The Necromancer's Servant

In the Duke's mansion, Duke Murak, who had just returned from handling affairs, was receiving the Prime Minister.

"Mr. Prime Minister, this simply won't do," Duke Murak said, a troubled look on his face as he shook his head in refusal. "The wood from Airi, the mineral resources from Kalendor, and the trade of artworks from the Western countries… these have long been your family business. How can they be transferred to my name? Moreover, I hold military power; this seems rather inappropriate, doesn't it?"

"It's not 'my family business,' but 'our family business,'" the Prime Minister corrected him, his face, full of flesh, displaying an expression that was both warm and friendly. If the Duke seemed like a kind merchant, then the Prime Minister was a philanthropist with a big heart. "Duke, please don't forget that we are all family. We have always recognized and affirmed your capabilities. It was only a matter of time before you took charge of these matters, and now that we are short-staffed, we request you to oversee the situation. This is merely our family business, and His Majesty is wise; he would never take offense."

" Your Excellency, I really think this is inconvenient…" the Duke persisted in his difficult stance.

"Don't worry about it too much? It's settled then," the Prime Minister said, appearing somewhat reproachful. However, this was not an expression of dislike; it was like playful banter between close friends, showing a lack of pretense. "So it's decided. Claudius can come by later to bring you the documents."

After the Prime Minister left, Duke Murak smiled. This smile was the opposite of the earnest troubled expression he had just worn; it was one of relaxed satisfaction. He turned to Claudius and said, "Your uncle has lost quite a bit of weight."

"He must be very stressed during this time," Claudius said, a rare gloating smirk on his face. The Duke's good mood seemed to lift his spirits as well. "Many people have died in the family, including several high-ranking ministers, and he must be overwhelmed with the aftermath. Moreover, his son Modo made a serious trouble for him. That stupid guy teamed up with a royal guard officer to kill that priest commander while His Majesty was being attacked by that vampire. If he hadn't risked his life to protect his son, that guy would have been executed by now. However, because of this, His Majesty's trust in him has dropped to an all-time low. If anything goes wrong again, he might not even keep his position."

"The position of Prime Minister…" The Duke's eyes narrowed further, gleaming with delight. Just as a gourmet savors a beautifully presented dish, he reveled in the situation. "It's only a matter of time before someone else sits in that position. Your uncle has always looked down on me a bit, but now he actually wants to use my name to shield himself from the storm. This means he really realized he is at the end of his rope. Haha… he probably thinks I'm a convenient umbrella, believing this is a good plan…" The Duke nodded in satisfaction, nearly bursting into laughter. "I think this is a good plan too."

"The Necromancer Guild has done us a great favor; just one vampire has made the Ernie family's power plummet, and they probably won't have a chance to recover," Claudius said, smiling without feeling any discomfort, having nearly forgotten his own surname. The Duke was his idol, his spiritual mentor, the embodiment of the power and status he revered. In his subconscious, he was but a dog to the Duke, or even less than that—merely the Duke's shadow.

Claudius asked, "However, through this incident, the Church's political power has suddenly increased. The situation is chaotic; what should we do?"

"Don't rush into anything; at least not in front of the public," the Duke shook his head. "As you just said, the situation is not yet fully clear. Bishop Ronis has never been involved in political affairs but has suddenly become active, and our dangerous friend has also made a significant appearance, gaining the attention of the King and even other nations. Although it seems their energy is not currently focused on politics, how will they develop in the future? What will their relationship with the military's power be like? Until these matters are fully clarified, we cannot openly reveal ourselves."

"I understand," Claudius nodded. Even if the Duke forgot the specifics of these words later, he could recite them verbatim.

The Duke continued, "However, we can't just sit idle either, because the situation is quite favorable for us. My capable daughter, your wife, performed perfectly during that hunting incident. This is truly a pleasant surprise; His Majesty has granted her a title and a financial position. Although I haven't inquired into it for the sake of maintaining a clean image, there's no doubt this will help us greatly in the future. Furthermore, I now hold military power and my position is as stable as a mountain, so amidst this chaos and readjustment of the situation, opportunities are plentiful. We cannot waste such a great opportunity. We must spare no effort to push things in our desired direction." He revealed a rather smug, mysterious expression. "To be clear, we should just play our schemes behind the scenes without exposing ourselves publicly. We can't expose us to public."

Like an artist signing his name on a satisfactory work, the Duke concluded, "Cunning is the privilege of the clever and the tool of the successful. Naturally we should use it as much as possible. However, honesty and integrity are also noble qualities and should not be neglected. We must take both into account and find a balance point. The combination of the two will produce 'conspiracy.'"

