Throne of the North.

Chapter 589 The Grand Duke's Fall (Part Two) "You know, I support your father."

Grand Duke Meyers stared into Ryan's eyes, shocked that Ryan would ask such a direct question.

However, this Grand Duke was very confident.

“I never expected Mr. Ryan to have such a deep influence in the North.”

There are no absolute enemies among nobles, except for those like Ryan and Carlos.

Interests can turn two nobles into enemies or even start a war, but they can also make two hostile nobles shake hands and sleep under the same covers.

Grand Duke Meyers certainly wanted to kill Baron Ryan, but why not reach an agreement with Ryan?

Moreover, just as the Grand Duke said, no one could have imagined that Ryan's influence in the North was so crucial. An assassination attempt made Grand Duke Meyers realize that the nobles and army of the entire Andara Kingdom were searching for the assassin who killed Ryan.

This was shocking and enough to instill fear in many nobles.

They thought Baron Ryan had come to the southern lands on behalf of the Northwind Province, but in reality, Ryan had told the North that he would represent them on their way to the South.

Northwind Province, the Kingdom of Andara, the Gerald Noble Territory, and even Meyers suspected there was another Kingdom of Sera, after all, the baron in front of him had participated in the founding war of the Kingdom of Sera.

In that case, the power the Baron wields is far more terrifying than imagined, and the conflict between him and Meyers will be exceptionally difficult to resolve.

Therefore, Grand Duke Meyers extended this invitation at this moment.

Since they are all nobles of the empire, why not start by shaking hands and making peace with the elector?

"The last person who wanted to kill me was Count Weiss. The Grand Duke's decision frightens me."

Ryan met the Grand Duke's gaze directly, his eyes sharpening.

“Count Weiss? He didn’t succeed, did he?”

Grand Duke Meyers invited Ryan, but he would never bow down. He was a grand duke, a grand duke who could stand on equal footing with the royal family, and he would never bow down to a baron.

Count Vess failed because he was Count Vess, not Grand Duke Meyers.

He succeeded.

Ryan thought this to himself, but didn't say it aloud. Instead, he continued to ask:

"North Wind Province is poor and cold; no one wants to stay in such a place. Why has Your Excellency chosen that place?"

There's nothing there.

Grand Duke Meyers smiled and shook his head; he naturally couldn't answer Ryan's question.

The two nobles were not at odds; inside the carriage, they remained friendly partners among the imperial nobles.

Ryan didn't leave, and the Grand Duke didn't chase them away. The magic carriage had extraordinary shock absorption capabilities, so they couldn't feel the bumps on the road.

Ryan was also pondering Meyers's purpose.

In the eyes of the nobles, the Northwind Province was the epitome of poverty and coldness. It was nothing but poverty and coldness. Even the emperor was unwilling to keep this worthless land. What did Grand Duke Meyers have his eye on?

Is Tubeifeng Province bitterly cold? Does Tubeifeng Province face the greatest pressure from the northern barbarians? Tubeifeng…

Ryan suddenly looked up at the Grand Duke in front of him. The Grand Duke glanced at him with a puzzled look, wondering what Ryan wanted to say.

Ryan didn't say anything.

All that the North Wind Province possesses is this; could it really be that it has nothing at all?

Ryan was startled by his own guess.

There were no more meaningful conversations along the way, and then we arrived at the capital city.

The transfer of power is always exciting and fascinating, even if it is a transfer of power between a grand duke's family and not the royal family.

Heading west from the Imperial Province where the capital city is located, one can reach the Highlands and the Inner Hill Province, which is adjacent to the Highlands and is filled with the Flower of Life, after passing through two provinces. However, everyone knows that the two provinces mentioned in this sentence are the two provinces with the highest prestige of Grand Duke Freming.

It could even be said that Grand Duke Freming directly controlled these two provinces, and he was also the grand duke closest to the capital province.

Of course, the succession of power must take place in the capital city.

