Judra's reaction was not without reason.
The document stated that Raven would provide Judra with 5,000 gold coins over the next two years.
In return, once Judra became a baron, he would have to return not only Eagle Beak Mountain Mine and Thousand Needle Jungle, but also transfer Gray Mountain Mine to Eagle Territory!
The reason Ironforge Castle could support a Third-tier Knight like Anger on the income of a barony, and even equip every member of its elite hundred-man Ironforge Legion with Chainmail, was that it had its own iron mines, smelting facilities, and forging workshops!
Weapons, Chainmail, and plate armor sold outside the territory were the most important sources of income for Iron Furnace Territory.
It could be said that once Gray Mountain Mine was lost, Iron Furnace Territory's income would plummet by half or even more, costing it at least a thousand gold coins every year!
Anyone who signed this contract would undoubtedly become the greatest sinner in the Worton Family. Saying he had "sold the territory for glory" would not be an exaggeration.
Raven caught the document steadily and showed no anger. After their brief interaction, he had already completely understood Judra's personality.
Arrogant, conceited, and convinced of his own superiority, yet carrying an innate inferiority complex. He valued pride and reputation almost pathologically. Though he desperately craved a Nobility Title, he acted everywhere as though he did not care in the slightest.
In two words, he could be described as—
Twisted.
To deal with someone like this, he had to help him save face.
In simpler terms, Judra wanted to be a whore while preserving his reputation as a virtuous woman, and Raven would help him erect the memorial arch.
"How could this be considered sacrificing the family's interests, Mr. Judra?" Raven let out a long sigh, his voice filled with deep regret. "Baron Anger was indeed a qualified noble when he was young, but he is old now. What he did during my succession ceremony—to be presumptuous, it could be called senile. If you had not acted decisively, the Worton Family would have become the laughingstock of Nord Province!"
"As for your younger brother, Mr. Mark, forgive my bluntness, but he is even less qualified to be an heir."
Raven's tone was full of heartfelt sympathy. "He was spoiled from childhood and indulged in fine wine and beautiful women. Not only did he get a maid pregnant without even being engaged, he even sent people to Shining Gold Town to purchase Angel's Tear at an exorbitant price, completely disregarding the awkward relationship between our two families."
"Is such a person truly suited to inherit the title of Iron Furnace Territory? If he inherits the title, would that not be the greatest harm to Iron Furnace Territory and the Worton Family?"
Raven's words struck Judra's sore spot. The anger on his face eased considerably, and he sneered. "I don't know where you heard those rumors, but the reliability of that news is as flimsy as the 5,000 gold coins in your document. Even if you searched all of Eagle Territory, you couldn't produce that much money!"
"Then I'm afraid the news really is true." Raven spoke slowly. "Although I don't have that much money right now, don't forget that I still have Angel's Tear—and I recently reclaimed Shining Gold Town."
Judra's lips tightened slightly. He had tasted the deliciousness of Angel's Tear, and Mark's willingness to anger Anger just to purchase it further confirmed the point. Angel's Tear really could bring endless wealth to Eagle Territory.
"...Even if everything you said is true, what can we do about it?" Judra sighed helplessly. "In the end, my father still has the final say over who inherits the title."
"That is precisely why I want to help you." Raven shook the document in his hand. "Mr. Judra, I believe you already possess all the qualities needed to become a lord. You are calm, elegant, and noble. You simply failed to display your abilities before Baron Anger because you were not treated fairly."
He took a step forward. His low, magnetic voice seeped into Judra's heart like a whisper from a dream. "As long as you demonstrate sufficient ability and make everyone in the territory—its vassal knights, steward, Head Maid, and soldiers—submit to your generosity and serve you, I believe Baron Anger will change his mind as well."
Judra's brows twitched violently. He understood Raven's implication.
Money. A great deal of money.
In his view, there was no one in the world who could not be bought with Gold Coins. If there was, the price simply was not high enough.
