Chapter 314: “Vision and Foresight”
Southern Territory, the Estate of Count Hosman.
Count Karloff Hosman, tall and robust, sat in his reception room, scrutinizing the visitor before him.
As one of the most powerful landed nobles in the southern region, Karloff Hosman had always taken great pride in his family name and distinguished lineage.
His family was originally a branch of the Hosman clan from the Holy Spirit Plains. A century ago, his far-sighted ancestor had keenly perceived the true course of the Mistmoon Civil War. By aligning early with the “Northern Crown Prince,” he earned great honor. Though initially without any claim to inheritance, after the establishment of the Second Dynasty, the royal family granted his ancestor an exceptional title. This unprecedented royal favor secured the family a landholding in the south and elevated them to the rank of counts. From that day forward, for the next hundred years, the Hosman family in the southern lands flourished and grew strong.
This was undeniable proof of the family’s noble bloodline—and more importantly, it underscored how vital “vision and foresight” were to their legacy. Karloff Hosman never forgot this lesson. He kept his eyes sharp, watching cautiously and keenly over everything happening on his lands—not just his own estate, but across the entire southern region.
Ever since the “Founding Duke” had returned from the dead, his gaze had never left the territory of Cecil.
Since the Mistmoon Rebellion a century ago, the royal family had deliberately controlled the development of the southern lands. The ancient and vast Cecil family was like a sleeping giant—though it might collapse overnight, its remnants still wielded formidable power. To prevent the many nobles loyal to the Cecil name from stirring unrest, the crown repeatedly divided the territory over the past hundred years, turning nearly all southern nobles into direct vassals of the crown. Moreover, the highest noble rank allowed in the south was count. Thus, for a century, Count Hosman had remained one of the highest-ranking nobles in the region. But less than a year ago, that balance was shattered.
The south had a duke again.
Though this new duke had not immediately reclaimed his lands or challenged the current noble hierarchy, instead keeping only his title while heading to the Dark Mountains to begin development, Karloff Hosman never let down his guard against this resurrected founding hero. His instincts told him there was something different in the duke’s actions—a hidden ambition and threat.
“That’s all the information we’ve gathered so far,” the visitor said. “Our spies have successfully infiltrated an organization called the ‘25th Production and Construction Brigade.’ According to the terminology coined by the resurrected duke, it’s a ‘secret construction department.’ From what our spies have learned, this department answers directly to the lord’s orders and handles the highest-level territorial construction projects. So the intelligence is reliable—and extremely valuable.”
“Excellent… Mr. Green, your spies have not disappointed me,” Karloff Hosman nodded with satisfaction, then furrowed his brow slightly. “So… Duke Gawain Cecil has acquired a batch of very powerful weapons? Possibly provided by the elves?”
“Yes. They use these weapons to fend off monsters roaming the wastelands.”
“The Silver Elves built the Grant Wall; it’s no surprise they have weapons to combat wasteland creatures. But for them to bypass the Ansu royal family and deal directly with Duke Gawain Cecil to supply arms—that’s unusual,” Karloff tapped the table thoughtfully, pondering the hidden truth behind it all. “It seems, as I suspected, that this founding duke is not exactly a ‘good neighbor’…”
“Perhaps we should act sooner rather than later to control the development of the Cecil lands,” said the middle-aged, lean man known as Mr. Green, his dark smile deepening his already somber demeanor. His black hair shadowed eyes that gleamed coldly. “Viscount Leslie has clearly sided with the Cecil family. The Kant territory is effectively under Cecil control. That man who came back from the dead is quietly infiltrating and taking over what once belonged to him.”
“But it no longer belongs to him,” Count Hosman snorted. “Still, we mustn’t move too obviously—he remains a duke of the kingdom, at least in name and law. The first to openly oppose him, regardless of the outcome, will gain nothing.”
“True, he is the kingdom’s duke in name and law. But who really wants this ‘duke’ to exist? You don’t, Viscount Karloff doesn’t, Viscountess Grant doesn’t, even His Majesty the King doesn’t. Yet everyone must outwardly show respect for a founding ancestor,” Mr. Green smiled faintly. As Karloff’s longtime advisor, he knew well what his sharp-eyed friend was thinking. “We can’t confront the founding hero head-on—that would damage your reputation. But we can reach out to others and prepare in advance…”
Listening to his advisor, Karloff’s expression gradually softened.
