Imperial Crown.

Chapter 557 Is Raven dead or not?

The Keynes Empire, Nord Province, Mon'en City.

The majestic Serpent Castle stands in the heart of Monen City, and in reality, it is also the king of the entire Nord Province! For residing here is the Slater family, who have been honored as the governors of the Nord Province.

Hyde, his brow furrowed and face pale, hurried upstairs, even more flustered than when he heard that Raven had been ennobled as a marquis. Reaching his father's study on the second floor, Hyde barged in without knocking, locked the door, and walked to Tyrone's desk. He handed Tyrone an envelope. "Father! A letter from Baron Seleva of Teda Territory in Snow Maple County. Raven returned to Snow Maple Territory the day before yesterday and seems to have broken the blood curse, even regaining his youth."

"What??!!"

However, unlike last time, this ruthless old viper, Tyrone, had lost his composure. His old face was filled with astonishment. He immediately took the letter, roughly tore it open, and began to read its contents. "The little bee has returned, seemingly freed from the blood curse and restored to her youth. Master, please make a swift decision! A swift decision!!!" It was more of a rolled-up slip of paper than a letter, containing only this one sentence. The handwriting was so illegible that it was clear it was written hastily, revealing the writer's profound fear and terror. He was clearly in a state of immense panic, his hand trembling so much he could barely hold the pen.

As governor and marquis, Tyrone naturally couldn't directly contact the lowly barons of Snowmaple County. Most of the time, Hyde acted as the intermediary, relaying messages. This served two purposes: firstly, as a layer of security, and secondly, as Tyrone maintained his dignity. Therefore, Hyde was often the first to receive firsthand information from Snowmaple County. This was one of the reasons why Tyrone was so astonished upon hearing the news.

Not only did Raven not die, but he returned alive and kicking, even regaining his youthful appearance instead of aging. This was earth-shattering news not only for Snow Maple County, but for the entire Nord Province, and even the entire Keynes Empire! Anyone who knew Raven understood what this meant! His abilities, cunning, shrewdness, and despicable nature... were absolutely top-tier in today's aristocratic circles.

"Father, Sereva wants our elder brother Minsk to lead the Steel Legion to send troops as soon as possible to completely annihilate Raven," Hyde said, his face extremely grim. Ever since his father sent many people to the Bloodhowl Province of the Orc Empire under the guise of supporting Raven, the two families had essentially severed all ties. Now that Raven had also obtained a marquisate, he was undoubtedly a major threat to the Slater family! A small border province with two marquises meant that the two families were destined to clash head-on, to the point of bloodshed.

After all, two tigers can never share one mountain.

"You stupid fool, go to hell! You're idiot!"

Upon hearing this, Tyrone couldn't help but curse coldly. "Isn't this Sereva taking himself way too seriously?" "Hmm?" "A mere baron, yet he dares to boast about eliminating a marquis!" "Even if Raven is something else, is he someone he can covet and be jealous of?" Saying this, Tyrone stood up and paced back and forth in the study a few times. "Immediately send this message to the capital!" Tyrone pointed at Hyde: "You personally send a trusted confidant to deliver it, don't let the Mercenary Guild interfere. It's best to use a teleportation array." "Furthermore," "I will immediately write a letter, inviting Marquis Raven... to Snake Keep for a meeting!"

Hyde's worry remained undiminished. "Father, will this tactic of diverting trouble really work?" "His Majesty originally hoped that we would fight Raven to a standstill, so he could sit back and watch." "What if, if we send him to the capital, His Majesty forces us to fight Raven instead?"

"Let's get started!" Tyrone's expression was equally solemn, even grim. "Even so, we still have the moral high ground!" "At the very least, we can't let the other nobles of the Nord Province side with this little bee!" Tyrone suddenly chuckled coldly. "With Raven's return, those people in the capital are even more anxious than we are."

“Knowing Raven as I do, he probably won’t come.” Hyde shook his head. “Although he’s always been ruthless and crazy, he’s still afraid of dying!” “He’s definitely afraid we’ll ambush him. For the sake of his own life, he’ll probably refuse.”

Tyrone remained silent, but instead gave Hyde a meaningful look. Hyde instantly understood; it seemed his father hadn't intended for Raven to attend at all. Whether Raven came or not was Raven's business, but the proper etiquette had been observed. If Raven didn't come, it would be a sign of guilt on his part.

"Father" Hyde's face was still somewhat pale, his eyes revealing deep confusion. "The nobles and soldiers we sent to Bloodhowl Province have almost all been killed by the orcs. We received the battle report yesterday; in the past month alone, nearly 3.6 people have died." "Strange." "Why don't the orcs attack Bloodstone Territory in Nightthroat Province?" "What should we do next? Raven has returned; should we still send people there?" "No one dares to go now."

