Chapter 165: Marquis Visen’s Arrangement

Yam was carried into the castle on a stretcher.

Along the way, his thoughts were somewhat scattered. He thought about many things, even dozing off several times and then waking up again.

Foss glanced worriedly at Eric. Eric explained that it was a normal reaction to severe blood loss. A regular person might die from it, but Yam was a Bloodline User, so he wouldn’t. Still, to be safe, they needed to prepare some food for nutritional replenishment.

So by the time Yam was carried into the castle of the Senels Family, he was already eating: a large bowl of thick meat porridge.

However, upon seeing the castle, Yam couldn’t help but feel emotional.

He had been a Bloodline Noble for ten years. His horizons had broadened, and he could tell that this castle was genuinely beautiful. The entire structure had a symmetrical design: with a central tower as the axis, the left and right sides—whether in distance, height, or architectural layout—were perfectly mirrored, as if reflected in a mirror. Moreover, the castle was built beside a lake, which happened to be the most beautiful scenery in Red Eagle Territory: Swan Lake. The lake's surface shimmered like it was draped in silver, fully reflecting the castle upon its waters.

The reflection on the lake and the actual structure formed a mirrored image.

The left and right sides of the castle also formed a perfect symmetry.

Standing on the semicircular observation deck extending from the castle and looking down, whether it was to enjoy the lake view or to take in other sights, one would feel thoroughly refreshed and serene.

But unfortunately—

Except for this observation deck and a few other areas, the entire castle was riddled with damage. Especially the buildings on the left side were almost entirely destroyed. Reportedly, that was where Viscount Agley’s quarters and study were located—the core region of the Senels Family before the battle. Naturally, it became the main battleground.

After spending a short while on the observation deck, Marquis Visen arrived.

By now, he had changed into a different outfit and was no longer carrying the six swords he usually wore.

Seeing Marquis Visen in this state, Yam was finally certain that the battle was truly over.

However, when Marquis Visen saw Yam’s condition, he frowned deeply and looked slightly displeased. “How long did Eric say it’ll take you to recover?”

“Severe blood loss. No major issues otherwise, but I’ll need to rest for three to five months.”

Upon hearing this, Yam immediately understood what Marquis Visen meant and offered no pretense. “Atork had a high chance of escaping at the time. I had to kill him personally.”

Marquis Visen did not respond immediately. He simply glanced at Yam and fell into brief contemplation before finally speaking. “I’ll give you half a year to rest. If you get injured again during this time, you should know what the consequences will be.”

“I have no intention of escaping or delaying anything.” Yam understood what Marquis Visen was thinking, so he stated clearly, “You don’t have to worry. Besides, my family is based in Red Eagle Territory. Northward lies the County of Fertile Plains, and southward is your territory. Even if I really wanted to flee, it wouldn’t be possible to slip away unnoticed right under your nose.”

Marquis Visen said nothing in return.

In theory, the Soderbell Family indeed couldn’t escape.

Because north of White Mountain Territory was the Fertile Plains, which belonged to the Count of Fertile Plains. Whether it was White Mountain Territory or the Soderbell Family, both had deep enmity with that count—almost to the level of a Blood Feud. The Count of Fertile Plains had killed Lily’s father and two brothers. Although the eldest, Giggs, was killed on the Senels Family’s initiative, it was still counted as the fault of Count Shuvaric. Yam’s mother also died because of Count Shuvaric. And Lily was Yam’s wife. Both had scores to settle with Count Shuvaric.

Perhaps Count Shuvaric didn’t think much of it, but Marquis Visen saw clearly—Yam was not someone who would tolerate loss. This was evident from his insistence on personally killing Atork.

But Marquis Visen also understood the faults of nobility well.

He himself had significant conflicts and grudges with Count Shuvaric. But when faced with benefits, he could still choose to shake hands. So naturally, he had to guard against Yam’s possible ulterior motives. Perhaps Yam didn’t plan such a thing, but often it didn’t require his own intent—just someone nudging him from behind could trigger significant changes.

