Chapter 1013: The Future of the Northern Region
Duke Calvin was waiting in the main hall when Edith returned to the castle.
“You’re only planning three days here? I thought this mission would take time—why not stay longer?”
“Father.” She paused on the threshold. “Did you send someone to listen in on my conversation?”
“If I ask you directly, do you ever actually explain anything to me?” His glare carried genuine injury beneath its heat. “I learned that trick from you. It’s better to search for an answer than to wait for one.”
Something like affection crossed her face—but carefully, the way she kept most things. “Congratulations. You’re making progress. Now I worry about you slightly less.”
He grunted. “You still haven’t answered me. I can’t stop you going back, but why take Lance? What’s the actual purpose of bringing Gerald’s son to Neverwinter?”
“You’re unhappy that I can’t become queen,” she said, tilting her head at him. “Or perhaps you’re simply grieving that no future child of mine will sit on the throne. I remember what you said to me when Timothy came to the Northern Region. I know what you suggested to His Majesty.”
“I—I only wanted what was best for you.” He was quieter now. “Are you really willing to watch a tavern maid’s son come to power?”
Edith did not answer that immediately. She thought of Olivia—standing before her with nothing, and still refusing to be dismissed.
Gerald loved her for a reason.
“You’re wrong about her, father,” she said. “That woman is only missing a title. If she had been born into any noble house in the Northern Region, she would outmaneuver you. She would outmaneuver my brothers without effort. What you should actually be grateful for is the Kant bloodline—without that title, you would be no different from the merchants on the street. Perhaps worse.”
He had the grace to look stung.
“She was reluctant to trust me at first. But the moment she decided—she gave me every name of every person who posed a risk to her son. How decisive.” Edith laughed softly. “If Gerald’s child ever rises to real prominence one day, what do you suppose she’ll do about me? I forced her into this. She knows it. Being a woman herself, she’ll know exactly how to make me pay.” She paused, holding the thought with apparent pleasure. “Isn’t that interesting?”
“Enough.” Calvin raised a hand in surrender. “I was wrong. Can you stop?”
“Whew.” She let out a long breath. “He will never take the throne, by the way. Even if His Majesty had no objection, I would not allow it.”
She smoothed her hair and crossed the room to him. “Let’s speak of what matters. I need to return to Neverwinter as quickly as possible. The city moves fast—half a month away is already significant. His Majesty would not have sent me here at all if the task wasn’t important. As for Lance—I’ve asked you to send him to Neverwinter when he turns eighteen. I said this in my letter. You have a poor memory.”
“If I send Lance there, the Northern Region will—”
“Lose your successor?” She cut him off. “The rank of nobility is now honorary, father. If your son is uneducated, what foothold does he have in the City Hall? I’m taking him away for the future of the Kant family. Neverwinter is where the game is played now. If we don’t learn the new rules, we get removed from the board.”
Calvin hesitated, turning something over. “His Majesty said there are powerful enemies in the Barbarian Land. What if Neverwinter falls to them?”
“Then we’re all finished regardless,” she said simply. “A dozen successors won’t change that.”
She folded her hands, the shrug in her posture rather than her shoulders. “In fact, we should thank the demons.”
“What—?”
“If not for them, His Majesty would have turned all four kingdoms inside out by now.” The corner of her mouth lifted. “He needs to focus on defeating the demons, so he’s chosen to make peace with the nobility—for the moment. But once the demons are gone? He’ll change everything. That time is coming. The demons are giving us a window to catch up. It’s our only real chance.” She held his gaze. “You know what you have to do.”
The Duke was silent for a long moment. Then: “Welcome the teachers from Neverwinter. Open more primary classes. Send more people west to study. Listen to the City Hall officials.” He gave her a weary look. “You’ve written this in every letter. I’m not senile.”
“Good.” She patted his shoulder. “I need some sleep. I have things to do tonight.”
“Wait—” He turned. “Olivia’s last question. I’m curious too. What did you tell her?”
Edith smiled—faintly, and with something complicated behind it.
“It’s better to look for the answer than to wait for one,” she said. “You’ve just made progress. Continue your strong performance.”
“You’re shutting me up on purpose.” He stared at her, realization dawning. “You deliberately—well, fine. I swear I won’t eavesdrop again. Now will you tell me? Please. My sweet daughter.”
“Forget it, father.” She was already climbing the stairs. “It’s not important.”
A pause.
“I hope it’s true,” she murmured, half to herself, the words barely carrying down to where he stood. “Unfortunately…”
“What?” He took a step toward the stairs. “What do you mean—”
But she had already disappeared at the top of the landing. Only silence came back.
Chapter 1013: The Future of the Northern Region
Translator: TransN Editor: TransN
Duke Calvin was waiting in the main hall when Edith returned to the castle.
“You only plan to stay in the City of Evernight for three days? It sounded to me that this mission will take time. You don’t have to go back immediately. Why don’t you stay here longer?”
“Father, did you send someone to listen in on my conversation?” Edith asked with a frown.
“If I ask you directly, will you explain everything to me clearly?” The Duke gave her a furious glare before adding, “I learned this trick from you. It’s better to search for the answer than to wait for it.”
The Pearl of the Northern Region replied with a bark of laughter, “Congratulations, you finally made some progress. Now, I don’t have to worry too much about you in Neverwinter.”
