### Chapter Fifty-Three: Things That Must Be Done
Knock, knock, knock.
“Duke, it’s me.”
A deep male voice from outside interrupted their conversation. The Duke and the Lady exchanged a glance, her eyes reflecting anxiety.
He then offered her a reassuring look.
“Come in.”
The door opened, and a faint metallic smell of bl**d wafted in, causing the Lady to wrinkle her nose in discomfort.
Hoover, drenched in bl**d, stepped into the room. Upon seeing the Lady, he froze for a moment, awkwardly scratching his head.
“Duke, Lady…”
The Duke put down his book, maintaining a calm demeanor.
“Please, have a seat.”
Hoover glanced at his bloodstained clothes. Despite a quick cleanup beforehand, the smell of harvested lives clung stubbornly to him.
With a wry smile, he spread his hands.
“Let’s skip that. I’ll just stand.”
The Duke chuckled lightly, not insisting, and then asked, “Did you get them all?”
Hoover straightened his posture.
“Not a single one got away.”
“What about the workshop?”
“All of Valar’s henchmen have been executed. I left the cleanup to Ulysses. However, we found a secret compartment in his room that contained this ledger.” Hoover pulled out a thick book from his coat and handed it over. “It details everything clearly, from inspectors to the treasury, down to the craftsmen in the neighborhood. Over the years, so many people have benefited from him… he’s been too deeply entrenched in the Grand Warehouse, and the web is much more complicated than I imagined. If we have to deal with all these people one by one… it’ll be a considerable hassle.”
The Duke flipped through the ledger casually before tossing it onto the table.
“It doesn’t matter; people look out for themselves, and there’s nothing wrong with that. These folks often sway with the wind, loyal only to themselves. What they need is merely a position like that of a captain; Valar has lost his value to them, and they’d rather avoid him like the plague. After tonight, some opportunistic hyenas will sniff around… Shanter Castle will be lively soon.”
“Duke, what if someone tries to escape?”
“Escape? Do they dare? That would just scream he’s with them. No one’s dumb enough to do that; they’ll only rack their brains to cover up their mistakes… By the way, where’s Bella?”
As soon as those words left his mouth, Hoover’s eyes darted, fidgeting with his face, stealing a glance at the Lady before quickly looking away.
“Well… she, she went back first but asked me to tell you that the rats in the second squad have also been cleared out.”
“Is that so?” The Duke replied absentmindedly before changing the subject. “What about Lafael? Any news yet?”
“Not yet. But considering the time, I think it should be within two days.”
“Hmm… thank you for your hard work. You can go wash up. Oh, and send someone to keep an eye on Pepé; don’t let her find out… try your best to keep it from her.”
“Yes, Duke.” Hoover nodded and was about to leave when he suddenly showed a hesitant expression. “Duke…”
“Spit it out.”
“What are your plans for the next step?”
The Duke tapped the table, not answering directly. Instead, he turned to Catherine.
“Catherine, how long until the Day of the Divine Birth?”
“Less than a month. Including today, we have twenty-six days left.”
“Hmm… let me think. From Winter City to Order Royal City, even by the Church’s carriage, it’ll take nearly a month… If I’m not mistaken, the Royal Academy starts mid-February, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct. But enrollment for the new semester begins half a month earlier.”
“Half a month, huh? No problem, we have enough time. Tomorrow, tell Carlos to keep Pepé at home a little longer; let her leave after the Day of the Divine Birth.”
The Lady frowned at this.
“Day of the Divine Birth? Are you planning to take Pepé to the palace in Chielis City? Wait, Skarlij, do you mean…”
The Duke nodded.
“Yeah. Karrier, Erin Castle, Ralfield… you write to these families tomorrow. For this year’s Day of the Divine Birth, we will hold a banquet at Shanter Castle.”
“Let’s start preparing soon. The first annual feast at Shanter Castle should be grand, right? It’s also a celebration for Pepé’s return.”
He said all this matter-of-factly, without any overt emotion.
But Hoover’s face lit up with joy.
Because he knew what this meant.
The Day of the Divine Birth.
The Holy Church sets January 16th every year as the birthday of the Ancient Deity, thus it’s called the Day of the Divine Birth, and it’s also when the people of the Western Continent celebrate the New Year. In the former Valen Empire, all nobles were required to arrive at the capital, Chielis City, on this day to attend the feast held by His Majesty the Emperor while also settling the income and expenses of their respective territories. Having gone alongside the Duke in previous years, he was already very familiar with this.
Now, the Duke stated that he would hold a banquet at Shanter Castle and plan to invite the three most prestigious families in the Valen Empire, excluding the royal family… Hoover knew this was a decisive moment.
He gazed at the man in front of him, who, despite being over fifty, still looked radiant.
This man didn’t consider the possibility of empty halls and no one caring, huh… such confidence.
Hoover was a man of spirit, having been by the Duke’s side since his youth. After all these years, he’d seen a lot and felt stifled at times. Yet, the Duke always appeared unfazed, leaving him unable to voice his feelings; his emotions had to be swallowed down.
But at this moment, after the Duke’s statement, Hoover felt an adrenaline rush.
Perhaps, he was about to follow this man’s lead to a place he never dared to dream.
“Hoover.”
“Yes.”
“Starting tomorrow, double the training time for the Shanter Army, and you’ll be in charge. Also… send someone to track down Edward’s whereabouts.”
“Hoover, understood!” He puffed up his chest, his right fist tapping lightly over his heart, eyes shining with excitement, “I swear allegiance to you, Duke!”
…
After Hoover left the study, the Lady hesitated for a moment before her expression softened.
“… That works too. Since you’ve made up your mind, I’ll take care of the banquet arrangements.”
The Duke stood up and walked to her side, gently grasping her hand.
“Thank you for your hard work.”
“I’m fine… Skarlij, I just want to remind you that with things reaching this point, the Church is surely not going to sit idly by. What’s your plan?”
The Duke smiled gently.
“We’ll wait for them to send someone. You don’t need to worry; perhaps… this is exactly what they want to see?”
“You mean…”
“My brother is overly concerned about gains and losses; over the years, he’s treated the Church with a dismissive attitude, causing resentment among the various dioceses in the Empire. However, Lafael has done quite well, maintaining frequent contact with the Church and spending a lot of money on various matters, plus I, your diligent Pope Knight, and our little princess Pepé… I think choosing sides shouldn’t be too difficult.”
“What if they insist on supporting His Majesty?”
“They won’t. The central workshop supplies the Church with a large number of high-quality weapons and armor each year, and Winter City is one of the four great royal cities in the world. As long as we control these two points, the Church will surely lean towards Shanter Castle.”
The Lady sighed.
“I don’t really understand all this. Just keep it in check, okay? I just hope our family can be safe and happy.”
The Duke’s smile grew wider.
“Do you think I’m not? It’s precisely because I want that too, but I have an older brother who holds power and is overly suspicious. I don’t want to see the day when my loved ones become targets of others, so these are things that must be done.”