“I’ll have Dean protect you for the time being,” Marquis Visen said again.

This time, Yam raised no objections.

He understood well. Officially, Dean was there to protect him. In reality, it was also a form of surveillance. As a Fourth-Tier Bloodline User, even if he and Akar joined forces, they wouldn’t be a match for this Chief Knight Commander of the Kasein Family.

Yam was no longer someone ignorant of the Bloodline Users’ world. He knew well the gap between the Third and Fourth Tiers.

The Third Tier was known as the Lord Tier. The term “Lord” here meant one who had the capability to form a Bloodline User family and govern a small territory.

From the Fourth Tier onwards, they were called Transcenders. It meant that at this stage, Bloodline Users had begun to gradually elevate their life energy. If there were no accidents, they could easily live over a century.

At the Sixth Tier, life energy underwent stable transformation and crystallization. A Bloodline Imprint would form within the user, and their offspring would naturally possess a stable path of bloodline advancement. It didn’t mean they couldn’t awaken other bloodlines, but at the very least, it ensured that within the corresponding bloodline path, there was minimal risk of death upon failure and an easier path to ascension.

However, factors such as aptitude and potential would not improve because of it.

Dean Seia was a Fourth-Tier Transcender. If he didn’t die prematurely, living past a hundred years wouldn’t be a problem. He was currently only a bit over sixty years old, meaning he had at least thirty more years to live. Perhaps he couldn’t reach the Sixth Tier to generate his own Bloodline Imprint, but reaching the Fifth Tier was not an issue. Unfortunately, his descendants weren’t promising. Of all his grandchildren tested so far, only two showed the talent to become Bloodline Users—and even then, only at the Second Tier.

This was also why Marquis Visen dared to entrust Dean with significant responsibilities.

Since Dean’s descendants could not inherit his position, there was no fear of the Kasein Family being undermined later.

But Yam's Soderbell Family was different.

Currently, Yam was only thirty, and Akar was just twenty-seven. With the aptitude of the two, while reaching the Sixth Tier was uncertain, reaching the Fifth Tier was definitely within reach. Becoming Fourth-Tier Bloodline Users seemed effortless for them at this stage.

This meant the Soderbell Family would at least produce two Bloodline Users who could live for over a century. Marquis Visen had to reconsider his plans because of this. His urgent desire to open the Bourbon Secret Vault was also part of his preparations for the Kasein Family’s future. After all, he was well aware that he wouldn’t live to see his grandchildren inherit.

Marquis Visen summoned Yam at this moment to confirm his intentions. Seeing that Yam hadn’t shown any signs of regret or ulterior motives, he quickly had people carry Yam away to rest.

There was still much work left for him. The Senels Family’s governance over the Bayor Territory had been deeply dysfunctional in Marquis Visen’s eyes, so he needed to reorganize and consolidate the ranches into villages and towns.

...

After staying in the ancient castle for about five days, once Yam was able to move around, Marquis Visen instructed Dean to escort him back to White Mountain Territory.

It was only then that Yam finally learned the aftermath of the Senels Family’s downfall from Dean.

Almost all core members of the Senels Family had died in battle. Those who didn’t die were executed. The direct bloodline had been completely wiped out. All of Viscount Agley’s direct brothers of the current generation were also executed, and even collateral branches living in Bayor Territory were not spared.

However, the Senels Family was not entirely annihilated.

When the Kasein Family launched their attack, they had chosen the exact time when all Senels Family merchant caravans were returning, intending to wipe out the entire line and ensure no leaks. Unexpectedly, a distant collateral relative of the Senels Family had stayed behind in the Gaulta Family’s territory due to a failed trade negotiation and had not returned with the family’s caravans—thus escaping death.