By throwing down a huge sum of Gold Coins, he could bind every important figure in the barony to his own chariot and make them realize who was capable of bringing them benefits.
Then, as Anger neared the end of his life, even if he wanted to appoint Mark as his heir, no one would acknowledge his decision. A will was useful only if everyone accepted it. Otherwise, it was no better than wastepaper.
At that moment, Judra was indeed tempted, but he still shook his head. "Baron Raven, you are certainly a fine negotiator, but I still cannot agree. Gray Mountain Mine is the foundation of Iron Furnace Territory. The Worton Family cannot lose it."
Most importantly, once he signed the contract, his weakness would be seized by Raven and left entirely at Raven's mercy.
At least before officially becoming a baron, Judra would have no chance to resist.
Raven knew what concerned him and changed tack.
"How could you be losing it? You would merely be leasing Gray Mountain Mine to me—for fifty years! Moreover, its output could still be supplied to Ironforge Castle at market price. Although you would have to spend money purchasing ore, you would also save on labor costs."
"But Gray Mountain Mine's profits are no lower than Shining Gold Town's." Judra's face darkened. "Five thousand gold coins for a fifty-year lease is still too little."
Raven laughed inwardly.
This Judra was quite skilled at preserving his reputation too!
Raven had merely proposed a transaction, yet Judra already knew how to climb up the pole, restricting the focus of the discussion to Gray Mountain Mine while completely ignoring the attached relationship of personal dependence.
Not only had he saved face, he had even begun haggling. Truly a classic noble.
The original 5,000 gold coins had only been Raven's floor price. He had never expected it alone to buy Judra over. "Then what amount of Gold Coins does Mr. Judra think would be appropriate?"
"10,000 Gold Coins." Judra did not even blink. "I believe that is a suitable price."
"If this had been fifty years ago, perhaps. But Gray Mountain Mine has been mined for far too long. No one knows how much ore remains." Raven bargained. "How about 7,000 Gold Coins?"
A trace of displeasure flashed through Judra's eyes.
No matter how pleasant Raven made it sound, once the contract was signed, it would become Judra's greatest weakness before he truly succeeded to the barony. He could say that he was staking his entire life on it.
Yet this bastard Raven was unwilling to pay even 10,000 Gold Coins. It was practically an insult.
"This is not merely about Gray Mountain Mine." Judra emphasized each word. "It concerns my 'reputation.' Not a single Gold Coin less than 10,000!"
Raven was almost laughing from anger. Reputation? What kind of reputation was worth 5,000 Gold Coins?
After erecting the memorial arch, did the whore really think herself a virtuous woman?
Raven sneered and shook his head. "Mr. Judra, if you insist, I doubt Mr. Mark's 'reputation' is worth that much, is it?"
Judra's expression tightened. "What do you mean?"
"It's simple." A cold smile tugged at Raven's lips. "I've thought it through. Rather than support you, I might as well invest in Mark, who has a better chance of inheriting the title. At least living next door to a good-for-nothing wouldn't put me under any pressure!"
"Sorry to have wasted your time, Mr. Judra!" Raven made his decision immediately and turned to leave.
Seeing Raven threaten him so blatantly, Judra's breathing suddenly grew heavy. He clenched his fists, almost wanting to rush over and beat Raven senseless!
But he could not do that. He did not dare to.
He was already at a disadvantage in the struggle. Once Mark received Raven's financial support, Judra would have no chance of inheriting Iron Furnace Territory!
If Raven had threatened him like this before, Judra could have simply walked away. But Raven had now completely awakened his ambition and given him a clear vision of himself sitting upon the baron's throne.
To truly give up now would be so... unwilling!
"Baron Raven!" Judra suppressed the humiliation roiling in his heart and took a deep breath. "9,000 Gold Coins!"
Raven did not stop walking.
"8,000 Gold Coins!"
Raven's footsteps paused briefly, but he continued forward.