Ryan didn't feel any joyful atmosphere in the capital city, and there were no festive decorations or anything like that. To Ryan, the people of the capital city were like the Chaoyang masses, always representing the outward expression of the atmosphere between the rulers.

The change of power signifies the end of an era for the previous ruler, and the nobles remain solemn, even though the day of their passing has not yet arrived.

The capital city always has its own kind of excitement. Ryan's Frozen Territory once dominated the headlines in the capital city for a period of time, but now there is only one name that shines brightest in the capital city.

Ferredias Fleming.

He will become the new, esteemed Grand Duke of Freming in the Empire. In recent days, Fredias Freming has been constantly proclaiming his oath to the Freming family in the imperial capital: his loyalty to the Empire, his loyalty to the Emperor, and his loyalty to Freming.

Many nobles came to the capital city because of Grand Duke Freming, after all, there are only a few things in this world that are most important to nobles.

Ryan also saw Earl Winter.

"Back then, I was able to go to the Northwind Province to rebuild the Winter family thanks to the help of Grand Duke Freming."

So that's how it is. Earl Winter, who came from another world, was able to establish himself in the Empire thanks in no small part to the support of the imperial nobles.

"What does Earl Winter think of the new Grand Duke Freming?"

Ryan asked with a smile, and Earl Winter gave Ryan a wary look.

"It was a deal to begin with. If I wanted to pledge allegiance to Grand Duke Fleming, you wouldn't be able to do it so easily, Baron Ryan."

For those who have experienced the apocalypse in the North, survival is a crucial choice.

Grand Duke Freming was getting old, and there were very few nobles in the empire who were not related to him.

Even when the emperor was discussing the war, Ryan had not seen so many nobles in the capital city.

However, he also believed that the emperor would take this opportunity to engage in friendly and harmonious exchanges with more nobles, fostering a monarchy and its followers.

His Highness Freud in the south will most likely receive another large sum of support.

As one of the many nobles in the empire, Ryan was unable to gain entry to Grand Duke Freming's residence for a visit.

He decided to skip visiting Archduke Freming and instead went to see Count Pascal.

"The war in the south will likely be different. If the opportunity arises, Your Excellency may consider taking action, but it will also become very dangerous there."

"Also, are you acquainted with this Grand Duke Freming?"

Ryan offered his advice and also inquired about the Gargoyle Earl's understanding of the dramatic changes taking place in the Imperial political arena.

Count Pascal pondered for a moment and said:
“I don’t know much about the Grand Duke’s successor, but Chrysus Meyers is a man who is keen on power struggles, winning over nobles and dividing up interests.”

“Brutus Rodrigo pursued the truth of magic just like his father, the only difference being that perhaps the advice of the Wizarding Guild came not from the Grand Duke but from this successor.”

"As for Feredias Fremin, he is a qualified nobleman."

It sounds quite conventional, but it remains to be seen whether things will change after the succession of power. After all, the four heirs to the Grand Dukes are not young, unlike the naive young Ryan was when he took office in the Frozen Territory.

"Where's the other one?"

Lord Russell's successor, Ryan, also wanted to know.

"I don't know. That Galen Russell is relatively mysterious. Grand Duke Russell protects him very well, and he is also the youngest."

"However... the Russell family has two brothers in each generation, and as far as I know, this Galen Russell is the only child of the Russell family."

Ancient traditions are being altered, and the Archduke Russell family is facing new-era conflicts.

Pascal also wanted to ask Ryan some questions.

"Where is your father? Hasn't he returned to the capital?"

Ryan shook his head and said:

"He is still on the southern battlefield, striving for merit in the war."

"Why does Your Excellency care about this matter?"

Count Pascal said helplessly:
"It's not just me who's concerned, it's many people."

The power shift within the Grand Duke Freming's family cast a somber shadow over the entire capital and created an atmosphere of unease among the empire's political nobility. Such is the nature of power transitions; the Grand Duke Freming was not merely the Grand Duke Freming, but also represented one-fifth of the empire's aristocratic politics.

Ryan is one of those five.

“The Earl of Clayton has not returned; you are likely to be in a lot of trouble.”

Lord Pascal said that as the son of Lord Clayton, and having returned from the side of Lord Clayton in the south, the nobles would want to know Lord Clayton's thoughts from him.

After all, within the political group of the Grand Duke of Fleming, the Earl of Clayton's prestige was second only to the Grand Duke of Fleming.

With the Grand Duke passing away and a new Grand Duke inheriting power, the nobles within this faction must also consider their own positions, after all... the competition for the new elector has already begun.

As the victor of the previous era, Fleming had no choice, but the nobles below him, especially the lesser nobles, did not have so many concerns.

Ryan, who had only been back in the capital for two days, felt the intense heat of the capital, which was completely different from that of the southern battlefield.

Just as Count Pascal had said, Ryan received invitations from many nobles one after another.

It was an invitation, not a visit, because Ryan was a baron, and his rank was really low here.

Ryan cannot remain uninvolved unless he leaves the capital city now and returns to the North, but that is not in his best interest.

Choosing a noble title, Ryan went to visit Earl Gardner's mansion.

The empire has more than twenty provinces and more than fifty counts, a frightening number. But what's even more frightening is that, in addition to these, there are many nobles who are qualified to inherit the ancient authority of the count's title. However, because of the northern border, they can only declare their families' decline and then fight hard for it.

Count Gardner was one of the fifty-odd noble counts, and he had his own extraordinary legion. Of course... this extraordinary legion was wiped out by the Behemoth Orc royal family in Twilight Province.

At the same time, the countess of this Earl was not the daughter of the Grand Duke of Freming. Firstly, because the Grand Duke of Freming did not have many daughters, and secondly, because the Grand Duke of Freming seemed to look down on the Earl of Gardner of Twilight Province.

Of course, this is just a rumor.

The Countess of Gardner was a noblewoman of high birth, with blood from a royal family, and could be considered a royal princess.

A royal princess from a shattered kingdom in another world arrives on the continent of Norris with a generous dowry, becoming Countess Gardner.

But clearly, this resulted in Count Gardner failing to become more friendly with the nobles of the empire.

Princesses and nobles of the fallen kingdoms on the continent of Norris still hold them in high esteem. For example, the first king of the Kingdom of Carlos, Kaan Diaz, married a former princess of the Kingdom of Carlos.

However, the princess of the otherworldly kingdom was not so appealing to the nobles of the empire; at most, they thought she was only worthy of being a countess.

The fall of the Archduke of Fleming affected Count Gardner of the Twilight Province.

Several years ago, the orcs launched a full-scale invasion. Among the northern provinces, except for the Blazing Snow Province which suffered the least losses, the Twilight Province suffered the most severe losses, with most of the province being trampled, slaughtered, and plundered by the orcs.

After the Orcish Wars ended, Twilight Province was given a much-needed respite for reconstruction, thanks in no small part to the assistance of the Empire. Grand Duke Freming was particularly close to the Emperor, and in this regard, Earl Gardner, a powerful noble of his own faction, naturally received more preferential treatment.

Reconstruction cannot be completed in a short time, but before it is completed, Archduke Fleming first carried out a change of power.

The new Grand Duke of Fredias Freming could not possibly have more say and prestige with the Emperor than his father, so what would happen to the Earl of Gardner in Twilight Province?
His castle was trampled into ruins by the Behemoth, and the common people in his territory were receiving relief grain from the empire with money.

If the Empire doesn't provide the previous support, wouldn't Count Gardner have to foot the bill himself?
Count Gardner was unwilling.

He wanted to try to find an opportunity from Earl Clayton, but not the kind of opportunity Ryan was thinking of.

If he could, he would like to kick the Earl of Clayton.

“The Earl of Clayton traveled through Twilight Province to the North. I had a very pleasant conversation with him back then, and I also welcomed the Earl of Clayton back from the North in Twilight Province.”

“Ryan, I have always supported your father’s desire to become the fifth Grand Duke.”

Count Gardner was a very serious middle-aged man who spoke meticulously. He was more arrogant than those fat and bloated nobles, and less profound than those ambitious nobles.

So he seemed a little anxious.

"Now that the Grand Duke of Freming is growing old, the new Grand Duke of Freming can at most wield half of his father's power before His Majesty the Emperor. The other half, Earl Clayton, is something that can be won over; no one has more prestige than him."

Ryan looked blank, indicating that he knew nothing about it.

He had a pleasant conversation with the Earl of Gardner, expressing his desire for his father to become a Grand Duke, and stating that he truly did not know what the Earl of Clayton's father was thinking.

He didn't even return to the capital.

After the dinner, Ryan took his leave.

Leaving the Earl's mansion, the wind on the street was not warm, and Ryan exhaled the smell of alcohol from his mouth.

"Who was the last person to tell me they had a pleasant conversation with Earl Clayton?"

Having single-handedly brought the ordinary, prolific Clayton family to its current status as a noble family second only to the four Grand Dukes, Earl Clayton chatted happily with the nobles.

Who would say otherwise?

Are you suggesting they say that I didn't have a good relationship with your father, but that I was powerless to stop him from leading the Clayton family to become the Dragon Knight Earl family it is today?

There's a saying that goes, "I fear your family's decline even more than you riding a dragon."

Ryan accepted the invitation to visit the nobles simply to meet these unfamiliar noble lords of the Empire.

This banquet naturally laid the groundwork for future meetings.

Just like Earl Gardner, who said, "I had a very pleasant conversation with your father," Ryan can also say, "We had a very pleasant conversation in the capital on such and such a day."

……

“Ryan, you are still young. You may not understand, but I have always hoped that your father would become a Grand Duke.”

“I also support your father becoming a Grand Duke.”

"Grand Duke Freming is getting old. If Earl Clayton could become Grand Duke..."

“If your father becomes a Grand Duke, then your title will also be elevated.”

"if……"

Ryan visited all the earls and nobles in Grand Duke Fleming's political group who had invited him, and heard the same things every time.

I support your father being in charge.

—Before he returned.

Why do they so desperately want my father to return to the capital?

Ryan became curious, and on that day, he received an invitation from Grand Duke Freming.

Archduke Feredias Freming.

The new Grand Duke was different from his father; he didn't have a full head of white hair and was full of vigor in his forties or fifties.

"Greetings, Your Excellency the Grand Duke."

“Lord Ryan, please sit down. There’s no need for formalities. I haven’t yet been crowned by His Majesty the Emperor.”

The Grand Duke of Freming was courteous and considerate in every way, reminding Ryan of Pascal's description of a proper nobleman.

He has not yet been crowned, and will not be crowned for the time being, because the old Grand Duke Freming is not truly dead.

The day the old Grand Duke truly passes away will be the day this Grand Duke is crowned.

Of course, in the power transition among nobles, the emperor's coronation is merely a formality to swear allegiance; it is certain that this emperor already possesses the true status and power of a grand duke.

“I want to know why Lord Clayton is still on the battlefield in the south, and Lord Sterling, they should be back in the capital.”

Grand Duke Freming's questioning was more direct than any of the previous nobles. He was indeed a qualified noble; for example, when facing a baron, his dignity was not feigned.

Ryan looked up, blinked, and thought, "How could I possibly be intimidated by this new Grand Duke?"

"Your Excellency, why are you so concerned about whether my father has returned to the capital? After all, the southern imperial war still needs him, and the Flame Dragon Knight Legion is the main force on the battlefield."

“I don’t need to answer your question, Mr. Baron.”

Grand Duke Freming looked at Ryan and said, "The latter's expression is calm, but he suddenly smiles and says:"

"Your Excellency, as you should know, I have always supported my father's ambition to become the fifth Grand Duke of the Empire."

(End of this chapter)