The Kasein Family dispatched pursuers by the third day, but Knight Commander Dean plainly stated that the chances of success were slim. The news of the Senels Family’s destruction had already spread by the second day. Such a major event was impossible to keep under wraps. It was very likely the woman would receive the news and hide before Marquis Visen’s men arrived.

Fortunately, she was a woman from a collateral branch. Even if she wanted to seek revenge for the Senels Family, she had little hope.

To be safe, Marquis Visen immediately published pre-prepared criminal evidence against the Senels Family, officially declaring that they had murdered two heirs of the Kasein Family and incited rebellion within Red Eagle Territory, betraying their liege, the Kasein Family—thus justifying their destruction.

Whether others believed it or not, the Kasein Family made this declaration to silence any voices in the kingdom and made clear it was the Senels Family who had first broken the noble codes.

Beyond that, the rest had little to do with Yam, so after a brief exchange with Knight Commander Dean, the conversation ended.

After nearly half a month of bumpy travel, Yam finally returned to White Mountain Territory.

At the same time, Monica completed all official duties in Red River Territory and arrived in Bayor Territory to meet her grandfather.

Since the fall of the Senels Family, Marquis Visen had been residing in Swan Castle of Bayor Territory.

Though the castle had been damaged in the previous battle, the damage was confined to the western tower structures. The buildings on the eastern side were still habitable.

“What do you think of this place?” Standing on the second-floor observation deck, Marquis Visen asked his granddaughter.

“It’s beautiful.” Monica gazed at the shimmering Swan Lake and offered her praise.

“There’s a rumor that a Sixth-Tier magical beast resides in Swan Lake, called the Ice Crystal Dragon-Scaled Goose. It was supposedly raised in this lake by the Bourbon Family back in the day,” Marquis Visen said. “The Senels Family originally served the Bourbon Family to raise this goose. At that time, they were referred to as ‘goose keepers’ and held little more status than farmers.”

“What happened to the goose later?”

“No one knows.” Marquis Visen shook his head. “Since the Bourbon Family’s downfall, there’s been no further news of it. Some say the Senels Family killed it, and that’s how they rose to power as a prominent Bloodline User family. But that rumor is false. Everyone knows that the Senels Family stole the Bourbon Family’s inheritance—excluding that magical goose. After all, it was a Sixth-Tier magical beast. Back then, it would’ve been impressive if the entire Senels Family could muster three Third-Tier Bloodline Users, let alone take down such a creature.”

Monica didn’t quite understand her grandfather’s point in telling this story, but wisely chose not to respond.

Sure enough, after a brief silence, seeing Monica didn’t speak, Marquis Visen sighed lightly. “What I mean is, you should get married.”

Monica looked up, utterly stunned.

“You’re twenty-nine this year, aren’t you?”

In truth, Monica was only twenty-eight, two years younger than Anna. But the difference between twenty-eight and twenty-nine was trivial. Monica didn’t argue the point and instead nodded to confirm Marquis Visen’s statement.

“The only match worthy of your status now is the Weist Family of Forest Territory. The lords of White Mountain Territory and Gem Territory are women, while the lord of Forest Territory is far too old. Clearly unsuitable,” Marquis Visen said solemnly. “Now that the Senels Family is gone, the Weist Family will grow uneasy. This is the perfect time to reassure them through a marriage alliance with one of their heirs.”

Monica pressed her lips together, saying nothing.

But inwardly, she clearly felt great unwillingness.

Yet, considering that her grandfather didn’t have many years left and that Red Eagle Territory was in turmoil—the White Mountain and Forest Territories couldn’t be replaced; Bayor Territory would become a front-line base following the Senels Family’s demise and would need people stationed there; relations with Gem Territory were also strained due to the dispute over Joshua’s death, in which they seized one of their own from Anna.

Given all these factors, if they wanted to quickly stabilize Red Eagle Territory and win over the remaining lords, an alliance with the Weist Family was the inevitable route.

