Chapter 2047: Chapter 35: Duke of Steep Ridge (Short Chapter, First Chapter)

[Have Ian Silver Peak come to me, if he dares, I’ll give him Inega II’s legacy—if he dares]

[You really think too much, a clear kind of stupidity]

Regarding Bokang’s simplest provocation, Carlos’ sharp response was direct: [Do you think Ian will come looking for you? Go to Steep Ridge Fortress? Do you even know what you’re talking about, even a Fourth Energy Level isn’t someone you can just summon at will, let alone Ian who is clearly a stronger Fifth Energy Level]

[Are you planning to plot against a seer? Bokang, don’t say such nonsensical things, it makes me think less of your wisdom]

[Heh] The Duke of Steep Ridge chuckled: [If I could leave Steep Ridge Fortress, I would already be by the Tranquil Sea talking leisurely with Silver Peak Seer. Don’t think of me as someone like you, who is afraid to change and remains a stubborn ruler. If I need to, I’ll do it, whether I like it or not, unless I can’t]

[I also have no intention of scheming against the seer, I do indeed have a ’legacy’ from Inega II... but calling it a legacy is inaccurate, it is the ’core’ we need the most. Otherwise, why do you think when you withdrew the Northern Army for the Fiery Flame Land expedition we made no move?]

[You don’t really think we were hesitant or indecisive due to unclear intelligence, do you?]

Carlos didn’t reply, but his subtle expression revealed that he indeed thought so, making Bokang sneer in anger: [Fine, seeing how lazy you’ve become since becoming emperor, I’d rather seek out Allegria, at least she’s actually willing to be an emperor]

[Not like your father and grandfather, being emperor is tedious]

Carlos shook his head, took another sip of his drink, but continued: [Since it’s the ’core’ Inega II traded with you, why are you willing to return it now? Don’t tell me you’re so awed by our grandfather you’re moved to tears upon meeting the heir and now wish to demonstrate loyalty]

He continued sharply: [You’re all a bunch of weirdos and bastards, refusing to be decent people, instead wanting to be alien forms. Good Imperial people and dukes want to be poor country folk]

[In this world, apart from Embrace Light, no one can judge whether others are human or not, it’s not your place to speak] The iron-bodied duke shook his head slightly, unwilling to engage with Carlos on this matter. He raised a finger, serious: [Because the road pointed out by Inega II has come to an end]

[And now, I want to find a new path]

Looking up, Bokang gazed towards the western side of Terra, towards the direction of the Tranquil Sea beyond the light screen: [So, I seek guidance]

[The guidance of a contemporary sage is enough to show us the way forward]

Carlos remained silent for a while.

After some time, he drained his wine and looked at the light screen, asking with confusion: [Since you respect Ian so much internally, can’t you just speak ’ask for advice’ properly? You could request humbly, if you are willing to pay, I think Ian wouldn’t mind guiding you thoroughly]

[Heh] Bokang sneered again—as an iron-boned figure, his laughter was cold: [My diplomatic application has been unanswered for over a month, the official channel is completely blocked. I can’t possibly include information about Inega’s legacy in diplomatic rhetoric]

[Given so, might as well provoke outright. He’ll definitely come]

[You’ve seen through Ian’s mode of operation] Carlos shook his head slightly, knowing Ian’s character well as his staunch ally — if someone poses a proper question, he might find it boring and skip it.

But if someone voices ’such and such technology is rubbish, can’t be used at all!’ then he’ll surely go in to enlighten the ignorant kid on why there’s no useless technology, only useless people.

Nonetheless, Carlos responded: [Idiot, just wait for Ian to come beat you up]

After Bokang hung up on Carlos, the action was somewhat rude, but the first to be rude was evidently the Western Empire Emperor. Many people often imagine that communication between Fifth Energy Levels is grandiose, filled with prestige, ancient polite language, or even lost grammar from pre-epoch civilizations, or grand topics on the world and future, but in reality, Fifth Energy Levels are human too.

