Release that Witch

...

”Edith, you cruel wretch!” Calvin, Duke of the Northern Region grabbed the teacup on the table, wanting to smash it onto the ground but suddenly stopped with his hand in the air. He felt a little reluctant since the cup was made of the best quality crystal glass and worth two or three gold royals.

After a thought, he gradually lowered his hand and put the cup back on the table.

Needing to worry about such minor gains and losses made him even more depressed.

Edith’s letter was also put on the table. He could not believe what was written in it. Out of his expectation, His Majesty wanted to reclaim the power of the noble and his daughter who had always brought him profits before promised the king without hesitation this time. Besides, she even persuaded him to recognize the fact and stop resisting in the letter.

He felt that the way she wrote to him as if she was talking to a captive.

The duke thought bitterly that his daughter must be helping the others rather than her own father.

The guard outside the door probably heard the noise and looked in, asking, ”My lord, what happened?”

”Get out, leave me alone!”

As Calvin was unwilling to vent his anger on the cup, he took out his fury on this guard who swiftly closed the door. The duke panted for a long time before he could return his gaze to the letter.

As he had eliminated the Howes Family and Lista Family, he finally was in complete control of the whole Northern Region now. If he chose to accept His Majesty’s requirements, he would no longer be the lord of the Northern Region, at least, no longer the ruler who dictated in this region. He thought he would return to his original point, or even worse.

But if he did not accept his daughter’s suggestion, what would happen?

Edith also described the result of this choice in the letter.

”If you choose to do so, Cole and I will be doomed. He’ll be held captive in the prison forever, just like the heir of Duke Ryan. As for me, I’ll end up even worse. What do you think Prince Roland will do to a defenseless daughter of a duke? I can list a series of torturing methods that’ll excite a man without too many efforts. When he got tired of me, I’d be put into his dungeon or battalion and your Pearl of Northern Region will be covered with dust forever.

However, instead of worrying about me, you’d better worry about yourself first, since his army will besiege your city and your feudatory and knights can hardly resist for half a day. After that, it’s impossible for you to be an ordinary person, let alone a duke. How is it? Are you going to make such an unwise choice?”

Calvin was familiar with this tone and he could even picture his daughter writing the letter with a sneer on her face. Whenever it came to failure, she would always describe her fate in an extremely cold tone as if she was waiting for the moment all the time and when she talked that way, Calvin was immediately swamped. He knew that she was apparently threatening him, but he could not lift his spirit up to scold her.

After all Edith Kant was his own daughter and the only child he had with his first wife.

Despite the fact that Edith exaggerated the matter, he still had to admit the possibility.

He himself had also heard lots about that dandy Prince Roland.

The duke gradually calmed down at this thought.

But he was still wondering whether the black steel machines were as incredible as she depicted or not.

He thought in surprise, [Edith used three sheets of paper to write the letter, and among them, she used a whole sheet of paper to describe what she had seen in Border Town, oh no, in City of Neverwinter.]

The description was even twice as much as that of His Majesty Roland.

Edith claimed that the super powerful machines beyond imagination could easily complete tasks that were considered to be impossible by the ordinary people and that if they surrendered to the new king, the Northern Region would be able to import those black iron machines which would bring an earthshaking change to their domain.

Calvin could tell from the description that Edith thought highly of the machines.

In the last part of the letter, she suggested that Calvin should send His Majesty a formal document to take an oath of allegiance and to show the submission of the Northern Region to the new king, and meanwhile, dispatch servants who could read and write to learn the rules and regulations of the City Hall, getting the domain prepared for the new system.

”Besides, I sincerely hope that you can order Cole to stay in City of Neverwinter instead of calling him back to the Northern Region, which will do him no good at all. If you agree, you can also send Lance here when he reaches an adult age. Given that the noble titles can no longer be inherited, only the men who well adapt to the new system of His Majesty can succeed the Kant Family and keep it thriving.

Your daughter, Edith”

After reading the letter, Calvin heaved a long sigh and put it away. He spread a new sheet of white paper.

Thinking that as Edith had already made the decision, he had to believe her and write His Majesty a letter showing his loyalty to the new King’s City.

However, as a duke, he had to make his last efforts to ensure the family’s profits. He believed that he would feel much relieved if he could bind the two families’ interests together.

Such as... something like a marriage which would make his own daughter the queen.

*******************

By the Redwater River, Border Area, City of Neverwinter.

The sun was sinking into the mountains bit by bit, leaving the river afire with golden light.

Smoke rose in front of the shacks, and a faint smell of porridge made Snaketooth’s mouth begin to water.

As he got closer, he could even smell meat.

”I’m back!” He caught Tigerclaw’s attention as soon as he stepped into the battalion. Tigerclaw said, ”Come up here quickly!”

Snaketooth swiftly walked to him and asked, ”What? We have meat today?”

”Yes, you come back late, so you’ve missed the message. This is granted by the lord.”

Snaketooth rubbed his sore shoulders and said, ”What for? You guys still need a long time to finish the construction of the residential area, right?

”It’s for the completion of the Kingdom Main Street! Now the Border Area and the Longsong Area are finally connected together. I’ve heard that now it takes only one day to get to the Longsong Area riding a horse. In the past, it would take three days,” someone nearby came up and said.

Hearing that, Snaketooth nodded his head. Every time when a major project was finished, they would get a bowl of meat porridge, just like what he had heard before in the square. He had been in the Border Area for two months, during which the construction platoon had never canceled a meal or deducted salaries. Now, he had already accumulated 14 silver royals and would get 7 more in the end of this month.

When his savings reached one gold royal, he could get a house from the City Hall and become an official resident of City of Neverwinter instead of a Rat, a nobody.

However, to own that house, he still had to work for at least 20 more years.

Nevertheless, he was confident that he could find a better-paid job, such as a furnace worker or a bricklayer.

Everything seemed to get better.

But he had not met Paper yet.

”When you get the meat porridge, remember to eat fast. Otherwise, you can’t get a good seat,” Tigerclaw whispered in his ear.

”What... seat?” Snaketooth was confused and asked.

”To celebrate the completion of the Kingdom Main Street, a new drama will be played in the square. I heard it’s called ’The City of Love’ and the Star of Western Region will be on the stage too. Oh my goodness... I can’t wait to see it!”

”Go to see it with someone else. I’m tired and don’t feel like going anywhere today,” Snaketooth said in low spirits.

”Really? It’s the premiere.” Tigerclaw paused and then smiled meaningfully, adding, ”All the locals know that the lord will take the witches to see the premiere of the Star Flower Troupe. Maybe you can see Paper there!”