"How dare you bring this up with me!" Tyrone instantly flew into a rage. "I heard you withheld a large amount of their supplies and weapons?" "We're currently vying for control with Raven. By doing this, aren't you just pushing everyone towards Raven?" "What were you thinking?"

“There aren’t that many!” Hyde hurriedly retorted loudly, “I only pocketed half of each batch!” “Which bastard came to complain to you again?” After saying that, he muttered under his breath, “Who would have thought that Raven would come back alive… He was already so old back then, even if he didn’t die at the hands of the orcs, he should have died from the blood curse.”

"idiot!"

Tyrone's thick eyebrows stood on end, but quickly relaxed. "However, for my family, it might not be a bad thing."

"Good news??????" Hyde was stunned; this time, he really couldn't react.

"Heh," Tyrone chuckled coldly. "These are all great heroes who went to the Orc Empire, fought bravely against the Orcs, and sacrificed themselves for the Empire! Since they are heroes, it's only natural that they ask the King for some compensation, isn't it?" Tyrone said slowly and meaningfully, "Hyde, border nobles also have their advantages." Border areas are not only resource-scarce, but they also often have to guard against various threats. Therefore, taxes are relatively low, and in the event of a major war, they can apply for compensation or additional resource subsidies.

"Wow!" Hyde slapped his thigh excitedly. "Father! Brilliant! That was a brilliant move!" Hyde gave his father a thumbs-up, praising him. "Why didn't I think of such a good idea!" "These people are blinded by greed; they deserve to die at the hands of the orcs! We can even get a large sum of compensation from the capital." "Father," Hyde said, "To be honest, my back aches from sleeping so much these days. So many people have died, so many widows. I've been sleeping seven or eight different women a day for a month straight, and I still haven't finished!" "Tsk tsk," Hyde seemed to savor the wonderful feeling, clicking his tongue in admiration. "The thought of taking these idiots' compensation and then going to sleep with their wives and daughters makes me even more excited." "A few of them are really good, Father. Come stay at my place tonight; I'll have these sluts serve you too." Hyde sincerely invited.

Tyrone's expression was stern and he remained noncommittal. After a while, he coughed lightly and said, "Play less. You'll only suffer when you get old." He then sat back down in his chair. "Those are all widows and orphans who have lost their husbands and can't afford to eat. Don't go too far."

"Sigh." "They're all just a bunch of pretentious bitches." "A few silver coins can make their whole family more slutty than bitches!" But Hyde still nodded perfunctorily, "Understood, Father." "Then... what's next?"

“Of course we’ll keep sending them, another 30,000.” Tyrone stroked his chin. “For honor and justice, and for the Emperor’s reputation, the capital will certainly not be stingy with compensation.” “Where can you find such a lucrative business?” “But…” “Remember this: don’t skimp on logistics afterwards!” “Don’t let it cause a huge uproar and ruin the reputation of the Slater family. What kind of image would that be?!”

"Yes, yes, Dad," Hyde nodded vigorously. "I'll only deduct 3% this time. That's already very little, isn't it?"

"Alright, go ahead." Tyrone waved his hand. "Cheer up and get things done neatly and efficiently in Hyde." "Next," "We still have a tough battle to fight with Raven."

Hyde's sullen face finally brightened after a long day, and he respectfully withdrew with a beaming smile.

……

Two weeks later. Keynes Empire, Menegall City, Royal High Court.

"What did you say?!" Habs's voice sharpened as he looked down at Pierre beside him. "Raven isn't dead?!" "Absolutely impossible!" Habs swung his hand sharply and shouted.

"It's better to believe it's true than not, Your Majesty," Piler hurriedly knelt down and said.

"If he's not dead, then how do you explain the contents of the magic crystal?!" "If he's not dead, what about my bestowing upon him the title of marquis?!" "If he's not dead..." As he spoke, Habs's expression turned gloomy and ferocious, even visibly cruel, "Doesn't that mean all the news from the Orc Empire was false?!" Habs roared incredulously! His roar was like thunder, echoing throughout the spacious hall, further enhancing his imposing presence and majesty!
“This…” Pierre said cautiously, “I’ll arrange for someone to double-check it right away.”

"No need!" "A bunch of good-for-nothings!"

Habs yelled, "Send Ezio! That guy's been complaining about going crazy all the time! He even blamed me for not sending him to deliver the investiture order last time." "If Raven is dead, send him back the way he came." "If Raven isn't really dead, make him come back with his head!"

