Lord of Winter: Beginning with Daily Intelligence-Chapter 692 - 392: Reymont and Calvin (2)

Kaelin stared at the two legion stations, a long-lost glint appeared in his eyes.

Raymont noticed this slight change and timely offered his stake: "In the private treasury of the Raymont family, there are enough high-quality weapons to re-equip three legions, as well as two years’ worth of food reserves. I am willing to send them to the Thirty-First and Eleventh Legions."

"The premise is they must know who is feeding them." Kaelin stared at the frontier map, his chest feeling as if something was being stretched open.

The dull angry fire, buried deep in his heart due to the bitterness and humiliation from his severed arm, finally found an outlet to burn.

The storm knocked on the window frame, but his breathing grew more rapid.

"Duke..." Kaelin’s voice was somewhat hoarse, "You are willing to take this risk for me... I..."

Before he finished speaking, his eyes were already heating up.

In this Imperial Capital, everyone was leaving him.

Only this man before him came back against the storm at the most dangerous time, pushing his family’s fortunes toward him.

The bitterness at the site of his severed arm seemed somewhat mitigated by this passion.

To secure this only person still willing to support him, Kaelin almost blurted out with emotion:

"Raymont! When I ascend to rule the Three Counties of Fallow, you pick one! No... all three counties are yours!"

Kaelin raised his head, speaking urgently and decisively: "Also, the title of Grand Marshal will be hereditary forever! From now on, the Empire’s military will be under your command!"

Raymont was momentarily stunned.

Not out of emotion.

But because the Second Prince’s reaction was even easier to manipulate than he had imagined.

Yet he still showed the appropriate expression, looking both shocked yet subtly bloodthirsty.

"Your Highness..." he spoke softly, "The entire Raymont family swears to follow to the death."

The tears in Kaelin’s eyes finally fell, but he did not wipe them, just nodded firmly.

Raymont stood up, donned his soaking cloak again, standing like a black wall once more.

"I will leave through the secret passage." He said simply, then pushed the door open and left, his figure swallowed by the storm.

After hiding inside that unmarked black carriage, Raymont put away all his emotions.

The fervor and loyalty he showed just now seemed to have never existed.

Kaelin raised his hand, taking out a clean handkerchief, and carefully wiped the shoulder armor.

That was the spot the Second Prince had just patted.

His movements were unhurried, yet carried a chill, as if wiping away some unwelcome bad luck. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

The storm outside crackled on the roof of the carriage.

Raymont reclined in the shadows, his gaze cold like a predator hidden in the deep sea.

......

Deep within the Duke Calvin’s residence.

The Obsidian door closed behind him, the heavy echo dissipating in the narrow hallway, with the sea wind and lights outside shut out.

The secret room was not large, with simple furnishings.

Against the wall was a row of bookcases locked with iron clasps, in the center only a black walnut table with two chairs, a silver hourglass at the corner, where sand slowly fell.

Duke Calvin sat in the shadowed position, fingers lightly tapping the table.

His attire was restrained, with only a slightly old family emblem pinned to his chest, passed down from his father.

Opposite him sat the Fifth Prince and the envoy from the Golden Feather Flower Religious Authority Country, the Divine Envoy Salomon.

He wore a gray robe, white gloves so clean they looked deliberate, the silver Holy Emblem at his neck slightly glimmering in the firelight.

After a moment’s silence, it was Salomon who spoke first.

"Your Grace, the Prince and the Cardinal Institute send their blessings." His voice was not too fast or slow, with a gentle tone, "In these turbulent times for the Empire, to still stabilize the Southeast sea route and deliver the spices needed by the Church Court on time, this reputation... is praised by everyone in the Holy City as well."

Calvin seemed to laugh casually: "The praise from the Holy City usually comes at a high price."

Salomon did not deny it, instead he followed up: "Not at all, what I bring this time is a surprise."

As he spoke, he took out a smaller parchment map from his sleeve and gently spread it on the table.

The map only depicted the current boundaries of the Southeast Province.

"The cracks in the Empire are already a fact." Salomon pointed a finger on the map, "Now there are not many provinces that can completely maintain military and political systems."

"What do you mean?" the Duke asked plainly.

"Now the Southeast Province is the Empire’s only relatively intact framework on the eastern side." Salomon looked at him.

"But this framework is too scattered. The coastal cities, the major inland families, each acting independently. If it drags on any longer, the Prince’s hope to rise from the Southeast will be impaired by these minor lords."

Calvin did not deny this point. Over the years in the Southeast he’s dealt too much with these familial factions.

"So?" he asked again.

Only now did Salomon mention specific stakes for the first time: "The Prince is willing to promote recognition from the Council and Cardinal Institute on the Imperial Capital’s side.

Concentrating the entire Southeast Province’s military and political power into your hands. All command authority originally belonging to the Royal Family and the provincial Council will be handed over to you in the form of written orders."

The Duke slightly raised an eyebrow: "Sounds more like throwing a bunch of trouble for me to clean up."

"Cleaning up the mess is a necessary step before establishing a new order." Salomon did not avoid, "As long as you nod, within three months, the Prince will promote the issuance of the Southeast Reorganization Order. From that moment on, the Southeast Province will have only one master."

This stake was not shocking, yet pragmatic enough.

Calvin looked down at the small map, gently tapping the table with his knuckles: "With the Prince’s current power, this order is not necessarily easy to implement."

"You are right."