"I understand," Claudius nodded earnestly. He wished he could imprint these insightful words and explanations onto his soul. Just now, the grand gift delivered by his uncle was the perfect result of such cunning tactics. This was far more effective than engaging in exhausting conflicts with swords and guns.

Two days ago, during a meeting with military ministers, the Duke had casually mentioned that the Ernie family had long been monopolizing and crazily profiting from commerce through its political power. Such matters were originally unknown to outsiders, but Claudius was not an outsider; he had been attentive to these issues for a long time. Thus, although the Duke's remarks were few, each was crucial.

With the Duke's eloquence and cleverness, these comments were naturally made at a very opportune moment, as if he was simply speaking offhandedly without much concern. However, when these words reached the ears of ministers who had been hostile toward the Ernie family and were looking for an opportunity to strike, they would naturally take great interest. Consequently, the matter developed smoothly, and the goods were delivered quietly into the hands of the always upright Duke, who never engaged in petty dealings.

Now, the Duke could finally breathe a sigh of relief and raise his spirits to prepare for a grand display of his abilities. This was not only because the current plan would significantly increase his wealth and prepare him for a future ambitious undertaking, but also because it addressed a huge flaw—a loophole he had previously harbored, eliminating the lurking anxiety that had kept him awake at night.

For a long time, the Duke had devoted his energy entirely to this remedial action, which was why he had not made much progress in other areas. Since he could no longer act against that person who knew too much, he had to eliminate all evidence and traces related to the intelligence he had hidden from and supported Orford in the past. This was undoubtedly a troublesome task, even an impossible one for others. However, thanks to the Duke's extraordinary abilities, he managed to accomplish it perfectly after considerable effort.

Moreover, Orford was currently striving to build good relations with various countries, and the Duke truly did not gain any significant benefits from Orford's establishment; without evidence, it would be impossible for anyone to believe that the Duke had colluded with Orford.

Now, everything was in order. The assets of the Ernie family would significantly enhance the Duke's power, and for a master of political strategy like the Duke, even the slightest benefit could yield great effects.

Claudius arrived at the Prime Minister's mansion just as dusk was settling in. The Prime Minister was dining alone.

"You've arrived. Come, let's have a good talk," the Prime Minister said, even while savoring exquisite food, appearing somewhat weary and not bothering with pleasantries as he greeted his nephew. It seemed that the events of the recent period had drained him, leaving him with little energy for superficial formalities.

Before the conversation began, the Prime Minister dismissed all the servants surrounding them. The vast dining hall was staffed with several main chefs, pastry chefs, and grill cooks, all ready to accommodate the Prime Minister's changing tastes at a moment's notice. Alongside the table were three servants responsible for cutting meat, two for pouring wine, and another four specially trained servants responsible for selecting and arranging the astonishing array of dishes as quickly as possible. Finally, two attendants, dressed even more lavishly than Claudius and wearing matching wigs, were there to serve the Prime Minister, placing the delicacies in his mouth. If it weren't for the enjoyment of how these wonderful items had become splendid through his efforts, the Prime Minister might have even required someone else to chew for him.

Today is definitely not a grand occasion, just a daily meal. The Prime Minister's appetite has deteriorated considerably, so there were only forty dishes for this meal, and the number of servants was kept to a minimum—any less would be disgraceful.

The Prime Minister's longstanding disdain for Duke Murak largely stemmed from the Duke's lack of the same elegance he possessed. For someone who dined without servants to attend to him, who didn't care about the food and had to fetch his own bread, no matter how prosperous he became or how lavishly he entertained ministers in his grand mansion with golden and silver utensils, at his core he was merely a parvenu from the countryside.

But now, forced by the circumstances, he had to lower himself before this country bumpkin. The Prime Minister seemed listless as he handed over the prepared account books, documents, and family seal to Claudius, somewhat helplessly saying, "I'm ashamed to say that you were originally the most talented and promising of our younger generation. But because of your father, everyone has kept their distance from you, and I've held some prejudices against you…"

Claudius remained silent and expressionless, a demeanor he had cultivated since childhood toward family members. However, he could see that his uncle truly felt cornered. People often reveal their honest thoughts only when they feel hopeless.

"As long as we get through this difficult period, our family still has a chance to rise again. After all, we possess considerable potential both in the court and outside of it. So you must pay close attention and diligently manage these businesses while next to Duke Murak. I am getting old; the future of this family depends on you," the Prime Minister said with a serious expression, hoping to inspire his nephew to work hard for the family's sake.

