demand for magical potions remained.
The market there was now a massive cake, urgently in need of soone to take it over.
By all logic, this business should have been handed to Jay, whose territory was closest.
Yet Jay felt no confidence at all.
Over the previous years, his performance had not been particularly outstanding.
There had even been one incident where he was carelessly investigated, forcing the Earl to pull strings to clean up after him.
After the Earl personally sent people to handle the struggle over South Harbor County, Jay was no longer allowed to take part.
This left him deeply uneasy.
At one point, he even suspected that the reason the Earl had not inford him of the progress was that he planned to stabilize South Harbor County first, then force Mr.
Griffin to submit and appoint him as a new subordinate in charge of that territory.
The Earl had done this sort of thing—turning enemies into subordinates—more than once.
He possessed that kind of magnanimity.
As long as soone was useful, even if they had once been an opponent, he was willing to take them under his banner.
Conversely, if soone was deed useless in his eyes, they would be discarded without rcy.
If another operative took over South Harbor County and managed it better than Jay had managed River Valley County, Jay’s position would beco extrely awkward.
Now that the situation in South Harbor County seed to be settled, the Earl had taken the initiative to co to Helenburg to visit him and arrange a eting here.
As for how the Earl would announce the outco, Jay felt anything but certain.
At that mont, the villa’s elderly butler entered and formally announced, “Mr. Sid, the Earl has arrived.”
Jay hurriedly rose from his seat.
Monts later, a middle-aged gentleman entered the room with a cane, handing his hat to the butler who had co to receive him.
He appeared to be in his forties, tall and solidly built.
His hair and beard were neatly trimd, and he had a kindly face, with what seed like an elegant smile permanently resting at the corners of his mouth.
In the Empire’s underworld, there was almost no one who had not heard of the Earl’s na.
Yet nowadays, apart from a few surviving old-tirs and those within the Earl’s own organization, very few people had ever seen him, or knew his true identity.
Few knew that the “Earl” was in fact truly an Imperial Earl—Isaac Mastan, an Earl of the Empire enfeoffed in the eastern Foyle region, and one of the most powerful lords in the eastern part of the Empire.
“Jay, my child, it’s been a long ti,” he said, breaking into hearty laughter the mont he saw Jay stand up, and warmly pulling him into a strong embrace.
“It has been a long ti, Uncle,” Jay forced a smile as he returned the embrace of the Earl Foyle.
While they hugged, Jay took a glance outside before the butler closed the door and withdrew.
The Earl Foyle seed to have brought only a single burly attendant, who had found a spot in the courtyard to sit down and rest on his own.
“How has Celia been? I haven’t contacted her in a long ti,” the Earl Foyle said with a smile as he sat down.
“My mother is recuperating at a monastery in Arzna. She’s in much better health than last year…” Jay replied, sitting down across the square table.
The two chatted amiably about family matters and then about the business here, and the atmosphere seed very harmonious.
Yet Jay’s unease did not diminish in the slightest.
Looking at the Earl Foyle’s face, where the smile never faded, he could not guess the man’s thoughts at all.
Finally, seizing an opportunity, he steered the conversation back on track.
“Speaking of that, Uncle, there’s been quite a bit of news coming from South Harbor County recently. Have the people you arranged there been handling things smoothly?”
“Very smoothly. They’ve basically completed their task. The local suppliers have already been uprooted by the Church. The Mr. Griffin you often ntioned is dead,” the Earl Foyle said calmly.
“He… is dead?” Jay blinked, clearly taken aback.
“Why are you so surprised?” the Earl asked with a smile.
“You were the one who killed him, Jay.”
Jay’s expression stiffened.
He realized that the Earl had indeed learned of his little maneuver.
Earlier, when extrely high-purity Mana had suddenly begun appearing in South Harbor County, the Earl had attached great importance to it.
That was why he personally made use of his connections within the Church, allowing the local Inquisition to put pressure on Mr. Griffin.
Jay had heard so internal rumors.
The Earl’s people there seed to have approached matters through local clients and successfully grabbed hold of Mr. Griffin’s tail.
Jay had also learned of Mr. Griffin’s identity and the location of his estate.
But the Earl, who was usually decisive and swift in action, had suddenly slowed his move against Mr. Griffin at that point, making Jay extrely nervous.
Jay guessed that the Earl might have taken an interest in Mr. Griffin because of that high-purity Mana and was considering absorbing him.
If Mr. Griffin were successfully absorbed, not only would Jay lose any chance of taking over South Harbor County, but there would also be a forr adversary stationed right next to his own territory.
If Mr. Griffin’s business perford even better, Jay’s standing would beco dangerously unstable.
After much deliberation, Jay sent out his most trusted assassin, intending to kill Potter ahead of ti.
But several days passed, and the assassin never returned.
Instead, news of Potter’s death ca through other channels.
Jay had not yet fully figured out what had happened when the Earl suddenly paid a visit to Helenburg.
“It seems you still don’t fully understand what happened, so let
explain,” the Earl said with a smile.
“Your man successfully took out Mr. Griffin, but on that sa day, the people I planted in the Inquisition also raided the estate. They ran into each other. Your assassin was captured on the spot and had no choice but to commit suicide.” Seeing Jay’s expression change drastically, he added reassuringly, “But don’t worry. Bishop Beckett will handle it properly. Even if the Church opens a separate case, they won’t be able to investigate anything.”
Yet Jay’s face fell even further.
His assassin had actually run into the Earl’s people inside the Church—and been captured on the spot!
His unauthorized action had been caught red-handed by the Earl’s people.
His man had interfered with the Earl’s plans.
And he had caused the organization to lose an excellent assassin for nothing.
This was nothing short of a catastrophic blunder.
“Uncle, I only wanted to help. I just thought I should contribute sohow. I knew nothing of your plan, so I had no idea things would turn out like this!” Jay hurriedly explained.
“Jay, did I ever tell you not to do unnecessary things?” The Earl interlaced his fingers on the table and scrutinized Jay’s eyes.
“You are my own nephew. Between us is a bond of trust thicker than blood. In this line of work, the people one can trust at their side are as important as one’s own fingers. I let you manage River Valley County precisely because of this. But it seems you don’t trust your uncle that much.”
Jay realized that the Earl had already seen through his reason for killing Mr. Griffin, and a chill ran through his heart.
This special eting the Earl Foyle had arranged was indeed to call him to account.
“Uncle, I…” He desperately searched for an excuse, but could not think of a single word.
“Since we’ve co this far, you should be ntally prepared. A mistake, in the end, still calls for punishnt.” As the Earl spoke, he took out a small bottle, placed it on the table, and pushed it toward his nephew.
“Jay, drink this.”
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