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Chapter 64: Royal Messenger, The Boomerang Effect
Chapter 64: Royal Messenger, The Boomerang Effect
Earl's fingers tapped absently on the table. "So... what's your recommendation?"
"Cut off the supply of Mana Shard Fragments", Ai Demeng declared, his voice trembling slightly despite his resolve.
"Father, Luo En has been in the Black Mist Jungle for nearly a year. If he had any potential, he would've proven it by now. Continuing to drain the family's resources will only—"
"He's your blood brother!" Earl's voice suddenly rose. "Have you forgotten how you once protected him?"
A flicker of complex emotion crossed Ai Demeng's face.
True enough, when Luo En was a child, he had been endlessly tolerant of his youngest brother. Even when Luo En drunkenly caused a scandal at a nobles' ball, it was Ai Demeng who handled the fallout—carrying his brother home, shielding him from their father's wrath.
"Father, I remember", Ai Demeng said quietly. "But this isn't about personal feelings anymore. The livelihoods of over a hundred family members hang in the balance. We've already invested far too much in Luo En. Those Mana Shard Fragments..."
Ai Demeng shook his head bitterly. "You know how valuable even fragmented Mana Stones are. In our kingdom, a single complete Mana Stone could buy a large castle. They only form at rare spiritual vein intersections, and our Commoner Realm has practically none."
He opened the ledger in his hands. "Last month alone, we spent thousands of gold coins to obtain just ten Mana Shard Fragments. And even then, I've learned that only six or seven ever reach Luo En."
Earl's head snapped up. "What are you saying?"
"Hawkins, that cunning bastard." Ai Demeng gave a cold chuckle. "I suspect he's skimming some off the top, but we have no proof. And with his royal messenger status? There's nothing we can do. He's protected by powerful figures."
Earl's expression darkened. Silence stretched through the study, broken only by the occasional crackle from the fireplace embers.
Finally, Earl sighed. "I see. Perhaps you're right, Ai Demeng. We must consider the family."
He rose, walking to the window to gaze at the withered fields beyond the estate. "Starting next month... no, preparations have already begun. Let's cut his funding after the following month."
As the words left his lips, Earl seemed to age decades. His shoulders slumped under an invisible weight.
Before Ai Demeng could speak, urgent knocks exploded at the door.
"My lord!" The steward's voice pierced through the wood, tinged with uncharacteristic excitement. "A royal envoy has arrived with urgent business!"
Earl and Ai Demeng exchanged wary glances. Royal envoys rarely appeared unannounced.
Lord Lalf and Ai Demeng hastened to the main hall, where a man in a black velvet cloak stood, the royal sun-crown insignia gleaming on his chest.
The envoy, looking mid-thirties, had the rigid posture of a military man despite his austere demeanor.
"Esteemed Lord Lalf." He executed a perfect courtly bow, voice deep and resonant. "I am Envoy Orlando Wilson, sent by His Majesty's command."
Earl gestured for him to sit after returning the greeting. "To what do we owe this honor, Envoy Wilson?"
Orlando accepted the tea offered by a maid but didn't sip. "I bear two urgent matters, Earl. First—" He placed the cup down solemnly. "Regarding your fifth son, Young Master Luo En Lalf."
Earl jolted upright, eyes narrowing. "Luo En? What about the boy?"
"According to reports from the Black Mist Jungle, Young Master Luo En has successfully passed the Elementary Apprentice qualification, officially becoming an apprentice mage." Orlando's voice carried genuine reverence. "More astonishingly, despite an initial Sixth Class Star spiritual aptitude, he achieved breakthrough in under ten months. The Black Mist School has rated him as possessing 'moderate potential.'"
The words struck like lightning. Earl and Ai Demeng froze, stunned by this sudden transformation.
"That's impossible!" Ai Demeng blurted. "Luo En's talent—"
"In the mage world, anything is possible, Young Master Ai Demeng." Orlando smiled faintly. "Reportedly, Young Master Luo En has shown rare alchemical talent. He's now Madame Ellen's assistant and has drawn the attention of High Apprentice Holt himself."
Though unfamiliar with the names, Earl recognized their significance, pride swelling in his chest. Ai Demeng, watching his father's face light up, couldn't suppress his own joy. He'd always cherished his youngest brother, despite the reckless antics during Luo En's time at the estate.
"And the second matter?" Earl asked once his emotions steadied.
Orlando's expression hardened. "Regarding Hawkins, the courier handling your Mana Shard Fragment deliveries." He produced an official scroll sealed with the royal crest. "Investigations confirmed Hawkins systematically withheld portions of your gifts to Young Master Luo En. By royal decree, he has been executed, and his family sentenced to slavery."
As he nodded to an aide, a box was presented. The lid opened to reveal a severed man's head, frozen in anguish.
Earl and Ai Demeng recognized the face instantly. Both seasoned knights, they weren't startled by the gruesome sight. Rather, they marveled at the monarchy's ruthless efficiency in eliminating Hawkins and his entire household.
"More importantly", Orlando continued, "upon learning this, Young Master Luo En generously offered to reimburse the stolen Mana Shard Fragments through equivalent means at the academy."
Receiving a heavy chest from his squire, he placed it ceremoniously on the hall table. "Contained within are twenty thousand pure gold coins and two commercial property contracts in the capital's eastern district. These represent the value of the stolen fragments, as determined by Young Master Luo En's exchanges at the academy and sent specifically to the Ralph Family."
(End of Chapter)
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