Moreover, there were no other suitable women in the Kasein Family—among Bloodline Nobles, engagements occurred at sixteen and marriages at twenty. Monica was already considered old. Her two “marriageable” cousins were twenty-seven and thirty respectively, but neither had her influence, and even political marriages seemed unlikely for them. They’d likely end up marrying wealthy merchants or loyal Household Knights.

Only Monica, as a lord and the future heir to the marquisate, held sufficient status. Even if she was older, she was still qualified to marry into a Bloodline Noble family—or more accurately, many would pursue her for her title.

Monica did not reject the idea of a political marriage.

She knew she would have to face it eventually. “Who will I marry? The older one or the younger one?”

The head of the Weist Family was now the lord of Forest Territory, but he was already advanced in age—clearly unsuitable. His son, too, was nearly forty. So upon hearing Marquis Visen’s words, Monica knew she was to marry the old Baron Weist’s grandson: one was twenty-five this year, the other twenty-one.

Marquis Visen said plainly, “Choose whichever you prefer. I’m still alive—no one dares to say anything in front of me. Old Cardon is a cunning man. As long as you’re willing to marry his son, picking one or even both wouldn’t be out of the question. He’s shameless like that.”

Monica remained silent.

At that moment, she resented not being born a man.

“This year you’ll marry, next year you’ll have a child—preferably a daughter.” But Marquis Visen’s next words only left Monica more bewildered.

“Why?”

“Akar Soderbell seems to have had a son named Liam Soderbell. If you give birth to a daughter next year, she would only be six years younger than him. When the time comes, she could marry Liam—they’d be similar in age,” Marquis Visen said calmly. “Of course, that’s only if Liam possesses enough talent and ability. Otherwise, there’s no need for such an arrangement. Also, look for a suitable child in the family and prepare for an engagement with Aches Soderbell.”

“Aches’s aptitude has already been determined?”

“Yam is a cautious person. He plans to have Aches awaken the bloodline of the Earth-Thorn Beaked Bird.”

“Earth-Thorn Beaked Bird?” Monica was stunned. “Isn’t that... a bloodline with rather low aptitude?”

“What kind of person do you think Yam is? Smart or foolish?”

“Smart,” Monica replied.

“Then do you think such a smart person would choose such a weak bloodline for his nephew?” Marquis Visen gave a soft chuckle. “Don’t forget, they are the Legacy of the Bourbon Family. Yam must have in his possession a formula that can evolve the Earth-Thorn Beaked Bird to a Third-Tier bloodline. One reason he chose it is to completely sever ties with the Bourbons. The other is definitely because Aches’s bloodline talent is extremely unique and powerful.”

“No one has discovered a successful evolution path for the Earth-Thorn Beaked Bird yet. The Hall of Spirits once explained that this bloodline’s abilities are very unusual. Its recovery ability is too strong—almost equivalent to that of a Third-Tier bloodline. So, many Third-Tier bloodlines can’t suppress the effects produced by the Earth-Thorn Beaked Bird, resulting in failed evolution.”

“Don’t forget, bloodline evolution is essentially an optimization and enhancement of a bloodline’s abilities. If the added enhancements don’t produce stronger results, can that evolution be considered successful? And among the known Third-Tier bloodlines that can suppress the Earth-Thorn Beaked Bird’s regenerative ability, nearly all are water-element related. But earth and water attributes are incompatible, which undoubtedly increases the risk of evolution failure.”

“Other directions have been considered, but most would clash heavily with earth attributes. Another reason is that this is merely a Second-Tier bloodline—few people think it's worth the trouble to investigate it thoroughly. After all, one failure could cost a life.”

Monica’s understanding of bloodline knowledge exceeded even Lily and Yam.

She clearly knew that earth-element bloodlines were primarily defensive in nature—enhancing recovery, vitality, skin, bones, and even resistance to toxins. For example, their family’s Bloodline Imprint, the Six-Armed Martial Armor Demon Ape, belonged to the earth element and was renowned for defense, vitality, and strength.

