Lord: Stripped of My Inheritance from the Start

Chapter 472 - 445: Enfeoffment Controversy

In Oduin Hall, Bruno’s speech had completely exonerated Jesus and his family from any involvement with the Witch Soul Race, portraying them purely as victims.

Truth be told, Jesus and the whole of Moonlight Valley were indeed the victims.

But with his declaration, no one again brought up Sophia’s previous accusations against Jesus in this very hall, nor the matter of Bruno and Garrett harboring members of the Alien Race. The scandal of the Royal Family’s cooperation with the aliens was thus swept under the rug.

The Wushan Territory, as one of the parties involved, said nothing, so the others were even less likely to raise any objections.

Next, the officials briefly discussed matters such as the selection of a burial site, along with the funeral’s procedures and details.

Normally, Bruno could have decided such matters on his own, but since Ference, Jesus’s brother, and Valgis, the deceased’s father-in-law, were also in the hall, they also had a right to be informed.

"This invasion by the Alien Race brought devastating disaster to Moonlight Valley, wiping out everyone from top to bottom. From the Kingdom Count down to the Honorary Knights, every noble perished! Not only that, but Wave Castle and Dark Tide City were also dragged into it, leaving those two viscount’s domains without their lords."

Upon hearing this, everyone became more attentive.

They knew the next topic of discussion would be the highlight of the day’s meeting.

Whether the Royal Family would reclaim the vast territory of Moonlight Valley in its entirety or grant a portion of it to others all depended on Bruno’s decision.

"Moonlight Valley was originally a prosperous domain, with a population approaching seven to eight hundred thousand. Although less than a fifth of the people remain after this war, the farmland is fortunately intact, as are the large iron mine and two copper mines within its borders. Its redevelopment is only a matter of time."

As Bruno spoke, he looked toward Ronin.

"Now, our Kingdom has its first Proud Sun Knight. How could a small place like Rapids Island possibly be worthy of Ronin’s current status?"

The corners of Bruno’s mouth curled into a smile. "Therefore, I have decided to invest Ronin as a Guardian Knight of the Kingdom and a Duke of the Kingdom, and I will grant him the entirety of Moonlight Valley as his domain!"

As his words fell, the faces of everyone in the great hall showed a wide range of expressions.

Broel was secretly astonished, having never imagined that the former Little Baron would suddenly transform into a Duke of the Kingdom.

Others were shocked and displeased. ’A young upstart not even twenty years old is going to be our equal?’

Still others had eyes flashing with defiance and hostility; this was Crown Prince Garrett.

He could not accept his defeat at Ronin’s hands, and he was even more unwilling to watch his rival be made a Duke.

In terms of status, a Duke’s station was no lower than his own as Crown Prince.

But there was nothing he could do. He was only the Crown Prince and could not refute a decision made by his father, the King.

Forget how the others felt—even Ronin himself had not expected Bruno to make such a huge move.

He had assumed a countship would be the limit, never expecting to be offered a dukedom directly.

On top of that, Bruno had also bestowed upon him the title of Kingdom Guardian Knight, which represented an extremely high honor.

However, beyond the boons, Ronin sensed something else at play.

Proud Sun Knights were an exceedingly rare commodity.

If the Kingdom had no one who could act as a check against them, it would be hard to stop such an individual from developing treasonous ideas.

By granting him so much, Bruno was most likely trying to bind Ronin deeply to Oduin.

Especially with the title of "Kingdom Guardian Knight"—once Ronin accepted it, as long as he had any sense of honor, he would be fundamentally unable to betray them openly.

Just then, someone could no longer remain silent and finally raised an objection.

"Is this not somewhat inappropriate?"

Duke Ference was the first to step forward and voice his objection.

"Ronin’s strength is indeed formidable, worthy of the admiration and study of many, but the position of a Duke cannot be measured by strength alone."

He gestured to the three dukes present. "Whether it is myself, Valgis, or Andrea, which one of us did not fight for the Kingdom for decades, establishing an illustrious military record before we attained the rank of Duke?"

"Indeed, Your Majesty."

Andrea chimed in as well, "Although Ronin saved face for the Royal Family and prevented many commoners from dying to the Alien Race, I also feel it is inappropriate to make him a Duke based on this one deed alone."

Lurans let out a cold laugh and jeered, "Andrea, did you earn your ducal title with military merit? Hah. If we’re judging by military achievement, that seat of yours should be mine!"

"Don’t be ridiculous, Lurans."

