Chapter 4: The Lord (Part 2)

Chierman still disagreed with Kaiji, and could only helplessly say, "Your Majesty, our empire has no surplus territories left. Moreover, I believe that since that young man was able to save Your Majesty under the Sunset Divine Bow and did not perish, he must be a person of great fortune. I think he should be able to resolve difficulties that others cannot. How about this? Since the empire is prepared to abandon the Haisen territory, when the imperial army completely withdraws from Haisen, Your Majesty could issue a decree, appointing him as the king of the empire's first vassal state, allowing him to establish his own nation. This way, no one would dare to speak ill of Your Majesty, after all, Your Majesty has granted him such a great honor, comparable to that of the three founding dukes! Of course, if he cannot govern the territory well and is killed by his own people, then it cannot be blamed on Your Majesty; it would only be his own lack of ability. At that time, when the empire has digested the lands of the three kingdoms and has regained its strength, it could send troops to Haisen in the name of avenging him, easily bringing him back into the embrace of the empire."

The Chancellor, Chi Erman, briefly displayed a look of surprise on his face, thinking to himself, "It seems the Second Prince is anxious. Seeing that he cannot compete with the First Prince for the imperial throne, he has begun to resort to desperate measures to eliminate His Majesty. In the midst of the empire's chaos, he intends to rely on the influence of his mother's family among the western nobility to declare himself king and establish independence, and then contend with the First Prince for supremacy. This way, he can maneuver freely—advancing to seize the world or retreating to rule the west. What a clever scheme; he was almost successful. However, this time he will be unfortunate. Even if His Majesty does not kill him, he will not let him have an easy time."

Kejie pondered for a moment, then said to Chierman with an unhappy expression, "Chancellor, do you have a grudge against that young man? How could you suggest that I grant the most impoverished region of the empire, even the continent, as a fief to my savior? What exactly are your intentions?"

It seems that Chi Erman did not notice Cage's displeasure, and continued in a calm tone, "Your Majesty, although the area is poor, it is exceptionally vast, comparable to a duke's territory. Moreover, it is not devoid of resources. To the east, there is a rich fishery and marine magical beasts by the sea; to the north, the vast Ten Thousand Mountains are abundant in minerals; to the south lies the Aralas Great Forest, teeming with magical beasts and plant resources. Only to the west is there an endless desert with little to offer in terms of resources. More importantly, the inhabitants there are mostly uncivilized half-orcs and barbarians; as long as they are well-fed, they will not cause trouble and are very easy to manage."

Seeing Cage, who had appeared with a benevolent image for decades, reveal a fierce expression and utter such murderous words, everyone realized that their sovereign had not become indecisive with the passage of time. Instead, decades of peace had cleansed the sovereign's heart of murderous intent, allowing it to settle and await the next eruption. This assassination incident had completely enraged the sovereign, causing the previously suppressed murderous heart to erupt entirely. Witnessing this scene, the reactions of the crowd varied.

Chi Erman felt a sense of self-satisfaction for coming up with such a brilliant idea, thinking to himself: I am truly a genius, capable of devising such a malicious plan. However, later, when Li Jiawang rose to become the largest local warlord of the Holy Dragon Empire, he regretted this foolish idea to the point of wishing he could turn back time.

Master Sean's expression remained calm, completely unfazed by the harsh words from Cage, as if they were nothing more than the ordinary sound of flatulence, failing to spark even the slightest interest in him. His face still bore the look of someone who was detached and unconcerned.

Cage lowered his head and thought for a moment, feeling somewhat embarrassed as he said, "Let it be as the Prime Minister suggests! However, I will give him an opportunity to make a request, and I will do my best to fulfill his request."

Cage nodded in satisfaction upon hearing the Chancellor's words and said, "What the Chancellor says is reasonable. I wonder how the Chancellor believes we should reward that peculiar young man?"

"Your Majesty, this young man has an unknown origin and is clearly not a citizen of our Holy Dragon Empire. Moreover, he has black eyes and long black hair, which do not resemble the people of our continent but rather resemble the demons of legend. Therefore, I believe we should first inquire about his background and then reward him with some gold coins."

Marshal Thomas furrowed his brow, wanting to say something, but upon seeing Cage's unpleasant expression, he ultimately sighed and said nothing

Kaidji observed the atmosphere in the hall; his own murderous aura made it somewhat oppressive. He also recalled that his savior had not yet been properly arranged for, and he was uncertain how to reward him. Thus, he inquired, "Esteemed ministers, how should we arrange for the peculiar young man who saved my life and is still in a state of unconsciousness?"

The imperial marshal Thomas wore a look of disdain and spoke ambiguously. From the contemptuous expression on his face, it seemed that the peculiar young man saving His Majesty was merely a coincidence, unworthy of mention. One wonders how this marshal came to be in his position; he fails to consider that without this accident, Kaiji would undoubtedly be dead, leading to chaos and turmoil in the Holy Dragon Empire. With his seasoned political insight, he should have recognized this! Perhaps his remarks carry some deeper meaning, or he is intentionally putting on a show for certain individuals.

"Your Majesty, in the southeastern corner of the Empire's Minnesota Province, there is a large territory known as the Haisen Territory, which has been without a lord for over ten years. Why not bestow it upon that young man?" Thomas said, a glint of cunning flashing across his face.

The Chancellor, Chi Erman, immediately said upon seeing the displeased expression on Kaiji's face, "Your Majesty, I do not agree with the Marshal's words. Although the young man has an unknown background, it is an indisputable fact that he saved Your Majesty's life, preventing a great turmoil in the Empire. If we act as the Marshal suggests, it will leave the Empire's nobles and common people feeling disheartened, believing that Your Majesty is ungrateful and lacks clarity in rewards and punishments. Your Majesty's wise image would be tarnished, and this matter might even be exploited by the Empire's enemies to undermine Your Majesty's reputation. Therefore, I believe the Marshal's approach is not advisable."

Chi Erman wanted to say something more, but when he saw Cage's expression, he closed his mouth and said nothing further. Thus, while Li Jiawang was still in a coma, his fate was already arranged by others in a conference room