Their communication, if not in front of others, is not formal—privately, it is quite simple, relaxed, cordial and pleasant.

After being hung up by Duke Bokang, Carlos contemplated for a while, and waited until Ian completely concluded all mystical phenomena at the Tranquil Sea the following day before contacting him, honestly conveying all of Duke Bokang’s intentions.

[I’ve always thought his emotional intelligence is problematic, overly clever]

Carlos candidly shared his thoughts: [But Bokang truly is a genius, my father Axel always wanted to resolve the Steep Ridge Fortress issue leftover from the past but never found the opportunity in his lifetime—he really managed Steep Ridge Fortress like an iron bucket] 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

[I know you’ll definitely be interested in the legacy of your grandfather, leaving it to you to decide how to proceed]

"The ’core’ that Inega II gave to Steep Ridge Fortress?"

At this moment, back in the Silverpeak Domain, testing his physical condition after receiving powers from the Realm of Light, Ian couldn’t help but feel curious: "Did Inega guide Steep Ridge Fortress’s path? I really didn’t know about that... Axel’s records from Inega’s memory bank only have clear details on major events, the rest are skipped."

"Anyway, you have some private communication with Steep Ridge Fortress? I only knew the Elster Family is distant relatives of the Setal Imperial Family, didn’t expect you to be apparent enemies but actually quite good relations?"

"How did Steep Ridge Fortress and The Empire split up back then?"

[Not well at all, this communication channel is just mutual cursing, since none of us want to fight, we curse each other instead] Carlos straightforwardly explained: [As for the separation... it’s actually quite simple]

[The various dukes of the empire, having occasionally produced Fifth Energy Level individuals but lacking the Top Seat’s Blood, can only rely on genius and luck to achieve higher bloodlines. Their bloodlines, having great potential, thus are proud, always viewing our Setal Imperial Family as merely lucky]

[The Elster family’s bloodline is the ’Whirlwind Thunder Spirit’, a powerful dual wind and thunder lineage, formerly known as ’Sky Swirl Thunder Goose’...]

"Wait." Hearing this, Ian suddenly spotted a blind spot and interjected: "Back when I knew the Duke of Sorin’s bloodline was called Nightglow Bird by you guys, I already found it puzzling, because it clearly had nothing to do with birds. But now... does your Setal Imperial Family just love to rename people’s bloodlines to match bird names to go with your Sunbird?"

[All in all] Carlos didn’t pause due to Ian’s interjection, continuing steadily: [At that time, they were actually the closest with our Setal Imperial Family, even having a prince awake to Sunbird Blood marry into the Elster family, hoping to merge the similarities in electromagnetic aspects of the two bloodlines to pave a bloodline path leading to Fifth Energy Level for the Elster family]

[But unfortunately, this attempt failed. Whirlwind Thunder Spirit is the spirit of breathtaking thunder and swift wind on gaseous giant stars, although similar to Sunbird, it still couldn’t converge, and this attempt led to pollution of the main bloodline of the Elster family, necessitating constant bloodline restoration from branches]

[Since then, there’s been talk that our Setal Imperial Family polluted Elster’s bloodline under the pretext of enhancing it to weaken the dukes’ power—it’s utter nonsense, Elster’s main bloodline couldn’t produce other children, only one mixed blood offspring could be passed down, so how is that our Setal family’s problem, it’s their incapability!]

[However, based on results, it’s an irrefutable rumor, honestly, only that generation had truly close ties, the next generation even doubted whether their fathers truly intended this, even believing it’s our Sunbird’s interference that caused Elster family to lack descendants—if we had such power, then other bloodline families on Terra Continent wouldn’t have descendants]

[That’s the rationale, and the result was the Northern Duke gradually alienating from The Empire]

[But if that’s the case, it might still be maintained]

[This fragile relationship continued until the first Duke of Steep Ridge discovered the ’Heaven’s Commencement Core’]