Starting as the Baron of the Lonely Island

The two Earth Tier assassins Duane killed were from the Anvil of Fury Mercenary Corps.

According to investigations by the Kennedy Clan’s intelligence network, the corps operated throughout the Pruck Kingdom, but its base of operations was in Lapland Province.

Two prominent noble families resided in this province: the Smith Clan and the Bloom Clan.

The head of the former was Marquis Sean, while the latter was led by an old acquaintance of Duane’s, Earl Orlando.

In addition, Bard, the leader of the Broken Wave Gang on Black Forest Island, was also from Lapland Province.

Duane thought to himself, ’Does this province have it in for me?’

Just then, the Count’s voice rang out, a teasing note in his tone:

"Those two you killed were the second and third-in-command of the Anvil of Fury Mercenary Corps. They were quite formidable, even for Earth Tier Warriors, but you finished them off. Tell me, does that mean I wouldn’t be much of a match for you?"

He said it in jest, but in Count Kais’s eyes, the stronger Duane became, the more it benefited him.

Only with sufficient strength could Duane distinguish himself in the upcoming tournament and stand a chance of securing the territory they had planned to acquire.

"You jest, my Lord. I was only able to kill them because I caught them by surprise."

Duane steered the conversation back to the matter at hand. "So, you believe Earl Orlando wants me dead?"

He shook his head as he spoke. "But my dispute with Earl Orlando was only about the Secret Realm at Lakefront Manor. The Secret Realm has nothing to do with me now. He has no reason to keep targeting me."

Count Kais’s expression turned serious. "Duane, I don’t mean to criticize, but you can’t just look at things based on the disputes you’ve personally experienced."

Duane was taken aback. He handed the letter back to the attendant and said humbly, "Please, enlighten me."

"You’ve made quite a few enemies."

Kais said with a smile, "For starters, during the recent compensation negotiations, you offended Regent King Howard of the Akutas Kingdom, Viscount Freddy, and Ambassador Heidwin, the second son of the Silver Brilliance Earl Clan."

"They have connections with many nobles within the Kingdom. If they’re willing to pay, they can definitely find someone to assassinate you."

Duane felt a little awkward. Hearing it laid out like that, he realized he really had made a lot of enemies, all of whom had a motive.

"You have a point, but my gut tells me this has nothing to do with the Akutas Kingdom. After all, their main focus should be on the Fidun Kingdom to the west, not on wasting their efforts on me."

Count Kais nodded. "There’s some truth to what you say. But even just within our own kingdom, your very existence has become an unpredictable factor for some people."

"What do you mean?" Duane asked.

Count Kais finished his iced drink in one gulp, then said:

"Take this tournament, for example. Marquis Sean, Count Kudro, and the Crown Prince’s friend, ’Orisien,’ are all top powerhouses of the younger generation. There are even rumors circulating that those three have already locked in the top three spots."

He looked at Duane, his tone shifting. "But we both know you’re a wild card."

"They don’t know my true strength," Duane countered.

"But they know your record."

Count Kais said, "You single-handedly killed an assassination squad composed of two Human Tier Warriors and four Advanced Warriors outside the Royal Capital. A record like that speaks for itself."

"Uh..."

Duane rubbed his nose. "How did you know their power levels?"

Kais explained, "People always leak information, whether intentionally or not. Besides, those six were all Death Warriors carrying Spell Scrolls. Despite their meticulous preparations, you still turned the tables on them. That’s why everyone is guessing you’re at least an Earth Tier Warrior, and not an ordinary one at that!"

"Fair enough!"

Duane nodded in acknowledgment. "So, someone from one of those three families thinks I’m in the way and decided to try and eliminate me first?"

"Do you think that’s a possibility?" Kais asked in return.

’Of course it’s possible. Especially Marquis Sean. If the Smith Clan could acquire a territory by the Flowing Silver Fjord, it would be an incredibly tempting prize.’

"It’s just a shame that I couldn’t find any valuable leads on that ’Blood Anchor’ you mentioned. If we could confirm his identity, we might be able to find the mastermind."

"Thank you, that’s already a great help!"

Duane stood up and bowed deeply. "And thank you for your guidance."

Count Kais smiled and said teasingly, "I’ve invested a lot in you. Like Natalia said, if you died, the Kennedy Clan would take a huge loss!"

"Don’t worry, an assassination attempt like this won’t be enough to take my life. Keep investing in me, and I guarantee I’ll bring the Kennedy Clan a satisfactory return!"

"Excellent!" Kais asked. "First, tell me your true strength."

"Uh..."

Duane was stunned for a moment, then said, "If I told you I was a Silver Moon Warrior, would you believe me?"

"Hahaha, oh, Duane, Duane. Since when did you learn how to joke?"

Count Kais had a look of disbelief on his face. "To break through from Celestial Tier to Shooting Star Level usually requires massive amounts of Elemental Ore or an Elemental Secret Realm. Don’t tell me Black Forest Island has an Elemental Secret Realm or an ore vein?"

"No, nothing like that. So far, we’ve only discovered a harmful Secret Realm that drives any creature mad if it stays inside for too long."

Kais nodded to himself. ’He had heard a little about this Secret Realm; it was worthless.’

"My guess is, you’re at the Celestial Tier, right? Tsk tsk, reaching the Celestial Tier at such a young age... How did Knight Carter train you? Or did you have some kind of fortuitous encounter on Black Forest Island?"

The Count murmured to himself in amazement, "If I were Orlando, I’d definitely lose sleep at night thinking about how I once offended a genius like you."

Duane laughed. "A single Celestial Tier Warrior is just that. Even one at the Shooting Star or Silver Moon Level couldn’t take on the entire Bloom Clan alone."

Duane could kill Orlando, but killing him wouldn’t mean the end of the Bloom Clan.

It was a collective bound by mutual interests. If it lost its leader, another would simply be chosen to take his place.

Earl Orlando’s family had so many blood relatives and vassals; someone would always be able to step up, lead a large army, and set foot on Black Forest Island.

If Duane went too far, he could even provoke attacks from other nobles.

That said, Duane began to analyze his three rivals. ’The Smith Clan is the most desperate to obtain the territory. So if the motive was truly to guarantee a top spot in the tournament, it’s highly likely the Smith Clan sent the assassins.’

He asked tentatively, "Is it highly likely that Marquis Sean is behind this?"

"There’s a chance, but it might not have been Sean who personally ordered it."

Count Kais’s tone held a subtle implication. He lowered his voice to remind him:

"Marquis Sean’s second son, Keldert, is Earl Orlando’s son-in-law, you know."

Duane’s heart skipped a beat. ’That’s a piece of information I didn’t have!’

’In that case, if Keldert were to obtain the territory, it would also benefit Earl Orlando.’

’Coupled with the existing grudge between me and Orlando, it would make perfect sense for him to send assassins after me.’

Duane said, "So when it comes down to it, Earl Orlando is still the most likely suspect."

Count Kais shook his head. "But this is all just speculation. All you can do is ensure your own safety as much as possible, and then look for an opening in your opponent’s guard."

"I understand!" Duane thanked him for the advice.

"Alright, now that we’re done with that, it’s time to discuss matters between us."

Count Kais changed the subject, asking, "Four months have passed. How many acres of the Hot Spring Mountain Tea Garden have been developed?"