Sword of Dawnbreaker

Chapter 329 - 328: Good News from All Sides

Lady Ropeni Gran watched as Viscount Carol’s figure disappeared through the door leading to the banquet hall, a cold smile slowly appearing on her lips.

She knew exactly why Viscount Carol would say such things—after all, poison is also a good remedy for disease, which is indeed true, because the Viscount Carol territory has been the main thoroughfare to the Plains of the Holy Spirits for the southern borders for the past few decades. Medicinal herbs from Kant territory and other places in the southern borders are mostly centralized at Viscount Carol’s territory before being assembled and transported northward. Besides herbs, a considerable portion of various outputs from the southern borders, including ordinary ores, magic-conducting materials, and furs, are transported through this checkpoint in Carol territory. Thus, from the beginning, the Carol family has been adept at trading businesses.

They are a family that doesn’t engage in production but relies on controlling the thoroughfare to seize huge profits. Therefore, the Carol family has a habitual mindset: they do not care where the goods come from; they only care if the goods can be sold through their hands.

They can do business with Count Hosman and actively respond to his call because Count Hosman can provide Magic Web technology, which the Carol family can sell to the major aristocrats of the Plains of the Holy Spirits to make a big profit. But Ropeni firmly believes one thing: if Cecil territory were willing to hand over the business of alchemical potions, which are almost equivalent to flowing gold coins, to Carol, Viscount Carol would appear in Duke Cecil’s reception hall within four days.

If the road conditions are better, then in two days.

Viscount Carol has a good keen eyesight, able to see the current situation of Gawain Cecil’s creations infiltrating the entire southern borders and sense the dangerous aura within, but he mistakenly estimated this danger. He thinks he’s just a trafficker, thus able to stay out of it, but Ropeni Gran knows very well...

What Gawain Cecil Duke is doing is certainly not as simple as seizing money, nor as straightforward as infiltrating and spying on other aristocratic territories’ information. Although she temporarily cannot understand the specific goals and methods of that resurrected Duke, she is very familiar with this open and honest scheming that forces everyone to fall into the trap.

Her husband was also somewhat similar in life.

It is for this reason that she knows very well where the most terrifying aspect of this open scheme lies.

Lady Ropeni Gran turned around, her sunken and indifferent eyes gazing at the brilliant lights in the courtyard and those Hosman’s Personal Guards who already consider alchemical potions as regular supplies taken with them.

She knew very well that with these alchemical potions, those Hosman’s Soldiers had already gained a significant advantage in battles against ordinary aristocratic private soldiers.

And once the Magic Web is spread, and the magic-powered machines in the mines are installed, these soldiers will be equipped with more, and more refined, metal swords and armor, and the sentinel towers in this territory can obtain a continuous supply of Magic Power.

And Count Hosman himself will obtain immense wealth simultaneously.

This is the most terrifying aspect—no one can refuse Gawain Cecil’s gift. As long as one person accepts this "poison," those who refuse it will die earlier than those who have taken it.

That conceited Carloff Hosman can only see the benefits, likely blind to the dagger behind the benefits, but Ropeni doesn’t intend to issue any warnings. She believes that even if a warning were made, the minor aristocrats, blinded by interests, would blindly ignore every danger, believing that even if the situation changes, everything would still be under their control.

On this, Ropeni herself is uncertain because compared with the entire southern borders... Gawain Cecil, this Duke with merely a title, is too alone and powerless.

...

When the leader sang and danced in celebration in the castle’s banquet hall, other parts of the castle were also holding celebratory events. A small banquet was taking place in the southeastern corner of the castle, where scholars and advisers from the Hosman Family gathered, drinking the fine wine bestowed by their leader and enjoying sweet pastries and meats rarely savored, with laughter and cheer all around.

They successfully mastered the entire set of technology for building the Magic Web and implemented the operation of the first Magic Web segment in this ancient castle. These talented and intelligent people received generous rewards from the host household. They were granted permission to feast here until dawn, a rare honor.

And amidst this small banquet, the center of attention was two young men in gray and white cotton robes, one tall, one short.

Someone stepped forward to toast these two young men, a middle-aged man with a broad forehead chuckled and said, "Serving the Hosman Family will be the wisest decision of your lives—you’ll soon realize, the Earl’s generosity cannot be compared by Viscount Andrew."

"Talented young people are welcomed everywhere," another scholar-like person approached, speaking in the tone of an elder appreciating the young, "When the weather warms up, I must invite you to my estate outside the city. It has the best honey tea in the region..."

