Chapter 127: Territorial Ambitions

Sarpa thought for a moment.

And soon answered with a troubled face.

“……I’m sorry. I can manage it, but properly managing it would be difficult.”

“I see.”

Gaon smiled at Sarpa’s answer.

Gaon knew the situation of the Aiol Viscount Family.

With the Aiol Viscount Family’s capabilities, they couldn’t manage the entire Eon Kingdom.

It might be possible in the future, but at least not now.

If he had said it was possible, Gaon would have been disappointed instead.

“What about the Reito County’s domain?”

Gaon narrowed the scope and asked again.

Then, unlike before, Sarpa answered without a moment’s hesitation, in a confident voice.

“I am confident I can manage that perfectly.”

“Yes, then let’s just clean up the Reito County for now.”

He wanted to clean up the entire Eon Kingdom if he could.

But there was no one to manage after the cleanup.

If unmanaged, it would cause tremendous chaos.

And chaos would lead to great damage to lives and property alike.

It was unpleasant, but in the current situation with no one to manage, it was right to leave the management to the Eon Kingdom.

“I mean literally just cleaning up the head, Calvin, and the leadership. You can handle the rest, right?”

“Of course!”

Gaon nodded at Sarpa’s answer and asked.

“And do you have any information worth reporting?”

“Well…….”

Sarpa trailed off and thought for a moment.

And soon opened his mouth.

“The second wife of the Reito County is the youngest daughter of the Belling Marquis Family in the Rios Empire. If you kill her, the Belling Marquis Family might intervene.”

“The Belling Marquis Family…….”

Gaon knew of the Belling Marquis Family’s existence.

It was a family with considerable influence in the Rios Empire.

Of course, Gaon wasn’t afraid at all.

After all, it was just a single family.

If it were the Schutaren Duchy or Valen Duchy, it might be a concern, but a marquis family wasn’t worth worrying about.

And it didn’t seem like the Belling Marquis Family would stake their fate on avenging the youngest daughter.

“Anything else?”

“Currently, Bishop Emily from Seionia is staying at the palace.”

“Seionia?”

“Yes.”

“They’re irrelevant.”

Gaon wasn’t afraid of Seionia at all.

The last time the voices of the gods descended was about 300 years ago.

For some unknown reason, the gods weren’t in a normal state.

So why fear Seionia?

Moreover, Gaon had now entered the 9th Circle and achieved perfection.

After achieving perfection, he was growing stronger day by day just by breathing.

Even if the gods intervened again and granted more divine power than now, he was confident.

In other words, it didn’t matter if it was a bishop or the pope.

“Anything else?”

“A year ago, the Schutaren Duchy secretly sent an envoy to the palace.”

“From the Schutaren Duchy?”

“Yes, the details aren’t known, but it’s presumed they formed an agreement.”

“……”

Gaon thought silently.

Not from the direct line, probably a branch family’s doing?

The Schutaren Duchy was very large in scale.

Branches and vassal families were numerous.

To the extent it could be seen as a kingdom.

And if they formed an agreement with the Eon Kingdom, the probability was very high that it was done by a branch or vassal family, not the direct line.

Well, I’ll visit soon anyway.

He planned to visit the Schutaren Duchy soon anyway.

He could check then.

What happened.

“Anything more?”

“Nothing.”

Sarpa answered, and Gaon stood up.

“I’ll contact you soon.”

***

The reception room in the Eon Kingdom’s palace.

Calvin was communicating with his second wife, Asilia, who remained in the territory, via the communication crystal orb.

-Father said not to worry.

-He mentioned that a supreme council of the empire will be held soon because of Gaon anyway.

“Oh.”

Calvin let out an exclamation at Asilia’s words.

The supreme council of the empire was a meeting that set the direction of the Rios Empire.

Such a meeting being held because of Gaon?

He didn’t know what the result would be, but the possibility of restrictions on Gaon’s actions seemed very high.

-And Father had a message for you.

“What is it?”

-He said that in times like this, you need to solidify the succession structure.

“Haha…….”

Calvin gave a bitter smile at Asilia’s words.

The heir and eldest son, Obis, had been killed by Gaon.

As a result, the Reito County’s succession structure had returned to a blank slate.

And Asilia, not wanting to miss this opportunity, was strongly pushing the third son as the heir.

Right then.

Swaat!

The communication cut off.

Of all times…….

Calvin furrowed his brow.

The cutoff was coincidental.

But would Asilia think that?

No, she would think he cut it to avoid answering.

Calvin injected mana again to reconnect.

He needed to clear the misunderstanding.

If not cleared now, it would come back bigger later.

“……?”

But even as time passed, the communication didn’t connect.

“……”

Calvin’s face hardened more and more as time passed.

Could it be…….

Suddenly, Gaon came to mind.

No, that can’t be.

But Calvin shook his head.

It didn’t make sense.

The timing didn’t match.

The reason the communication wasn’t connecting must be something else.

Right then.

Knock. Creak.

With a knock, the door opened, and the palace butler entered.

“His Majesty has granted the audience.”

“Understood.”

Calvin glanced at the crystal orb.

He wanted to check what happened.

But he couldn’t delay the audience.

Calvin stood up and headed to the audience chamber with the palace butler.

“I greet Your Majesty.”

As soon as he arrived at the audience chamber, Calvin greeted King Belfur with proper etiquette.

“Come in.”

Belfur smiled brightly and accepted the greeting.

And continued.

“I heard it’s urgent. What is it?”

“Well…….”

Calvin trailed off and glanced around.

It wasn’t just Belfur in the audience chamber.

Bishop Emily from Seionia and the palace magic corps commander, Traon, were there too.

Anyway, both needed to know the current situation.

