Blackstone Code-Chapter 638: Mutual Disgust

Zhuris was the capital of the Amellian region and the administrative center of Gephra’s rule there.

Before the Gephras occupied and leased this territory, the city wasn’t exactly bustling, but it had everything a typical city should have.

Amid the city’s lively atmosphere, there had been a quiet undertone. Time left its mark on the mottled walls, and traces of history lingered in the gaps of the uneven brick roads.

But now… things were bad.

Even in the central streets, few people were in sight. Most shops were shut. Although it was late spring, the season of renewal, the city felt bleak, like the dead of autumn.

The rare pedestrians on the street walked with their heads down, faces tense, and steps hurried.

They looked like people walking barefoot on a hot iron plate—each step filled with panic.

Perhaps it had something to do with the dark-red, nearly black stains in the cracks between the bricks, still faintly reeking of blood.

A convoy approached from the distance, escorted front and back by armored vehicles. In the middle was a matte dark-silver bulletproof Haus sedan.

The windows were tinted deep brown, concealing its occupants. One person was sitting inside with legs crossed, another facing him, speaking.

The one inside was Lynch. The local man speaking was explaining the region’s political structure. All these vehicles had been shipped directly from the Federation by sea.

Lynch didn’t trust the Gephras. Getting into their cars would’ve been irresponsible. Coincidentally, Haus Industries had just released a new generation of bulletproof sedans. Lynch bought several at once, along with armored support vehicles, and had everything shipped over.

The car was bulletproof not only on top but also explosion-proof underneath. Regular explosives might flip the vehicle and shake up the passengers, but wouldn’t kill them.

To promote the car’s safety to wealthy clients who actually needed it, the vice chairman of Haus Industries once put his own son’s family in the vehicle and detonated two bombs beneath it, proving its reliability.

There were rumors the child wasn’t his, but such gossip was baseless and certainly not the reason behind the publicity stunt. Everyone believed the vice chairman was a kind man with a loving family.

The added safety helped Haus Industries rake in many orders in the luxury armored car market—an unexpected success during an economic downturn.

“Sedel’s wife is royalty. He himself is royalty…”

Linchi raised an eyebrow: “…they’re related by blood?”

While incestuous rumors existed in some royal families—like in certain federal upper-class families such as the Duncans—these things were deeply buried.

Unless someone deliberately dug up such scandals, the average person wouldn’t even imagine it, let alone openly discuss it. The idea that a local would know such intimate details about Governor Sedel and his wife seemed implausible.

The man beside Lynch was stunned, then quickly waved his hands. “My fault, Mr. Lynch, I apologize. I wasn’t clear.”

“Sedel’s ancestors were royal. Though technically nobility, his bloodline isn’t that pure anymore, so this doesn’t count as… that kind of relationship.”

The local man then gave Lynch a quick overview of how blood relations were determined in this part of the world.

A person had half paternal and half maternal blood. If their spouse wasn’t a close relative, their child would have a quarter of their grandfather’s bloodline, then one-eighth from the great-grandfather, and so on…

In some countries, as long as the blood connection was less than one-eighth, people sharing a common ancestor weren’t considered… inappropriate partners. Some places required one-sixteenth.

With that explanation, Lynch understood.

“…The emperor trusts Governor Sedel deeply and has granted him full discretionary power. If you want to secure local contracts, you’ll need Mr. Sedel’s approval. Otherwise, it’ll be extremely difficult.”

Lynch listened attentively without responding right away. He didn’t know Sedel well—but that didn’t matter. Lynch liked making friends. He was confident Governor Sedel would too.

“What are his hobbies? Who does he keep around him?” Lynch asked.

“Governor Sedel is extremely restrained. He hasn’t shown any particular preferences. He doesn’t care for money, women, men, jewelry, or anything valuable. He’s like a monk.”

“Some have tried currying favor through those means, but as royalty and nobility, he simply threw their gifts out and blacklisted them from doing business here.”

“Also, Mr. Lynch, I must warn you—Governor Sedel does not like the Federation or its people.”

No Gephra noble had any fondness for the Federation. That was a given. The Federation had knocked them off the top of the global power hierarchy. For a Gephra to genuinely get along with a federal citizen would be truly strange.

Disliking the Federation was normal—even the emperor said so. Still, not everyone treated it the same.

For those capable of actually getting things done, Gephras had to maintain appearances. Even if they didn’t like federal people, they at least acted neutral.

“One last question…” Lynch turned to the local, “Does Governor Sedel have children?”

Lynch had arrived in Zhuris two days ago. He should have visited the governor on the first day. According to Gephra’s administrative structure, the governor held both military and political power—and with his discretionary authority, he alone made the decisions here.

Even the Gephra nobles or emperor couldn’t easily override him. That explained why Lynch’s earlier negotiations with the Emperor of Gephra and ministers went so smoothly.

A governor with royal blood and discretionary authority could defy any order from the homeland as long as he stayed in place.

In fact, Lynch had already figured it out—Sedel didn’t need to openly oppose the Federation. He just had to keep them out of the profitable projects. The leftover scraps might not only be unprofitable but could lose money. While Gephras would receive subsidies, the Federation wouldn’t fund its own people to support Gephra.

File a complaint in Gephra?

Submit an official diplomatic protest?

Sure, but by then, the humiliation would be the least of it.

As for delaying the Blackstone Security operation against anti-government forces to use as bargaining leverage?

Not likely. Lynch had signed a contract with Gephra’s defense minister. If he didn’t deliver on time, Gephra could demand compensation and exert diplomatic pressure.

But Lynch wasn’t worried. These were minor tricks. No one is truly flawless. And if someone appears perfect, then that becomes their fatal flaw.

The speeding motorcade seemed to inject something different into the city. Some residents peeked through curtains and door cracks, quietly observing the scene.

“The Federation envoy has arrived?” Governor Sedel asked casually as he sat in his study, massaging his temples after finishing his day’s work.The butler who had been attending him nodded. “He’s been here for two days already…”

Governor Sedel responded with an indifferent nod. He opened his eyes and thought for a moment. “Let him wait a few more days. That… Lynch, is he here too?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Lynch…” Governor Sedel gave a cold chuckle. He looked down at a document on his desk—a report detailing a fierce firefight between Blackstone Security and an anti-government militia in a remote mountain area.

Over a hundred enemies were killed, and a large cache of supplies and intelligence was seized. The rest had fled in all directions. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

This was the third anti-government group taken out by Blackstone Security. It was as if they had known everything from the start—what kind of weapons the rebels had, where they were hiding, and the best angle of attack.

Gephra had been in the region for over two years and never managed to gather this kind of intelligence. So how did the Federation manage it?

Others might not dare speculate, but as the local governor with near-absolute power, Sedel