Chapter 122 The Duke's Scheme It was late at night. ...

It's late at night.

Hundreds of miles away from Blackrock City, a somber atmosphere permeated the study of Duke Caslan's mansion.

In the center of the study, a multi-headed, beast-shaped oil lamp made of black iron burned silently, its dozens of thick wicks radiating a suffocating heat. The flickering flames cast grotesque, distorted shadows on the monstrous beast-headed trophies hanging on the walls and on the massive military sand table. Heavy curtains blocked out the moonlight and all the sounds of the city, leaving only the oppressive, stifling atmosphere of power.

Duke Caslan sat reclining on his enormous throne, crafted from solid black iron and the bones of colossal beasts. His bulky body was almost entirely hidden in shadow, with only the occasional flicker of the oil lamp's light revealing his sharp, hawk-like eyes.

Ryan stood quietly in the center of the study. He straightened his back, but his slightly clenched hands hanging at his sides betrayed his inner tension.

“Father,” he took a deep breath, breaking the suffocating silence, “I’ve brought something… special.”

Ryan carefully placed a pine box on the large oak desk in front of his father. The box was polished smooth and warm, and the fragrance of pine mixed with a hint of spices made it seem particularly refreshing in the dull room.

The Duke did not move, but merely scrutinized his second son.

Ryan wasn't intimidated and slowly opened the box.

A dozen or so neatly stacked cans of Hope brand health food came into the Duke's view. Each can had an exquisite label, clearly stating its name and benefits, reflecting a warm and inviting glow in the candlelight.

[Chicken Liver Pâté for Blood Nourishment and Health Enhancement], [Nutritional Supplement with Sauerkraut and Vermicelli], [Therapeutic Vegetable Soup Base], [Energy-Boosting Salted Meat], [Sour and Refreshing Vegetable Jars]...

The Duke's gaze slowly swept over the novel names, finally settling on Ryan's face.

"Is this the miraculous medicine you were talking about... that can cure the strange disease of dwarves?" The duke's voice was devoid of any emotion.

“It’s not a miracle drug, Father,” Ryan corrected, his tone serious. “It’s science. Lin Yue said that the dwarves’ decay is essentially severe malnutrition. A long-term lack of fresh vegetables, meat, and certain minerals. The formula in these canned goods is designed to address these deficiencies.”

"Science?" The Duke sneered, his laughter sounding particularly jarring in the empty study. "That kid certainly knows how to package himself."

“But it works, doesn’t it?” Ryan countered.

The Duke did not answer. He slowly extended his large, calloused hand, adorned with the family crest ring, and picked up a ceramic jar labeled "Chicken Liver Porridge for Blood Nourishment and Health." He first weighed it in his hand, then carefully examined the intricately designed lever-type iron clasp and black rubber sealing ring at the jar's opening, a barely perceptible hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

Then, he gestured to the attendant beside him. The attendant immediately stepped forward and carefully pried open the iron clasp with a small silver knife.

"Pop!"

The crisp sound proved the can's excellent airtightness.

A unique aroma, a blend of rich chicken liver fragrance and the scents of various herbs, immediately filled the air.

The Duke did not rush to taste it. Instead, he had a servant bring a silver spoon, scoop up a little bit, and carefully observe it under the candlelight. Only after confirming that it had not changed color did he allow the servant to taste a small bite himself.

After confirming that the servant had not foamed at the mouth or bled from his seven orifices, the Duke finally picked up another clean silver spoon, scooped out a small mouthful of the silky chicken liver pâté, and slowly put it into his mouth.

At that moment, his eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly on his face, which had been as expressionless as an iceberg for millennia.

This subtle movement did not escape Ryan's notice. It was a little habit of his father's; whenever he became genuinely interested in something, he would unconsciously make this gesture.

Ryan's heart stirred. He stepped forward and respectfully presented the Duke with two documents, both written on fine parchment.

“Father, this crisis in the Dwarf Kingdom may seem like a problem for the royal family, but it is actually a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our Kaslan family.”

A document, written in an extremely neat official script, is titled "The Kaslan Family's Military Operation Plan for Suppressing the Dwarf Rebellion." It details how to mobilize troops, plan supply routes, and conduct military deterrence against the dwarf kingdom. The entire document exudes loyalty to the royal family and a determination to share the kingdom's burdens.

The other document, however, took a dramatic turn. Written in Lin Yue's unique, slightly messy but logically clear handwriting, it detailed a grand blueprint titled "A Plan for Balanced Trade Among the Three Races of the North." It contained no swordplay, only a detailed plan on how to exchange food for technology, and how to subtly transform the Dwarven Kingdom's mineral resources and forging techniques into the strength of the Caslan family through commercial means, without disrupting the regional balance.

