Chapter 238: Intelligence
Sea Cliff Castle, the Count’s bedroom.
Following the butler Moer’s report, Count Kais sat on the sofa in his robe, yawning.
"Coming to disturb my sleep this late... If you don’t give me a good reason, I’ll punish you by making sure you don’t sleep tonight either!"
"Father, you’re an Earth Tier Warrior. Do you really need this little bit of sleep?"
Kais’s eyes widened. "What about being an Earth Tier Warrior? Earth Tier Warriors are people too, and we need our rest!"
He looked deeply aggrieved. "To think you’re just like your mother. Neither of you care about me..."
Natalia felt a little exasperated.
However, she seemed to have grown accustomed to her father’s occasional, incomprehensible childish behavior.
"Father, can you take a look at this for me? Do you recognize these three people?"
As she spoke, she handed over the portraits Duane had drawn.
"What’s this? Portraits?"
The moment business was mentioned, Count Kais returned to normal. He took them and had a look.
"This level of drawing... this has to be Duane’s handiwork, doesn’t it?"
"He drew them," Natalia admitted.
Count Kais glanced at his daughter and said irritably, "You’re disturbing your father’s rest this late at night just for him?"
Natalia rubbed the bridge of her nose and explained,
"Duane is your business partner. His safety is directly related to whether the Kennedy Clan’s investment turns a profit or a loss."
Count Kais’s brows furrowed. He picked up on a clue from her words.
He looked seriously at the three portraits in his hand. "What, is someone causing trouble for Duane?"
"Mhm!"
Natalia nodded and recounted Duane’s encounter at sea.
"Although Duane doesn’t suspect that I was the one who leaked the information, the news that he was coming to the Silent Shore ultimately came from me. If I don’t get to the bottom of this for him, I’ll feel guilty."
Kais comforted her, "This has little to do with you. Duane received an invitation from His Majesty. As long as he’s attending the Kingdom’s founding celebration, he would have had to pass through the Silent Shore eventually."
"Since those people are so dead set on killing him, they would have set up an ambush along the way regardless. It was just a matter of whether it happened half a month earlier or half a month later."
Hearing him put it that way, Natalia understood.
"Father, what kind of grudge could these people possibly have against Duane to go to such lengths to kill him?"
Count Kais pondered for a long moment before finally shaking his head. "That, I don’t know. When he comes over the day after tomorrow, I’ll ask him for more details."
As he spoke, he glanced at the portraits in his hand. "Moer."
The butler walked in. "Your orders, my lord!"
"Give these three portraits to Carrot. Have him see if he can find any related clues."
Moer took the portraits, bowed, and retreated.
"Alright, now we’ll just have to see if Carrot can find any valuable clues."
Count Kais stood up and straightened his robe. "You should go get some rest too. Don’t feel too guilty about this matter."
"Okay, thank you for your help, Father." Natalia curtsied and left the room.
Count Kais watched his daughter’s retreating back, his thoughts returning to Duane’s experience at sea.
’A Longsword with an "Ascension" Enchantment can only be wielded by an Earth Tier Warrior at minimum. Duane came here without Kaelon this time, yet he was able to handle this ambush so easily...’
He couldn’t help but sigh. "This Baron of Black Forest Island just keeps bringing me one surprise after another!"
...
The next day, Duane continued to coach the models for the fashion show in the auditorium. At Derek’s invitation, he also reviewed every detail of the factory’s operations, working to implement the assembly line production method based on the practical conditions.
Although Derek and the others were quick learners, the assembly line was, after all, a new concept. As the one who proposed it, Duane naturally understood it best.
Now that he was at the factory, they certainly weren’t going to miss such a good opportunity to ask for his guidance.
Duane was also happy to provide guidance in these areas. After all, he owned a one-fifth share in the factory; if business boomed, the profits would be substantial.
During this time, Sharp had already gathered the necessary personnel and set off for Pruck City to prepare for the fashion show.
Natalia, however, did not visit. According to a messenger sent by Eleanor, she had gone to the Magic Research Institute today. Her original intention was to tell her mother, Lady Delilah, about the idea of magic-based drying.
Unexpectedly, the Countess decided to quiz Natalia on her Magic studies on the spot, leaving her unable to get away.
According to Zelina, Lady Delilah was quite busy and rarely had time to pay attention to Natalia’s studies.
Therefore, the Countess would take any opportunity she had to engage Natalia in a discussion about magical knowledge. This was a common occurrence.
Duane couldn’t help but find it amusing, imagining Natalia sitting there obediently like a student being tested by her mother.
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was the third day of Duane’s visit to the Silent Shore.
According to his schedule, today was the day he was to visit Count Kais.
Early in the morning, Duane fed Fur Ball. Then, after Jasmine and Owington helped him with his attire, he boarded the carriage to Sea Cliff Castle.
A little over an hour later, he arrived at Sea Cliff Castle.
Greeted and led by the butler, Moer, Duane arrived at the castle’s rear courtyard.
At that moment, Count Kais was bare-chested, training in an open area.
He was using a Two-Handed Sword, and the transition between his offense and defense was exceptionally smooth. The powerful offensive moves he executed with his Fighting Qi looked quite imposing.
Duane activated his Starlight Eye to observe Count Kais’s condition.
’His Fighting Qi is fairly abundant, but it probably hasn’t liquefied. His strength hasn’t reached the Celestial Tier.’
Although Duane couldn’t use his Starlight Eye to determine his opponent’s exact strength Level, he could get a general idea.
The Kennedy Family was one of only three with the title of Hereditary Earl in the Kingdom. As the current Count, Kais didn’t lack for resources, yet he was only an Earth Tier Warrior, which suggested his aptitude wasn’t very good.
Of course, this was also related to the fact that the Power of Elements on the Shadow Mist Continent had been weak ten to twenty years ago.
After a while, Kais finished his training. His chest muscles heaved as he panted, giving off a powerful impression.
He tossed his Longsword to an attendant, took a towel to wipe the sweat from his face, and greeted Duane at the same time. "Duane, what did you think of my performance just now?"
Duane walked forward, bowing with a smile as he offered his greetings and praise:
"Your Swordsmanship and Body Skill just now were broad and sweeping. Beneath that unrestrained fighting style, you still paid attention to the finer details. Your skill is remarkably high!"
Hearing this, Count Kais burst into laughter, though he shook his head as he laughed.
"No, no, no. Compared to you, my meager strength would probably lead to my instant defeat, wouldn’t it?"
Duane bowed slightly. "You’re joking, my lord!"
"I am not joking!"
Count Kais beckoned to an attendant standing nearby. The attendant understood and immediately handed a page from a report to Duane.
"You were able to take care of two Earth Tier Warriors without a scratch. Defeating me would be a simple matter, wouldn’t it?"
Duane was a little surprised. He hadn’t told Natalia that there were two Earth Tier Warriors among the assassins.
For Count Kais to say this, he had clearly obtained some information.
"The Anvil of Fury Mercenary Corps?"
"Yes. Of the three portraits you gave Natalia, two of the men are from the Anvil of Fury Mercenary Corps."
Count Kais sat on a nearby bench, enjoying a glass of chilled fruit juice. "Come, have a taste. It’s quite good!"
"Thank you!"
Duane walked over and took the juice from a servant, but his gaze remained fixed on the paper in his hand.
Clearly, Count Kais’s investigation had yielded its first results.