The duke grunted, “You haven’t answered my question. I can’t stop you, but why do you have to take Lance to Neverwinter. Are you that attracted to Wimbledon? He would rather marry a witch than marry you. I don’t get it. What the hell is the point of bringing Gerald’s son to Neverwinter?”
“You seem to be very unhappy with the fact that I can’t become queen,” Edith shot him a sideways glance and said. “Or perhaps, you’re just complaining that my future child can never become the heir to the throne? I still remember what you said to me when Timothy came to the Northern Region, and I know what you suggested to His Majesty.”
“I… I did that for your own good. Are you willing to see a humble maid bring her son to power?” Calvin sounded much less aggressive now.
Edith secretly sighed. She knew that her father cared about her very much but she found that he was quite short-sighted. Calvin Kant was a caring father but he was not a wise man.
Fortunately, the other nobles in the Northern Region were no better than him. Most of them were not capable enough to manage their own domains. Edith agreed with His Majesty’s decision to abolish the aristocratic system. She thought that if she was the king, she would also not be able to tolerate such a group of idiots wasting her wealth.
She understood the conventional thoughts of a traditional noble man, but she just couldn’t say anything remotely nice to comfort her father at this moment. She enjoyed using her words as swords to hurt and torture others and sometimes even herself.
“A humble maid? No, father, you’re wrong. Gerald Wimbledon loved her for a reason,” said Edith, with interest. “That woman just lacks a status. If she was born into a noble family of the Northern Region, she would become more capable than you, not to mention my two younger brothers. In fact, what you should be the most thankful for is the ancestors of the Kant family. Without your title as an earl, you would never have gotten what you have today. You probably wouldn’t live any better than the ordinary traders on the streets.”
Just as she had expected, her father now looked very sour.
“She was reluctant to trust me at first, but once she made up her mind, she gave me all the names of the people who may ruin her and her son’s future. What a decisive woman! If Gerald’s son comes to power one day, what will she do to me? After all, I once bullied her into going to Neverwinter with me.” Edith chuckled. “How will she torture me to vent her anger? Being a woman herself, she must know how to make a woman suffer.”
“Enough… I know I was wrong,” Calvin finally admitted defeat. “Can you stop talking?”
“Whew,” Edith heaved a long sigh. “By the way, he’ll never seize the throne. Even if His Majesty doesn’t mind it, I would never allow it to happen.” She smoothed out her hair and walked to her father. “Let’s get back to business. I must return to Neverwinter as soon as possible since I don’t want to miss any new changes in the city. Neverwinter is a fast-developing place and the center of the power. Half a month is already long enough. If His Majesty had not sent me to complete this task, I wouldn’t have come back at all. As for Lance, I’ve already asked you to send him to Neverwinter when he turns 18 in the letter. You have a really bad memory.”
“But if I send Lance to Neverwinter, the Northern Region will—”
“You’ll lose your successor?” Edith interrupted. “But father, the rank of nobility has now become a pure honorary title. If your son is uneducated, do you think he can gain a firm footing in the City Hall? I take him away for the future of the Kant family. We’ve got a lot to learn in Neverwinter and if we don’t want to get kicked out of the game, we have to embrace all the new changes.”
The Duke still seemed hesitant. “Didn’t His Majesty say that some formidable enemies are lurking in the Barbarian Land? Have you ever thought about it. What if Neverwinter is conquered by these enemies?”
“It’s simple. When that happens, all of us will be doomed. At that time, it’ll be meaningless even if you have a dozen of successors,” Edith said while laying out her hands in a shrug. “And I think we should thank the demons.”
“What…?” Calvin was surprised.
“I’ve a feeling that if it wasn’t for the demons, His Majesty would turn all the four kingdoms upside down…” the Pearl of the Northern Region said, her mouth twitched. “He needs to focus on defeating the demons now and thus chooses to make peace with the nobles. But one day, after he eliminates the demons, he’ll bring drastic change to the entire world. Keeping this in mind, the demons are actually helping us by giving us more time to keep up with the trend of development. This is our only chance. You should know what to do.”
The Duke sighed after a long silence. “Provide preferential treatment to the teachers from Neverwinter, open more primary education classes, and send more people to study in the Western Region. Oh, and listen to the City Hall officials’ advice… You’ve mentioned those things in the letters a number of times. My memory is not that bad.”
“It’s good you can remember that.” Edith patted her father’s shoulder and then walked upstairs. “I need to get some sleep now. I’ve many things to do tonight.”
“Wait…” Calvin turned around and said. “As for the tavern maid’s… I mean, Olivia’s last question, I’m also curious. How did you respond to it at the time?”
“It’s better to look for the answer than to wait for it—” Edith smiled slightly. “You’ve just made some progress. Now please continue your strong performance.”
“Hey, it’s just casual talking. Wait… do you keep silent deliberately?” The Duke stood agape and then he realized something. “You did this on purpose to shut me up? Well, well, I promise I won’t send anyone to overhear your talking. Now, can you tell me? My sweet daughter!”
“Forget about it, father. It’s not important.” Edith paused before murmuring, “I hope it’s true, unfortunately…”
“What…?” Calvin pursued.
The Pearl of the Northern Region did not reply. She just waved her hands and disappeared at the end of the stairs.