Imperial Crown.

Chapter 540 My Family is Also a Marquis
"Unfortunately, I am not a fifth-order rank."

Raven touched the black stubble on his chin with some regret.

Only fourth-tier transcendent beings can unlock their martial souls, and only fifth-tier transcendent beings can detach their martial souls from their bodies to fight. If that were the case, Raven's Void Extreme Divine Eye would also have the ability to unleash combat techniques and kill.

"Break through to the fifth rank as soon as possible," Raven muttered to himself. By the time he returned to Bloodstone Territory, the Battle Mother Potion should be almost finished. He just didn't know what rank it would be; if it was low-rank, it wouldn't be useful to Raven. To allow Raven to leap from the fourth rank to the fifth rank, he would need at least a fourth-rank Battle Mother Potion.

Another crucial reason for his trip to the Elven Empire was to find the antidote for Lux—a sapling of the Dawn Tree. Fortunately, Ernada fulfilled her mission and obtained it. This relieved Raven of a great burden.

Logically, Raven should have left as soon as possible, returning to Bloodstone Territory and then to Eagle City in the Nord Province. But having already come to the Elven Empire, Raven had one more thing he urgently wanted to understand—the Blood Curse that had always hung over him like a Damocles' sword!
Whether it's those bizarre dreams or rumors that are a mix of truth and falsehood... there is enough evidence to suggest that the blood curse within the Griffith family members is closely related to the Elven race.

His Eyes of Truth, including his previous aging, the curse that could backfire on witches, Anno's unpredictable future, the mobilization of magic and battle aura within his body, and even the shocked yet unfinished last words of the reincarnated angel Aetheril before her death... all these signs indicate that the Blood Curse is not the terrifying being that "only takes lives" as rumored, but rather an "alternative treasure." However, unlocking this "treasure" requires a key.

Ever since Raven stepped into the Elven Empire, he had vaguely felt an attraction and a calling. The blood curse within him had also become much more active than before. Originally, Raven had consumed the Golden Tree Saliva, dispelling part of the blood curse and breaking the curse that Griffith family members could only live to 40. But recently, the blood curse had been slowly growing, once again trying to crawl over every corner of his soul and body like a bloody spider web.

If you calculate the time, Raven's body is already 33 years old, and there are less than 7 years left before the "40-year limit".

The time has come for him to confront and resolve the blood curse within him.

After all, no one wants to live in the shadow of fear for the rest of their life.

……

"Greetings, Your Excellency Viscount."

Inside the spacious yet somewhat rudimentary castle hall, the scattered shouts of the crowd could be heard.

"There's no need to be so formal."

Denise's cool voice rang out, "Please be seated, everyone. I've called you all here today because of the recent conscription order issued by Governor Tyron. What are your thoughts on this?"

The hall was crowded, but most were nobles from Snowmaple County in the Nord Province. The Nord Province was truly a frontier region of the Keynes Empire. Frontier regions generally imply vast lands, sparse populations, and scarce resources, often referred to as barren lands. Consequently, such frontier regions are typically quite large. Examples include the Molinell Province, the Cartier Province (known as the "Beast Province"), the Blackwater Province, the Manteleide Province, and the Eastwood Province… all of which fall into this category.

Therefore, the Nord province alone was divided into 17 counties.

The city of Monen, home to the Slater family of Tyrone, belongs to Hodges County, located in the central part of the Nord Province. It is now the heart of the entire Nord Province. The original heart was Hove City, controlled by the Fox family, belonging to Feldor County. In truth, this county is the most advantageous and resource-rich in the entire Nord Province. It is not only closest to the interior but also borders both the North Sea Province and the Molinell Province. In comparison, Snowmaple County, where Raven resides, is located in the northwest corner of the Nord Province. Since the Nord Province is already on the periphery of the empire, Snowmaple County is even more of a periphery within a periphery.

It can only be said that even in remote areas, there are differences.

Fortunately, thanks to Raven's efforts over the past decade, Eagle City has risen to prominence and become prosperous. While it may not surpass the other two well-known old cities—Monen and Hove—it is certainly on par with them. In terms of economic scale alone, Eagle City has long since left Monen and Hove far behind. To exaggerate a bit, even Monen, now under the governorship of Tyrone, is nowhere near Eagle City's size.