This is the real plan.

Ryan walked to the wall where the military sand table was hanging and slowly traced his finger across the map.

“You see, Father. The royal family wants the dwarves’ mineral resources and technology, but they dare not truly wage war. Because if they were to engage in a full-scale war with the dwarves, the northern defenses would be left vulnerable, and the barbarians on the plains and the orc tribes to the east could easily invade from the south. They cannot afford that risk.”

"But we are different. We have Hope Town."

He turned around, meeting his father's scrutinizing gaze: "Lin Yue's canning technology is currently the only known key to solving this problem without bloodshed. We're not going there to fight a war, we're going to do business."

"Do business?" The Duke's tone was full of sarcasm. "You want my Caslan family to condescend to provide warmth to those stinky, hard dwarfs?"

“No, Father.” A ruthless glint flashed in Ryan’s eyes, a glint that was completely different from his gentle appearance. “We will make them unable to leave us from now on.”

He combined the logic that Lin Yue had taught him with his own understanding, repackaged it, and presented it in a more persuasive way.

Ostensibly, it's about relieving the royal family's worries and solving their biggest problem; this is politically correct.

In reality, they used food as a weapon to control the economic lifeline of the dwarven kingdom, continuously channeling their mineral resources and technology into the Kaslan family through trade. This way, they could reap the benefits without arousing the royal family's suspicion through direct annexation—this was the family's value.

And he, Ryan, as the direct executor of this plan, will leverage his special relationship with Hope Town to establish a unique record and his own power base.

This is a true win-win-win situation.

The Duke listened quietly without interrupting him.

Only after Ryan finished speaking did he slowly rise from his throne. His bulky body, at that moment, exuded a heavy, oppressive aura, like that of a mountain.

He walked up to Ryan, his hawk-like eyes fixed on him: "You speak well. But what makes you think I would entrust such an important task to you instead of your brother who's always clamoring to crush everything?"

This is the most crucial issue.

Ryan met his father's gaze without flinching: "Because my older brother can't do it."

"oh?"

“Big Brother excels at battlefield combat and head-on charges. But this time, what’s needed is negotiation, weighing options, and the ability to make everyone feel like they’ve won.” Ryan paused. “More importantly, I’m the one who’s built a relationship of trust with Hope Town. Lin Yue trusts me, not Karl.”

"The recipes, production techniques, and subsequent business operations for these canned goods are all in Lin Yue's hands. Without his cooperation, this plan is just a piece of paper."

The Duke sat back down in his chair. He appeared to be reviewing documents, but in reality, he was re-examining his son, whom he seemed to have never truly cared about, with a completely new perspective.

This kid has changed. A few months ago, he was just a bookworm who would follow Karl around blindly, quoting classical texts and engaging in armchair theorizing in his study. Now, his eyes hold ambition and shrewdness.

Was it Lin Yue who taught him? Or was he forced into it by reality?

It doesn't matter, none of that matters. What matters is that Ryan is now eligible to sit at the poker table.

But Lin Yue is even more interesting. From snow salt to canned goods, from trade with the elves to the current dwarf plan…

Does this kid think I can't see through him? He's the real mastermind behind everything.

But so what?

The Duke picked up the crystal wine glass on the table and looked at the red wine swirling inside.

As long as the final benefit is real, what does it matter who is pulling the strings behind the scenes? A mysterious merchant who can change the geopolitical landscape with food is far more worthwhile to invest in than a royal family that only weakens local power and spends all day scheming to regain power.

The royal family… Ha. What have they given me all these years?

They ordered a blockade of the dwarves, but provided no military funding. They wanted me to guard the northern border, yet they hindered my military power at every turn. When my son suffered a setback abroad, their first thought wasn't to support him, but to hold him accountable.

Loyalty? The Kaslan family has been loyal to the royal family for centuries, and what have they received in return? Suspicion, wariness, and constant pressure.

That's enough.

If this succeeds, if we can control the dwarves' mineral resources and technology, and establish a trade lifeline that bypasses royal oversight…

It's uncertain who will listen to whom at that time.

If you don't gamble, you'll forever remain a dog kept by the royal family.

If you gamble, at least you still have a chance to overturn the table.

What's more... he looked at Ryan, and the way this kid looked now was so similar to how he looked back then.

Just as the Duke was about to make a decision, there was a gentle knock on the study door.

“Your Grace,” the butler’s respectful voice came from outside the door, “the envoy from Silvermoon Forest, Lord Elendil, requests an audience, saying he has important matters to discuss.”

The Duke and Ryan exchanged a glance, a hint of surprise flashing in their eyes.

At this time?

"Let him in."