Just as his hand was about to touch the carriage door, Judra shouted, "7,000! I agree!"
"Oh, my! How could I accept that?" Raven turned around, wearing the courteous smile unique to nobles. "I was just about to return to my carriage and change the number to 10,000. I didn't expect you to be so considerate."
"Since that is the case, I am not an unreasonable man. How about 8,000 Gold Coins, Mr. Judra?"
Judra knew Raven had made a concession to soothe his anger. He did not want to accept this so-called charity, but he could not bear to lose those 1,000 Gold Coins either. He could only nod heavily, irritably. "Then 8,000. But this agreement must never be made public."
Raven blinked. "As long as you fulfill the contract, of course!"
Raven took out the ink prepared in advance from the carriage, and the two of them signed their names on the agreement.
A small box of Gold Coins was placed before them.
Raven said, "This is the first payment—200 Gold Coins. Starting next month, I will provide you with a payment on the fifth of every month, at least 200 Gold Coins, with no upper limit. In short, within one year, I will give you the same total amount of Gold Coins stated in the contract."
"If the amount is insufficient by then, I will not acknowledge the contents of this document." Judra's expression was not pleasant. He merely stared blankly at the carriage, which had not moved for a long time.
Raven did not care about his attitude. He rose and smiled as he bowed. "Then I shall take my leave, Mr. Judra. I hope you have a pleasant evening."
"Wait." Judra called out to Raven, who had just turned away. "Why?"
"Why what?" Raven looked back.
"Why spend the money on me?" Judra asked quietly. "Don't you need to develop your own territory and improve your strength?"
Raven raised his brows slightly, somewhat surprised that Judra could still retain enough rationality at such a time. He replied solemnly, "Because Nord Province will fall into chaos by the end of the year at the latest. I hope to have a solid ally then, someone who can share Eagle Territory's burdens with me."
"What?" Judra looked at Raven, smiling angrily. "Baron Raven, I know you don't want to tell me the truth, but there is no need to fob me off with such empty words!"
"If that is what you think, there is nothing I can do." Raven tossed out a line worthy of a scoundrel and headed back toward the carriage.
"Time will prove my answer."
With that, Raven returned to the carriage. As Angie cracked the whip, it set off along the road back to Eagle Fortress.
"How was that? I told you Judra would definitely agree to my terms." Raven pulled Denise into his arms and leaned against the carriage wall, a faint smile still on his lips.
Denise said nothing. She merely scrutinized Raven.
She found herself increasingly unable to see through this man.
He was lustful, hypocritical, shameless, and greedy. Yet ever since she had returned to Eagle Fortress, nearly everything Raven did had surpassed her expectations, and he succeeded every time.
Especially today's conversation. It had left her deeply shaken.
Raven had controlled the rhythm of the entire conversation. Several times, she thought the negotiation would end in failure, but Raven's precise grasp of human nature had firmly locked Judra in place.
From belittling him, to praising him, and finally manipulating him, everything had flowed together seamlessly. Judra was like a sparrow trapped inside, thinking it was soaring freely while never escaping Raven's palm.
Those methods were precise and seasoned. Raven—was he really only twenty years old?
"How did you do that?" A question slipped from Denise's lips.
"Want to know?" Raven smiled and pointed at his cheek. "Kiss me, and I'll tell you."
"Or should I kiss you?"
As he spoke, he leaned toward her.
What greeted him was Denise's soft palm, along with her quiet complaint. "Angie is still outside."
"Oh... I understand now!" A meaningful smile appeared on Raven's face as he rested his head against the carriage wall.
Denise rolled her eyes at him and asked quietly, "I still don't understand. Anger is still in excellent health, and Eagle Territory's finances are so strained. Why did you choose this moment to fund Judra?"
"That is why you can only be a merchant, while I can become a baron." Raven smiled. "Keep working hard, Denise. If you can't figure this out, how will you ever become the president of the Monen City Merchants' Guild?"