"Your Majesty is wise!" Piler shouted, bowing his head heavily.

……

The Emerald Palace in Minnegar.

"Raven isn't dead?"

Gottfried stroked his goatee and said in utter astonishment.

"That's what the news we've received so far says," Pei Nandi said with a somewhat serious expression.

"Is Raven dead or alive?" "Huh?" Gottfried asked anxiously.

"Is Raven dead or not?" Egihard, who was sitting next to him, asked at the same time.

These three families are the three most powerful ducal families in the entire capital and the entire Keynes Empire. They are all from the old school. And this place is also a private place where the three families exchange information and occasionally meet.

“You’re asking me? How am I supposed to know?” Pei Nandi said somewhat displeased. “But I guess the kid isn’t dead.” “Although news of his death had already spread, the commotion was a bit off. If Raven were really dead, there wouldn’t be this much noise.” “So I guess he’s still alive.” “I’ve met him. Although he’s young, he’s incredibly shrewd and not to be underestimated.”

“If this person is truly still alive, it will surely enrage His Majesty. What stance should we take then?!” Egihard asked, somewhat troubled. He really didn’t want to oppose the Emperor anymore. Revenge on Insa seemed a long way off, and the young Emperor’s temper was getting worse and worse.

"I don't care about his past merits or demerits." "Merits or faults, it doesn't matter!" "Just because he dared to venture deep into the Orc Empire to fight Orcs, I will definitely stand by his side!" "Otherwise," Perandi, a soldier by birth, with a resolute style and a voice as deep as iron, "does the Keynes Empire still have a sense of right and wrong, good and evil, right and wrong?!"

“Hey,” Gottfried said gently, “Penandi, how old are you? Don’t act so impulsively!” “A few years ago, I implemented the tariff law, and the Kingdom of Podomichrie quickly submitted. Now, its people are almost living in misery.” “And our Emperor is obsessed with revenge against Insa. In my opinion, it would be better to escalate the conflict and make the Emperor focus his attention on Raven. That way, we can relax for a while.” “For the sake of the entire empire, what does sacrificing a mere Raven matter?!” “Sigh.” “In a few years, when the Emperor matures, he will naturally understand our good intentions!” “Without us old-school nobles supporting it, this empire would have long since fallen apart!” After saying this, Gottfried’s face showed a bitter expression, as if the world was full of treacherous ministers and he alone was a loyal, virtuous, and upright minister, but he was not understood or valued by the foolish Emperor.

"What do you mean?" Perandi asked, somewhat puzzled.

“Send a letter to Tyrone, instructing him to mobilize the Iron Legion and attack Raven directly.” “Make a big scene, stir up trouble, only then can we calm our Emperor down.” Gottfried extended his index finger. “But remember one thing: fight, fight hard, but do not kill Raven.” “Raven’s life can only be decided by the Emperor himself.”

"Alas!" "This plan, though ruthless, is brilliant." Egihard rose and exclaimed, "The empire is strong, but after a long period of peace, nobles, both high and low, have sprung up like mushrooms after rain, each one selfish and narrow-minded." "We mustn't afford to cause trouble!" "We absolutely cannot go to war with Insa, otherwise we'll only end up with both sides suffering heavy losses!" "Besides, the southern beasts are also stirring." "If this move goes well, the Emperor will definitely temporarily abandon the idea of ​​consolidating national resources to fight the Insa Empire!"

"Hahaha," Egihad stood up and paced back and forth, becoming increasingly pleased with himself, and couldn't help but burst into laughter. "This little bee, its resurrection was perfectly timed, and its return was just right." "Since the Emperor is so eager to play, let's set up a game and let the Emperor play within the country. Why waste resources and manpower by waging war against Insa?"

"You!" Only Pei Nandi had a different opinion in the room.

"Uh..." Egihard's cloudy eyes darted around slightly as he quickly changed the subject, "Gottfried, you're so stingy! I heard your granddaughter only got married a short time ago, and you already have grandchildren?! You don't even think about throwing a party or anything!" "Your granddaughter Melissa is really something! She's only been married to Veston for less than three years, and she's having babies like they're laying eggs, one after another! I'm so envious!"

"Hahaha!" Upon hearing this, Gottfried couldn't help but laugh proudly, pointing his finger at Egihard in feigned anger, "You white-haired lapdog! Your mouth is truly venomous. Well then... there's no time like the present, how about a chat at the castle today?"

“Let’s go, brother.” Egihard grabbed the cold-faced Fernandez and followed Gottfried toward the other’s castle.

……

(End of this chapter)