"And two daughters who can’t find husbands, right!"

This brought a burst of laughter at the scene, further heightening the cheerful atmosphere.

But the two young men surrounded by everyone seemed a little overwhelmed by the drinking, they managed to endure for a while, then felt dizzy to the point that they needed to go outside to get some fresh air—obviously, no one at the scene would make things hard for these "heroes," so the others continued to drink heartily, while the two young men each carried a cup of sobering tea and departed from the side hall one after the other.

Blowing the cold wind outside, the tall young man slightly turned back to glance at the porch illuminated inside, then softly sneered, "The entire set of technology for building the Magic Web... these people truly understood what ’technology’ means?"

"At best, it’s the entire craft set of Magic Web building," the shorter young man, no longer showing any signs of drunkenness, muttered in a low voice, "But we shouldn’t have overly high expectations for them—without firsthand experience, who can imagine that extremely simplified hexagon contains the deepest layers of symbol rules?"

The tall young man gave a faint smile, looking at his companion: "Tonight, the Magic Web will take root everywhere in the southern borders..."

The short young man also revealed the same smile. He gently raised the cup in his hand, using tea in place of wine, "A song of loyalty."

"A song of loyalty."

"By the way, do you know why the leader uses this phrase as a code for field agents?"

"Who knows—But from now on, we should act cautiously. If not necessary, let’s not bring up the matters ’over there’ again."

"I understand."

...

Several days later, Amber brought the intelligence Gawain had been waiting for.

"Our people successfully infiltrated Earl Hosman’s castle," Amber reported earnestly, "Just as you said, that Earl indeed is trying to obtain the technology for constructing the Magic Web... He has summoned both major and minor aristocratic figures of the southern borders, planning to sell the Magic Web technology he ’stole’ to others, to those who are aligned with him."

Gawain smiled with satisfaction, "This way, everything has developed according to my plan."

"Buying isn’t as good as stealing, and stealing isn’t as good as not finding anything..." Amber mused. She rarely comprehended Gawain’s elaborate method to leak technology to the southern borders’ aristocrats — of course, it’s also related to her extensive experience in the underworld, "This way, with all the trouble they went through to get the technology, they would have no more reservations; it seems it won’t be long before they’ll widely deploy the Magic Web across their territories."

"Even if they don’t need mining machinery, the Magic Web can power their castles, Mage towers in their territories, and various fortresses’ magic traps and other defensive facilities... In this world filled with magic, the Magic Web is something inherently universal," Gawain nodded, "But I estimate, at least one-third of the aristocrats do need mining machinery; the southern borders’ mining industry is substantial... Notify Viscount Andrew to clear the docks, I predict many sneaky visitors will soon flock to his territory to acquire the Magic-Powered Engine."

"Actually, we could do this business ourselves..." Amber pouted, "That would eliminate middlemen and their cuts..."

"Not yet, the limitless supply of low-cost alchemical potions from the Cecil territory is already astonishing, and I don’t intend to draw more attention elsewhere for now," Gawain shook his head, "Currently, all released information subtly indicates that the Cecil territory’s production capacity has reached a bottleneck, and new mining machinery is being manufactured in Tanzan Town. Since that’s the case, I’ll continue to spread this information to make the southern borders’ aristocrats underestimate the Cecil territory’s production potential, so they won’t be frightened."

Amber waved her hand, "Also it can make them drop their guard, right? I understand, I understand."

Gawain was quite satisfied with the half-elf lady’s progress during this period. He nodded contentedly, and suddenly said, "Could you please watch over me for a bit, I..."

Amber didn’t wait for Gawain to finish before interrupting, "You’re going to ’meditate’ again, aren’t you?"

"Exactly."

This time, the half-elf lady didn’t say a word. She simply nodded, "Alright, I’ll watch over you."

Immediately, Gawain slowly emptied his mind, but just as he was about to sink into dreams, he heard Amber’s voice faintly coming from beside him, "But make sure, when you can say something, you tell me first!"

"Don’t worry, I won’t forget."

After a brief period of darkness and dizziness, Gawain appeared in the endless space with clear waters and blue skies.

Old Mage Daniel stood before him, respectfully bowing.

"My lord, I have not failed your will — I am now the chief of the Eternal Sleepers’ ’Information Security and Network Architecture’ project, and responsible for building the first-generation database."

Gawain blinked.

This old man is remarkably efficient!

Higher than any rollicking person on his territory!

Emmm... if I’m slow in retracting the line in the future, this old mage might just become the Pope...