At the same time, Judra was still sitting dejectedly on the stone chair at Halberd Rock.
He stared at the box of Gold Coins before him. His fists clenched tighter and tighter, and his breathing grew rougher and rougher. He stood up, kicked over the stone stool, and cursed aloud:
"Son of a bitch!!"
Damn Raven!
A lowborn thug had merely obtained the title of baron through a twist of fate, yet he could lord it over Judra and condescend to lecture him on his own life.
"What a piece of trash!"
With a clang, fiery-red battle aura ignited around his foot. He kicked hard, smashing the stone stool into fragments.
It was all Mark's fault!
If not for him, why would a true-blooded noble like Judra have to endure humiliation from someone like Raven and rely on that scoundrel's goodwill?!
At that moment, hatred filled Judra's gaze as he looked at the Gold Coins on the table. He tore open his collar, raised his fist, and slammed it down!
Bang!
The box flew out and hit the ground. Shining coins scattered everywhere, several of them bent out of shape by the blow.
After venting his anger, Judra slowly calmed down. He walked over and crouched on the ground, righted the box, and gathered the Gold Coins back inside one by one like a defeated rooster.
To inherit the title of the Worton Family, these Gold Coins were indispensable.
Only by becoming a baron could he wash away today's humiliation, hold his head high before Raven, and reclaim the self-respect buried beneath the dust!
The son of a baron? So what? Until he became a baron himself, he was not a true noble.
In this world, only nobles counted as people.
Everyone else was cattle, pigs, dogs, chickens, and sheep!
Judra did not want to be livestock.
As he gathered the Gold Coins, he muttered under his breath, "It absolutely cannot have been Raven. A man of common birth could not have such far-reaching vision, laying plans for his own interests from this early."
"It must have been Denise's idea. She must have wanted to support me, while Raven merely took the opportunity to extort a cut in the middle. It must be that way!"
Thinking that the Gold Coins before him had been provided by Denise, Judra's hands suddenly moved faster.
"Just wait, Raven. Once I seize the position of family head, I will definitely take Denise away from you!"
After putting away the Gold Coins, Judra shouted, "Yaden!"
Soon, footsteps sounded. Yaden led more than a dozen soldiers over. "Lord Judra!"
As the saying went, one did not feel pain when selling another man's land. Since it was not his own money, Judra directly picked up ten Gold Coins and stuffed them into Yaden's hands. "These are for you."
Yaden said happily, "Thank you for your reward, Mr. Judra!"
"All of you, come here!" Judra shouted, and the remaining soldiers gathered around.
Judra took out the Gold Coins and stuffed one into each of their hands, no more and no less.
Amid their ceaseless thanks, the soldiers' gazes at Judra filled with fervor!
Judra said, "I do not care whether you heard what happened here today or what you heard. None of you may speak of it. Otherwise, I will take back everyone's reward. Understood?"
Everyone shouted in unison, "Understood!"
Surrounded by the soldiers like the moon among stars, Judra's lips curled into a smug smile.
Raven, just wait. Then you will see what a terrifying opponent you have cultivated for yourself by spending your money!
Over the next few days, Judra lived in supreme comfort. Although he still guarded the city gates, the soldiers there looked at him with nothing but respect and admiration.
To these soldiers, they did not care who was the legitimate heir. But who could make their lives better was something they understood all too clearly.
Of course, Judra had not given one Gold Coin to every soldier. Iron Furnace Territory had a population of more than thirty thousand and over a thousand ordinary private soldiers. Even if he could afford to pay them all, he would not waste money on common soldiers.
But taking out a little to improve their lives—more meat at each meal and an extra cup of wine—was enough to make them deeply grateful.
The three neutral knights and the elite Ironforge Legion were the true targets he needed to conquer.
Naturally, Judra also had to consider improving his own strength. If he could break through to the Third Tier within a few years, then even Anger would no longer dare to show such blatant favoritism.