“There’s one more thing,” Mr. Green added after their discussion paused. “Recently, there’s been talk from the Leslie territory about something called the ‘Magic Network’…”
“Magic Network?” Karloff frowned. “What is that?”
“A magical device—or something akin to one—that draws ambient magical energy from nature with far greater efficiency than traditional self-charging runes. It can reliably power devices that consume magic, like magic crystal lamps,” Green explained. “You probably guessed it first appeared in the Cecil lands. It was created by the duke’s mages and then sold to Viscount Leslie, who is closely allied with the Cecils. But it seems Leslie wants to recoup some of his investment…”
Count Hosman couldn’t help but smile. “Loyalty is always limited, as long as the price is right. How valuable is this so-called Magic Network?”
“Very valuable, especially when paired with a device called the ‘Magic Energy Engine,’” Green said. “The Magic Energy Engine is a magical tool that can replace human labor, possessing immense strength. It’s also a product of the Cecil lands. Though expensive, it’s worth the power of dozens or even hundreds of slaves, working tirelessly day and night. I’ve already sent people to investigate in Tansan Town. I’m not exaggerating.”
The count was taken aback. “Such a powerful magical device? Has the resurrected duke really sold these to Viscount Leslie?”
“Apparently, the duke was short on funds after his resurrection,” Mr. Green chuckled. “Of course, I suspect he sold them with restrictions—no one wants to hand over precious magical tools freely. But our spies in Tansan Town have managed to establish contact with Leslie’s men. They have ways to secretly acquire some—like you said, loyalty is limited if the price is right.”
“Good. Find a way to get one of these ‘Magic Energy Engines,’ and also the Magic Network device,” Count Hosman decided immediately. He already saw the potential value in these two items. Acting swiftly was the hallmark of the Hosman family. “Don’t worry about the gold. What matters most is getting hold of the magical secrets from the Cecil lands.”
Green smiled. “You will have what you desire.”
In the lord’s manor of the Cecil lands, Gawain finished reading a letter and looked up with a smile at Amber. “Guess what our neighbor in Tansan Town said?”
Amber glanced at the letter, the Leslie family crest visible in the corner, but without reading it, she casually replied, “Other southern nobles have started contacting him recently, planning to buy Magic Energy Engines, right?”
Gawain looked at Amber in surprise. “How did you know?”
“I’m the head of Military Intelligence! The director, remember?” Amber widened her eyes and pointed at her nose. “You appointed me yourself. Don’t tell me you forgot…”
Gawain quickly pushed Amber’s head back, waving his hands. “No, no, I didn’t forget. Mainly, I never expected you to actually work. I thought all you did was mooch off other departments and cause trouble for me. I figured you didn’t do any real work.”
Amber was speechless.
The half-elf lady glared at Gawain for a long moment, then realizing she couldn’t win, backed down gracefully. “Besides the Magic Energy Engine, I also got intelligence that in several western southern territories, rudimentary Magic Networks or related clues have appeared. Some noble lords are recruiting rune craftsmen and mages at high prices. Judging by the flow of Magic Network information, I believe those local lords have already bought or stolen parts of the Magic Network’s secrets and are trying to replicate it.”
“The Magic Network is spreading… slower than I expected, but considering the winter, the pace is decent,” Gawain nodded thoughtfully. “Viscount Andrew is really trying.”
Mentioning Viscount Andrew, Amber rolled her eyes. “You don’t say—he was sneaking around, nervously bribing your technicians, spending a fortune, half of which ended up in your pocket. Just when he almost figured it out, you suddenly sent a messenger saying the Magic Network can be sold, and even offered him the chance to be a distributor to sell it further… Is that how you treat people?”
“I didn’t mean to trick him at first. He just insisted on playing dirty,” Gawain shrugged helplessly. “The hardest part about dealing with nobles in this era is this—they could do business openly and everyone would benefit, but they insist on overanalyzing and imagining conspiracies. Still, I believe Viscount Leslie will learn his lesson soon… Doing business with the Cecils follows different rules.”
(End of chapter)