After Watson’s departure, Pacino pauses and finally looks around. He’s startled by the scene. The once quiet corner is now surrounded by a crowd, including various viscounts, barons, and knightly lords, all standing respectfully.

Fabio slaps the table, laughing, “Henwell, they say you abduct a woman every night. By that count, you must have many children. Share one with me! With your talents, your son must be exceptional.”

Henwell chuckles, “No women for me. I’m always busy till midnight, always surrounded by a bunch of smelly men!”

Arius joins in with a smile, “Henwell, tell us how you smashed through the city gates and led the delegation out of Divine Revelation City!”

Henwell spreads his hands, “I’m trying to remember that myself!”

Pacino, finally catching on, looks at Henwell in shock, “Aren’t you Henwell from Beasley? How are you the lord of Blood Hill?”

Arius explains, “When Peace Haven was part of the Ika Kingdom, it was called Beasley. Later, it was renamed Peace Haven. Also, his full name is Rudolph Henwell! So when he says he’s a knightly lord from Beasley, technically, he’s not deceiving you.”

Princess Catherine, intrigued, asks Henwell, “So this is how your Vorry Duchy describes our encounter! Tell me, how did you single-handedly break through my White Rose Knights, carry me off on your shoulder, and then fight your way out of my thirty-thousand-strong army, using me as a hostage to force my father to return the bodies?”

Henwell sheepishly rubs his nose, “Those are just wild tales! Your Highness, you know how desperate I was back then. If it weren’t for your kindness, I’d have died long ago! They’re just legends. Please don’t mind them. Isn’t there also a rumor in Billie that I was on my knees, tearfully kissing your boots to let me go?”

Pacino seems to finally understand, his face filled with shock as he looks at the beautiful woman beside him, “You are… you are…”

Catherine smiles sweetly, “Yes, I’m Catherine, Princess of the Kingdom of Billie. And in your story, I’m the delicate princess who was supposedly carried off by this scoundrel Henwell, screaming all the way!”

“Sorry… I’m so sorry! I didn’t know! Uh! I didn’t mean to… ah—” Pacino, utterly flustered and unsure how to explain, collapses into his chair with a high-pitched wail.

Just as everyone is finding the chubby little Pacino amusing, another group approaches the area. One of them steps up to the table and first bows to Fabio. As he moves to greet Arius, both Arius and Henwell rise to greet him, “Brother!”

The newcomer is Orak, the eldest son of Count Phoenix. He graciously accepts the greetings from his younger brothers. Orak then greets the two princesses before being pulled into a seat by Fabio, who has known Orak for a long time. After all, Jansen, Orak’s father, was once part of the royalist faction, and Orak, being Jansen’s eldest, is close in age to Fabio.

Back when Jansen served as the captain of the guard for Grand Duke Amir in Silver Peak City, young Orak and Fabio were playmates of the late Crown Prince Hunter. During the early days of the War of the Six Kings, the two even fought side by side!

Not long after, two more young men arrive: Ronald, the eldest son of the Northern Count Lowel, and Raziel, the eldest son of Count Quinns from the royal faction. Then Crocker, the eldest son of the neutral faction leader, Count Reyes, joins them.

Finally, the sons of two influential leaders of the noble alliance arrive: Spencer, the eldest son of Count Marcus, and Glens, the eldest son of Count Descartes. Despite Fabio’s disagreements with his family, he still represents Count Obiken. Although Orak has joined the Blood Lion Knights, he continues to represent the newly appointed Count Jansen.

With this, the table now hosts representatives of the seven influential earls of the duchy, two princesses from the Kingdom of Billie, a young prince of the duchy, and Henwell, the formidable lord of Blood Hill.

And, of course, there’s Pacino, the baron who now resembles a quivering little quail beside Henwell. Initially, he wanted to flee, but his legs have turned to jelly, and Henwell has firmly placed a hand on his thigh to keep him seated.

The eldest sons of these powerful earls are all acquainted, and the conversation flows smoothly. They hold Henwell in high regard, recognizing that in terms of power and influence, Henwell is on par with their fathers.

The conversation soon turns to potential collaborations, but where there’s cooperation, there’s also conflict. The pleasant atmosphere quickly dissipates when Ronald, the eldest son of Count Lowel, expresses his desire to claim a few noble titles within the ‘dowry’ lands Arius has acquired. Spencer, the eldest son of Count Marcus, also wants a piece of the action, aiming to place some of his people there.

Orak and Fabio remain silent on the matter.

Orak, being Arius’s cousin, and Fabio, having grown up with Arius, have their own interests in that territory but aren’t looking to seize it forcefully. Since Fabio captured Yosui City, he has stationed two thousand of his Iron Wall troops there. Count Jansen has also sent members of the Phoenix family along with two thousand soldiers.

Arius has not shortchanged these two allies, promising two baronies and seven knightly estates.

Additionally, the interests of both parties in the Yosui City area will be protected by Arius. In return, these four thousand troops will follow Arius’s command as long as there are no fundamental conflicts.

Furthermore, after Arius’s wedding, Henwell’s wedding gift will also be sent to Yosui City. Henwell plans to leave two thousand troops under Arius’s command. Previously, Henwell had already given Arius three thousand elite prisoner soldiers from the duchy, and Arius himself has over seven thousand troops. He plans to expand his army further in the future.

With these calculations, Arius can soon command nearly twenty thousand armed forces, giving him the confidence to speak firmly with any party.

When faced with the demands from Ronald and Spencer, Arius calmly replies, “Sorry, but that territory actually belongs to Karitan, and I don’t have the authority to grant it away.”

The two smile at Arius.

“So, Prince Arius, are you rejecting our friendship?”

“Prince Arius, this decision might harm your relations with the North.”

Arius chuckles lightly, “Oh, shouldn’t it? Besides, when have you ever offered me friendship? From the Path of Honor to the War of Marriage, you’ve been trying to see me dead every step of the way!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep