"Miss Lia, what... what exactly is going on?"

Marquis Sancher was completely dumbfounded when he heard the news that Victor had been defeated by the Duke of Balo.

He spent the entire morning traveling from his territory to Shulbon, just to proactively inquire with Lia about the reasons behind this matter.

I thought that the issue of demi-humans had been settled after the gathering at the Church of Abundance.

He consulted with Grand Duke Barlow, and with the support of the Clavner family and the legendary mage Victor,

Marquis Sancher thought this would be enough to guarantee his son a glorious marriage to a demi-human.

However, before he could even take action, news suddenly arrived that Victor and Barlow were engaged in a public battle.

Upon hearing this news, the Marquis of Sancher felt as if his cerebellum had shrunk and his brain was not functioning properly.

What's going on?

Why did these two suddenly start fighting?

The Marquis de Sancher couldn't understand it at all.

What surprised him even more was the outcome of the battle.

Viktor escaped with serious injuries, while Grand Duke Barlow was unharmed.

This is absolutely shocking.

Everyone knows that Grand Duke Barlow is very strong.

However, even some of the older nobles in the kingdom may not be aware of just how strong he really is.

As a result, at an age when he was about to die, he was able to defeat Viktor, the world's strongest mage.

Upon learning this information, Sancher felt that the world had become unbelievable.

Despite his shock, as a marquis, he acted swiftly, immediately taking the fastest carriage to Hulbong.

As a result, upon entering the courtyard, they saw Lia, the head of the Clavenna family.

She was comfortably reclining in the lounge chair, enjoying the warm sunshine.

A complete set of exquisite tea utensils was placed on the mahogany table next to it, and the tea leaves in the tea water swirled gently with the steam.

A golden pocket watch lay quietly on the corner of the table, shimmering in the sunlight.

The books in her arms exuded a rich scent of ink, adding a touch of tranquility to the scene.

Meanwhile, a fluffy white fox was peacefully dreaming in her arms.

Seeing this soothing and peaceful scene, the Marquis of Sancher was stunned.

This relaxed and carefree scene was quite different from the tense atmosphere he had expected.

So he raised the question he had at the beginning.

Upon seeing Marquis Sancher, Lia gently put down her teacup.

She gently stroked the soft fur of the white fox with one hand and slowly looked up at the Marquis Sancher.

The smile on his face revealed a sense of ease and contentment, as if he had no worries at all.

"It's the Marquis. Please have a seat."

"I won't entertain you then."

Marquis Sancher had no intention of sitting down. Seeing Leah's leisurely appearance, he became even more anxious and paced back and forth.

He nervously patted his hands lightly with the backs and palms, frowning and saying with worried eyes:

"Oh dear, Miss Lia! Tell me why Count Victor and Grand Duke Balo started fighting!"

Lia helplessly spread her hands, shook her head slightly, and sighed:

"What else could they possibly fight over? Isn't it just that reason?"

But the Marquis of Sancher was not so easily fooled by such an obvious excuse.

The claim that Victor had been resurrected crossed Grand Duke Balo's bottom line, thus provoking his angry pursuit.

If that were the case, Grand Duke Barlow would have taken action as soon as he first met Victor, why would he have waited several days to launch a sudden attack?

Especially Lia's seemingly "indifferent" attitude, which practically screamed "I'm not pretending anymore" on her face.

Therefore, the Marquis of Sancher tentatively guessed:

"Count Victor, was this done on purpose?"

Lia simply smiled and did not give a direct answer.

At this point, the Marquis of Sancher basically understood the truth of the matter, and his mood gradually calmed down.

No wonder he always felt that things were not simple, especially after the Empire suddenly announced the revocation of Viktor's count status.

What is even more noteworthy is that, despite the news of Victor's "resurrection," one faction has yet to express its stance.

Don't forget, Victor also holds a position as a member of the Mage Council.

Even during the ten years following Viktor's "death," the Mage Council retained his membership.

This undoubtedly suggests that the Mage Council likely knew Victor would return.

In other words, if Grand Duke Balo were to attack Victor for this reason, the Mage Council would not stand idly by and allow its members to be humiliated.

But what exactly are their reasons for doing this?

While pondering, Leah suddenly asked an unexpected question:

"Marquis Sancher, how many demi-humans are there in the kingdom in total?"

Marquis Sancher paused for a moment, then lowered his head and pondered for a while.

Families that owned demi-human slaves were not limited to noble families of count rank and above.

Within the kingdom, there were actually many families who owned demi-human slaves.

From earl down to viscount, baron, and other ranks of nobility, it is not uncommon for nobles to possess this status.

Not to mention the merchant class, who, though not nobles, were somewhat wealthy.

They relied heavily on demi-human slaves to perform the arduous physical labor.

No need to pay wages, just provide meals; it's much more profitable than hiring people.

However, only nobles of the rank of count or higher had the right to own their own land.

Other viscounts and barons, on the other hand, had to develop under the leadership of the earl, that is, they were the earl's vassals.

It is worth mentioning that demi-human slaves are considered unregistered and are not included in the kingdom's population statistics.

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