Work Prophet

Chapter 40: Good News



After the news of Ireya's ascension to the throne spread, the three emperors Allister, Claudio, and Conley unanimously remained silent.

This was mainly because the news came too suddenly. Ireya had always shown no desire for the throne before, otherwise, she could have directly sent troops to occupy the Golden Valley after defeating Solomon; she could even have swallowed up Elk Valley as well.

After all, Tristan had also suffered a defeat at her hands, and the Panglos Family was at an unprecedented vulnerability at that time.

But Ireya chose to sound the retreat, and for the past year, she just quietly stayed in the western territory, engaging in construction and growing radishes, which was very misleading.

A year later, she suddenly became the Divine Chosen King and joined this game of power.

While the previous three players were still assessing the impact of the new competitor's entry, they received news of the conquest of the Golden Valley, and now all three felt uneasy.

After defeating those invincible Wing Tribe warriors, everyone knew that Ireya and her western army were formidable fighters.

But being able to fight to this extent was still beyond many expectations. From stepping into the Golden Valley to flattening it, Ireya only used a mere month; of course, with the help of the Campbell Family.

Yet, Lilania and her husband had previously spent a year recovering less than a third of the land, and they also had a formidable competitor — the Black Hand, who was also from the Campbell Family.

If Ireya had not suddenly intervened, the Campbell Family's internal war would likely have dragged on for years.

Of course, the most anxious now must be the Panglos Family in Elk Valley.

A year ago, Tristan led an army of seventy thousand straight to the Green Field, only to be defeated by Ireya with a mere twenty thousand, even finding himself captured and imprisoned in Rock Snow City for a while.

The Panglos Family ultimately paid an unprecedentedly large ransom to get him back.

Even drawing on the extensive resources of the Twelve Great Families of the Empire, this ransom nearly emptied them, and they also suffered considerable loss of warriors in the western territory, especially the family's elite guards (those who survived couldn't be ransomed back either, as the Panglos Family was indeed out of money), all of which can't be remedied in the short term.

And Tristan, after returning home, kept a low profile; besides attending Conley's coronation ceremony, he barely stepped out or received guests throughout the year.

He seemed determined to stay away from the disputes, tending to his wounds alone in the corner.

Yet Tristan never expected his nightmare would revisit just a year later.

Upon receiving the news that the Black Hand had been defeated by Ireya, Tristan couldn't sleep for days.

Every time he closed his eyes, the battle from a year ago would vividly reappear in his mind.

Those terrifying iron tubes spewing smoke and flames, the iron balls smashing everything in front; those snarling, continuously advancing steel beasts; and Ireya's almost artistic on-the-spot command: whenever he issued an order, almost simultaneously, the opposite side would make corresponding adjustments…

Anyone who hasn't personally experienced all of this wouldn't understand how truly despairing it was.

After losing that seemingly foolproof battle, Tristan lost all honor and the respect of others, knowing how the nobles now referred to him behind his back.

— The Ransom Duke or Miracle Duke.

The former is easily understood, merely mocking the fact that the Panglos Family spent four hundred thousand gold lions to ransom him back, and as for the latter, it's about the miracle that he lost that battle.

But Tristan himself knew it was no miracle; swapping any renowned commander from the Bratis Continent into that army's command would yield no different outcome.

In fact, Tristan had reviewed that discrediting battle over a hundred times while in the dungeon.

However, no matter how many times he replayed it, Tristan couldn't find even the slightest chance of turning the tables.

This was what terrified him the most.

Tristan sat alone in the study, his face changing unpredictably, when a burst of laughter came from outside the window.

Two young girls were playing in the courtyard below, one chasing the other, laughing and chatting, until the girl in the pale yellow dress ran too quickly and accidentally bumped into someone.

Looking up, the girl found it was Tristan, her expression changed slightly, she hastily put away her smile and looked down as if having done something wrong, saying, "Father."

And the girl holding a book who was chasing after her hurriedly stopped and curtsied upon seeing Tristan, "Duke."

"Ashley, how is your grandfather's health?" Tristan asked.

"Oh, his old ailment flared up again, his knee hurts whenever it rains, but a merchant brought him some Divine Medicine from the Double Rest Sect, and he feels much better after taking it."

The girl named Ashley grew quieter as she spoke, as everyone in the castle knew Tristan was in a bad mood these days and particularly didn't want to hear a certain name, nor anything related to it.

Fortunately, the head of the Panglos Family did not scold her but instead turned to look at his daughter.

"Genaril, what's making you so happy?"

"Nothing, Father." Genaril shrank her head.

"Don't be afraid, speak the truth and I won't blame you."

Genaril thought for a moment, "I heard… people outside are talking about you again."

"Oh, are they? Have they come up with a new nickname for me?" Tristan said calmly.

"No, they're all saying… they misunderstood you before." Genaril, seeing her father wasn't angry, boldly continued.

"Oh?"

"They say the battle in the western territory a year ago wasn't your fault, it was Sabbath that was too powerful; it chose Ireya to become the continent's queen; its divine prophecy is not something mortal can defy."

Genaril became more excited as she spoke, because ever since Tristan returned a year ago in defeat, all kinds of rumors about him had spread, and many of them were quite unpleasant.

Being Tristan's daughter, Genaril wouldn't just take it lying down; now that Golden Valley's famed Drake and the Black Hand both lost to Ireya, and in a way even more one-sided than Tristan, her father's reputation had slightly improved, as they say in another place, Tristan was "redeemed while lying down."

Genaril felt happy for her father, but Tristan was focused on something else, frowning as he spoke.

"You say everyone outside is talking about Sabbath's divine prophecy."

"Yes, Father."

"How many people?"

"Uh, I don't know the exact number, but it should be quite a lot; recently, many refugees from the Golden Valley fled to our lands, including some followers of the Double Rest Sect."


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