Calvin opened his mouth.

“The Eltang Duchy has been destroyed.”

At first, it was a guess.

And on the way to the palace, it was confirmed.

The Eltang Duchy had definitely been destroyed.

And currently, Eltarion was being managed by mages from Alter Tower.

And not just any—high-ranking mages with fame, including Vice Tower Master Pianus.

“Although mages from Alter Tower are managing Eltarion, it’s presumed that the one who destroyed the duchy wasn’t Alter Tower but Gaon.”

They didn’t destroy the Eltang Duchy.

The mages from Alter Tower were saying that Alter Tower’s management was only temporary, and the real owner would come soon.

Who could move Alter Tower?

Gaon, who had visited Alter Tower earlier.

And Alter Tower had joined the alliance founded by Gardion Tower.

Considering these two situations, it was presumed to be Gaon.

“Hmm…….”

Belfur let out a low groan at the mention of Gaon.

And his expression darkened slightly.

It wasn’t just Belfur whose expression darkened.

The expressions of Emily and Traon with him also darkened.

Belfur asked Traon.

“Can you stop Gaon by any chance?”

Traon was also a grand mage who had crossed the wall.

And it wasn’t to kill him.

If thoroughly prepared, perhaps he could stop him.

“……Impossible.”

Traon answered with a bitter face, shaking his head.

“If he had just entered the 8th Circle, maybe. But an 8th Circle master—I can’t stop him no matter what preparations I make.”

“Hmm…….”

Belfur let out another groan at Traon’s answer.

And Traon glanced at Emily and opened his mouth.

“But Seionia might have a way.”

“Hahat!”

Emily let out a bright laugh at Traon’s words.

And continued with a smile.

“Even without that, we’re keeping an eye on Gaon. There are many who think he’s rampaging too much.”

“Oh, that’s good news.”

Belfur smiled broadly.

Seionia was watching Gaon?

Right then.

“……!”

Suddenly, Belfur’s eyes flashed.

And he turned his head to look at Calvin.

“……?”

Calvin couldn’t help but be puzzled at Belfur’s reaction.

He must have received something via message magic.

What report elicited such a reaction?

“Hmm…….”

Soon, Belfur let out a troubled groan.

From Belfur’s face, Calvin felt unease.

And suddenly, Asilia, whose communication had cut off just before the audience, came to mind.

Why did Asilia suddenly come to mind?

Soon, Belfur opened his mouth.

“I got a contact from Sir Simuler.”

“……!”

Calvin’s eyes flashed at the mention of his father-in-law, Simuler, head of the Belling Marquis Family.

“He says Asilia’s soul stone has shattered, and he wants to discuss what happened…….”

And at Belfur’s following words, Calvin couldn’t say anything.

The soul stone shattering meant ‘death’.

Asilia dead?

Not on the battlefield, but in the mansion—why would Asilia suddenly die?

If she had a chronic illness, maybe, but Asilia was very healthy.

Wait.

At the sudden thought, Calvin frowned.

Gaon?

“Hmm.”

Gaon let out a short groan.

I didn’t expect this.

***

After finishing the conversation with Sarpa, Gaon headed straight to the Reito County’s mansion.

To deal with the leadership, including Calvin.

But a problem arose.

Calvin, the most important target, was absent.

And not nearby.

He had gone to the palace.

Should I leave him for now?

In the current situation, Gaon had two choices.

First, storm the palace and kill him.

Second, just leave him be.

For now, the first choice of visiting the palace wasn’t good.

He couldn’t visit the palace just to kill Calvin.

If visiting the palace, he should go with the intent to kill everyone.

But in a situation where he had to leave the management to the Eon Kingdom for a while, he couldn’t kill everyone.

……He won’t come once he knows the situation anyway.

The不安 factor was if Calvin exerted influence on the territory.

But he wouldn’t come in person to exert influence.

He wouldn’t take the risk of coming personally in this situation.

In other words, he would exert it indirectly from the palace with words, but that much wasn’t worth worrying about.

It could be sufficiently suppressed.

Having finished thinking, Gaon headed to the mansion entrance.

And he could meet the group of mages waiting at the mansion entrance.

“I greet Lord Gaon.”

The leader of the group of mages, Hedow, a 6th-Circle mage from Tower of Fire, bowed his head and greeted.

“I heard you became Vice Tower Master. Congratulations.”

Due to Gaon, Tower of Fire had undergone a great upheaval.

Vice Tower Master Sillin became Tower Master, and Hedow and Rian became Vice Tower Masters.

“Thank you. I won’t forget Lord Gaon’s favor.”

Hedow knew well why he became Vice Tower Master.

Without Gaon, Vice Tower Master was a position he couldn’t even dream of.

“Don’t feel burdened. Managers from the Aiol Viscount Family will come soon. Take care from now on.”

The Reito County and Tower of Fire had a close relationship, and there was a Tower of Fire branch in the city.

Of course, the relationship had cooled due to Sinabro’s death, but the branch hadn’t disappeared.

And Gaon planned to keep the Tower of Fire branch as is.

“I’ll do my best.”

“If any problem arises that’s hard to handle, contact Gardion Tower.”

“Yes!”

Having finished the conversation, Gaon exchanged farewells.

And as he headed out of the city, he thought.

Who could it be?

Now, Gaon planned to visit the Schutaren Duchy.

He had planned to visit anyway, but now there was one more purpose.

To confirm who had formed the cooperation with the Eon Kingdom.

If the direct line formed the cooperation……!

The probability it wasn’t the direct line was high.

The probability a branch or vassal family did it was very high.

But he couldn’t completely rule out the possibility.

And if a direct blood relative of the Schutaren Duchy had formed the cooperation, what should he do?

“Hmm……..”