Xuefeng County was further divided into 13 territories, each controlled by a different noble family.

Standing in the main hall now are Viscount Broca of Scorpionland, Baron Puwan of Pinkerland, Baron Moss of Okland, Mark, the actual controller of Ironforgeland, Baron Kate of Merland, Lady Doreen of Shatterstoneland, Baron Sereva of Tedaland, Baron Vessin of Kojaland, Baron Zei of Minailand... a total of nine nobles.

In other words, these nine territories are those that Raven has not annexed or fully controlled.

Currently, Raven only fully controls four territories: Eagle Territory, Snow Maple Territory, Holo Territory, and Mountain Territory. Eagle Territory is Raven's ancestral land, so there's no need to elaborate. Snow Maple Territory was acquired by Viscount John after exchanging territories with Raven following the undead chaos. Holo Territory originally belonged to Baron Shuff, but when Nancy married into the family, Shuff was transferred by the Fox family and exchanged territories, giving the entire Holo Territory to Raven as part of his dowry. As for Mountain Territory… it originally belonged to Baron Hudson, but due to the Spirit Prison Butterfly incident, his entire family was wiped out by the necromancer Pale Lord, allowing Raven to easily acquire it.

In addition to these, there are two other people.

These were Dalton, from Binziman, Hippocrates, Nord Province, and Jonathan, from Newsnor, Mansa County… Jonathan was Viscount John's son. Neither of their territories were in Snowmaple County, so their presence here naturally had unspoken reasons. Most of Dalton's family had been settled by Raven in their ancestral homeland, Eagle Territory, while Jonathan, following his father John's dying wish, was to stand firmly by Raven's side no matter what.

Denise was dressed in a style reminiscent of a nun, her form-fitting robe slit a third of the way up her thigh, perfectly showcasing her figure. It wasn't too tight, nor too loose and sloppy. However, her long legs were simply too long; even in this conservative attire, they looked incredibly sexy and pleasing to the eye. Her slender waist was mesmerizing. Her calves were delicate, her thighs full, giving her a healthy, fleshy appearance rather than a bony one. The most eye-catching element was the black stockings on her long legs, trimmed with gold magical runes on the sides, about the thickness of a finger, shimmering under the glow of the magical lamps. A pair of simple black high heels accentuated her long, slender Achilles tendons, seemingly longer than a man's lifespan! The dark robe turned a pristine white at the cuffs of her hands. Square headscarves, about the size of napkins, symbolized humility and chastity, adorned her chest and back. However, she wasn't wearing a real headscarf. These were merely decorative elements of her clothing! After all, she wasn't a real nun. Such a simple black and white combination exuded unparalleled charm. With the passage of time, Denise clearly possessed the grace of a wizard, the nobility of a noble title, and... an incomparably dazzling maternal radiance.

Everyone in Snowmaple County knew that Raven's daughter had actually been raised by Danes herself. Julia was only a teenager; she knew nothing about childcare. She was also particularly obsessed with martial arts and the supernatural, spending most of her time immersed in cultivation. Essentially, she had given birth to a daughter for Danes. Fortunately, Danes was happy with this arrangement. When Vesdon left for the capital, without even informing his mother of his marriage, Danes was heartbroken! However, she still sent gifts and money, but Vesdon returned them all untouched. With little Melove around, Danes wasn't in so much pain or missing Vesdon as much.

"Since we're going to support Marquis Raven, we'll definitely give it our all!"

"Vessin was the first to jump out, grinning. He scrutinized Denise, who sat in the main seat with her legs together, his gaze so greedy he didn't want to miss a single inch. Before, no matter how Denise dressed up, she simply exuded extreme sexiness and beauty. But since becoming Raven's daughter's adoptive mother, hey, in just two short years, her aura has completely transformed, giving her a pure and innocent feeling like a young girl in love."

"In my opinion, since Viscount Denise has gathered us here, she probably has other plans, right?" Viscount Broca said with a chuckle as he took a sip of Angel's Tears.

Throughout Snowmaple County, the one most aligned with Raven wasn't Mark, who was already terrified of him, but Viscount Broca. He had always supported Raven, even after Raven had taken the county governorship that originally belonged to his family. He also possessed a keen political sense; he had long ago deduced that Governor Tyron's order to support Raven was a wolf in sheep's clothing, a treacherous act.