For the first time in his life, Claudius smiled at his uncle: "Don't worry; leave this to me."

"Good, thank you for your hard work." This was also the first time the Prime Minister felt that, despite having a wasteful father, his nephew could still be of use.

As he turned to leave, Claudius walked through the Prime Minister's expansive and deep corridors, sneering quietly to himself. He fully understood his uncle's intentions. However, holding those things that represented the family's power, he felt no sense of accomplishment or gratification, not even hoping for anything. He knew that it wouldn't take long before he and the Duke would render these documents and seals completely unrelated to the Ernie family; his heart was filled with the satisfaction of revenge.

According to family rules, those things should have originally belonged to his father and then passed down to him. However, because his father was a thorough waste, the family had no choice but to hand these over to his uncle, preparing to replace the head of the family. And because of his father, he had suffered from the exclusion and disdain of family members.

He didn't anticipate any of the talk about the family being passed into his hands that his uncle spoke of, nor did he harbor even a hint of rebellion against the Duke in his subconscious. One reason was that he clearly understood the disparity in power; just like a rabbit would never fantasize about devouring a lion, the more crucial reason was that he was mentally entirely subordinate to the Duke.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a woman screaming and the sound of beating coming from a nearby room. Claudius frowned and listened for a moment before walking over.

The weather was not hot, but everyone in this room was completely naked. A few women huddled together on a massive bed, trembling as they watched a man beating another woman in the corner of the room.

The man was thin and appeared to lack much strength, yet he acted like a mad dog, biting, scratching, tearing, kicking, and hitting the woman's snow-white body while shouting, "You dare to refuse my order? You dare to block my hit…?"

The woman dared not resist, merely managing to protect her face while crying and screaming in despair.

"What are you doing in my house?" the Prime Minister's son glared at Claudius, who had suddenly appeared in the doorway. This time his father had barely managed to save his life but had also given him a good lesson, even hitting him himself. This was the first time he had experienced such a lesson in his life, driving him into a furious rage that he could only vent on these women.

Claudius couldn't be bothered to respond and merely waved the things in his hand, as if demonstrating his power. In the past, this worthless fool had often demonstrated in various ways, relying solely on the things his father held.

The wasteful son was also aware of the recent situation and showed no hostility toward this display of power; after considering for a moment, he suddenly said, "Come in; let's discuss something. I need you do me a favor."

Claudius stepped inside, though he had no intention of helping, he was curious what was going on. This was the first time this waste had made a request of him.

"Get out! All of you get out!" Modo kicked the woman who was being beaten in the face, driving all the women away, and then turned to Claudius and said, "Lend me a few of those holy knights under your command. I want to kill someone." His voice and expression twisted with anger. "I have to kill that guy, no matter what. My father beat me up for this; do you know? He hit me!"

Claudius couldn't help but let out a cold laugh. The waste was ultimately still a waste, and this time he hadn't learned his lesson. Besides, what kind of team were the holy knights? How could they be used for personal vendettas?

What mattered to him more was the waste's tone, still arrogant, as if it was a privilege that he should help. He chuckled coldly, "Why should I help you?"

Modo's tone did not soften at all; it began to take on a condescending tone, as if helping him was a kind of honor granted by him. True wastrels, no matter the circumstances, always acted spoiled and were insufferably proud. "Don't think it is a big deal because my family is not doing well now. I'm telling you, my family will rise again, and my father will still be the head of all Ernie family. Do you think your idle father is qualified for that? In the end, the family business will still pass to me. So standing by my side now is absolutely your right choice."

Claudius couldn't help but smile coldly. He found amusement in this fool's ridiculousness, pleased because he could finally stand at the peak of victory and look down on these now laughable displays of power.

"You don't dare!" the Prime Minister's son screamed. "Do you think I don't know? Your wife is his old lover; compared to him, you're not even a man. He has the bishop's protection, so you wouldn't dare touch him, you waste, coward!"

Claudius's brows furrowed sharply, his eyes sparking with anger. But he quickly closed his eyes and fell silent.

After a while, Claudius opened his eyes; the spark had retreated deep within, and he replied expressionlessly, "No. I don't want to help you to take the blame." He turned and walked out.

"Stop right there!" Modo chased after him, but Claudius took several large strides and disappeared from sight, leaving him fuming as he turned back. "Remember this; you'll regret it later." Suddenly, he stepped on a small object on the floor, picked it up, and saw it was a beautifully carved little seal bearing Claudius's name and the holy knight's emblem.

"Smart move, you coward." Modo snorted, watching Claudius's departing figure.