On the sixth evening after Judra returned to Iron Furnace Town, something unexpected happened.
"My lord, Knight Lauci has come to visit!" Yaden reported.
Judra's eyes lit up. "Let him in!"
Lauci was the only other Second-tier Knight in all of Iron Furnace Territory besides Judra. He was loyal to Mark. If Judra could buy him over, the balance between them would shift dramatically.
Soon, heavy footsteps sounded. Lauci pushed open the door and entered. "Lord Judra, please open the city gates. This is Baron Anger's order."
Judra accepted the order without examining it. Instead, his gaze fell upon the woman who had entered behind Lauci. "You are... Fenli?"
Fenli was Mark's personal maid—the woman who had been impregnated by him.
Should she not have already been secretly executed?
The woman's body trembled, and she nodded lightly.
"Lord Anger said that the child in her belly is, after all, a blood descendant of the Worton Family," Lauci explained. "I will take her somewhere secluded and watch over her until she gives birth. Please open the city gates, my lord."
For an instant, Judra felt all the blood in his body turn cold. Only his heart continued pounding.
Father, I took the blame for betraying my allies for your sake, yet you never even considered doing anything to restore my reputation!
But Mark committed such an act that disgraced the family simply for his momentary pleasure. Not only did you fail to punish him, you protected him in every way—even loving his bastard child because you loved him.
We are both your sons. Does the difference really have to be this great?
Is your favoritism really going to be this blatant?
"Lord Judra?" Lauci's voice sounded.
"Ah, sorry. I got a little distracted." Judra wore a genial smile. "Do you need me to prepare another carriage? Fenli is pregnant, after all."
"Thank you for your kindness, but there's no need." Knight Lauci was surprised by Judra's attitude and replied with some confusion, "Lord Anger said carriages are easy to track. I'll carry her out on foot."
"Then there's no need to make such a commotion by opening the city gate. Lower her down in a basket," Judra said. "Of course, for safety's sake, Knight Lauci, you should operate the winch yourself."
Lauci left with Fenli. A few minutes later, the two figures moved away from the city wall and disappeared into the night.
Yaden stepped forward. "My lord, should I follow them?"
"No need. Yaden is a Storm Knight. You won't catch up to him," Judra said. "Go back and stand guard..."
"My lord, really..."
"I said go back and stand guard!" Judra turned around, his voice booming. His nose was so red it looked ready to drip blood, and he looked like a furious beast!
Yaden accepted the order solemnly and hurried out of the room.
"Father..." Judra clenched his fists, thick blood spurting from between his fingers. "Since you don't regard me as your son..."
While Judra seethed over Anger's favoritism, Raven was lost in a peaceful sleep.
With the Temperature Control Array's help, he could sleep on a soft bed wrapped in a quilt even in the height of summer. He no longer woke up sweating in the middle of the night.
"Ah—" Raven got out of bed with a yawn and walked to the window. The first thing he saw was the workshop, which was nearing completion.
Now that it had reached the roofing stage, having plenty of workers was no longer enough. The stonemasons and carpenters had to work together carefully to create a stable structure. Not the slightest mistake could be made, or they might build a dangerous house that could collapse at any moment.
At the current rate, it would take at most another five days before it could be put into use. In fact, some raw materials had already been transported into the warehouses whose roofs had been completed, ready for use at any time.
The door opened, and Patti walked in with light steps. "Lord Baron."
"Help me get dressed." Raven walked over to the bronze mirror.
Patti began carefully dressing Raven. As she did so, she said, "Lord Baron, this morning, Priest Laxus sent someone to deliver a message asking you to come over."
Raven frowned slightly. His Elven language had indeed improved over the past few days, but he was still nowhere near fluent enough to recite a hymn of praise.
He didn't want to embarrass himself in front of Laxus, so lately he had been somewhat reluctant to meet her. "What's the reason?"
As she fastened Raven's belt, Patti said, "She said..."
"There's news about the Mage Potion."
Before you continue