“That’s right.” Denise raised her glass to express her gratitude. “Raven has already settled things with the Orc Empire. They don’t need your supplies and soldiers at all. I’m doing this for everyone’s sake. Life isn’t easy for anyone right now. We’ve only had a few years of peace. I don’t want what we give to end up in someone else’s pocket and enrich their family.”

"Does Viscount Denise mean... that Governor Tyron is ostensibly supporting Marquis Raven, but is actually using this as an opportunity to amass wealth?" Lady Doreen couldn't help but ask.

Denise barely suppressed a roll of her eyes, inwardly cursing the idiot. How could she say something like that so casually? "I didn't say that," Denise smiled. "I believe in the Governor's good intentions, but this time, Raven really doesn't need everyone's help. Wouldn't it be better to save these resources and money to strengthen our own territory?"

“That’s true.” Mark was the first to agree, but he immediately frowned. “But what about the governor’s summons? We can’t just disobey, can we? And…” He paused deliberately, drawing everyone’s attention before continuing, “I heard that the governor has bestowed many titles and territories this time, and everyone who responds to the call will receive one.” “Viscount Denise, this is putting us in a difficult position.”

Since Denise dared to summon everyone, she naturally wouldn't be without a plan. She gave Mark a deep look; this forgetful fellow was starting to act up again because Raven had been away for the past few years. Although his unintentional eye contact with Baron Sereva was subtle, thanks to her powerful mental strength gained as a mage, Denise still saw through everyone's subtle movements. In the entire Snowmaple County, the person who was least on her side was Baron Sereva. Next was the indecisive Baron Kate. As for Mark, he was a complete ingrate. "Since I've summoned everyone, I naturally have a plan," Denise said, her red lips slightly parted. "Just tell me you've given me all the supplies." "Don't forget," Denise's voice turned colder, "Tyrone is indeed a marquis, but my family is also a marquis." "His family's orders are orders!" "My family's orders are also orders."

When it comes to understanding human nature, a combination of firmness and gentleness is always the best approach.

As expected, when Denise took a hard line, everyone agreed and pledged to cooperate.

Denise then smiled. "Gentlemen, titles are desirable, and vast territories are desirable, but one must be alive to enjoy them. Tyrone's words are more eloquent than his deeds, but in reality, all the territories he bestows are within the Orc Empire. While this may solve your immediate problem of having no land to grant, if you were truly to exchange your territories for the Orc Empire, who would be willing?!" "If anyone is willing, my family can draft a contract right now and sign it on the spot."

"Uh"

These words were a sure way to kill. The crowd exchanged glances, none of them willing. Although the Nord Province was a barren, remote frontier, it was still part of the human world. Going to the Orc Empire would be tantamount to suicide. These nobles were simply thinking of taking a chance, hoping to gain something, but if not, they wouldn't lose anything.

"Mark." Seeing no response, Denise smiled and said, "Although you currently control Ironforge, you don't yet hold a title. How about this: I'll now bestow upon you the title of Baron, and in exchange, exchange the territory of the Orcish Empire for your Ironforge. What do you say?"

"Bitch! Slut!" Mark's face paled instantly upon hearing this. Staring at Denise's sexy red lips, he couldn't help but roar inwardly. What did Denise mean? Bringing this up in public, besides embarrassing him, was she trying to remind him that Judah was still in their hands? "Hmph! After the Blood Funeral, Judah usurped the throne and obtained the Walton family title!" Mark couldn't help but say coldly, "I was the one who should have inherited the title!"

“Since you’re unwilling, I won’t force you,” Denise said meaningfully. “I also wish you a speedy recovery of your title from the Council of Nobles.”

"Mom...Mom"

A sharp cry suddenly rang out, accompanied by heart-wrenching calls for "Mommy".

"Excuse me, everyone, my daughter has woken up." Denise rose gracefully. "Those of you who wish to stay and have fun, all expenses will be covered. Those who do not wish to, please abide by our agreement."

After Denise left, everyone stood up.

"Gentlemen, it's been a long time since Marquis Raven left. Why not seize the day? Today's the day, my treat, let's all have a good time!" Sereva suddenly stood up and said, "How about we go to Wallace's for hot pot?"

Upon hearing this, everyone's hearts stirred; it was clear that Sereva had something to discuss.

……

(End of this chapter)