The Earth-Thorn Beaked Bird might not interest many, but if Yam truly held a formula to evolve it to the Third Tier, the meaning would be completely different.

Especially since their Kasein Family bloodline was also of the earth element.

“Angelina... what do you think?” Monica asked.

“Angelina?” Marquis Visen frowned. “Whose child is that?”

Though the Kasein Family had only truly risen after Marquis Visen reached the Sixth Tier, it had always been a flourishing Bloodline User family. Visen alone had five siblings, and his elder generation had over a dozen. The distant relatives of the Kasein Family formed five or six different branches. Not to mention, Visen’s four children were already grandfathers themselves.

Monica had been born later and was only approaching thirty. Her eldest brother had already passed, and his children were nearing twenty.

So it was normal for Marquis Visen not to recall who Angelina was—those without talent weren’t worth remembering.

“Uncle Hans’s granddaughter. She’s eleven this year.”

Hearing the name, Marquis Visen’s gaze suddenly dimmed.

Hans Kasein was his second son, born before he reached the Sixth Tier. Hans himself lacked exceptional aptitude and had always lived quietly. His one merit was being diligent and reliable. In a prior secret operation with Count Shuvaric, Hans had been tasked with leading the raid on Eastern Mountain Territory. Unexpectedly, Hans died in that war—something that Marquis Visen deeply regretted.

Hans’s son—Monica’s second brother—was now forty years old but possessed such poor aptitude that he was still only a First-Tier Bloodline User. Because of this, Marquis Visen had long stopped paying attention to him. He hadn’t expected that his grandson already had a daughter who was now eleven.

Marquis Visen gave a small nod. “I’ll speak with Yam about Aches’s engagement later. For now, talk to Angelina... no, bring her here to me. Let me take a look at this great-granddaughter.”

“Yes,” Monica nodded.

Then she quickly asked, “But if we do this, won’t we be tying ourselves too closely to the Soderbell Family?”

“Yam and Akar’s future accomplishments will definitely not be below the Fifth Tier,” Marquis Visen said gravely. “By then, I’ll be gone, and our family will no longer have a Sixth-Tier Bloodline User. So how many Fifth-Tier Bloodline Users can you find? If only two or three, do you think you can match them?”

“If you don’t plan on killing them, then when they reach the Sixth Tier, will you hand Red Eagle Territory over to them, or hope they’ll voluntarily leave?”

“And if they do leave Red Eagle Territory, which faction will they turn to? If they stand against our family in the future, how will you deal with it then?”

Marquis Visen shook his head, his tone tinged with desolation and helplessness. “I can’t protect the family that far into the future. So while I’m still alive, all I can do is make more preparations—ensure that the ship of the Kasein Family doesn’t capsize too quickly. After all, a marriage alliance with the Legacy of the Bourbon Family may not be a bad thing for us.”

“Also, once Yam opens the Secret Vault, you must reserve a portion of those resources to be passed on to the Soderbell Family when they encounter difficulties in the future.”

“If I were the one to deliver it to them, they would only regard it as a bestowment and wouldn’t think too much of it,” Marquis Visen spoke once more. “But if it’s you who transfers it, especially during a time of hardship for their family, then the meaning will be completely different. I could destroy the Senels Family and leave behind a reputation of madness in everyone’s minds because I knew I was about to die.”

“The Kasein Family will pass through the next thirty years in your hands, so you must not act as I have—especially not use such methods against White Mountain Territory.”

“Yam is a man who values principles and cherishes old ties. That means you can become friends with him, not merely maintain a superior-subordinate relationship. In fact, even developing into lovers wouldn’t be a problem. The Weist Family can’t control you. If there’s a good opportunity, you could even replace them. It’s just a pity that Dean is unwilling to take up the position of a lord. Otherwise, I would consider him the most suitable candidate to lead Forest Territory.”