Elendil appeared elfinly, his figure as silent as moonlight at the study doorway. He wore a simple dark green robe, his silver hair flowing with a soft glow in the candlelight. His presence brought a touch of natural tranquility to the study, a space filled with an atmosphere of ruthlessness and political intrigue.

To be honest, the sudden change in art style was a bit abrupt.

It's like watching a hardcore war movie, and suddenly a scene from an art film is inserted.

He gave the Duke a respectful elven salute, then handed him a letter sealed with moonlight vines.

The Duke opened the letter, and the flowing silver characters slowly unfolded before his eyes.

Ryan watched his father's expression change from calm to solemn, and then to thoughtful, and his heart skipped a beat.

After a long while, the Duke handed the letter to Ryan: "Read it for yourself."

The letter was very short:

To His Excellency Duke Kaslan:

Her Majesty the Queen of Silvermoon Forest is pleased to learn that the nobles intend to resolve the conflict with the Mountain Iron Kingdom peacefully.

The three races surrounding the Cursed Lands have maintained a balance for millennia. Any overexpansion or decline of any race will trigger unpredictable chain reactions.

True wisdom lies in harmonious coexistence, not endless warfare. If your journey is indeed peaceful, Silvermoon Forest is willing to provide you with the necessary support, including allowing caravans to use the ancient woodland roads to shorten their journey.

However, if this journey devolves into annexation and conquest, frankly speaking, it will severely disrupt the hard-won balance in the North. At that point, Silvermoon Forest will have to re-evaluate its relationship with the human kingdoms.

May wisdom illuminate your path.

Silvermoon Forest Envoy Ilandil

"Your Excellency, the Duke put down the letter, his tone so calm it revealed no emotion, "Is the Elf Queen... instructing our Kaslan family on how to act?"

Ilandil smiled, a smile both elegant and aloof: “I wouldn’t dare. Her Majesty the Queen is merely stating a fact—the importance of balance. We have sent letters expressing the same sentiment to the capital, but this matter does border His Excellency the Duke’s territory, and communicating directly with you might be more effective in maintaining peace on the border. As for how His Excellency interprets it, that is your prerogative.”

“What if we really want to annex the dwarves? So what?” the Duke probed, and the air in the room seemed to freeze.

“That would be a regrettable choice.” Elendil’s tone remained gentle, but Ryan could clearly detect a chilling coldness in it. “Silvermoon Forest has existed on this land for thousands of years, witnessing the rise and fall of countless dynasties. We do not wish to intervene in wars between humans, but we will never allow any force to threaten the safety of the forest.”

This is a warning, a stark warning.

But this is also a promise—as long as you don't go too far, we will support you.

Ryan suddenly had an epiphany at that moment.

This letter was arranged by Lin Yue.

It must be.

The timing was too perfect, the content of the letter was too fitting, and even the specific supporting condition of "allowing passage" was clearly stated.

That bastard Lin Yue! He not only convinced me and schemed against my father, but he also brought the elf onto the ship ahead of time.

Now I can't back out even if I want to.

Since the elves have clearly expressed their support for peace negotiations, the royal family, upon receiving this information, will only approve the plan more quickly.

However, the elves also placed an invisible constraint on this negotiation: cooperation was the only option, not annexation.

Brilliant, absolutely brilliant.

After Ilandil left, the study fell into a long silence once again.

“Father…” Ryan began tentatively.

“I agree,” the Duke said suddenly.

"What?" Ryan was stunned.

“I grant your request.” The Duke stood up and walked to the window. “Go to the Dwarf Kingdom and negotiate on behalf of the Kaslan family. I will personally go to the capital and retrieve that belated imperial decree.”

“Father!” Ryan exclaimed, overjoyed.

“However,” the Duke turned around, his eyes sharp as knives, “I have three conditions.”

"First, you must succeed. Don't come back if you don't succeed."

"Secondly, no matter what happens, the Caslan family must be the biggest winner in this game. Not Hope Town, not Lin Yue, but us."

“Third,” the Duke said, walking up to Ryan and emphasizing each word, “Remember, you are Kaslan’s son, not Lin Yue’s pawn. Use him, but don’t be used by him.”

Ryan bowed deeply: "Your son will remember."

"Go and prepare," the Duke waved his hand. "Three days from now, I will take you to meet the royal family."

The moment Ryan stepped out of the study, he let out a long sigh of relief.

It's done.

It really happened.

But for some reason, he didn't feel the joy he had imagined; instead, he felt an inexplicable unease.

He glanced back at the study, which was still lit, and his father's figure looked particularly old in the lamplight.

In this game of chess, who is the real player?

Lin Yue?

Father?

Or... the king who has never shown his face in the capital?

Ryan shook his head, dismissing these distracting thoughts.

Who cares? At least now, he has his own stage.

As for the future…

Let's go and see.