Andrea retorted with a sneer, "You still want to be a Duke? On what grounds? On the grounds of that disastrous defeat of yours at Mist City?"

"And wasn’t that because you provided false intelligence?"

Andrea had just picked at an old scar. Lurans’s anger flared, but thankfully, he restrained himself and did not resort to violence.

"Alright, alright, you two, stop arguing."

MacLaren of Screaming Island tried to step in and mediate, but Lurans immediately shut him down.

"This is no place for you to speak. If you truly wish to voice an opinion, have your father, Alfonso, come do it!"

MacLaren’s face instantly flushed red, his voice thick with suppressed anger. "My father told me that the Thunderbolt Marquis was famous for his explosive temper in his youth. I suppose I’ve finally experienced it firsthand today."

He threw up his hands, sat back down, and wisely kept his mouth shut.

A brief silence fell over the great hall.

"Ahem."

Bruno cleared his throat to break the awkward silence. "Well then, Ference, my brother, in your opinion, how should he be ennobled?"

Ference’s gaze shifted back and forth between Ronin and Lurans, his eyes full of contemplation.

After a moment, he said, "Ronin is strong, but he lacks seniority. If Your Majesty truly wishes to elevate the Wushan Clan to a dukedom, I believe it would be better to grant the title directly to Lurans and then restore Ronin’s right of inheritance. That would be the perfect solution."

Bruno hesitated. "And Moonlight Valley?"

"It would naturally be absorbed into the Wushan Territory."

Ronin cursed inwardly. ’The man is clearly trying to drive a wedge between me and Lurans.’

Imagine for a moment: how would a man about to be made a Duke feel when that title suddenly fell into another’s hands?

Besides, even if they restored Ronin’s right to inherit, how many years would it be before his turn to receive the Noble Title actually came?

After all, Lurans was healthy again. Given his Silver Moon Level strength, living for another sixty or seventy years was not a problem at all.

If he managed to break through to the Proud Sun Level, his lifespan would be even longer.

That was why Ronin was certain Ference was trying to sow discord.

Unfortunately for him, Ronin and Lurans were not your average grandfather and grandson.

"Since Duke Ference believes the Wushan Clan is qualified to hold a ducal title, why quibble over which one of us receives it?"

Lurans said, "Your Majesty, I am willing to relinquish my title as Marquis of Wushan. I concur with Duke Ference’s proposal to merge the Wushan Territory and Moonlight Valley, and to name a Duke for the new territory."

These words left Duke Ference stunned.

Everyone present was vying for power and profit, seeking to expand their own influence and strength.

Who among them did not value their status and Noble Title?

Ference had never expected Lurans to offer to give up his marquisate so readily.

Bruno quickly stepped in to smooth things over. "The Thunderbolt Marquis must be joking. In the nearly thousand-year history of the Empire, there has never been a case of a living noble relinquishing their title to a descendant."

Lurans shook his head. "After thirty years of torment, I am no longer interested in this Noble Title. Moreover, I have an outstanding successor like Ronin. It would not be unthinkable to hand the family over to him sooner rather than later."

Ference changed the subject. "In any case, my opinion is that Ronin is still young and lacks seniority. Furthermore, Moonlight Valley is a large territory. Although Jesus and his family have unfortunately passed away, according to the laws of inheritance, Duke Valgis also possesses a certain claim."

He had directed the conversation toward Valgis, who had remained silent until now. The old man finally raised his head to look at Ference.

"Valgis, you should speak up. After all, Dana was your daughter and Kent was your grandson. Since they have sadly passed on, a portion of this land should rightfully be yours."

All eyes turned to the taciturn duke.

But Valgis only shook his head. "The Gistana Clan has no interest in a parcel of land in Moonlight Valley. Whether Your Majesty gives it to Ronin or reclaims it for the kingdom, I will support your decision!"

Ference couldn’t stop himself from cursing Valgis in his head. ’That spineless fool! He doesn’t even know enough to fight for his own interests!’

Just then, Andrea suddenly interjected, "Well, if we’re going to talk about that, Duke Ference, as Earl Jesus’s brother, also has a right of inheritance to Moonlight Valley according to the law."

He looked at Bruno. "Your Majesty, in that case, granting the entirety of Moonlight Valley to Ronin would indeed be inappropriate."

Bruno frowned slightly, but he couldn’t help but nod. There was some truth to Andrea’s words.

In truth, he was quite pleased to see this argument unfold.

After a moment of thought, Bruno turned his gaze to Ronin, his eyes filled with esteem and appreciation. "I believe it is time we heard from the man at the center of this discussion!"