Monica knew well that her union with the Weist Family wasn’t even a true political marriage. It was merely because the Weist Family was the only one in Red Eagle Territory currently worthy of matching her status. Both the Count of Fertile Plains and the Count of Cold Ridge were vassals under the Southern Duke, and that faction was opposed to their own family's political alignment. Therefore, it was impossible to ally with either house. If she didn’t wish to marry into the Weist Family, she would have to choose someone from the Gondas Family.

But the Gondas Family was too far from Red Eagle Territory. A union between them would provide no mutual benefits. Even if they proposed an alliance through marriage, the Gondas Family would likely reject it.

Rather than risk humiliation, it was naturally more sensible to choose a husband who could be easily controlled.

“What about Yam’s daughter? Cindy Yam Soderbell.”

“She is destined to become the future lord of White Mountain Territory. With the temperament of the Soderbell Family, don’t even think about her. But you can arrange for some suitable family members of appropriate age to meet her. If she takes a liking to someone, that’s good. If not, it’s no loss. After all, by the time she grows up, our family will already have another Sixth-Tier Bloodline User. Plus, there will be marriage ties through Aches and Liam. It’s unlikely we’ll end up going to war with the Soderbell Family.”

Listening to her grandfather having even the future all arranged—how she only needed to follow the path set for her to keep the Kasein Family strong—Monica felt a wave of bitterness.

“There’s one more thing.” Marquis Visen’s expression suddenly turned stern.

“What is it, Grandfather?”

“You may not have much time left.” Marquis Visen shook his head. “The Aust Empire has already breached the first defensive line of the Western Kingdom Army and successfully blocked the Gaulta Family’s northward march. Now it’s not that they’re stopping the Aust Empire from moving south—it’s that the Aust Empire has successfully repelled their reinforcements. The Southern Region currently has no active battles, so the Southern Army might soon be mobilized.”

Monica’s heart tightened. “The position of Commander of the Southern Army?”

Marquis Visen had once been the Supreme Commander of the Tyrella Kingdom’s Southern Army. He had stepped down due to injury and returned to his territory to "recuperate," handing command to the leader of the Sons of the Mountains. So theoretically, as long as Marquis Visen hadn’t officially resigned, once Monica inherited the marquisate of Red Eagle Territory, she would also automatically take over the military command and become the Supreme Commander of the Southern Army.

But this came with deep entanglements of interest and internal conflict. With Monica’s current strength, assuming this role would tear her apart. She simply didn’t have the ability to command such a military force.

Marquis Visen shook his head and said, “I’ve already officially requested to step down. So the internal issues of the Southern Army have nothing to do with the Kasein Family. When I said you don’t have much time left, I meant that if the royal family decides to mobilize the Southern Army, then by custom, all lords in the Southern Region, except for the duke, will be summoned. With our status, we will need to dispatch at least five to eight Third-Tier Bloodline Users and two Fourth-Tier Bloodline Users.”

“This list—you must personally be included. That is unavoidable.”

“As for the others, Yam, Akar, Foss, and Eric can all be brought along. For Fourth-Tier Bloodline Users, Dean and your father are suitable. That leaves four remaining slots. You must select them carefully. If they are too strong, the Southern Army may take notice and reassign or recruit them. If they are too weak, they will be of no help to you.”

After hearing this, Monica understood her grandfather’s intent.

Once full-scale war broke out in the Western Region, this royal draft could not be avoided for the Kasein Family. They would even have to contribute significantly, since their family aligned with the ruling Karla Royal Family. Other nobles could get away with sending just two or three Third-Tier Bloodline Users or even just one Fourth-Tier Bloodline User. But the Kasein Family and the Gondas Family could not.

At this thought, Monica couldn’t help but recall the hot-tempered, foul-mouthed Lava Family.

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