I Ascend to the Divine Throne through Arcane Means

Ice Peak City, Duke Ward Mansion.

Looking at the luxurious and grand mansion in front of him, which used the same Ice Stone materials as the Royal Palace, it was said that this mansion was bestowed by the former King because the former Duke Ward married a princess from the Dillon Kingdom.

Philip had been by Lis's side the whole time, and the two of them got off the carriage and entered the mansion.

By this time, Duke Ward's mansion had already become lively, with many servants bustling about, providing meticulous service to the dignitaries.

Lis merely glanced around and recognized quite a few influential figures in the Dillon Kingdom's Ice Peak City.

The presidents of large guilds, high-ranking officials of the Kingdom, upper-class nobles...

Many of these people had appeared in the main quests of the previous life in the Dillon Kingdom, yet now they had all gathered here.

It seemed that not everyone here necessarily supported Duke Ward; some, like himself, might have been influenced by "Intermediate Subconscious Suggestion" to come here.

For instance, the army's commander, Markas Conrad, who was a staunch Royalist, was also present at the party.

This man, who looked pale, seemed to have realized that something was amiss.

However, those top-level officials loyal to the King, such as Finance Minister Gilberto and others, were absent.

Perhaps Ward did not dare to easily use his Extraordinary Ability to influence those people, as they likely had certain protective measures in place.

So, was tonight the occasion for Duke Ward to demonstrate to the King the extent of his formidable power?

Quite presumptuous!

Lis could also understand why King Lukar could no longer tolerate Duke Ward.

Any normal King could hardly endure a Great Noble who threatened his own power and status!

Hadn't King Morton also made his way here through trials and hardships?

Of course, King Morton's methods were incomparable to those of the current young King of the Dillon Kingdom.

Fishing in troubled waters, Lis wondered if he could make contact with Duke Ward tonight.

A slight smile appeared on Lis's serious face; he had been worried about how to approach the Duke later, but now the opportunity had presented itself.

Now, he just needed to go with the flow and pretend to be influenced by the suggestion.

Although the host of the party had not yet appeared, the sumptuous dishes had already been placed on the long tables in the banquet hall by the servants.

The main focus was on various large chunks of roasted meat, including Dillon's distinctive large chunks of roasted deer meat and secret-recipe snowflake beef, all of which Lis discovered were from bred Extraordinary Magical Beasts—a technology not yet available in the Feis Kingdom.

There weren't many fruits and vegetables at the dinner, mostly cold dishes, but the few green items that were available looked very fresh.

All this showcased the wealth of Duke Ward.

The former Duke Ward had explored a route through the eastern barren mountains of the Dillon Kingdom that led to the sea; although remote and rugged, costly, it had significantly broken any potential trade blockade that the Feis Kingdom might have imposed on the Dillon Kingdom.

Duke Ward had gained substantial benefits through this trade route.

Lis simply took some of the Magic Beast meat and began to enjoy it.

The simple spices highlighted the meat's inherent deliciousness—tender and juicy, making Lis somewhat unable to stop eating.

Philip, who had been accompanying him all along, also simply joined Lis in eating some of the food, never leaving his side, seemingly as pre-planned.

"Kenne, it seems you really like grilled meat!"

Philip casually remarked.

"Yes."

Lis responded with equal indifference, he wasn't in a hurry, but he was curious to see what tricks Philip might try to play.

"Today, the order signed by Lord Gilberto, Kenne, what do you think of it?"

After chatting for a while, Philip casually brought up the subject, speaking with a smile.

"The tasks handed down by Lord Gilberto should just be done well, I don't care about the rest."

Lis spoke coldly, his words revealing a trace of respectful distance.

Philip didn't mind Lis's tone; in his mind, the former soldier Kenne Simon had always been like this.

But his words had some underlying meaning.

"Lord Gilberto might be overthinking it; there were no issues with the work last year, and right now it's our busy period, but he's brought up this matter."

Following Lis's words, Philip said as he took a deep red wine from a servant beside him.

Lis noticed the thoughtful look on Philip's face; he had deliberately spoken in such a way to make Philip think that his relationship with Gilberto wasn't very close, giving him a sense of being able to win Lis over.

"Indeed I've been having little to do lately, perhaps because of this, Lord Gilberto handed this task to me."

"That won't do, Kenne; you're so capable, Gilberto really didn't consider thoroughly this time."

Philip shook his head, seemingly sympathizing with Lis.

"How about this, I'll suggest to Gilberto that you take charge of the foundational work in Ice Peak City, how does that sound?"

Philip earnestly suggested, seemingly keeping Lis's interests in mind.

"Forget it, let me handle the task assigned by Lord Gilberto first."

Lis gently put down the dish in his hand and gave Philip a look, his stiff face revealing a slight smile.

This left Philip a bit at a loss.

This...

I was ready to make a big sacrifice by giving you this lucrative opportunity, and you suddenly refuse, what's going on?
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Did you really utter those words unintentionally before?

This Kenne Simon has another motive, or is he truly naïve?

Stunned by Lis, Philip remained outwardly unperturbed, lifting his glass to sip some exquisite wine to cover his discomposure, his mind spinning rapidly.

It won't do, I have to try again; if I can really win over Kenne Simon, and even better, Duke Quik Garnar behind him.

This is a task assigned by the Duke himself; it must be accomplished!

Lis ignored Philip, who was lost in a brainstorm beside him. He wanted Philip to see "Kenne Simon" as a wise man, then to realize he really was "politically naive." Through this flux of self-doubt to self-assurance, Philip might genuinely let his guard down.

Only in this way, would it be possible to decrease the attention from each other's strengths.

This was a tact Lis had used in his past life as a professional leveler, firmly grasping the thoughts of those who were wealthy, feeling that Lis was genuine and would not engage in deceitful tricks.

At that moment, Lis noticed the main character was making his entrance.

A middle-aged man, looking about forty, with a smile on his face, walked down from the second floor of the mansion, wearing a simple yet elegant black formal outfit that accentuated his robust muscles beneath.

His brown hair carefully styled, his deep blue eyes exuding both excitement and sincerity, he continuously greeted the nobles and high officials beside him.

This was the current Duke Stran Ward, a high-ranking Berserker!